“You insolent sow!” Tirek roared into the alicorn’s ear. “This was too early!” He looked through her eyes to another alicorn, a pearlescent white one with tears in her eyes. At the bottom of what he could see was a black snout, wisps of night blue sky sailed past.
SILENCE!!! Nightmare Moon roared, it reverberated through her own mind and to her tormentor. You granted me the power and knowledge. I would never kill my sister irregardless with how she treated me. Just like all the other ponies she will learn to appreciate my nights.
***
Tirek sat alone, or more floated in a nether space. His first century expected as some point to finally die and leave this purgatory. When that refused to come he tested what powers it had. The centaur no longer had a body or anything physical, yet his magic remained. After another few centuries he learned to use it to spy on the world, not just in its present state but the past and potential futures.
***
Tirek stood on his throne, finally ready to bring about night eternal. He’d found the precious hidden world, the one with the needed resources. It had everything, ponies, griffons, humans. His war had been long and hard. Corrupting the other beings strong enough to shape universes. Norra, leader of the griffons had been the latest to fall but failed to be corrupted, her wings adorned the walls behind his throne. It wasn’t a subtle symbol of his might, it was to show his eventual victory.
***
The powerful being floated and sputtered, which turned into a yell. “VOICES! LEAVE ME ALONE!!! Why must you always show these scenes?!” No sound actually emanated from his inky gaseous form. “Nebulae was on her last legs and couldn’t intervene! Yet they had to have found that stupid power. He had underestimated the power of those ponies and their ilk, but soon enough they would pay!”
The window, not a true window but a thing in his own mind, showed the young of Nebulae and her precious world. There was a crack between the two Celestial Sisters, envy and pride that could be exploited. Tirek had spent another century figuring out how to communicate with the younger, and her jealousy gave him power.
***
“Luna. Why do you tolerate being kept in the shadows? Why do you accept her rule? Let her have all that praise?”
“Tis my sister. We are equals and care for one another…”
“When was the last time even SHE looked in awe at your gorgeous moon and stars? Nopony would ever do what their mighty Queen refused to do.”
It had taken effort and many decades to get the seed to grow, the tears streaking down the midnight blue alicorn’s muzzle showed it was all worth it now.
“’Tia is the one with the strength. Too bust helping ponies to even see her precious sister anymore.”
“You don’t seem precious to her. But I can give you more power than she ever dreamed of. Enough to force her to respect you.”
***
“It almost worked but that same magic has defeated me twice.” Tirek been so close to his goal again. It wasn’t the elements that stopped him, that fool mare had her own plans for that power. “And before I could take hold her sister used those damned Elements.” He wanted hands back, so slam down on tables, to throw things as his plans failed again. “Next time it will be different. Next time those artifacts will not intervene. And I will go for a younger alicorn to corrupt, one who will follow my every word and allow me to come back.
***
Tirek looked out at the new world; it had been split long ago from another. The inhabitants without access to magic had done marvelous things. Most of all they craved power, something he could use. He reached out to both worlds, talked to inhabitants. Bipedal and quadrupedal. Slowly placing the items needed to bring them back together after his last act in life had been to severe their connection. Humans and ponies working together was the last thing he needed.
***
As Tirek watched his newest plan unfolding, in Celestia finally listening to his counsel and even accepting small portions of his magic and advice. He eyed her student, saw the raw power she held. “You shall be mine.” His mind purred, there was no one to stop him this time.
***
Tirek watched one of his most loyal followers kill herself, her companion and rig the bomb against Celestia in her own home. “You kept your word Heart Under Blade.” The ephemeral being reached out and grabbed her essence, the spark of light that separated one being from another. There would be a new body waiting for her, once it was in place the limbs would grow, musculature form over the blackened skeleton, long black claws dripped a viscous ocher.