> The Watcher: Rise of the Purveyor
>  by GnollReader
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1: Return
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Princess Celestia watched, torn between shock, concern and wonder as the purveyor stood at the shattered window to the old newborn station in utter silence. Only the small music box in his hand continued to play in the silence around them as he stared into the old room.

Just like two hundred years ago, his face was covered by the impenetrable blackness of his polished mask. And just like she remembered, the shadows softly swirled around his form. But there was a difference: unlike before, the shadows now carried small traces of red; the crimson lines intertwining with the black mass around him, disappearing into his form only to reappear at another position.

"You're back..." she finally whispered. Fear and worry started to spread over her face, "Does this mean..."

"No." he replied without looking at her, "The time has not come yet... I still can not hear the cycle approach."

She breathed out in relief but continued to watch him with concern, her worst fear pushed aside for only a moment.

"What happened?" she asked after an agonizing moment of silence.

The music box stopped playing, the last notes from the little machinery echoing through the empty corridor softly. He closed his hand around the delicate device and returned it to his robes before turning around slowly to face her. For a moment, Celestia thought she could hear a whisper go through the old halls of Canterlot Central.

"We died." He stated with a grave voice. "Just as I commanded, the void came and swallowed everything..." he paused for a moment. "How long was I gone?"

"For over two hundred years..." Celestia replied with a sad voice. Many of her beloved subjects had left during that time, and many new ones had come to leave just like the others. No matter how much she tried, remembering the loved ones she had lost to time always saddened her.

"Two hundred years... It felt like more time had passed..." he said with an impassive voice. "Then again, the void never had a real time line of its own, and without the order we imposed on it..." his thoughts trailed off to the time spent in solitude within the void, countless decades spent in silence. For all he knew, thousands of years could have passed unnoticed by him and in utter darkness. Until...

"What happened to you?" His thoughts were interrupted by Celestia. Again, for a moment she thought she could hear a whisper on the verge of her hearing. But there was no one here except for him and herself.

He looked into her face. "I changed..." he paused for a moment. "When the void came to swallow us, I waited for it to consume me as well... but it never did. Instead, I floated through the darkness aimlessly, waiting for my end to come... but nothing happened." Celestia shuddered at the thought of spending an eternity in that place. "So I did what I have always done, I waited... and I listened..." his voice was almost a whisper now. "And I learned."

He turned away from her to look through the broken windows once more. "I had almost forgotten what the void sounded like... but with my race gone it was finally quiet enough for me to hear its whispers once more. So I listened... and I changed..." he held out his hand and immediately, shadows started to form from the walls and items around him, traveling through the air and towards his open hand from all directions.

"The void I once embedded this world with is still present..." he allowed the shadows to curl themselves around his arm. "As is its bond with me..." the shadows slowly fell from his arms and retreated into their surroundings again. "It shall be of use for me..."

"What do you mean?" Celestia asked with worry.

"Can you not hear them? Even when I still lock my mind from your thoughts you should be able to hear them..."

Celestia's eyes widened, there it was again. Nothing more than a breath, but it was there. A whisper in the air around her.

"Now..." the shadows from his form started to grow and reach out to her. As the black wall roared around her she could make out the whispers even clearer, and she could hear his voice; "See, what I see..." he performed the phase shift, the world around her vanished.

What Celestia saw next would haunt her for the rest of her life. She saw the purveyor stand alone in the darkness, and roaring like a storm above him, she saw them.

Millions of them; uncountable to the eyes alone, roared around him in an endless maelstrom. Souls, innumerable souls... and all of them were screaming.

She could hear most of them scream at her in anger and frustration, while others begged for mercy or cried for lost loved ones. And while most roared there were also those that stayed the closest to his form, only whispering softly in short sentences and with broken words. The pleas and screams around her were deafening and Celestia had to struggle to keep herself from falling to her knees.

Celestia looked down, and saw the purveyor stand at the center of the vortex, his mask removed and a strange expression on his face as he observed the storm around him in silence. 

Then, with a motion of his hand the screaming stopped, and the vortex slowed down. Only a soft murmur remained as the souls continued to drift around him at a slow speed.

"Who are they?" she whispered in fear.

"As I drifted through the darkness, I only realized too late that it would be nothing but a matter of time until they found me..." he spoke without looking down, "And after an eternity of listening to the void, the first of them did. It took time for all of them to arrive... but as I was the only thing that remained of their old world they were drawn to me like moths to an open flame."

The purveyor turned to her, and Celestia felt a shiver run down her spine as she looked into the impenetrable darkness of his eyes, "They are the souls of those lost to the void... the dreams and memories of my lost kind... and now... now that they are bound to my form and are finally able to leave the void with me again, I shall fulfill their desire."

Celestia took a step back, dreading what he was about to say next. The mask reformed on his face, and the world around her changed back to the old Canterlot Central hospital. The souls were gone again, but she could still hear their murmurs carry through the air softly as the shadows retreated from her form.

He stood before her, observing her in silence and waiting for her response.

"Why have you returned?" she whispered, afraid of the answer.

"I have come carrying the lost souls and forgotten dreams of my race along with my own, and now... I have the chance to give them what I was unable to give them for so long... A new life, outside of the void."
> Chapter 2: An act of trust
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You want to bring your species to this world?!" Celestia uttered in shock, "In their old form, nonetheless?"

The purveyor remained impassive and continued to stare at the empty cradles. "I do..."

"It is impossible!" Celestia shook her head, "No deity of this world or even you could possibly possess the kind of power required to bring back an entire race..." the words failed to leave her mouth as she realized something. When she finally understood what the purveyor intended to do, she simply stared at him with dread in her heart.

"That's why you came back... isn't it?" she whispered in horror, "You could have gone to any world you desired, a younger world just born, full of resources and free of other races... Yet, you came here..." He didn't reply, but only turned his head slightly to look at her. 

Celestia's eyes narrowed, "It never stopped, did it? You want to use them..."

"Them?" he answered with a hollow voice, "There is no them, Celestia... it never collected the souls, only those last sparks of life. And yes, the void I embedded into this world still functions to fulfill its old purpose, just as it has done for all these past years..." 

She shook her head. "What you intend is monstrous!"

"Is it?" he replied, "The energy accumulated was always intended for this sole purpose... it holds no difference now whether the life brought forth from it is created in the void or here."

"It holds too many risks! How would the other races react to a whole new species? It could bring forth a new struggle for power and resources, old beliefs would struggle with new ones... it could mean war!"

He shook his head. "Their presence will go unnoticed by the other races at first. I plan to give them a new home secluded from the other races of this world. A nation of their own, outside the boundaries of others... hidden from the influence of those that think themselves to be gods."

Celestia gave him a questioning look. "Where?"

"The barrier," he replied.

"The barrier? It is nothing but barren and broken land brought forth by volcanic activity, it will still take thousands of years before any form of civilized life will be able to take roots there!"

"Or only a few, single years if I accelerate the process," his words hovered in the air for a moment, "Everything required for the new nation to grow is already there... it only needs to be brought to the surface. They will live there, and they will build themselves a new home and continue to grow until they are ready to cross the Empty Plains to make contact with the other races on their own. Old souls will be reborn, and new souls will come into existence with time. When the times comes for them to step forth, I will see what it may bring."

"And who would the new race follow? Would you rule over them? Would you become their god?" Celestia asked with dread, "The other deities would never accept..."

"The other deities hold no interest to me," he stated flatly, "Must I remind you that I have been here far longer than any of you? That I saw this world shake and fall when your old deities died?" He studied her face for a short moment. "But no... I do not intend to rule, and neither do I intend to show myself to my own kind. I will remain hidden, and I will watch them create their own gods. It will be their choice alone who to hail or what to call themselves. They shall be free to make their own decisions, whatever it may bring..."

"But the deities..." she started to protest.

"The other deities will remain unaware of their presence just like they are unaware of mine, at least until my kind will make themselves known to them," he interrupted her, "Until then, they shall remain hidden from this world, and the rest of the world shall remain hidden from them."

"Then why are you telling me of your plans? Why not just simply do it without my knowledge? You cannot expect me to simply maintain silence to the other deities or my subjects over what you are doing when it threatens to upset the very balance of this world!"

"I expect you to do even more," he said with an even voice. "I expect you to help me."

"What?"

The purveyor gave her a contemplating look. "I have the required energy at my command. I can create the bodies from nothing but dust...  I can even establish a link between them and the souls. But... there are two things I cannot do. Neither can I cleanse the souls of their old memories, nor can I make the bodies draw their first breath on their own." he paused "But you can. You are the very incarnation of life in this world, and you can do what I can not."

"Why? Why would I help you with something like this?" Celestia asked.

"Because," he replied, "You'll still need my help when the end comes."

Celestia cringed, the very thing she feared had been used to put her at a disadvantage. She gave him a distrustful look. "And what will guarantee me that when the end comes, you won't simply save them and abandon us?"

"I do not need to save them to uphold their existence. When the end comes the souls of those I brought with me to this world will find me once more and I will move on. This means that I will be able to use what energy I have at my disposal to save as many of your race as I can. Most importantly, I will still require the magic your kind holds to give birth to my race again. And as long as I do, I shall help you."

"And what about the souls created here?"

"They will have no connection to me... and will be lost," he replied without emotion.

"You would sacrifice them?!" Celestia protested, "Are you really so cold that you are willing to leave them behind?!"

"I am willing to do what I must!" His voice became hard and cold; "Even if I concentrated all of my efforts to help you, I will not be able to save them all. How many would you be willing to leave behind?"

"I would find a way to save them all!" she shouted back.

For a moment, he simply stared at her. Then, a soft laugh escaped his lips, the hollow sounds echoing softly through the hallways. "How commendable, you haven't changed at all," he sighed. "Maybe... with time, we may find another way... but for now, I have a race to revive."

Celestia let her gaze travel over his mask for a lingering moment, trying in vain to feel his presence.

"If I am really to agree to this, I require for a concession from your side. I refuse to lie to the rest of the world about what is watching from the dark any longer." Unseen by her, the purveyor frowned. "I will call for a council, and you will make your presence known to the other deities because they need to know they are not alone. When the time comes for your race to step forth, they need to know who it is connected to. The knowledge of your existence will hopefully help them to accept the fact that a new race walks among their subjects."

She drew a deep breath. "What you actually tell of your intents, our pact or our past I shall leave to you, just as I will leave your race in your hands, but I cannot trust you if you remain a phantom to us." She paused, "This act of trust... If you do this, and promise to help me save our world... if you show me that I can trust you, purveyor... I will help you."

The purveyor remained silent for some time. "And are you willing to accept whatever will happen when our races meet for the first time? What will you do should their first meeting turn into a conflict?"

"I will do what I have always done," Celestia replied. "I will do my best to uphold peace."

He observed her for an agonizing moment before the shadows around him started to pick up speed. "Very well then, call for your council... tell them that the void has come to take its place among them." The shadows started to enclose him, "And then... my race will finally live." and with a last tremble of the shadows, he was gone.
> Chapter 3: The old dragon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zaeres watched, his presence hidden by the void as Celestia left the halls of the old Canterlot Central hospital. He had no doubts that she would inform Luna of their meeting and the words they had exchanged... it didn't matter, her commitment to her subjects had always been her weakness, no matter how commendable it was.

He swayed softly in the silence around him, ignoring the ceaseless whispers of the countless souls that followed him. His connection to the void had deepened to a degree were it no longer mattered if he wished to live or not. The void would not let him go any more... the purveyor pushed the thought aside. He would give his race a new life and rid himself of his burden. They would fend for themselves, and he would watch in silence, just like he had always done.

He closed his eyes and allowed himself to sink into the void he had imbedded this world with so long ago, his senses and mind traveling over it like a spider in its web as he aligned it to his thoughts. He had learned much during his solitude in darkness, the void now served as his eyes and ears. This world no longer held any secrets from him expect those kept in the mind... The purveyor started to search for the deities.


---


There was Celestia, accompanied by Luna, their presence shining like stars in the darkness. Luna had grown, he realized... her presence almost felt as clear to his senses as that of her sister. He lingered over their forms for a fleeting moment, allowing the void to show them to him more clearly.

"Tia..." Luna said with concern, "You look as pale as a ghost! What happened?"

Celestia observed her sister with tired eyes, her mane floating through the air much slower than normal. "He is back."

Celestia's words hung in the air for what seemed like an eternity, Luna staring at her first without understanding, but then in horror as she realized who Celestia was referring to.

"No..." she whispered, "You said it was over! He can't be back!..." she breathed heavily, "What will happen now?"

Even from here, he could hear the distress of her voice clearly, "I made a pact... I will have to call for a council of the deities..."

The purveyor let their vision pass him as he continued his search. Celestia would keep her promise, and Luna would stand by her sister... or he would... no. He pushed the idea from his thoughts, it was too early for plans like that. There was no need to make preparations when the situation didn't require it and he deemed Celestia's influence great enough to handle her sister. He let his senses spread out further.


---


There. The Crystal Kingdom; still ruled by Cadence, and she had barely changed at all. It seemed she was not destined to rival the alicorn sisters. …Good. It would serve to uphold the stability. But there was someone else here besides Cadence, someone who held considerably more power. A surprised huff escaped his lips as he found the source: Twilight Sparkle.

He had known of Celestia's plans to turn her into an alicorn, but he always doubted she would be suited suited for such a position. He scanned her form; strong, still young but not connected to the world as deeply as Celestia and Luna. …When had Celestia deemed this step necessary? The dragon was with her as well. He too had grown, but not much; he only stood a little taller than Twilight.

The purveyor observed her inside her library in silence. It was likely that Celestia would inform her of his presence, and she had tried to meddle with his work before. …He'd have to keep an eye on her in case she was tempted to try something again..

The image cleared from his vision and he continued his search.


---


He found the deity of the wind. The queen of the griffons, Anathis. …She was a fierce fighter, and she commanded her element as she commanded her subjects: forceful and without restraint. She was not nearly as powerful as Celestia, but she was the most troubling to him; her constant desire for power had always put the equilibrium of this world at risk.

The purveyor watched her sit on her throne, contemplating how she would react to him, and towards his race when their presence would become known. Of all deities she was the most likely one to take action... but should she give him a cause to intervene he would make sure it was her last.

Zaeres' mind reached out further.


---


The deity of tranquility, ruler of the stags in the south; wise, patient and peaceful... but blind to the true world around him. He spent his days formulating his philosophies and chanting mantras... a good leader, but lacking in desire. He would not pose a threat to his plans.

A scowl passed the purveyors lips as he found the next deity... Chrysalis. He still despised her race, but she would not dare risk making a move against him. Not after their last encounter.

The Dog Father... weak, greedy, cowardly... ridiculous. In his own greed he had never managed to unite the clans, and he was the least of the purveyor's concerns. If Zaeres made their first encounter intimidating enough, the Dog Father would not dare lift a finger against him.

He stopped, however, as he found the next deity; Nithhogr, dragon emperor and deity of the magic flame. Zaeres still remembered what a formidable dragon he had been in his early years... he had lived longer than any other of the deities, almost as long as the purveyor had watched and even long enough for him to feel the drag of time. These days, he had shrunk considerably, and his eyes were blind... but he still saw more than the others, and his mind was still as sharp as it had been in his youth.

His reaction... would be interesting, but it was unlikely that he would pose a threat. The dragons had always lived detached from the rest of the world and without interest in the much younger races. Still, he wondered how the old dragon would react...

As the purveyor continued his observation in silence, the elder dragon suddenly lifted his head and looked around his cave with his blind eyes before speaking softly. "I have not felt the shadows watch for some time now... have you finally come to take me away?" His voice sounded more tired than in the purveyor's memory.

The old dragon chuckled softly, his voice rasping as he continued; "Or have you come to watch a blind, old fool?"

The purveyor observed him, his form hidden in the void and unmoving. Nithhogr's mind had always been special, he could feel the world around him in a way that eluded even Celestia. He had never shown himself to Nithhogr, and this was the first time the old dragon had ever reacted to his presence... it unnerved him, something had changed.

"Father?" a feminine voice called out behind a huge set of doors, "Is everything well?"

"Yes, yes my child..." Nithhogr croaked weakly, "Go back to bed..." he looked around himself in silence, as if trying to find something.

When Nithhogr spoke again, his voice was almost a whisper. "I have always known that something was watching us, something even older than me... and that is ancient indeed..." he laughed softly, "But I grow tired of waiting for my time to come... step forward... whoever you are... fulfill an old dragon's last wish and let me converse with someone who has seen the world just as I have before I finally leave it."

Zaeres watched him in silence for another moment, studying the flow around the dragon's form. It was barely holding on, the old deity was about to pass on. He observed Nithhogr's face, he was waiting for an answer.

The purveyor sighed deeply, the passing of Nithhogr could have unforeseeable consequences; it was in no way clear which of his offspring would take his place, and none of them was like the other in their personalities. ...It was troubling. But for now...

The shadows started to part and take form, the old dragon turning his head slightly towards Zaeres as he felt the purveyor's presence become clear. For a moment, Zaeres thought he could see relief wash over Nithhogr's face.

"Finally..." he whispered, "I have been waiting for far too long to meet you..."
> Chapter 4: Dorchadas
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"My, my..." Nithhogr whispered softly as he felt the purveyor take form. "What an intimidating presence... to think, that a being such as yourself could remain hidden for so long. ...Or are you really death incarnate?"

"This world has no incarnation of death, "the purveyor replied with a hollow voice, "And neither am I a deity."

The old dragon raised an eyebrow. "Oh? My eyes may be old and blind, but even as I am now I can still see the void cling to every fiber of your being like a shroud. I can feel it sway at your every thought... and I can hear the voices you carry with you thunder from the darkness like a far away ocean..."

The purveyor did not answer. He knew the old prophecies of the dragons, and he knew of their fear of the void. The dragons thought that the void was far more than an empty dimension, they thought that it was a sleeping mind, waiting for all reality to fall apart. They were nearer to the truth than most of the other races he had watched.

"You may say that you are not a deity..." Nithhogr continued, "But just as you, I have seen the old gods of this world and the deities that followed them. I have stood in their presence and heard their voices, and now that I have heard yours... Tell me, if not the void incarnate... what are you?"

Zaeres remained silent for another moment. "I am what the void made me."

"An interesting answer..." Nithhogr slightly tilted his head, his eyes shutting in thought. "And what has it made you?"

"What I need to be."

"Mmmm... then allow an old fool to share his thoughts with you." The dragon stared into Zaeres' mask with his ancient and blind eyes. "The eyes are the gateway to the soul... but when I look into yours I only see an endless darkness." His face became grave, "...I see only the void..."

He pulled his eyes away and continued to talk softly, "And I feel it stare back at me... those eyes of yours no longer belong to just yourself... they belong to the void as well now. And just as you watch from the shadows, the void watches from your eyes..."

"So let it." the purveyor's hollow voice interrupted him.

"Mmmm?"

"Nithhogr... the void has no mind of its own, it is a presence... impulsive and without higher desires. It acts out of simple urges, and one of those is to see something different than itself. If it wishes to see through my eyes... then let it. It is still mine to command."

For a second, Nithhogr just stared at him with a strange expression. Then... he laughed. "Do you see what I mean now? The void gave itself to you! It chose you to be its eyes and mind, to follow your command only... and what else would that make you, other than a deity? Mark my words, Dorchadas... whatever you were before, you are the deity of the void now."

"Dorchadas..." Zaeres repeated the word to himself.

"It is dragon for..." Nithhogr started to explain.

"I know what it means. I am very familiar with dragon lore." Zaeres replied, "And if I really am to step before the council, I may as well have a name to give my words weight."

A small trail of smoke escaped the old dragon's lips as he huffed in surprise, "The council? There hasn't been one in centuries. ...Which of the deities would call for one now?" He gave the purveyor a questioning look. "And most importantly; what are your ambitions? I am starting to doubt you came here just to talk to an old dragon..."

"My ambitions?" the purveyor replied with an impassive voice, "I carry no ambitions of my own... but the voices of my old race demand that I fulfill their wish."

Nithhogr's eyes narrowed. "And what do they wish for, Dorchadas?"

"Life." Zaeres' word hung in the air for a fleeting moment, "And I intend to grant them that wish."

"Mmmm... the descendants of the Dorchadas, born into this world?" A deep chuckle escaped the old dragon's throat. "It seems that even in its eve, my life is still full of surprises..." the purveyor frowned as he felt the flow around the old deity become stronger, "I think I'll stay alive for a little bit longer... I'd like to see for myself what the children of the Dorchadas are capable of."

The purveyor felt his frown deepen as he saw the color return to Nithhogr's eyes and the golden orbs focus on him. "My, my... such an imposing figure too..." the old dragon said softly, "The other deities are likely to cringe where they stand should they see you..."

"And what of you?" Zaeres asked, the shadows around his form starting to twitch dangerously.

"Me?" Nithhogr smiled. "I intend to support your claim, if only so that I may witness for myself what a race that survived in the void is capable of..." The old dragon's smile faltered slightly. "But what of yourself, Dorchadas? What are your plans once you bring your children to this world?"

"Nothing," the purveyor replied with an impassive voice, "They will be on their own."

Nithhogr raised an eyebrow. "Nothing? Will you not answer their prayers? Will you not share your wisdom with them? Do you wish to see them fall the moment they take their first steps?"

"I expect them to fall." Zaeres replied, "But I also wish for them to prove me wrong. They will stumble, and they will fall..."

"But will they be able to stand up on their own again?" Nithhogr asked quietly.

"That is my hope."

The old dragon's eyes lingered on the purveyor's form. "You've seen them fall before, haven't you?"

The purveyor did not reply, the shadows swaying softly around his body the only sign of motion.

"May I ask you something, Dorchadas?" Nithhogr asked after a lingering moment.

"Ask..."

The old dragon's face and voice became emotionless, but Zaeres could see the sorrow in his eyes. "Will my race face the same fate as the alicorns?"

The question surprised Zaeres; did the old dragon really think he knew the answer to that question? Before he could contemplate it though, there was a soft knock on the large doors. "Father, are you still awake?"

Nithhogr gave the purveyor another curious look before turning to the doors. "I am, my child. What is it?"

Even before she had pushed the handle of the old doors down, the purveyor soundlessly vanished into darkness and his presence escaped Nithhogr's senses in nothing but a mere moment, leaving the old dragon staring into his cave with a worried expression on his face. 

Having made sure that not even Nithhogr would be able to sense him now, Zaeres watched Nithhogr's daughter enter the room. Kalseru, the Emerald.


---


"Father, a letter has come for... Your eyes!" Kalseru said with surprise. It had been a long time since she had seen the color in them.

Nithhogr smiled softly. "How could I see the world change if I were to remain blind? ...Who is the letter from?" he asked.

"The alicorn sisters..." Kalseru replied with uncertainty, "It says they are calling for-"

"A council?" the old dragon finished her sentence with a small smile. "To bond with the Dorchadas... it seems that young Celestia has grown quite a lot. ...I wonder what her part is in all of this..."

Kalseru frowned. "The Dorchadas? That old story to scare hatchlings? Father, you are not making sense." 

Nithhogr laughed. "There is always truth hidden in the old stories, my child." He turned to the ceiling, ignoring her questioning stare. "Dorchadas, I trust we will meet again at the council?" There was no answer.

"Father, what are you doing?" Kalseru shook her head. "This is no time for riddles or games!"

The old dragon ignored her. "My daughter will accompany me there, so that she may see for herself what truth our old stories hold."

"What?!" Kalseru gave her father a bewildered look. "Father! What-"

"Is that so?" Kalseru felt her heart miss a beat as a voice answered from the shadows around her, seemingly coming from all directions and cold enough to make her shudder.

"Who is there?!" Kalseru called out, frantically scanning the room for the source of the voice, but seeing nothing but shadows. "Who are you?!"

Unseen by her, a small smile spread across Zaeres' lips. Why should he have to introduce himself as someone new, when he could simply become the nightmare of old dragon lore? It would only serve to strengthen his footing in this world. 

It seemed that the time had come for him to make his claim known for the first time.


---


Kalseru watched, frozen in horror as the shadows started to move before her very eyes, floating through the air to collect in a vortex of roaring darkness. When the voice spoke again, she felt a presence unlike any other crush her very being, and countless whispers traveled through the air like a storm. Above all of them, she heard him.

"I am Dorchadas. I am the all-seeing darkness."
> Chapter 5: The Barrier
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After leaving behind a terrified Kalseru, the purveyor felt a slight passing of enthusiasm overcome him for the first time in eons. His meeting with the old dragon had proven more than interesting, he had managed to find himself an ally before the actual council had even started. With the old dragon's support, it would be much simpler to stake his claim.

He wondered though, was Nithhogr actually trustworthy? He had been grinning while Kalseru had whimpered at the purveyor's display. He knew that the old dragon was not one to simply take interest in the world around him, there was an intent hidden behind his actions.

It didn't matter, he would find out with time... and Nithhogr would most likely not survive another century. No matter what interest Nithhogr had in the rebirth of his race, the purveyor would make sure that he would not pose a threat. One way, or the other.

The void shifted around him once more, seeking out his next destination. There were still a few of the younger and lesser deities left, but he felt no need to survey the present situation more; they would pose no threat. 

The next deity however, was a different matter altogether. He had always been a threat to the purveyor's work, his actions always threatening to overthrow order and corrupt the energy he had worked so relentlessly to collect.

Zaeres' vision aligned itself. He had found him. His mere presence still served to disrupt the flow of the world around him. Even encased in a prison of stone, Discord stood true to his name. Of all the deities, his very existence was by far the most troubling one. Not by his powers alone, but by the fact that his actions were simply completely unpredictable.

The purveyor observed Discord's trapped form from the shadows, studying every move in the flow, scrutinizing every inch of the underlying fabric that formed the deity's prison, searching for any sign of weakness.

He couldn't see any signs of weakness in the prison, but the chaotic nature of Discord had eluded him often enough. Even the smallest disturbance in the net could be enough, and Discord's very form constantly served to create them. It was an elusive prison, and it could break at a moment’s notice.

Zaeres did not know what preparations the alicorns had made for such a scenario, and he did not care. Whether the alicorns had regained their powers over the elements or if new incarnations would be born with time, it was not important. If Discord would pose a threat, he would be dealt with.

But for now, Zaeres would leave him unaware of his existence. He would not spur Discord's interest by appearing to him earlier than necessary, and he was hesitant to threaten him as well; Discord would likely take it as a challenge to interfere. The draconequus would one day break through his prison again, Zaeres was sure of it, and he would attend the subject when it became a problem. Until then, he would wait... and prepare.

The purveyor allowed his vision to lose itself again, and his mind reached out far. Across the main continent of Equestria, beyond the expanse of Eternity's Crossing, Camelu, White Pass and into the Lost World. There, behind the seemingly endless salt desert this world knew and feared as the Empty Plains, he found the Barrier. The last border of legends, a place so hazardous and empty of life that not even the dragons dared to tread it.

It was perfect for his intentions. The purveyor stepped out of the void and into the ragged world of never-sleeping volcanoes and fire. For a moment, he allowed himself to take in the scene before him. This place of the world was still young, it still moved and struggled to take shape. Here, a new part of the world was being born before his eyes, and it was here that he intended to bring his race back into existence.

The purveyor closed his eyes, the whispers in his mind starting to roar as he reached out even further. Down into the very fibers that held the existence of this word, where the net of his void was lying in wait for him, filled with the life of countless generations passed. 

He reached out, everything became silent... and his mind touched it, shuddering as he felt the life of a whole world at his command, making the volcanic earth beneath his feet shake as he started to pull more and more of the energy out and into his own form.

When the connection was finally established and secured, the purveyor started his work. Above and beneath him, the world shuddered and roared... The Barrier was his now, and he would shape it to his wishes.


---


She felt it. Just like two hundred years ago, Celestia felt a tremble go through the world like a scream. Next to her, Luna shook with terror. "Tia! What is happening?"

Celestia watched the sky with concern. The source of the disturbance was far away, but even here she could feel it so clearly it put fear into her mind. And she knew that only he could be causing it.

"Wait here," she said, spreading her wings. "I will see what is happening."

Celestia took off into the air. Once she had reached a certain height, she closed her eyes and concentrated, pinpointing the source of the disturbance and realizing with dread that it lay within the Barrier. Her horn lit up as she summoned her magic, and with a flash of light she teleported herself to it.


---


The moment she appeared over the Barrier, her senses and body were attacked with enough force to almost rip her out of the air. All around her, clouds and thunder roared through the air at an unimaginable pace. Celestia frantically flapped her wings to gain height. When she had ascended above the roaring air, she looked down... and into a roaring maelstrom of darkness.

Beneath Celestia, the world itself had come to life. Storm clouds roared around her in a gigantic whirlwind, and below, mountains and earth alike shattered and crumbled before her very eyes. Volcanoes grew from the earth in a display of fire and flowing stone only to die again in mere moments, time seemingly flowing at a maddened pace. The earth itself moved, reality changed before her eyes. And in the center of it all, surrounded by the roaring shadows and with his arms stretched outwards, stood the purveyor. 

Celestia watched in terror, as the purveyor changed the face of the Barrier forever.

Celestia saw him lift his arms, and she felt another tremble shake the air with enough force to make her mind scream in agony. Beneath her, she saw the ravaged earth break open and fall down, opening a crater wide and deep enough to hold a mountain. And guided by the purveyor's will it still continued to deepen.

The shadows started to reach out and into the pit, the earth they touched within the crater starting to move and realign itself... just like she had seen so many years ago in the tower of the purveyors. Slowly, the walls and earth within the endless pit started to take form and patterns started to become clear.

Celestia watched, as the purveyor made a new, endless city rise from shattered earth and shadows.
> Chapter 6: Dreams
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hello, Celestia." the purveyor greeted her without turning towards her as she landed next to him. Far down in the pit, the purveyor's shadows continued to form the new city while he watched from above. For a moment, he allowed himself to admire his own work. It was one small step of many to come, but it was a step forward nonetheless.

Celestia hesitantly stepped up to his side, letting her gaze wander over the endless maze of buildings, bridges and roads that spiraled on downwards.

"What do you think?" he asked without looking up.

"I have never seen the likes of it..." Celestia whispered as she squinted her eyes in an attempt to see the bottom of the pit, "How deep does it go?"

"Deep enough..." he commented, "They will be able to use the magma running below for heat and resources, once they grasp the concept."

"Once?"

"What you see here, is merely a frame of a city. A bare skeleton waiting to be filled with life. It will provide them with shelter and resources, but that is all. The rest, they must figure out for themselves."

"Why not share your knowledge with them?" Celestia asked, "With your technology, they could become the most advanced race ever to walk on this world!"

"I know, but they will have to learn it by themselves nonetheless. Wisdom needs to be earned, respected and nourished. The old knowledge of my kind is simply too dangerous to just put it in the hands of children." he paused, "Also, I have no doubt that they will learn fast enough by themselves. I wish for them to be strong and independent. Uncorrupted by our past."

"There may be a small catch to your plans." Celestia commented with a worried face.

"What?"

Celestia sighed, "To cleanse a soul of its passed life is no simple task. Some things may remain; ideas, words spoken to others, old memories... For them these things of their past lives will appear like shrouded dreams, and even though most of them may not understand what they mean... some may be influenced by them."

The purveyor frowned behind his mask, "They would remember their old lives?"

"They would dream of them." Celestia replied, "It is difficult to tell how clear these dreams would be, I have no concept yet as of how the minds of your kind are structured. It is possible that they would completely forget their former selves. It may be unlikely, but no matter how precisely I work..."

"There would still be the chance for them to remember." he replied before looking at her, "I do not like this, Celestia. But I do not have any other options. Let them dream then... I am curious to see what it would bring forth should the event arise."

Should they actually remember things of their preceeding life, no matter how distorted? It could bring forth chaos, but it could also serve as an inspiration for them and spur their process considerably. They would still have to reach it by themselves though. So even while it wasn't quite as he had desired, it could serve to give them some sort of guidance.

Try as he might though, Zaeres couldn't help but worry about one thing... What if she remembered? What would she do? Most importantly, what would he do? He had intended for her to step into this world untainted and free of her past, but now... He pushed the thought aside, there were too many other things he had to concentrate on at this point. He would keep his eyes open, and pray that she would forget him when the time came for her to be reborn.

Celestia nodded, "Very well then. The council will be held in two days."

"Good. I will be able to finish my preparations by then." the two of them stood in silence for another moment, watching as the shadows continued to move beneath them relentlessly.

"I visited Discord's statue..." he spoke up, "It is good to see that he is still imprisoned. I had feared he could have broken free during my absence..."

"Still?" Celestia replied with surprise before sadness washed over her features, "You are wrong, I am afraid... Discord has been imprisoned, again."

Zaeres raised an eyebrow, "So he did break out while I was gone?"

Celestia shook her head with a sigh, "No. I released him."

For a moment, the purveyor simply stared at her without a word, shocked, bewildered and speechless. Even the shadows around him and the ones in the pit had come to a sudden halt.

"You... you what?!" his voice became cold and the shadows around his form started to twitch. Had Celestia lost her mind during his absence? What in the world could have caused her to take such a step?

"I set him free." Celestia repeated with another heavy sigh.

The purveyor's eyes narrowed, "Why?"

"Because I still had hope that he would return to us." she replied, "I believed, that if he could find a friend, even if it was only one... that he would return to his old self... and that all of us could be happy again."

He shook his head in disbelief, "I could have told you from the beginning that it was a futile attempt."

"Was it really wrong for me to hope that he could be cured?"

"He was never ill to begin with." the purveyor sneered, "His descent into madness was his own choice."

"And still, he did find a friend." Celestia said with a sad smile, "And even if it lasted only for a short time... we were happy."

The purveyor eyed Celestia's face for a second, trying to contemplate her words, "What happened?"

Celestia closed her eyes, the memories of the last two hundred years returning to her. When she opened her eyes again, she continued to look down into the pit as he listened to her words in silence.

"After your disappearance... I decided to give Discord another chance and sent him to Ponyville under the watch of the elements of harmony. It did not seem like it at first, but eventually... he found a friend in the element of kindness."

"Fluttershy..." the purveyor remembered the little pegasus. 

She nodded, "Discord swore on that day to change his ways."

Zaeres scowled, "And you trusted him?"

"His intention was true... he really did want to change." she remained quiet for a moment, a single tear escaping her eye.

"But he couldn't, could he?"

"He tried so hard... fought every urge... but in the end, I fear he lost the fight with himself... and we had to stop him once more." Celestia hung her head, "It was a sad day for all of us..."

Celestia paused, a small, sad smile appearing on her lips, "But I still hope, and I still believe... that one day... he will return to us, and stay."

The purveyor watched her face for a lingering moment before sighing. He would never have expected Discord to be able to change if even only for a day, but it seemed he had been wrong. He could only imagine what it had meant to Celestia, and what it still did.

"It seems quite a few things have changed during my absence..." he shook his head with a soft smile, "But it is good to see, that you have not."

He would not tell Celestia what he intended to do if Discord would break free again. Not now, and not until there was nothing else he could do.
> Chapter 7: Twilight Sparkle
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

For a while, the purveyor and princess Celestia just stood at the edge of the seemingly endless crater, watching as the shadows continued their work below, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Then, the purveyor felt something. It was weak at first, distant but it was there nonetheless. Something was tugging on the flow around him, meaning that something was treading along the barriers of the void like a fly over a spider's web.

Immediately, his mind shot out over the void, searching for the source of the disturbance and locating it within seconds. When he found it though, a small sigh of annoyance escaped him. Somehow, he had almost expected this to happen at some point, just not this early.

"Celestia." Zaeres spoke up quietly, making her look up in surprise.

"Yes?"

He continued to stare into the pit, his shadows stopping their work to return to his form. "Did you inform Twilight Sparkle of my presence?"

Celestia gave him a slightly confused look. "I did. Why?"

"Because she is trying to contact me at this very moment," he replied with an unmoving voice, "Have you also informed her of my intention?"

Celestia shook her head, "I have yet to tell her. I was careful of discussing the topic with her this early." she gave him a questioning gaze, "Will you go talk to her?"

The purveyor pondered on her question for a moment. He could of course simply ignore Twilight Sparkle's attempts to contact him, but to what purpose? Her powers had grown, and she had always been a little too devoted for his likes. If he ignored her, she was likely to do something foolish for sure. Then again... there was another question that had been on his mind since his return.

"Before I do... There is something I want to ask you." he turned to Celestia, "Why did you turn her into an alicorn?"

Celestia seemed surprised at his question. "She displayed all the virtues of the elements. She learned so much in so little time and grew over all expectations. So I wished for her to be a figure all ponies of future generations could look up to. That is why I turned her into the princess of magic."

Zaeres observed her in silence for a moment. "You disappoint me, Celestia. Do you really think I would be fooled so easily? Or do you really believe what you just told me? First Discord, and now this..."

She stared at him, shocked and seemingly at a loss for words. "What?"

"It was never intended for there to be a princess of magic. You and I know perfectly well that it was never intended for the element bearers to live forever." he turned away from her and stared back into the crater, "After you lost the elements, they would be found again in the form of simple, mortal ponies, reappearing when they would be needed the most. ...And then they would disappear again when the bearers reached the end of their lives."

He paused. "That was always the original intent of the elements. They were always a fleeting appearance in history, something to uphold the balance of the world and nothing to be held or controlled by one alone. They were far too powerful for that... which was also one of the reasons you lost them over time. And you know this as well." He didn't look up as he continued, "So tell me, Celestia. Why did you truly decide to turn Twilight Sparkle immortal?"

Next to him, Celestia remained quiet, baffled by his question and trying to find an answer for that very question herself. He was right, she knew... and still, why had this question never occurred to her? For a moment she was lost as countless memories rushed through her mind, but when she realized the answer, she almost loathed herself for it... and him for making her understand it.

Celestia held her head low, a feeling of deep regret spreading in her heart. "I... I did it..."

"Because you could not let her go," the purveyor finished her sentence with a quiet voice as he turned to her once more. "I will not judge you for caring for your subjects, and I will certainly not judge you for feeling lonely in all those years. But surely, you realize by now... how foolish that was."

Celestia did not respond to his words, she only held her head low and her eyes shut. In the distance, a thunder storm rolled over the Barrier, black clouds sending rain and lightning onto the horizon.

"You knew, what suffering an unending life holds and you burdened it upon her nonetheless. And you knew how dangerous that step was and how many rules it broke... and still, you did it. I had expected more from you-"

"I know!" Celestia interrupted him with a shout, "I know it was selfish!" Tears started to appear in her eyes. "But I simply couldn't bear the thought of losing her! I simply could not!" She cast him an angry glare. "And is she not happy?! Has she not grown to become a guiding symbol for all of Equestria?! Why can't I be selfish for once?! Why do I have to see all of those I love and care about come and go in nothing but a moment?!" She hung her head and sobbed. "Why can't I be happy for once?!"

The purveyor watched her crying form for a lingering moment, silent and unmoving. When he spoke again, Celestia was surprised to hear sadness in his voice, "Now, you understand." She raised her head to look at him, "I will not appear to my kind for that very reason... because I fear I could care for them enough to do something I would regret later. ...And that is why they will be on their own..."

He shook his head with a sigh. "As for your question... I can not answer it for you, Celestia. You must find the answer for yourself. Keep in mind though, that happiness is nothing eternal... there is always sadness around us, and it is up to you to find a way to deal with the loss. And Twilight Sparkle... I will talk with her, but I hope for all of us that you will not act out of your own desires so rashly again." 

Slowly, the shadows started to collect around him. "And I hope that your student will not make the same mistakes you made." With another twist of the void, the purveyor was gone.

Princess Celestia remained behind, standing at the edge of the crater and lost in her own inner turmoils and sadness. Her thoughts went to her beloved student, and it drove tears into her eyes to realize what she had done so long ago. She could only hope that she could forgive herself with time... and that Twilight Sparkle would be able to forgive her when she understood one day as well.

"Twilight..." she whispered, "Please forgive me..."
> Chapter 8: Letters from the past
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight Sparkle sat inside her chambers, the room illuminated by countless candles as she concentrated on her task. "Come on," she whispered to herself, "I know you're there." She concentrated harder, sending her call across the boundaries of the void. "Please answer..." Even now, two hundred years later and with all the things she had learned during that time, the void was still a mystery to her.

Twilight felt a sudden shift to her side and her eyes snapped open, "Twilight Sparkle..." an unmoving voice she remembered all too well spoke up. "I do not like being interrupted during my work." She whirled around with ears laid back to face the purveyor as he stepped forth from a cloud of shadows. "Why have you called for me?"

"You really are back!" Twilight gasped before letting out a breath of relief. "And you're still good at making me jump... Couldn't you use doors like everypony else?"

Unseen by her, the purveyor frowned before repeating his question with impatience. "What have you called me for?"

Twilight raised an eyebrow and pointed behind her. "To give you these, of course." His gaze followed her hoof, countless books were stacked up on a table.

"What are these?" he asked with an impassive voice.

"These are my journals of the last two hundred years," Twilight explained.

Zaeres' frown deepened. "What?"

"Well, I figured you'd like to know what happened during your absence... now that you're going to help us?" Twilight replied with a slightly uncertain voice, a bit concerned by his impassive response.

"Help you?" The purveyor paused. "What exactly has Celestia told you?"

"Not much..." Twilight frowned, "Her letter simply stated that you were back and would help us..." she eyed him with a skeptical look, "You are going to help us?"

"I have an agreement with Celestia," the purveyor replied. "And part of that entails my aid when the cycle finally arrives." He paused and let his gaze wander over her chambers. "How long?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

He turned his attention to her. "How long after your friends passed on did you stay with Celestia? When did you decide to leave and come here?" By the looks of the room, she had been here for quite some time already.

Twilight gave him a surprised look, but after a moment of silence she answered his question with a sigh. "Almost fifty years after Applejack passed on." her gaze became questioning, "Why do you ask?"

The purveyor ignored her question. "And why did you come here?"

A sign of realization passed Twilight's expression and her voice became stern. "If you think I left because I had a fight with Celestia, you're wrong. I had a good reason to leave." The purveyor eyed her in silence, his shadows dancing about his form with slow motions. "I came here for Cadance."

"I understand." he replied after another short moment of silence.

"You do?" Twilight asked with a perplexed voice.

"I assume she was already devastated when her husband passed on," he stated with a quiet voice.

"She was," Twilight commented with sadness.

"And I can imagine that the death of her daughter was even harder for her," he continued without a sign of emotion.

Twilight hung her head. "We all knew that she wouldn't be immortal... but it still hurt when she left. Cadance was in a constant state of devastation from that day on." she looked into his mask, "So I came to give her company, and take care of her duties during her recovery."

"And has she recovered?" he asked more out of interest than actual sympathy.

She gave him a sad look, "She tries... but I still see the sadness in her eyes. She does her best to hide her pain and be loving and joyful around everypony else, but I've never felt so distant to her before..." She shook her head. "I had hoped my presence would help her, but sometimes I wonder if it hasn't done the opposite."

"And you?" Twilight tilted her head in surprise at his question. "How do you cope with the loss?"

Twilight stared at him for several seconds before her ears dropped. "I try to grow stronger by keeping their memories alive... at least that's what I tell myself." She looked up into his mask. "Did the pain ever become too much for you to bear?"

The purveyor studied her face as he contemplated her question. "Keep in mind that you and I are very different. ...But yes, I too have felt the pain of losing those close to me. I have long since come to accept it though... and it has not bothered me since then."

"And you're never sad?" Twilight asked with a strange voice, "Do you feel anything at all when you look back at your old life?"

"I do not," he replied. "If anything, I only feel resentment in view of what I was incapable of." He sighed, this conversation had already gone on long enough and he had not intended to talk to her about his own feelings and failures. "Keep the journals." he told her with a grave voice, "I do not need them."

"You don't? But how will you know the current state of things?" Twilight asked with surprise.

"The shadows of this world now serve as my eyes and ears... and I already gathered all the information needed to take my plans to the next step."

Twilight eyed him with worry, "Your plans? What are you going to do?"

Zaeres let his gaze wander over her for a lingering moment, did he really intend to tell her this soon? Then again, she was bound to find out one way or the other. "I intend to bring my race back to life in your world."

"You... what?" Twilight couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You're going to bring a new race to our world..." She eyed him in thought. "Is this why princess Celestia has called for a council?"

"It is," he replied. "Are you going to be present as well?"

Twilight shook her head. "The older deities still consider me too young to partake... what will you do?"

"I will lay down my claim as a deity of this world," he stated flatly. "I am sure Celestia will inform you of everything needed in due time... until then, do not call for me like this again. Putting your mind out onto the borders of the void is dangerous, and it disturbs my concentration."

"But what if I have questions? What if I need your help? How will I contact you?"

"What help would you ask of me that princess Celestia could not provide?" his voice was as impassive as always and made Twilight cringe.

"I don't know," Twilight replied. "But there should be some way for me to contact you nonetheless!"

"If you truly wish to send me a message you can do it using the shadows," he stated. "As I already told you, they are my eyes and ears now. If you want a message relayed to me, call out to me into the darkness and I will hear it." The shadows started to dance over his form. "I will leave now."

"Wait!" she quickly ran to the table and picked up a small bundle of scrolls. "Take these at least! They're special." she held out the bundle towards him.

"What are they?" he asked, the shadows already starting to consume him.

"They are letters that my friends wrote for you," Twilight said with a sad voice. "And it's a special report that I wrote for you as well." She saw that he did not move. "Please, take them and read them. We all put much thought and effort in what we wanted to tell you should you return, so at least read them!"

The purveyor eyed the little bundle with surprise, wondering what messages the bearers of the elements had written for him. Zaeres frowned, what interest did it hold to him? They were the words of those long gone... they held no relevance to his plans. And yet... his shadows trembled for a moment, signaling his hesitation but then they reached out and picked the bundle from her hooves, making Twilight shiver as she felt a strange coldness seep through her at their touch.

For a moment, Twilight thought she could hear countless whispers and a strange presence pass through the room around her... but the feeling left as his shadows pulled back from her.

With a last whirl of his shadows and without another word spoken, the purveyor disappeared.


---


When he stepped out of the void again he found himself at the edge of the Barrier once more, the city he had created waiting in the depths of the ground beneath him. He looked around himself for a moment, realizing that Celestia had departed.

Zaeres' eyes scanned the constructs he had created beneath him for a moment. There was still so much to be done... the creation of chambers to hold the new bodies he intended to form, the forming of the bodies themselves... the list in his mind went on and on, but he figured he would be able to complete everything needed before the council would take place.

He started to reach out once more, the void starting to move as his will passed through it... but then he hesitated. Was it really this important? Did he really care for their thoughts and messages? He let his connection to the void cut off for a moment and the shadows returned to their natural order. With an almost lazy motion the shadows from his own form brought forth the bundle Twilight had given him. As he held it in his hands, Zaeres wondered again... did it really matter?

He remembered his words to Twilight. "If anything, I only feel resentment in view of what I was incapable of," he whispered the words to himself. Resentment... he eyed the city beneath him as a lone beam of sunlight passed through the clouds and fell into the crater. 

In the back of his mind, he could hear the countless souls' whispers surround him like they always did, but their presence felt different to him this time. ...Or was it his own presence that had changed?

Slowly, as the Barrier continued to thunder and change around him the purveyor opened the bundle with a calm hand... and started to read with a strange feeling of anxiety and remorse.
> Chapter 9: Words unspoken
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Twilight told us that nopony else would read these.


The purveyor raised an eyebrow as he read Rainbow Dash's letter, the writing looked like something he would expect from a child.


I'm not really sure what to write to you. I don't even really understand what happened, and I'm not sure I want to know. Don't get me wrong, you're still super creepy, and I didn't say a word to anypony, I swear. But if you think you can just expect us to sit around quietly while our world is at stake, you're wrong. We'll find a way to rescue it. Or at least Twilight will. I hope. She's always the one with the good ideas, so I think we'll do fine.


The purveyor shook his head with a sigh as he continued to read.


Fluttershy told me what you did.


This next sentence made a huff of surprise escape his lips.


And I guess, I should thank you. I mean, it's not that I trust you, and you still creep me out, but Fluttershy was really happy about it so I guess... thanks.


The letter ended there, which surprised him even more. He had somehow expected her letter to hold more boasting or elements of her tomboyish demeanor.

He turned the letter over and a hint of a smile found itself onto his lips, there it was: she had drawn a picture of herself kicking him in the head, and had written "That's you! Don't tell Fluttershy!" in big letters beneath it. She had drawn in stink lines around him too...

Zaeres closed the letter and put it in the back of the small parcel, opening the next letter as he did. As he scanned the writing a small curse formed at the back of his throat... this one was from Rarity. And by the looks of things, it was all about his lack of taste and fashion. He was about to close it again, but then the last paragraph caught his attention.


We were all devastated by what you said to Twilight... I think it still hurts her that she couldn't do anything to help the princess. But I think you are wrong.


He raised an eyebrow.


Even if all things come to an end someday, and no matter how inevitable you say it is... you are wrong. Hope always prevails, and kindness is forever remembered by those we care for. We may be forgotten with time, or we may not... but our love and hope will be carried on by those after us. The next generation will pick up the fight for our world when we can no more, and this thought fills me with hope for our future. As long as our hearts are filled with hope, this world is safe.


The purveyor frowned as he read the last words of her letter.


And if you ever dare talk like that to poor Twilight again, I will personally destroy you! 


He didn't read any further but closed the letter instead. The shadows covering his form twitched in response to his mood. What an insufferable mare... did she really believe that their world could prevail on nothing but hope and good intentions?

Zaeres did not even need to open the next letter to know who it was from, the pink envelope alone already told him which pony had written it. True to his suspicion, a small cloud of confetti escaped the letter as he opened it. There was no doubt now, this was Pinkie Pie's letter.

He started to read. 


Did you like the cupcake I sent you?
 

He felt a shiver run down his back. 


I baked it just for you and made it extra-superliciously sweet!


The words even had little balloons drawn in between them. 


Twilight said she couldn't send it, so I just did it myself though I don't know when it will reach you. I'll write down the recipe just to be sure, so you can make it yourself if you feel hungry again! First, take two cups of sugar...


The purveyor closed the letter with an annoyed shake of his head... he had almost expected something like this from her. He would never be able to truly understand how anyone could be so carefree.

As he closed the letter though, he noticed that there were words written on the back of the envelope. 


I knew you'd probably not be interested in the recipe, so I continued here.


He groaned. 


I just wanted to tell you that I know you care, even if you don't think so. And I know that when the time comes, you'll realize it too and make the right decision.


The purveyor eyed her words for a short moment, letting them sink into his mind as held the letter in his hands. A sigh escaped his lips, and as if fearing he would discover any more hidden messages, Zaeres put it on the back of the parcel.

The purveyor opened the next letter, and by the writing... this one was probably from Fluttershy. What surprised him though, was how short it was. 


I wanted to thank you again for helping the little mouse, that was really nice of you. I hope you are alright, wherever you are and if you ever do need a hug


The words cut off there, and Zaeres could almost see Fluttershy flushing furiously over her own letter. 


I don't know what happened while the princess was gone, but she looked really sad when she came back. I know that sometimes bad things happen,


The purveyor frowned, did she think he was a child? 


but you'll always get better again if you don't give up on yourself. If you someday do come back, please help the princess and Twilight save our world.


Zaeres closed the letter and added it to the bottom of the parcel, he was slowly starting to tire of their messages. 

Applejack's letter was next, and it took him a lot of effort not to discard it the moment he saw it. 


I'm not usually one to write letters. When I want something said I say it and just get it done with, but since I'm probably not going to see you again, I'll write this down. Of all the strange critters and things I have encountered in my life, you are by far the strangest one of the lot.


The purveyor felt a frown grow on his face, did she just call him a critter?


I have never in my life met someone as bitter as you.


He paused for a moment as he read those words. 


I don't know what made you this bitter and I certainly ain't one to judge, but don't think we'll let you get us down in the pits. All of us have lost friends and loved ones, and we still keep on going anyway!


The issue of her parents... he remembered it just like he did so many other things; distant, and without emotion. 


When life gets us down, we walk with our heads held high because we know that our friends and families will be there to support us. Being bitter doesn't get you anywhere and 


There was a break in the line, something had caused her to pause at this part. The purveyor's eyes followed the text where it continued again. 


I may have gone a bit overboard there. But I wonder, don't you have anyone to support you? Isn't there anybody who cares for you and doesn't fear you? I can't imagine that anypony would want to live like that. Surely, if you'd have a friend to 


He did not read any further, he was sick of being lectured. 

The purveyor shook his head with rising anger; what did she even know of the ones he had lost? Of the sacrifices he had made for the sake of those that had later cursed his name? It was one thing to lose your parents. It was one thing to lose your parents; tragic, he agreed, but that was simply the way of things. But for a father to bury his own child, he remembered how her body had felt in his arms, his tears... 

The shadows around him became tinged with a deep red, slashing out around him and ripping into the ground.

In another moment he locked the memory away again, barring his mind from anything but his intent. The shadows around him returned to their normal state once more.

He looked at the parcel in his hand, there was just one more letter to be read. Twilight Sparkle's special report... With one hand, he reached out and picked up the report... and let go of the remaining letters, sacrificing them to the relentless storms of the Barrier in the process.

As the frail pieces of paper were ripped away by the wind, the purveyor remained standing at the edge of the crater, his plans and intents awaiting his attendance deep in the bowels of the new city. He eyed the letter in his hand for a lingering moment. "Wasted words and unused time," he whispered to himself. "Let us hope your report is of more use to me than those of your friends..."

In the back of his mind, a new whisper started to mingle with the countless others; a voice so quiet and weak that it could barely be heard... but with words older than the purveyor himself.
> Chapter 10: Council of immortals
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the purveyor's gaze traveled over Twilight's report, he was surprised to see the date she had put down; the report had been written nearly a hundred years after the others.


"Many things have changed since our last encounter, and I have as well. The letter I once wrote no longer represents my true feelings, so I wrote this report instead." 


There was a pause in the writing, as if she had been hesitant to continue. 


"You once said that my reports were immature, and that I had not yet lived long enough to truly understand the meaning of friendship or what it means to lose somepony important to me. You were right. When Pinkie died, I never thought it could hurt so much to lose a friend, and I suddenly became aware that my friends had grown old without me even noticing it. My brother was the next to go, and one after another, the rest of them left me as well. Even after all these years, I still miss my friends and family and I still treasure what precious time we had together."  



"I visited Apple Bloom's grand daughter and her family a few days ago. It hurt. They remind me of my friends so much and still, I am a stranger to them; the princess of magic. My title no longer fills me with the pride it did all those years ago. These days, I am starting to understand what my immortality truly means. New faces come and go, but I am no longer a part of the lives of those around me. Sometimes, I just feel numb. Spike is still there to help me, and it is good to have him at my side. It helps me to remember the good times I spent with my friends."



"I wonder. Does Celestia feel the same sadness as I do? I try hard to be like her in her kindness, and smile for all those around me; but like many things these days, I see her in a different light than before. I failed to miss the sadness she hides behind her smile, but I understand it now. I wonder if it gets easier to cope with the loss over time, but I am afraid it will not." 


The purveyor sighed, it seemed that Twilight had understood much, but she still failed to question the fact that Celestia had been aware of the pain her immortality would cause. He silently wondered what Twilight would do once she fully understood.


"I have done much in these years to keep my mind occupied. I had schools built in my name, called institutions and educational programs into life. I wanted to make as good use of the potential I was given as I could, but at some point I realized that they didn't really need my help. Sometimes, they ask me for guidance or help; but they seem to do just fine without me doing anything at all. Is it strange for me to feel jealous of them at times?"


Zaeres flipped to the second page, this report was proving to be more interesting than he had anticipated at first.


"If I had known back then how my life would be like as the princess of magic, would I have done it? Would I have made the same decisions? I tell myself again and again that I do not regret my choices in life. But I do. I let my friends drift away from me, spent too little time with them and failed to see it until they were gone. Looking back though, I can still say that I experienced many happy days with them as well. I think that I fully understand what you meant back then. You can only value some things once you lost them.  But this, brings me to you."


The purveyor frowned. 


"You are different from Celestia in so many ways, but also similar to her in others. She and I talked a lot about what happened during her stay in the void; and even though it disturbs me to say this, I have come to realize that I respect your choice."



"Both you and Celestia are willing to go to great lengths to protect your people, though with means that could not be further apart. Celestia would gladly sacrifice herself if it meant the survival of this world, and her resolve is nothing less than commendable. But even with how much I try to follow her example, I think that she is wrong. With all the terrible things that happened in our past, how could she be willing to protect all those that would hurt us without hesitation? You can't save everypony, Discord's case proved this; but she failed to see it, she still believes that she can save them all. She hasn't given up on that hope and she never will. But I have."


The purveyor paused, this certainly was not what he had expected from her and he wondered where it was heading.


"I have learned that sometimes, sacrifices need to be made. Our world is strong now, filled with life and hope; but I understand that it comes at a price. Order comes with a price that needs to be paid; and I am afraid that should you return, Celestia would not be willing to pay it. She would undoubtedly try to find a way to save them all. But with all the things she told me about the fate of your own world and with all that I have come to understand, I do not think it possible. If we are truly to survive, if our world is to stand a chance to outlast the inevitable; we must be willing to make sacrifices on the way."



"So, I will intrust you with these words I write next. If you return, and if our world is still intact; know that even if Celestia is unwilling to pay the price it takes to save our world, I am not."


The purveyor eyed the last lines of Twilight's letter with surprise and he realized that without a word spoken between them Celestia and Twilight Sparkle had broken with one another, and it seemed that both of them were unaware of it. He closed the report and returned it to his shadows with a silent motion.

Slowly, he started to reach out again, calling for the void to come forth and opening the stored energy to his access. As the shadows started to grow around him and spilled into the crater, the purveyor slowly stepped forward and headed down to the depths hidden at the base of the large pit.

"Twilight Sparkle," he whispered as he continued his descent, the shadows around him picking up his relentless work. "When the time comes, I shall remind you of your words and see for myself... what resolve you truly hold..." a small smile spread his lips, "And how far you are willing to go to save your world."

Two days... there were still two days left before the council would meet. The purveyor got to work.


---


"Damn the alicorn sisters for calling us out like this," Anathis cursed. "Making me come to their kingdom at such a time... I don't even know why the dragons agreed to something like this!" Untold to her advisors and warlords, the griffon deity was more than curious to find out what this was about. The dragons almost never appeared to the councils, as seldom as they were held. Spurred by the news that Nithhogr himself would appear, the other deities had quickly agreed as well.

It was odd, she felt. There hadn't been a council in centuries, and with the events that took place these last two days, she felt anxious at what would happen.

For the last two days, their world had shook violently. Only the deities could actually feel it, but whatever was causing it had to be troublesome. Not even Discord himself had ever caused such a disturbance in their world. If the alicorns were somehow related to this... there would be many questions that needed answering indeed.

As she crossed another corridor and entered the hall leading to the council's chamber, Anathis felt a sneer grow on her face as she met an old acquaintance of hers. "I had hoped that Celestia would be wise enough not to invite an enemy to her table," she scowled. "But it seems that I was wrong."

Queen Chrysalis returned her stare with an impassive face, "We ended our conflict many years ago and as it is, I am still the deity of the changelings. ...And by age alone you should show me respect, griffon."

Anathis flexed her claws with evident anger, "Celestia always had a soft spot for the weak ...Somebody should-"

Before the griffon deity could finish forming her insult, a third voice interrupted her. "It is good to see you are still as lively as always, little Anathis... but keep your temper in check." the two deities turned to see Nithhogr step out of the council's chamber, his huge form casting a shadow over them as his golden eyes took in their form. "There is no place for your own ego at the council. You'll only embarass yourself if you let your emotions control you here." He chuckled before greeting Chrysalis. "It is good to see that you are here as well, queen of the changelings. It would be troublesome if any of the deities were to miss this special occasion."

"Special occasion?" Chrysalis replied with distrust, not bothering to show the respect Nithhogr's age alone demanded. "I was already concerned that Celestia seemingly invited all of them... what is she planning?"

The old dragon gave a happy laugh. "I intend to find out once we get started. Come inside now, the other deities are already present... and they are eager to find out what this council will bring them."

As Nithhogr watched the two younger deities walk by him and into the chamber, his golden eyes caught a movement somewhere to the side. His sharp eyes turned to the direction, and for a moment the old dragon though he could see a soft shadow disperse through the air. A smile spread his lips, "You're here," he whispered to himself happily. "These are interesting times indeed."

The old dragon turned around and walked into the council chamber, the doors being pulled shut behind him as the council was finally ready to take place. He walked to the higher podiums and took a seat that represented his age, at the highest position of the council... waiting for the purveyor to make his appearance. Nithhogr had already made preparations: a new seat now stood higher than his own, and it was already causing confusion and discussions among the younger deities down below. Somewhere, he spotted the troubled face of his daughter. It was amusing for him to watch.

What amused him even more though, was the surprise written on Celestia's and Luna's faces when they had seen him set it up. It was the reaction he had hoped for.

Now... he would wait for the emperor of the void to make his presence known to the rest of the council.
> Chapter 11: Master of the shadows
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zaeres silently observed the large council chamber, watching and hidden from sight as the different deities finally took their seats. The seats were aligned within the circular chamber according to the different ages of the deities, their height showing their ranks among one another. Ranks corresponding to age... what a curious thought. It only served to delude which of the deities held real power or influence, at least when it came to the younger ones.

At the top, with his massive form seated higher than all the other deities he saw Nithhogr. There was no doubt in his mind that it was the old dragon who had placed the empty seat next and slightly above his own. It seemed that Nithhogr was enjoying the confusion it spread among the younger deities, and it reminded the purveyor to be careful of the old dragon's desire for entertainment. 

His gaze traveled lower, there was Celestia and her sister, Luna... he remembered a time when Discord's seat was still next to theirs. The purveyor searched their faces; they seemed anxious at what was about to take place, even more so since Nithhogr seemed to be aware of their intent. It would undoubtedly give rise to more questions from Celestia, but that was not his concern now.

Zaeres let his eyes travel down further.

There was Chrysalis, her mere presence a cause of discontent for him. He would watch her actions very carefully, and he would not hesitate to bring her down should she become a threat for his work. The same went for Anathis, who was seated slightly below the changeling queen. The griffon deity never had been one to easily accept those who would threaten her own feeling of superiority... he would choose his words accordingly.

The purveyor continued to observe the remaining deities. 

There was Strongwill, king of the minotaurs... and unlike what the rest of the world believed, he was among the few the purveyor actually considered as wise. The old minotaur was not one to step back from a fight if there was the need, but in his age he had enough wisdom to put his own pride aside if it would serve peace.

The ruler of the stags... present, and still as impassive to the world around him as always. The dog father, seated apart from the other deities so no one would feel tempted to smite him and likely to look for any chance to make a profit from whatever would happen here today.

Even lower, at the bottom of the chamber the purveyor could see the youngest of the deities mingle among one another. Fin'gre, self-proclaimed protector of the Firelight Woods and closest to the Barrier, but not of interest for Zaeres. Fin'gre neither had the power nor the drive to be of concern for him. If anything, the purveyor considered him more of a bard than an actual deity.

Kalseru was among them as well, and the young dragon looked extremely nervous. It seemed their last encounter had left quite an impression on her. He wondered if he could use her to his advantage. When the old dragon finally did leave this world, and if he would see to it that she was the one to take his place... a promising thought... He would keep a sharp eye on her development in the future.

He stopped his identification of the younger deities, even though they were allowed to be present during the councils their words seldom had an influence on what was passed during them. They were young, and most had no rule of their own... they were unlikely to bother his work.

A small bell sounded through the large chamber, the council was about to begin.

When the deities had finally settled down, Celestia was the first to raise her voice. "I welcome you all to this meeting of the council. I understand that my notice was short, and I thank you all for coming nonetheless." She bowed her head slightly and many of the deities nodded. After all, since she was the host of this council, it was expected of her to make this statement.

Celestia continued, "As is tradition, I will now give the word to the oldest council member." She turned to Nithhogr.

The old dragon gave a short nod and passed Celestia a small smile as the other deities turned their attentions to him. Hidden inside the void, the purveyor couldn't help but chuckle at his display. Nithhogr always did enjoy it when he had an attentive audience.

"Thank you, Celestia." His deep voice traveled through the air as he turned to the deities below, "Some of you may have already realized that this council is very special indeed." He gave Celestia a knowing look, to which she replied with a small frown. "And I think that all of you are wondering by now..." he pointed to the seat above him, "Who will take place on this seat?" Several of the younger deities murmured to one another in response.

"You placed it there?" Anathis asked with a glare. "What are you planning? We all know that you are the oldest deity. Is it the death day of some long forgotten ancient god or are you simply playing games with us?"

"It is none of those," Nithhogr chuckled, ignoring her lack of respect for the moment. "And you are wrong, little griffon. I am not the oldest of the deities." He turned to Celestia. "Don't you agree?"

For a single, short moment, Celestia seemed startled by his question. But then, realization spread over her features. "You know of him?"

"What is the meaning of this?" Chrysalis spoke up with impatience. "Who are you talking about? Explain yourselves!"

The old dragon turned his huge head towards her, and even though there was a good distance between them she could feel his sharp, golden eyes bore into her own. "There is a presence in this world older than any of us. I have always suspected it, felt it watch over us... and it was only recently that this suspicion was confirmed." He paused. "Now that I see you with my own eyes though, I realize that I am not the only one aware of this." He chuckled softly.

Nithhogr turned his head towards the alicorn sisters. "I see it behind your eyes... you have met him, seen him in his full glory... and he has left his mark on you." He turned back to Chrysalis and his voice became grave, "Just as he left his mark on you, queen of the changelings. Do you realize now, whose seat this is? Search your fears... and you will understand."

Chrysalis stared at him, seemingly at a loss for words. Then, her expression turned into one of pure horror. "No!" her voice was nothing but a fierce whisper, but in the quiet chamber it could still be heard clearly. "No! You are lying! It cannot be! I refuse to believe you even for a moment that-"

"That I am still watching?" a hollow voice echoed through the chamber, making the deities turn their heads in surprise and Chrysalis freeze with an expression of pure terror. "Do you really fear me so much that you are willing to deny my existence?" Down below, Kalseru felt a shiver run down her spine as she recognized the voice that had haunted her dreams for these last days.

Up on his seat, Nithhogr was smiling.

"Who is that?" Anathis whirled around in her seat, trying to find the source of the voice. She froze though, as she saw the shadows on the walls start to move. Just like her, the other deities watched as the shadows detached from the walls and started to collect themselves at the bottom of the chamber, the younger deities quickly backing up as the ball of swirling darkness started to grow and move faster.

"I have many names," the empty voice spoke from the roaring darkness. "Some given to me by others, some I gave to myself." As the voice spoke, the deities felt a presence unlike anything they had ever witnessed before weigh down upon them, and countless whispers in an unknown language filled the air inside the chamber.

Slowly, a red tinge started to spread in the shadows... and before the deities' eyes, a black mask of polished glass started to move forth from the impenetrable darkness.

Above, queen Chrysalis looked like she was ready to scream.

"The dragons have a name for what I am: Dorchadas, they call me." The purveyor spoke as he finally stepped forward and into the open, the shadows on his form swaying softly with his words as the whirlpool of darkness fell apart behind him and his voice returned to its old form. "I am the void."
> Chapter 12: Words for the gods
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

For a short, lingering moment the purveyor simply stood in place, letting his words sink in as he observed the faces of the deities around him. Shock, fear, confusion... he could see countless emotions in their expressions. Further upwards, Zaeres could see queen Chrysalis tremble in her seat and he felt Strongwill's eyes carefully scan his form. The griffon deity was watching him with mixed impressions, anger, surprise... doubt. Anathis' gaze constantly alternated between him and the changeling queen, obviously confused by the obvious fear written in Chrysalis' face.

Even further up, he saw Celestia and her sister watch him with what was likely a mix of anxiety and concern... a silent chuckle escaped his lips, what had Celestia expected him to do on his first public appearance? His smile turned into a frown though, as he observed Nithhogr's grin... it troubled him that the old dragon was enjoying this so much. He reminded himself to be wary of whatever Nithhogr had planned.

Finding that the silence had lasted long enough, Zaeres silently started to step forward. With each of his steps his shadows lazily drifted along with his motion, a swirling cloak of darkness that quickly fell apart behind him as he moved. All of the younger deities quickly moved aside to let him pass, anxious to step out of his way... all except one.

"You don't look so impressive... Dorchadas? Never heard of you before."

Stormhorn, son of Strongwill and self-proclaimed deity of battle... arrogant, stubborn, a self-sure mountain of muscles that only recently had reached the age required to partake in the council. He was as ignorant as he was big, a fool... and Zaeres had no patience for the likes of him.

"Disrespectful..." 

He could barely hear it, but the whisper reached his ears. For a moment, confusion beset his mind and the purveyor searched his surroundings, trying to find the source of the words that had infiltrated his mind. Nothing... but where had it come from? Zaeres decided to deal with it later and concentrated on the deity in front of him instead.

"You are in my way..." the purveyor replied with an impassive voice, "Move."

"Or what?" a grin grew onto the minotaur's face, "You'll get your little shadows and try to scare me? Go on, try and..."

"So disrespectful..."

Stormhorn never finished his sentence. Instead, he fell to the ground writhing in agony and clutching his eyes as the purveyor's shadows washed over him. Above, Chrysalis averted her eyes with a painful expression as she herself remembered all too well what the young deity was going through at this moment. Two hundred years ago... she had taken weeks to recover from his torture.

"Let him suffer..." 

Even through his concentration, Zaeres could hear the whisper all too clear... Something was wrong, but he would have to deal with it later. He would not be deterred from his plans.

"My shadows..." Zaeres continued to speak with an emotionless voice as he stepped past the minotaur's flailing form, "Are much more than you can perceive. They are part of the void itself. They hear and see all that passes, they can take your light, they can give you pain... but most importantly..." the purveyor started to walk up the stairs leading to the upper ranks of the council, "They can tear away at your very soul." He silently whispered another word, the void starting to cut into the flow that held the minotaur's soul to this plane of existence at his command.

At the bottom of the council chamber, Stormhorn started to scream.

"More..." 

As he continued to walk up the steps, the purveyor realized that the whisper was not coming from outside his mind... but from inside. Zaeres frowned, the whispers of the souls he carried with him were always present, a constant murmur on the edge of his hearing... but this voice, was different. 

"That's enough now..." the purveyor stopped his contemplation as Strongwill spoke up, "He has learned his lesson. I apologize for his lack of respect, but you have made your point... release him."

The purveyor turned his head slightly to study Strongwill's expression. Hard, calculating... it was sad that his son did not embody the same qualities as him. After another moment of listening to Stormhorn's anguished screams, the purveyor released his hold on the minotaur, the shadows on his flailing form falling apart in an instant and leaving the minotaur's groaning form lying on the floor, "Very well."

Zaeres turned his gaze away from Strongwill and continued his ascend, concentrating on what he had come here for, "Allow me to explain a few things before you come to hasty conclusions or ask questions I am not willing to explain." his hollow voice traveled through the chamber, accompanied by Strongwill's groans and the purveyor's steps, "I have no intent in partaking in whatever decisions this council makes... nor do I have an interest in your struggles among one another."

"Most of you have been unaware of my presence until now..." he turned his head slightly towards Anathis, who returned his gaze with defiance... problematic as always. Zaeres hoped that the example he had just displayed would be enough to keep her ambitions at bay.

"Some of you have met me before..." his gaze traveled over Chrysalis, she averted her eyes as he passed.

"Fear... Respect..."

The purveyor passed Celestia and Luna, their expressions were difficult to read... Did he see anger in Celestia's eyes? Or was it some sort of strange disappointment? Had she already forgotten that it was her condition that he would appear here? Had she actually expected him to be diplomatic? She should have known better. And Luna... her face was impassive. Strange... had something happened between her and Celestia that he was unaware of?

He continued his way upwards, "And some have been aware of my presence for longer than I had anticipated..." Zaeres gave Nithhogr a short nod as he stepped past him. The old dragon returned the nod with a silent smile.

Finally reaching his position, the purveyor turned around and took his seat. As he continued to speak, his shadows started to travel over the stone under him, tinging his seat a deep black, "I am a watcher, a keeper of knowledge and secrets... but it seems I can no longer hide my presence from this world."

The purveyor leaned back in his seat, the eyes of all deities present following his every move, "From this day on, I will take my place in this council... as an observer, nothing more... nothing less. You are free to make your own decisions as before. But let me be very clear on one thing... the Barrier, is mine." a short murmur passed among the deities, no one had ever laid claim to the Barrier before... there was nothing of worth there.

"Whatever I do inside of the Barrier, is of my concern only... and I will not permit any of you to go there without my consent. The penalty for entering without it..." the purveyor leaned forward and pointed a finger to the still-groaning form of Stormhorn, "Is worse."

"Fear..."

After letting his words sink in, Zaeres crossed his hands and leaned back again, "Now, if you will... let us continue this council." he turned to Celestia, "I believe tradition demands that you be heard next, Princess Celestia."
> Chapter 13: Keeper of Secrets
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Princess Celestia watched the purveyor's unmoving form upon his throne with mixed feelings. He had complied to her condition to appear at the council, true enough... but she had still hoped he would make an entrance somewhat... less dramatic. Stormhorn still had not managed to get up again.

There was something far more troubling though... the name he had chosen for himself; Dorchadas. Even she only knew little of dragon mythology, but she knew of the terror that name held to their stories. And now that she saw him sit on his throne above her... it seemed to fit him to an almost terrifying extent.

Then there was the matter of Nithhogr himself...  How long had the old dragon been aware of the purveyor's existence? Did he know of his true nature? And most importantly, what deals did Nithhogr have with the purveyor? She would have a word with Nithhogr in private if the occasion allowed it, but she knew him well enough to realize that the old dragon was not likely to give her the answers she demanded.

Something else was disturbing her as well... the purveyor's appearance. At first, she hadn't been sure if her eyes had betrayed her... It was only for a mere moment, so short that she almost failed to see it... but when Stormhorn had talked to him, his form... Celestia couldn't quite find the words for it, but his form seemed to waver. It almost looked like he was about to fall into shadows again, but then it passed away again in nothing but a moment, seemingly unnoticed by the other deities. On his way up the ranks of the council, she saw it happen five more times.

Another groan from Stormhorn broke princess Celestia from her thoughts. She would find answers to her questions later, "Guards." she called out, the guards springing to attention instantly, "Please see to it that Stormhorn is attended to."

Queen Chrysalis watched the guards carry Stormhorn outside the council chamber, well aware that the minotaur did not suffer from any physical wounds. She knew that it would take weeks for his mind to recover again. Even as fearful as the purveyor's display of power was, it was also impressive, too impressive for her liking. Chrysalis decided then and there that it would be in her best interest to stay as far away from the Dorchadas and the Barrier as possible... his mere presence in this world was already troubling enough, not to mention the promise he had once given her.

"This council of deities has heard the claim of Dorchadas, deity of the void." the words tasted bitter in Celestia's mouth even as she spoke them, "Do any of those present here wish to question this claim?"

Silence. Not one of the deities raised their voices. They only stared at the unmoving form of the purveyor; the only thing that moved at all were the shadows around his armor-encased body... Up in his seat, it almost looked as if the darkness itself was looming over them... waiting to fall down upon them at his command.

Celestia took in their silent faces for a moment, "Then his claim stands unopposed. I now open this council to general discuss..."

"Who are you really?!" Anathis shouted from her seat before Celestia could finish, "What are you doing inside the Barrier?! Are you responsible for the recent disturbances we have felt?! What is your connection to the alicorns and Nithhogr?!"

The purveyor remained quiet at first, letting his gaze wander over Anathis' furious face. It seemed that his initial judgment of her character was correct. "So many questions..." his hollow voice was as impassive as ever, "I chose this name because I found it suiting. My real name carries no importance to what I am; I am the void, and that is all." his shadows changed their pace for a short moment, "As for your other questions... Yes, my actions inside the Barrier have been the cause of the disturbance you have felt for these past two days. As for their nature..." he paused, "I have no intention of telling you."

He could see Anathis shake with anger, undoubtedly she was not used to being denied her demands but he carried on nonetheless, "As for my connection to the alicorn princesses and Nithhogr..." he almost smiled at his words, "I have no intention of telling you either..." 

"Why you..." Anathis fumed.

"What alliances do you hold?" Strongwill interrupted her with a calm voice, "On whose side do you stand in this world?"

Zaeres frowned, "I hold allegiance to no one. What skirmishes or deceit you carry out among one another holds no interest to me."

"And which race do you represent?"

The purveyor remained silent for a moment, Strongwill always did have a sharp mind. "My race... they have yet to find a name for themselves. Until they do, they shall remain nameless."

"And where are they? Why have we never seen a race like you before?"

"They sleep within my shadows. And until the day that they return... you will not come to see them."

Strongwill brow furrowed, "So you have a kingdom which we are not allowed to enter, and are father to a race that is hidden from us."

"Correct."

"Then tell us, how shall we contact you?"

The purveyor leaned forward, slightly confused by Strongwill's question. "Why would you wish to contact me?"

"You are a keeper of knowledge and secrets, by your own words... and even if you say that you hold no interest in what we do, that does not mean we hold no interest in your presence in this world and the secrets you carry. Even if you take no action, your mere presence will alter the balance of power. Old pacts will be broken and new ones formed... and if you hold as much knowledge as I suspect you do... some of us may be willing to request your services."

A small chuckle escaped the purveyor's lips, "You wish to purchase my knowledge?" The thought was interesting... after all, once he had brought his race back to life, he would have an eternity left with nothing else to do but watch and prepare for the coming of the cycle. That, and he was sure that it would help to keep the deities in check if they wanted something only he could offer. A purveyor of knowledge... what an amusing thought.

Princess Luna spoke up, "An interesting proposal... Many conflicts arise on the uncertainty of heritage and old feuds. With your knowledge, many could be avoided."

"Or started..." princess Celestia commented, "There are secrets in this world that could serve to start wars." not to mention what it would mean for the status of a deity should they actually obtain his support. The power that could be obtained with his knowledge was frightening.

"To know what that your enemies are scheming..." Anathis smirked, "A great tactical advantage could be drawn from this, but not all should be entitled to his services." she was already envisioning the conquests this advantage could bring her. She would no longer need unreliable spies... and she would finally know for sure which of her warlords were truly loyal to her alone.

"And you would decide who would be entitled to my services, Anathis?" Zaeres voice interrupted her, the tone in his voice was almost threatening, "Rest assured that my knowledge, should I decide to offer it, will come at a price." his voice became cold, "And it will be interesting to see which of you are willing to pay it..."

"Then how shall we contact you?" Strongwill spoke up again, "Surely, you can not expect us to wait until another council takes place?"

Zaeres thought about the problem. He could of course tell them that his shadows would hear it whenever they called for him... but then he would likely suffer from an unending flow of calls for him, and even these days he had little patience for such things. But if he had a contact person, just one able of contacting him would be enough... and there already was one who knew how to reach him. "I will declare a mediator to relay your messages to me... and to deliver my reply should I choose to answer."

Celestia raised an eyebrow, "A mediator? From your race?"

"No. This task will require an immortal... and I already have someone in mind."

For a moment, Celestia did not understand his words. Then, a terrible suspicion crossed her mind and her eyes narrowed, "Who?"


---


In the crystal kingdom, Twilight Sparkle was about to end her schedule of the work for the next day and call it a night, when a letter popped into existence before her. It bore the royal crest of the council, the mere presence of the seal almost commanding in itself to be treated with respect.

"What is this about?" she asked with surprise, wondering if something had occurred at the council. She had expected a letter from Celestia once the council was over, but it was far too early for that to be the case. She hoped that the purveyor had not caused too much of a commotion with his appearance... and she couldn't help but wonder what he would make of her words once he would read her letter, if he had not done so already.

Carefully, Twilight removed the seal from the scroll and read the words within, confusion taking over her features as she did.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle. The council demands your immediate presence."
> Chapter 14: Front door discussion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I do not know if I can approve of this." Celestia commented as she and the purveyor waited in front of the doors of the council's chamber.

"Your consent is not of importance on this matter." the purveyor calmly replied, "This decision will be for Twilight to make, not you." he paused, "Or do you mistrust her?"

"What?!" Celestia seemed shocked, "I trust Twilight Sparkle with all of my heart..." she glared at him, "And you know this."

"Then why are you so worried about my choice?"

Celestia frowned, "I am worried because I fear that this burden may be too much for her to carry alone. She already has enough on her hooves trying to console Cadance over her loss."

"Twilight Sparkle has already realized for herself that her presence is anything but consoling for Cadence." Zaeres replied, "Her presence is nothing but a cruel reminder for Cadance of her lost loved ones... you should have realized this by now." Celestia gave him a disapproving look but did not reply, "I am sure she will welcome the opportunity to take a more active role in the future developments of this world."

"Still, why her? Surely there could have been someone else suited just as well?"

"Like your sister or you yourself?" the purveyor replied with a frown in his voice, "The other deities will already be skeptical enough of my choice as it is."

"That is not what I meant to say." Celestia shook her head, "But surely there must be a better way."

"She knows how to contact me... that alone makes her more than suited for this task. The less there are to disturb my work the better. Taking into account her talent for organization she really is the obvious choice for this."

"I still do not like it. I would rather not have her spend more time than necessary in your presence."

"Your concerns are noted." 

The two stood quiet next to one another for a short moment, until Celestia picked up the conversation again.

"Your actions within the Barrier have shaken this world for these last two days. I take it your preparations are complete?"

The purveyor shifted slightly, "Everything is prepared. Once this council is over we will have a lot of work to do."

Celestia raised an eyebrow, "And after that?"

"I will start to prepare for the coming cycle." he stated with an impassive voice, "There are many variables to be taken into account if we are to actually succeed."

Celestia nodded, "And what of me?"

Zaeres turned his head slightly towards her, "What about you?"

"Will I be permitted to travel into the Barrier to see your race for myself?"

He remained quiet at first, contemplating her question. "I do not wish for them to meet any of the other races until they are ready to do so for themselves..." he turned his head away from her again, "If you wish to see them, do so in disguise and not in your current form. I will tolerate your presence as long as you do not reveal your true nature to them. The same applies for your sister and Twilight Sparkle, of course."

Celestia frowned, "Of course..." she turned her gaze away from his polished mask, "You do realize you have already made an enemy for yourself? Stormhorn is unlikely to forget the humiliation he suffered at your hands."

"Let him hold a grudge if he wishes to." the purveyor replied calmly, "Even he can not be foolish enough to challenge me."

"I hope you are right..." Celestia sighed and looked at the ground.

"What is it?" the purveyor asked.

Celestia seemed unsure of herself, "When you attacked Stormhorn..." she did not look at him as she spoke, "If Discord were to break free again... what would you do?"

Zaeres' shadows seemed to twitch at her question, but after a mere moment they had already realigned themselves again, "The question is not if he breaks free again but when, Celestia... and when he does break free his fate will rest in your hooves."

"What do you mean?"

The purveyor let out a long sigh, for some reason this conversation was more troubling for him than he had expected. "There are two scenarios I can imagine; One, the elements of harmony will be reborn in time to stop him again. Two, they are not."

"What would happen in the latter case?" Celestia asked with concern.

"Assuming that neither you or your sister would be capable of stopping him, even with Twilight Sparkle's assistance, his mere presence would pose a threat to my ambitions..." he turned slightly towards her, "And that is something I am not willing to tolerate. Does this answer your question?"

Celestia gave him a long stare, seemingly trying to weigh his words, "It does."

"Good."

The short silence that followed was interrupted by a bright flash, signaling Twilight Sparkle's arrival. The purveyor had wondered what had taken her so long, but the moment she appeared he knew the reason; Twilight wasn't traveling alone. She had brought Spike along with her.

"Princess!" Spike called out as he spotted her, and froze as he spotted the purveyor. Spike leaned closer to Twilight and whispered fiercely, "Who's that?"

"I'll explain it to you later." Twilight whispered back, "Just let me do the talking."

"Be careful Twilight. He has no face! I don't even see any ears!"

"And you are one to judge another being by its appearance, Spike?" the purveyor spoke up with a hollow voice.

Spike visibly cringed, "You heard that, huh?"

"I did."

"So..." Spike gave him a curious look, "Who are you?"

"I am Dorchadas, deity of the void." Zaeres replied.

Spike gave a nervous chuckle, suddenly feeling a lot smaller than he was, "That's... cool... I guess?" he turned to Twilight, "You know him?!"

"Long story, Spike. I'll tell you later." Twilight replied.

"Why have you brought him with you?" the purveyor asked with impatience.

"I thought it would be okay..." Twilight replied nervously before turning to princess Celestia, "What happened? Why was I called here for?"

Celestia let out a sigh, "There is something important that needs to be done... Twilight, could I talk to you in private for a moment?"

"Of course, princess." Twilight turned to Spike, "Wait here, I'll be right back."

With that both Twilight and Celestia detached themselves and walked down one of the corridors, leaving the purveyor and Spike standing in front of the great doors in silence.

For a short while, the two just stood there; the purveyor perfectly motionless save for the shadows dancing around his form slowly, and Spike constantly passing him nervous glances.

"So..." Spike finally managed to speak up, "You're the deity of the void?"

"I am."

"Been around long?"

"Longer than you can imagine." the purveyor replied, already feeling slightly annoyed. Whatever was it Celestia wanted to discuss with Twilight? Zaeres wondered if Celestia was making plans of her own... though he doubted she was aware of Twilight Sparkle's true feelings yet.

"Uhm... so what is it you do?" Spike tilted his head as he let his gaze travel over the purveyor's form.

"What I do?" even as he spoke, Zaeres sent part of his mind into the void. Following the shadows running through the corridors he quickly found Celestia and Twilight. With a silent word on his lips he performed the phase shift and established a connection, allowing the words passed between the two alicorns to reach him, "I am a keeper of knowledge and secrets."

Spike raised an eyebrow, "So you're a historian?"

"Something similar..." the purveyor continued to speak even as he heard the alicorns' words, "Tell me, Spike." the dragon shuddered as he heard Zaeres speak his name, "What do you know of your own history?"
> Chapter 15: Spike
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight stared at princess Celestia, torn between surprise and shock, "He... he wants me to what?"

"He wants you to be his representative..." Celestia replied, "He wishes you to be the mediator of the void."

"I... I don't know what to say..." Twilight's voice was almost a whisper as she looked at the floor. Countless thoughts flooded her mind... her letter, the possibilities... what it would mean for her future. Her gaze traveled to the face of her old mentor, "What... what should I do? What do you want me to do?"

"Twilight..." Celestia sighed, "I am afraid that you must find the answer to that question for yourself."

"What would happen if I accepted?"

"You would become the mediator of Dorchadas, deity of the void." Celestia closed her eyes, "And in doing so... you would not only attain your own title of a deity, but also cut off all bonds to Equestria... and to myself. You would be liable only to him... and you would no longer be a princess of Equestria... or the element of magic."

"I would have to leave everything behind?" Twilight gasped.

"No..." Celestia offered her former student a small smile, "We would still be friends, of course." her face hardened, "But before you talk to him about this matter or consider his offer any further, there are a few things I would like to tell you myself... and a warning."

Twilight looked hesitant, "A warning?"

"The purveyor, or Dorchadas... as he calls himself now, has not returned to this world by mere coincidence. Do you know why he has returned, Twilight?"

"He... he said he wanted to bring his race back to life in this world... and that you and him had an agreement of some sort..."

Celestia nodded, "That is correct. The two of us have made a pact." her gaze held Twilight's eyes, "I will help him to bring his race back to life... and in return, he will help us to find a way of surviving... but the more I watch him and his actions, the more I fear that..." she found it difficult to continue.

A worried expression crossed Twilight's features, "You think he would abandon us?"

Princess Celestia shook her head, "No. He needs my magic to bring back his race now and after the next cycle... at least for the moment being. If he were to find a way to do it without my help though..." she sighed, "He is driven only by one ambition, Twilight, and that is the survival of his own race."

"But... is that not the same goal that we pursue?" Twilight asked with surprise.

"No, Twilight." Celestia replied, "I wish to save our world, and while he only wishes to save those he needs... I wish to save everyone." she paused as she saw Twilight's sad expression, "And as much as it pains me to ask this of you... I wish to ask you to accept his offer."


---


"My own history?" Spike asked with wonder, "Well... I was raised by Twilight and..."

"That is not what I meant." the purveyor replied with a small frown. The discussion Twilight and Celestia were having was taking a very interesting turn... what was Celestia planning? He turned to Spike, observing his form; Spike had grown in size these last two hundred years, not much... but he had grown. He was already a bit taller than himself.

"It's not?" Spike took a step back, suddenly feeling nervous as he felt the purveyor's gaze upon him.

"No..." he paused as more words were passed between the two alicorns, "What do you know of your origins?"

"My origins?"

"Have you never asked yourself how Celestia obtained you? How it came to be that she got possession of your egg?" a small smile spread his lips as he saw realization set in on Spike's features, "Or do you think dragon eggs are a common thing to find?"

"No... I... I never thought about it..." Spike mumbled to himself, "I've always been so busy with other things that the thought never occurred to me..."

"Other things?" Zaeres asked with a taint of amusement.

"I always helped Twilight... with Cadance, the projects she called into life... and before that..." Spike's face saddened.

"Rarity." the purveyor finished his sentence.

Spike hung his head, "Yeah... Rarity..." he looked up at Zaeres with a small smile, "I had the biggest crush on her... she was simply stunning in every way." he did not see the purveyor frown at his words; Stunning was the last word that Zaeres would have used to describe her... "You knew her?"

"I met her." Zaeres replied before asking, "What happened?"

Spike's face became sad again, "Life happened, I guess... one day, without me even noticing it... she had grown old." he hung his head again, "And I never gathered the courage to tell her how I truly felt... which was even more painful when I met Sweetie Belle's granddaughter one day. She looked exactly like her... and I was a stranger to her. Not Spikey-Wikey, just Spike... the big and scary dragon of princess Twilight." he mouthed the words with a strange tone to his voice. A soft laugh escaped his scaly lips, "Strange how I always thought getting big would be cool..."

The purveyor observed Spike in silence for a moment, surprised that the dragon had matured much more than his still juvenile body would allow to conceive, and even more surprised that Spike would talk about these things so openly. He looked down the corridor where Celestia and Twilight were still talking, "Do you wish to know why you have no wings?"

Spike raised an eyebrow, "You know why? Even Twilight hasn't been able to figure that one out yet!"

"Did you ever ask Celestia?" the purveyor's question hung in the air for a short moment.

"What does she have to do with that?" Spike tilted his head in surprise before grasping what the purveyor was trying to tell him, "Does it have to do with where I came from?"

"It does." Zaeres replied, "How many dragons have you met since your first visit to the migration?"

"Don't remind me of it..." Spike shook his head with a snort, "That was a very disappointing experience for me. After meeting them, I no longer wanted to meet any others of my kind... they seemed completely different from what I wanted to be." he gave the purveyor a questioning look, "But what does have to do with my wings?"

"More than you understand, apparently." he pointed to the large set of doors, "Behind these doors, there is the council of the deities... the self-proclaimed gods of this world. And at the top of the chamber, there sits Nithhogr... Do you know who that is?"

Spike shook his head in wonder, "No. I never heard of him..."

"I see..." he turned his head to the corridor for a short moment, "It seems we will have to postpone this discussion to another time, Celestia and Twilight are about to return..."

"Wait! Aren't you going to tell me why I don't have wings?"

"We will meet again, I am sure... in the meantime, I would like you to consider something..."

"What?"

"Even of the few dragons you have met... how many of them were wingless... or breathed magical fire for that matter?"

Spike stared at him, seemingly perplexed by his question, "None..."

"Spike! Sorry for the wait!" the dragon turned his head to see Twilight and princess Celestia approach.

"Think about what I told you..." the purveyor told Spike out of the alicorns' hearing, "And ask yourself, just how much do really know about yourself and what you are." the purveyor left Spike standing where he was, "When you are ready to ask the right questions, come find me."

"Hey, Spike!" Twilight watched his unmoving face, "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah..." Spike seemed to break out of some state of thought, "Just feeling a bit tired... that's all."

Before Twilight could ask any further, she realized that the purveyor was standing next to her, "Twilight Sparkle..." she cringed as she looked up into his mask, "I too, would like to have a word with you in private."
> Chapter 16: Knowledge
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zaeres and Twilight silently walked down the long corridor, each step taking them further away from princess Celestia and Spike. When Twilight could bear the quietness no longer, she finally broke the silence, "How much did you hear?"

"What I needed to hear..." he stopped and turned to her, "Were you surprised?"

"You weren't? She is asking me to..." Twilight turned her gaze away.

"To spy on me?" the purveyor chuckled.

"Why do you find that so amusing?"

"Because it was to be expected." his reply was short, "If anything, I would have been disappointed if Celestia had not asked this of you."

"And you're just fine with that?" Twilight stopped walking and gave him an incredulous look.

The purveyor walked by her a few more steps before stopping, "Of course I am... After all, what information you can relay to her depends only on me... and what you finally do relay to her depends entirely on you."

"Are you saying that you're going to intentionally give me false information?" Twilight narrowed her eyes at him, feeling uncomfortably reminded of their first conversation two hundred years ago, "And what is that last part supposed to mean?"

"Twilight..." the purveyor frowned behind his mask, "Let me explain something... Back down that corridor, behind those doors sits the council of the deities of this world."

"I know." Twilight replied.

"Then let me increase your field of perception." Zaeres continued, "For the last millennia, the fate of this world has been decided behind these doors. Nations have risen and fallen by nothing but words, secrets and deceit. Borders have been changed at a notion and power has shifted endlessly by the few that sit there within. Every word spoken within the council has an effect, every grain of knowledge holds power here."

He turned to her, "And now, my words will change this world too... and if it is either in three hundred years when you are officially recognized to take part, or now if you chose to become my mediator... Your words can change this world as well." Zaeres reached inside his robes and slowly, he pulled out an envelope that Twilight immediately recognized as her own, "By your own words, you wished to make as good use of the potential you were given as you could... and that you understood that order comes at a price."

The purveyor handed her the envelope, "You said that you are willing to pay the price that Celestia is unwilling to pay... So now, I am giving you the chance to take matters into your own hooves." Twilight took the letter from his hands with a troubled expression, "I am giving you the chance to change this world... to finally step out of Celestia's shadow and give your own words weight. " he paused, "Twilight Sparkle, I am giving you the potential to make your own claim in this world... and maybe save it in the process."

Twilight stared at the envelope in her hooves with uncertainty, carefully trying to compensate his words. Zaeres continued, "Let me be very clear on this. Should you chose to accept this position, all the consequences that Celestia foretold you will come true... you will be liable to me and me alone." he paused, "In exchange... I will give you something that you desire."

"Something I desire?"

"Knowledge..." he searched her face for a moment, "There are things hidden beneath the surface of this world that hold more power than you can imagine. Secrets of the past long forgotten and hidden from the gods of this world... hidden, even from Celestia."

"But not hidden from you?" Twilight frowned, "Even if I am willing to do this, even if not for Celestia's but Equestria's sake... what knowledge could you possibly have that could make me betray our friendship?"

"Friendship?" Zaeres voice was quiet, "Correct me if I am wrong... but should you not have learned enough by now to understand that her mere position alone will forever keep you distant to one another? That until now she has always led you down a path of her own planning? Are you willing to remain her student for all of eternity?" Twilight's ears sagged, "See it as you may, but do not mistake friendship for misplaced loyalty. Celestia has her own goals, just as you should have yours."

Seeing that Twilight was not responding, the purveyor carried on, "As for your former question... I am not offering you knowledge to betray your old mentor, I am offering you knowledge in exchange for you discretion, and services... Knowledge that may help you to surpass even Celestia herself."

Twilight's eyes widened, "Surpass?" she struggled to comprehend what he was saying.

Zaeres studied her expression for a lingering moment, and when he spoke again Twilight felt as if the shadows around her had become even more foreboding. One sentence left his lips, and Twilight felt her heart come to a halt.


---


"Damn that arrogant bastard..." Anathis fumed in her chair, "Making us wait like this! Who does he think he is?"

"Patience, Anathis." Nithhogr chuckled and showed a toothy smile, "The Dorchadas may be listening as we speak."

The deities on the lower levels and the queen of the changelings cringed at the words and looked around themselves with uncertainty. And while Luna only rolled their eyes in annoyance, Anathis struggled hard not to show that the idea actually did worry her.

"Ha!" Anathis put on a defiant face, "Let him listen, I am not scared of him."

"Rest assured that I am listening." the purveyor's impassive voice softly echoed through the large chamber, making the griffon deity jump in her seat, "I will return to you in person shortly. My mediator has arrived." somewhere on the lower ranks, the Dog Father couldn't help but giggle at the display, which earned him a glare of pure malice from Anathis.

"Good." Strongwill spoke up with a steady voice, "Then we may continue this council once you and your mediator return."

"Of course."

Anathis ground her fist on her throne, "Damn that confounded..." she stopped, "Where are you going, Fin'gre?"

The satyr deity flinched, he had detached himself from the other deities unnoticed and had been heading for the door, "Me? Ah... you know, just stepping out for some fresh air?"

Anathis' eyes narrowed, "You're trying to get his services before the rest of us, aren't you?"

"What?" Fin'gre replied with a nervous chuckle as all eyes were set on him, "Wouldn't dream of it, queen Anathis. But, now that you mention it... technically speaking, since me and the shadow guy are neighbors..." he slowly inched closer to the door, "I guessed... first come first serve?"

There was a moment of silence as the other deities observed him, "So..." Fin'gre put on a nervous smirk, "Dibs!" and made a jump for the door.

"Stop him!"

"The griffons hold claim first!"

"Nay, I say. The minotaurs!" Strongwill put on a grim frown.

"What about us?"

"Technically speaking, as one of the elder races... shouldn't we be the ones allowed to request his services first?" princess Luna asked with a raised eyebrow.

The commotion inside the chamber continued to heat up, all of the deities claiming their right to demand the services of the void first, fearful of what their enemies could learn before them.

Up on his seat, Nithhogr was barely holding back his laughter.
> Chapter 17: Fin'gre
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What in the world..." Celestia murmured to herself as she watched the large doors with curiosity. Until a moment ago, everything had been quiet. But shortly after the purveyor and Twilight Sparkle had left, commotion had broken out inside. It sounded like all of the deities were quarreling at the top of their voices about something, although Celestia failed to make out what it was about.

It seemed that even her sister was taking part in the fray, her royal voice making the doors vibrate from time to time. Celestia could already see Nithhogr holding his belly with laughter. It troubled her greatly to think what pacts the old dragon had with the purveyor.

Celestia was about to take a look inside the chamber, but instead the door was pushed open from the inside and a figure she recognized as Fin'gre shot out; hastily slamming the door shut behind him and immediately placing a small seed on the floor in front of it. Before Celestia's surprised eyes, the seed brought forth a sapling... which grew into a tree in a matter of seconds, blocking the doors to the chamber with its thick roots as someone started to furiously pound on it from the other side.

Fin'gre let out a deep breath, "That should keep 'em busy for a while..." he turned around and spotted Celestia, "Hi."

"May I ask, Fin'gre..." Celestia raised an eyebrow as the satyr tried to look innocent, "What it is you are doing?"

"Me? Oh... you know, princess Celestia... going to stretch my legs, getting a break for some fresh air..." he cringed as more pounding could be heard from the door.

"And the tree sapling?" Celestia asked with a dry voice.

Fin'gre started to play with one of his horns, "That? Heh, must have dropped it by accident..." he chuckled, "You wouldn't have happened to see the big shadowy guy around?"

"You mean the Dorchadas?" Celestia asked with the slightest tint of amusement as she understood what was going on. No matter how troubling the current developments were, the sound of the griffon deity's angered shouts through the doors was indeed very amusing. 

Her face became serious again as she recalled Fin'gre's young age, "He will return shortly, I am sure. However, take a word of advice, if you will." Fin'gre gave her a surprised look, "Be careful of what pacts you make. I know that you are ambitious, but whatever you think you can gain from him... remember that he has his own goals too. I advise caution."

Fin'gre smiled softly, "Thank you, princess. But your concerns are unjustified, if certainly appreciated though. I merely wish to meet my new neighbor." he bowed his head before her as the doors behind him started to bulge and creak, "After all, I'm always keen to make new friends."

Celestia sighed, "I somehow doubt that the deities behind those doors would agree... and I know for certain that he will. He is not here to make friends, Fin'gre. He is here to make a claim for himself... and nothing else."

"I know, I know... But I can try, can't I?" Fin'gre chuckled and failed to notice Celestia's worried expression in his excitement, "So... where is he?"

"Who is that?" a feminine voice asked behind him.

Fin'gre turned around in time to see the purveyor approach with a purple alicorn next to him. For a moment his gaze darted over the black mask of the purveyor, but then his eyes turned to Twilight Sparkle and he put on a happy smile, "Greetings..." he bowed before her, "I am Fin'gre, protector of the Firelight Woods."

"The Firelight Woods?" Twilight raised an eyebrow as the pounding on the doors continued unhindered, "I didn't know they had a deity..."

"They don't." Zaeres commented next to her, his impassive voice making the satyr cringe, "Fin'gre has been appointed a representative by the three main tribes ruling the woods, but has yet to be recognized fully as a deity by the council." he paused and went to inspect the roots covering the trembling door, "And he was only appointed a representative because the three tribes could not settle on sending one of their own leaders... This is his second council."

"He really knows his stuff, doesn't he?" Fin'gre tried to jest.

"You don't even know half of it..." Twilight mumbled to herself before giving him a questioning gaze, "So you're not a deity?"

"Not in the classical sense..." the purveyor answered her question, "But they tend to grow very old." He traced a finger over the roots, a quick analysis of the flow making him smirk under his mask. Zaeres had yet to check more thoroughly, but he was already certain that this could prove useful. This council was indeed coming to be more promising than he had expected.

An explosion of wood interrupted his thoughts as a clawed paw shot through the door and a fuming Anathis appeared behind it, "Wait till I get my claws on you, I'll..." she stopped dead in her tracks, her claws only inches away from the unmoving mask of the purveyor.

"Yes, Anathis?" his voice was cold, "What is it you plan on doing with me?" behind Anathis, the other deities quickly withdrew from the broken door as they realized who was behind it.

Next to a chuckling Fin'gre, Twilight looked around herself in confusion, "Where is Spike?"


---


Spike gave a groan of annoyance as he continued to search through the archives of the council. Here, within a huge chamber of countless shelves and under the dust of centuries lay the records of attendance and protocols of the council meetings for thousands of years.

The young dragon didn't know yet what he was looking for, but somehow he wagered that there should be something useful here. The name the Dorchadas had given him though, Nithhogr... who was he? Spike had never heard the name before, and from the records it seemed that he only very rarely attended the council meetings, as seldom as they were held. Still, if he was actually sitting at the top of the chamber, then he had to be someone important.

At the same time, Spike couldn't help but shudder when he remembered his talk with the black figure of shadows. Who was he really? What lay behind that strange mask... and if he had really met Rarity, why had she never talked about him? And why did it seem that Twilight and princess Celestia knew him as well? Why did he always feel like he was missing something, as if everyone was keeping secrets from him? Didn't they trust him?

Spike shook his head and returned his attention to the records, at the same time wondering what it was he hoped to achieve here. 

He stopped as one of his claws traced over an old-looking record, and his expression froze as he inspected the list of attendance.

Neither princess Celestia's nor princess Luna's names could be found on the list, meaning that it had to be very old. The records weren't dated, but numbered instead. Sadly, as the councils were held at irregular intervals, there was no telling how old this particular one really was. The attendances were however, listed from top to bottom in accordance to the seating of the deities.

On the ancient piece of paper and written in fading ink he saw Nithhogr's name... and directly next to him, another name was written that was missing on all records kept after this one;

Sirrush, the Wingless.


---


The Firelight Woods were quiet this late in the night, the only thing disrupting the illusion of tranquility being the flash of light shining like a beacon as Fin'gre appeared in a small clearing. Teleportation, even if it was a courtesy of the alicorn sisters had never been one of his favorite means of transport.

As the light faded again the satyr deity took a short look around and started to head for the edge of the clearing, a small smile on his face, "You know you didn't have to wait for me to come back, mother Lupora."

The great wolf slowly detached itself from the cover of the forest, her huge, black body dwarfing his own, "The wolf clan is always eager to know what news the councils bring... and what changes we must prepare ourselves for."

Fin'gre patted her side as he walked past the old wolf, his own head coming to end just a bit beneath her shoulder, "Talking of change..." he spoke as she started to follow him through the forest, "Your clan has been around for the longest, hasn't it?"

"We are the eldest clan hunting in these woods." Lupora answered next to him, "And this forest has stood longer than any of the deities can remember."

Fin'gre scratched one of his small horns, "Have you ever heard of someone called Dorchadas?" he continued to walk while he asked the question, but soon realized that the great dire wolf wasn't following him any more. The satyr stopped and turned around to look at Lupora, who was staring at him with unmoving eyes and slightly standing hairs on her back, "So you know him?"

"Be careful of that name, Fin'gre." she spoke with a stern voice, "The Dorchadas is a figure of dragon mythology far older than you can imagine and the stories of our clan know it by a different name; Sralum."

Fin'gre raised an eyebrow, "The Eyeless?"

"Faceless." Lupora corrected him, "We use the cover of the night for our hunts, but even we fear what lies in the impenetrable darkness."

"So you know of the void? I heard of it for the first time myself today..." he gave her a questioning look, "Why have I never heard you talked about that?"

"Because it is not something to talk about." the wolf interrupted him, "There are many stories to what the great darkness is, and it carries many names and even more legends... but all of them end in disaster and death. We do not talk of it, for we fear that it may hear our whispers and come to swallow us." she gave him a hard look, "Why would this be a topic at the council? This is very dangerous talk. Who told you of this name?"

"He himself." Fin'gre chuckled, "He appeared at the council today and introduced himself. You should have seen the griffon's face! Priceless, I tell you!"

A soft growl escaped Lupora, "Don't be a fool, Fin'gre! This is not something to make jokes about!"

"I'm not joking, mother Lupora." Fin'gre expression became serious, "The void itself appeared at the council and took a seat above Nithhogr. The old dragon even conceded with his claim to the Barrier... It was quite interesting."

The mother of the wolf clan stared at him with unbelieving eyes, trying hard to search his face for any signs of a lie. "Tell me exactly what happened." she spoke with a strained voice, "Everything."

Fin'gre shrugged, "That's actually more or less what happened... I'll tell you and the other clans all the details once we get them together." he started to walk again, "That, and I invited him for a visit to our forest. He'll come and visit us next week."

"You... You what?!" Lupora stared at his back in utter shock, "Why would you do something like that?! Have you gone mad?!"

Fin'gre didn't stop but instead continued walking, "I have the feeling that something big is about to happen, mother Lupora. Something that we'll be a part of even if we don't want to." he turned his head to give her a small smirk, "So why not take part in it and see where it takes us?" He headed deeper into the endless expanses of the Firelight Woods, "Besides, you're always supposed to get along with new neighbors..." especially the ones that could make gods shudder in their seats.
> Chapter 18: Sirrush
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

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..."
> Chapter 19: City of Sin
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight gave a small grunt as she saddled her bags, they were filled to the brim with documents, the protocols of the day and countless requests for an audience with the purveyor... or Dorchadas, as the other deities called him. "What is wrong with them?" she huffed under the weight, "You'd think they'd be more cautious of someone like him..."

Almost all of the deities had rushed her for a meeting with him, especially eagerly so once Fin'gre had proudly proclaimed he'd gotten dibs... what a silly word for something so serious. And the dragon deity, Nithhogr? He had been the strangest one of all. Granted, his mere appearance was impressive and all, but there was something about him that made her think he was enjoying this way too much.

He hadn't even asked for an audience, he'd just told her that he'd keep in touch... "My, my... a new little alicorn." she mimicked his deep voice, "Give me a break..." she groaned, "This place is more like playhouse than an actual council! Don't any of them take their responsibilities seriously?"

"Not as seriously as they should..." a hollow voice remarked behind her, "The real work for you will be to learn which ones you should be cautious of."

Twilight whirled around as the purveyor walked up to her, his steps not making the slightest sound on the marble floor as his shadows slowly flowed after him. She let out a sigh, "Please don't surprise me like that..." she raised an eyebrow when she saw that Spike was accompanying him, "Spike? Where have you been?" she gave the dragon a questioning look, "What were you two doing?"

"Nothing, Twilight." Spike almost stammered, he was looking considerably paler than his usual self and his eyes occasionally darted to the purveyor, "I... I just got lost and he showed me the right direction..."

Twilight cast a questioning gaze towards the silent purveyor, "You did? Really?"

"I did..." his reply was impassive and he tilted his head slightly to inspect her saddle bags, "Are those the results of this council?"

"They certainly are..." she readjusted her shoulders, "Are all of these meetings going to end up with me carrying piles of paperwork?"

"It is likely." Zaeres replied with the tiniest of smirks, "But it could take centuries for another council to take place..."

"Thank the stars for that." Twilight muttered.

"Except if there is a war, of course." he continued.

"A war?" Spike watched his unmoving form with concern, "There's not going to be one soon, is there?"

"At the current situation?" the purveyor paused, "Not likely. The power among the different races is balanced quite evenly and there a only a few notable pacts... it would be highly foolish for one of them to take action at this point."

"You almost sound as if you are expecting one of them to do something foolish..." Twilight put on a frown, "Is there something I should know? One of them isn't secretly planning an invasion, or are they?"

A soft laugh escaped Zaeres as he watched her, "Not that I know of... but only time will show what may happen." In truth, the current balance was anything but stable. There were no clear alliances, no certain enemies... and the old pacts were slowly losing footing. It could fall apart with a single word, a piece of information placed in the wrong hands... or in the right hands if he saw it fit... It would barely matter if the information was correct or not if used correctly.

It felt strange to him to stand so at the center of it all... to have the power to tip the scale with a single word. He briefly wondered how long it would take Twilight to realize she would hold part of this power as well... and what use she would make of this potential he had given her.

He pushed aside the thought for the moment, there was still too much work to be done. Right now, though... he addressed Twilight, "Are you ready to depart?"

"Already?" Twilight asked in surprise, "I mean... of course I want to go as soon as possible..." she seemed hesitant, "But what about Spike?"

The purveyor gave the dragon a short look, "He can accompany us."

"I don't know..." she cast Spike a careful gaze, "Won't it be dangerous?"

"There is no danger. Your concerns are without reason."

"What are you talking about?" Spike asked.

"I have promised Twilight to... give her access to certain knowledge in exchange for her services. The place we are about to travel holds this knowledge." the purveyor explained, "You should accompany us, I am sure you will find the experience... enlightening."

Spike gave the purveyor an uncertain gaze, "If you say so..." he turned to Twilight, "I don't mind, I'll come along too."

"Really?" Twilight asked, "I mean if it is really fine with you and there really isn't any danger..."

"We should depart..." the purveyor interrupted them, "We have spent enough time here already and I still have work to do. Stand close to one another..." Spike carefully took a place next to Twilight, "Are you ready?"

Twilight watched the shadows from his form start to dance unsteadily, a feeling of worry washing over her as he stepped closer and towered above them with both arms outstretched, "Ready for what?"

Zaeres allowed the void to detach itself from him, enveloping both Twilight Sparkle and Spike in a roaring shroud of darkness, "To see the forgotten sins of the alicorns with your own eyes..."

The purveyor performed the phase shift... and the three vanished, leaving behind a shroud of shadows that gradually fell apart until nothing remained.


---


The few seconds that Twilight spent in the void would forever haunt her... the roaring darkness, the absolute black that surrounded her... and the whispers of countless voices washing over her like a tidal wave. It was terrifying, yet she felt strangely exhilarated at the same time. So many secrets waited in the void, so many things hidden from the world and forgotten by time. She felt... like it was waiting for her.

And him...

Twilight couldn't see the purveyor, not even hear him as his silent whispers carried them through the endless expanses of the void... but she could feel him. His presence... Twilight couldn't even begin to describe it... She had spent years next to princess Celestia and princess Luna, both powerful deities in their own right... but he. 

There was something fundamentally different about him.

Celestia and Luna were deities, connected deeply to their individual elements... but only connected. He though... Twilight couldn't find another way to describe it, no matter how impossible it seemed... but he wasn't just connected to it... he was the void itself.

It took her a moment to realize it, but here... he was a god.

But then the moment was over and she felt her hooves make contact with hard ground, the sudden return of gravity almost making her fall over. Next to her, she heard a soft thud as Spike presumably landed on his back. When the void started to return to the purveyor's form and Twilight was finally able to see again she found herself lost in staring at the sight before her.

"No way..." Spike whispered in awe.

Down in a valley before them, countless spires of pure, white marble spiraled towards the sky, their surfaces decorated in delicate and intricate designs of gold while between the towers a sheer endless maze of blooming gardens, fountains and statues stood in a silence that had not been broken for thousands of years.

"Welcome..." the purveyor spoke softly as he stepped past the two, "To the lost capital of the alicorn kingdom."
> Chapter 20: Stone
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Incredible..." Twilight whispered as she continued to stare at the shining city below, "Simply incredible..." 

No words could describe what this sight meant to her... or what it meant for her to be here. How long had she tried to find the answer to the question that not even princess Celestia could answer? All those countless nights and hours spent digging through ancient tomes for information, any clue to the mystery that shrouded the disappearance of an entire race.

Yet here it was, right before her eyes... as if nothing had ever happened.

"How is this possible?" Twilight asked without taking her eyes of the ancient city, almost fearing it would disappear again at any moment.

"What?" the purveyor asked with an impassive voice.

"This!" Twilight nearly shouted in her excitement, "How can something like this stay hidden for so long?! Why didn't anypony ever find it?! Why does it look so... so..."

"Untouched?" Zaeres finished her sentence.

"Yes?!"

The purveyor sighed, "The alicorns, in their... what one could call prejudice, were extremely cautious of other races. Their greatest fear was that the outside world would one day attempt to steal their secrets..." a fear that had been very justified.

He pointed to a large monolith standing in the distance, "There are eight of these, they surround the city and are heavily enchanted to hide this place from unwelcome eyes... which they have done ever since they were placed."

"They set up an illusion to hide an entire city?" Spike asked with wonder, "But what if someone would step inside by accident?"

"It is far more than a simple illusion." Zaeres explained, "Even if you were to walk straight towards it, you would subconsciously wander around it without even wondering where the time had gone... you would simply ignore its existence." he paused, "And even if you were to crash here by accident, the guardians of the city are still as active as they were thousands of years ago."

Twilight frowned, "What guardians?"

Her question was answered by Spike, "Whoa! Look at that!"

Down in one of the gardens below, a huge, moss-covered figure of stone moved between the plants.

"What is that?" Twilight asked.

"A golem..." the purveyor replied, "Stone that has been infused with life and will by the alicorns..." 

He watched the huge creature as it slowly lumbered through the garden. With time, moss, tree saplings and grass had found their way onto the surfaces of the golems. When they had first been created they had been easy to spot, but after all these years they had almost become a part of the gardens they so restlessly tended to. Now, they were almost invisible as long as they did not move... walking gardens of their own and without intent or conscious thought.

"The golems were created to take care of the more... demeaning tasks. They are the ones tending to the buildings and the gardens..." he paused as he felt a change in the underlying flow, "They also take care of unwelcome visitors."

A few feet from him, a part of the vegetation started to detach itself from the ground. Both Twilight and Spike took a step backwards as the huge golem rose from its resting place to tower above them... the plants and small trees covering its back swaying softly as it turned to face them.

"That's... big." Twilight gulped.

"There is no need to worry." Zaeres remained unmoving even as the golem stepped up towards him, each step making the ground tremble, "There is a pass phrase for those entitled."

"And you know it?" Twilight asked with growing concern as she and Spike backed away.

"I was there when they chose it..." Zaeres calmly replied. The golem raised a huge fist, fingers of stone curling into a boulder, "Melanh."

The fist remained still for a short moment, as if the golem was processing what it had just heard. But the moment passed, and Twilight's eyes widened in terror as the fist shot down and towards the purveyor with frightening speed.

Before the huge fist of stone could connect with the purveyor's head, the shadows dancing over his form shot out... creating a flowing wall of dark smoke that continued to ripple like a flowing river even as it stopped the crushing strike dead in its tracks. 

"Interesting..." the purveyor's voice spoke with slight surprise as he observed the huge fist hovering only inches above his head.

"I thought you knew the pass phrase!" Twilight called from the back.

"I do." he replied with impatience, "But the pronunciation is complicated." the fist was pulled up again, "Melan'ch."

Once more, the golem brought his fist down with enough force to shatter stone... but again, the shadows remained impenetrable.

"There's more of them coming up the hill!" Spike shouted frantically.

The purveyor frowned behind his mask, this certainly was a problem he had not expected. He himself had never needed to use the phrase... and it had been a long time since he had last heard the old language being spoken. But as the golem raised its fist for the third time, he remembered something.

"Mel'anc."

Almost instantly, the golem stopped raising its fist and the ones that had been approaching stopped in their tracks. Slowly, the fist was returned to its side, and the golem gave the purveyor a short bow of its head before turning around... and simply walking away.

Zaeres turned to face Twilight and Spike, "The 'h' in Mel'anch is silent."

"Uh huh..." Twilight gave him a small frown, "So... they're not going to bother us anymore?"

"They won't. We are now officially guests. Should you require anything do not he hesitate to call for them."

Twilight let her gaze travel over the city, "Where do I start? There are so many things to see... it could take years to archive all of this! What will I base my research on?"

The purveyor pointed towards one of the countless buildings, "You can find the library inside the large, circular building. It has one-hundred and twenty levels." He could actually see Twilight's eyes dilate as he said those words.

"One-hundred... and... twenty" she stammered with a dreamy voice. A huge grin started to appear on her features, "Spike!"

"You go on and fly ahead, Twilight." Spike said with a weak smile, "I'll catch up..."

"Don't take too long!" she called back, already taking off and letting her wings carry her towards the city.

Spike watched her fly off with a sad smile, "I can already tell she's not going to get much sleep here..." an expression of worry passed over his face and he turned to the purveyor, "What will she find here?"

"Only forgotten dreams and conceit..." the purveyor replied.

"I..." Spike started but struggled with the words, "When do I tell her?"

Zaeres turned his gaze towards him, "You should tell her soon. Delaying this will not serve any of us... Call for me, when you are ready to depart." slowly, his form started to waver.

"Before you go..." Spike carefully spoke up, "What does Mel'anch mean anyway?"

The shadows around the purveyor wavered and drew closer to his form, "It means stone..." and with those last words, he vanished from sight.


---


When he arrived back at the council, Celestia was still waiting for him.

"I was surprised that you did not seek me out directly after the council." she greeted him with a skeptical look, "What have you been doing?"

"There was something that needed my attention." he replied with a curt nod, "When are you ready to start?"

"Not immediately, I am afraid. Nithhogr has asked for a conversation with me..." she gave him a frown, "Is there anything I should be aware of?"

"Not that I know of, no." even with his impassive tone he still wondered what game Nithhogr intended to play, "But I have found that in his age, Nithhogr is becoming more and more bored by ordinary things... And I can already imagine what he wishes to talk to you about."

"As can I." Celestia replied with a meaningful glance, "And what do you think he will tell me about you?"

"Tell you?" Zaeres chuckled, "Celestia, Nithhogr merely wishes to play one of his games. It is likely that he will spend the conversation asking you questions with no apparent meaning and telling you the old tales and legends of his race."

"I certainly hope that will not be the case." her eyes narrowed, "Does he know of our pact?"

"I doubt it... but should you give him the needed hints, he may figure it out." the purveyor studied her face, "Then again, what you tell him is entirely your decision." he started to fade away again, "I shall meet you at the Barrier once your conversation with Nithhogr is done." a trail of black shadows remained floating in the air as he slipped from existence, "Then, we shall commence with the rebirth of my race."
> Chapter 21: Ancient tales
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Spike entered the library he took a moment to look around himself in awe. The building itself was massive, but the inside of it was absolutely unlike anything he had ever seen before. Already in the entrance, massive shelves filled with heavy tomes stood aligned next to one another... and at the end of the entrance awaited a large platform set in marble and golden designs, overlooking the main part of the library.

Upwards, a roof of colored glass and delicate metal spanned the ceiling, the sun shining through it basking the whole library with warm colors and below... Spike carefully took a look over the railing and felt his jaw drop. It seemed the purveyor had told the truth, Spike couldn't even hope to count the countless levels of shelves that lay beneath him, all of them connected to one another by beautifully crafted bridges.

Among the shelves, he could see the golems move tirelessly... and somewhere below, he could make out a small light flickering softly. Spike was certain it was Twilight, he imagined she was probably already diving through the countless books... though he couldn't help but wonder at what the purveyor had told him before.

"Only forgotten dreams and conceit..." he mumbled as he continued to study the deep shaft beneath him. "Whatever could have happened here?" he swallowed as he remembered his own pact with the purveyor, wondering how he should tell Twilight.


---


"Amazing!" Twilight let her hoof trail down another page. "These diagrams are simply incredible!"

She looked up for a moment as one of the golems approached the table already covered in books. "Another one?" the golem gave a silent nod and placed the heavy tome on top of the others. "Thank you."

The golems inside the library were curious to her. For one thing they looked entirely different from the ones outside; They were smaller, more delicate and while the guardians outside were made of crude stone, these were made of white marble. They didn't appear as threatening as their brothers outside... but the way they silently moved through the library almost seemed foreboding.

Twilight still didn't completely grasp how they worked... whether they understood what she said or if they simply knew what she was looking for... but when she had entered the library they had immediately started to collect books for her.

Much to her dismay though, none of the books was written in a language she knew... So she had asked them for a dictionary, which they had brought her; a large tome with translations into seven different languages... of which she knew none. It made her wonder how old this place really was.

Still, even the mere diagrams were already fascinating for her... the detail to them was simply breathtaking. She was sure, that with time she would be able to translate the language and find the answers she was looking for.

"Maybe I could ask him..." she raised an eyebrow as she continued to take notes. Somehow that sentence alone made her feel anxious. Even with the light flooding inside from above, the space between the long corridors of shelves was still poorly lit, and everywhere she looked... the darkness made her wonder if he was watching her.

"Twilight? Are you here?"

"Spike?" she watched the dragon head around one of the shelves and walk towards her. "Isn't this place amazing?!" in her excitement, she failed to notice his strange expression.

"It sure is something else." Spike replied with a weak smile and couldn't help but shake his head in amusement at the mountain of books and notes she had already accumulated. Even all these years, her enthusiasm for the secrets of this world had not faded in the slightest. "Did you find anything interesting yet?"

"Well..." Twilight sighed. "I could be mistaken.... but these tomes seem to be records and timetables holding important events, though there is no telling how old they are." she pointed to an especially large book set in a golden frame, "This one seems to be especially important, I've been trying to decipher this line here but I'm afraid I'm not doing much process."

She put her hoof under the entry and read out loud. "Ser'na mel s'laet Sirrush sol'ath mer ferat..." she rubbed her chin in thought. "I've only been able to translate parts of it. It seems a single word can actually contain a sentence depending on how it is used... 'S'laet', missing... without. Without what? 'Sirrush', it seems to be a name... though I'm not sure if he or she was an alicorn or something else." Twilight paused. "'sol'ath' and 'ferat', an end... and creation of eternity?" she shook her head. "I can't make heads and tails of it."

"Sirrush... huh?" Spike replied with a worried expression, the name reminding him all too clearly of what he intended to do. "Twilight, I... I need to tell you something."


---


"Ahhh... Celestia." Nithhogr's huge head gave her a warm smile as she entered his chambers. "Still as regal and beautiful as the rising sun." A chuckle left his lips as he saw her frown. "I am glad you have taken the time to visit me in spite of all the commotion surrounding us."

"You personally asked for my presence." Celestia replied with a skeptical expression. "Must I really ask what it is you wished to talk about?"

"Is it so obvious then?" Nithhogr smirked. "Tell me then, young alicorn. What do you know of the Dorchadas?"

"Dorchadas..." Celestia replied with an uneasy voice. "I have known him under a different name. Was it you who gave him the idea to take that identity?"

"It is more of a title than an actual name... an idea or a concept one could say." he paused. "Would you like to know what the word truly means?"

Seeing that Celestia did not respond, Nithhogr started to talk again. "Tho'lam Senh' Mah, Dorchadas Eekt'uh Merak Kal'ah." he smiled softly as he repeated the old dragon rhyme. "And forever watches and hungers the living dark... waiting for the world to fall apart." his smile grew when he saw Celestia's shocked expression, "Does this surprise you?"

"I... I knew of the existence of the name, but I never..." Celestia stammered. "Where does this rhyme come from?"

"Mmmhh..." Nithhogr scratched his chin with one of his claws, "These days, it is nothing more than a story for hatchlings... it is a morsel of a legend that even our elders have forgotten." he paused, and his golden eyes focused on Celestia. "But I, have not."


---


Hidden within the folds of the void, the purveyor couldn't help but frown. "Nithhogr... are you really intending to scare her with that old legend?" he whispered to himself. Granted though, to anyone not familiar with the history of his own race, the legend seemed all too fitting. Still, this was not what troubled him.

What troubled the purveyor, was the prophecy that was part of the old legend... if Celestia would actually believe it, or even worse... if it was actually true. "What am I thinking?" Zaeres shook his head with a sigh, there was no way something like that could happen... and yet, it worried him that anyone besides Nithhogr and himself would know of this.

"Nithhogr..." the purveyor whispered, "Be careful what games you play... or I will put a stop to them myself."

He shook his head and turned his attention away from the dragon deity and the alicorn princess. It was time to see what Twilight Sparkle was doing... not to mention that there was still the matter of Spike.

"Potential..."

Zaeres paused, "You? Are you still intent on watching?"

"Always... forever..." again, it was nothing more but a whisper. Within the silence of the void though, he could hear it effortlessly. Slowly, the murmurs of the countless souls clinging to him started to rise in volume, "Eternal..."

"Learn all the words you want." the purveyor sneered and pushed the voices away again. "I will remain in control."

With one last, silent word the purveyor moved, shifted his existence and left the void.


---


When he reappeared inside the old library of the alicorn capitol, the purveyor found something he had not expected; Twilight Sparkle... surrounded by books and secrets, and yet she only stared at the table before her with a strange expression.

"Is something the matter?" he quietly asked as he walked up to her. "Are you having trouble translating the texts?"

Twilight looked up for a moment to affirm it was him, then she shook her head. "No. The language is complicated, but I think I'll be able to translate it." she was silent for a lingering moment, "It's about Spike... he is going to leave." she took a deep breath. "He said that there is something that he needs to do by himself... and that... that he doesn't know how long it will take..."

"And this troubles you." Zaeres observed.

"Of course it does." Twilight replied, "He's been with me all of my life."

The purveyor silently took a seat at the opposite side of the table. "Do you want him to stay?"

"Yes." her reply was instant, but immediately afterwards she became uncertain. "But at the same time... I mean, we talked about it a lot and he..." she paused and looked up at him. "Can I ask something of you?"

"What?" Zaeres asked with slight surprise.

"Can you... can you look after Spike while he's gone?" his silence seemed to make her even more nervous. "I mean, could you just keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't get hurt? I just... I just need to know he will be alright..." she hung her head at those words.

"Very well." the purveyor replied, wondering just what or how much Spike had actually told her. "I will see to it."

"Thank you." she gave him a small smile. "That really helps me... As long as I know he's safe I can bear it."


---


After his talk with Twilight, Spike had aimlessly wandered through the old capitol without paying attention and lost in his own thoughts. It had been a painful talk, even more so since he simply could not bring himself to tell her the reason. After a set of stairs he had found himself on a large balcony overlooking the empty city... and here he sat, staring at the maze of buildings beneath. For a moment he wondered if he even knew the reason himself.

When he felt a shiver run down his back, he didn't even need to turn around to know who it was.

"I told her." he quietly stated.

"I know." Zaeres replied. "When will you be ready to leave?"

"A couple of days..." Spike continued to watch the city below. "Back in the library... there was a sentence about Sirrush." he tried to remember the words. "Ser'na mel... Ser'na mek sle..."

"Ser'na mel s'laet Sirrush sol'ath mer ferat..." Zaeres corrected him. "And on the day that Sirrush the wingless fell from immortality, we attained that which would lead us to the creation of true eternity."

"What does that last part mean?" Spike carefully asked.

"The text refers to the last sin of the alicorns... and their subsequent punishment." Zaeres replied. "The creation of true eternity... The creation of a god."
> Chapter 22: Color of the Void
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"May I ask..." the purveyor quietly commented as he led Spike down another corridor. "What exactly did you tell Twilight about your future absence?"

The question surprised Spike a little, but then he remembered just who exactly was asking the question. "Not much." he replied with a sigh. "I only told her that there was something important I wanted to do... and that I needed to do it alone." Spike let his gaze travel down the corridor, wondering where the purveyor was taking him. Wherever it was, it had to be deep. He had been following his lead for almost half an hour by now and they had constantly been going down.

"And she did not question your motives?" Zaeres asked with slight wonder. With as much as he knew about her, he highly doubted that Twilight would simply accept something like this without a proper explanation.

"Of course she did." Spike replied with a sad shake of his head. "We almost got into a fight over it too..." a deep breath escaped him. "But in the end, I guess she understood... though she wasn't happy at all when I told her I didn't know how long it would take." he gave Zaeres a worried glance. "I hope she isn't planning on searching for me..."

"Rest assured, that is unlikely to be a problem." the purveyor commented without stopping in his stride.

"It won't?" Spike didn't know what to think of that answer.

"It won't." Zaeres repeated himself. "To be precise; She asked me to look over you during your absence."

"She did?" Spike asked with clear surprise. "Wow... I guess she really is worried..." he turned his gaze to the purveyor. "Are you sure it will be alright?"

"I am sure it will be fine." Zaeres replied and headed around another corner. "As long as you write her your letters she will be confident you are well."

Spike let his gaze fall onto the floor and mumbled to himself. "But will I be well?" 

"That will entirely depend on you... and your determination." Zaeres stopped in front of an unremarkable part of the wall. "We have arrived."

Spike gave the wall a pondering look. "Where are we?"

"This is deepest part of the alicorn capitol." Zaeres explained and let his hand travel over the smooth surface. "We are currently in an old passage that none of the alicorns ever used... except for those involved."

Spike was about to question what the purveyor meant, but then the wall under his hand slowly started to glow... thin lines of bright blue crawling outwards in intricate patterns. "What is that?" Spike asked in wonder.

"It is a passage way... a portal." Zaeres continued to move his hand over the wall, following a pattern that these days only he knew.

"A portal to where?"

The purveyor removed his hand from the wall and the glowing lines stopped spreading out, intensifying in their glow until finally a circular portal of bright light had collected between them. Zaeres took a step back from the wall and pointed an open palm towards the portal, beckoning Spike to enter. "To the last sin of the alicorns."

Spike stood in front of the glowing portal, countless doubts and fears running through his head. And still, he could feel an old curiosity overcome him which he had not felt in a long time. Even though he feared what would await him behind the portal, he still felt that he needed to know... that he had to see for himself what events Sirrush's fall had brought forth.

For a short moment Spike hesitated, but then he stepped forward and into the light.


---


"Long ago, before the birth of the alicorns and the rise of the first deities, our old gods determined our lives." Nithhogr spoke softly, closing his eyes as he remembered days long forgotten by everyone else. "Their presence guided us, their words gave us knowledge... and their sight went far beyond what the eyes of us foolish mortals could perceive."

"Did they know of the void?" Celestia asked with anticipation.

"Knowledge is but a word, Celestia." Nithhogr chuckled. "And too many define their knowledge by what they see alone... The old gods let their gaze travel far beyond our own world and across the other planes of existence and time, catching glimpses of things untold and unknown. Their visions did not necessarily give them knowledge... but they became aware of many things that were or had yet come to be."

"And the void was one of those things?"

"Mmmh..." Nithhogr used one of his claws to scratch the countless little barbs on his chin. "The void is a very peculiar thing, Celestia. When the old gods first let their gaze fall upon it, they were confused... it was something they failed to fully understand. But with the void, how could any of us hope to?"

Celestia frowned. "Confused? How? I was in the void myself, Nithhogr. He brought me there, showed me their city and the endless dark that surrounded it!"

"He did?" Nithhogr watched her with slight amusement and Celestia immediately regretted giving him this information. "That is interesting indeed... Tell me then, young alicorn. What did you learn of the void during your visit? Did you come to understand what it is? Were you able to see beyond its emptiness?"

Celestia shook her head. "My stay there was a short-lived one, but I only saw emptiness wherever I looked."

"That is regrettable..." Nithhogr watched her with his golden eyes. "Tell me, Celestia; What color does the void carry?"

"What color?" Celestia returned his gaze with a dubious expression. "The void is black... so black that it swallows all light." She left out the small detail of the red tinge that had recently entered his shadows on rare occasions.

"Then you see what all the others see... and just as them, you know nothing." Nithhogr leaned closer towards Celestia, his huge head easily framing her own size. "Listen to me, young alicorn... and listen well to what the gods of old believed; The void is neither a place nor a dimension of its own. It watches but holds no being in itself. It is a state of awareness, nothing more... and yet it has existed long before time or any other form of order."

Nithhogr pulled his head back slightly. "When the old gods first let their vision fall upon the void, they saw only darkness... just like you. They saw nothing... because they failed at first to comprehend what they were seeing. It took time for them to understand, but when they did they felt a terror unlike any other befall them for they saw an existence that knew neither time or space... a presence detached from every law and logic they knew and yet ever present in every fiber of our world." he paused to let his words sink in. "What I am saying is; The void has no color of its own... but as long as you can not understand what it is, you will only see darkness wherever you see it... for the mind itself fails to recognize its true nature. It is simply too alien."

Celestia took a second to contemplate his words before speaking again. "And what about him? What about his people that lived within it? Did they know? Did they understand? How could they even exist within it?" she paused. "Does he know?"

"That is perhaps the greatest mystery." Nithhogr replied softly. "Maybe they brought their own understanding of time and space into the void... maybe they simply willed their logic upon it and shaped it into something they could comprehend... maybe they were simply dreaming or maybe they simply forgot? I can not say what allowed them to exist within it, not even how they were able to enter it for that matter... As for him..." 

Nithhogr frowned and thought for a moment but then a small chuckle escaped him. "I fear that it would only give me a headache if I tried to understand him and the meaning of his existence..." he turned to her with a smile. "And I am simply enjoying the confusion his presence is spreading too much to ponder further upon it."

"Then what about your old gods?" Celestia slowly started to feel impatient. "What did they tell of the void and its inhabitants?"

"What did they tell indeed..." Nithhogr spoke with slight amusement. "They told us little more than what I just told you. But they also left a prophecy to accompany it." Nithhogr took a deep breath and searched his mind for the words that had not been spoken since his youngest days. "Se'kan Dorcha nelp'Haam mel tru'hm Beak Sol per Sush fer'An..."

"Please remember that I am not fluent in dragon."

"Such impatience..." Nithhogr sighed and closed his eyes before translating. "When the void feeds upon itself and spills onto our world, the sun will give birth to darkness, the unseeing will be blinded and forgotten..." he opened his eyes again. "And this world will fall into nothing."
> Chapter 23: Dream of the Alicorns
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Behind the portal, Spike found himself lost in wonder. He was standing on a white plane that seemed to endlessly go on in all directions. No sound could be heard and no matter how far his eyes searched the horizon, nothing but white greeted his eyes. ...Except for one object.

Hovering in front of him, a small orb hung in the air; perfectly motionless and yet constantly wavering in its color, it almost seemed misplaced in the empty room around it.

"What is that?" Spike finally managed to stammer after continuing to watch the little orb for what felt like minutes. "Where are we?"

Next to him, the purveyor let out a small sigh and started to walk around the orb; observing it from all sides and studying the unseen flows that passed through it constantly. "This place," he started, "Is a separate dimension. It is a vault to hold what was supposed to be the greatest accomplishment of the alicorns." Zaeres stopped behind the orb, facing the dragon on the other side.

"Unknown to Nithhogr, the alicorns recovered Sirrush's body; his blood, to be precise." He held out an open palm towards the small orb. "And in an unprecedented effort of their nation, they siphoned Sirrush's magic and fused it with their own to create this."

"What is it?" Spike carefully asked, not daring to step closer. Something about the orb greatly unnerved him.

The purveyor retreated his hand. "A singularity," he noticed Spike's confused expression and shook his head slightly. "There is no need for you to ponder on what it was; its purpose was, and still is the real issue."

Spike gave the orb a dubious look. "What was it supposed to do?"

"It was supposed to change reality." Zaeres explained. "In an attempt to surpass all races before them, the alicorns succeeded in creating a conscious entity able to change the world around it according to the wishes of its masters..."

"It's a wishing stone?!" Spike asked with a baffled expression.

"In essence, yes." Zaeres subconsciously raised an eyebrow at the simple term. The idea was simple enough to capture the purpose, but it in no way conveyed just what the alicorns had created with it; even he himself had trouble to trace the many connections the orb had to the different dimensions and the countless flows it channeled and bent to its will effortlessly.

Sin...

"So... what did the alicorns wish for?"

"They wished for a god," Zaeres replied with a heavy voice. "Or more precisely, they wished for this to become their god."

Unnoticed by Spike, the patterns of the shadows surrounding the purveyor were slowly changing.

"And did it work?" Spike asked, almost fearing the answer. "Did this thing really become their god?"

"Yes, ...and no." Zaeres replied after a moment of silence. "The orb of eternity, as they called it, was conscious but without thought. It simply acted and changed the world around it according to the wishes of its creators. ...And it did so with a terrifying simplicity."

"Why? What did it do?"

Zaeres took a moment to remember the fateful event, the echo the alicorns' sudden absence reverberated through the deepest layers of this world even to that day. "What it was meant to do. It fulfilled their wishes." The purveyor turned to Spike. "They all wished for a god, they all wished for their demands to be fulfilled, but how could the orb fulfill all of those wishes at once? Many of their dreams contradicted one another, as did their individual desires and viewpoints."

Unification...

The purveyor took a moment to push back the voice into the recesses of his mind. It was becoming more present with every day; and now that he knew whose voice it was Zaeres was becoming extremely careful not to let it wander through his thoughts any farther than he could help it.

"Feeling that all requests should be fulfilled and met," Zaeres continued, "the orb decided that not itself should be god, but rather the ones holding the desire to change the world." He turned away from the orb and towards Spike. "And with that decision it sealed the fate of the alicorns."

"What happened to them?" Spike asked, still not understanding what had happened. For a moment he wondered; had the Dorchadas just fallen apart for second? It had been only a moment, almost too short to see; but somehow, his form seemed to waver for a fleeting instant.

"They became god." Zaeres answered with a grim voice. "The orb reached out, and it changed reality; collecting the minds and souls of the alicorns that wished for a god within itself and granting them the power to change the world. However..." he returned his gaze to the orb. "There was a vital flaw within that solution, something the orb in its simple form of understanding could not foresee..."

The purveyor closed his eyes and carefully, his mind reached out towards the orb. It was faint at first, but then he could hear them; chaotic, disruptive, unorganized. 

"Thousand of minds," he whispered softly, "and not one in agreement with the other." He cut off the connection and opened his eyes again, gazing into the face of the terrified dragon. "Within this orb and forever imprisoned are the minds of the entire former alicorn nation; with the power to change the world, were they only able to agree on or articulate a single, unified thought or decision."

Spike only stared at the orb in silent horror, the thought of being trapped for all eternity an unimaginable torment to him. Finally, a troubling thought entered his mind. "What will you do with it?"

Zaeres was quiet for a moment, weighing the possibilities in his mind.

Potential...

"Nothing," the purveyor finally answered.

"Nothing?" Spike asked in wonder. "But if this can really change the world, if it is really that powerful..."

"It is," Zaeres commented. "But the results of using it cannot be foreseen. It is a relic that should be kept away from the eyes of this world," he paused. "And even if anyone intended to use this, he would have to find the words to persuade all the souls trapped within it. ...Something that comes with a great risk in itself."

"So you're just going to leave it here? What if Twilight finds it?"

"She won't. I am the only one who still knows how to reach this place. Even when she one day comes to an understanding of what the alicorns attempted to do, she will remain unknowing of its results." He turned his gaze towards Spike. "And even should you tell her of its existence, she will not be able to reach it."

The purveyor drew in a long breath. "I brought you here so you could see for yourself the consequences of Sirrush's fall, and you did. The orb will remain here, until I deem its use necessary. ...In which case your blood will allow me to use it." He saw Spike's questioning face. "If I deem the situation dire enough to actually make use of it, that is."

Zaeres withdrew from the orb and started to walk towards Spike. "Let us leave this place now, we both have preparations to take care of."

Spike gave a glum nod and watched the purveyor approach him. "What about Celestia and Luna? How did they escape?"

The purveyor stopped next to Spike, his hand trailing through the air as he repeated the patterns that activated the portal. "That is a story for another time." The portal slowly started to form. "I will prepare a place for your studies. Call for me when your preparations are done."





A flash of light broke through the storming darkness that covered the Barrier. The moment Celestia appeared in the air she had to shield herself from the constant thunderstorms and rain. Even though the purveyor was not here, his influence was still changing the face of this place. She dared not imagine what he would be capable of doing should he ever fall into a rage.

And in the center of broken mountains and the ever-changing landscape, there was his city; vast, imposing... and empty.

The prophecy Nithhogr had shared with her still hung in her mind like a dreadful promise. Everything that had happened until now seemed to fit to a terrifying extent. Could the old gods really have foreseen this? What if the prophecy really came true? Would all her hopes be shattered and undone by her own doing?

Celestia shook her head. It was too late to question things now, and she had seen enough prophecies come and fall herself to know that in the end everyone of them would have to make their own fate. She would not stop now, it was the only way to save this world... even if helping him might throw it into a new era of chaos on the way.

"But can I really justify my actions knowing the possible results?" Celestia quietly said to herself; almost fearing for the purveyor to appear next to her to answer the question, but only thunder and rain answered her. 

Celestia let her eyes travel over the endless city beneath, trying in vain to find an answer to the questions her conversation with Nithhogr had left her with.  And she did what she had always done when difficult questions weighed on her mind. With a sure motion of her wings she landed on one of the streets, and she walked.

Lost in thought and worries she walked through the empty streets of what was to be the new birthplace of an ancient race, empty windows and doorways staring back at her as she wandered the maze of streets and bridges without aim.

Without realizing it, she traveled deeper and deeper into the crater. And there, at the bottom of the pit and cradled in darkness, she found the chambers holding the unborn bodies of a sleeping nation.
> Chapter 24: City of the Unborn
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Princess Celestia had seen many things in her long life, both strange and terrifying; but nothing, not even her one journey into the void at the purveyor's side could have prepared her for what she found in the depths of the empty crater city.

They were countless. No matter how long she traveled the dark tunnels and how deep she went, the walls were lined with countless chambers of glass and metal; and inside she saw what was going to be the creation of a new race upon Equis. Little, fragile bodies suspended and unmoving in a substance she could not discern. Suspended in time for seemingly all eternity.

Slowly, she traveled on; her own light casting eerie shadows along the tunnels as she stole glances at the little faces. She knew that there was no life in them, for no matter where she looked and how far her senses reached there was only silence to be heard. No movement, no sounds other than that of her own hooves on the hard floor. And yet, it almost felt as if they all were watching her pass; waiting for their creator to return and bring them life.

It was terrifying to her. Celestia had hoped her aimless walk would calm her troubled mind, but every chamber she passed made her more and more aware of the impact her pact with the purveyor would have on her world.

And even with her thoughts and doubts already in turmoil, she still found herself unable to believe what she was seeing when she finally reached what could only be the main chamber.

At first, the only thing her light brought forth was a railing; heading off both to the left and the right with the walls holding more chambers as the path slowly disappeared out of her light and into the darkness. Beyond the railing only black, empty space greeted her both upwards and downwards.

For a short moment Celestia paused to take a breath and calm herself, her light dying down before bursting to life once more with new-found vigor; a shining, miniature star that shone from her horn before detaching itself and starting to travel forwards and upwards. And as the light grew brighter and brighter, Celestia could finally see the true expanse of the purveyor's work.

It was a huge shaft; wide enough to make it hard for her to see the other side and deep enough so that even with her renewed light she could not see the end of it in both directions. And all over the walls of the shaft, stacked upon seemingly endless levels in rank and file were more chambers; every one of them carrying an empty host waiting for a soul.

"I see you found your way into one of the main shafts," the sudden break in the silence caused her to whirl to her left in surprise. There, barely at the edge of her light the purveyor stood motionlessly; his mask of polished glass the only thing showing clear form in the darkness. "Has your curiosity been sated?"

Celestia stared at him, unable to find an answer at first but then allowing his words to sink in. "One of the main shafts?" she whispered with dread. "How many more are there?"

Mine...

The purveyor stepped forward, detaching himself from the darkness and slowly walking towards her. "There are eight shafts in total... holding two-hundred-fifty-thousand and six-hundred-thirty chambers."

Children...

"Two-hundred-fi-" Celestia stopped herself from repeating the word in her shock and let her gaze travel over the countless chambers again. "So many," she whispered in silent disbelief before turning back to him. "How will all of them survive in this land? It will be chaos!"

"No, Celestia..." Zaeres shook his head. "Only so few. There are millions that followed me here, millions that still cling to me and all of them wait for a new life." He turned his head towards her after a short glance at the bottom of the pit. "And they will not awaken all at once. There will be a delay... to ensure that their numbers do not get too large at once."

"And those that remain without a body?"

"I will find a way to bind them to this place," Zaeres quietly spoke. "They will become the souls of the newborn, as will those that die. Reincarnation, if you will so. Once their numbers grow over those I brought with me... new souls may be born."

Creation...

Celestia turned her attention back to the pit, trying her best to suppress a shudder and ignore her dry mouth. "And how will they find their way out? There is no light in these tunnels."

"They will find their way by instinct," he replied. "Also, there is a fluorescent algae living on the surface of these walls. The light they supply will be faint at most, but it will be sufficient."

"How did you do all of this?" the question caused Zaeres to turn back to Celestia. "How did you build all of this within only a few days? Even with your power, the knowledge all of this requires is-"

"Not of this world?" The purveyor allowed a tired laugh to escape him. "I was a scientist, before my..." a bitter smile found its way onto his lips as he spoke the word. "Duty. I was among those that planned and built the old city... and I was the first to find how to bind the void." Zaeres took a moment to allow one of his hands to trail the railing and push back his pained memories. "But even so, this is the best I could do."

Celestia felt a strange shiver run down her spine as he started to approach her. "Now," the purveyor spoke with a strangely anxious voice. "Are you ready to begin your work and finish mine?"

Completion.





"Serra'lhi... Serra'ihl?" Twilight shook her head in distress. "No! That can't be right!" she rubbed both sides of her head with her hooves, trying to wake her tired mind as she sat hunched over countless papers and more ancient writing. "Why is this so hard?!" She slammed both hooves onto the table, surprising herself at her sudden outburst and cringing as the sound echoed through the huge library.

"Spike," she mumbled through closed eyes and a growing headache. "Can you-" she broke off as she looked up, only to find herself alone. "Oh..." she hung her head as she was once again reminded that Spike was no longer here. He had returned after a brief time of absence; only to bid her goodbye and leave again. He had headed back to Ponyville and left her behind; sad, depressed and at a loss of what to do or how to feel.

Twilight sighed in dismay, Spike's departure had left her with a feeling of emptiness she could not describe. Her friends, her brother, her family; all of them had left her and now, Spike had as well. Was it something she had said? Had a word spoken without care sparked all of this long ago, or had it simply been a matter of time for this to happen?

She couldn't decide how to feel. She felt many things; guilt, sadness, and even anger. For some reason, even though she repeatedly told herself that she should respect his decision she could not help but feel betrayed. Was her entire life going to be spent in solitude? In servitude of a being she did not know for certain she could trust or even understand?

Twilight had spent hours searching her feelings in vain, but only found more questions. And when she had finally decided to calm her mind by continuing her research she had quickly found another brick wall to her thoughts.

It was a list of commands for the golems, she was sure of it. One of them had brought it to her after she tried to communicate in vain. Yet no matter how long she tried to decipher the commands and work on the pronunciation, the silent beings of stone and marble did not respond. They simply continued to move in silence, passing her table unheeded of her words and only stopping occasionally to set down a new book or taking back one of those she had already given up upon.

"This is hopeless," she groaned. "I'm going to have to ask him for help with this." A heavy sigh escaped her at the thought and she looked at the page in the book with a small flash of anger. "Why couldn't they have written it in a simpler way? How am I even to know which letters are silent and which are-" she deadpanned as she watched the word before her and remembered something. "The 'h' in Mel'anch is silent..." she whispered to herself.

Twilight looked up in time to see one of the golems silently put a crystal cauldron filled with water onto her table along with a delicate glass. She looked down at the word before her, then up again as the golem was about to take its leave.

"Serra'i."

The golem stopped in its motion, turned around to face her; and then without a sound, it knelt on the ground before her and stopped moving altogether.

For a short moment, she could only stare at the unmoving being. Then, a small laugh escaped her. "The 'h' is silent.." she whispered again with a small smile before quickly grabbing a quill and making a note on a piece of parchment. "Serra'hi [Serra'i]: Kneel."

Twilight looked up at the golem with a smirk and then reached out to pull the book closer to her. "Let's see," she mumbled as she searched the words. "How about this one?" she gave the golem an expectant look. "Mer'ja."

The golem did not move.

"Mmm." Twilight looked at the word again and furrowed her brow. "Maybe," she looked up again. "Mer'jal?"

This time, the golem showed reaction. No sooner had she spoken the word, the golem stood up again; arms pressed against its sides as it stood straight and motionlessly before her once more.

Twilight smiled and made another note. "Merh'ijalh [Mer'jal]: Stand," she gave the golem a short glance and made an addition to the note. "At attention?" she chuckled at her own uncertainty, feeling slightly better about herself for the time being. It was a success, a small one, but still one she would treasure.

"Let's see now," she returned her attention to the book and searched for the next word she would try. "This one looks promising." She looked up at the golem with a smile and gave a determined nod. "Zean'et."

The result was to this was suprising to say the least. The golem stood silent for a moment, then simply walked off along a corridor framed by two of the countless book shelves; but before a corner it stopped, and looked back at her.

"Is it.." Twilight furrowed her brow "Waiting for me?"

The figure made from marble kept silent, its features unmoving as it remained standing, the empty face turned towards her.

She pushed herself of the chair she had been using, and silently she began to follow the silent guardian of the library; the golem leading her along shelf after shelf.. and finally down masterfully crafted and decorated flights of stairs, deeper into the depths of the ancient library.
> Chapter 25: Birth
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celestia quietly observed the figure behind the glass, a wing of hers reaching out to brush off the condensation; clearing the view to watch its features. She faintly recognized a soft movement in the pale, almost translucent skin; the flow of blood in little veins. 

"They are alive," he murmured, causing her to turn her head and regard him.

"They are... but it was barely a success," Celestia replied with a grave expression. "How many did we lose?"

"About two-thirds," the Purveyor replied without having to count, his figure slightly hunched, one hand gripping the railing to support himself.

Celestia regarded him with concern. "I did not expect this to put such a strain on you... What happened?"

Zaeres remained quiet for a moment, remembering the first failure they witnessed, "They had too much of me."

Celestia frowned. "Too much... You mean of your blood?"

The Purveyor nodded. "The amount is tiny... negligible I would have thought, but even so there is always a chance it will react to magic." He scanned her form for a moment, her own radiant aura had decreased considerably; he had not been the only one strained heavily by this task.

"Violently so," Celestia replied with a sad expression. The bodies of the failed attempts had simply turned to ashes like thin paper in a flame. "Was the blood needed to bind their soul?" she asked finally.

The Purveyor nodded quietly, watching her from behind his mask... it seemed she was learning to understand his nature. 

"A part of the void needs to be present at all times, or their soul will have nothing that holds them to their body," he pushed himself off the railing. "And they will pass it on to their children, so that they in turn may be an anchor to another soul."

"And you?" she asked, interupting his thoughts as he had turned his attention to the bottom of the main chamber for a moment. "I thought you had already finished all your preparations?"

A soft laugh escaped him. "I had... I did... but the souls are bound to my flesh and soul, Celestia. Moving them from me was like pulling feathers from a bird, a little blood will always flow." He sighed. "Albeit I had no idea the strain would be this great." Even now, his vision was blurred.

"That's because it was a lot of feathers to pull," Celestia commented quietly, truning her head to look over the countless chambers before looking back to him... at least his features were slowly starting to sharpen again. He had been little more than a blur at the very end of their work. "Will you recover?"

"In time," he replied as he started to make his way along the railing to the metal stairs leading downwards. "However, one task remains before I have the luxury to think of rest."

"Rest is not a luxury, it is a necessity." Celestia followed him with careful steps "Did you find a solution then? To keep them bound to this place even in death?"

"I did." He made his way down the steps, descending past the circles of levels in the chamber. "Sombras legacy can be thanked for this insight."

"Sombra?" Celestia watched his back with growing concern. "You mean the dark crystal magic?"

"The very same," he replied, pausing their descent to turn around and regard her quietly, his features sharp once more, his control completely restored. "And you have concerns regarding its nature, I am quite sure."

"For good reason," she replied. "It is a very dangerous magic; we never properly understood how it was that he was able to corrupt the crystal magic in such ways."

The purveyor regarded her for a moment, then continued his way down the stairs. "He was an umbrum."

He was aware he could simply transgress the shadows, and that she could simply float downwards herself... but for now,  he prefered to walk; it left time to talk. A frown found it's way to his strained features, even as he tried to push the realization away; he had missed the conversations.

"An umbrum?" Celestia asked with disbelief, having to hurry a few steps to catch up with him. "Are you su-" she stopped herself from asking that question, for what she knew of him there was rarely doubt to his statements. She pondered this realization as she quietly walked behind him "Do they still exist?

"They do," he replied, trailing his hand along the railing as they walked "They still reside in their own dimension, imprisoned just outside this world."

"And you are not concerned using something they used and created?" Celestia asked.

"Sombra corrupted crystal magic, which was itself created by the elementals and later adopted by the ponies." Zaeres answered, taking a turn to follow the next flight of stairs.

"And Sombra was an umbrum by your own words!" Celestia objected, causing him to stop and look up at her through the railing.

"Sombra was primarily created by the umbrum, the purpose of his existence can only be estimated, even if I have a very certain idea of what it was." He paused and sighed. "And I have no desire to use anything the umbrum could use, rest assured of that."

Celestia worked her jaw, regarding herself in  his mask "So, what do you intend to do then?"

"The dark crystals were created by infusing normal crystals with shadow magic," he replied. "It was an ability he was born with purposely... and I will do something similar to serve my purpose."

"You're going to create a void crystal." Celestia more stated to herself in realization than asked him.

"I already have." He continued his way down the stairs, the alicorn princess following him "It awaits us at the bottom."





Twilight in the meanwhile had herself reached the bottom of the alicorn capital's library, and it was there that she found herself awestruck once more since her arrival in this place.

The bottom of the library was a huge open area, from its bottom the colored glass of the roof could still be seen; and on  the sides magical lamps shone a bright light throughout the area. She wondered if they were always alight, or if they simply turned on whenever visitors arived. It was one of the countless mysteries she hoped to solve with time spent in this place.

But that was not the nature of her fascination, it was the floor at the bottom:  The entire surface was one gigantic collection of diagrams, runes and circles, each more intricate than the next. The golden letters and lines forming patterns and mosaics on the white marble beneath it. 

"There are layers." she whispered in astonishment, then blinked as her eyes spotted a rune. "That's... I know that rune!" she exclaimed, her eyes quickly starting to scan the floor for other signs "That circle!" she began to walk from one sign to the other frantically. "That symbol..."

It was magic; the entire understanding of the alicorn nation's greatest mages combined into a single painting that spanned the bottom floor of the entire library and even then was still stacked in too many layers to count from above.

And she could read it.

Everywhere she looked she recognized symbols, patterns and diagrams she had seen in perhaps simpler but recognizable form. And  if she could read them, then she would surely be able to translate the alicorn language.

"Feathers," she murmured with a huff "I can barely read the lower ones... " she tilted her head as if she could get a different angle, then looked up "There has to be a trick, maybe there's another version..."

Twilight looked around at the bottom, finally spotting the golem that had led her down here. It was standing at the edge of the mosaic, silently watching her.

"Perhaps Zean'et means magic?" she murmured, then moved towards it, standing beside the silent guardian to look over the mosaic. "Zean'et? Is there another version? One where I can see all layers?"

The golem turned its head to regard her as if trying to make sense of her words.

"Zean'et?" Twilight repeated.

The golem nodded, then slowly got onto one knee, Twilight watching in wonder as it placed both hands on the edge of the mosaic; the young alicorn unable to look away as the outside circle of the mosaic slowly began to shine... and the mosaics began to rise as lines and circles of white light from the floor before her.

Layer upon layer rose into the air, until each level of the vast library had its own glowing collection of diagrams, runes and circles to accompany it.

Twilight stared upwards, awestruck still by admiration and sheer fascination.

"Every layer corresponds to its own level..." she murmured. "Stars, if only the princesses could see this."

She paused, her eyes slowly dropping lower to the floor. "The princesses, I..." she felt a strange pull on her heart "I can't... if I tell them..." she shook her head and looked upwards once more.

Twilight Sparkle had found a treasure; one that she was not willing to share just yet.