The Sad Tale of Tirek
Wanda Young sat in front of a book, deep within the secret wing of the Ruby Library Building. Next to her, Abigail Albright was curled up into a ball, sleeping soundly. Though the library was calm, Wanda was in deep thought.
“What is it about the four mythical beasts that intrigue me?” Wanda asked. “It’s the first I’ve heard of them. And yet, I feel as if I have this bond to them like I do with this goddess Lily Hikari.”
“Wanda? Are you alright?” Wanda turned her head around to see Eleanor Young walk up to her from the entrance.
“I’m fine, Evevanyian Mommy,” Wanda said. “Just focusing on the tales of the four mythical beasts.”
“I was wondering when you would learn about these creatures,” Eleanor laughed. “Especially from the mother closer to you.”
“You know about these four?” Wanda asked.
“I do,” Eleanor said. “The four mythical creatures are also tied to Evevanyia’s heritage, and to the four seasons. The azure dragon of the east brought forth spring, and the bloom of new flowers. The vermillion phoenix of the south brought summer, providing warmth and comfort to our people, and a reminder to tend to our crops. The white tiger of the west represented the fall, or autumn, to prepare ourselves for a long winter. And the black tortoise of the north wraps the land in the cold so that we may sleep peacefully.”
“And what about the gold dragon?” Wanda asked.
“She is the central balance that keeps the seasons in peace,” Eleanor said. “And you already know her name: Lily Hikari.”
“The very goddess who created our universe?” Wanda asked.
“That’s correct,” Eleanor responded. “And judging by the look on your face, you discovered that the goddess is connected to the four creatures. If we ever take you to Evevanya, I promise to show you the very houses connected to the four mythical beings.”
Wanda sighed for a moment before she closed her book and picked up Abigail, waking the kitty cat up.
“I don’t know if we’ll even make it to Evevanya,” Wanda said. “I know it’s relaxing to be in the Golden Land. But…I don’t want to be stuck here for the rest of my life.”
“We will find a way back,” Eleanor said as she kissed Wanda on the forehead. “We will. Along with your changeling friends and the Winterian Princess back at where you found those carvings of the Drakians.”
Those words caused Wanda to leap out of her seat, startling Abigail a bit. She turned towards her biological mother, sweating nervously, who had a smug smirk on her face.
“You know about Princess Chrysalis II and the Predacons?” Wanda asked as small beads of sweat poured down her forehead.
“I knew they were here before you discovered them by accident,” Eleanor said. “Rest assured, they are welcomed here as long as they are not hostile to us. And no, you’re not in any trouble. I just wanted to play with you for a bit.”
Wanda wiped the sweat off of her forehead and breathed a sigh of relief. She turned around towards her seat, only for Eleanor to place her hand on her shoulder, stopping her. Wanda turned towards Eleanor, whose smile went from smug to reassuring.
“Wanda, you do look a little tense,” Eleanor said. “Why not take a break from all that studying?”
“But I want to learn more about the four mythical beasts,” Wanda said. “I want to know more of their connection to every race in the world.”
“And you will, through a different means,” Eleanor said. “I’m going to tell a tale of not just the four beasts, but also of the son of my Dusk counterpart: Prince Tirek.”
“Prince Tirek?” Wanda said. “You told me about him. What was he like?”
“Well, my darling Wanda,” Eleanor said. “Come with me. It’s time you and your friends know about Prince Tirek.”
Abigail looked up at Eleanor and just meowed loudly.
“Abby,” Wanda said. “You want to hear about this tale of Tirek?”
But the only thing Abigail did was leap into Wanda’s arms before rubbing her head on Wanda’s chest.
“I guess I’ll take that as a yes,” Wanda giggled.
It was evening time at the Ruby Library. Deep within the secret wing, Queen Eleanor Young, Princess Wanda Young, Abigail Albright, Spike the Dragon, Starlight Glimmer, Pinkie Pie, Golden Lace, Cozy Glow, and Misty Brightdawn were gathered around in a giant circle on the ground. Eleanor stood on her two legs and held a book in her right hand, while her staff laid on the ground.
“So what’s going on with Queen Eleanor?” Misty asked.
“I don’t know,” Starlight said. “All Wanda mentioned was this…Tirek character.”
“Shhh,” Wanda shushed. “It’s starting.”
Eleanor walked into the middle of the circle where the younglings looked up at her. She held her book in the air before opening it.
“Good evening,” Eleanor said. “Tonight, I wish to tell you a tale about a prince who was once the eye of my good friend: Queen Lilian Hayden Highstaff. One whose fall from grace still broke her heart. His name….Prince Tirek.”
With that, Eleanor flung the book into the air at a high speed. The moment it reached the peak of its height, the book exploded in a blinding light, producing a number of colorful pyrotechnic explosions, until smoke formed into the shape of centaur with red and light black colors. The sound of the explosions was enough to cause Spike and Abigail to hide behind Wanda and Starlight.
“That’s Tirek?” Wanda said as Spike and Abigail peeked their heads out.
“Yes,” Eleanor said before she reached out, allowing her staff to fly into her right hand before she held it up. “Prince Tirek is the son of Queen Lilian and her previous husband: King Vorak.”
As the smoke image of Tirek ran through, another smoke cloud formed an older centaur, who the image of Tirek approached before bowing to him. In an instant, the image of Tirek transformed into a younger version of himself before the older centaur picked him up.
“As a youngling, Tirek had a high respect for his father,” Eleanor explained. “And there’s a reason for this: King Vorak saw his son as the jewel of his eye. A youngling to be proud of. All he wanted was what was best for his son.”
As the image of King Vorak and Prince Tirek hugged each other close, the image of a female human with bat wings approached the duo. Prince Tirek looked at her mother and stood still as the female human walked up to the prince and hugged him.
“And it was not just King Vorak who saw pride in his son,” Eleanor said. “Queen Lilian, my counterpart, also cared for Prince Tirek. She wanted to see her son grow up to be king of the Dusk, and to lead all of Evevanya to an era of prosperity.”
In an instant, the image of young Tirek, King Vorak and Queen Lillian disappeared. In its place, a pre-teen Tirek held his bow in the air while King Vorak watched with anticipation.
“For many years, King Vorak trained his son in many ways to prepare him for the throne,” Eleanor narrated. “Throughout his trials, Tirek proved to his father the qualities of being king.”
In an instant, pre-teen Tirek fired a shot from his arrow, where it hit the image of a target on a tree. King Vorak clapped as Tirek turned to his father and took a bow.
Immediately, the image changed into Tirek and Vorak in a duel using wooden swords, clashing at each other like their life was on the line.
“Prince Tirek was pushed to the limits by his father,” Eleanor said. “It wasn’t enough to be skilled in one talent. To be king, Tirek had to be skilled in many talents. And in some ways, he would learn the ways of failure.”
With a powerful thrust of his arms, King Vorak barged into his son Prince Tirek and knocked him down with a swipe of his sword. Tirek laid there on the ground, as if his pride was hurt.
“And although Tirek would learn to fail, it was failure that taught him his life lessons,” Eleanor said. “And it was his father who encouraged Tirek to try again.”
King Vorak reached down with his hand towards Tirek, who slowly reached out and grabbed onto his hand before the older centaur pulled him up. Once the two were back on their hooves, Tirek and Vorak drew their wooden swords and clashed again.
“It was failure that taught Tirek how to be humble, how to not be arrogant in the eyes of his people,” Eleanor said. “And failure is meant to be the most important teacher for all of us.”
The image of the pre-teen Tirek and King Vorak clashing with wooden swords disappeared, and in its place, Tirek laid on an altar, nervous but yet ready, while the image of Queen Lillian and Queen Eleanor approached the centaur prince.
“But it wasn’t just his skills, nor the lessons of his failures, that shaped Prince Tirek,” Queen Eleanor said. “Queen Lillian and I discovered that Prince Tirek was also gifted with a special kind of magic. One that bore the essence of the four mythical beasts: the Azure Dragon, the Crimson Phoenix, the White Tiger and the Black Tortoise.”
As Queen Lillian and Queen Eleanor stood above Prince Tirek, they reached their hands into the air, causing Tirek to glow blue, then red, then white and then black. Tirek relaxed as he glowed brightly.
“Since his birth, Tirek has been blessed with the magic of the four mythical beasts,” Queen Eleanor said. “It was said that anyone who was harmonized by these legendary gods would be blessed with the magic of lifegiver.”
“Lifegiver?” Starlight asked. “What do you mean by that?”
“That is a question that is worth answering, Starlight Glimmer,” Eleanor laughed.
Holding her staff in the air, Eleanor watched as the images of Tirek, Lillian and herself disappeared. In its place, her own avatar kneeled before the image of a blue ram, who approached her.
“Our guardian deity Grogar, who was a student of the four mythical beasts, knew all about life magic,” Eleanor explained. “And the words he said to me were those I keep to heart.”
As the image of Eleanor knelt, the image of Grogar came to a stop and stared down at Grogar.
“You were wise to seek my council, Queen Eleanor,” Grogar’s image said. “Queen Lillian and King Vorak’s son possess a great blessing from the four beasts. As such, he can not only control the life magic like most Evevanyians, but he also possesses the power to bring the dead back to life, even if they were reduced to ash.”
I was proud of what Grogar said to me, and the fact that Prince Tirek exceeded the expectations of both King Vorak and Queen Lillian. But what he said next shocked me to my core.
“But you must beware,” Grogar said. “Outside forces threaten to corrupt the son of Vorak and Lillian, to force him to turn against his family. You must protect him from this evil at all costs. Failure will unfortunately doom the house of Highstaff.”
Looking up at Grogar, the image of Queen Eleanor looked horrified.
“I couldn’t disregard the words of Lord Grogar,” Eleanor said. “After all, he has never faltered in his wisdom. And I knew Prince Tirek would be upset about the truth. But it was for his own well-being.”
The image of Grogar disappeared as the avatar of Queen Eleanor stood before the images of King Vorak and Queen Lillian.
“I told my counterparts about the words of Grogar, that outside forces threaten to corrupt Prince Tirek,” Eleanor said. “He took those words to heart and went to confront his son about it.”
As the avatar of Eleanor and the image of Queen Lillian disappeared, King Vorak stood above a teenage Tirek, who sounded horrified by his father’s words.
“But King Vorak had a different approach,” Eleanor said. “Under his order, Prince Tirek was confined to Everfree City, under an extreme amount of guards to ensure that no one will take the young prince. But this resulted in severing the bond between father and son.”
In an instant, Tirek turned away from his father and ran off crying, leaving King Vorak all by himself as if there were a hint of remorse in his eyes.
“Prince Tirek felt rejected by his father's command,” Eleanor said. “He grew distant from him in the coming months, as if he no longer held him on that high pedestal. And King Vorak began to realize that he may have gone too far.”
As the images of Tirek and King Vorak disappeared, the avatar of Eleanor, who appeared to be pregnant, stood there horrified.
“I wondered if telling King Tirek and Queen Lillian about the danger their son was in was a good idea,” Eleanor said. “But even Lord Grogar thought that King Vorak went too far.”
Behind the avatar of Queen Eleanor, Grogar walked up from behind the pregnant queen with a disappointed look on his face.
“What was he thinking?” Lord Grogar said. “He was supposed to protect his son, not destroy his trust.”
“I turned my head towards the guardian deity of Evevanya,” Eleanor narrated, “And I knew my own words were also of disappointment.”
“Even I didn't expect King Vorak to go that far,” the Avatar of Eleanor said. “Now the evil that threatened to corrupt Tirek could easily take him.”
“But the words that Grogar would say would have a chilling effect on my own soul,” Eleanor continued.
“I don't think it will be easy for father and son to reconnect with each other,” Grogar said. “In fact, King Vorak's own recklessness may have split the divide even further.”
“Divide?” The Avatar of Eleanor said, surprised. “Then this is my fault. I shouldn't have told them about your prediction.”
“It's not your fault,” Grogar said. “You did what you could to try to save Prince Tirek. But not all of us are capable of doing the right thing. I fear what King Vorak did could be his undoing.”
“The words of Lord Grogar began to haunt my own mind” Eleanor explained. “I wondered if things would have gone better had I not told King Vorak or Queen Lillian at all.”
As the image of Lord Grogar disappeared, the Avatar of Eleanor slimmed down before the smoke created a crib with a baby girl in it.
“In the coming months, I gave birth to a baby girl of my own,” Eleanor said. “And you all know who that is.”
As Wanda observed the images of smoke above, her face beamed with excitement.
“Why that's…..that's me,” Wanda said.
“That's correct,” Eleanor responded. “You came into this world, my darling Wanda,” Eleanor said. “You became a princess of Evevanya by birthright. But to me, you became the happiest moment of my life.”
The Avatar of Eleanor reached down and picked up the image of Baby Wanda before holding her up in the air with joy in her face. She held Baby Wanda close to her before cradling the child in her arms.
“It reminded me of when Queen Lillian gave birth to Prince Tirek back then,” Eleanor said. “To see a new life come to Evevanya, and to have a child of my own, let alone a daughter.”
But as the crib where Baby Wanda laid disappeared, Queen Lillian appeared beside the Avatar of Eleanor with a warm smile on her face, while the image of King Vorak appeared, having his back turned away from both queens.
“But while Queen Lillian shared in the same happiness that I experienced, King Vorak had not been himself,” Eleanor explained. “He did not turn to see my new daughter, nor would he face his own wife. But I could tell in his soul that he regretted driving a wedge between him and his son Prince Tirek. I felt helpless in what they were going through.”
But as the image of King Vorak and Queen Lillian disappeared, the Avatar of Eleanor carried Baby Wanda with her, slumping around in a depressed mood.
“I did what I could to raise Baby Wanda,” Queen Eleanor said. “But there was a part of me that wanted to give up Wanda to Queen Lillian and King Vorak, all just to reawaken their own passion, and to remind them of the love they gave to their son.”
But in an instant, the avatar of Eleanor came to a stop as the image of Queen Lillian appeared in front of her in a full panic.
“But one day, Queen Lillian gave me some bad news,” Eleanor explained. “And it was something I had feared would happen.”
“Prince Tirek had gone missing, and King Vorak had gone to search for him,” The image of Queen Lillian cried. “I fear for the safety of my husband and my son.”
The Avatar of Eleanor nodded to Queen Lillian as they both ran off with Eleanor's Avatar holding Baby Wanda in her arms.
“With no time to prepare, we hurried out of Equinox City and into the forest area, searching for King Vorak and Prince Tirek,” Eleanor explained. “Though in hindsight, I should have left my daughter with a caretaker. But I was too emotional to think about that.”
But as the Avatar and Lillian ran, they came to a stop and were horrified. In an instant, an image of Lord Tirek stood above King Vorak, who laid there motionless. The look on the prince's face was of remorse as he shamefully turned to face his mother and thr Avatar of Eleanor.
“Tirek confessed to killing his own father,” Eleanor said. “But we saw the look on his face, and we realized that he didn't mean for it to happen. But what he said next horrified us even more.
The image of Prince Tirek approached Queen Lillian and the Avatar of Eleanor before kneeling down with his hands held out, turning his head away.
“Lock me away in the deepest part of Midnight Castle,” Prince Tirek cried. “The ancestral home of the Dusk. What I did cannot be forgiven.”
“My counterpart was heartbroken by her son's remorseful wish,” Eleanor said as the image of Lillian reluctantly placed a magic cuff around Tirek's wrists. “She agreed to do so, knowing that she may never see her son again.”
As the image of Queen Lillian escorted Tirek away from the fallen King Vorak, everything but the Avatar of Eleanor and Baby Wanda disappeared, and a cloud of darkness began to surround them.
“But with the death of the king, and a prince locking himself away for what he did, Evevanya would fall into a despair that we didn't anticipate.”
Instantly, the darkness transformed into Dawn and Dusk Evevaniyans clashing with humans who wielded rifles and energy shields.
“Humans who have rebelled against their own planet popped out of nowhere and declared war on our people,” Eleanor said. “And we were pushed to the limit without King Vorak or Prince Tirek. Many of our brothers and sisters would be lost to this horrifying war.”
The Avatar of Eleanor held Baby Wanda close as the little one cried loudly. Humans fired lasers from their rifles at the defending Dawn and Dusk Evevaniyans. Some fell in battle. Others dodged the shots and casted .agic at the humans or lunged at them with swords, axes or pole arms, killing them in the process.
“So many lives dying in a senseless war that came out of nowhere,” Eleanor said as the younglings observe the carnage. “All because we lost a king and a prince chose to lock himself away for what he did. It felt as if all hope was lost.”
But as the younglings continued to observe the war, something within Wanda sparked in her eyes.
“It's strange,” Wanda said. “But….I feel like I've seen this before.”
Wanda looked up at the fighting going on around the Avatar of Eleanor and her baby self before the warriors of both sides disappeared in a cloud of smoke. When the smoke cleared, the Avatar of Eleanor kneeled to the image of Queen Lillian, all while she held her daughter.
“Because of the death of King Vorak, imprisonment of his son Prince Tirek, and the war that came to Evevanya, I had no choice but to take Wanda out of the land of her birth and heritage,” Eleanor explained. “My counterpart was reluctant to see me part with my daughter. But she understood why it had to be done. She told me of a land beyond ours that could be yoru shelter. It was called….Equestria.”
“That’s why I came here to Equestria,” Wanda said. “It was because of the war that started back in Evevanya and the death of King Vorak.”
“That’s correct, my daughter,” Eleanor said before she raised her staff into the air once more.
The Avatar of Eleanor, Baby Wanda and Queen Lillian disappeared before it formed a cage with Prince Tirek trapped inside. His back was turned away from the front of the cage, barely looking behind his shoulder.
“As for Prince Tirek, he remains in his cell in Midnight Castle, the ancestral home of the Dusk,” Queen Eleanor said. “The remorse that filled his eyes was because of his father’s death. I still don’t know if Tirek really did end his father’s life, even after his own confession. But in a way, he still carried a lot of respect for King Vorak. Maybe it wasn’t if he killed him or not. Maybe, it’s because his father is gone, and it hurts his heart the most.”
In an instant, the smoke cloud that took the form of Tirek and the cage that surrounded him disappeared before the very book that Eleanor threw into the air took shape once more and fell before Eleanor grabbed it with one swipe.
“And that is the story of Prince Tirek,” Eleanor said. “May he one day find peace.”
As the other younglings stared at Queen Eleanor, Pinkie Pie burst into tears, crying out loud and attracting the attention of everyone in the room.
“POOR TIREK!” Pinkie cried. “HE LOOKED UP TO HIS FATHER, AND NOW HE’S GONE!”
“Woah, easy there Pinkie,” Starlight said as she placed her hoof on Pinkie’s back. “It’s okay. I know what it’s like to lose a relative, and even though he lives within me, I still miss seeing my Uncle Meteor Flare in front of me.”
“No doubt about it,” Cozy Glow said. “Even if Tirek didn’t kill his own father, he still carried a lot of guilt in seeing him die. And I’ll be honest, I do sympathize with Tirek. I just wish he never had to go through that trauma.”
“So do I,” Eleanor said as she placed the book down on the table next to her. “And to be honest, I still blame myself for being the one who drove a wedge between father and son, even if it was unintentional. But I do hope that one day, Tirek will be able to forgive himself for that day, and reconnect with her mother, and with the rest of his people. Now, are there any questions you wish to ask?”
Immediately, Misty raised her hoof in the air, to which Eleanor pointed to her.
“Misty, you have a question for me?” Eleanor asked.
“I do,” Misty responded. “If you wanted to take Wanda back to Evevanya, is there war still going on there?”
“That is a good question,” Eleanor said as she reached into the pocket of her cloak.
Eleanor Young pulled out a scroll and held it up. The scroll levitated into the air and hovered towards the younglings before landing on Wanda’s hands.
“Go ahead and open it,” Eleanor said.
Wanda unraveled the scroll and looked in it as the rest of the group watched with prying eyes.
“To my best friend Eleanor Young,” Wanda read. “I bring you good news. We drove the rogue group of humans known as the True Sons of Man out of Evevanya. The war has ended after two years with minimal casualties. It is now safe for you and your daughter Wanda when you choose to come home. After all, the people of Evevanya, myself included, miss you so much. Signed, Queen Lillian Hayden.”
“That explains why Wanda is able to return home,” Misty said while the others cheered. “The war ended long ago.”
“Wow,” Wanda said. “The more we know, the more we’re surprised. I guess I was able to leave for Evevanya when I was still a toddler. Guess knowing is half the battle.”
“Don’t you worry, Wanda,” Starlight Glimmer said as she gave Wanda a hug. “We’ll get out of this madness so we can meet this Queen Lillian and this Prince Tirek.”
“Oh Starlight,” Wanda giggled.
As Misty, Pinkie Pie, Spike and Abigail gathered around Wanda and Starlight, Cozy Glow and Golden Lace walked up to Eleanor Young. The Evevanyian queen had a satisfied look on her face as she took a seat and placed her hand on her book.
“If I had known about what Wanda went through, I would have never been harsh on her,” Golden Lace said.
“It’s okay,” Eleanor said. “You’ve learned your lesson and became a better pony. Now’s not the time to be stuck in the past.”
“Still,” Golden Lace said, turning to the other younglings. “I feel bad for Wanda now. To be born in a world, only to witness the death of a great king and to be caught up in a war. She’s gone through a whole lot.”
“Oh she has,” Eleanor said, standing up and picking up her book. “And I also bet Tirek’s been going through a lot since he was locked away in Midnight Castle. Lillian has as well, as she misses both her husband King Vorak and her son Prince Tirek. I hope one day, the two can make amends with each other.”
“Speaking of Tirek,” Cozy Glow said, “I hope I get to meet him in person. He sounds like a nice guy, even after what he went through.”
“He was,” Eleanor said. “Before I accidentally severed the bond between Vorak and Tirek.”
Eleanor took a few steps away from the younglings, before turning her head back to Golden Lace and Cozy Glow.
“Oh and by the way, I only told you the basic story not just of Tirek, but also of Wanda’s early days in Evevanya,” Eleanor said. “There may be some details that I left out, so that you and your friends will discover more about Wanda’s past.”
“But why hide it from us?” Gold Banks asked.
“Because I want you all to learn through your own personal view, not just from me,” Eleanor said. “What I told you was the basic story of Tirek, Vorak and myself. If we get to Evevanya, you will learn more about our land, and about the tragedy of Prince Tirek and King Vorak. That I can assure you.”
As Eleanor walked away, Cozy Glow and Golden Lace turned towards each other, confused.
“What does he mean by that?” Cozy Glow asked.
“I think what she means is that we’ll discover the truth on our own,” Golden Lace said. “It may not be pretty. But we’ll understand when that time comes.”
“That’s a bit difficult to understand,” Cozy Glow said. “But I think I’ll understand why.”
With that, Cozy Glow and Golden Lace walked off in the opposite direction while Wanda, Abigail, Spike, Starlight, Misty and Pinkie Pie embraced each other within the middle of the secret wing of the Ruby Library.
To Be Continued in…
Gold Banks Intrigued