"Alright...question two...hmm..." Spike looked pensive, brow furrowing. Soon enough though, his expression lit up and he snapped his fingers, before pointing at the centaur. "Alright, I got it! Question number two...where did you live? Before coming to Equestria, I mean."
Tirek raised an unimpressed brow and sneered. "I wandered as a nomad long before I ever entered this abysmal country."
The dragon rolled his eyes. "I mean where you grew up, smart one."
Tirek's eyes widened. His home. For a moment, thoughts crossed his mind. About his home...his parents...
His expression was dark and grim as he finally responded to the question. "...my birthplace was the Nether Lands. A place to the southwest, bordering Abyssinia."
Spike smiled. "Is that where centaurs live?"
"Yes..." Tirek replied, a cold feeling of melancholy passing over him. Unwanted memories best left buried. "Is it my turn to question now?"
Spike nodded, and the centaur looked thoughtful. It was customary to theme the following question after the preceeding answer, correct?
He thought more, before a decidedly nasty smirk (nastier than his default, anyways) cross his lips. "Alright...my question two...how are you taking the destruction of your own home? That treehouse..."
Spike's polite expression fell and he glared at the centaur. Tirek grinned even wider as he leaned forward out of the cage a bit. "What? It's a themed question." He cooed.
As if the boy had been reminded whom exactly he was talking to, he withdrew a bit and folded his arms. "...just fine, thanks. For your information, the treehouse was a library. There were hundreds of tomes in there, some of which Twilight will never be able to have back due to their rareness." His tail swished agitatedly. "Not to mention you almost killed our pet owl."
Tirek shrugged, smarmy smirk not leaving his face. "Oopsey."
Spike looked as if he was about to snap at the centaur...before restraining himself and giving a small smirk of his own. "It's cool, though...for the most part. We've had time to adjust, and we live in a crystal castle now. The Tree of Harmony made it for us, and Twi's collection is recovering quite a bit. And the library there is way bigger, too."
Tirek's expression dipped into annoyance. Nothing got too deep beneath this boy's skin, did it? "Oh my, how exciting. An entire castle. Color me ecstatic..."
Spike grinned, before continuing. "Thanks. Now that we sorted that out...question three."
This one was a bit childish, but he decided to ask it anyways. "Question three...do you like reading?"
Tirek blinked. "...is that truly a question you have, boy? My affinity for literature?"
Spike nodded and shrugged.
The centaur pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "...I do, actually. I was not just some commoner of my kingdom. I was the prince, as well as a scholar."
The dragon looked slightly impressed. "Wow...neat. Do you miss that sort of stuff?"
"...I was led to believe there was an order to this little game."
Spike blushed. "Y-Yeah, but I just wanted to know-"
"Unless that's your fourth question then I'd rather not answer. Will that be a problem?" Tirek sneered, brow raised.
"Fine, fine! Jeez...ask your question, I guess."
Tirek rolled his neck, before asking. "Three...is this a ploy, of some sort? To get me to reveal weaknesses that you can scurry back to tell your rulers? To make my existence even more unbearable?"
Spike frowned. "No, it's not. If Twi found out I stole this amulet and snuck out in the middle of the night, I'd never hear the end of the ensuing lecture."
The centaur looked skeptical. "Amulet? What amulet?"
The dragon smirked cheekily. "Is that your question four?"
Tirek gripped the bars. "Don't play coy with me, child!" He snarled.
Spike backed away a bit. "Tch. How else do you think I got down here? I swiped this amulet from the archives. It's got a little magic in it...not enough to be worth it to steal, for your information, and not that you could in your condition. Just enough to get in and out."
Tirek growled, before smiling with false friendliness. "...I see. How very clever, guiling your guardian in order to betray her trust and sneak out at night..."
Spike looked taken aback, before rolling his eyes. "Don't bother with mind games buddy. I play monthly with Discord, it's not gonna work."
Tirek hissed and looked away. "Ugh, as an early question four, how is that serpent, anyhow? Still trapped under the hoof of those ponies I'm assuming."
The boy perked up. "Kiiiinda breaking order, but I'll let it slide since I knew you'd ask that. He's doing fine. We hang out a lot, and he's way happier than he probably would have been if he'd continued being who he used to be."
The centaur snorted derisively. "Hmph, they say the life of a well-kept slave is a content one indeed."
"Slave? You have a really low view of friendships, huh?"
"How can I not? It's utterly inane. Weak creatures having to rely on other weaklings, just to be strong. Uncovering how pathetic and spiteful said 'friends' can be, only to shrug and laugh it off, as if they're okay with it."
He laughed humorlessly. "Absurd. As if you could ever truly be okay with one's ugly side."
Spike's frills tilted down. "...I'm sorry you've got such a sad worldview."
"Don't be. I don't need anyone's worthless pity."
The dragon sighed, then stood to his feet. "...I'm going home." He said, without much else to add, before promptly turning around to walk down the stairs and back to the entrance of Tartarus.
Tirek grinned. "Goodbye, dragon child. Do tell the princess I said hello...or not. Wouldn't want to be fussed at, now would we?"
Spike gave him one last look over his shoulder, that made the centaur take pause.
It was such an...unreadable expression. So much emotion conveyed.
Then, the dragon walked off, heading back to the entrance and leaving Tirek to contemplate that face...that expression...
It seemed he was alone, yet again.
...Good. He hadn't asked for company in the first place.