“Spike, are you sure you want to stay here?” Twilight asked. “We’re going to get something to eat after my meeting with the princesses. I’ve heard that the restaurant has some new diamond-encrusted sandwiches!”
Spike continued unpacking his bags, placing his things in his dresser. “Nah, I don’t think food is worth sitting around in a boring meeting room. I think I’ll just stay put and wait for you to get done.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “You sure? There’s not much to do here, you know.”
Spike shrugged. “Well, if I get bored I’ll just go out for a walk or something.” Spike jumped onto his bed and laid down on the silky sheets, then gave a yawn. “I’m kind of tired out by this whole Tirek thing anyway. I could use a breather.”
Twilight snorted. “You could use a breather? I’m the one who had to fight him!”
Spike rolled his eyes. “Yeah, well you’re also a princess. I’m just the dragon assistant who happens to be famous.”
Twilight glared at Spike, who was giving her a smug grin. “Well, do whatever you want, Spike. Just be here this afternoon. I might need you to help me with documenting all this stuff later.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Spike said, waving a claw dismissively. “I’ll be here to help you with your busy work.”
Twilight smiled, walking towards the open door. “Well, I’ll be out for a while. Don’t get into too much trouble. Oh, and Spike?”
Spike turned towards her, arms behind his head.
“Thanks for coming along. With everypony else so busy getting Ponyville back into shape, I’m really glad you were able to come with me. I actually thought you would prefer to stay back home instead.”
“What, and see you come back all stressed and insane?” Spike leaned over the edge of the bed and gave her a devious smile. “You’d be a total wreck without me around.”
Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes at him. “If you say so, Spike. If you say so.” She walked out of the room, turning around one last time to part ways with her number one assistant. “Have fun!”
“Yeah, you too!” Spike waved as Twilight backed away, leaving his sight. With Twilight gone, there was nothing but silence. Painful, boring, aching silence. He was already starting to regret staying behind.
Man, there’s got to be something to do other than going to that meeting, Spike thought, turning on his side. He glanced out the window hoping to find some inspiration.
The city of Canterlot was quite lively, despite the previous day’s turn of events. Ponies were already out and about, roaming the town as if nothing had happened. Even from the top of the castle, Spike could see the merchants and the food stands.
Food. Spike heard his stomach grumble at the thought. Only several hours in Canterlot and he was already wishing he’d grabbed something to eat before leaving Ponyville. He patted his stomach and chuckled.
“Well, I guess skipping that meeting wasn’t such a bad idea afterall,” Spike said, lifting himself off the bed. “No point in sitting here and and being bored all afternoon. Might as well get something to eat.”
With a long stretch, he strutted out of his room, whistling as he walked out into the hallway. As always, the center of Equestrian government was a flurry of activity. Servants were occupied with cleaning every inch of the building, while busy-looking nobles or other officials were moving about, many with assistants in tow carrying stacks of papers and summarizing schedules for the day. All were being watched the royal guards stationed at regular intervals along the walls.
He traveled down the stairway, and into the main hall on the bottom floor. The ponies were quite chatty, and there were enough of them that they managed to drown out almost every other sound in the building.
Almost every sound. Spike’s stomach was still unhappy with him, and continued to growl and remind him to hurry up.
“Yeah, yeah, I hear you, pal,” Spike said. “I’ll get you filled with something soon. Just pipe down for a bit, will ya?” Spike hummed, rubbing his claws against his head. I’m sure they have some kind of vendor with carrotdogs around here. Maybe even an orange pop. Oh, I thought I saw somepony walking around with some funnel cakes on my way here. Maybe they’ve still got some.
With a goal in mind, he proceeded through the main hall and out through the castle doors. On his way, he spotted two guards walking in, bursting with laughter. Spike assumed that they were off-duty, or at least he hoped they were. Although undisciplined guards would explain quite a bit about their track record.
“Really? Right in the face?” the grey guard asked, waiting for the snickering white pegasus to calm down.
“Yeah! And it was a huge blast of energy too! Like, I’ve never seen a mare get so angry before in my life! The guy was sore for nearly a month.”
The other guard whistled. “Man, that’s rough. Can’t really say I feel bad for the guy though. The unfaithful feel the biting sting of Tartarus in the end. And it sounds like he got shanked by it.”
Spike couldn’t help but snicker at their conversation, even if he didn’t know exactly what they were going on about.
“Speaking of, you hear about how Princess Twilight beat that Tirek monster? Now, that’s a mare I don’t want to piss off!”
Spike’s fins twitched. The familiar information piqued his interest, and he leaned against the wall, listening in on them without them noticing.
“Oh trust me, I wouldn’t even think about it. I can’t imagine what kind of pain she would put me through if I got on her bad side.”
Spike snorted. Probably less pain than she gives me when I tell her she’s overreacting over a book.
“Yeah, well at least she took care of that Tirek guy for us. Sad he didn’t turn out like his brother.”
The white guard looked at the grey one in confusion. “Brother?”
“Wow, you really didn’t pay attention in history, did you?” the grey guard said. “You don’t remember the guy that told Celestia about Tirek’s plan? He was the reason we were able to stop him in the first place and throw him in Tartarus for so long. See, he wasn’t evil like his brother. He actually made nice with us ponies, and from what I’ve heard, he was actually a swell guy.”
“Oh, so what was this swell guy’s name then, Mr. I-Know-Everything?”
The stallion pressed his front hoof against his chin, a frown on his face. “Actually, I can’t remember that part.”
The other guard snorted. “Ha! So much for paying attention in class, you hypocrite!”
“Shut up! At least I remember the guy. It’s just the name that I can’t remember. Now let me think.” The guard tapped his helmet, hoping it would jog his memory. “Um… maybe it was Scolex? No. Um, Skillop? Stalone? Crap, I can’t remember it. How about...Scolpice?”
“No, no, no, those can’t be right.” Spike stepped forward, gaining the attention of the two guards. “I mean, come on! Even if they were some giant, hairy monster, who would name their kid Stalone? They’d be laughed out of every town.”
The guards looked at each other, and then back at Spike. “Yeah, well, what do you think the name is then, since you obviously know what you’re talking about?” the grey guard asked skeptically.
Spike tapped his foot on the ground, taking several seconds to think. “Well, I can’t say I’ve studied the books myself, but a brother of Tirek would have been named something a little more dignified. Something memorable, like… Scorpan.”
The grey guard laughed. “Ha, wrong! Even I know that it wasn… wait.” His laughter soon stopped as he pondered the name until clarity hit him. “Sweet Celestia, that’s actually right. Yeah, it was Scorpan, the one that helped stop Tirek from stealing our magic! Alright, props to you little dude, you actually do know your stuff.”
Normally he’d have felt a little smug about proving them wrong, but he really just felt confused. “I… I didn’t read about him,” Spike said, scratching the back of his head. “I just kinda took a shot in the dark and that’s what came up.”
“Well, that was one heck of a ‘shot in the dark’, kid,” the grey guard said. “But coming from a guy who lives with a bookworm, that doesn’t really surprise me that much.”
Spike rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah, I guess.”
“Well, no point in standing around here. We need to report back before the Captain thinks we’re skipping out or something. Still, appreciate the help, little man! Anyway, like I was saying—”
The two stallions trotted off, continuing their earlier conversation and laughing even louder than before. They must have been new recruits. No way would they have been that noisy otherwise.
Though that wasn’t Spike’s concern at the moment. He was more puzzled by the knowledge that he had despite having never studied it before.
Scorpan.
“How do I know that name?” he asked aloud. “I’ve never heard it before. I’d never even heard of Tirek until yesterday! So how?”
Spike’s stomach growled once again. “Ah, it’s probably the hunger getting to me! Besides, those guards looked like complete jokes anyways. They probably just said I was right to look like they knew what they were talking about. For all I know, his name actually was Stalone!” Spike chuckled at the idea. “I’ll be able to think better on a full stomach.”
Spike rushed out the door and out onto the streets of Canterlot. Just like he’d seen from the castle, the roads were quite lively, filled with ponies of all races and colors trotting around. It was amazing how even after the chaos and terror caused by Tirek’s return, they were able to pick themselves back up and resume their lives as if nothing had happened. He could still feel a subtle tension in the air, but the ponies remained cheerful and optimistic, determined to live life to the fullest no matter what it threw at them. It was admirable really, and a good thing for Spike. Happy ponies made better food.
As he was walking, Spike’s stomach gurgled again, even louder than before.
“You’re starting to become an annoyance, stomach,” Spike said. “But it won’t be much longer before I feed you.” He patted his stomach, causing it to respond negatively. “Geeze, settle down. I was just teasing you. Man, you’re almost as bad as Twilight.”
While hunting for something to eat, he caught his mind wandering back to the conversation with the guards again. Weird. I can’t get that name out of my head, Spike thought. I mean, it can’t be that important if it’s just now coming up, right?
Spike shook his head. No matter how he rationalized it, he couldn’t stop thinking about that name.
“Maybe if I say it over and over, it’ll go away. I’ll be so used to saying it so much, that it won’t even be that big a deal anymore.” Spike took a deep breath and exhaled. “Okay, here goes. Scorpan. Scorpan. Scorpan…”
“Scorpan? So, that’s your name?”
The draconic, hairy beast nodded. “Yes, that is correct. ‘Tis not a difficult name to remember, is it?”
The dragon relaxed his stance, no longer feeling threatened by the creature before him. “No, I suppose not.”
Scorpan took a few moments to study his surroundings. The abode of the lanky dragon was quite small, but decorated with gems embedded in the walls. There wasn’t much else to the home, just the basics for a reasonable standard of comfort. But what stood out most to Scorpan was the small figure of a dragon, carved from solid gold with rubies for eyes.
“Why do you live in such a small home?” Scorpan asked. “I had always been told that dragons lived in large caves with their hoards.”
The dragon snorted. “Yes, and I’m sure that every member of… whatever you call your race is exactly like you, right?”
Scorpan glared in response, causing the dragon to give him a smug grin.
“Thought so. In any case, it’s because I prefer a small, isolated place to do my work.”
“Like that figure on the shelf?” Scorpan pointed at the golden statue.
The dragon chuckled. “Yeah, you could say that.”
“Ah.” Scorpan studied the dragon more carefully. It was his first time seeing one up close, since they were usually solitary creatures and highly territorial to boot.
This dragon was baring its teeth at him, showing off his white, sharp fangs. His green spines were pointy and slick, and his scales a deep purple. His claws were sharp and polished, glistening under the rays of sunlight that seeped through the windows. Even his tail was something to behold. The pointed end was shaped almost like a spear. It made Scorpan wonder if he could actually impale somepony with it.
“Ahem!”
Scorpan jolted, looking back up at the dragon.
“You’re really sizing me up, aren’t you? Are you doing this out of general curiosity for my species, or are you planning to attack me again?”
Those last words were like venom. Scorpan’s expression melted into one of regret. “My apologies. I was only doing it bec—”
“I honestly don’t care why you decided to invade my personal space and attack me,” the dragon said. “I tend not to dwell on such things. Besides, you seem like you regret it at least.”
He paused, and studied Scorpan closely for a moment. “I think you’re lost,” he said. “Not literally, but in the sense that you don’t know your place in the world. At least that’s what I’m getting from you, and I’m not usually wrong.”
Scorpan didn’t reply, much to the dragon’s apparent amusement.
“From interrogator to completely mute. What, you didn’t expect a dragon to be able to string sentences together? How far from society do you live?”
Scorpan pointed toward the window. “On the far northern side, past the snowy mountains. We don’t have too many different species other than ourselves there.”
“I can tell.” The dragon sat down at his table, looking at Scorpan. “I’ve never seen your kind before. I’m assuming you came here for a reason, and probably aren’t planning on going back until you’ve gotten what you need. Am I wrong?”
Scorpan shook his head. “You’re quite right.”
The dragon nodded. “I figured. So what is it you’re here for?”
Scorpan suddenly scowled, baring his teeth at the dragon. “My reasons are my own, and you would do well to respect that,” he growled.
The dragon stared at him for a few moments, tilting his head. Eventually, he nodded in understanding. “Alright, it’s your business,” he agreed. “Just so long as you don’t try to murder anyone else, I can accept that.” He waited until Scorpan acknowledged him before continuing. “Another shot in the dark, but you don’t happen to have a place to stay, do you?”
Scorpan shook his head once again, causing the dragon to sigh. “Very well, then.” The dragon got up and walked towards the door. It creaked open, letting even more sunlight in. “Follow me.”
Scorpan looked at him in confusion. “Where are we going?”
“You probably don’t know this area particularly well, and I’m not going to have some giant creature running around causing trouble. So I’m providing you with a home to live in for the time being.”
“Really? Even after I tried to—”
“Like I said, I don’t dwell on needless things like that. I’m sure you’re smart enough to not try it again.” The dragon chuckled and walked outside.
Scorpan followed behind, realizing that he had one more question to ask.“What is your name?”
The dragon looked back at him and arched an eyebrow. “My name?”
Scorpan nodded.
“Well, I suppose since you offered yours, I might as well return the favor. I’m known as—”
“—Ember.”
“Um, ember?”
Startled, Spike jumped and let out a small yelp. In front of him was a confused unicorn stallion wearing an apron, manning a carrotdog stand.
“Oh, sorry sir,” Spike said with a nervous laugh. “I was just wondering if you could, um… smoke the carrotdogs over embers. Yeah! It gives it a nice, smokey flavor. Might earn you some more customers.”
The pony looked at him for a moment, and then smiled. “That’s not a bad idea, sir! I might just give it a try.”
“Yeah, I’m great for bouncing ideas off of,” Spike said, with another awkward laugh. With a cough, he lifted himself to the edge of the stand. “Anyway, I’ll take two. Oh, and put extra radish on one.”
“You got it!” The vendor reached down into his cart and pulled out two sticks of carrots. It only took him a minute to make them, and once he was done he wrapped them up and levitated them down to Spike. “Enjoy your dogs, sir.”
“Oh, I will,” Spike said, giving the pony a wave before walking over to a nearby bench and sitting down on it. Not wasting any time, he bit right into the crunchy morsel, scarfing down the first in under a minute. Bits of carrots and mustard were plastered on his face, and he looked down to devour his second carrotdog.
Though something was stopping him from doing so. The thoughts racing through his mind. The memories he had. And all through that one trigger word.
“Scorpan.” It wouldn’t leave him. That word. Why can’t I stop thinking about it? It’s just a name. A name belonging to that tall, brown, hairy… thing. Spike scratched his head. How do I even remember that?
He groaned. He was at a loss. Not knowing this Scorpan person yet having memories of him was driving him crazy. It made no sense, and yet the evidence was there. Spike pondered on it a bit, stroking his mustard-soaked cheeks.
Maybe if I look this Scorpan guy up, I’ll be able to figure something out, he thought. Probably just me being restless, and wanting to know about this guy more. Yeah, a little research wouldn’t hurt.
Spike looked down at the carrotdog that was left. His stomach hissed at Spike, telling him what to do.
But first, I think I’ll finish my little snack.
Spike walked back to Canterlot Castle, pushing the doors open. Though the commotion from his previous encounter with the ponies had calmed down, light conversations were still audible. However, he paid no mind to that; his main goal was getting to the library.
Spike was almost certain of Scorpan’s existence. He couldn’t explain why the guards’ conversation had struck such a chord with him otherwise.
However, one thing did puzzle Spike. The name that he hadn’t known, and yet felt so familiar at the same time.
“Ember,” Spike muttered, heedless of the other ponies in the hallway. “That must have been his house, and his statue. But why is that name so familiar? And better yet, why did he sound like me?”
It felt like more than a vision, as if he had actually been there and experienced it first-hand. But how could that be? He had never even heard the name ‘Ember’ before now, and he certainly had never known someone named Scorpan.
Spike continued down the stairway, heading towards the Canterlot Library. Little activity happened below the main floor, so Spike didn’t expect too much noise. He was never the one to try and focus on a book, but due to the importance of the situation, he decided it would be best to study up on the creature. That and because random flashbacks in the middle of a conversation could get a little awkward.
The hallways down there were dim, requiring Spike to use his flames to illuminate the path. He hadn’t been down there often, unless Twilight had needed him for something. More often than not, there would be the librarian, the ponies who went there to read the bountiful collection of books, and a few guards who usually ended up giving directions more often than actually guarding something.
Just as he'd thought, there were several ponies nearby who were immersed in various books. There were also several tired-looking guards who seemed to be taking a break under the watchful eye of the busy librarian. Spike didn’t blame them. Standing around in a drab library all afternoon would get old fast, especially when they were stuck there all day.
Even though Spike wasn’t a regular at Canterlot Castle anymore, he was recognizable enough that the guards let him in without complaint. They simply nodded at him when Spike waved.
Spike brought a claw to his chin, looking at the long rows of shelves. “Now, if I were a book about the history of Equestria’s past, where would I be?” He knocked a fist against his skull, hoping to remember something useful from all the times he had been there with Twilight. “The history books are usually on the fifth wing, I think. But what section? Maybe section H. That sounds about right.”
Before he could start walking, he received a tap on the shoulder.
“Actually, sir, I think the section you’re looking for is B,” the librarian said. “It’s a common mistake. Though I do find it kind of cute how most assume that ‘H’ stands for ‘history’.” She covered her mouth with a front hoof and giggled.
Spike shared a laugh and rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah. It is kind of silly, isn’t it?”
The cream-colored mare nodded, still giggling behind her hoof. “By the way, my name is Bookmark. Is there anything in particular that you needed help finding?”
Spike nodded. “Yeah, actually. Do you have any books on someone named Scorpan?”
Bookmark raised an eyebrow. “Interesting. Most ponies are more interested in learning about Tirek than his brother. What makes you want to look him up?”
Spike shrugged. “Just curious is all.”
“Well, allow me to indulge that curiosity, sir,” Bookmark said, trotting in front of him. “There aren’t too many books specifically about Scorpan, but I can think of a few that could help.”
Spike gave a toothy smile. “Thanks!”
Bookmark grinned and turned toward the numerous shelves of books. Spike trailed along behind the librarian as she lead him over to the history section. He looked around at their surroundings while they walked. When they had been living at Canterlot Castle, Twilight had spent nearly as much time in the history section as she had in the magic wing. Piles and piles of books were always in their room while he listened to her repeat important lines of history over and over and over. He had heard the story about Nightmare Moon so many times that he had started dreaming about it, much to his annoyance.
He’d been so sick of it that he never wanted to see another history book again. But, as he had told the librarian, his curiosity had gotten the better of him, and now he felt as if he had to know. He only hoped that it didn’t lead down the darker, Twilight-esque path of doing it as a hobby.
Bookmark stopped in the middle of the section, looking upwards. “The books are in the third row. Would you like me to get them all down for you?”
“Please do,” Spike said with a gesture and a charming smile.
She used her magic to scan the entire top row of books. After a few moments of searching, she picked out a few books and levitated them down to Spike.
Spike cocked an eyebrow. “Only three?”
She looked apologetic. “Scorpan isn’t nearly as well-known as his brother, I’m afraid, and these are all we have on the subject. I suppose I could look around some more though, in case any were misplaced.”
“Nah, I don’t want to make you work that hard just to find a few more books,” Spike said with a sigh. “Besides, I doubt anypony even cares about Scorpan. I don’t know why I care myself.”
“It would be no trouble, sir,” Bookmark insisted. “If there are any misplaced books I’ll need to account for them anyway.”
Spike looked at the books and grinned. “Well, if you insist, I can’t stop you. Anything you have would be nice, because this is kinda driving me nuts.”
“I can only imagine,” Bookmark said with a teasing smile. She gestured back in the direction they had come from. “There’s a table over there you can use while I look around.”
“Nice,” Spike said, following the librarian to the table in question. He couldn’t wait to delve into the history of Scorpan, if not to learn more about him, then at least to prevent anymore of those visions.
Bookmark lowered the books on the table. She smiled at Spike. “I’ll start looking now. If you need anything else, just call for me.”
Spike gave her a wave as she walked off, leaving him to his studies. All of the books were fairly large, which meant a lot of reading too. Spike groaned as soon as he opened one book to the first page.
Holy guacamole, how am I supposed to read all of this? Spike thought to himself, laying his head on the table.How does Twilight do this? He groaned, pressing two fingers against his forehead. There’s got to be a faster way.
That was when he remembered something. Spike flipped to the back of the book, smiling when he got to the page. “Ah, the index. The shortcut to all my problems.”
He pressed his finger against the page, looking for the letter ‘s’. “Now let’s see. Scorpan, Scorpan...” He turned a few pages, then ran a claw down it until he reached the ‘s’ section.
“Finally!” he shouted, his voice echoing through the library. He covered his mouth, hoping that nopony would call him out on it. Fortunately, most of them seemed far too immersed in their studies to bother reprimanding him for it.
Spike wiped his forehead and continued reading. Okay, Scorpan, page 576. That’s a lot of pages to go through. Spike thumbed through the book until he reached the page he needed.
“Okay, so Tirek and Scorpan were brothers,” Spike read aloud. “Betrayed by Scorpan, Tirek was sent to Tartarus, yada yada. I already knew that much!””
Spike continued reading the rest of the entry, but the only other details were about Tirek and how he had been imprisoned.
Maybe there’s another page or something later. Spike flipped back to the index. No such luck, however. Either Scorpan’s entry had been rushed, or there really was just that little information about him.
Well, that was a waste of time! Spike groaned as he pushed the book to the side. Maybe the next one will be better.
With the next book, Spike decided that it would be best to start at the beginning of the chapter and then work his way up to the pages involving Scorpan, hoping what he found would help clarify his existence better. Spike caught his eyes beginning to droop closed a few times, but managed to force himself to stay awake.
But no matter how thorough he was, he couldn’t find any information about either Tirek or Scorpan that he hadn’t already known. Just like before, it seemed that most everypony was more interested in Tirek than his brother, even the historians. Spike was starting to get annoyed now, having gone through two books with nothing to show for it.
Spike laid his head down on the table, looking at the only book he had left before he was at a dead end. He scratched his head, examining the size and scale of it. “Equestria for Over 1000 Years,” he said aloud. Spike opened it and started at the first page.
You know what? I’m just going to read this entire thing. I don’t care how long it takes! With determination and vigor, he rested his claws against his cheeks and glared at the book, scanning the words on the page. He managed this for several minutes before he started to nod off, only to jolt back to attention a moment later.
Spike shook his head and tapped himself on the forehead. Come on Spike, don’t fall asleep! This is important. You have to figure out why you keep remembering this Scorpan guy! Spike continued reading, growing more bored by the second. He yawned as he looked at an illustration of a forest, vision blurry.
Still nothing. Spike yawned yet again, leaning forward. His head touched the illustration, and he smiled as he began to doze off. “That’s a pretty forest. A nice, quiet forest.” Spike’s eyes slid closed. “I bet this forest is really really…”
“...Quiet and tranquil.” Ember took the lead, pushing some of the forest wildlife out of his face. “I come out here when I need a nice place to nap after a long day. Customers don’t normally come looking for me here unless they’re really determined.”
Ember glanced back at Scorpan, checking to see if he was following him. Scorpan said nothing, remaining silent as he kept a close eye on the dragon.
Ember smirked at the display. “You’ve been silent for quite some time. Given up on interrogating me, or are you just waiting for a chance to take another shot at me? I didn’t think you were a dirty fighter, but then again your kind is probably pretty snakey to just walk around trying to murder people, huh?”
Scorpan's eyes widened as he bared his teeth. “Excuse me?” he asked.
Ember chuckled. “So, I struck a nerve. Good to know what makes you angry. It’ll be fun to play around with you later.”
Scorpan growled, fixing Ember with an intense glare. “The nerve you have saying bigoted things about my kind! I have a right mind to snap your neck in two right now!”
Ember gasped. “Wow, I’m shaking in my scales right now. I’m sure that’ll go over well the second attempt.”
“Well, if all you’re going to do is berate me throughout this trip, I might as well just find my own place to stay!”
“If that’s what you want, then leave,” Ember said, waving his claw. “It would certainly make things easier for me. I’m sure you’ll do fine anyway; probably know this forest like the back of your hand, right? And how about those timberwolves that come out at night and hunt anything that moves? No problem for you, I’m sure. So by all means, leave whenever you like.”
Scorpan fell silent, looking around at the dense forest. The wilds overtook the entire forest with green, leafy vegetation. Vines curled around trees, and moss covered most of the traveling path.
The loud chirping sounds created a soothing melody for their ears. Ember smiled in contentment, then glanced back at Scorpan, noticing that he was looking around for the source.
“Trying to find the birds?” Ember asked. “You’ve never heard the pleasant symphony of the avian creatures filling the skies with their tunes?”
Scorpan shook his head. “The closest thing we have to this ‘symphony’ are the sounds of thunder and erupting volcanos.”
“Ah, so Suicide Mountain,” Ember said dryly. “Wouldn’t live there myself, but whatever floats your species’ boat.”
Scorpan huffed. “You have a strong way with words, you know that?”
“Yeah, I get that from my clients a lot.” Ember pushed more low-hanging branches out of his way, then released them so they could smack Scorpan in the face. “Oh, and watch out for those, by the way,” he said with false sincerity. “They could leave a mark if they hit hard enough.”
“Oh, good, that helps a lot. Thanks for telling me that after it hit me in the face!” Scorpan snarled as he rubbed his muzzle.
“Glad to be of service,” Ember said.
Scorpan didn’t respond to the comment, and continued following Ember. The sun was starting to shine through the forestry a little more, rays of light beaming down on them. Ember covered his eyes as he continued onwards. He lowered his arm a little to try and let his eyes situate the brightness, still trying to adjust to the sunlight of the land. He was barely able to make anything out, however. Most of the trees and greenery blurred together into one palette of mess.
In the midst of the sunshine was a sizable clearing, the trees deliberately moved away to make space. There were still smaller plants and a few animals scattered about, but instead of the massive trees, Ember's large, cabin-like abode sat in the center.
“Well, here we are,” Ember said. “Pretty impressive for a workshop in the middle of nowhere, huh?”
Scorpan stared at the building, scratching his head. “Why would you make a house out of trees?”
Ember turned towards Scorpan, squinting his eyes in disbelief. “Because grass doesn’t stand up on its own. What kind of question is that?”
Scorpan crossed his arms. “It just seems impractical to build a home out of a material that could easily be burned or torn apart as opposed to a sturdier home like inside a cave.”
Ember couldn't help but laugh at Scorpan, who seemed to be getting more frustrated every moment. He wasn't concerned about it though; even if Scorpan made another attempt on his life, Ember felt confident about his odds.
Ember’s fits of laughter soon died down, and he reached up to wipe his eyes. “Listen, some of us prefer to work in warm, cozy cabins instead of smelly, damp caves with other creatures. Besides, where would you find a cave around here? Last time I checked there was nothing but thick, dense forest for miles. Unless you saw something I didn’t, in which case we can relocate you to your desired cavern.”
Scorpan sighed. "You know I didn't see such a thing, otherwise I wouldn't have followed you here."
Ember grinned. "Then I guess you're just going to have to deal with my flimsy wooden house."
As the two approached the house, Ember couldn't help but feel a note of pride well up within himself as he surveyed the result of his labor. The house was homey and sturdy, made from the strong wood of the nearby oak trees, and decorated with minerals and gems all around the door.
He then turned to look at Scorpan, raising an eyebrow when he saw him staring at the cabin. “Well, are you going to come in, or are you going to just stare at the house?" Ember asked, grabbing the key from under the mat. “I know you’ve never seen a house made out of anything but rocks, but you can’t enjoy it from outside.”
Ember led Scorpan inside the home. The main room was empty and spacious, nothing much but a table and a few set of chairs, which looked to have been crafted from the same material as the house itself.
Ember closed the door behind him and walked over to the middle of the room. “Well, this is it. Where you’re going to be staying. Cozy looking, huh? Not too shabby for something made out of trees.”
Scorpan walked closer to one of the walls, inspecting the wood. He scratched at it, then sniffed it, causing Ember to give him a bemused look.
“Um, do you want to live in my cabin or eat it?” Ember asked. “Because if it’s the latter, I’m going to have to kick you out.”
“I’m just seeing how sturdy this place really is,” Scorpan said, still examining the wood. “I’m surprised how well this holds up. Your kind must be very crafty to make a home out of such a fragile material.”
“Compared to a dragon and… whatever you are, it might be ‘fragile’, as you put it, but to ponies it makes excellent housing material. If you know even a little bit of restraint, you can live here without any issues.”
Scorpan pressed against the finely polished wood. It didn’t cave or give in to his pressure, nor did it crack.
“Yes, I think this will be a fine place to stay,” Scorpan said with a nod, “but I am curious to why you’re just willingly letting someone who tried to kill you stay in your own abode.”
Ember raised an eyebrow. “What, you don’t trust that I’m doing this out of the goodness of my cold, hard heart?”
“Not when you word it so flippantly,” Scorpan responded.
Ember rolled his eyes. “Well, if you’re still interested in staying in a place belonging to someone you don’t trust, then feel free to stand there. If not, there’s the door right there. It was nice knowing you.”
Ember folded his arms and tapped his foot against the wooden floor, waiting for Scorpan's response. Scorpan opened his mouth to say something, before frowning and closing it again. Ember grinned, knowing that the beast didn’t have much of a choice.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll stay here,” Scorpan groaned. “I shouldn’t be around long, however. Just long enough to take care of everything I need to.”
Ember nodded. “Stay as long as you need to.” He gave Scorpan a grin that made him visibly uncomfortable. “Just know that you’re going to be earning it.”
“What do you mean?" Scorpan asked. His answer was given when Ember threw a broom and a duster at him, forcing Scorpan to act swiftly to catch them before they fell on the floor. Scorpan glared at the materials, and then back at Ember, who was giving a sly, toothy grin.
“I think you get the idea,” Ember said. “I don’t visit this place too often, and when I do I’m usually here to work. I don’t have the time or energy to do it myself, so you’re going to do it for me.”
“So, I’m the equivalent of a slave to you?” Scorpan asked.
“Oh, Scorpan, my dear lad,” Ember said in a patronizing tone, “‘slave’ is such an ugly word. I prefer ‘indentured servant’.”
Scorpan glared at Ember, who ignored the beast’s disdain and continued onward.
“Now,” Ember began, completely uncaring of the look Scorpan was giving him, “since you know your role here, it’s time to get situated with your new living arrangement.”
Ember led Scorpan through the cabin, ignoring his increasing agitation as he lectured him about the house. The two soon made their way back outside on the other side. Ember led him to the back end of the home, pointing out another building that was taller than the cabin, but made of sheet metal instead of wood and looked much cruder.
“Alright, this is the last room to show you before this little tour is over with,” Ember said. “I’m going to tell you this right now: you’re not allowed in here unless I’m around. If I catch you in here without permission, I’m kicking you out, no questions asked.”
“Pretty harsh just for going into your shed,” Scorpan remarked.
Ember's cocky demeanor melted away as he glared at Scorpan. He took a step back, the look on the dragon's face making him visibly nervous.
“Listen, you’re in no position to be questioning my rules,” he said coldly. “I spared your life, and offered you a place in my home. The least you can do is follow my rules. I’m usually a very lenient dragon, but there is one thing I will not tolerate, and that’s anyone going into my shed when I’m not around. So, if you value your new living arrangement, as well as your life, I suggest you listen to what I say. Understand?”
His voice was stern and cold, displaying a jarring side of Ember. Scorpan took a step back, looking fearful at the expression on Ember's face. “Y-yeah, I understand,” Scorpan responded, raising his hands in surrender. “Whatever you say goes.”
Ember stepped back, blowing smoke through his nostrils. “Good.” His scowl soon reverted back to the familiar smug grin that Scorpan must have been oh-so-used-to at that point. Ember walked close to the shed, using his fire to melt off the lock that he had.
“I had a problem with thieves coming here about a year ago tampering with my works,” Ember explained. “It’s easier to just replace them every time I come in. Plus, carrying keys around when I have no pockets is something of a nuisance.”
“Need I ask what happened to the unfortunate thieves that raided your workplace?” Scorpan asked.
“I just gave them a few first or second-degree burns. Haven’t had a problem with raiders since.” He smirked. “I assume word got around about the crazed dragon in the middle of the forest.”
“Heh. I bet.” Scorpan chuckled and waited for Ember to open the shed’s door. The metal scraped against the dirt ground. The light from the window beamed through the building, giving the projects inside a shiny glow.
And what projects they were. In the middle of the shed was a giant, silver statue modeled after a bearded stallion. It was almost lifelike in appearance, displaying a behemoth of a pony proudly levitating a book in the air.
“Impressed?” Ember asked knowingly. “Spent over two months trying to craft this thing perfectly, and carving the finer details took longer than I wanted, but it’ll be worth it in the end. A grand pile of gemstones for the taking. At least forty-thousand bits worth.” Ember glanced back at Scorpan with a smile. “I’m sure you don’t use that as currency where you come from, but I can assure you that it’s a lot of money.”
Scorpan nodded, walking inside of the workshop. Ember took a moment to look over his works, a look of satisfaction on his face. His current project was the only massive sculpture displayed in the room, but the smaller ones spread around were just as well-crafted. Some were small models of different beasts in the land, to medium scaled versions of ponies, griffons, and other such species. There was even a gold model of a dragon roaring.
Scorpan chuckled. “Ego, much?”
“I like to have something nice to look at while I work,” Ember said, returning the laugh. “Feel free to look around while I go find another lock for the door. I have no use for this shed today, so I’ll be locking back up in a few minutes. Just thought you’d want to peek in and see what I do for a living.”
“As much as I hate to admit it, you have quite a gift, Ember,” Scorpan said.
Ember smirked and nodded. “Stick around for around thirty years or so, and you might be able to make a wooden cube."
“I can hardly contain my excitement.” Scorpan scanned Ember’s library of sculpture work. He reached out and picked up a small model on the shelf. It was bronze and not as refined, but displayed the face of a young foal, playing with a small ball. He stood still, turning the model around and analyzing the details of the foreign creature.
"You like it?" Ember asked, causing Scorpan to look up.
"Yes, it's quite nice," Scorpan said, setting it back down. He then glanced at the much larger statue in the middle of the room. "I was wondering about this one as well. Who is this, exactly?"
Ember looked at the statue that Scorpan was pointing to. “That’s a stallion called Star Swirl. He’s rather well-known, being the creator of hundreds of spells. He’s even got his own school of magic, which is what the statue is for. As for when I’m going to work on it, tomorrow mainly. I have to have this finished by the end of the week, and I’m cutting it close. Star Swirl’s a patient old fart, but I don’t like missing deadlines. Why do you ask?”
Scorpan put the model down and began to explain. “Well, I think your work is really nice and I’m curious on your process. Do you mind if I stay around and watch?”
Ember smirked. “Didn’t think you would be interested in something this boring.”
“Boring? Compared to throwing rocks at the passing gargoyles on our land for entertainment, I think you have us beat.”
“Ah, so that’s what your kind is called.” Ember rubbed his chin. “Nice to know that. I suppose I should start referring to you by your actual race, then.”
“Really?” Scorpan asked in surprise.
Ember chuckled. “No, not really. Honestly, I’ll probably forget about it pretty soon. I don’t really pay attention to the minor details of others.”
Scorpan sighed, leaning back and displaying a look of disappointment. “Well, at least you had the decency to acknowledge the existence of my race, even if only once.”
Ember snickered. “You deserve at least a little respect from me. Not too much, but a little.”
Despite how irately they spoke to each other, something about the conversation was calm and light-hearted. Ember didn’t feel like Scorpan really posed a threat to him, despite the fact that he had already attempted to kill him once. Then again, he had gotten the upper-hand quite quickly, so Scorpan probably didn’t feel great about his odds anyway.
It was an empowering experience for Ember, whether he wanted to admit that or not.
“Alright, enough fawning over my skills, Gargoyle. I’m about to head home and like I said, I don’t want you messing up my projects. Marble and slab stones aren’t cheap.”
Scorpan followed Ember out of the building, looking back at his works one last time.
Sir?
“I have to be honest with you here, Ember. I didn’t really expect you to take my attack so lightly. Despite the issues we might have with each other, I just want to say…”
Sir, please…
“...Thank you for your hospitality.”
Ember held out a claw while snickering. “Please, it’s not that big of a deal. You’re acting like this is a foreign concept to your kind.””
Scorpan just stood there, remaining silent. Ember shot him a confused expression. “Well, is it?”
Scorpan sighed. “Actually, Ember…”
“Sir, please wake up.”
Spike jolted up and yelped, causing all the nearby ponies in the library to shush him.
“Sorry, sir, but you’re not allowed to sleep in the library… or on the books,” Bookmark stated. “I wouldn’t want to charge you for damages.”
Spike rubbed his temple and groaned, staring down at the book. He looked to see where he’d left off, groaning when he noticed the page number.
“Still the beginning,” he murmured. “Great! An entire book left and I still can’t piece everything together.”
“If you still need these books, I can allow you to check them out for a few days,” the librarian said.
Spike closed the book, then looked at the serial number on the back. He looked up at her, raising an eyebrow. “Uh, these are reference books, right? I thought we weren’t allowed to check these out.”
“True, but I don’t think that anypony is going to notice those missing for a while,” she said with a coy grin. “Plus you really seem invested in figuring out this Scorpan fellow. Who am I to stop you?”
Spike smiled, grabbing one of the books and clutching it against his chest. “Thanks. You’re pretty cool for a librarian.”
She giggled, lifting up the remaining books. “I’ll take that as the highest compliment you can give. Now, lets get these books checked out so you can go relax. You looked both drained yet at peace, as if you were somewhere else.”
“Yeah,” Spike said, looking at the book. “It was quite peaceful actually. Serene and tranquil.”
“Glad you enjoyed your nap, then. I hope you can recreate such peace when you go back and get some rest.”
Spike nodded. “So do I.”
He followed her to the counter to check out the books. While walking there, he looked at the cover of the book that helped unlock another piece of the neverending puzzle that was Scorpan.
Gargoyle. What kind of creature is that? I’ve never seen one before… I think, let alone heard of one. Spike’s mind began to replay events of his dream over and over again. The details were so vivid, he felt like he was actually there. Every tune and brisk wind filled his senses.
It was torture.
I have to figure this out.
