Tirek's Shadow

by LiterarySerenity

Chapter Eleven—Has Several Chaotic Twists

A million questions flooded Twilight’s mind upon sighting the scene unfurling in the ravine, though chief among them involved the well-being of her friends and the dark presence that hung over them. Her wings were a blessing, speeding the princess towards the conflict, though Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie coursed down the narrow stone staircase at a rapid pace below. Fluttershy, for her part, might have matched Rainbow Dash in speed at this moment, shooting past Twilight with wings humming on the thin air—it was all the latter could do to keep up.

Then again, everything seemed to begin moving at a faster rate. Twilight caught a horrifying glimpse of Tirek swatting Rainbow Dash, her friend falling, and Discord lunging out in a way that let the pony know the draconequus was also in poor shape. In another eye blink, Tirek slammed hooves first into the ground, shaking the world and sending out harsh magical waves throughout the area, tracing checkerboard patterns across the stones. Bits and pieces of which lifted and hung suspended in their way.

Twilight brushed these aside without much problem. However, then the same pattern continued high above the ravine, closing off into a dome shape. The Tree of Harmony echoed a woeful tune, and the princess realized in well-founded alarm the villain ahead had entrapped them all. That same monster was coming down at her friends now, Discord with Rainbow Dash gathered in his arms, trying to snap the white tuft on his tail like fingers. Unfortunately, nothing the chaos spirit did appeared to make an impact.

At last, Discord snapped the talons on his griffin claw instead. A lever shot up from the mattress, which the draconequus seized and shoved downwards. The mattress itself took off just as Tirek made a grab at them.

But then Tirek snapped his fingers, and the ground before the fleeing cushion swelled up like a giant wave—capsizing the pair and sending springs flying while the centaur laughed in glee.

Well, there was something Twilight could do, at least. She sent an offense beam right into Tirek’s eyes, stunning him long enough for her to teleport both Discord and Rainbow Dash out of his direct path. She landed beside them—keeping watch on their foe—intending to ask at least one or two of the questions buzzing inside her.

But Fluttershy got there first, followed by the rest of their group.

“Goodness! What happened? You’re hurt. Is that strange blackness around Rainbow Dash magic? Is she breathing?” Fluttershy sounded frantic and concerned, with good reason, though Twilight noticed this seemed to ease a bit of the weariness in Discord’s expression. He creaked into a sitting position, laying Rainbow Dash gently upon the best part of the mattress. “Rainbow Dash is okay. She’s just asleep.”

“And what about you, darling?” Rarity interjected. “You don’t look much better.”

“I’m fine.” Discord gave them a small pained smile.

“No, you’re not.” Fluttershy said, then gasped. “Your tail is turning gray!”

It was true. Twilight and the ponies watched it happen, horrified. Discord’s snake tail transformed into a slate gray, to match his wings and lion arm—and the magic itself flowed upwards and into the palm of Tirek, who was still wiping at his eyes with his other arm. The draconequus shivered.

“Goodness!” Fluttershy cried out again, hugging Discord about the neck—who tried to reach up as if to pat her head with his lion paw, only to let the oddly-colored arm fall back. “Please tell us how this happened?”

“Yes, Discord. Tell them who caused all this misery and chaos.” Tirek boomed. In truth, he was not tall as when Twilight and her friends had last seen them—perhaps around twice the height of Princess Celestia. Regardless, Twilight could tell he was probably just as dangerous. Yet there was something odd about him as well, although she couldn’t quite put her hoof on it. In any case, it turned her stomach. “Let them know how is responsible for inflicting pain on every pony.” Tirek persisted, cackling. The landscape shivered underneath.

“That’s enough.” Twilight stepped forward. “I don’t know how you escaped from Tartarus, or became capable of doing all this, but—”

“Oh, I’m sure you have an idea how I got here, Princess.” Tirek interrupted, snapping his fingers. “Or did you already forget?”
Instantly, Twilight was once again in the midst of her nightmare. More specifically, she saw the moment when the shadow erupted from Discord’s back and gained shape, and the terror the princess had seen break out upon the chaos spirit’s face. Then she was back in the ravine, though a bit wobblier on her legs. And by the way her friends cried out, Twilight could tell they had seen the same thing.

“What was that?” Applejack said, anger pinching her tone. “It was downright disgusting.”

“This shadow—” Discord spoke up. “Or ‘Tirek’ claims to have been feeding on my magic for a while, probably since the incident over a week ago.”

“Do not forget your fears and memories, of which there was a bountiful supply.” Tirek said. “And growing stronger the whole time. It has truly been too easy.”

“But how could that happen?” Pinkie spoke up. “We blast that big meanie pants Tirek away using Rainbow Power, right? He couldn’t get free and be a huge, nasty problem already.”

“It helps when you feed on such a miserable creature.” Tirek sneered.

“How dare you speak about our friend like that. Apologize now.” Fluttershy flew up, apparently ready to take drastic action—until Discord grabbed her with his stronger eagle claw.

“Calm down, my dear.” Discord stated, although it was clear he was anything but calm. “He’s basically right, anyway. Look at how powerful he has become within a short time, and still going. I can feel it, and you ladies witnessed it. The matter has to do with balance and flow, and before long he will have most of my power. There’s not much we can do right now.”

“Discord…” Fluttershy said, sadly.

“Well, that attitude just won’t do.” Rarity said. “You simply don’t sound like yourself at all.”

“Rarity’s right. We can’t just give up.” Applejack said. “No matter what you mean by this here ‘balance and flow’. Right, Twi?”

Her friends were watching Twilight in expectation, waiting for her to bring all the pieces together and take charge against this threat. Yet hard as it was to admit, a lot of things still didn’t add up. When they had sent Tirek back to Tartarus, their rainbow powered magic should have swept throughout Equestria and banished all traces of him there—unless Tirek had had some other trick or back-up plan at the end. Then again, the centaur hadn’t struck Twilight as the kind of villain who might not take that kind of thing into consideration, with his selfishness and confidence that he would win in the end.

This Tirek was more like a giant shadow, and his magic was somehow even more oppressive—despite claiming to have only fed on Discord.

What was Twilight missing?

The sounds of a clock ticking, and then an explosive dong broke in on her thought process. Twilight looked up to see a huge grandpony clock hanging high overhead, ringing out.

“Time is up, Princess Twilight Sparkle.” Tirek said, rising up into the air and smash the clock to pieces. The bits of clockwork rained down on every pony. “You are no nearer to an answer, and I don’t have all day to wait. As I have informed the ‘chaos lord’, I have returned to wreck my vengeance and punishment, by getting rid of all you ponies—just as I did for Rainbow Dash.”

“You sure like to hear yourself talk, don’t you?” Applejack marched forward, trembling with rage. “You overgrown varmint.”

“I do, very much so.” Tirek responded. “And you will have to take it, because I can do this.” The centaur snapped his fingers, and the whole world inside the sphere began to roll similar to the inside of a hamster ball, with the ravine cliffs shifting under their feet, and the skies sliding past them like wallpaper. The ponies were running along it until Twilight, Fluttershy, and Discord got airborne, grabbing up their earthbound companions.

“Or this.” Tirek said, and suddenly gravity was working against them, throwing the group upwards. “Or even this.” Bouncy balls joined the rest of the chaos and confusion.

Then the world suddenly righted itself, and most of the ponies came flopping down to the ground. Twilight was trying to orient herself as well, working to focus enough to launch one of a number of offensive spells—when she realized Tirek had stopped turning the setting inside the sphere for a reason.

It seemed that somehow, from astride Twilight’s back while in the air, Applejack must have brought out her trusty lasso and made a toss. And now a noose was around Tirek’s neck, and the centaur looked surprised as the rest of them felt. With how tightly it was wound, the rope should have been choking the centaur.

Applejack was hanging, teeth biting into the other end of the rope.

“Impressive.” Tirek said instead, raising the rope with his powers so Applejack swung in front of him. “Perhaps I will take you next.” Shadowy tendrils swept down the rope’s length.

“Applejack!” The ponies called out, and Twilight threw off once more. Preparing the best attack spell she knew.

Yet even when she launched it off, the princess saw the shadows wrap about Applejack as they had about Rainbow Dash, causing her to lose consciousness and drop. The attack did strike Tirek, rolling in almost electric waves throughout his form, which shivered as a reflection disturbed on a pond by a stone. However, he soon came back together again.

Twilight, meanwhile, had caught Applejack and send her down beside Rainbow Dash.

There had to be something they could do.

If offensive spells wouldn’t work, they would need something greater.

Rainbow power.

But then Twilight caught sight of the Tree of Harmony, in the cavern. In truth, the princess wasn’t sure why it had taken so long for her gaze to travel over this way, to TOH. Maybe some part of her mind had been attempting to avoid doing so. Yet now she saw, quite clearly, that shadows had wrapped about the tree, and the elements Rainbow Dash and Applejack had held were a terrible dark hue.

Would they still be able to activate that magic?

“This is dragging on far too long.” Tirek said then. “And I am already bored. So I will tell you what.” Each word seemed to strike them down in massive sound waves. “Let me get the other ponies out of way now, and then we’ll be all done. Okay?”
Twilight couldn’t believe the almost jolly way the centaur said this, or snapped the fingers on his hand. But in the next, her attention flew elsewhere. For shadowy tendrils were beginning to seep up the hooves of Twilight and her friends—except for Discord, who looked utterly terrified. The princess had never seen the chaos spirit look that scared, even when they were facing down Tirek the first time.

If this was Tirek.

But then Discord caught Twilight’s glance, and a certain resolution seemed to enter the draconequus.

Discord?

Fluttershy had been keeping close to Discord’s side the entire time, and although she was looking at the oncoming tendrils in great alarm, she still looked up when Discord patted her on the head.

What was he doing?

A second later, Discord was flying towards Tirek himself.

Twilight tried to follow, but her wings were heavy, and it was like every pony was sinking into quicksand.

***

Discord forced himself through the air towards Tirek, who let him come unhindered.

And why should the centaur worry, when his opponent was having trouble just getting around and couldn’t do him bodily harm? So Tirek sneered and waited for the draconequus to draw close as he dared, which would have to be close for what Discord intended on doing.

For if things kept going the way they were, Discord was going to lose his friends to the shadows—and all because of his magic, and this despicable villain.

Tirek was right, the chaos spirit thought. Discord couldn’t escape what he was, and his magic brought nothing but harm to every pony. That much was plain to see by what had happened in the ravine.

But he hated this notion. Some part of him still hoped it wasn’t true.

Regardless, if Tirek was using Discord’s magic to wreak havoc, and they were still connected as the draconequus could tell by the continuing growing imbalance, it might just be possible to sever the ties so the centaur wouldn’t have access to them anymore.

“What do you plan on doing, Discord?” Tirek taunted again. “There is nothing you can do to stop me now, as you have pretty much said already.” Discord didn’t respond, concentrating on his plans. When he had used the technique to come on the ponies, many moons ago, it had disrupted their connection to the Elements. Hopefully, the same thing would happen here—because the chaos spirit had run out of ideas, otherwise.

Of course, it would only work if Discord could figure out what Tirek’s insecurities were—and he knew, at least, what they had been for the centaur who had rampaged across Equestria. He couldn’t have pulled off messing around with Tirek, which would have weakened his defenses. He also couldn’t touch him as he had—regrettably—to Fluttershy.

So when Discord attempted to hypnotize Tirek, it was face-to-face, where the chaos spirit sought to enforce what was left his reality-wrapping prowess through sheer willpower. As a result, perhaps he could trick Tirek into not harming his friends any further.
However, Discord’s own hypnosis had not gone too far when Tirek began copying the same technique. The centaur was leaning forward, wrapping his claws around the draconequus’ throat.

“At last, it comes to this.” Tirek’s thoughts echoed into Discord’s mind. “You cannot win against me, and you never could.”

“I’ll give it a shot, at least.” The chaos spirit responded.

“Then perhaps who can answer this riddle for me.” Tirek said, and Discord could already feel himself losing control, as he had in the dream, and even in reality now.

“How do you solve Discord in discord?” The centaur’s voice echoed throughout the ravine for all to hear.

When Discord couldn’t answer, it just made Tirek laugh.

“You foal.” The centaur said, before pressing on, his magic curling about Discord. And in the draconequus’ mind, Tirek wove this spell:

“When you’re afraid of making a mistake,
Freeze everything, and there will be no more at stake!”

Discord was losing himself. He could feel his memories evaporating, and getting locked away.

Yet perhaps there was one last thing he could do.

Behind his back, a card appeared.

A very special, chaotic card.

Before the change swept over him entirely, Discord dropped that card.

And Discord thought, in this last-minute—when he felt a wall erecting between his magic and Tirek—how the hypnosis had worked as he had wanted after all.

Just not in the way he would have preferred.

***

A bright white light filled the ravine, spreading outwards. Twilight and the ponies had to shield their eyes while it happened, huddled together, until they could see again. And what the princess discerned was a wisp of darkness flying away somewhere amid grayish-white skies. In fact, now that she looked around, it was like the ravine had faded in color as well.

The ponies looked around at this strangeness, yet realized a moment later that the shadowy tendrils had disappeared from about their legs.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack were the only exception, asleep and enshrouded by that dark magic.

But where was—?

“Discord!” Fluttershy shouted, and Twilight saw him too. He lay on the ravine floor and was getting to his feet.

They raced to him, questions already upon their lips.

Then Discord turned around as if to greet them, and what they saw was a gray version of the draconequus, who perceived the ponies with all the regard of a gentlecolt from Canterlot. That is, somewhat aloof and with a hint of exasperation.

“Oh, my dear friends. It’s good to see you’re alive and well.” This gray Discord said. “I do seem to be in a bit of a predicament, and perhaps you might lend me a hoof. For I believe I may have dropped my card hereabouts.”

Twilight and the ponies were so astonished by the peculiar spectacle Discord presented that they couldn’t say anything for a moment, until Twilight saw something sparkling on the ravine floor. She picked it up with her magic and examined it.

Along one side of the card, these words appeared:

“Help me.
P.S. More to come, I hope. Until then, perhaps you could begin working on this riddle for me, because it must be important: How do you solve Discord in discord?
P.S.S. Good luck, Twilight. By the way, say hi to Fluttershy for me.”

Twilight stared at this chaotic message, and stared at the gray Discord, and stared after where she had seen the shadowy wisp escape against the bizarre whiteness that had spread throughout the area.

“What should we do now, Twilight?” Rarity whispered.

And Twilight stood as if frozen, wondering how to answer her.

Author's Note:

More conflicts and Tirek-action. Hopefully, I handled the scene well.

Comments

[Spiritofchaos227]

You don't solve discord in Discord. You befriend it. That won't stop discord, but it will make it less dangerous. Also, interesting take on a discorded Discord! I didn't expect him to turn out like that!)

[LiterarySerenity]

5349586 Ha, good answer! You know, I'd actually been wondering what chaotic Discord would be like if he ever succumbed in a similar hypnosis trick for a while (strange, I know). But there's a lot more exploration on that and other fronts to come. ^_^

[Spiritofchaos227]

5349852 Not strange at all! I've thought about it to. I was thinking he would me more of a depressed scaredy-cat who would run away from any danger. I would have never thought of gentleman Discord! It is a interesting take on him.

[LiterarySerenity]

5350998 Yeah! Strangely enough, that aspect is part of what I had envisioned for this interpretation of Discorded Discord as well. In this case, I figured because regular Discord is already kind of dealing with his fears and trying to avoid them (and is a very creative character), the opposite might turn out to be a character who acts detached without much imagination. He is a bit like the stereotypical aristocrats who live in Canterlot, preferring to turn to others to take care of things and actually a coward in several different ways (not that I'm saying all the ponies in Canterlot are like this; it's just a point of comparison).