Relationships are Evil

by TheTimeSword

Chapter 2: The Contenders

“It’s been two days! Two whole days and nothing has happened!” Twilight complained to her student. A plate of food was magically being carried beside her as they walked along the dark and rocky path. “He’s either taking this very seriously or forgotten all about it.”

“Isn’t that be what you want? For him to call off the whole bet?” Echoes of Starlight’s questions could be heard in the distance, bouncing off the stalactites and stalagmites that surrounded them. The darkness shrouding the pillars of stone from their sight.

“Well, yes, but my concern is the bet itself. If he does immediately give up, then you should let him off the hook. Unless, of course, he actually puts in some effort to ‘woo’ me, as you so put it.” The two ponies stopped in front of a huge, coal colored, three-headed beast. The animal growled at the two ponies that stood before it, saliva pouring from the multiple jowls. Starlight stared at the creature, unsure if she should be terrified or fascinated. “Hello, Cerberus!” Twilight took an abnormally large bone off the tray, throwing it to the demon dog. He quickly pounced the morsel, moving out of the way for the two to proceed. “Enjoy!” she yelled as they passed.

“You know some very interesting characters, Twilight. I’m glad I agreed to be by your side for the year. If Discord does worm his way out of the bet, would you mind if I still stayed?” the unicorn asked. The two began their ascent up a long staircase. A thin, tall platform was their destination at the other end.

“Not at all! I’m still learning the ways of being a princess, so it’s good to have someone to teach and share all the knowledge I’ve learned. It makes me feel like I’m on the right track.” She gave Starlight a heartwarming smile as the two made their way up the steps, still carrying the plate beside her.

They continued to talk about the bet as they reached the top of the stairs. “I’m glad you’re not mad at me for using you as the prize. Though I do hope you take Fluttershy’s advice and make this a fair wager. Discord seems like a real jerk, but I don’t think we should stoop to his level.”

Twilight lowered the tray to the floor as they stopped in the middle of the stone pillar. “Oh don’t worry, I will. Discord has changed drastically since we first met him, and although I hope he gives up immediately, I also want to see if he really can be genuine and caring. Perhaps this bet could make him nicer, even if he doesn't win.”

“A bet? With Discord?” The hoarse, throaty voice croaked from the shadows.

Chains rattled against the floor as the centaur slowly emerged from the darkness. Starlight stared deeply at the unusual sight, unsure of what to make of him. She followed the chains with her eyes, they were wrapped around his wrists, flowing across the floor and wrapped around a foal-sized golden ball.

“Is it safe to be this close to him?” Starlight whispered to Twilight, fear had wrapped around her vocal chords. “I still get chills just thinking about the tale you told me.”

It had been some time since Twilight had brought Tirek’s meal. Once a month, one of the princesses would visit Tirek to ensure his imprisonment. It was a visual reminder for him to remain docile, as guard ponies were normally the ones to bring him food.

“Perfectly safe,” Twilight replied as she walked up to Tirek, placing a wing on his back. “He can’t harm anypony. Not while he has those bracers on. Even if he could absorb magic, he’d still need a lot of strength to lift the ball he’s attached to.”

Tirek reached down and picked up an apple from the tray. In a sarcastic tone, he responded to Twilight’s explanation. “It’s good to see you too, Twilight Sparkle. I had feared you'd forgotten about me.”

“I know I just said this, but you really do know some very interesting characters.” Starlight couldn’t help but stare at the centaur. His hunched posture and frail features made him seem drastically different from the story Twilight had told of him.

“Yeah, you get used to it. If you talk to him long enough, you’ll find he’s actually really interesting,” she replied. “Too bad you’d try to destroy us all, Tirek. You’d make a great companion compared to Discord.”

“Companion? Discord? What has that fool gotten himself into now?” Tirek asked as he tore a loaf of bread in two.

“My new apprentice here has challenged Discord to win my heart within a year,” the alicorn responded to the centaur’s question while she examined the chain, making sure he was still securely restrained. "Discord believes he can really do it, though the fact that he hasn't shown his face in two days says otherwise."

Tirek burst into laughter, startling Starlight from the sudden change in manner. She stood watching as her mentor and the outlandish creature spoke to one another as if they were best friends. “And just what does Discord hope to gain from all of this?” he asked, dying down the laughter in his voice.

“Well, he, uh, gets Twilight. And technically, me, as a servant to him.” Starlight stuttered her words, trying to speak. She did not know why she was so afraid of this feeble, bound creature, but knew she was right to be cautious.

Rubbing his bearded chin, he contemplated the answer for a moment, crumbs falling from his mouth. “Really? Is that all?" He shrugged. "I do suppose the win is really what he cares about since he’s already free.”

Twilight sighed as she waltzed back over to Starlight. “I even have to keep an open mind to his advances, otherwise, Fluttershy will be upset with me. There’s almost nothing worse than seeing her pout.”

As he swallowed down some of the provisions provided to him, he asked, “Can anyone join in this bet, or is it just between your student and Discord?”

“Wait, what?” Twilight said as she turned to face Tirek.

“He’s not seriously asking, is he?” Starlight’s jaw almost unhinged from the shock.

“Indeed I am,” the raspy voice answered before more food was stuffed inside his mouth.

An awkward silence sat between the three of them, only to be interrupted every so often by the crunching and chewing of food. Twilight nor Starlight knew what to say. The young alicorn eventually regained her composure.

“No, no. See, Discord is actually reformed. He gets to make fun, silly bets because he’s reformed.” Twilight stomped her way towards Tirek, her voice getting louder as she drew closer to the evil centaur. “You on the other hoof? You who stole alicorn magic, you who imprisoned my friends, you who destroyed my library? You don’t get to make silly bets! You get to rot here like the sinful creature you are.”

Tirek placed down his food and cupped his hands together. “Perhaps I am finally asking to be reformed. Discord was given a second chance, he saw the error in his ways. This bet could allow my redemption as well. If I was reformed, then it would be one less thing to burden you, correct?” His grin was malicious, yet sincere. Perhaps even he did not know if he was truly wishing for reformation.

“Twilight, I think he’s legitimately serious about this. Maybe this is something that you, the other princesses, and your friends should discuss?” Starlight’s voice of reasoning was not something Twilight had expected. She did not know the dangers of Tirek like Twilight did.

“Starlight, he’s pure evil. His power is to consume ponies of their magic and destroy everything we hold dear!”

“You gave Discord a second chance. You gave me a second chance. I know he has done a lot of bad things, but so have the both of us. Maybe it’s time for the Princess of Friendship to actually reign in some of that friendship?” Deep down, Starlight’s words were from the heart. Tirek, in her eyes, could be changed to the side of good. She had feared him ever since Twilight had told her of his attack on Equestria, but this was clearly not the same centaur.

“He lied to Discord, manipulated him into believing they were friends. If we try to reform him, he could just lie to us. Even if he stays to the side of good, how long would that even last?” replied Twilight, convinced he was passed the point of no return.

“We can prove to him that being on the side of evil is not worth it. We can show him the light. He can learn so much from us, from you, and maybe we can learn a thing or two from him. I know I already have.” Starlight placed a hoof on her mentor’s shoulder, her eyes pleaded with Twilight.

In the short amount of time that Twilight had visited Tirek, she had grown an interest in his views and intellect. She didn’t want to admit Starlight was right, she thought it was a mistake to even bring her, but she couldn’t ignore the truth. Whether he was evil or not, he wanted to reform.

With a deep sigh, she gave into Starlight’s demands. “Alright. I will hold a meeting to discuss his release with the princesses and the other Elements,” she said, “on one condition from you, Tirek.” Her voice was strong as she spoke his name, turning to face the centaur with glaring eyes.

“What is it?” he asked, curious as to what she would demand.

“You must be part of this bet. You must try to win my heart.” It was a brutal task set on by the young princess. Perhaps too much for the aging centaur to handle.

“Do I have to win the bet in order to be free? What if Discord manages to win first? Not that I think he can.” Tirek stroked his beard as he asked the questions.

“The bet is on for a year. I can guarantee you wont have a chance until after you reform. Reforming and winning the bet are not two of the same coin, so no fear for you there. However, if you fail to make me believe you tried your hardest to win me, or you fail to stay redeemed, then you’ll be placed right back here.” She stomped her hoof once. “This is your only chance at redemption. Do I make myself clear?”

A wicked grin crossed his face. “Twilight Sparkle, not only will I become reformed, but I will also make you mine before that bumbling fool can.”

“You hear that Starlight? Now you have to keep your eyes on two different competitors. Regretting this year yet?” she said with a stern quality in her voice. Twilight turned to face Starlight whose jaw had become even lower than before. Twilight waved a hoof in front of her student’s face, no response came from the unicorn, possibly in shock of her mentor’s demeanor.

“You certainly know some very unique ponies, Twilight Sparkle,” Tirek said as he watched the two mares, continuing to eat from the platter on the ground.

Unbeknownst to the three of them, a small, black and violet orb watched them from far above. On the other side of the orb lay a mirror, an evil mistress watching through its magical sight. She motioned for another to come and witness the three.

“If they are planning to release Tirek, then perhaps it is time to enact my plan.” The high-pitched grating of the voice pointed to the other entity. “You must go to Ponyville after Twilight Sparkle has returned, greet her and join their little bets of redemption.”

“Me?” the other, gruffer voice, asked. “Why am I going and not the both of us?”

The feminine voice hissed at the question. “I brought you back from the brink, you would have perished without me and you will be unable to claim rule of Equestria without me. You will do as I say.”

“Fine. I expect to see you there within a month’s time. If I don’t, our deal is off.” The stallion trotted out of the room.

“Don’t worry.” The light green eyes reflected in the mirror. “You’ll get everything you deserve, and more importantly, so will the little purple alicorn.”

Comments

[DualKitsune]

Well, this is why we don't talk about bets among the uninvolved. Everyone wants to get in on the action!

[WorldWalker128]

I lmost set my yard on fire as a kid...can I join in too?

[Razzy]

Well, this keeps getting better and better.

Hmm, these two at the end...

[The REAL Mister Pkmn]

This is about to get complicated.