Everyone stared in horror at the image of the Midnight Kingdom peninsula with the bow glowing over it.
“What?! That can’t be right!” shouted Starlight.
“Why the hay would the map call Flurry in the place where Tirek is? Who even has a friendship problem there?” Stormy asked.
“Stormy, don’t you get it? The friendship problem is Tirek!” Flurry said, nervously.
“But you can’t just go there, Flurry. It’s too dangerous,” Pound said, worriedly.
“I agree, Flurry,” Sunburst added. “If Tirek wants us all to leave him alone, it might be best.”
“I know, but don’t you understand?” Flurry continued. “Tirek and Scorpan just need to make up. Maybe I can go talk to them. I just don’t know how I’m going to do it. What I can say to them…”
The holographic bow then transformed into a small orb and floated away out of the room.
“What? Now where’s it going?” Flurry asked as she followed after it.
The orb led them all down to the cellar of the palace. They walked down the steps until they saw the orb floating in front of a nearby crystal wall. It shone brightly for a few seconds and then phased through the wall and disappeared.
“Oh great, we’ve lost it,” Stormy said.
“I think it’s trying to show us something in there,” Flurry said, putting her hoof on the wall. “But what could it have to do with the Midnight Kingdom?”
“Well, you did just get done asking how you were going to get Tirek and Scorpan to listen,” Pumpkin reminded her. “Maybe there’s something in there that will help out with that? Maybe like a really nice treat or pie or something to give to Tirek?”
“Pump, come on. This is no time for jokes,” Pound scolded his sister.
“What? It worked on the buffalos.”
“There has to be a reason why it’s showing us this wall,” Flurry continued. “I just wish I knew what it was.”
“I wish I could sense where that thing is. Well, only one way to find out!” Discord said as he donned a boxy-looking outfit with a square helmet and a pickaxe that appeared to be made of pixels.
He began swinging the pickaxe at the wall as it came apart in chunks of crystals.
“Too bad Spike isn’t here,” Annie joked as she watched the crystals fall to the ground.
“Well by the time we find that thing, I hope we aren’t too late,” Starlight said.
“GUYS!” Trixie called as she rushed down to meet everyone.
“Trixie?” Starlight and Sunburst responded.
“I’m guessing you already know about Tirek?”
“Well, it's funny you mention that. We’re getting a signal from the map to go solve a friendship problem in the Midnight Kingdom,” Starlight told her.
“You are? Well, I wouldn’t worry about that right now. The mayor just got an update from Twilight: she’s sending in some of the teachers with the Elements.”
“Already? I thought the teachers were on vacation?” Sunburst said.
“So did I, but I guess Sandbar and Ocellus haven’t started theirs yet.”
“So does this mean Flurry doesn’t have to worry about the friendship problem then?” Chip asked.
“No Chip, I have to go. The map is calling me,” Flurry told him.
“Are you sure, Flurry?” Pound said, landing next to her. “I’m sure the Elements have got this.”
“We saw what happened with Cozy Glow. The Elements didn’t work on purpose because they knew I could stop her with the Safeguard Bracelet. The Tree of Harmony connects both the map and the Elements, so if the map is calling me, the Elements must know I can help again. Trixie, we have to stop Twilight and the others.”
“Sorry Flurry,” Trixie sighed. “They’ve already left. Twilight just teleported them there.”
“They’ll be fine. They've got the Elements with them,” Discord called as he wiped the sweat off of his brow. “Twilight knows a secret entrance into the catacombs that Scorpan showed her. Right now, I suggest we all pitch in and find this thing.”
Discord snapped his fingers and made little shovels appear in front of everyone.
“Let’s spread out and see what we uncover. And be careful not to hit it with the shovels!”
“Come on, let’s give it a try!” Pound said as everyone else joined in and started chipping away at the wall.
Twilight, Spike, Sandbar, and Ocellus walked cautiously on a path in the mountains just behind the castle town in the Midnight Kingdom. They were heading towards a cave that was a secret entrance into the palace Twilight had been shown. Sandbar and Ocellus were wearing their Element necklaces. Spike looked nervous but stuck close to Twilight in case he needed to defend her. He was more worried for his old friend than he was for his own safety after what happened in the throne room earlier that day.
“So Discord can’t even stop him?” Sandbar asked.
“Tirek took all the guards’ magic and I’m guessing he stole Scorpan’s right after we left. He’ll find the Absorption Stone and take the magic out of that next I fear.”
“So Tirek can take magic from non-living beings then?” Ocellus asked.
“His ability to steal magic is limited. He can absorb residual energy from a living creature, but objects like the Staff of Sacanas and the Absorption Stone are meant to have energy transferred to and from them so it’s actually quite easy for Tirek to do the same with them.”
“I sure wish the others were here,” Sandbar said, nervously. “I feel like this would be a lot easier with all six of us.”
“Remember, Sandbar: where two or more are gathered in the name of Harmony, so shall Harmony be with them,” Twilight reminded. “The Elements worked for Celestia and Luna don’t forget.”
“She’s right, Sandbar,” Ocellus told her friend. “This will work out fine…that is unless the Elements choose not to work again.”
“Well if they didn’t wanna work against Cozy because there was another way to stop her, what other way could there be to stop Tirek?” Spike asked.
“I’m not sure,” Twilight responded. “Celestia told me that Tirek might have been the most powerful creature on record when he absorbed all my magic, at least in the past few thousand years. There won’t be anyone else who can stop him so I’d like to think the Elements will work this time.”
They finally got to a spot with some trees and rocks that Twilight directed them to. The cave was barely visible but Twilight lit up her horn to show them the way.
“Here it is. We’ll have to be as quiet as possible. I would teleport us to the other side of this tunnel, but I haven’t actually been there and have no image in my head of what it looks like.”
“Yeah, every time we visit, we use the front entrance,” Spike added.
“Keep your necklace on in case anything happens, Ocellus,” Sandbar warned his changeling friend.
“Right. I’ll be ready,” she replied.
Meanwhile in the castle town, every single citizen of the Midnight Kingdom had already heard about what happened with Tirek. Although none of them were in favor of his kingship, they had no choice but to comply. Several town criers had walked around with scrolls, anxiously telling the citizens the news of Tirek’s new assumption of the throne. They were warned to not attempt an uprising or they would have their energy drained and be forced to work in the mines for life. Tirek had demanded everyone gather for his speech in the center of town while he would stand atop the balcony just outside of the main entrance.
As the weary guards stood on both sides of the balcony, Tirek walked down the steps slowly, now wearing an enlarged and redecorated version of Scorpan’s crown. He was now in his fourth form with his bracelets having broken off of his wrists and sporting white hair on top of his head. His size was formidable and towered over everyone else. No one would ever dare stand up to this tyrant. Tirek was now the most powerful creature in the entire land and possibly even the world. He strode to the edge of the balcony and began to speak.
“CITIZENS OF THE MIDNIGHT KINGDOM!” Tirek hollered as everyone stood still in fear.
“Many of you may be too young to remember, but I am in fact the oldest son of your former King Vorak. I am Lord Tirek, formerly a prince, but I now stand before you as KING Tirek, and I will forevermore be addressed as such!”
The guards shuddered under the weight of Tirek’s booming voice. The other centaurs, gargoyles, and storm beasts in the crowd below looked up in terror at their new leader.
“I know you are not prepared for this transition of power, but make no mistake, my kingship is what King Vorak originally intended. Unfortunately my father was overcome with weakness and treachery when he allowed me to be imprisoned in Tartarus for over a thousand years and gave the throne to my brother. To make matters worse, your new King Scorpan betrayed me to the king of the ponies. You have bowed down to Scorpan since then, and while I see this country fairs better since my youth, I can and will make it grander. This transition will see it through, and if you dissent to my authority, be warned that any attempts to overthrow me will be met with dire consequences! UNDERSTOOD?!”
“YES, KING TIREK!” everyone murmured in unison.
As Tirek continued his speech, Twilight and the others had finally made it through the secret tunnel. In the catacombs of the palace, a door shaped like a large stone slab began to move as it was covered in a magic aura. Twilight moved the stone aside and Spike, Sandbar and Ocellus stepped out of the tunnel behind her.
“Alright, here we are,” she said quietly as they crept through the catacombs.
“Is this a dungeon?” Ocellus asked.
“I’m not sure, but we may be close to the dungeon. We have to rescue Scorpan first and then you two can take on Tirek.”
“I’m afraid it’s too late for that,” said an elderly voice nearby.
They all looked to the side to see a dungeon cell down at the end of a corridor where a torch was lit. They carefully walked towards the source of the voice and saw a shadowy figure inside the dungeon.
“I tried to take revenge on that foolish centaur myself, but he was already too powerful and threw me in here,” the shadow said, miserably.
“Tried to take revenge on him?” Spike asked.
“Wait, who are you?” Twilight asked.
“Who do you think taught Tirek that spell to begin with?” said the shadow as he walked into the light.
“You…you’re…Sendak the Elder?!” Ocellus said.
“That is what they used to call me,” Sendak said.
“What are you doing here? You were turned to stone and left in the forest for centuries!” Twilight said.
“Ah, so that’s where they put me. Well whoever turned me into stone in the first place must have had this all planned out rather well. When I was released from stone, I was elsewhere in Equestria and the year is now 1989 AH. Interesting.”
“Where is Tirek, Sendak?” Twilight asked, firmly.
“Why should I bother telling you? You’ll only meet the same fate of all those other guards.”
Sendak pointed behind them and they all turned to see hands reaching out of bars with weak voices calling for help.
“Twilight? Twilight Sparkle, is that you?” called one voice.
“SCORPAN?!” Twilight called back as she rushed to find him.
Spike began melting the dungeon locks with his fire breath to release the guards who had been imprisoned.
“Twilight! I told you to leave!” Scorpan called to Twilight as she reached his cell.
“And I told you I wouldn’t give up on the Midnight Kingdom, Scorpan,” she said, proudly.
“Don’t worry, Scorpan,” Spike told the gargoyle king as he put his arms around Sandbar and Ocellus. “We’ve got the Elements of Harmony with us this time!”
“We’re going to stop Tirek,” Twilight said as she used her magic to break the lock and set Scorpan free.
“Your highness!” said the captain of the guard, rushing over to see his king. “We need to get you out of here immediately!”
“No, Captain,” Scorpan replied. “I need to stay with Princess Twilight. Go find everyone you can and start the evacuation once we have Tirek distracted. And keep it quiet.”
“Forgive me, sire, but I don’t feel right leaving you.”
“I am the king. I need to stay here and defend my people. If the Elements of Harmony don’t work, I am going to stop Tirek myself. I have a way to do it. Go now!”
“Yes, sire.”
The guards all began to file out of the room and went up a stairwell leading to the first level of the palace. Scorpan was still weak from having his magic drained so Spike wrapped his arm around him and helped him to walk.
“Thank you, Spike,” he said, gratefully. “Thank you all for coming for me. Now before you confront Tirek, I need you to take me somewhere.”
“Where are we going?” Twilight asked.
“The stone. I need to get to the stone.”
“The Absorption Stone?” Spike asked.
“Yes. Tirek hasn’t gotten to it yet. Only I know where it is. I must get there quickly.”
Everyone left the dungeon with Scorpan. All the cells had been emptied except for Sendak’s who was still far back at the end of the corridor, left to his imprisonment.
“Oh don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine right here,” he said under his breath as he glanced back at the secret entrance Twilight emerged from.
As they all made their way up the stairs, Scorpan stopped them before one door and made them turn. They entered an underground vault with pillars containing weapons and artifacts. Some of the weapons were on the ground, broken or appeared to be drained of their energy. Tirek had most likely already found this vault and stole all the energy from them.
On the walls were ancient glyphs showing some of the history of the Midnight Kingdom. Twilight noticed one mural that depicted Tirek’s first defeat in Equestria. Pictured here were younger versions of Celestia and Luna using the Elements to stop Tirek by using their power to break his horns and drain his magic. Scorpan was behind Tirek, lifting a large glowing stone in his hands that was taking the magic while Starswirl the Bearded watched behind him. This was undoubtedly the Absorption Stone.
“Over there, Spike,” Scorpan said, pointing to a nearby portrait of King Vorak and Queen Haydon.
“Is this where the stone is?” Ocellus asked.
“This is it.”
Scorpan walked forward slowly and placed his hand on the bottom of the frame of the portrait and spoke to it.
“Father, Mother, please help me. Allow your love to guide me.”
The frame glowed around the edges and started to move to the side to show a doorway with a room inside.
“Are the spirits of the king and queen in that portrait or something?” Sandbar asked.
“Far from it,” Scorpan replied. “What I just said was simply the passcode. Something Tirek could never bring himself to say if he knew it.”
Spike helped Scorpan into the room where there was a small pillar coming out of the ground and holding the stone on top. The Absorption Stone looked like a glowing translucent rock with various colors shining through. It was making a humming sound similar to the sound a unicorn’s horn would make when they used magic.
“This is the Absorption Stone,” Scorpan told his friends. “Tirek hasn’t touched it yet which means I can still use it in case the Elements fail.”
“How are you going to use it, Scorpan?” Twilight asked him.
“After what my brother did in Equestria the first time, I took it upon myself to learn the absorption spell. It took years to master, but it worked. I have vowed to never steal magic from an innocent being though, and I only use it in case something happens to the Staff of Sacanas, which is what I usually use to capture magic. You see, the stone cannot cast a spell to absorb magic by itself; you must use either the staff or your own magic to do so and then transfer it to the stone. The stone serves as a massive storage device. The staff’s gem is derived from the same mystical element this stone comes from, so they work in tandem rather effectively, but I must use my own powers this time.”
“How much magic is being stored in it right now?” Sandbar asked.
“Very much. My father and his father before him used it to take magic from criminals and weapons of war over the years. This stone is loaded with energy and I think it might just be enough to take on my brother. I do not want to do this, but I have no other choice.”
“Scorpan, I think we can get the Elements to work on Tirek,” Twilight said, placing her hoof on Scorpan’s arm.
“I hope you are right, Twilight, but I do not want to see my brother turned to stone or sent to Tartarus again. I feel like it’s up to me now.”
“We’ll go out first and use the Elements, your highness,” Ocellus told him.
“Yeah, Ocellus and I got this,” Sandbar added as he put his arm around Ocellus.
“Thank you. I would be happy for your help. Go now. Quickly.”
They all turned to leave the vault as Scorpan reached down to lift the stone. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. This was not how he wished to confront his brother, but he was already out of options. He turned and walked out slowly with the stone in his hands.
“Tirek, please don’t make me do this,” he said.