The two frightened fillies merely stared on as Tirek stepped out from behind the desk with a chuckle. They didn't know what to say in this situation.
Twilight, who still hadn't been fully ready to believe that Tartarus had even existed yet, now found herself on the outskirts of that very place.
She had heard all sorts of nasty things about this place. The old ponytales hadn't been kind or held back when it came to what lurked in Tartarus or what would happen to poor ponies who got lost within its horrible fiery depths.
The tales had been enough to make her whimper with fear when she was even smaller than she was now.
Starlight on the other hoof, had found out just how real Tartarus really was, and to actually be here where those things resided...
She tried not to let it show, but the reality of her situation had her shaking from the tip of her horn to the end of her tail. She had vowed never to involve herself with this place in any way ever again, but now they were actually here...
With a demon as a teacher no less.
Starlight shook and shivered as she thought back to that horrible night, before Twilight had come. Flashes of memory came to her mind unbidden, and sweat poured down her face as her breathing picked up.
Tirek, who had been watching her curiously as he made his way back to the bookshelf with the tome he had taken, raised an eyebrow and frowned.
Then it hit him and he stopped midway towards putting the book back in its proper place. He paused for only a moment before slowly replacing the book and turning back to Starlight with a growing smile that dripped with malevolence.
"You tried to summon a demon, didn't you, Starlight Glimmer?"
Starlight flinched violently and Twilight snapped her gaze to Starlight, her own eyes widening in horror. Tirek let out a bark of laughter at their reaction and trotted over to Starlight.
"You did!" he exclaimed, still chortling, "a filly your age, actually dabbling in the arcane art of summoning demons directly from Tartarus!"
"Starlight," Twilight whispered in disbelief, never taking her wide eyed gaze off the other filly, "you didn't... did you?"
"I... I-I just..." Starlight took a shaky step back from the lavender filly and shook her head, "I d-didn't mean—"
"Such foolishness cannot be understated enough!" Tirek growled, all mirth gone from his voice, "were you that curious little pony? Was it worth it? Did you obtain everything you had hoped for and more?"
Tirek advanced on the terrified filly as she continued to back away, her eyes misting over with unshed tears and her breath heavy and panicked.
"Tell me, little pony," he said, his smile returning with far more malice than before, "what could have possibly possessed you to do something so horrendously stupid, hmm? What did you have to gain from—"
"IT KILLED HER FAMILY!"
Tirek stopped short and frowned.
At some point, Twilight had rushed over and pulled the sobbing pink filly into a hug as she glared at the demonic centaur, her own eyes shining with tears.
"Oh?" Tirek replied, raising an eyebrow, "did it now?"
Twilight's glare faltered and she looked back to Starlight for a brief moment. After a few seconds her glare returned and she looked back at Tirek as she spoke.
"I... I'm not sure what happened... I didn't get there until it was over," she explained, "but... but I can put the pieces together. I don't know why she summoned a demon... but I know she didn't mean to."
Tirek snorted and folded his arms, seemingly unimpressed with the explanation. Nevertheless, Twilight continued.
"She... s-she just wanted to show off a new magic she learned... that's all," Twilight said, hugging Starlight tighter as her own tears slipped down her face, "a-and I didn't know it at the time... but I've seen a pony summon a demon before too. I... I know how horrible it is."
Starlight looked back up at Twilight in surprise, her teary eyes widening. Twilight stepped back out of the embrace and gave Starlight a significant look as she continued.
"I tried... tried to ignore it! I... d-didn't know what I was seeing... but," Twilight's voice hitched and she shook her head, "but my dad... d-daddy was killed by a demon too..."
"You... y-you saw it too?" Starlight asked quietly, "did you..."
"No," Twilight said with a small sniffle. She rubbed her eyes before speaking again, "a... a pony—there were two ponies that came to my house and... and one of them... t-they... they cast a spell and a weird magic circle opened up..."
She trailed off and looked over to Tirek, who was watching with a half intrigued, half amused look on his face. A spark of indignation lit up in the lavender filly and she turned back to Starlight, her voice a bit stronger.
"I didn't know what was going on at the time," she pressed on, "but the magic circle opened up a hole in the floor and... a-and a giant... arm thing came out... and it... i-it grabbed daddy a-and... and..."
She couldn't finish.
Try as she might, the memory was too painful and she sunk to the floor with a whimper, her ears flat and her head hung low.
Starlight stared at the filly, completely unsure of what to say. Starlight herself had indeed unwittingly summoned a demon in her overzealous attempt to impress her parents and Starburst.
It had cost her everything, and Starlight would never forgive herself for it... but Twilight was different. Twilight didn't kill her family, but had watched them die at the hooves of somepony else if her words were anything to go by.
But just like her... just like Starlight, she knew the horror of seeing what a demon could do, first hoof, even if it was only a partial summon.
Yet something else they shared.
A link that brought them closer together, a mutual hurt that resonated strongly, a bond that had tightened for the light pink filly as she both sympathized and empathized with the morose lavender filly once more.
"Enough!"
Twilight and Starlight, both momentarily having forgot Tirek was in the room, jumped and snapped their surprised gazes towards the grimacing centaur.
"Such a sentimental display sickens me," he growled before huffing and folding his arms again, "in any case, both of you have seen but a glimpse of what Summoning Magic is capable of."
He trotted back to his desk as he spoke, never taking his intense gaze off the two fillies.
"If you plan to conquer your fears and overcome the tragedies that have befallen you, do not shy away from those memories..."
He once again stood behind the desk and planted his hands on the surface. He paused a moment, looking between each filly and making sure they were taking in his words before continuing.
"...rather, you must seize them—burn them into your mind and take them as a lesson never to underestimate just how deadly the art of Summoning can be when placed in the wrong hands... or hooves as the case may be."
Twilight looked over to Starlight and Starlight looked back. The two sat there for a moment in thought. Both fillies knew Tirek was right... but the issue was whether or not they could do it.
Could they get over their pasts that easily?
Could they push past the hurt and sorrow for the sake of growth and knowledge?
Aeon had said much the same regarding letting go of their despair when it came to what happened before, but no... they still weren't ready yet—not when the pain of their mutual losses were still so fresh in their minds.
Maybe... maybe one day soon though.
"It's definitely something worth thinking about, fillies."
Twilight and Starlight, who had fallen to their haunches, quickly sat up and turned towards the entrance at the sound of the familiar voice.
Standing there in the doorway, was an irritated looking cobalt blue unicorn mare in a black cloak. Her narrowed eyes were on a smirking Tirek, though she spoke to the fillies.
"Tirek may be a major pain in the flank, but he knows what he's talking about," Aeon continued, trotting further into the room, "I'd listen to him if I were you... but not too closely."
"Aeon," Tirek replied, spreading his arms out in an enthusiastic show of welcome, "glad to see you finally decided to join us!"
"Oh shut it you sunburnt horse-ape," Aeon growled in annoyance as she shook her feathery turquoise mane out of her eyes, "if you wanted to talk to the fillies alone, you could've just asked. You didn't have to sic your little guardian on me."
"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about," Tirek replied with an innocent shrug, "it was merely unfortunate happenstance, Fe Dommea is very protective of this place after all."
Aeon simply rolled her eyes with a groan before turning back to the two shocked fillies. Without warning her horn sparked to life and a beam of light shot out, startling the two and causing them to leap out of the way.
Right behind where they stood, a familiar doorway appeared, shining brightly and casting shadows over everything before it.
"We've wasted enough time, you two," Aeon said in an urgent tone, "say goodbye to Uncle Tirek and let's get the buck out of here... I hate Tartarus..."
The unicorn mare continued grumbling to herself distractedly as she made her way over to, and through the doorway.
The two fillies stood there for a moment, trying to process everything that had happened up to this point, when Tirek spoke once more.
"That mare..."
The two fillies looked back to see the centaur frowning deeply at the two. His gaze drifted towards the doorway and a contemplative expression overcame his features as he continued.
"You two have probably already figured this out by now," he looked back at the two with a solemn frown, "but she isn't normal. My last word of advice to you... is to keep your faith and trust in that mare in check."
At that, he turned to stare out the window and up at the burning orange and red sky. He waved a hand dismissively and both Twilight and Starlight glanced at each other before turning around and trotting towards the doorway.
As they stepped through and the doorway vanished, Tirek sighed and shook his head. He looked back outside with a thoughtful, if slightly troubled, grimace.
"Aeon... just what have you gotten yourself into this time?"