"Just a moment Celestia, I have some words to say."

The meeting room grows tense as each member of the gathered council turn to the voice; Ambassador Friedrich, a grey and silver feathered griffin with piercing yellow eyes sets his gaze upon the newest member to the council, a strange being in his own right, who simply stands calm and aloof behind the seat of the diarch of the sun.

"Yes, Ambassador? What is it you wish to ask?"

"Just who is that...creature whom you call 'Uncle' who has joined this council today? I have not seen his kind before, and his methods are...odd," looking to the now diminished figure of the diamond dog representative sitting subdued in his chair across the table.

"Well, he is my Uncle. He raised me and my sister when we where fillies in the stead of our parents and previous guardian." Celestia replied, "I trust his judgement, and his methods while strange and sometimes upsetting, are efficient and in addition he takes great pains to ensure all parties are harmed as little as possible."

"Still, are you so naive to think that after that little...'display' that we would intrinsically trust it? I for one do not, what say you my colleagues?" looking to his other ambassaors, all but Celestia and Bolt nodded their heads in assent.

"Furthermore, it does not look all that impressive. Sure it can speak that...garish tongue that the dogs all yap and growl in their mountain dens at home, but he is nothing else other than a somewhat competent speaker with a few made up titles."

"Ambassador Friedrich, you have gone too far!" exclaimed Celestia

"Be that as it may, I do wish to hear what our...'newest guest' has to say." soothing and musical are the tones of the Zebra shaman, "greetings dear stranger with eyes of emerald fire, what say you against this griffon's ire?"

For a moment Farren does not seem to react. However, he then turns to the diamond dog ambassador sitting in his chair, before switching back to look into the glaring eyes of the griffon ambassador, his prideful disposition curling a sneer onto his beak.

Taking a deep breath, the man begins to speak, "Griffon Ambassador Friedrich, I am and always will be; an adviser. I am nothing more and nothing less." Stepping from Celestia's side he walks to the nearby window and gazes out into the city, his arms clasped behind his back. "I understand that my recent actions have raised your suspicions and my aloof and seemingly uncaring demeanor has raised the hackles on your pride and attracted your ire. Please be lenient and allow for me to explain myself to you."

"Feh! Your words are empty and carry nothing but cheap flattery. The bureaucrats of my Kings court could teach you a thing or two I would think." spat the contemptuous words like so many sharp arrows from the sky. "Be plain and do not take me for a fool creature! All I see is a charlatan and a coward."

"You dare...."

Before the griffon could spit another volley of hurtful dictation in Farren's direction, came the trembling, quiet yet furious voice of the Bolt, the diamond dog.

"You dare to besmirch the *He-Who-Is-Called-Father*? The Great One? You dare to take his actions and words as nothing more than the suspicious meanderings of a pretender playing at court jester? You DARE!?"

"Ambassador Bolt, what is the matter with you, was he not just now demanding things of you in that tongue of yours and saying such hurtful things that drove you to tears? Was he not hostile in his manner and method? And yet you defend him now?" replied Friedrich, taken aback by the outburst.

"I asked him for help! He was firm in his insistence to know what I was hiding, and I did not know who he was at the time! But now...now I know and I am ashamed that I did not. Do you really not know who he is?"

It was at this time Farren put his hand on Bolt's shoulder to quiet him, "Calm yourself pup, I can handle this myself."

"But, my lord, he has said such blasphemous things against you, this cannot stan-"

"It is enough. Allow me to handle this, please."

"...A-alright."

Now staring at Friedrich with an annoyed grimace, Farren spoke, his words sharp and quick, and his voice like a needle of ice into the minds of all who heard it.

"Hear me ambassador Friedrich, you wish to know who I am? Very well, I shall oblige you. I invoke the griffin challenge of 'Titel und Taten' You should know what it is."

While the griffin did know and was all the more in disbelief because of it, there where some who were more ignorant, namely Minotaur Chieftan Stronghammer, who raised his hand in inquiry.

"What in the fiery forge's name is this 'titel tater' nonsense?" he asked

Before Friedrich could fire a volley of retorts with a summary issue of a duel to the death, Farren spoke up and explained, "Well, 'Titel und Taten' roughly translates to 'titles and deeds' from the language of griffins, it is a challenge issued by one party or the other where each party has a turn to boast of their many titles and deeds, the one with the better titles and greater deeds is declared the winner, and the loser must submit to the winner's authority. The conditions of the victory and loss can be dictated beforehand by a third party. In short, it is basically a glorified boasting match to determine who is better, Chieftan."

"I see...we have a similar challenge but instead of words we use works of our own making to do the speaking for us."

"Now then, Tia; could you dictate the conditions of the result of the bout for us?" asked Farren

"Of course uncle. The rules shall as follow: The loser must accept the winner's authority and his boasted titles and deeds to be absolute and in doing so, apologize for previous slights. Is this fair?"

"Yes, Celestia, this is fair." replied Friedrich, a cocky grin on his face.

"Yes, I find this fair Tia. Thank you." added Farren, his expression still neutral and unreadable.

"Then, let us begin. The challenged is given the first bout. You may begin ambassador Friedrich." Celestia then sits back into her chair and the bout begins.

"My titles are many and my deeds are great. I am Friedrich Firewings, the Third of the Thirteen Lords of Gryphonia, next in line to the throne of Gryphonia. I am also called Quicksilver, Firebird, and Blitzjager. Drake Slayer, Hero of the Dragon wars, and Arbiter of the Gryphonia supreme court are my deeds. Know them and remember them well. I have laid my life bare for all to see and judge. Who Art Thou that challenges me?

The timber and fullness of the griffin's voice echoes through the room impressively, making the room vibrate with the weight of his words. Looking to the man now standing across the room with his head lowered, he huffed in satisfaction and sneered condescendingly down on his opponent.

"What say you, creature? Or have you perhaps no titles or deeds to boast of?" guffawed Friedrich, in his mind his victory sure.

While the griffin sat back in his chair and laughed mockingly, Farren merely stood there his head lowered as if in defeat. Suddenly, his head slowly rose up, and what they all saw was fire. Flames licked at the edges of the man's eyes, bright and emerald were they. Farren's eyes had a profound change on them, gone where the white eyes with warm green pupils like leaves on a great tree, now there lay two pitch black pits, with pupils burning like brilliant resplendent jade stones. Looking deep into the eyes of this creature Friedrich saw age and wisdom too vast to comprehend. In the presence of this being, he was no more than an insignificant kitten playing with string. Taking in a deep breath, this being spoke only thirteen words.

"I am Vater Flamme. Hear my name and know your history, little kitten."

With that the being burst into flame, a tornado of green fire of all shades spins and twirls in place before suddenly snuffing out to reveal a massive griffin with coal black feathers edged with jade tips. A crown of flames burns above the griffin's head and adorned on his massive frame is a simple mismatched set of leather armor completed with a massive zweihander strapped to his back. Smoldering like two embers from a bonfire his bright green eyes cut a swath through the air, alighting on the now cowering form of the once proud ambassador.

"Tell me, Friedrich Firewings, do I lack titles or perhaps am starved of deeds to boast of?" Thundered a voice like a raging storm, dark and terrible.

"n-no, herr Vater..."

"What was that? Speak up child, and make your words heard."

"N-no, herr Vater...please forgive me. I did not know."

Walking up to the now stricken griffon, Farren raises a clawed hand. Flinching away Friedrich closes his eyes in fear of his death, but instead of the sensation of claws tearing his throat open, he felt a clawed hand on his shoulder. Looking up in confusion, he gazes into the eyes of one of the greatest historical figure in griffon history.

"You are forgiven child. But let this serve as a lesson that while caution is good, it can be soured by pride."

Walking back to his spot next to Celestia, Farren's crown flares up and with a quick flash there stood again the man who walked in earlier. Again, for the third time the room is silent. Suddenly Twilight, who had taken a backseat in all these shenanigans rose her hoof in desperate need of answers.

"Yes Twilight? What is it?"

"Farren, just who are you?"

Sighing tiredly, Farren turned to the wall off to his left, and pressed a hidden switch in between the brickwork. A sharp click comes from behind the wall and out drops from above a chair similar to the ones already at the table. Taking the chair, Farren props up the chair against the wall, apart from the table and settles into the deep pillows with nary a sound. With not a care for the many eyes gazing upon him in various stages of apprehensive, he pulls out an old pipe, lighting it and taking a few puffs from it before addressing the council.

"You may want to sit back down, what I am about to say will be shocking at best, and madness inducing at worst."

The ambassadors all sat down in their chairs as Farren began to reveal to them the true extent of his identity.

"Lords and ladies of many lands, many kingdoms, I am many things. I am to the Diamond dogs the one who is called Father, lord of the deepest mines, possessor of the shiniest gems and treasures with riches vast as the world itself. To the Gryphons of the Snowy North, I am VaterFlamme, the Father Flame, he who found the first few of their race all those millennia ago freezing and starving in a cave. I warmed their bodies with my flames, and hunted in the Eternal Blizzard to keep them and their chicks fed. From those humble beginnings I helped forge an empire that still stands to this day."

Tapping out and refilling his pipe, he continued, each word a new color on this impressive tapestry of life. With each word...the revelation of who sat there in that chair drew on feelings of horror, awe, and even comfort.

"To the Dragons I am the Mighty Firedrake, the first and greatest of their kind, First King of the Isle of Drakes. I was the one who brought the dragons together and created a nation. To the Zebra of the Zebrican plains, I am Antieke Geneesheer, the Ancient Healer. He who came one day to their vast plains and saw that they were dying of an incurable disease, and in showing them the ways of medicine and alchemy; provided the beginnings for the second biggest nation on Equus."

As smoke from his pipe curled around him in a thick, contemplative cloud of mystery, the others began to see vague shapes twist and curl in the smoke, forming distinct figures acting out silent plays lost to time. Looking up from his emotionless gaze to look upon the now attentive gathering, he then looked to Celestia and Twilight.

"And to the Ponies of Equestria...." He said, his voice taking on a more warm tone, "To them I go by the most names and from them my deeds are well known. To the Ponies I am Uncle Farren, the Eternal Wanderer, the Herald of Cinis, the Grandmaster to the Order of the Night Phoenix, the Ghost of Frosty Fringe, Magistrate Farren of the Everfree Royal Court, Governor to Ponyville, Arbiter of the Grand Army of the Equestrian Royal Guard. My deeds are nothing to sneeze at as well, last I remember my deeds included; 'Slayer of Chaos Gods, Father of Equestria, and the Immortal General.' ...But yes, in short: I am an immortal being who was here at the beginning of the world and am as old as said world."

"Wait, you were governor of Ponyville? We have a mayor, not a governor." Interjected the purple pony princess, scratching her head in confusion, "Ponyville has always had a mayor since it's founding."

"Ah, but you must remember; after my...disappearance, any mention of me or anything connected to me was stricken from the official royal records by that snake Silvermorn. From Equestria's perspective, I never existed."

"Oh..."

"Its fine, but yes: At one time I was the First Governor of Ponyville. I like to think I was an alright governor during my time there."

Sitting there, the room settled into contemplative quiet. As each member thought back to their history, the stories told to them by their parents, the old legends carved into cave walls, and the ancient books that spoke of great deeds of yore. Turning back to the matters of the present, they began to talk, discussing the actions that must be taken to ensure the safety of the citizens, and overseeing the proceedings was Farren, sitting quietly apart, smoking his pipe.

Author's Note

This chapter is a little awkward, I didn't have much in the way of a plan when writing this and Im not exactly good at writing chapters that slow down a little and space things out. But I will be writing this next chapter soon enough, and maybe I'll take a little more time to make it better. Again; comments and pointing out errors are appreciated.