Tirek woke up to the sound of chirping birds. Still half-asleep, he let his mind linger on the dream he was having. It was a peaceful dream that had left him well-rested, but he couldn't remember what it was about. He tried to hold on to it, but it was already fleeting.
With no other choice than to wake up, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. To his surprise he found himself in a small crevice, lying on a bed of moss. Rays of light entered through the verdant foliage that was covering the entrance and brought a pleasant warmth. He climbed on his hooves, wondering where he was and how he got there. He was let out of Tartarus, obviously, but what was it that happened after that?
He moved away the leaves to exit his shelter and was met with the morning sun shining directly in his face. It had just risen above a tall hill in the distance, lifting the idyllic pink veil of dawn from the Equestrian sky to bring light to all its creatures. It shone a rather dim light; indeed, it was as if the sun was smaller than it usually is. It wasn't even capable of fully extinguishing starlight, as some stars could still be seen twinkling around it.
His hooves were moistened with dew as he stepped into the grass. The lush mountain valley that he was in must be part of the pony kingdom, he determined, but with no point of orientation—roads, villages, or even the city of Canterlot that is always visible from afar—he still had no idea where he was. The land was in a primitive condition, with no trace of anypony.
What was that? Tirek heard voices coming from somewhere.
"Brother, please turn back before it's too late!"
It sounded like it was coming from the other side of the hill. He went to take a look.
"For the last time, I will not. Now remain silent and follow me to Canterlot."
Tirek carefully spied on the two arguing individuals. One was a young gargoyle. His eyes were teared up and he was holding out his hand in a gesture of appeasement. Towering above him was a centaur. He was looking the other way, his hands indifferently placed on his hips. Tirek recognized him: it was himself. He had found himself at the argument with Scorpan on the day he went to conquer Equestria.
"I beg you, please, leave them alone. These ponies are innocent creatures, they only want to live in peace."
"Oh, brother, why must you always be so sentimental. Don't you see the vast reserves of magic that this land has?"
"It doesn't matter. You will bring terrible suffering, and for what? So that Father might be proud of you?"
"NO!" the centaur lashed out at Scorpan's face, following up with a soft-spoken grumble. "Father's approval does not concern me one bit. I am seeking power so that the whole world will acknowledge my strength. Now let's go and crush those petty pony princesses."
Scorpan mumbled something that was inaudible from where Tirek was hidden.
"What was that?" The other Tirek inquired, lowering himself to be at eyes' level with his brother.
Scorpan winced at his cruel gaze, stammering, "I said… I can't do it! I cannot help you attack the ponies!"
"Never in my life have I experienced disloyalty like this. Very well. Turn back to Father and worry not about me, you shall soon see me return when I claim my place as king of the centaurs. I do not need your assistance. Now go!"
He spread his arms in a grand, threatening gesture. Scorpan took a step back and stumbled onto the ground. He got back up and limped a few steps before leaping off with spread wings, away from the scene. The centaur shrugged and left in the opposite direction. Peace returned.
Tirek wanted to follow his döppelganger from the past but needed to keep himself concealed. He had no idea what might happen if the two came in contact, so he decided to stay hidden for another minute or so.
As he waited, he reflected on the spectacle that he just beheld. The day that he and his brother parted was still fresh in his mind. He could feel the words stinging on his own tongue as they were being spoken by his other self. Scorpan's pleas rang less familiarly. But hearing them again he wondered if he had a point. It was true that Equestria indeed held a great amount of magic that was ripe for the taking, but was it really worth it to bring suffering to a land of small, harmless creatures for the sake of selfish gains?
He snapped out of his thoughts. It was time to move; if he waited any longer, he might lose the other Tirek out of sight. Still checking his surroundings, he descended to where the two had just been fighting. The other Tirek was off in the distance following a dirt road that led down the valley. Suddenly, he vanished. He blinked. One moment he was there, and now he was not.
At the same time Tirek was struck with a profound epiphany. As if some kind of mental blockade had suddenly been lifted, he remembered how he traveled to the land of centaurs with Cozy Glow; as well as how he found Midnight Castle in ruins and how he had lashed out when finding out Scorpan was the cause.
The disappearance of the other Tirek… did it mean that he has taken his place? Had he been sent back in time to relive this day? If that was the case, Tirek reasoned, then he could change everything. He wouldn't have to spend a thousand years in Tartarus, he could live freely. he could save his civilization! He could take Scorpan out before he ever had the chance to do any damage whatsoever.
He looked behind him, in the direction that Scorpan had fled into, but he was already long gone. Where would he have gone to?
As Tirek recalled, his demise was not only due to Scorpan, but also because of Starswirl and the Royal Sisters, who used the Elements of Harmony against him. At the time, the Elements were still part of the Tree of Harmony. That meant that he could pre-empt Scorpan's treachery by doing that which Sombra would do much later: destroying the Tree. And he knew precisely where to find it.
Cozy Glow had been sleeping like a log, snoring loudly. She woke up, and found her head resting on the pillow of a bed in the middle of a large bedroom. Whoever had taken her in, he or she must have been very rich: the room was decorated with antique furniture, a crystal chandelier hung from the tall ceiling and the windows had beautiful red curtains that somepony must have opened earlier this morning. She stretched her hooves and yawned contently. On the nightstand was a glass of water; she picked it up with both her hooves and took a sip.
"Where am I?" she asked herself. She pushed the blanket away and got out of bed, her hooves clacking on the spotless marble floor. She peered through the window. Her room lay at the edge of a canyon with a barrier of dark trees in the background. Somehow, she had ended up in an unfamiliar palace in the middle of a forest.
This left her extra confused. She thought for a moment. The best thing she could do was simply leave the bedroom and ask somepony where she was and how she got here. Maybe act overly sappy, or even feign being lost and afraid; adults always fall for that.
Heading for the door she passed a mirror. She noticed her frazzled mane from the corner of her eyes.
"Golly, my curls are a mess! I'm going to have to fix that before I see anypony."
On the adjacent desk stood an opened chest with mane care accessories. She picked up a comb with her mouth and returned to the mirror. She sat down on her hinds and groomed her mane, starting with a nasty tangle, holding the comb awkwardly with her hooves, as always. When she looked again in the mirror, she dropped the comb in shock.
"Hullo there, Cozy Glow."
In the mirror Cozy saw herself, but it wasn't her own reflection. The Cozy Glow in the mirror was also older, as old as Twilight Sparkle, and had longer curls. Around her neck she wore a purple ribbon, like the one she had when she was appointed assistant at the School of Friendship. Her eyes were stern and beady.
"W-who are you?" Cozy stammered. She was frozen in place.
"Don't you recognize me?" the reflection pouted cynically, "Have I really changed that much in my years? I'm you, silly."
Cozy tried to respond, but in her stammering, she could hardly bring out a word.
The Cozy in the mirror continued, "Oh—you must be asking yourself so many questions right now. I will just say that you have nothing to worry about. Everything is going according to plan and soon you will become the likes of me. You see," she took a step forward, crossing her forelegs in a dignified fashion, "you are standing before the uncontested ruler of all of Equestria. That's right! Where I come from, even the Royal Sisters bow to me. There is nopony that dares to oppose me, and even if there was—"the mare giggled like a foal"—let's just say that pony would forever be sorry for not being my friend."
"I-is this all real? Am I really going to be Empress of Friendship?"
"I can deceive and manipulate anypony, but I cannot possibly fool my little old self, right? Everything I say will come true; in fact, you can make it reality right here and now."
She vanished from the mirror, and in her place, Cozy beheld a bird's eye view of a sinister forest with a path leading to a castle. She noticed a large horned figure moving in its direction. She recognized him at once.
"Tirek!"
"I see you remember your old accomplice," the disembodied voice echoed. "Your memory must have been partially restored."
"Wait," Cozy yelled, staring intently into the mirror, "that castle, that's where we are, isn't it?"
"You have keen observation; nothing less than I would expect from my youthful self. Now, if you remember your lessons on the history of Equestria you can tell me which castle this is."
"The Castle of the Two Sisters! Why does it look so new? It should be in ruins!"
The voice laughed, "That was only after Celestia and Nightmare Moon had their battle. I have taken you to a time before that happened. As a matter of fact, this is the day that Tirek attacked Equestria and fought the Royal Sisters."
Flabbergasted, Cozy uttered, "How?"
"'How' is not important," said the reflection as she reappeared in the mirror, "What you need to understand is the tremendous opportunity that is in your hooves. Check the drawer of the closet."
Cozy shuffled towards the closet and did as she was told. When she opened the drawer, she let out a gasp.
"Knuckerbocker's shell! The amulet of Aurora! These are the six legendary items!"
"After you had so unfairly been cheated out of a clear victory by the Tree of Harmony, I thought I'd give you a helping hoof."
Cozy lifted another one of the items from the drawer. They seemed authentic.
"With these, I can conquer the world…"
"And the greatest thing is: Tirek is on his way to destroy the Tree of Harmony; and in doing so he will draw the attention of the Royal Sisters, as well as Starswirl the Bearded. There is nopony who is going to stop you."
"But Tirek can't defeat them on his own!" Cozy retorted in horror. "He will be banished to Tartarus for eternity…"
"It won't matter. After he has destroyed the Tree of Harmony and weakened those annoying ponies, he has worn out his use. Everlasting victory is yours for the taking!"
Cozy didn't respond right away. She looked again at each of the six magical artifacts. She already knew how to harness their power; it would take only a few minutes to set everything up and initiate the spell that would summon the magical vortex. All the magic in Equestria would be drained in just a few minutes, and then she would already have won. No more Tree of Harmony, no more Twilight Sparkle and her friends, no more Royal Sisters. She wouldn't have to rely on anypony—nor would she ever have to again. One move, one rational decision was all it took.
Behind her, her reflection grew impatient. "Get on with it already! You're not going to back down, are you?"
Cozy turned around and walked up to the mirror. The mare, who was huffing air through her nostrils in irritation, had a remarkably meager constitution, with legs almost like sticks and a skinny barrel. Her curls, though they looked pretty at a distance, appeared thin and withering from up close. Even her frowned muzzle was feeble, as if there wasn't a living pony behind it.
"Don't worry," Cozy said, "I'm not backing down. My goal is unaltered. I will still become friends with everypony in Equestria—only not the way you want me to." A confident grin emerged on her features. "I'll do it for real, and I will start with Tirek and Chrysalis!"
As she spoke, the forms of the centaur and the Changeling queen appeared in the mirror, standing right behind Cozy Glow.
Cozy's reflection stiffened in anger and her twitching pupils shrunk to the size of pin-pricks. "WHAT?! Have you gone CRAZY?! Look at me: I'm your future. I'm everything you ever wanted: money, power, influence. I have seen through the lies that everypony told me and adapted them for my own benefit. You are setting yourself up for defeat!"
"No, you have set yourself up for defeat. Thanks to you restoring my memory I remember my journey with Tirek and the things he taught me on the way. You may obtain everything you want, but you still won't win because you will never be happy."
"And how do you plan on fixing that?!" The reflection squawked.
"I don't know how I can do it, but I know for sure that you are wrong. I've felt happiness when I was with Tirek and Chrysalis. Even when we denied it, we were still having fun, as friends. When I'm back in Ponyville, I will become friends with Twilight and the other Elements. And don't forget Spike and Starlight Glimmer—I owe her an apology, for sure."
Suddenly, images of the seven ponies and the baby dragon were added to the scene in the mirror. Cozy's reflection took notice and cast another scornful look at her younger self.
"Fool! They will never accept you for what you've done! You will be thrown right back in Tartarus!"
"I have done a lot of bad things, but they will let me start over. That's something that I have faith in and that I will work on. I am not afraid of them anymore. Now let's see who else is there… oh right! The Cutie Mark Crusaders! They were the first ones to help me out when I didn't understand friendship."
The CMC flashed into being and at the same time Cozy's reflection was transformed to her young self. The fillies jumped at her in a playful embrace, which mirror Cozy warmly accepted as she snorted and giggled in ecstatic joy.
"NO!" The voice cried out in panic. "How can I be betrayed by myself?! I won't allow this to happen!"
A small crack formed in the center, right where Cozy was standing. It quickly branched out over the mirror, threatening to burst it to pieces at the slightest perturbance. But just as the cracks were about to reach the edges, a brilliant white light burst free in the middle. With dazzling speed, it traced over the cracks, filling them up and preventing them from growing any further. The mirror stopped trembling and stayed like that for a few seconds, with Cozy Glow witnessing the process in awe. Between the cracks she could see the ponies around her smiling, and she smiled back. At that moment, the veins of light expanded, taking over the whole mirror.
"NOOOOoooo…" the voice cried one last time before being completely suppressed.
When the whole surface was covered, the light exploded out of the mirror, releasing a shower of glittering particles through the room and revealing the mirror scratchless as if it were brand new. It only showed Cozy's own image and by waving her hoof she confirmed that just an ordinary reflection. As the particles faded, everything in the room was back to normal.
Looking in the mirror, Cozy was filled with an overwhelming sense of inspiration. She knew exactly what to do.
Without hesitation she dashed to the window, threw it open and exited the castle by flight. She climbed high into the air to get a clear view of the area. No Tirek in sight—then he must already have reached the Tree of Harmony. She had no time to waste. Over there was the stairway down the canyon that led to the Tree! Cozy glided down as fast as her wings let her. She found the cavern and swooped in. There was the Tree—and Tirek was standing before it.
She made no time to break and slammed into the centaur's back at full speed. She shook off the blow and frantically clamped to his biceps.
"Tirek, don't destroy the Tree of Harmony! I know you want revenge but please let us find a better way!"
Cozy was bracing for impact, expecting to be shaken off or to be hit by the recoil of an imminent magical blast, but after an extended moment she realized that nothing was happening. She curiously opened her eyes again.
"Tirek?"
"I am not going to destroy the Tree, Cozy Glow." Tirek said under his breath. He picked the filly off his shoulder and let her stand on his palm.
Cozy took notice of Tirek's melancholic facial expression and responded gingerly, "Wait, you aren't? I thought you were here to…"
"Yes, that is true," he admitted, "I did come here with the intention to wipe it out and to have my revenge on Scorpan. Without the Tree, I could conquer the world and I would not be banished."
"And Midnight Castle wouldn't have fallen," Cozy added in macabre realization, which earned a solemn nod from Tirek. "But why didn't you do it?"
He sighed. "The whole way hither I was fully committed to change history. But when I stood before the Tree of Harmony, a realization came over me."
Cozy listened in absolute silence; she was hardly breathing.
"I realized that if I reclaimed what I lost, I would lose what I already had. I thought of the adventures I had with you and Chrysalis after Grogar assembled us. If I had destroyed the Tree of Harmony, none of that would have happened. That is why I couldn't do it. You must think of me a fool to sacrifice this chance for… for friendship, I suppose."
"Old Cozy would have thought you were the biggest idiot in all of Equestria," Cozy chuckled, "but not me. I think you made the right choice. In fact, I, uhm, kind of might have done the same thing before I got here."
Relieved that his embarrassment was shared, Tirek laughed along. "That makes both of us fools, then."
"Yup! And I don't even care if it does. Give me five, old pal!"
As Cozy reached out her hoof, she smiled brightly. Tirek had of course seen Cozy smile often before, but this time it was different. It wasn't the plastic grin that she wore in order to get what she wanted; this was a smile that brimmed with compassion and sincere joy. He raised his free hand to reciprocate the gesture. The instant they made contact they were blinded once again by a white light. It only lasted a moment, and when they could see again, they found themselves back in the Midnight Castle shrine.
"We're back?" Tirek asked.
"Now I remember!" Cozy exclaimed in epiphany. "We were put to the test by the Spirit of Harmony!"
"And I would say that both of you passed with flying colors," a third voice spoke. It was the voice of the Spirit of Harmony, only this time it sounded clear and it came from behind them.
Turning around, they were greeted by a bipedal creature. It was obvious from his white hair and crooked posture that he was of advanced age. Like the Spirit of Harmony of the Everfree Forest, his form was graced by a soft ethereal glow. His torso was clad in a white toga that partially covered his large, bat-like wings. Tirek recognized him at once.
"Scorpan?!" he managed to utter.
"Good to see you again, brother." He put a claw on his heart and made a slight bow that was more of a nod.
Cozy Glow gasped in surprise. "Wait, this is the one you travelled to Equestria with and who became king of Midnight Castle until it was destroyed?"
"While it brings me great pain and regret to admit it," Scorpan said, gripping the fabric of his toga, "that is indeed my legacy. As King and protector of our realm, it is my duty to take responsibility for what has happened."
"Then I was right. This is all your fault!" Tirek lashed out.
"Judge me as you wish, brother. But please, before you do so, allow me to give you the full story of what happened to our people in your absence. It is what I promised to you before your trial, remember?"
Tirek gritted his teeth, but ultimately deferred, "Very well, let me hear it."
"Thank you." Scorpan cleared his throat. "Let me begin on our final day among the ponies of Equestria. This is a part that is already familiar to you, but it is important for later that you understand this bit from my side. After I refused to go on with you any longer and fled, I didn't return to our homeland as you boasted I would do. Yes, being the coward that I was, I did initially want to run away from my fear, but once I was alone, I heard a little voice in my head, telling me that I should do what is right and safeguard harmony among all living creatures. I couldn't even take a single step further; I had to go back.
"Knowing that I couldn't possibly face you alone, I sought the help of a magnanimous unicorn wizard who went by the name of Starswirl, and whom I had become acquainted with during my stay. He immediately recognized my distress and called in the aid of the Royal Sisters. He assured us he had a plan. We followed him into the Everfree Forest, where he revealed to us an ancient entity that he had discovered on one of his travels. He called it the Tree of Harmony. According to him, it had a power that permeated throughout the whole world, connecting all its inhabitants. He cast a complicated incantation that prompted the Tree to bear fruit, which he entrusted to the two Sisters. Equipped with these elements, the Elements of Harmony, we set out to find you.
"Of course, I do not have to explain to you the outcome of our battle. After you were successfully subdued by the Elements you were instantaneously transported to the ancient dungeon Tartarus. Believe me that this was never my intention. I protested to the Princesses, begging them to release you and to take you with me. Though they said they understood my pleas, they couldn't possibly risk another disaster. As for Starswirl, he had to comply with their will. I knew I couldn't convince them, and so I shamefully readied myself to head back home. But before I could leave, Starswirl approached me. He wished me farewell and said he had a parting gift for me. Out of thin air he produced a pouch, which contained a small, glimmering seed with the color of aquamarine. 'I entrust this unto you,' he said. 'That our friendship may live as long as the Tree that sprouts from it. Tend to it well and one day it will yield fruit of its own.'
"So I left Equestria and returned to the land of centaurs. I was immediately summoned to the throne room by Father. He demanded to know where you and I had been, and, more pressingly, why you hadn't returned yet. I knew that if I told him what happened, he would be outraged. After all, Father had always been suspicious of you and your obsession with arcane magic and power. Instead, I made up a lie. I concocted a false, innocent narrative that we had merely gone on an expedition to the Valley of Dreams in search of unknown herbs and gems. This was partially true, as we did stay there and I had gathered some items that I presented to Father—but in reality it was still a lie. I said that I went home early because I was afraid and homesick and that you would likely return sometime later. I used my cowardice as an excuse in order to avoid facing my fears.
"Based on the false evidence and my reputation as a meek and fair gargoyle, Father believed me. It seemed he really did expect you to return in time. While things superficially returned to normalcy for me, I was constantly vexed by a dreadful anxiety, for I knew the truth would come out sooner or later. Several months passed and there was of course still no sign of you. Just as I couldn't uphold this falsehood any longer, it happened that father got gravely ill. He knew he didn't have much time left and therefore arranged that, in your absence, I would become the next King of the Centaurs. Even as I stood there beside his bed, he was oblivious to the conflict in Equestria and your subsequent imprisonment, as he even seemed somewhat relieved that I would ascend the throne in your place. He peacefully passed away a few days later.
"My first month as the new King were met with challenge. I had a tough time getting used to the responsibilities of ruling the country. It distracted me from thinking about your situation, but on the other claw, thoughts of you didn't escape my mind for a moment. I realized that I could use my newfound authority to get you free, perhaps even without anyone knowing about what happened. I even started making concrete plans for a visit to the Royal Sisters, but then disaster struck. Surely you remember your old mentor, Sendak the Hermit."
Tirek grumbled, "How could I forget." His disposition had changed from outright anger to a more reserved troubledness. He hadn't yet processed the series of events that had just been laid out before him and stood with crossed arms as he tried to mentally ready himself for what was yet to come.
"You will then also recall what happened to him. After Father found out about his abduction of a unicorn stallion, he sentenced him to work in the mines. But somewhere in-between it appears he managed to escape from his punishment and came back with revenge. He may have gotten wind of Father's passing and your absence, for him to strike at this moment. Regardless, I was only barely able to respond to the sudden threat. I collected a band of the bravest warriors of the land and together we eventually managed to defeat Sendak for once and for all, but not before he managed to cast a curse on me that ultimately spelt our doom. As long as I breathed, the land of centaurs and the surrounding fields would be sealed off from the rest of the world. We had enough space and resources to sustain ourselves—our kingdom even grew a fair bit—but we were never able to contact other civilizations anymore.
"Whenever I wasn't busy ruling the kingdom, I sought for a way to escape, to break the curse, but my best efforts proved to be in vain. Meanwhile I had planted the Seed of Harmony in this very underground chamber. Over the course of my life it grew into the tree that you see here beside me. I hoped every day that it would come to our aid in somehow, but herein I was let down as well. Years, decades, centuries passed in perpetual tranquility: for most it was as if nothing had occurred in the first place. You had disappeared from our collective memory, brother, but never from mine. Even in my old age I searched for a way to set right my error and make amends with you.
"It began as a day like any other. I was making a round through the city when I suddenly heard screams of distress. A moment later I was approached by guards. We don't know how they managed repeal the mirage that concealed Midnight Castle. Faster than we could react, the streets were being ravished by a band of giant cyclops goats known as Arismaspi. Though I had never witnessed any such creature in person, I recognized them from historic records that described them as ruthless pirates and plunderers who sacked every city or stronghold that lay in their path. They were fierce and incredibly powerful: not even our strongest fighters could take them on. The situation quickly turned from bad to worse. After securing the shrine by sealing up the entrance, I joined my fellow-citizens in a last stand. That is where the history of Midnight Castle ended."
A long silence followed as Scorpan and Tirek looked each other in the eyes.
"What I have done ashames me deeply. I fully understand if you hate me even more, now that you know the full truth. I am just happy that I no longer have to carry this burden."
"No." The word hardly escaped from Tirek's throat. "Knowing all this, I do not hate you anymore. It's… hard to fathom. The idea, that the centaurs are extinct, and that you gave your life to save them…"
Tirek wanted to look away, but Scorpan continued, grabbing his attention. "There is one thing I haven't told you yet. If you recall, the curse on Midnight Castle was bound to my breath. I realized that if I fell, the curse would be lifted and our kind would be free once more. I arranged a plan in which the Arimaspi would be led to one end of the city while survivors escaped on the other side. Insofar as I can testify, this operation was a success."
"Does that mean…?" he asked hoarsely.
"It means that some of our people have survived and may be alive to this day. No—I'm sure of it. I can sense they do. I hope that with this I have redeemed myself at least a little bit. There's only one thing left for me to do."
Beside Scorpan, the Tree of Harmony had begun pulsating again, this time in all colours of the rainbow.
"I learned that the Tree of Harmony strongly reacts to amity, true friendship. You two have shown this in you trial, and because of that the Tree is finally ready to bear fruit, just as Starswirl foretold. Take care of these for me."
Scorpan snapped his claw, to which six gems emerged out of the crystal branches of the Tree. They broke free and delicately floated in circles around Tirek and Cozy Glow.
"The Elements of Harmony!" Cozy Glow exclaimed.
"I have understood that there is another who is dear to you and who urgently needs your help. These gems shall guide you the way. Do not be afraid to follow them, or to follow what they stand for. Friendship is not a curse, it is a wonderful thing, and it is common to all creatures in the world, including you. Ever since my… passing, I have looked over you. I have seen how you worked together and found a budding friendship on Mount Everhoof, how your sense of justice triumphed as you rejected Grogar's ways. I was with you when you took little Cozy to the hospital in the aftermath of the fight."
Cozy Glow suddenly made a jump and looked up quizzically at the centaur. "Wait, you never told me that was you."
Scorpan cast a serene smile at the filly. "Yes, young Cozy Glow, though my brother may at times be stubborn and irritated, he deeply cares about you. You should ask him sometime whose idea it really was to take you out of Ponyville onto this journey."
Cozy tried to formulate a response, but after incoherently sputtering out syllables, she simply stood in mute stupefaction. Tirek offered her an embarrassed chuckle.
Scorpan bent over as far as his back allowed as he addressed Cozy once more. "As for you, I ask you to stop cloaking your heart in shadows. You are still young, and you are smart far beyond your years, but the most important facts of life can only be known with time. Do not be afraid to live. Do not be afraid to trust others; you shall see it is well worth the effort."
The orange element graciously floated before Cozy's eyes and hovered in place for a moment. She marveled at its brilliant colour and the warmth that radiated off it and she nodded in agreement. The Elements then drifted towards the staircase leading outside.
Scorpan turned back to Tirek.
"By the way,” Scorpan said as he turned back to Tirek, “pardon me for noting but, it appears you are no longer wearing my necklace."
Tirek sighed. "Your necklace… I had given it to… someone who considered me to be his friend."
"Don't ask him about it!" Cozy added. "It's another painful memory. Hold on—didn't you say you've looked over Tirek all this time? Don’t you know what he did?"
"Heh, you got me. I wanted to hear it just to be sure. Well, you must go now. Make haste, for there is little time left. I wish you best of luck."
"Wait."
Tears had welled up in Tirek's eyes and were silently streaming down his face. After swallowing a lump in his throat, he broke open.
"I'm sorry, brother! I'm deeply sorry that I didn't help you when I should have, that I didn't spend time with you, and didn't protect you when you needed it. I regret not listening to you on that fateful day and scaring you off. I have begrudged your name for such a long time, ignorant of your selfless deeds!"
"It's all right, brother," Scorpan assured on the gentlest tone. "Do not live in regret, for I forgive you. Despite my tribulations I have lived a great many years that I have spent setting right what went wrong. And now that our bond has finally been restored, I consider my life complete. I have no more regrets of my own."
"Brother, please stay with us!"
Tirek dived towards him, ready to receive him in his arms, but Scorpan's appearance was that of a ghost and he passed right through him. With a face drenched in tears and now slightly embarrassed he retreated.
"I am afraid I cannot join you. You need to complete your journey on your own; but save your other friend and I promise this shan't be our final encounter. But for now, goodbye."
Scorpan’s image dispersed like a puff of smoke. The Tree had lost most of radiance and was now shimmering dimly. The Elements had already made their way outside.
"Tirek, we need to go," Cozy said.
Tirek wiped his face with his arm and replied, "You are right, let's save Chrysalis."