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// Tirek awaits. 
// Story: A mildly different School Raze 
// by Askre 
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Tirek was almost giddy with anticipation. Things had been going flawlessly so far. From the reports his protégé sent, everything was going as planned. Magic was draining all over Equestria and soon, very soon his own enemies would be trapped in Tartarus, just like him. He could almost picture their horrified faces when that would happen.

“They should be here soon,” he said, grabbing the bars of his cage, staring expectantly towards the doorway in the distance.

“You have absolutely no idea what you are truly doing,” a dark voice growled nearby.

The centaur narrowed his eyes and glared at the cage close by. His inmate, who had been there for a little while by now, hadn’t done very much since arriving. Mostly just lay down and seemed to sleep. Tirek had thought his arrival might at least alleviate the boredom of captivity a bit, but the other prisoner had turned out to be very poor conversationalist. Except to snark at his plans.

“Oh, just you see, it will be beautiful.” Tirek allowed himself to grin, ignoring the snort from the other cage.

Tirek continued to watch with anticipation, smiling more sinisterly when seeing the doors in the distance open and the silhouettes of six ponies and a small dragon enter. From the other cage he could hear an exasperated groan, but the centaur ignored it. It was time. As he saw the mares deal with Cerberus, he turned around to face away. Expecting soon to hear hoof steps on the stairway leading up to the platform.

“The Princess of Friendship here for a visit. What have I done to earn the honor of your company?” He said and slowly turned back around and did a small mock bow when hearing the approach, watching with a sinister grin the six serious mares and a dragon coming closer to his cage.

“We want answers, Tirek. Magic is disappearing from Equestria,” Twilight Sparkle explained gravely as she and her friends walked closer to the cage. Nearby in the other one, the second prisoner raised his head a little to watch.

“I know. What a waste of such...” Tirek started to slurp and lick his lips.. “..mmmm, delicious power.”

“So you are behind this!” Rainbow Dash pushed forward, pointing an accusing hoof at the centaur.

“Silly filly, if I had all of that magic, you think I'd still be locked up in here?” Tirek mocked and gestured with both hands to his surroundings, then grabbed the bars of his cage and looked down at the ponies. “But I might know something about it...”

A snort caught everyone’s attention, glancing over to the second cage, the six ponies and Spike saw the other prisoner roll his eyes. A large dark gray unicorn, wearing a red cape, steel armor and a crown. His mane and tail were black and his horn red and curved like a knife. His legs had chains and on his horn was a manacle, blocking his magic.

“Oooh yeah, I forgot this doofus was locked up here as well,” Rainbow Dash cackled and flew over, landing on top of the other cage. From up there she peeked into it. “How’s it going, Sombrero? Now this is a sight I could get used to.”

“Rainbow Dash, we don’t have time for this. We are here to question, Tirek, not King Sombra,” Twilight admonished her friend. Though she really couldn’t blame her, Rainbow Dash had been captured and locked up by the king during the events that led up to his imprisonment.

King Sombra didn’t even raise a brow at the pegasus’s attempt of deliberately mispronouncing his name. Just watched her, then slowly as smile crept over his lips. Suddenly and without warning, the unicorn rose quickly despite his chains and proceeded to slam his back up against the roof.

Rainbow Dash was so unprepared, she fell off and landed with a crash back on the ground. The disoriented mare then felt an iron clad hoof wrap around her tail and suddenly there was a mighty pull as she was dragged into the bars, as if Sombra intended to squeeze her between them and into the cage.

Thankfully her friends were already running over, Applejack and Pinkie Pie managed to grab the startled pegasus and pull. Since hooves weren’t exactly made for grabbing, Sombra did lose his hold on Rainbow’s tail and her friends could free her and drag her away from the king.

“Sombra!” Twilight snapped, glaring at the dark unicorn who was now in a sitting position, grinning maliciously and his eyes shone with delight. “What do you think you are doing!?”

“Why, I’m hungry,” Sombra’s voice was quiet and eerie, he licked his lips.

Twilight frowned, while her friends mostly looked disgusted and/or horrified at the king’s words. The alicorn stepped closer to the cage. “Can the act. I know Dark Ponies are omnivorous, but they don’t eat ponies.”

“Beggars can’t be choosers,” King Sombra whispered then suddenly lunged forward. His head was too big to fit, but his muzzle did produce out between the bars as he snapped his teeth. This action had been so quick, that Twilight did jump back a little.

“Ooookay, how about we just ignore the mad pony in the cage,” Pinkie suggested nervously.

“Don’t worry. It’s King Sombra, he’s just trying to scare us, he’s all about fear after all,” Twilight snorted, not wanting to admit that the lunge had startled her a little. She could see an almost a murderous glint in Sombra’s eyes when he did that.

Rainbow Dash snorted, she was mostly recovered from the sudden attack, her tailbone did sting a little though. She put on a brave face and stuck her tongue at the king. Sombra just looked at her as if he was looking at his next meal, showed his fangs and licked his lips. The pegasus decided that Pinkie had the right idea and quickly turned away, seeing that her friends were returning to Tirek’s cage she followed.

“Where is Equestria's magic going, Tirek? What's making it disappear?” Twilight asked as the attention returned to the centaur, who had been watching rather amused when Sombra attacked Rainbow Dash.

“If you let me out, I'm sure it will jog my memory,” Tirek said casually before leaning down and pushing his head out between the bars. “What do you say? I scratch your back, you scratch mine?”

Rainbow Dash went forward again as Twilight turned around and walked away, grabbing the centaur by his beard and yanked at it, feeling far more confident dealing with the centaur than the king.

“How about you tell us what you know or you'll be stuck here forever, because we're out of magic keys and nopony can open the door?” the rainbow pegasus pointed out, folding her legs shortly after letting go of his beard.

“Oh, dear. I hadn't thought of that,” Rarity cringed a little as the realization hit her and her friends.

“We're just as trapped as Tirek?” Spike cried and hung his head sadly. Twilight reached out with a wing to comfort him. From the cage came a chuckle from the centaur, diverting the attention back to him as they all glared at him. From his own prison, Sombra was rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

“What a pity. Well, for you. Sweet revenge for me. It seems my little protégé's plan worked after all,” Tirek declared as he paced a little in his cage, mockingly smirking at the ponies and one dragon, delighting in their gasps of surprise.

“Which little protégé?” Applejack demanded to know as she stepped closer.

“Oh, we've never met,” Tirek claimed and then rubbed his hands together for a moment. “We're pen pals.”

Tirek then smiled wickedly as he used a claw to run down one of the bars of his cage. “Each letter had so many questions about draining magic.”

“And you answered them?!” Pinkie asked as she jumped onto the cage, pushing her head inside to stare questionably at the centaur.

“I was bored,” Tirek shrugged, then for a moment glared towards Sombra’s cage, when a mocking chuckle came from it. “As you may have seen, my new inmate isn’t exactly much company.”

Reassuming his gloating composure again, he leaned over towards Pinkie Pie. “So I simply pointed my pen pal in the right direction.” As he leaned in closer, the party pony dropped back down to the ground with a thud.

“Can't you just tell us your pen pal's name?” Fluttershy asked innocently, while the mare walked closer and sat down next to Pinkie to help her back up. “I mean, since we're stuck here anyway?”
 
“Oh, why not?” Tirek could barely hold back a cackle. “The irony is too perfect. Her name is Cozy Glow.”

“Cozy Glow is behind all of this?!” Twilight gasped in shock at the revelation and, her friends didn’t look much better. That sweet little filly, who had been so helpful in the school, to a point Twilight had her assist around. They barely could believe it. Tirek cackled at their reaction.

“I'm not usually a fan of ponies,” the centaur chortled, unable to contain himself anymore. Seeing the plan come together so beautifully was making him feel ecstatic. “But draining your precious world of magic so she could trap the six of you was inspiring!”

He started to laugh madly, already picturing the six ponies withering away in their long imprisonment. However, his own frail state reminded of itself and the centaur entered a coughing fit as he still tried to laugh.

“Um, there's seven of us,” Spike pointed out indignantly, his attention was though quickly diverted to Twilight who was turning around and galloping away. He took to the air to follow along with the rest of the ponies.

The ponies were quickly too far out of the way to hear properly, but he could hear them mention something about Starlight being in charge of the school and be able to handle his protégé.

“Cozy Glow outsmarted the six of you! I doubt this Starlight stands a chance!” Tirek called after them, trying to laugh mockingly again but instead entered another coughing fit.

“Careful Lord Tirek, you wouldn’t want to choke on your tongue in the moment of your triumph,” King Sombra chuckled, grinning mockingly at the glare he received from the centaur.

“It’s working isn’t it, they are trapped, with no magic,” Tirek snorted, gesturing to where the ponies were now at the gate, just as Rainbow Dash smashed flat on the doorway.

“Yes, think about that for a second,” Sombra snorted but didn’t elaborate any further.

They both then looked at where the ponies were now gathering around and talking. Tirek began watching attentively and clearly trying to hear what they were saying. Sombra however, lost interest and lay back down. He had had his fun for now.

Tirek in the meantime continued to watch attentively what the six mares and one dragon were doing. Straining his ears to hear what they were up to. He could just about make out their voices, frowning a little when realizing their plan was to use the innate magic of the creatures already trapped in Tartarus to try and open the door.

The centaur doubted it would work, all magic was practically drained away. Just one sunset left and it would be all gone.

“Huh, that might actually work,” Sombra raised his head. Turned out he had been listening himself. “Clever girl, aren’t you little princess?”

“What? You think their foolish plan will actually work?” Tirek glared at Sombra who looked at him thoroughly unimpressed.

“For someone who eats magic, you have very little understanding of it, don’t you?” the king snorted and rolled his eyes. “Opening doors, even as magical one as the gates of Tartarus, is fairly simple magic in application. They just need enough power.”

Tirek decided to ignore the king, still convinced this wouldn’t work. Then he overheard Pinkie declare that although she wouldn’t mind hanging out in Tartarus for a while, she wouldn’t want to be there forever. He smirked at those words.

“But that is just what it will be!” he called over to the ponies. “If my protégé has followed my instructions, by sunset tonight, every last vestige of Equestrian magic will disappear into the ether forever!”

“Have you even thought about what losing magic would mean?” Twilight Sparkle asked having quickly flown back to his cage at his words. She had already formed a thought regarding this whole plan of the centaur.

“It means the six of you will be trapped here! Like me!” Tirek cackled as he pushed his head back out between the bars to stare triumphantly at the princess.

“SEVEN!” came the insulted shout of Spike.

“Come over to my cage, little dragon,” Sombra spoke up, looking with an eager grin towards the dragon. “I’ll make his count correct.”

“Be quiet, Sombra” Twilight snapped, glaring for a moment at the king. Then she turned back towards Tirek, smirking. “Exactly. It means you're trapped here. Forever. With us.”

Tirek blinked as those words sunk in. He could see Sombra’s whole body shake with laughter, the king’s words from earlier suddenly started to make sense.

“Uhhhh...” he moaned and turned away, scratching his head uncertainty. “I hadn't thought of it like that.”

Twilight left the two caged up villains to return to her friends. Tirek was still mulling over what the princess had just revealed to him. Suddenly his revenge didn’t sound as sweet as it had just few short moments ago.

“Oh will you be quiet,” the centaur grumbled, when hearing that Sombra was still laughing.

“Now why should I…” King Sombra’s word died out. Tirek looked back, seeing the Dark Pony was staring at the stairway. Walking towards the cages was Pinkie Pie with an uncanny smile.

“Whatever you have in mind. I’m in!” Sombra immediately declared, Tirek looked at him puzzled, the king had sound rather frantic to agree with whatever the mare had in mind.

“Oh, that was easy,” Pinkie grinned at Sombra before turning her attention to Tirek.

“For the love of your sanity, Lord Tirek, agree to what she wants!” King Sombra warned, causing the centaur only to arch his brow, still not quite understanding what this was all about.

King Sombra actually visibly cringed as Pinkie Pie actually pushed into Tirek’s cage, began singing a song, presenting him with a cake from out of nowhere, climbed all over him and continued to generally annoy him. Ending with very haunting words:

“I can do this for all eternity.”

“Fine!” Tirek shouted, flailing his arms in desperation for this to stop. “I'll help you leave! Just please stop!”

“Tirek’s in!” Pinkie Pie shouted, now suddenly outside the cage.

“I warned you to just agree immediately,” King Sombra grunted, earning a withering glare from the centaur.

Near the doorway the other ponies and Spike were getting ready, gathering various creatures and Cerberus together. Pinkie Pie in the meantime seem to want to make sure Tirek and Sombra were actually being sincere of their pledge to help. She suddenly donned a monkey costume with banging cymbals and danced around their cages.

“All eternity,” Pinkie warned with a grin.

“I already agreed, you insufferable mare!” Sombra snapped, holding his hooves over his ears.

“Yes, by all means, please! Just get on with it!” Tirek cried, just as eager as the king to get that pink menace to stop.

When Twilight cleared her throat, Pinkie was suddenly back on Tirek’s back, grabbing his face as she smooshed it.

“There's your cue, you evil centaur, you,” she cooed at him.

Tirek growled, then used what little magic was left in him to produce a yellow and black magic ball between his horns and shot a beam of magic straight at Twilight’s horn. Sombra didn’t even wait for Pinkie to turn her attention to him. He rose up, the manacle was no longer really working but that didn’t matter, he was almost as drained of magic as the centaur. He fired a beam of dark magic, it looked very weak but he poured what he had straight into Tirek’s beam and it too joined with Twilight’s horn.

A magic spectacle began as the various creatures let out their innate magic and began separating into various animals as they got drained to the fullest. Soon Twilight had a build up of magic and turned around to fire it straight at the gates. Slowly the doors of Tartarus began to open. The ponies and Spike began rushing for the now open doorway.

“Thanks for the assist, Your Redness!” Pinkie Pie saluted the centaur, she began speeding off as she shouted. “And you too King Smokey!”

Tirek and Sombra watched as the ponies made their escape, Twilight going last as the magic burst ended. The alicorn making a desperate leap through the now closing doors. The centaur sighed a breath in relief and sat down.

“So much for your brilliant plan,” Sombra snorted and crumbled to the cage floor, he was completely drained and was feeling really tired. His normal unicorn magic had left during the first day, but he still had some of his innate natural Dark Pony dark magic. Though it was very weak due to his stay in Tartarus, until he spent it all to help the ponies escape.

“I didn’t see you come up with anything better,” Tirek grumbled and folded his arms, then he smirked. “Besides, even if they did get out. The magic will be soon all gone.”

“Wish to wager on that?” the king growled. “It isn’t just these six ponies and that insufferable dragon who watch over Equestria.”

Tirek gave him another glare, the king had so far been no help at all and the centaur was starting to grow tired of him.  He didn’t get much chance to really snark back at him. 

A magical wave suddenly passed through Tartarus, recombining the creatures and magical balls of light were floating down. The centaur jumped up and tried eagerly to grab some of them before an orange ball came flying, smacking him in the face. It was his own magic returning eagerly to its owner.

Sombra himself felt both his dark magic and regular magic returning. It didn’t matter much, the powers of the manacle also returned, instantly suppressing all of his powers. The king sighed, at least he didn’t feel drained anymore.

“Back to the drawing board, eh Lord Tirek?” King Sombra smirked, glancing at the centaur who was sitting up again, looking a little dizzy after the smack of magic and rubbing his head gingerly.

The End