• Published 12th Nov 2019
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My Little Pony: The Light of Harmonys Hope - kahnac

A great change is coming to Equestria for good, and ill. As mantles are passed down, and alliances are forged, Prince Dusk Shine must cope with all that transpires, realize his destiny, and save the world from coming Darkness. But he won't be alone.

My Little Pony: The Light of Harmonys Hope written by kahnac
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Beyond The Point of No Return

The day following Tirek's secret alliance being formed.......

Even in the shadowy skies surrounding the harrowing fortress, the Midnight Mountain was illuminated through the clouds by the red shine of the sun. As a pillar of darkness, and fear, all who would look upon it would run in terror at the mere sight of it. For no fool would dare to venture to this dark domain if they valued their lives. All save for the rightful ruler of this mountain: Lord Tirek. That very morning, he had spoken with the spirit of his ancestor, and the outer god - who had decided to refer to their unified form as Tirathos - informing him of all he had accomplished. Now, Tirek was journeying into the darker depths of the ruin fortress with a small group of Tiracian soldiers at his side. The echoing voice of his master reverberating in his mind.

"I am dead. But my work remains unfinished. The legacy of harmonia still lives. Now, my successor, it is for you to see to the destruction of all who serve, and follow Harmony, and Light, so that Anarchy and Darkness may reign once more. In the bowels of my ruin castle, The Mountain of Midnight, you will find the ultimate source of my strength. And the keys to awakening the true might of the Heart Stone of Anarchy."

Soon enough, Tirek found the secret room, where, on a bare patch of dirt lay an eight-pronged star. With only his own magic, laced with the darkness in his heart, he stood on this star, and sent orbs of dark magic to where the items he sought were buried. Each one went in the direction of a start-point, and caused the very ground to light up. Tirek then gave the command to begin unearthing these artifacts. And one by one, Tirek and his minions began unearthing a series of various crystals that were almost as big as him. Each one gifted with an ancient, and unique power he only felt once......all those centuries ago when he had them bestowed onto him by his TRUE master, who was superior to that worn old wizard, Sendak. Now he was glad he had commanded them to return to the domain of their former master, and hide where only Lord Tirek could find them. With his bond to Tirathos restored, he was able to find them again. Now, as he unearthed the sacred relics, he felt as though fragments of his own soul were reawakening, and returning his true power. The sound his master's voice still echoing in his mind as he freed the crystals.

"These are my gifts, my child: they give you my power. Power derived from the Celestial Dragons, themselves. Crystals of Darkness."

"Crystals of Power."

"Crystals to spy."

"Crystals to remember, and crystals to forget."

"Crystals to travel."

"Crystals to dominate, and control!"

"Crystals to live forever!"

"UNITED AS ONE, THEY ARE THE CRYSTALS TO RULE THE WORLD!"

And once all of them were unearthed, they were placed in the throne room, where the Heartstone reside. Using simple magical levitation, he place the seven crystals at the edge of each spike sprouting from his throne. Once all of the seven crystals were in place, their own power interacted with the Heartstone. And the power they all shared seemed to ignite. Tirek himself could feel their energy now flowing through him, thanks to his bond with the Heartstone. And as he gazed upon the throne room as a whole, a sigh of triumph escaped his mouth. Only one thought escaped his lips in this ecstasy he now felt.

"It's so good to have the power back."

Far in the Everfree Forest, an earth pony stallion was travelling through the woods. He wasn't really going anywhere in particular. Based on the items he carried, he was a nature explorer who was studying the wildlife of the forest. The stallion was of gentle green color, with a slightly messy mane on his head and tail that were black with emerald highlights, and cute freckles to adorn his face. And yet, oddly enough, he bore no Cutie Mark. But his eyes were nice, and well-rounded and even brighter in green color. He carried a saddle-bad filled with notebooks, and tools he thought would be necessary for his study.

Though he was still in his early 20's, the pony named Emerald Wonder, was one of the brightest, scientific minds in Equestria, whose keen eye, and gift for memorization down to the lightest detail was astounding. It's what allowed him to graduate early from his high school, and be accepted into one of the most prestigious schools for talented minds. Needless to say, it didn't take him that long to graduate, and earn his degree. Once he received a grant, he decided he wanted to use it to research the amazing wildlife of the most mysterious, and considerably dangerous forest. "This place really is incredible." he happily said aloud to himself, writing more notes into his journals. "I never knew so many exotic creatures lived here! I wonder if there are any more I might be able to find out here. *gasp* Maybe i'll find some Gargoyles around here somewhere!" He exclaimed excitedly, before he quickly remembered something. "No, nevermind. I keep forgetting there hasn't been a gargoyle in Equestria since Scorpan left. Not even the Netherlands have seen them." He put a hoof over his lip as he thought, "I wonder what could have happened to them that made them vanish without a trace. Even the centaurs disappeared after that evil one came to Equestria. It couldn't have been a coincidence. Somehow, i've still got the feeling tha-

HHWWWUUUUUUMMMM

Suddenly, Emerald Wonder heard a large humming sound from nearby. "Huh?" He said, following the sound of the humming.

HHWWWUUUUUUMMMM

"What-......where is that coming from?" He asked, before eventually coming to an opening in the woods where a bright, white light began shining in a blinking session. Many thoughts raced through his head as he wondered what could be causing such an occurrence. He most certainly was not expecting to see the glowing, ivory orb that seemed to have emerged from the very ground. Though its appearance was simple, it reminded him of some manner of flower: it even seemed to have 'pedals' on each side of its center mass. Curiosity grew with each flash of light that seemed to beckon him closer and closer. Yet, he felt no sense of fear, or dread from this. It was like he was meant to do what he was being called to do.

He touched a hoof to the side of the object, and was in awe at the sight of the object blossoming like the flower it reminded him of, and exposing the crystal center inside.

However, there was more to it than he thought, when he saw there was something inside - or rather, someone, whom he knew very well from his research, and was now seeing in the flesh for himself.

"Prince Scorpan?!" Emerald Exclaimed, as he saw the fabled Gargoyle prince within the capsule. And as he looked closer, he noticed that Scorpan, while asleep, was positioned as though he were actually lying down in, what the pony saw, was a beautiful field with the most peaceful things you could imagine. "This....this must be some kind of stasis pod." Emerald deduced. "One that combines time magic with dream, or mind spells. He's asleep, no doubt about that. But this pod seems to not only be projecting what he desires most into his mind: it's also showing it for all to see." Emerald then began feeling bad for the Gargoyle. "Poor guy. He looks so happy, but..........is he even aware he's inside? And if he is, did he expect to possibly rest inside for what could very well be centuries? There's no way to tell for sure how long he's been out here in that thing until he wakes up." A guilty expression comes over the young stallion. "I almost don't want to. But ........ he probably NEEDS to wake up. No matter how appealing it is, nothing good can come from staying in an illusion state for so long." He then looked over the capsule-like pod, seeing no buttons, or any signs of accessing this device - whatever kind of 'device' it was. "I do I even turn it-"

Suddenly, a loud rusling came out of the bushes behind the capsule. This startled Emerald with a small yelp as he looked towards the noise. Knowing it could be anything, he approached the rustling bushes regardless. Now, he could distinctly make out the sounds of an animal in the bushes. He wasn't sure what was going to jump out at him at any given moment. But.......a pukwudgie was the last thing he expected to see.

"Oh!" Emerald exclaimed, not in fright, but in wonder. This was the first time he had seen a Pukwudgie this close before, and already he was fascinated by how it resembled a hybridization of a hedgehog and porcupine, though the latter seemed more dominant. "Amazing! I've never seen a Pukwudgie before!" He excitedly said to himself, even if it did sound like a mutter. "Firm, brown coat of quills." He said, writing in his journal, casting a glance at the curious little creature. "Firm talons perfect for digging." The little pudy slowly waddled its way towards the green pony, who looked at its mouth as it chittered. "Nice, pointed teeth. Perfect for catching insects, and for plant grazing. So awesome!" He then put his pencil and journal away, and then gave the Pukwudgie a warm, kind, gentle smile. "Hey there, little fella.", he said with warmth, and sweetness as he lowered himself into a kneeling position that put him at eye level with the still cautious creature. "It's nice to meet you. I don't get to meet creatures as unique as you." The more this little creature looked at Emerald, both at his eyes and in his smile, it could sense that this green pony was not a threat. Both approached each other til their noses were close. The Pukwudgie sniffing Emerald Wonder a little more, making him actually giggle. "Hey, that tickles!"

If the creature could speak, it would say how cute this pony was based on his expressions, and the sound of his laughter. It knew right then, and there this was no threat, and with a chittery smile crawled up to his chest and snuggled him. This made Emerald smile warmly. "Ah! Guess you guys aren't as bad as some ponies make you out to be, are you?" The creature just fluttered happily in this ponies hooves, which made him giggle again. "Well, it's always nice to make new friends wherever you can: even if they're the literally sharpest prickle in the woods." He then thought of something as he saw a pile of moss lying right next to them. He got up, still holding the snuggling pukwudgie in his left hoof as he walked over. "You hungry, little fella? I hear Pukwudgies like moist moss from morning dew in their vegetationary diet." He then reached his hoof over, and picked up the moss pile.

Unaware of the sickly, purple glowing residue trailing off of it from the ground.

"Here you go." Emerald said kindly, offering the delicious moss to the Pukwudgie, who happily took it off his hoof. The little critter munched away at the moss with happy sounds indicating it was pleased. And this in turn made Emerald happy, too. "Glad you like it, buddy. This looked especially good to eat, even from a ponies perspective. Just make sure you chew your food while eating, okay?" He said, with the critter seemingly nodding in understanding. But before it could take another bite, it suddenly froze. And its entire body began to shake and convulse as if under some horrible influence, which worried Emerald greatly. "A-are you okay? What's wrong?!" He failed to notice the eyes of the Pukwudgie suddenly change from complete blank to a glowing purple as its quills ruffled. Suddenly, it snarled in pain as it bit into Emerald's hoof with an equally pained yelp from the young stallion. "What are you doing?!" He exclaimed, as he suddenly found himself trying to shake off the friend he thought he had made. "Let go!", he shouted when he finally flung the little creature far away from him. He winced in pain as he saw the deep imprints the prickly teeth of the Pukwudgie left in his leg. "What's gotten into that guy?" he wondered aloud. "Did I do something wrong? He was fine until I fed him that......" His eyes widened. "Did I do that to him?" he guiltily asked noone. "Did I feed him some kind of poison that drove him crazy? I-...i-i-i didn't mean to! I was just-" He then noticed a growing shadow looming over him, growling deeply, and heavily to the point it sounded like rasping breathing. Though scared, Emerald dared to peak behind him. And by Celestia, he wished that he didn't.

The next thing he knew, a much more monstrous version of a traditional manticore bit into his leg, making him scream with anguish, and threw him in the direction of the sleeping Gargoyle.......whose eyes were now beginning to flutter open. Slowly. But surely so.

Emerald Wonder, meanwhile, was hurled just a few feet away from the stasis capsule. Yelling in pain he felt rushing up his body from his leg, which he could see was now bloodied, and quite possibly broken. It stung to even move, or touch it. His eyes widened as he saw the monstrous manticore approaching him. Horror etched across his muzzle as he inspected the colossal creature who was unlike any manticore he had seen, or heard of before that it made him sweat with fright. A guttural roar was released as it fired quills of its own poisonous barbs just a few meters away from Emerald's feet. His eyes met the colossal, violet eyes of the mad, corrupted form of the demonic manticore that was now closing in on him. The frightened pony inched further, and further away from the hulking mass as best as possible. But he hit a dead-end when he bumped into the pod holding Scorpan. He realized this must be it for him: all the time he spent researching animals, despite knowing the dangers that went with the profession, he still chose to pursue it out of his scientific curiosity. And now ..... it looks like his carelessness was coming back to eat him whole. "I-i-i-...don't s-suppose we c-could talk this over?" he asked in a quaking voice, trying to give himself some semblance of hope. The Manticore's raged roar further dashed them aside as it was almost within breathing range. At that point, it raise up its right arm, ready to slice Emerald apart with its feline claws now made into pure blades of death. Seeing there was no escape from his fate, the frightened pony closed his eyes, and braced himself for death. His only thoughts being, "I'm sorry, mom. I-..i'm so sorry I have to leave you like this. I only hope you do alright without me......even though i'll miss you. Goodbye.", as tears fell.

But the end never came.

While he was crawling away, and bracing himself, the Gargoyle in the pod had finally stirred. And when he saw the demonic creature about to shred a forest green pony, his eyes snapped fully awake. With a firm, yet angered glare, he raised up his hand, and with focused concentration, fired a beam of pure light into the chest of the horrendous abomination. The attack itself actually having an effect on the creature as it howled in pain, before gazing upon the figure who now stood with his bat-like wings fully erected. Emerald Wonder heard the screech, and sound of something immensely strong blasting it away. He opened his eyes to see, much to his relief, that he was unharmed, but also that the Manticore has somehow been sent flying several feet away from him. He had done nothing to cause this. But the sound of movement coming from behind made him realize, to his awe, who did. "Get away from this pony, you horrendous freak of nature!" ordered Scorpan in a loud, somewhat young-sounding, but still authoritative tone that commanded respect, and obedience. Getting back on his feet, Emerald looked unto the Gargoyle as he stepped out of the pod. Amazed by his features, and.....admitting to him having rather handsome and attractive qualities for his species, Emerald watched on as Scorpan confronted the beast, who now took on a defensive pose as it snarled in a maddened rage.

Sensing some manner of affliction, and sensing it stemmed from an immense form of darkness, Scorpan looked upon the creature with sympathy, and said, "What happened to you? What could have happened to make you this way? More importantly, who did this to you?" His only reply was an enraged roar, and more quills being fired. But to it, and Emerald's surprise, he erected a barrier of light that repelled the quills. He then looked unto the massive beast, and his eyes shined with a golden light as a fierce determination crossed it. "Either way, I can sense what you're feeling: there is so much pain in you heart, caused by this wicked curse to the point it's unbearable. All you want is to be free of this infection." He then smiled confidently as both his hands shone with golden light before he brought them together to form a large sphere of golden power. "Well don't worry anymore, my friend: i've got the cure for this sickness right here." The manticore roared at him, and attempted to charge at him in order to eviscerate what it's dark instincts warned was a threat that must die at once. But it was far too late for that. The Gargoyle Prince was ready to make this cursed beast see the light.

"CLEANSING LIGHT: LANCE OF ACACEUS!"

And just like that, a tremendous beam of light fired out from Scorpan's palms, and engulfed the Manticore like a massive spear of yellow light. The Manticore's roars could be heard as it cried out in what first started out as pain, but then gradually began to dim. In spite of the intense brightness, Emerald Wonder was still able to see inside the Gargoyle's breathtaking attack: the horrible monster who had nearly killed him was....shrinking! Indeed, it was growing smaller as the moments passed, as were the horrifying features it held. After a full minute, an exhausted Scorpan was left panting in place as he kept his gaze in the dust cloud he had created with his attack. When it finally cleared, he happily smiled at the sight before him: there, looking around in a confused state stood a regular sized, yellow bodied, orange maned, red horned, winged manticore with a simple scorpions tail in place. He had done it. Whatever evil darkness was corrupting the manticore physically, and mentally had been purged for good. Seeing the gargoyle, who, in the eyes of the creature, shined like a great beacon of hope, and life. It realized he had healed it, and it gave a roar of thanks before returning to the forest. Just before it ran off, he gave a nod back to say 'you're welcome'. He was happy to have saved the manticore, for sure.

But after that exhausting ordeal, which was more than he expected, Scorpan found no more joy: for he had now sensed the world around him, riddled with the same sickness as the beast, and it broke his heart greatly......knowing he was still in Equestria.

"Equestria......beautiful, sad, afflicted Equestria: what's happened to you?" He asked with a great pain in his voice, trying to understand why his heart ached so. Ever since his........final encounter with his brother, he had grown more attuned to the nature of the world around him. A gift from The Light, or as his homeland named it, "The Ashlam", no doubt. It warned him of impending peril, and an imbalance in the world. Now, worse than anything he had ever felt in his life, he could feel the very earth itself crying out in pain. Something is making this land sick, and corrupting all that lives. And there may be a chance that the Earth itself would suffer the same fate. And he had no idea what he could do about it. He felt so helpless. He-

"Um, e-excuse me?" came a meek, and timid voice that Scorpan could tell was male.

Scorpan broke out of his thoughts to address the one who spoke to him. This was when he officially came face-to-face with the messy, but cute haired pony, or young stallion, he had recently saved. "Oh, it's you." Scorpan said with interest, and then his expression became that of concern as he saw the little pony limp towards him. "Are you alright, young stallion? How bad is your injury?"

"M-my injurragh!" he yelped as he stepped on his back leg too hard. That's when he remembered what had happened to him only minutes ago. He looked back, and said, "Oh, this. It hurts when I put too much pressure on it, but otherwise I think it's fine......maybe." Scorpan gave him a skeptical look. "Maybe? I may have been in a daze for a few moments, but I saw the manticore toss you by that same leg - in its lion mouth, I might add." He said in an almost stern tone. "And I know enough about manticores that their bite is not anything to take lightly."

"I know." Emerald said, looking almost ashamed for trying to be so dismissive of his well-being. "After all, lions have a bite force topping the scales at 650 PSI. Not enough to kill prey with a single bite, but several can get the job done in succession. Other animals like Tigers, Bears, and especially Alligators and Crocodiles have a far stronger biting force in that exact order. Though lions CAN actually break bone if they got ahold of their prey. And since manticores are sometimes twice their size, with that one being ten times, that must mean its bite force must have been equal to that of a crocodilian! Damn: I wish I had my journal with me, then I could...." Emerald continued his muttering rant about scientific facts and theories regarding the manticore from before. And it was honestly beginning to weird Scorpan out a little. Time to snap him out of it. "Hey!"

"Ah!" Emerald yelped before looking up at Scorpan, and realizing what he'd done. "Oh! Sorry about that." He said, smiling sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. "I just get lost in my own head sometimes, and I end up letting my thoughts speak out without realizing. I'm an researcher, so I guess that just comes with the territory." He then bowed his head to the Gargoyle apologetically. "Still, I am SO sorry if I was freaking you out! I swear I didn't mean to-"

"Hold on, hold on!" Scorpan laughed. "It's okay, really." he said honestly, gaining the ponies attention once again in spite of his confusion. "Like they say, "no harm, no foul". It was actually kind of cute seeing you in that thinking posture. You reminded me alot of......some....pony......" Suddenly, he gave Emerald a real, long look. A look of bewilderment that made the young stallion nervous. "Clover?" That's when Emerald got the notion a misunderstanding was underway. "I can't believe it! It really is you, but...you've gotten older - and bigger!" he exclaimed excitedly. "Sorry I didn't recognize you, Clover, but in all fairness, you were only a colt nearing his teenage years when I first met you, and your teacher, Starswirl. It's great to see you, either way." Scorpan said, placing a hand on the ponies shoulder.

It really hurt to have to say what he was about to, given how excited the Gargoyle was, but he couldn't let this go any further. "Uh....Mr. Scorpan, sir, I appreciate the way you feel, but you have the wrong pony." Seeing the confusion growing, the animal researcher elaborated. "My name is Emerald Wonder. Though I AM related to Clover the Clever: he was my ancestor." He was the one now smiling as he touched Scorpan's hand. "But I heard your story many times, Mr. Scorpan, sir. And it truly is an honor to actually meet someone from my own families history in the flesh." He stopped when he saw Scorpan's worried expression. That was when the increasingly frantic gargoyle spoke. "He's.........your ancestor? Clover the Clever, you said?" Emerald nodded, only making Scorpan feel more worried with fear. "That can't be right! It-...it just can't be! I only just left for my home a a few hours ago when that capsule-" he halted with realization. "When that capsule snared me when Tirek's ring suddenly shined." he gasped in silent horror. "He couldn't have-.........Emerald Wonder, was it? Please, tell me! How long have I been gone since my brother's imprisonment?"

Though startled a little by Scorpan's frantic behavior, he understood where he was coming from, since he also began suspecting similar things the gargoyle did. Not wanting to waste his time with worry, Emerald thought back through his knowledge of Equestrian history, and then finally remembered. "According to the history texts, it's been over 40 centuries since you went back to your homeland, and Tirek was sent to Tartarus......though obviously, the former didn't happen. And probably because you were, indeed, duped somehow into getting trapped in what I can imagine is some kind of time capsule, designed to freeze beings in time, and have them live out their deepest desires: which, when I looked inside, was you living in peace, and happiness."

He hadn't the heart to deny the ponies theory - he knew it was true, deep down, even though it was hard to accept. Taking deep breaths, and after brushing his lion-like mane of hair back, he spoke again. "4,000 years. Then......that means that all I ever knew back home.......it's gone, now. Even though there was a chance for me to rebuild the damage by brother did, it's impossible now." He then looked to the open capsule. "You say you know the story of mine, and Tirek's journey to Equestria, right. Emerald?" The pony nodded, and gave Scorpan motive to speak. "Well, I don't know how much has been told, but......since you're of the same lineage as my friends apprentice, who was also a friend to me, I think it's only right I tell you what happened before, and after the Equestria ordeal." He stood up, and hooked his wings together to form a sort-of cape while they rested on his shoulders. This only got Emerald even more eager to ask Scorpan about gargoyle behavior among other things. But when the gargoyle looked to him, he knew he had to listen. Scorpan, however, had more in mind and called upon the Light's power to connect his mind to Emerald so he may see what he remembers. "Incredible!" Wonder exclaimed. "What kind of spell is this? I had no idea you even knew magic, Scorpan."

"I don't: this is the power of The Ashlam, which our culture refers to as the Light, which gives me abilities beyond the normal. And now, it's the tool i'm going to use to tell my story. A story that is far darker than history tells."

"The real reason we left for this land wasn't simply to take its magic: our parents had died under mysterious circumstances, with Tirek saying that pony assassins had infiltrated our castle, and killed them with a spell that reduced them to nothing. They then cursed my brother so he would become more......beastial than what a centaur is naturally meant to look like. The assassins got away, and he called for help. I arrived, seeing my mother, and father: reduced to ashes while their garb remained." He closed his eyes as he felt the pain of that memory. "Tirek told me that the attack was retaliation for something having to do with an old centaur hermit of a wizard named Sendak, who my brother used to train under. He apparently kidnapped a unicorn in the vain attempt to learn how to steal its magic. He failed. A magical explosion exposed him and what he'd done, and he was condemned to the mines of the Netherlands for the rest of his miserable life. King Vorak, my father, thought Tirek had a hand in it somehow, but he denied everything. Even after returning the pony to Equestria personally after confining Tirek to his quarters, until he returned after settling the matter, it was said that this wasn't enough. Tirek said the equestrian assassins considered our kingdom enemies, and wanted to make us pay for something we didn't do. In the end, it didn't even matter. Mom....and dad.......they were both gone. And it was just me, and Tirek, now. The only family either of us had left." Scorpan sighed sadly as a lone tear fell. "I could easily tell he was never the same after that - i'm more perceptive than he used to give me credit for." He chuckled humorlessly.

"I'm sorry that happened, Mr. Scorpa-"

"Please. Just call me Scorpan, okay. I might technically be 40 centuries old, but i'm still 27. 'Mr. Scorpan' just makes me feel as old as I technically should look."

"R-right. Sorry, Mis-.......eh, Scorpan. But, uh...what did you mean? About Tirek not being the same again?"

Scorpan closed his eyes for a few moments, before opening them with a look of disdain at the memories he would bring up next. "Do you know how they say that eyes are windows to the soul?" Emerald gave a short, albeit hesitant nod, as if saying he may have heard it somewhere, but forgot. Either way, Scorpan continued on. "Well, Tirek's eyes were nothing but hatred, rage, and retribution burning like twin suns in the noon sky. Worse....I could see the gleam of desire deep within. I came to realize too late what that would come to mean after Tirek told me all he had seen before he had been cursed. He then said we needed to get even with the Equestrians by taking what they valued most, just as they took what we valued most. I said that we should focus on our home because the throne was without a king: and as heir, Tirek had to assume it, and lead his people through the crisis. But he shot down this idea, saying that if he was indeed to be King, then he could not let this affront go unpunished. He considered this transgression an act of war, and sought to make the ponies pay. He pleaded I go with him, reminding me that we only had each other left now. We had to avenge our parents, and see that justice was given." Scorpan sighed again. "I should have disagreed. Tried to make him reconsider his plan, and focus on what was really important. But he had made up his mind, saying this goal was important - and he would see it through with, or without me. I feared what he might do in his then-current state. So, albeit reluctantly, I agreed to follow him. Something that seemed to make him genuinely happy. He left the council in command while we were gone, and we set off. We climbed and scaled the mountain ridges that bordered our lands until we reached the entrance to the outside. And that was when we made our pledge."

"Pledge?"

"That no matter what happens, we would always be inseparable, and we would never leave the others side. Of course I agreed, and said the same to him: he was my brother. How could I ever abandon him? Still, he said we should make it official by exchanging something we valued with each other, as a sign of gratitude for staying by each others sides, and remaining loyal to each other through all our struggles. As you may know, I gave him a medallion my mother made me when I was young. Tirek, however, gave me a silver ring with a small, white pearl, saying he had planned to give me something that would make any....future engagements more official. I was so happy, I never even bothered asking where he got it from. But instead, I wore it on my hand as Tirek wore my medallion around his neck. We then turned to the life-filled, rich, and prosperous land that was far beyond our own. And I knew, at that moment, we were past the point of no return. Things would never be the same after this. Not for us....not for anyone." Scorpan suddenly moved a few feet away from Emerald as he took a pacing stride. "I assume, since mine and Tirek's arrival to Equestria is already part of your history, I don't have to go into the whole details concerning me, my 'spying' mission, and my full change of heart thanks to the ponies of then: including Starswirl the Bearded, himself?"

Emerald put a hoof to his chin in thought before saying, "No, I guess not. And I already know about how you tried to convince Tirek to stop his plans, but he refused. So he forced you to go to the Princesses, and tell them of his plan, which got him thrown in Tartarus, and made you leave. Is that accurate, too?"

Scorpan looked disheartened as he said, "Almost. But i'm afraid the truth is worse than books describe. And you're about to find out why."

When Emerald tilted his head to the side in confusion, Scorpan turned to him and continued.

"Yes, I did indeed find how peaceful ponies truly are, and became close friends to Starswirl.....and your 2X Grandfather." He chuckled before he went on. "This made me think "what if Tirek was wrong?", and that it wasn't an assassination from the princesses that murdered our parents. I tried bringing this up with him while trying to convince him to end his campaign. I told him how kind, gentle, and friendly equestrians are, and suggested the murderers were unassociated. He wouldn't have any of it: his heart, and mind was set on taking the magic of every living thing in this land, and then reducing it to cinders. I was horrified to hear him say this - but even more horrified when a winged demon-pony came out of nowhere, and told Tirek that he....she...IT had finished wiping out The Netherland Kingdom, and all traces of gargoyle and centaur presence. The worst of it was, before he realized I was standing right there in front of him, he seemed......pleased by this news. That's how I finally figured it out: he had been lying to me all this time. He wasn't doing any of this to seek justice: he only wanted to take the power Equestria had to offer, now that he knew how to take what isn't given." He shuddered. "I'll never forget that malicious smile, and hideous laughter as he admitted to it, seeing no reason to keep up the lie. That's when he explained what had really happened: about how he had learned that he was the direct descendant of an ancient, and evil centaur who once ruled the land of Equestria before even Grogar's reign - in a time every creature in the world came to call The First Generation - in an era of Darkness that consumed all, and made Grogar himself seem like a pug in comparison. The centaur in question was a figure who embraced The Darkness, or as our culture referred to it, The Vashtar, and became the first Dark Lord to rule over the land, before he eventually fell to the first heroes of ancient Equestria."

Emerald himself felt a bit nervous from this description. Yet, curiosity outweighed his fear, and he dared to ask, "A-a-and.....what was this "Dark Lord's" name, if you don't mind me asking?" Scorpan gave him a grave look before giving him his answer.

"His name was Tirac: The Supreme Lord of Midnight, and Champion of The Vashtar."

Emerald's eyes suddenly blinked in surprise. "Wait: Tirac? But it sounds..just like......no way. That can't be just a coincidence."

"Who knows?" Scorpan asked rhetorically. "Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. But either way, our parents, in their infinite wisdom despite being a direct descendant of this maniacal monster of a tyrant, gave him a name that practically gave away the relation!" he facepalmed as he groaned, and rubbed his face, before sighing and continuing. "And this is apparently what caused him to snap at mom and dad. Getting so caught up in his bottled-up rage that, like a raging dam, it burst open and he did what is now considered impossible: he succeeded in draining the innate magic of our parents. But he didn't stop at that, and instead continued until they were nothing but dust. He said he didn't mean to kill them in such a way, but it ended up happening regardless. And as a result, his physical form forever changed into the animalistic form he's probably known more for today. And the pony creature I met? It was a living piece of his soul born of the fear that fueled his actions, before his act of murder severed that piece of his own soul, and created Dismay. A faithful servant, and apparently loyal pet with immense dark powers that made them more than useful for Tirek. Coming to grips with his newfound powers, he saw opportunity where there was none before. And with mom and dad out of his way, he saw no need to ever go back home." Scorpan scowled. "He had that monster, Dismay, wipe out all traces of our home, and kill everyone who lived there. Whether that was true or not, I finally realized my brother had lost his mind. He was no longer the same Tirek I used to know and love. Further proven when he tried convincing me to stay with him to complete his plan so that we can rule Equestria from the Kingdom we would build from its ashes. Disgusted, I refused and proclaimed that I wanted no more part of his insanity. I wouldn't let him harm anyone else like he did our people. So I took to the sky, and flew away as fast as my wings could carry me - even as Tirek tried to shoot me down. He managed to nick my wing, but failed to stop me from reaching Canterlot."

"Oh! That's when you warned Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna of his plot!" Emerald said excitedly. "And after you warned them, they beat him and sent him to Tartarus while you returned home to try and rebuild. Right?" A silence fell over the two as a grim expression fell over his possibly new friend, and he himself began to grow worried. "R-....right?" He asked nervously, to which the gargoyle answered, "I only wish it was that easy, Emerald. But even though you got the first part right, things didn't go the way any of us thought it would." That gave Emerald a sense of dread as he listened. "What do you mean?" Taking a deep breath, the Gargoyle continued his tale.

"After warning the princesses, AND my friend, Starswirl, who vouched for me after I explained everything, we all went to where Tirek was hiding. But.....when I lead them to his hidden cove, he wasn't there. Luna, at first, accused me of lying and further covering for my brother. Starswirl both calmed her, and then pointed out that there WAS a signature there: signatures are the residual energy traces left by all living things, magical or not. It pointed away from the cave, and towards the last place I hoped he would go to, with his tracks only further proving this to be true."

"He went to ponyville, didn't he?" Emerald asked.

"No. There was no 'ponyville', whatever that place is, back then. There were only pastures, and farmlands with small villages inbetween the cove and The Princesses Castle. He already figured out my intentions, and I guess I forced his hand early. In the path leading to him was one that would only add to the guilt I have: everything in the path of the monster Tirek became burned. As though a dragon had been rampant, he was reducing all that he saw to cinders while leaving drained, magicless ponies in his wake. First it was unicorns.....then it escalated to pegasi, and then earthlings. He was growing stronger by the minute with every pony he crossed. And when we saw him, my heart sank at the sight of his revelry in his actions. He didn't care about the harm he was inflicting, or the devastation he wrought. He was bringing Anarchy to Equestria: and he enjoyed all the misery, pain and suffering he inflicted. He was nearly at the Castle, itself, ready to annihilate it to get to the Princesses, as he had grown a taste...for alicorn magic. But before he could reach the castle, we cut him off. The Princesses, and Starswirl warned him to stand down, and surrender what he stole, or pay the price. And I....." he sighed wearily. "I thought I could still reach him. That somehow my brother was alive inside this beast he had become."

"I quickly learned what a mistake that was when Tirek's rage grew from a forest fire.....to a raging volcano. With power even I never knew he was capable of, Tirek blew the trio away before grabbing hold of me. And again, that sinister smile as he peered into my very soul. Drawing claws I had no idea he had until that moment. Though I could see his rage easily, he spoke to me in a calm, and unfittingly soft voice. Saying he expected this sort of thing from me, but he had hoped that his loyalty to his family outweighed everything else. I proved him wrong, apparently, but he said he expected it somehow. And he was now ready to make me pay for my betrayal. He would get what he wanted at that rate: I was no warrior like him, and nowhere near strong enough to beat him. A reason I never challenged him in sparring matches. Now, I was paying for my foolishness. I still remember the exchange we had when I tried to fully grasp what he was after."


Lord Tirek tightens his hold on Scorpan by the throat, and looks at him with a malevolent grin. Scorpan struggles to break free from his brother’s grasp. growing more frightened and confused.

"Tirek, why are you doing this?!"

"Why? WHY!?! I’ve told you why, Scorpan. I’m doing everything I can to absorb the magic of every pony in Equestria so that I can gain ultimate power. Once I’ve drained enough magic from every Pegasus, Unicorn, and Earth Pony, I will then absorb the magic of the Alicorn rulers themselves and then I’ll become...the greatest overlord in all of Equestria! The past will consume the present, the Darkness will swallow the Light, and Anarchy shall reign supreme!"

Grunting, and gasping, Scorpan desperately said, "Brother, please. Don’t do this! I don't know why you hate them so much, but the ponies of Equestria are not as bad as you think! If you strip them of their magic, they won’t be able to defend themselves. They could die!"

Tirek cocks an eyebrow at his smaller brother. "And why does that matter to me? Why do you care so much for these ponies?

"Because they’re my friends." Scorpan answered, without a hint of hesitation. Something that seemed to anger, and disappoint the hellish centaur. "As naive as always, Scorpan: that has always been your weakness. The way I see it, those weak-minded equines have corrupted you with their spiel of friendship, and have turned you against me. I should’ve known you were foolish enough to trust them to the point where you would be so bold as to betray your own brother. But don’t worry, Scorpan, you will suffer dearly for your betrayal. And with you out of the way, I see no reason not to pay your little pony friends a visit."

Scorpan's eyes widened, and turned to anger. "NOOO!!! Leave them alone!" And his struggles increased. This action only seemed to make his monster of a brother smile with satisfaction as his eyes were consumed by shimmering, yellow light. The light of malice, hatred, and the will to dominate all life. "You care greatly for these wretches, don't you?" Scorpan looked to him in fear. "Good. Then you can watch them die, once I am finished with claiming your soul. But I assure you it will be less pleasant than the method I used for Vorak and Haydon - but I can promise you will see them again.........very soon."

The ferocious centaur prepared to harm his own brother with his dark magic, when Princess Celestia and Princess Luna stopped Tirek with a single blast of light magic. "Hang on, Scorpan!" Celestia shouted. "We have come to aid thee!" Luna said just as loudly. And with Starswirl teleporting in front of him, the centaur's menacing grin returned, as he tossed Scorpan aside like he was nothing. "Good! Now I can remind Scorpan that I keep my word." He said menacingly.

And then the battle began.

"The battle itself was a spectacle to behold. I heard the stories from my friend regarding the power of his new pupils, but seeing it was another matter entirely. It was as if light itself was being wielded by two winged angels. The Light of the Sun, and of The Moon being wielded with such skill was beyond anything I could have imagined. Even Starswirl himself was truly an archmage worthy of recognition. Because even with his newfound might, my brother had been on equal footing with the trio. He faced their magics with his own, and held firm. Even so, I could tell he was only using his own powers to fight, and not what he had stolen from the others. Hope filled my heart as I began to realize Tirek had not fully mastered his powers. He was still learning, as were the Princesses. But thanks to their teacher's guidance, they had the advantage. They could win!"

Scorpan closed his eyes as hard as he could. "But if there's one thing my brother is capable of, it's being unpredictable."

The battle raged as both sides found themselves unable to overcome the other. And soon, it came down to a stand off between the three ponies who safeguarded Equestria, and the demonic invader who sought to destroy it. He stared at them in an analytical manner, before finally saying, "It appears we are at an impasse now. Wouldn't you agree?" Princess Luna merely scoffed and said, "Mayhaps we would, be it not for the fact that thou art still outnumbered three-to-one." Celestia herself stepped forth, and said, "Though somewhat brash, my sister is correct. We stand united while you stand alone, Tirek. And in time we will find a way to stop you. That is why I give you one last chance to surrender, and return the magic you stole from our subjects before leaving to return home. Do so, and you will be given leniency."

Tirek didn't even think it over, and only laughed in response. "You weak, pathetic nags! You think yourselves superior to me, still?! You think I stand alone just because Scorpan has deserted me?" His eyes gleamed as a knowing grin appeared. "Oh, no, "your majesties", I don't think so. The time has come for me to demonstrate what the true might of unity is through the power of Darkness." He then stretched out his hand, and teleported a strange, purple pouch into his hand with a symbol on it. Once he held it firmly, however, the demonic pouch quickly transformed into a malignant weapon of terrible power

I knew even the others could sense the immense Darkness radiating off of that sword. As if the night sky itself had been consumed by an ever-growing malignancy, and fashioned into an evil weapon the likes of which has never been seen before. Even I could feel its power, though I had no idea why. But I knew it was....unnatural. Not meant to be. "By the Source, Tirek!" I cried out in horror. "What have you done?!" Tirek merely smirked at me as he swung around his new weapon - or new, as far as I was aware. He then said in a dangerous tone, "I had little to do with this, little Scorpan: Vorak and Haydon were the ones who had the bright idea to keep it in the lower vaults of our castle. It called out to me on the night I learned of my heritage, my connection to Tirac. And what's more: MY blood shares the essence of a Primordial, itself! The embodiment of Anarchy who joined souls with Tirac to become Primordial of Anarchy....AND Darkness. Together, they forged the ultimate weapon crafted from the elements of all things evil, wielded in the form of pure Darkness - or in the form of a fearsome blade known simply as "The Dark Crucible". This weapon is my heritage, Scorpan! It is the legacy of power reserved only for the one worthy of becoming the true Dark Lord to succeed the first of the First Generation! And with it, this world and all its dominions....SHALL BE MINE! HAHAHAHAHAHAAAH!"

"Why must villains always fall into such overblown speeches as this, dear sister?" Luna asked her sister, to which she simply hushed as their mentor spoke. "That is not an accomplishment you shall achieve, demon! You hold powers beyond all mortal understanding - including your own! And using such a wellspring of dark power will only lead to your destruction!"

Tirek grinned. "Of all the lives to be concerned with, you magician upstart, MINE is not the one you should fear for." He then raised his sword, and unleashed a torrent of dark magic so great that none could repel it. They tried to fight back, but now the tide of battle had turned. His weapon deflected their magical attacks, and he continuously struck them down with dark blasts. They barely avoided getting cut to ribbons when he attempted to physically strike. Though he did land devastating blows that weakened the mystic ponies greatly. And all the while, because of how afraid I was, I stayed back, and watched as my brother decimated my friends with ease. In what I could only imagine was minutes, he had laid them low, and towered over them with malice unlike anything I thought was possible. "So this is what the magic of friendship is supposed to be? A pathetic display of power? HA! Pathetic." He sneered. "You're not even worth draining anymore." Suddenly, a devious expression came as though he had thought of something truly horrific. "In fact, I no longer even need the power of magic itself!" He then did something I was unprepared for: he raised up the Crucible, and aimed the blade tip to his chest. "You say I use power beyond my own understanding, wizard?! That using it will destroy me?!?.........Well, perhaps you're right. But perhaps.....it's because I have not allowed myself close enough proximity to my Crucible."

I saw him raise the blade to strike, shouting, "No, don't!", begging him to stop - but it was too late.

He drove The Dark Crucible into his heart, and held it in place even as he grunted in pain from what he had done. I even saw blood drip from his mouth. But even so, he waited for his streak of madness to bear fruit somehow. He got his wish, though, as the blade began pulsing, and glowing with power. Tirek himself began to convulse, and spasm out of control as the crucible slowly converted into pure darkness, and began pouring into his body. Purple veins creeped all over him, which I could see even through his black fur. He then let out the most terrifying howl I have ever heard before he was engulfed by purple, and black flames erupting from his chest. Completely consuming his body as he underwent a new metamorphosis - one that would spell our end. And when it was done, and the pillar of fire receded, my eyes widened in horror at the monstrous thing standing before me. A winged embodiment of Darkness whono longer resembled my brother. It was no long even centaur in physical form.

It was The Primordial Dark Lord from ancient legend brought back to our time.

And it towered over all like a mighty, unrelenting Titan whose power cast an everlasting shadow on all beneath it. The being's three eyes - yes, I said three, as inbetween the base horns that I only can assume were Tirek's, was a demonic eye wreathed in dark flame, while he still had those infernal, yellow eyes - looked upon himself and saw the changes he had gone through. And it made this dark god laugh with truly wicked glee as he spoke in a voice that only barely sounded like my brothers. It was the voice of a devil. "AT LONG LAST, MY DESTINY HAS COME FORTH. THE UNIFICATION OF THE SOULS OF THE OUTER GOD, APOPHIS, THE EMPEROR OF MIDNIGHT, TIRAC....AND NOW THEIR ONE, TRUE DESCENDANT, LORD TIREK, HAVE RESURRECTED THE EMBODIMENT OF ALL THE ACCURSED LIGNUM HARMONIA, HERSELF, STANDS FOR. I AM EVIL MADE REALITY. I AM DARKNESS MANIFEST. I AM THE WILL OF THE OUTER GODS COME TRUE! I! AM! TIRATHOS! AND NOW ON THIS DAY, THE REIGN OF LIGHT ENDS! NOW BEGINS THE NIGHT THAT NEVER ENDS!"

He manifested a blade of purple energy, and cast it into the sky. The already smoke-filled sky was now consumed by blackened clouds of unnatural existence. And in that moment, Tirathos had begun to rain down destruction upon the land. Leaving nothing standing as hundreds cried out in fear......before suddenly falling silent. The trumpeting laughter of Tirathos echoing through the land as he marched forward, and began giving life to the very shadows themselves to terrorize all. On that day, Darkness reigned supreme. And throughout it all, I just stood there like a coward. Blaming myself because I knew I could have done something to prevent this. Something to stop this disaster from being born. But because of me, it was too late to do anything. All hope seemed to be lost. Yet even so, I prayed for a miracle. That the Elder Gods would not forsake us in this, our Darkest Hour. That somehow, I could atone for my mistakes, and make things right.

When a shining light suddenly appeared before me, extinguishing the flames around me, I would find that the Elder Gods had heard my prayers, and were answering them.

More so in the form of a godly, rainbow maned alicorn that stood before me with its white, sun-like eyes.

I looked upon it for a few moments. Not sure what to make of the strange being. It took me a little longer to realize I was no longer even in Equestria: I had been brought into some starry void that went on forever. And yet I was able to stand on solid ground that wasn't even there. Gazing cautiously, and creeping carefully towards the towering god, I dared to ask, "W-what do you want from me?" If gave a brief snort, and whinny as a normal horse would. But then its horn lit up, and its wings spread open as wide as a house. I was afraid I made it angry, and was about to be....smitten? Smited? Either way, I thought it was the end for me. But soon the light went away, and I opened my eyes after shutting them in fear. When I opened them up, imagine my surprise at the figure in front of me.

A pony - an alicorn pony, and a stallion, no less!

It was perplexing, mainly because I thought only the princesses were the only alicorns around. I had no idea makes could become this stage of magical evolution, too. Yet, as I gazed into his golden eyes, and his warm, friendly smile, I felt my fears slipping away. He was up to my chin in height, so I could look at him easily enough to speak. "Who are you? You look like an alicorn, but I had no idea there were more than two. Are you new, perhaps, or something else?" The pony gave a chuckle of light amusement before answering in a soft, but still very strong voice. "I suppose you are technically right. Physically, I am an alicorn, and yet I am not." I gave him a quizzical look, and he told me, "I am a horned pegasus. And my name is Courageous Heart, the former champion of Light. I was born in the era you know as "The First Generation" in the village of Einhorn, where ponies like me were..........mainly unheard of. Because of this I was an outcast among my unicorn piers until the day my father disappeared. When that happened, I set forth to find him, and bring him home at any cost. I met many strange, but wonderful creatures, and had many adventures along the way. But along the way, I was pursued mercilessly by a ruthless Gargoyle who served as Emperor Tirac's chief lieutenant in his conquest of Ancient Equestria." He gave me a look of awkward discomfort before he said, "And he.....was also named Scorpan, i'm afraid."

That most certainly shocked me, to say the least, but even so I wanted to know more about this pony and his history. He obliged, and said, "It was only when word had found its way to me that Scorpan, and his gargoyle forces were invading my hometown to find suitable slaves for the emperor. I returned to Einhorn, older and more mature than when I left. Determined to protect those whom Scorpan targeted: including my sister, Charisma, who was the most skilled magic wielder in Einhorn. Unfortunately, our village's leader, who always had it out for me and my family since day one, took advantage of me and my father's absence to sell her into slavery. I couldn't allow it, and faced Scorpan even though I had no magic, and was not quite enough of a warrior to face him. But during out battle, he revealed a horrible truth that shook me to my core: that he was my father, Stoutheart, corrupted by the Emperor's Darkness to serve him for all time." I couldn't help but gasp at this revelation. "Then....does that mean-?" Courageous nodded as though he knew my question. "He was there to bring more powerful ponies to Tirac so that he can corrupt them into more powerful monsters, chief among their ranks being Gargoyles. Amidst his taunts, and proclamations of my weakness, I could no longer stand it. That monster had taken so much from the land that was my home, and tormented countless innocents in his pursuit of power: and now he was making my family suffer, as well. The injustice of it all was too much, and I decreed "No more!". When I did, a change in me occured and I was given power beyond anything known to Equestria save in legend: The Elder Goddess of our Realm, Lignum Harmonia, had chosen me to be Champion of Light, or Wielder of The Ashlam. With it, I vanquished Scorpan, drove his minions away, and gave him his life back - and in turn giving Charisma, my mother and me our father, and husband back. For his treachery, the old leader was cast out, and my father became leader of Einhorn in his place. After so many years, I had finally achieved my goal, and in turn I was seen as a hero to many who returned peace to Einhorn, and other places."

I was in absolute awe, and could only say, "Amazing.", in the same tone. Courageous chuckled again, saying, "Thank you. But......it didn't matter in the slightest. Because my actions were but a brief respite. The Emperor would come for us again when he heard of what happened to Scorpan. But more importantly, I no longer wished to stand by and let the Dark Lord have his way. That was when I became leader of a Rebel Alliance, united by friendship, and harmony by the guidance of the Light to stand against its greatest threat. The five friends I made, along with my sister, ended up being far more vital to the freedom of Ancient Equestria: one might say they were the original Elements of Harmony, and Pillars of Equestria, with me as the Seventh aspect needed to finally defeat Tirac. Together, we marched upon Midnight Mountain, and faced his armies before facing the dark one himself, as he was on the cusp of bringing forth the Night Eternal. He planned to use the power of The Dark Crucible - a weapon forged in the darkest depths of The Well of Souls, and the deepest pits of Hades, itself - to corrupt the entire world, and remake it in his image. But the seven of us opposed him, and proved his equal thanks to the powers of harmony and light working in perfect unison. Unfortunately, we had no way of anticipating the desperation Tirac had, and were unprepared for when he merged with The Dark Crucible to become the demon, Tirathos."

My eyes widened. "Tirathos?!"

"The original, whose spirit has now merged with your brothers to become a new incarnation of the Primordial Dark Lord who nearly destroyed our world. The tide turned against us, and we were no match for this frightening God of Evil. Here was when I came to a realization: if we were to end the threat Tirathos presented, then we could not fight him with Harmony and Light alone, separately. In order to defeat him, we needed to combine their powers to end his reign once, and for all. And for that...........I gave my own life while calling on the magic of the six Wielders of Harmony to unify both divine aspects into a singularity: The Sword of Light."

"And with what strength I had left, I soared into the sky, making my way to the dark god as he tried to repel me. I evaded him at every turn, dodging all his attacks, and deflecting every evil spell he cast while he remained rooted in his accursed mountain. Even with the dark forces who flew to his defense, I did not waver. I struck down every enemy, and cut through every obstacle until I was finally within reach. And with a single, charging rush I did what all in the First Generation once thought impossible: I tore through Tirathos' heart with the sword, and destroyed him once, and for all."

"With my final bit of strength, I used the power of Lignum Harmonia itself to seal The Mountain of Midnight into the earth, and then free the land of Tirac's influence. His dominion was destroyed, all he had built with his power was gone, and those corrupted and enslaved to his will were finally free. The age of Anarchy and Darkness was over, at last, and the world could rest in peace." Courageous suddenly a sigh in what I could only figure was sadness. "But as I said, the cost of victory aside from those who fell in battle....was my own life, as well. Charisma caught me before I hit the ground, and cradled me in her arms," he said, as a gentle smile crossed his face, "just like she used to do when I was a colt. Despite their pleas, there was nothing that could be done for me. All my life, even before I realized it, had been dedicated to vanquishing Emperor Tirac, and freeing my home from his tyranny. Now that that was done, I could rest easy in the knowledge I had saved all whom I could. Of course, I had to give my very life to make it happen, but it was worth it. My friends, my family, the innocents who fought for their freedom........and my wife, Blaze Firestorm, who I loved equally to my friends and family, were there to see me off as I was ready to be one with the realm of Elysium. A part of me would remain in The Sword of Light, should it ever be needed again, but my time was over. And knowing the price of victory, I accepted my fate.....as all who loved me came to do as well. I died happy in my sister, and my wife's arms, knowing I had saved those who needed me. It was.....a challenging life, but one worth living - and dying for."

".......I don't know what to say, Courageous." I said in my still wonder-struck tone, before I shook it off and finally asked the important question. "But that doesn't explain why you're here, how I can talk to you, and why you're telling me all this." At this, Courageous nodded his head briefly before saying, "You and I are here because Equestria needs you, Scorpan. Just as it once needed me to defend it against the Darkness. It once again needs a Champion of Light to cut the Darkness away before it consumes all that you hold dear."

"And...you think that's me?" I asked incredulously, before I made a sarcastic laugh. "You can't be serious. I'm the last creature on this planet you should even consider for this kind of thing. I'm no warrior like my brother! I have no right to be given such an honor! I-.......i'm nothing special." I said dishearteningly. "I'm not worthy." Instead of raising his voice in anger at my refusal, and in denial of what he said of me, he came up to me, and placed a wing on my shoulder as I knelt on the floor. This made me look into his eyes again, and see no anger: but complete understanding. "It's alright to feel doubt, Scorpan. I felt the same as you did when the spirit of Lignum Harmonia told me of my destiny. After all, I also was no warrior, or great leader: I was just a pony born different from the rest. That gave me a sense of self-doubt. But thanks to my friends, family, and my beloved, I learned to overcome my doubts, and humbly accept the duty only I could undertake." He leaned in closer. "Just a you learned to overcome your own doubts, and ordeals thanks to your own friends. And honestly, I could not have asked for a better person to be reborn as." That made me reel back a little bit. "What did you say?"

"Come on." He chuckled. "Surely you're familiar with the concept of reincarnation?"

"Well.....actually, yeah, I am. But how-?"

"Let's just say being the Champion of Light has its perks. The pony I was is dead, and has spent a good many eons in Elysium, eventually joined by my friends and family. It was good, I can assure you........until The Darkness returned." I immediately understood what he meant. "Tirek." He nodded, and said, "Much like you, he is a reincarnation - and that of whom he spoke. The one who I had given my life to vanquish in the First Age of Equestria: Emperor Tirac. And the vile Outer God who had given him his power by bonding itself to his soul: Apophis, the Primordial of Anarchy. Together, they conquered my world, and created the atrocity known as Tirathos. This, in a sense, allowed them to cheat death by being reborn in your brother. Weakly influencing him at first....until he committed his first act of murder, and created what is known as a Horcrux from his own fragmented soul. Since that moment, Tirathos has been guiding Tirek down his path in the name of Anarchy and Darkness." His expression darkened. "But they simply have ambitions which coincide with your brothers. That is why he has such an affinity for the dark powers. That is why he is able to wield The Dark Crucible. And...it is also how he has been able to become a true resurrected form of Tirathos. He has truly embraced the power of The Vashtar, and become a Primordial Dark Lord. One who can only be defeated by his opposite aspects: Harmony and Light. And for that......."

"I need to be the Fourth Generation's Champion of Light." I said, finishing his sentence. Even so, I still had my doubts. "But...how can you be sure i'm even right for the job? How can you be sure I won't mess up, and get myself killed, and get my friends and those I wish to keep safe killed, as well? What if-?" Courageous raised his hoof to silence the Gargoyle. "Doubt is the first key to defeat, Scorpan. If you doubt yourself, then you can never allow yourself to grow beyond who you are now. You have to believe in yourself, and fight on even in the face of adversity. However, I won't tell you not to feel fear: only fools are fearless." This confused me, and the alicorn could tell. So he explained to me, "Though it can be hindering, fear can also be a source of strength. The fear of losing something dear drives us to go beyond all limitations, and do what is needed to be done to save those you love. Those who are afraid, but still manage to stay on their feet are the strongest of all." He then placed a hoof to my chest. "And I know what is in your heart, Scorpan. It yearns to protect, to love, and cherish. If you listen to it, and your instincts, then you can never be lead astray. You can become a hero, if you but try."

His words left a pang of inspiration, and warmth in my heart. I felt a sense of hope that I forgot was there. But now, thanks to who was apparently my past life, I began to understand. And he was right: I only wanted to protect my pony friends, and the ponies who welcomed me without fear, or disgust. I owed it to them to take up the mantle that was being passed down to me. How could I say no, when even now I had the chance to fix my mistake, and stop Tirek from harming the world, no matter what his form could be. So, with a renewed sense of determination, I told my past self, and the original Champion of Light, "Alright. If the world is in such dire straits, then at least I can do something about it. But how do I stop Tirek, or Tirathos, or whatever he is? It's not as if I know magic, and I saw how even as Tirek, magic and conventional means do nothing to him." Courageous just smiled at me again, and said, "Have no fear, my friend. There exists already a means of vanquishing Tirathos. And it is also why I was brought here: to give it to you." His horn then ignited, and out of the darkness of the void, a large cross shape appeared from afar. It drew closer to us until it became visible. When it was, my eyes widened in recognition from the memories this nexus had shown me concerning the weapon presented.

"The Sword of Light?"

"Kept safe from a place where no evil could harm, or abuse it. Now, it is yours to wield as it was once mine. Though, unlike me, you won't have to give your life to defeat Tirathos. Simply claim the sword, and use it to defeat the Darkness once more. Wield this sword......and fulfill your destiny." Nodding my head, I reached out a hand to grasp the sword. At first, however, I hesitated - still wondering if I was worthy. But I remembered Courageous' advice, and pushed those thoughts aside, remembering what was at stake. And in that moment, I took hold of the sword, swinging it around as it shined like a shimmering, heavenly star before I raised it into the air. However, things weren't done just yet: with the sword in hand, I felt my very being ascending to a state that transformed my body into that of a Primordial Bahamut. The sacred archangels who served the Elder Gods, and protected the Light.

Just as I do now, even in this new form.

Scorpan sighed as he took a brief breather from his story. He had been talking for what felt like hours, and it was already making him feel somewhat tired......and a bit parched. Emerald Wonder seemed to notice, because he quickly took out a water bottle, opened it, and offered it to Scorpan. "Thank you." he said courteously, before taking a few drinks from the bottle itself - after giving it a curious once-over, seeing as how he'd never seen this kind of 'canteen' before - and finally feeling refreshed. "That's better. I really needed that, it seems."

"I have no doubt about that." Emerald said, before his eager curiosity came up once again. "So what happened after that?"

Scorpan chuckled at the ponies enthusiasm, before he answered him. "Exactly what you would expect: I found myself back in Equestria, still shrouded in Tirathos' darkness as the land burned, now in my Primordial Bahamut form. I tracked his titanous form down by tracing his aura of now Divine essence. He grew from the fear of the ponies he tormented, and was steadily surpassing even the size of an Ursa Major." Emerald gasped in shock, but he kept quiet after. "We met again once I caught up to him. No longer as brothers......but as Champions of Darkness and Light. He recognized me even in my new form, and we had what would be considered the cliche'd heroic and villainous banter - up until, while he boasted about his invincibility towards the mortal weapons, and magics of this world, I cut right into his midsection and left a burning gash. I told him of The Sword of Light's power, and its purpose: to vanquish the Darkness. From there, it was a battle of cat and mouse, where he was the larger cat, and I was the little, winged mouse." Scorpan and Emerald chuckled at the thought. "But his arrogance prevented him from taking me seriously as an enemy, even with a weapon that could now kill him, if I wanted. And through guerrilla warfare, I slowly but surely but him down to size until we stood on equal footing. That's when he summoned The Dark Crucible itself, saying that now would be the time to see if my precious sword could live up to its intended purpose." Scorpan then drew forth the very same sword in a flash of light, which made Emerald beam in excitement. "To my amazement, we were evenly matched despite his base fighting skills. I guess I inherited more than just a new weapon, and body. Eventually, however, with every blow I struck to him, despite the number he landed on me, it grew clear who was the stronger between us. We were both on our last leg - but unlike him, I had something worth fighting for to keep me driven. That was when he showed his true colors upon seeing the drive in my eyes: he tried to run before I could finish him, but I wouldn't allow it."

"Oh, really?" Emerald asked. "Then how did you beat him?"

"Easy: as he ran, I flew in after him. He sensed my approach, and made one last strike against me with his cursed weapon. But since I was the ACTUAL flier between the two of us, I held the advantage. I evaded his attack, and found my opening. With one single motion, I thrust The Sword of Light downward.....and cleaved it through that demonic eye of his - and through his armor directly into his skull." That made the young stallion wince a little at the thought of cranial impalement. But he still urged Scorpan continue. "The result was immediate as he blow left him.....immobile. The influx of Harmony and Light infused into his body began to burn away the darkness within like a flame to a book. It proved too much for him to handle, and in an immense burst of light that exploded across all of Equestria and dispersed the dark veil he cast over the land while snuffing out the flames of his rampage, it was over: Tirathos, the enemy of the free ponies and creatures of the world was defeated. And he reverted back to Tirek, but with all his stolen magic returned to where it belonged. The Dark Crucible faded out of existence before anything could be done. And with the war over, I also changed back - but as you can see, my body went through a bit of a change, as well. Afterwards, the princesses and Starswirl caught up and thanked me for saving them. I told them it wouldn't have been possible without them, though they didn't know what I meant - which was fine with me. I also neglected to explain my transformations, as it wasn't important. What WAS was that I not only returned Tirek to his more basic level, and returned the magics he stole: but I also used my powers to bury Tirathos back into the depths of his psyche from where they came from so that they could never contact him again without outside help. We all decided Tirek deserved imprisonment for his crimes, and I used The Sword of Light to send him to Tartarus with no memory of Tirathos, or the dark power hidden within him. Still feeling responsible, I decided to return home to rebuild what was now my kingdom, as I was the only remaining heir to my father's throne who could salvage what remained. Though sad to see me leave, the trio understood and we said our goodbyes. Thus the quest to repair our respective kingdoms began." Then a look of disdain appeared on Scorpan's face as he looked at the stasis pod. "But what I can now assume was Tirek's booby trap in a ring went off here, and I was time locked. The pod holding me, I surmise, pulled me into the Earth itself so I could never be found, and freed. The rest, as they say, is history, I suppose.

To say Emerald Wonder was amazed by this story was an understatement. As is in his name, he felt nothing but absolute wonder, and excitement from the thrill of Scorpan's tale. Truly, it was unlike anything he had heard before. "That was an amazing story, Scorpan!" His excitement did dim when he recalled the dark parts. "Though I am sorry for the bad stuff that happened to you." Scorpan gave the pony an appreciative smile as he finished downing his bottle before using The Light to vaporize it, much to Emerald's amazement. Then questions came to mind. "But there's at least one thing I want to know: you said that you're the reincarnation of the first alicorn in lost equestrian history, right? Yet you were able to speak to him as though he were a separate individual. How is that possible?"

"Not really sure myself, to be honest." Scorpan said truthfully. "I guess it's like leaving a footprint in a mold. Thanks to the powers that be, as a Champion of Light, he can speak to others even though he's been reborn into me. It's.....honestly very confusing. But then again I can't use the magic excuse, so.......yeah." Emerald stared at him for a few moments, before humming in agreement as he nodded. "But now you're the new Champion of Light, right?"

"Yep!" Scorpan said cheerily. "And that means i'm privy to a number of abilities even the most skilled unicorns can't do. For example: hold out your leg which we almost forgot about." he said almost sternly, making Emerald obey immediately, though carefully without hurting himself. The blood had dried out by now, and the injury was numb. But Scorpan knew there was a chance it could have gotten infected while he was telling stories. Lucky for Emerald, he wouldn't let that happen. Holding both hands over the leg, Scorpan began channeling the power of the Light into his wounded leg. And to the pony's disbelief, it began to heal in a matter of seconds. He saw it even pulling back into place, and the growing purple bruise that was surrounding the breaking point go down. At least now they knew that manticore had indeed broken his leg. Now, as even the dried blood cleared away, and The Light faded, that no longer proved an issue for him. "Go on, Emerald. Give your leg a try, and see how it is." Emerald did just that, ensuring the injury was well, and fully healed. He ended up laughing in glee as he did a little skip with his back legs, and jumped around excitedly. "Thank you! Thank you so much, Scorpan! I had no idea how I was going to take care of that injury before it could get infected - but now that's not an issue anymore, thanks to you! That's very strong magic, even I have to admit."

"Thank you, Emerald." Scorpan smiled still. "But as I already said, I don't actually use magic." When Emerald didn't understand, Scorpan elaborated further. "Like my previous life, Courageous Heart, who was actually a horned pegasus - and therefore only capable of pegasus-based magic - I harness the very essence of The Light, itself, to do things either similar or greater than any magic this world possesses. That makes me......unique, to say the least. But I don't actually have any magical abilities on my own." His smile fell. "Maybe if I did, I would have been able to stop my brother before he carried out his insane plans."

Emerald looked to him with sympathy. "You still feel responsible for what happened, don't you?"

"And," he sighed, "part of me always will, I can't deny. A little moreso now that I realize Tirek had used the bond of brotherhood we made the day we left home as a means of getting even with me if I betrayed him. He was always crafty, and as cunning as he was resourceful. He said he anticipated my turning to the ponies side..so he must have prepared ahead of time. Because as soon as I reached this far into the forest, the ring faded away into light, and a flower-like bud consumed me before locking me into a pod that froze me in time - for over 4,000 years, no less." He sighed heavily. "I should have known better than to trust him so fully: even when I could tell he was different from the Tirek I knew, and loved. He died the day he killed our mother and father."

"You can't blame yourself for that, Scorpan!" Emerald desperately argued. "Nobody could have anticipated anything like what Tirek had done. You aren't the first creature he's tricked into serving him, and probably aren't the last if what i've been hearing recently is true." Scorpan gave a concerned look to the green pony, before saying, "I understand. Noone can truly predict the future, and know everything that will happen in advance. And dwelling on "what ifs", and staying locked on the past does no good. It only weighs you down, and holds you back. There's no harm in remembering, but no point in trying to think of ways to change what happened. The past is the past, and nothing can change it - nor the fate of my home. It's ancient history now......as it probably should be. All that matters is the future, and that I even have one. If anything, I will simply learn from the past to carve a better future for myself and not repeat my mistakes ever again." After that, he addressed something Emerald had said. "Now, what did you mean when you said "I'm probably not the last to be used by Tirek"? My brother is still locked away in Tartarus, isn't he?"

"I'm sorry, but not anymore." Emerald said, sensing his new friends urgency. "Somehow, he broke out of Tartarus a year ago before he was sent back by Prince Dusk Shine and his friends thanks to The Tree of Harmony. But then news came in that a pegasus filly named Cozy Glow was draining magic from the world to trick Prince Dusk and his friends into going to Tartarus to interrogate him so that she could trap them in Tartarus without any means of escape: all so she could take over Equestria herself. But Lord Tirek, as he is officially named, forced Prince Dusk Shine to free him so that they could escape together. After being beaten back when he tried to make Cozy pay for betraying him, he went off the grid........until an incident in the Crystal Empire occurred, followed by a worse incident in Ponyville. The, um...the village built in the outskirts of the Everfree Forest, south of the ruins of The Castle of the Two Sisters. A villain named King Sombra came back from the dead after he was wiped out when he came to reconquer the empire - twice, now, in fact. But the second time, even with the Element of Harmony used against him, Sombra managed to destroy the Tree of Harmony, and then brainwash all of Ponyville into his personal army before taking Canterlot. I don't know the full details except for that The Prince of Friendship and his friends destroyed him again, and fixed most of the damage he did." He then gave the Gargoyle an uneasy look. "But according to the info i've learned, King Sombra may have been revived by............... by Lord Tirek, himself."

Scorpan found it hard to speak at first. Mostly because he found it hard to believe all this could have happened while he was time locked. And the notion his brother was responsible only made it worse because, for him, he had only stopped him mere hours ago. Now, he learns that centuries passed since then, and somehow his brother was free somewhere in the world once again. No doubt plotting its destruction, and eventual conquest. "Then......he must be the cause of this feeling i've been having since I awoke." he said to Emerald. "An ache in my heart, through my connection to The Source, that lets me feel that the land is sick. It's crying out in agony as some darkness chokes the life out of it, and.....turns innocent creatures like that manticore into the victims of this pandemic." He sighed. "But I don't know what to do to stop it, or how to help Equestria! I don't even know where to start!"

Emerald thought it over for a minute, before he came up with something. "Why don't you go meet with The Prince of Friendship?" When he saw the Gargoyle's attention focused on him, Emerald said, "I'm sure Prince Dusk Shine would be willing to help you figure out what's wrong. I heard he's plenty smart, too. And if you want, you can even ask for the Princesses, and Starswirl to convene with you on the matter. They'd be especially happy to see you, I bet." he smiled, seeing the surprised look on Scorpan as he quietly asked, "Starswirl.......Celestia and Luna? They're alive? After all this time they're still alive?" Emerald nodded. "Yep. The princess sisters are thousands of years old, but I think due to the nature of their special talents, which revolves around the sun and moon, it makes their lifespan number in the thousands. And it's funny you said Pillars of Equestria, because Starswirl actually founded a team named that exactly, and just recently, like less than a year ago, they were all freed from Limbo by Prince Dusk and his friends." Scorpan was now very intrigued. "It seems this 'Prince Dusk Shine' really is something special, isn't he?"

"He is." Emerald said confidently, before he seemed to grow nervous about something. "And also......i-if you d-don't mind me j-joining you, Scorpan, i-i c-can lead you t-to ponyville. That's where the P-Prince lives, and where you can find him. I-i-i-it's just that.....well, you're basically more of a legend now than anyone ever knew! I want to learn as much from you as I can, and maybe be part of something bigger than just research. So....if you don't mind, sir,......can I stay with you as your companion and friend? I would love to help you in any way possible, if you'll have me. And i'll prove how useful I can be, if you give me a chance. J-" Scorpan put a finger to the ponies lips silencing him from his ranting. And with a friendly smile, he said, "All you had to do was ask, Emerald Wonder. I could use more friends in this new age if i'm going to help save Equestria........if it's not already too late to do so. So, by your lead, please show me the way to Ponyville."

"Of course!" Emerald exclaimed happily. "Though, if we fly it might make the trip faster - and lessen the chance of running into more things like that manticore."

"Don't worry, Emerald. I had the same idea as you, anyway," he said, easily lifting the smaller pony under the forelegs, "so this works out for both of us. Now try not to squirm to much - this might be a bit of a bumpy ride, since my bodies still somewhat asleep. But either way, here we go!" And with that, to Emerald Wonder's ecstatic joy, and happiness, the duo took off into the sky, ready to make their way to ponyville. And to the ones who could help with this rising dilemma that suddenly came forth. All along the way, Scorpan hoped it wouldn't be too late to stop this corruption from spreading any further, and ending it at its source. But something more important crossed his mind as his expression darkened.

"Tirek.......if this truly is your doing, then I swear by all the power I wield, I will stop you - no matter the cost."

Author's Note:

Been a long time, hasn't it. Just wish I got back to this sooner. But you can't help everything that happens, so you just roll with like.

Like Scorpan here, who we are introducing in this story, officially.

Thanks to a new pony named Emerald Wonder, who may or may not be based on Izuku Midoriya,:D, Scorpan has been brought back into the world of Equestria. And apparently after being time locked in a temporal prison capsule made by Tirek as his way of getting the last laugh.

Crystal vectors are owned by @Venjix5
Pony Izuku Midoriya art is owned by https://www.deviantart.com/dragonchaser123
All the scorpan art is owned by @Melspyrose
Manticore art is owned by https://www.deviantart.com/arvalis
Memory Capsule is owned by Square Enix, along with Kingdom Hearts
The Tirek AND Scorpan art is owned by @Melspyrose, along with the art for Courageous Heart, and The Sword of Light itself.
Courageous Heart is owned by @Courageous-of-light
The Spirit of Friendship artwork is owned by https://www.deviantart.com/mykegreywolf
And the base design of Tirathos is based on sketchwork owned by https://www.deviantart.com/winddragon24

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Comments ( 4 )
Starlight Nova
Starlight Nova #1 · Oct 10th, 2020 · · ·
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Before I read this, I must know: Why is Twilight the only character who's gender you inverted?

kahnac
kahnac #2 · Oct 11th, 2020 · · ·
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10475846
No real reason. I just wanted to do it, so I did. Also to give Dusk Shine more limelight, because I like him.:)

N3xmaz1ng
N3xmaz1ng #3 · Jun 9th, 2022 · · ·
Reply

Are you going to be getting back to this story soon, not to mention the Tragedy of Laurana and Grogar? Just wondering.

kahnac
kahnac #4 · Jun 9th, 2022 · · ·
Reply

11266765
I can't make any promises at the moment. :(

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