//------------------------------// // Prologue: A Monster in Tartarus // Story: How to be Cruel // by Erisn //------------------------------// His name was Tirek, and he was a murderer. If sin could be measured, his were among the worst. He was a killer, a slayer of ponies, one who took delight in ending their fragile lives and hunting them down one by one. He had destroyed Equestria; those ponies he had not killed himself had later died in the ruins of the land they had once called home. By himself he had ended a kingdom that had lasted thousands of years, killed its inhabitants and scattered all traces of civilizations to the winds. This was the nature of Lord Tirek, Destroyer of Equestria. At least, that was what it would be. At the moment, Equestria still remained intact, its people content, blissfully unaware of the monster that lived far below them. For while Tirek would massacre every pony he saw when he finally emerged in vengeance and fury, while he would rend and tear asunder Equestria if ever given the chance, he could not do so yet. Tirek was a prisoner. In the way of such things, Tirek had been captured for committing a crime. It had not been a charge as great as murder, but the ones who judged him had understood that murder would have been the least of his sins had he succeeded. And so they had banished him to a place far below Equestria, the one prison in that entire kingdom, the place known to all as Tartarus. He had been imprisoned in a cell made of metal at first, but that had been removed. There was no need for such things here. Indeed, despite what Tirek had intended, what he had done, no other punishment had been meted out aside from his being locked away. In other cultures, in other worlds, this might have seemed a lenient, even soft-hearted form of justice. It was not. Tartarus is not a jail where hope remains long. It is not a place intended to serve as a warning, merely a promise. To be sent to Tartarus is to remain there. Forever. There are no appeals, no pardons for time well spent. There is no judge either; only the infinite to watch the prisoners as they wait for forever to end. To some, this might then be the worst of punishments imaginable. What being could possibly deserve such treatment? Even murderers might not be expected to endure such. But some sins go beyond individual murder; some monsters contemplate acts that even death cannot pardon. Some beings’ souls are stained with sin, and these are sent to Tartarus. Tirek was one such. His crimes were already a taint upon his soul; that they had not actually been committed was a mere detail. ---- Any being wishing to see Tirek would have to descend into Tartarus, a dark, silent cavern in which light was seldom welcomed. They would have to navigate the maze of tunnels, bypass the Guardian, who prowled through the darkness, both deadly and silent. Should such a visitor bypass such defenses, they would come to the deepest, darkest part of Tartarus, where an abyss opens in the earth. There is no light in that darkness; no gust of wind or breath of fresh air. Such things would not dare remain in this place. Down in that abyss of darkness there is nothing. Nothing known, at least. Perhaps there are things down there, prisoners from a time before even Tirek. But if so, they were forgotten to all. Nothing went into that abyss, not even the Guardian. But suspended above that darkness eternal are the cells. The cages of stone constructed for the most terrible of prisoners. They are nothing more than platforms rising out of the darkness. A spire of dark stone, hollowed in the center so that a small area of flat stone lies in the center of each. They look like hands, holding each prisoner in the center. But of course, this image is lost on ponies, who have no hands. Still, these platforms are stark and imposing. They have no beds, no illumination or places to take care of bodily needs, nothing at all. The only entrance and exit is a long, narrow winding staircase leading up towards each cell, unmarked by features such as guard rails or any other preserving architectural device. Another thing that each of these cells lacks are chains, or even bars. There is no apparent method by which these prisoners are held. And yet these cells are the most secure of all Tartarus. No sane prisoner would ever attempt to escape for fear of the one that patrols Tartarus day and night. The Guardian. Therefore, a visitor could in theory walk up that long staircase and enter the cell of the one known as Tirek. To visit any other prison cell would be a waste, in fact. In the entirety of Tartarus’ history, there had been only one prisoner ever deemed dangerous enough to occupy these cells. A being brave enough to ascend the stairs would find him in his cell, most likely staring out into the darkness. They might approach him, and at first he would seem quite normal. Tirek is thin and fragile centaur, his red and black coat on his torso contrasting with the paler grey of his lower body. From any angle, he is no physical threat. He is emaciated, his muscles decayed from lack of exercise, and his age only serves to make him more decrepit. It is only when such a hypothetical visitor would chance to look into Tirek’s eyes that they would see the truth. To look into Tirek’s eyes is to see a void where his conscience would be. Nothing is reflected in his eyes except himself. In his heart, there is no empathy for any being living. Not for pony, for centaur, or any other race upon the earth. To Tirek, death and life are interchangeable in worth, and indeed, if he could make it so he would erase all life. Tirek’s heart burns for only one thing, and that thing is vengeance. He hates not just ponies, but Equestria itself, with a passion that defies rage. It was an anger that had burned for hundreds of years, had given him the strength to live past the normal lifespan of his kind, kept him alive even in the madness of isolation and the silence of his cell. Until one day, when everything changed. Once, a single prisoner of Tartarus managed to free himself for the first time ever. Once, Tirek escaped. He had been freed at last, and his desire for vengeance had at last been fulfilled. He had broken free of his prison when its guardian had departed it’s post, and he had lurked in the shadows, growing stronger slowly, absorbing power from the weak, until he was strong enough. And then he had emerged, and the world had bowed at his feet. He was Lord Tirek, master of magics and king of all he surveyed. At least, that was how it was supposed to be. Instead, Tirek’s victory had lasted all of a moment. At the very last, when he had taken the magic of every pony in Equestria, and had even defeated the final alicorn princess in a magical duel to be sung through the ages, he had been defeated. Defeated, stripped of power, and cast back down into the pit known as Tartarus by six ponies. Six ponies. Despite all of his magical power, he had been humbled by the so-called Elements of Harmony, which had given their bearers power such as he had never seen before. They had vanquished him, exiled him once again to the silent hell under the watchful eye of Cerberus, the three headed dog, where he would stay forever. Or until he died. That was what they thought, anyways. Tirek ground his teeth in frustration, and paced forwards and backwards. His cell was not large for a centaur, and thus he could only go eight steps before having to turn around. Yes, Princess Celestia and her infernal pupil, Twilight Sparkle probably thought he was harmless now. They lacked even the ruthlessness to kill him, and so they had tossed him down here once again. What fools. Tirek glanced down the winding staircase to the seemingly open ground below. There was nothing seemingly keeping him from leaving at any time, but he made no move. He knew that the terrible jailor of Tartarus was nearby. On cue, a shadow seemed to detach itself from one of the walls and slowly plodded into the light. On closer inspection, it was possible to see that the shadow was in fact a being – a gargantuan dog the color of midnight with three heads. Each head was identical; a massive bulldog’s face ringed by a spiked color. The monstrous dog was massive, the size of a small house with rippling muscles and sharp, sharp teeth. Tirek had no desire to go any closer to the Cerberus than necessary. He watched in silence as the giant dog plodded off, making its slow rounds of Tartarus. It did not glance up as Tirek; it had no need to. What made Cerberus the ideal jailor was his keen sense of smell, not his eyesight. With it, the dog could track every prisoner’s location and hunt them down in a matter of hours, no matter how far they might run. Even Tirek had to admit that Celestia’s use of Cerberus as a jailor was inspired. It couldn’t be bribed, persuaded, or killed like a pony guard could be. You couldn’t even outlive it – Cerberuses lived for thousands of years, and this one was a mere puppy still, only a few centuries old. It was seemingly the perfect choice, except for one fatal flaw Tirek had found over the long years. Tirek stepped over to the pile of rocks that served as his ‘bed’, and nudged aside a few rocks with one hoof. One of the aspects of Tartarus that made it so frightening was that concepts such as the need to sleep or eat disappeared here. The magic imbued in the prison, the same magic that prevented any spells being cast, provided enough energy to live, doing away with the need for meals or even sleep. There was literally nothing to do but stand, sit or lie down and wait for millennia to pass. It was not soul-crushing as such; it was simply that for most prisoners, time disappeared and they remained in their cells forever, almost in stasis. It took a very strong will to keep focus in this place. Fortunately for Tirek, he had strength of will to spare, and the burning hatred in his heart to keep him active as well. It was true that a Cerberus would not fall for the same tricks a pony would. However, the Cerberus would fall for one trick a pony would notice instantly. Tirek bent down and gently pulled a few smaller stones out of the way, and regarded what lay underneath. To anyone else, what lay buried under a few feet of rock was nothing interesting. It was simply a pile of hair, parts of it the dark maroon color of Tirek’s upper body, other hairs black or grey, matching his coat’s pattern. Yet in Tirek’s mind, the small mess of hair shone with potential. The magic of Tartarus was a magnificently crafted series of spells that dated back to when Tirek had been young. Tartarus had been first created by Princess Celestia in a time beyond the limits of pony memory, but the containment spells and wards had been further reinforced by that pestilential pony, Starswirl the Bearded. Just recalling Starswirl’s name made Tirek’s teeth grind in fury. It had been that pathetic wizard that had corrupted his brother Scorpan and made him betray Tirek. Until that time, the two brothers had been inseparable, united in their quest to become more powerful by stealing the magic of Equestria. But instead, Scorpan had joined forces against Tirek and placed him in this pit, the first new inmate of the prison that would later be known as Tartarus. That had been when Starswirl had added to the magic of the prison, of course. He had rightly feared Tirek’s abilities, and had done his best to make the place impenetrable. Unfortunately for Tirek, Starswirl had succeeded. No magic of any kind could be used in Tartarus, and try though he might, Tirek had not found the smallest loophole in the system in his entire captivity. Nevertheless, Starswirl had made one crucial mistake. The problem with magic was that it often had unforeseen side effects. And one side effect of the magic that nourished all the inmates was that it helped to mend any injuries and restore a prisoner’s health if one should suffer and accident. This had probably seemed a necessary and vital addition to the softhearted Starswirl, but Tirek saw it as a glaring loophole. Why expend needless energy keeping your enemies healthy? It was idiotic in the extreme, almost as foolish and not killing one’s foes when one had the chance. And in this case, it gave Tirek an opportunity. Tirek gazed down at the small pile of hairs at his hooves and sighed. Reaching up to one arm, he grabbed a handful of hair and yanked. The hair came out, with a not inconsiderable part of Tirek’s flesh and some blood. He stifled a roar of agony and swiftly dropped the hair blood and skin to the ground to join the small pile. His hand went back up and pulled out more hair, and then more. Before long, the small pile was looking far less small, and Tirek was exhausted. He had pulled out quite a bit of hair from his arms and chest, and with it much of his skin. The cool air stung and burned as it encountered raw skin, but Tirek fought down the pain. He was stronger than the pain, his mind superior to his body. Nevertheless, he chose to rest for a while before continuing. This was his great plan. This was the secret to his escape only a few moons ago. Tirek glanced down at the pile of skin and hair. It was so simple. Cerberus relied solely on his sense of smell, and could tell instantly if a prisoner escaped based on that. But what happens when a captive leaves his cell, and yet his odor remains? Lots of hair and skin, that was the key. Tirek had discovered that he had to let the pile of dead hair and skin grow to about half his height before Cerberus would believe it was still him. Then, when the dog was in a far distant part of Tartarus, Tirek could slip by it and out into Equestria. Needless to say, the deception didn’t last forever, and the smell eventually lost its freshness or whatever the hell dogs smelled, but it was enough time for Tirek to escape and grow powerful once more. This plan was foolproof, and it’s only requirement was time, which Tirek had in large quantities. Well, that and the ability to tolerate pain. There were no sharp rocks or any instruments Tirek could use for cutting in his cell naturally, and so he had to pull out his hair by hand. It hurt abominably, even more so because Tirek had to ensure much of his skin and some blood joined the pile. Ripping out his own skin was hard, but Tirek had done so once because of his burning desire for revenge. And now, Tirek’s hatred and fury was even greater than it had been before. The urge to repay the six ponies that had imprisoned him smoldered in Tirek’s heart. He felt as he had so long ago, when his brother had betrayed him for the ponies. Grimly, Tirek reached for another clump of hair. It had taken him years to amass the amount of hair necessary last time, but he would complete his task this time in months. He would also ensure that the pile was big enough to fool Cerberus completely. The wretched dog had sensed something amiss too quickly last time, and had gone out into Equestria searching for him. Fortunately, the princess Twilight Sparkle had stopped the dog before it found Tirek, but it had been far too close for comfort. No, Tirek would make sure his deception held this time for months. And he would do it quicker as well. He had shied away from the pain last time, but now he knew his plan would succeed and he was not content to wait for years in this place. Pain was a small price to pay to hasten his revenge. Tirek had just grasped a large mass of dark hairs on his stomach when something broke his steely concentration. A sound, echoing in the darkness. Tirek paused, and let his hand drop as he turned to towards the noise. It was faint, a small, rhythmic sound, coming somewhere from the darkness below his cell. What could it be? Tirek knew Cerberus’s patterns, and the dog wouldn’t return to this spot for another few hours. Another prisoner? But no, even the newest inmate had long ago ceased trying to escape. They were all comatose, content to waste away in their prisons. But what else could it be? Centaurs were not nocturnal creatures, being closely related to ponies in biology. But Tirek’s eyes had grown accustomed to the dim lighting of Tartarus long ago, and so he made out the small shape long before it entered a patch of light. It was a pony. Tirek stared, but his eyes did not deceive him. Yes, it was small, pale pony with wings. A pegasus, in fact. And it seemed to be coming towards his cell. Suddenly, Tirek was afraid. In a burst of energy, he shoved the pile of hair back under the rocks and piled as many as he could on top of the mess. He tried to conceal it as best he could, but his hands shook with fear. How foolish, how stupid of him! Of course Celestia wouldn’t be content just to put him back in Tartarus. No doubt she’d still be worried about how he had escaped last time. She’d probably sent one of her guard ponies, or perhaps even Twilight Sparkle herself to check on Tirek. He hadn’t seen a horn, but in the dim lighting who could tell? And if they discovered his plan, his chance for revenge would be completely ruined! Tirek regarded the pile of rocks. It was rough, but most of the hair was completely obscured. Good. He swept the rest of the hair towards the edge of his prison cell with his tail, and watched it float down into the darkness. With any luck, the pony wouldn’t notice anything untoward. Suddenly, Tirek realized that his arms and chest were still missing bits of hair. He started to panic again. The pony would surely notice that parts of his hair and skin were missing. How could he cover that up? Even as Tirek looked around frantically, he knew it was impossible. He could hear the pony slowly ascending the long staircase and he had nothing, nothing with which to cover himself with. Tirek drew himself up and planted himself in the center his cell. He would just have to lie his way out of it. Self-mutilation wasn’t hard to buy, and he was sure he could act insane and/or bloodthirsty enough to convince any pony that he had lost it completely. In the deep silence of Tartarus, the pony’s hoofsteps were like miniature thunderclaps. Tirek waited, trying to remain calm and project an aura of impassive cold distain. He tried especially hard not to sweat, or fidget. At last the hoofsteps stopped, and Tirek realized the pony was just a few steps away from the top of his cell. The unknown pony seemed to pause. Perhaps it was nervous. That was good; Tirek would have the advantage in any conversation if the pony was distressed in some way. He might even be able to scare it with a convincing snarl of hatred if it was afraid enough. Tirek waited. A minute passed, and then two. He was almost about to shift, perhaps to sneak up on the pony and scare it (hopefully off of the staircase and into the pit below where it go splat) when he heard the hoofsteps resume. A tuft of hair poked into view, and was quickly followed by a head, and the thin body of a pegasus. Tirek stared. Of all the pegasi of all the types of ponies in all of Equestria, he would have never expected this pony to visit him. But he recognized the pink mane, the yellow body, and the folded wings. More importantly, he recognized the cutie mark, a trio of butterflies that marked this pony as Fluttershy, one of the Elements of Harmony. But by all the demons and monsters of Tartarus, why was Fluttershy here? Tirek knew something about Equestria, and not simply from his memories of several thousand years ago. He had spent several weeks in hiding, building his strength and making plans after he had escaped. And although he made sure to keep his features hidden, it was remarkable how much you could learn as you idly walked down the street of a city like Manehatten. Fluttershy was one of the famous Elements of Harmony, responsible for rehabilitating Nightmare Moon, defeating a Changeling invasion, saving the Crystal Empire, and apparently, taming Discord himself. Tirek hadn’t believed that last bit until he had seen it with his own two eyes, but it was all true. Fluttershy was one of the six ponies who were known as heroes far and wide throughout Equestria. But if rumor that extolled the amazing deeds of Fluttershy and her friends, it was gossip that balanced that praise. Fluttershy was known far and wide as the most timid, fearful and shy pony of all Equestria. She could barely fly with her wings, and she possessed the physical strength of a squirrel. She could also talk with animals apparently, but Tirek considered this a small advantage in a pony that seemed to exemplify all that was pathetic about ponies in general. But she stood before him now, and stared directly into his eyes. She didn’t, Tirek noticed, seem the least bit scared, or even nervous. Most ponies would be quaking in terror to be in Tartarus, much less face-to-face with its worst inmate, but the pony that should have been the most terrified of all of them seemed…calm. And, here was the odd thing, she was slightly intimidating as well. This was ridiculous of course, and Tirek put it down to a trick of the dim lighting. But…he had to admit that her poise was somewhat unnerving. She wasn’t acting normally, and she was staring into his eyes without flinching. Or blinking. This was far too strange. Tirek wanted to say something, perhaps a question as to her intent, or some pithy insults, a menacing opening like ‘I’ve been waiting for you’, or some such, but his mouth wasn’t obeying his brain. But he couldn’t just stand here forever. He had to know why she was here. Was it pity? Sympathy? Was she here to deliver a message? What? Tirek was just trying to get his mouth to unclamp when Fluttershy broke the silence. “Hello Tirek,” she said in a low voice that nevertheless echoed through the cavern. “I’ve come to kill you.” Tirek paused. He stopped. For three whole seconds his heart stopped beating, and blood ceased to flow through his veins. Not a muscle in his body twitched. Tirek didn’t move at all as his brain processed Fluttershy’s statement, checked with his ears, and then verified that what he had heard had indeed come from her mouth. And then Tirek threw back his head and laughed. He howled with laughter. These weren’t the polite chuckles of someone forced to endure subpar comedy, nor the giggling of exceptionally infantile minds hearing a dirty joke, no. This was laughter in its primal stage, wild and unrestrained. Great, huge guffaws tore themselves out of a throat unused to such hilarity. Tirek had to brace himself against a rock to keep himself upright; he was in very near danger of blacking out from oxygen loss as he laughed and laughed and laughed. His lungs and throat were really starting to hurt before he finally stopped laughing long enough to breathe again. As his chuckles faded, Tirek finished wiping the tears from his eyes before turning back to Fluttershy. “I must congratulate you, Fluttershy was it? I have not laughed so for hundreds of years. Such a joke is proof that even the most worthless of beings can be amusing.” He waved a dismissive hand. “Go away, and tell Celestia that her pathetic attempts were amusing, but completely ineffectual. Clearly the passing of years has dulled her wits if she believes this pathetic charade would fool me for an instant.” Tirek waited for the galloping of hooves, the sounds of tearful retreat and perhaps intermittent sobbing, but they never came. Instead, he heard Fluttershy speak again, as she spoke in that same calm, collected tone of voice. “Celestia did not send me, Tirek. She doesn’t even know I’m here.” “Yes, yes.” Tirek turned his back on Fluttershy and walked back to the center of his cell. “Of course she doesn’t. You’re coming of your own free will, in secret no doubt. To do what? Threaten me? Force me into changing my ways like Discord did or else die? Pathetic.” Tirek gave another laugh, this one short and cynical. “Your motives are as transparent as your acting. If Celestia hopes to rehabilitate me or intimidate me, she had better try harder. I already tire of this; go.” To Tirek’s annoyance, Fluttershy still made no move. “You may think this is a joke or act, Tirek, but I can assure you that I am completely serious.” Tirek glanced back in irritation now. “This silly attempt has lost its amusement to me. Do you really expect me to believe you’ve come here of your own free will? This is Tartarus, you stupid pony. No being can enter this place easily, let alone escape. If not for Celestia, how could you traverse the maze of tunnels, let alone find the entrance? Tartarus’s gates are well hidden by magic and craft; their location is a secret to all by the ruler of Equestria.” Fluttershy smiled calmly. “You are correct, Tirek.” “Of course I am!” Tirek snapped. “Don’t patronize my intelligence by making up such foolish lies!” Fluttershy continued as if she had not heard. “Even the location of Tartarus is a secret to all but the rulers of Equestria. Only the most important ponies may know where it is, and for good reason. However, Celestia is not the sole ruler of Equestria. She, like three others is a Princess, not a Queen. And so there are in fact four ponies who know where Tartarus lies.” “A trifling point.” “Oh really?” “Even if each Princess knows where Tartarus is, you would still not know it’s location without their telling you.” “That’s very true,” Fluttershy conceded. “But fortunately for me, one of the princesses was able to ‘tell’ me without knowing she was doing so.” “In what way?” Tirek asked, growing slightly curious despite himself. “You may not know it, but Twilight Sparkle is a famous book lover and librarian. She writes everything down, and that includes secrets about Equestria.” Tirek already knew this in fact, but feigned ignorance. “Even if she is privy to Celestia’s sordid secreds, she would still not share them with you, unless you explicitly asked her to.” “Yes, but she’s also something of an airhead. I didn’t need to read her private notes to find out Tartarus’s location. Instead, I asked her for a complete, up-to-date map of all the important landmarks in Equestria and she very kindly drew one up for me. She spared no effort on the details, either. The map was accurate to within five feet of the entrance, which was, I must say, concealed very well by the tree cover.” “That sounds almost believable,” Tirek said grudgingly. “But would Twilight Sparkle not become curious of somepony asking for a map out of the blue?” “Indeed she would, and she was, which is why I said it was part of my plans for a tour of Equestria for my little animal friends.” Fluttershy smiled again. “It’s amazing what you can get away with when you say it’s for your friends. It’s even easier when everypony knows that you’re the kind, meek pony that wouldn’t even dream of doing something dangerous and risky like entering Tartarus. I’m officially on a trip to look for cute butterflies throughout Equestria.” Tirek had to admit that this sounded plausible. “Even so,” he tried again, “you still cannot have made your way through the maze of tunnels to reach this place easily.” Fluttershy shrugged. “Tunnels are dark and dark and perhaps slightly dismal, but they’re not scary. I marked my way in chalk, so each time I hit a dead end I knew which way to go to get back. It took a few hours, but the only thing that would stop a pony would be boredom or fear.” Tirek gazed at the pony most likely to be stopped by fear of any kind, and saw nothing but honesty in her eyes. “And Cerberus?” He tried one last time. “You cannot bypass him so easily. He would rip you apart for trying to enter Tartarus just as he would kill any prisoner trying to escape.” Now Fluttershy gave Tirek a glance that was both gently patronizing and amused. “I’m not sure you remember, but I am the pony that speaks to animals. Cerberus was easy to convince, and besides, I’d already met him before. And he even told me how to find you. So you see, I did come here on my own, Lord Tirek. Is what my explanation so hard to believe?” “Certain elements of it seem plausible,” Tirek admitted grudgingly, “but it’s still a story no matter what you say. Why should I believe a pegasus pony has come all the way here simply to visit me?” “Not to visit you, to kill you.” Fluttershy said again. “And then there is that part of your story,” Tirek said dismissively. “Even assuming the rest is true, the thought of you killing anything is simply laughable. This is clearly an attempt to scare me on some other pony’s behalf, most likely one of the Princesses. Why should I believe otherwise?” “Because it is ridiculous,” Fluttershy said. “Think on it. Assuming this is an attempt to surprise your or intimidate you in some way, why would they send a pony like me? Of all the ponies, you and I would both agree that I am the least imposing. It makes no sense. And if my goal was to frighten you, why would I simply threaten to kill you? That’s not a very credible threat coming from me either.” “Who knows? Maybe you’re simply an imbecile; I could easily believe that,” Tirek snarled. “But this is clearly all a pathetic lie!” Fluttershy didn’t react to Tirek’s anger. Instead, she simply arched an eyebrow and sighed. “Oh well. I thought you wouldn’t believe me in any case, but I had to try. It doesn’t matter in the end I suppose.” “What?” Fluttershy looked Tirek straight in the eye. “I’m going to kill you anyways. What you believe doesn’t really matter. I’d only like you to take your last moments seriously, that’s all.” Tirek had been getting angrier and angrier over the course of the conversation. His fury at this obvious attempt at deception had been growing like a small inferno in his chest. Now it went out. All of a sudden, Tirek felt cold inside. That wasn’t a threat Fluttershy had made. She wasn’t trying to scare him, and because of that, Tirek was getting slightly nervous. What she had said wasn’t a threat. It sounded like a prediction. Tirek took a moment to pause and really think. Maybe, just maybe he had been making the wrong assumptions. Fluttershy didn’t look like she was pretending; moreover she didn’t act like she was pretending. Of course, the best actors never did but this was different. It was in her eyes. Her eyes. Tirek had stared into many eyes. The eyes of the fearful, the brave, the furious, the dying. He could read emotions in them, unspoken thoughts. But he’d only seen eyes like Fluttershy’s on one other being. Himself. They weren’t unfeeling eyes like Tirek, though. They were kind and gentle and warm, and seemed to look into Tirek’s soul and search for the best in him. That was certainly a big difference between Fluttershy and Tirek. But there was something else in those eyes. They weren’t looking at Tirek, not exactly. They saw him, but they also saw something else. A vision, perhaps. A moment in the future. These were eyes that looked at Tirek and could see him dead. They were the eyes of a killer. And then the strange look in Fluttershy’s eyes was gone, as if it had never existed. Tirek wondered if he was going crazy. Only the certainty, the absolute knowledge of what he had seen stopped him from doubting himself. He had seen it, he was sure. Tirek looked at Fluttershy, who continued to return his gaze with that small smile on her face. It was starting to really unnerve Tirek. He wasn’t used to being smiled at, unless it was a death rictus. Maybe, just maybe it might be prudent to be a bit more…cautious. Tirek cleared his throat, or at least he tried to. For some reason it was rather dry, but he eventually managed to cough and get some moisture in his mouth. “Ahem. Well, if you insist on continuing this…deception, I suppose I could believe you. For a while. But even if I did believe you are here to kill me, why would this be the case?” Fluttershy cocked her head to one side. “Hm. I suppose it’s because I believe those about to die should know why it is they’re dying. Especially when somepony else is doing the killing. That seems only fair, wouldn’t you agree?” “If you believe in fairness so much, why would you wish to kill me?” Tirek asked. “Is murder fair?” “You were given a chance long ago, Tirek, and you wasted it. You sought to kill, and worse. And when you escaped, you tried the exact same thing again. I’d say that letting you live would be more unfair, don’t you?” Tirek sought for a comeback, but nothing came up. “Well then, why you?” He growled. “Of all the ponies in the world, why send the Element of Kindness to kill someone?” “Because I’m good at it.” “Good at it?” “Unlike other ponies, I’ve killed before. I doubt very much that any of the other Elements of Harmony would be able to force themselves to kill you or even consider such a thing. At least, in cold blood that is.” Tirek felt as though someone had kicked him in the head. The conversation was getting away from him rapidly. Shakily, he held up one hand. “Wait. You have killed? You?” “Yes.” “I don’t believe it. You’re supposed to be the embodiment of kindness.” “Yes. And?” “How could a pony who is kind to every other pony ever kill another being?” For the first time since the conversation had begun, Fluttershy looked a bit uncomfortable. She shuffled her hooves and looked down at her feet before responding. “Equestria is a very peaceful place. Crime isn’t that common even in bigger cities like Manehatten, and our army consists of a few Royal Guards and the Wonderbolts. Neither group has any history of actual fighting, and so Equestria’s first and last line of defense is the Princesses and now us, the Elements of Harmony.” “I am well aware,” Tirek said. “It was pathetically easy to conquer your nation by myself.” “Yes, well then imagine what happens when a real monster appears. It’s true that I and my friends have defeated them all easily, but we never imprison any of them. You’re the one threat to Equestria that’s been sent to Tartarus. As for the rest…” “They come back for revenge.” Tirek said automatically, and then blinked. “Of course. I heard a changling army tried to invade Equestria a while back, but the queen and her army was merely defeated.” “Yes. Queen Chrysalis and her army. They were thrown out of Canterlot by Princess Cadence and Shining Armor’s combined power, but they survived. And they did indeed return for revenge.” Fluttershy bowed her head for a moment, and then looked up. “They did indeed come back. And while Chrysalis was content merely to conquer the first time, she came back to kill the second.” “I never heard about this,” Tirek said suspiciously. “You would not.” Fluttershy met his gaze and Tirek felt once again that vague sense of…uneasiness. “Nopony knows about it but me.” It took Tirek a while to understand what Fluttershy was saying. “You?” He said in tones of sheer disbelief. “You’re saying that you killed the queen of the changeling and her entire army.” “Sometimes, a bad situation arises where somepony will die no matter what you do,” Fluttershy whispered, and it seemed to Tirek that she was speaking to herself as much as him. “Sometimes you can’t be kind to everypony. You can only save as many as you can. They gave me no choice. None at all, so I did what had to be done.” Tirek suppressed a shiver, despite the fact that it wasn’t that cold. Fluttershy’s eyes were slightly unfocused, and she was staring at the ground, looking at something Tirek couldn’t see. Then her head snapped back up, and her eyes once again locked with Tirek’s staring deep into his eyes without blinking. The contrast was unnerving. “Yes, I killed Queen Chrysalis,” Fluttershy said. “I killed her and as many changelings as I could find. I scattered them to the winds and buried the dead deep. They were not the only ones. I’ve killed more, from Dragons to timberwolves to Sombra himself. I keep Equestria safe from the nightmares that would destroy everypony, and I do it in secret. Every threat to the peace has been silenced, scared off, or converted. To protect my friends I became a killer, and that’s why I’m going to kill you as well, Tirek. I won’t risk your escape, not when I know you’d kill everypony you possibly could if you ever got free.” Tirek stared at Fluttershy. Where had the shy, timid pony he had once known gone? Her eyes were wide and unblinking, her posture set firmly without the slightest hint of a cringe, her wings half raised. “You killed all of them?” Tirek asked at last. It was the only thing he could say. “Some I gave a chance to run, others I let live under certain conditions,” Fluttershy replied. “But some of them gave me no other choice. They preferred death to living their lives in peace and so I had no other choice.” “And you’ve come for me now.” “Yes. You are too dangerous to even imprison. You escaped Tartarus once, and that means you can do it again. For the sake of Equestria and peace, you too must die.” “And the reason you tell me all this is so that I will know the reason for which I am dying.” “Yes.” Fluttershy said simply. “And you intend to kill me now?” Tirek looked at Fluttershy’s wings and hooves, but saw no concealed weapon, nothing out of the ordinary. “Yes.” Fluttershy said again. “And nothing I can say will stop you?” Tirek took a slow step back, even though he didn’t know why. He could surely overpower her if it came to that, but she was still staring at him and her eyes… “Yes.” Fluttershy took a step towards Tirek and he backed up again. “I’m sorry, but I’ll try to make it quick.” Tirek took another step back and then another. She wasn’t doing anything; just advancing slowly, but he couldn’t stop retreating. It was silly, foolish; a child’s irrational fear. But he couldn’t tear his gaze away from hers. Tirek’s back hoof touched a small rock and he nearly jumped in surprise. Fluttershy was still getting nearer, walking slowly. Tirek cast wildly around for something to stop her, anything to slow her down and suddenly inspiration hit. “So tell me,” Tirek said to Fluttershy. “Tell me all about it.” Fluttershy looked surprised. “Tell you what?” Tirek folded his arms. “If you truly are telling me the truth, where did this all start? How did you begin killing? If you truly believe in mercy and kindness, at least tell me that story first.” For a moment, Tirek thought Fluttershy would say it was all just fake, a lie made up to deceive him. Time slowed and stopped as Fluttershy hesitated, and for an instant, the world waited to see what she would say. And then Fluttershy took a breath and began to speak. “It was many moons ago when everything first started. Chrysalis had just been defeated, and all of Equestria was celebrating. As dusk fell, I took the last train from Canterlot to Ponyville, leaving my friends behind…”