Chapter 62: Ring of Fire
Night hung over Canterlot, as the controller of the sun decided to take a break for the day. As she slumberd, her younger sibling took up the charge. She has been working really hard, trying to unravel the strange mystery behind the infiltration of dreams, leaving her completely drained at the end of her shift. Right now, though, she was fresh to start her routine. She stood on the balcony, looking in the direction of the magical shield that was blocking any form of entry into the capital, as per the instructions of the headmare of the School of Friendship. She gazed into the distance where Ponyville stood, and beyond, towards the Everfree Forest. From the events of the past several days her mind was abuzz with questions.
Why is the shadow shifting into the image of her dark side? How does Turmoil have a power that is stronger than the Elements of Harmony? Can they really beat a being that even her father couldn’t?
Suddenly, she noticed a small flash of light over the forest, and a moment later, it was overshadowed by a large explosion that illuminated the entire forest, before dying down, leaving behind a flickering light that was coming from the set location.
“SISTER!” she yelled, running inside.
A small clearing was formed where the explosion happened, the trees and greenery have been burnt away. All of this came from a portal of dark light that hovered over the forest. And it wouldn’t be the last thing, as a moment later, a large cloud forced itself through and crashed into the ground. It dispersed, and in its place stood an obsidian construct, kneeling on one leg and propping itself on one hand.
“He sticks the landing, and the crowd goes wild! “Yay, SL/SK! Wooo!” he tried to imitate the cheering fans.
A shadowy wisp exited the portal, flying to his side. “Save your cheers for later, Scourgelord.”
The satyr groaned. “Ugh, can you at least remember what I’m called? I repeat it’s-“
And finally, the changeling queen swooped down through the opening, landing not far. “That’s one angry dragon, even if she was pint-sized. Now we just need to wait for-” And just before she could finish the sentence, as she looked upwards, the portal through which she had just emerged vanished. “-Grogar…? Wait, where is he? He should’ve followed me through the portal.”
“Heh, he’s probably trying to deal with those miniature horses and take all the glory for himself to brag about,” Storm King rolled his eyes.
“The Shaper is many things, Scourgelord, but stupid is not one of them,” Doubt corrected him. “Despite all his cunning, without support from either of you, he’s the weakest among all. He has no power of his own and is forced to use one that he took from the Lord of Chaos, which the magic of friendship will easily purge.”
“Yes, but where is he then?”
“One issue at a time, Broodmother. And speaking of which, we have to deal with the current one first.”
Right under where the portal was opened, a large scorched crater was left behind. And at the very bottom of it, the centaur lord, back to his drained form, lay face first in the dirt, unmoving.
The Pillar of Hatred flew down to inspect him. “He looks perfectly normal, considering he just set himself aflame,” she said. “Hey! Wake up, Lord Tirek! Are you going to lay there and have us carry you, or-” She nudged him with her front legs to try and wake him up, only to quickly retract and backed up a little when she realized that his body was like fire to the touch. “GAH! Sweet mother of all hives! He’s burning up!”
“Of course.” The shade flew to her side, followed by the construct. “He’s just consumed Anger’s essence. It’s a wonder that he survived... But I wonder how long that will last.”
“We can't leave him like this! We’d need to wrap him into something so we can bring down the heat.” The wispy shade and the satyr looked at one another and then both turned to her with a frown. “What?”
“I dunno. How about you tell me, Miss Goo-producer?” the Storm King made a snide remark.
“You have got to be joking…”
“We’re not, Broodmother. Since we’ve no other way, we’re going to have to resort to your… natural product.”
She rolled her eyes. She couldn’t believe she would have to resort to what she used to preserve her prey, but she didn’t really have any other option. She stepped closer to Tirek again, opened her mouth, and regurgitated green gelatinous goo all over the unconscious centaur’s body. After about a minute, she finally stopped, as the body was now replaced by a cocoon-shaped object. But it wouldn’t last, as a few seconds later, as she puffed up in pride for an accomplished job, the cocoon cracked open and burned away – the centaur’s body was just too hot. But she would not be deterred. She let out a roar that echoed throughout the Everfree Forest. In a moment, a mass of changelings came crawling out in the open from every tree, bush, and cranny and surrounded the body. Each of them began regurgitating green goo all over Tirek, and as expected it was burning the substance away, yet they simply wouldn’t stop, continuing their task, until there was a giant hardened green chrysalis in its place. They waited patiently for several minutes, and after waiting for a while it became apparent that this time it worked.
“Finally…” she sighed in relief before issuing a command to her minions. “Alright, all of you, get it to the hive!”
The changelings immediately crawled under the large green hardened mass, raised it, and slowly carried it out of the crater. Their queen looked at the satyr and motioned him to follow.
“Halt!” Doubt stopped them before they could get any further, then pointed with its tail in the nearby direction. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
Several hooves away, not far from where Tirek laid, a small green gemstone was flickering on the ground, the causality of all that had happened.
Chrysalis turned to one of the present offspring. “You! Pick it up.”
The changeling scurried to where the gem lay, and as he approached it and leaned forward to pick it up, he almost immediately repulsed.
“Well, it appears your children do not have the will to grasp hold of Anger, Broodmother,” the wisp said. “And since I do not have a form to grasp at anything either, one of you two will have to take the burden. Who’s it gonna be?”
“HE! SHE!” the two Pillars instantly pointed at one another.
“Are you nuts, freckles?! I can’t hold that thing!” the Storm King argued.
“Well neither can I, so why are you pointing at me?!” Chrysalis rebuked. “Besides, I’m already doing my part. Time for you to pick up the burden.”
“How?! Neither of us can touch the stone, you already agreed with me!”
“Oh, you’re a smart and cunning piece of rock, you’ll think of something.”
“And be quick about it. Anger will not wait,” Doubt added.
“FOUR!”
At the head of their queen, the changelings carried the isolated body of Lord Tirek through the Everfree Forest in the dead of night.
“FOUR!”
After reaching one of the only few entrances to the dark underground of the forest, they descended into it, and after a while finally reached the hive, where the Tree of Turmoil stood, rising over the lake made of the lifeblood of the world.
“Drop it here,” she ordered, and her servants dropped the green object.
They were all prepared. They now just had to wait… for him.
“FOUR!”
Out of the tunnel, the small green gemstone flew out and rolled a short distance. Soon after, the construct came walking in, holding a large piece of wood that roughly resembled a putter.
He raised the handle, pretending it to be a microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, we’re back from the commercials and right onto the field, where the SL/SK has reached the final hole after only 56 hits. Can he manage to score the hole in one hit, or will he have to go for a round 60?” He stopped, seeing his partner in crime with an unimpressed frown on her face. “What?”
“You know, if I was trapped in there, in the end, even if you saved me, I would’ve thumped you really hard for the fact that you just hit me 56 times,” the changeling queen answered.
The Storm King put his hands on his waist. “Well, excuuuuuuuse me, queenie, but I didn’t see you come up with a better idea, I had to improvise.”
“Except she’s on point, Scourgelord,” Doubt slithered by his face. “You’ll be lucky if you do not face Anger’s wrath after it’s released because of this, and that’s a tall order. Now go and get the gem into the pool.”
He sighed. “Fine.” He walked over to the stone on the ground, a short distance from the tree, grabbed his stick, and began self-commenting once more. “And we’re now at the final hole, ladies and gentlemen. SL/SK is in position and is concentrating on one final strike. Let us hold our breath as he concentrates to perform this very critical-“
SCOURGELORD!
That was Fear! He’d recognize that shrilling multitude of different voices anywhere – and they were angry. The feeling almost instantly sank in, and in a moment of freak-out, he swung the stick, hitting the green gemstone too hard, making him hit the tree and it bounced back. He hit it again as he saw it approach, and much to his misfortune, not only did the stick slip out of his grip, he hit too hard again and the stone bounce off the tree trunk back in his direction, so he quickly grabbed a nearby changeling and swung with it. Luckily, the changeling’s body was soft, so this time the gemstone bounced off into the lake.
The bubbling sound came from the green water, as a dark, vapor-like substance began to emerge from the lake. “Anger,” Hatred’s harrowed voice echoed, “it has returned to the fold.” And soon, Fear spoke as well. “Yes… one more returns to the source. And soon, it will measure the pillar.”
Dark matter rose above the ground level, over the tree’s height, then curved, and then smashed into the large green object that lay on the bank of the small lake.
Tirek’s senses finally awoke. Yet no matter which way he turned he only saw darkness. It wasn’t until he flailed his arms in front of him that he noticed he hasn’t gone blind. He got back on his feet and looked about, then tried to gallop in every direction, only to realize that he wasn’t making any progress.
“Okay, listen!” he said in frustration. “Whoever’s doing this I don’t find it one bit funny! My patience’s wearing thin!”
“Not as thin as mine had been worn.”
Whoever said that did not shout, but even so, its voice was booming, echoing all around him, making it difficult to determine where it came from. He didn’t have to wait though, as right in front of him, a pair of giant red eyes opened, looking down on him.
“You… You’re Anger, aren’t you?”
A chuckle followed. “Fire’s name is easily remembered once you get burned by it, doesn’t it? We’re surprised you managed to survive, though to be honest that fate would’ve been rightfully deserved. We’ve about had it with your constant rebellion, although to be honest, it’s to be expected from you, considering your past. If only that aggression that YOUR KIND is expected to have could be diverted to something more productive.”
“And what would somebody… No, something, like you, know about MY kind?”
Suddenly, a great red maw opened under the eyes and it let out a loud bellow, causing Tirek to close his ears shut. It didn’t help, not that it mattered, as it ceased, and all of a sudden it inhaled. He suddenly felt even weaker, as if something was draining him, and then everything went dark.
He could feel the sun rays on his face, and the hot rocks on which he was laying. The heat finally made him open his eyes. Much to his surprise, he beheld a too-familiar scenery. This barren wasteland under the scorching sun was the one he knew all too well – his home.
“Your homeland is inhospitable. Nothing should live here, and yet that’s not how nature works,” Anger’s voice echoed in the background, beyond his sight.
The scene shifted to a small camp, a centaur settlement. It wasn’t anything that seemed familiar to Tirek. It seemed… primitive.
“From the moment that your kind learned to walk, your environment conditioned you to adapt to it. Even a small amount of resources is enough to support a basic civilization, but what happens when there’s not enough of them for all?”
He noticed two centaurs were arguing over a pitcher of water, neither willing to give the other more to slake their own thirst. In a squabble, the pitcher broke, causing them to accuse the other and a brawl broke out. Other residents came to intervene, taking sides and accusing one another. Before he knew it, they too clashed with one another, and then, in a bright flash, the scenery shifted to a battlefield. Centaurs decked in armor and armed with weapons, fought.
“Your environment became a crucible that forged your people into creatures of warfare. The conflict was bred into your body.”
The centaur lord couldn’t deny that watching an all-out battle tingled his senses, an urge to simply jump in. It was almost like a primal instinct. But before he could execute his action, something interrupted it.
MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
He knew that loud bleat. He’s heard it recently so many times it would’ve been difficult to forget it. The fight between the two armies stopped, and he, much like them, looked to the nearby cliff edge. He recognized the creature that produced that sound, this giant grey one-eyed goat-like monster.
“But that all changed when the wielder of the dark light came among them.”
And right then, a small shape walked between arimaspi’s legs, to the front. The blue ram sorcerer looked down upon the battlefield and grinned. Then, his horns began to glow, opening multiple portals, and allowing his minions to rush out like an unstoppable tide that completely overwhelmed the warriors below. The conflict that followed was completely one-sided, as the creatures that Grogar had unleashed dominated. By the end, the centaurs dispersed, demoralized, and they fled for their lives. The scene shifted again. He saw a familiar female gargoyle fly from cover to cover, trying to evade the gaze of horrible creatures that wandered the barren land of Nether Lands. She flew off and into a concealed entrance to a tunnel, which led to a settlement that was set up in a cavern, centaurs and all the other creatures that have inhabited the Nether Lands gathered here. And on the former, Tirek noticed something different - it almost seemed that the fire within them had been extinguished.
“The enemy that your forefathers faced was beyond any of them. Fear made them understand that there could be no victory. Either all the tribes worked together to survive, or they would all perish one after another. Their thirst for battle was replaced by fear, by a drive for survival.”
And among those that made this refuge their home, Tirek watched the female gargoyle fly to a centaur that seemed to be in charge. Much like the latter, it looked familiar – he was much younger than he remembered, but he knew this centaur with deer-like antlers. Before he could say it though, the scene changed. A great portal of dark light was opened before him and hordes of monsters that have been wandering the Nether Lands for a long time were now leaving. The arimaspi from earlier was the last to depart, as it patiently waited by the side of his master, who was taking one last look at the barren wasteland before they finally both entered it, and the portal closed shut. It turned to nighttime, and the residents of the land were taken over by jubilation from the knowledge that the being that was trying to subjugate them finally left. And in the moonlit dark, a tower-like castle arose in the heart of the land.
“And yet, after a generation, the seasons changed once again. Finally, for a brief moment, your people knew peace. But SOMEBODY knew it was fleeting, and decided to prevent things from returning to the old ways. And then… you came in.”
He heard a cry. Atop the Midnight Castle, a new member of the family entered the world, a baby centaur. Time quickly flew by, as Tirek watched himself grow older by the second, running about the castle. He was prohibited from leaving the castle grounds for a reason he didn’t understand. Then one night, the curiosity got the better of him and he snuck out in the middle of the night. Out in the wastes he saw a camp full of centaurs. They were partying, but not the kind he’s been used to.
“Even after a generation, there were still some who remembered the old ways – ones that were bred into them for eons. Your family tried to keep you isolated, to divert you from the path they were trying to keep your kind away from for the sake of peace, so you wouldn’t try to follow the way that your forefathers have been on for centuries.”
Conflict. As he watched the centaurs fight for the fun of it, something awakened in Tirek, the strange sensation he’s never experienced before. Every night he would venture out secretly, finding joy in fighting. Then one night, as he returned home, his disappearance was already discovered - his mother and father put him on the spot for disobeying them. But no matter how much they told him that he was in the wrong, he’s already seen what they didn’t want him to. He couldn’t understand why he was being scolded for such a thing; it just wasn’t fair!
“And then, at the peak of the moment… it awakened.”
Stop it!
The image of the young lord screamed, and a small puff of volatile energy erupted from his hands, scorching the ground. After a momentary silence, his mother jumped out of joy – her son was gifted with magic, a rare trait in centaur kind. The revelation stopped the heated moment… at least from Haydon. But his father… the only expression that could be described that he had on his face, was absolute terror. But he made no mention of it. After that things quieted down, and soon, Tirek’s younger brother, Scorpan, would be welcomed into the family. He would constantly be on his tail, trailing him like a shadow, almost always by his side. Even when he continued to sneak out of the castle he would follow him, but he made him promise that he’d never tell anyone. That devotion was a necessity that Tirek needed, as after the day that he first demonstrated his magical capabilities, his father became increasingly distant for some reason, always sternly talking to him as if he was expecting more from him. But that also brought up the issue of developing his magical power; there was nobody known in the kingdom who could do so, as a centaur wielding magic was extremely rare. But one caught Tirek’s eye one night, as he sunk out of the castle again, this time without Scorpan. He caught sight of an elderly centaur, draped in a cloak and carrying a staff, who levitated a pair of thugs that got too eager in spoiling for a fight and tossed them to the side, before leaving the village and returning to the humble home that was carved into the cliff formation. He confronted the elder, the so-called Sendak, wanting him to teach him all he knew about magic. And when the old centaur became aware that the king’s son was born with magical abilities, he was more than willing to oblige. He taught him a way to become stronger by draining magic, which wasn’t difficult to display from the amount of “Breath of Creation” he was hoarding. But this partnership of master and the apprentice wouldn’t last long. One day, after going on a journey to a distant land called Equestria, Sendak returned with a captive: A unicorn pony, one that he was draining of magic, magic more potent than anything that could be found in the Nether Lands.
“Your thirst for power cost you the ONLY true ally you had in your realm.”
It was true. To counter the growing disdain that his father seemed to have been showing towards him, he was determined to make himself stronger to prove him wrong. On the night of Sendak’s revelation, he was determined to take the unicorn's magic for himself, despite the warning that he was not yet ready. A warning that fell on deaf ears, and in the struggle between the centaur and the small equine there was no winner, leaving the elder trapped in his home, but the racket that he caused drew the attention of the locals. He managed to escape the consequences, leaving old Sendak to be forever locked away deep beneath the Nether Lands for his crime. Tirek tried to feign ignorance of the events, but it was clear that his father knew better, despite his pacifism, he had eyes and ears all over his kingdom, and the disdain between them only grew. But to him, it was all the clearer that his father was increasingly getting frightened by the thought of him becoming stronger. He knew how to get stronger now, he knew of the source that could provide it, and what his mentor failed to accomplish, he would succeed in.
One night, after he had grown older, Tirek snuck out of the castle, like he always did, but even if he was found out it wouldn’t matter, he was going to be beyond the kingdom’s borders. What he didn’t anticipate though, was his younger sibling following him.
“Brother?” He caught him as he got outside the castle, beyond the first ridge. “Where are you going?”
“I’m running away, what does it look like?” he answered.
“Brother, you can’t do that! Where will you go?!”
“I’m going to Equestria, Scorpan. I’m going to take their magic and show father what I’m capable of. Don’t try to stop me.”
“Tirek, you can’t go by yourself!”
“Why are you telling me this? Do you want to come along or something? Feel free to go back to mom and dad and tell them what I did, but I’m not stopping.”
He marched on. And much to his surprise, the gargoyle followed him, all the way beyond the Jagged Ridge, to the land of Equestria. They walked through the bountiful and flourishing land that was unlike anything their homeland could provide, the younger sibling found it marvelous, but not so much the older one, whose thoughts were focused, only on using him to scout the population for a great amount of magic that he could devour. That trail eventually brought them to the gates of a majestic city named Canterlot, and a pair of very powerful alicorns known as “the Princesses”. He remembered how he had to wait for several days in hiding, as he did not exactly look like the friendliest being in the kingdom, letting his younger sibling do all the work. Then one night, after hiding in the cave that overlooked the city, Scorpan returned.
“There you are, Scorpan. Tell me, what did you find out?”
“There’s an event called “Hearts and Hooves Day” tomorrow, Tirek,” he explained. “The Princesses will be on a float that will go throughout the city. They’ll be right in the open.”
“Perfect.” He grinned. “Here’s the plan. When they’re surrounded by the biggest crowd, you will cause a distraction that will divert everybody’s attention away from them. When that happens, I’ll catch them off guard and take their magic. They’ll never see it coming.”
“Brother, I’ve been thinking. What if… we don’t do it?”
The smile on the centaur’s face quickly vanished. “What? Why would you say that? My plan’s not good enough?”
“No, it’s not that, Tirek, it’s just that… What if we just abandon this whole thing of stealing magic?”
“What did you say?”
“Tirek… I’ve talked with the Princesses, and-”
“You what?!”
“Brother, don’t get angry, just hear me out. They recognized the medallion that I’m wearing - it is the sigil of our kingdom. We talked and… As it turns out, father’s been putting a lot of effort into this relationship between our kingdoms. He’s been trying to ensure that the goods we’re lacking can finally be brought to us so that all the other tribes in Nether Lands will no longer need to fight amongst themselves again, just like dad promised.”
“And you’re suggesting we should what? Just drop everything and go home?”
“Look, I know our home is not something to be happy about, but if that’s the case, we could just stay here. We could help the ponies with whatever we can and strengthen the relationship between our kingdoms even more. Father would-!”
“I don’t care what father would think about this,” he quickly brushed the thought away. “I came here to prove to father that I was in the right. I’ll finally have him respect me when I come back and have proof that I’ve become strong enough to not just rule one kingdom, but two.”
“Brother, stop and think what you’re saying! You would jeopardize our father’s life’s work and our people’s better future on the point of pride?”
“Our father’s life’s work tried to blind me to the truth of our kingdom. The tribes that reside in the Nether Lands still remember the old days, before the kingdom existed. They relish in the heat of battle, something that “our dear king” was trying to prevent me from knowing so that he could mold me into somebody who values peace over conflict. The thrill of battle, the heat of rage – once I tasted them I realized what he tried to make me lose. This is a matter of principle, and if I gave up now, it would’ve made me look weak.” He gave Scorpan a serious look. “Tell, little brother. Are you weak?” He didn’t answer, only shook his head. “Good. Then we begin with the plan tomorrow.”
The scene shifted. Tirek stood in the shadow of an alley of the streets of Canterlot, where he snuck in before dawn, draped in a cloak. The street he was looking at was packed with ponies, cheering as the Princesses of the Sun and Moon stood side by side on a giant heart-shaped float, waving to the crowd, one being rather sheepish out in the open. The centaur was in the position he needed to be, he just had to wait for his younger sibling to do the job, he knew all too well he wouldn’t let him down. And just as the float was about to pass the alley…
BOOM!
A noise echoed throughout the city, on the opposite end of the street. Everybody stopped in their place, perplexed by what just made that sound, trying to see where it came from. This was it! With the crowd distracted, Tirek galloped out of cover, lept over the group of ponies in front of him, landed out on the street, and with another leap jumped at his targets that were in plain view… And before he knew it, Celestia and Luna instantly turned their gaze upon him and their horns glowed. All of a sudden, Tirek lost the ground under his hooves and found himself floating in the air.
“You have a lot of nerve, knave!” The dark mare spoke in a boisterous tone. “Attacking the Equestrian Princesses on this most splendiferous occasion?! You will-!”
“Enough, Luna,” the older sibling halted her. “He may be an assailant, but he is still a lord from another kingdom… Though I think this will soon change.”
Tirek flailed about, trying to reach for something solid to stabilize himself. “If you know that I’m the Lord of the Nether Lands, then put me down now! My father-!”
“I know of your father, Tirek. He was the one who brought a unicorn back to Equestria when one of his people kidnapped him to take his power for himself. I had expected eventually something like this would’ve happened again… But not from his own family.”
Luna jumped in. “And do not bother trying to use his authority to excuse yourself from this act. I’m sure once your younger brother tells him what occurred he’ll understand that the fate you’re about to endure is most deserving.”
He was shocked. The way they told it was almost as if they had expected an attack… And that’s when he noticed Scorpan on the other side of the street between a set of buildings, hunched over, with a despondent look on his face. He did it! He led him into a trap!
“TRAITOR!!! WEAKLING!!!” the centaur raged.
“Lord Tirek!” Princess Celestia made a grand proclamation. “For the crime of conspiring against Equestria, by our sovereign right, we hereby sentence you to ETERNITY in the depths of Tartarus!”
Tartarus. This underworld-like place was the final destination for the vilest creatures on the land. The prison was carved into the mountain and sealed with a magical gate that could only be opened using magic, and on top of that, it was guarded by a three-headed dog, Cerberus. But there was something else about this place. There was a sinister aura about it, one that kept all the beasts and monsters in a perpetual state of dejection, so they wouldn’t try to escape. Tirek could feel it too, as he sat in an isolated cage, away from everybody so he couldn’t feast on their magic, the dread of the place constantly trying to break him. But he wouldn’t give it. He would persevere, he would survive. And even if it takes centuries before he finally manages to escape, he would remain resolute. He would never forgive, or forget.
Finally, the centaur lord found himself alone again in the darkness, as the background disappeared. The visions have come to an end, but it left him perplexed as to why all of this was necessary.
“You were given numerous chances to succeed after that, Devourer,” Anger’s voice still echoed around. “And yet you failed. Time and again. If you ask us, you ARE weak.”
“I’m not weak, Anger!” he quickly protested, shaking his fist at the darkness.
The booming voice cackled. “In that state, you still claim you’re strong? Prove it.”
FLASH!
Everything’s gone white before centaur’s eyes, but it soon faded, the silence replaced by what seemed like people cheering. And they were. Tirek found himself in a circular arena, with several wooden pillars, surrounded by fire, and on the other rim of it, crowds of centaurs cheered loudly.
“Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Ring of Fire!” the announcement followed. “Before you stands the challenger of the day! Will he persevere, or will he be added to another pile of losers who couldn’t measure up?”
He was still trying to process what was going on, but it was clear he wouldn’t have enough time, as the nearby draw bridge opened over the fiery pit, and a figure walked in. At first, he thought he was just seeing things, but that illusion was broken by the announcer.
“And here comes the reigning champion! The champion, the supreme ruler of Nether Lands! Lord Tirek!”
He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. It was him, in his withered form, traipsing into the ring, and the draw bridge pulled up.
He pointed at him. “You! Who are you?!”
The other one chuckled and pointed back at him. “Isn’t it obvious? I’m you… but better.”
“Nobody’s better me than ME!”
“Show me,” the other Tirek grinned.
He suddenly grabbed hold of the nearby wooden pillar, ripped it out of the ground, and promptly swung at him. The centaur dodged, galloping away. Taking cover behind one of the bigger pillars. He couldn’t understand how could this reflection have the strength that he didn’t have. But curiosity got the better of him. As he dashed away when the clone beat down his cover, he reached out for one of the much bigger pillars and grabbed hold of it. But to his surprise and joy, he managed to rip it out of the ground, it didn’t even feel as heavy as it looked, despite being able to inflict damage on the battlefield. He quickly turned and swung at his opponent, his own pillar breaking under the mass.
“Impressive,” the other one said. “You caught on quickly.”
It then grabbed not just one, but two pillars, swinging them at Tirek in a frenzy, he dodged, running in the opposite direction, the pursuer following, trying to bash him, only hitting pillars that were in the way, past which the centaur was trying to dodge. By the time they came full circle, the other one didn’t seem to have tired down, not that it mattered to Tirek, who then instantly stopped in full gallop, allowing his opponent to come within range, and then instantly kicked him, sending him flying in the pillar on the other side of the arena. Suddenly, it created a chain reaction, where the impacted pillar began to fall, hitting the other one after another until they all came crashing down, right on top of the champion. The crowd went wild, cheering even louder, and Tirek couldn’t help but wave, to soak in their praise. It wouldn’t last long, as one of the pillars flew by his head and ended up getting consumed by the fire around the arena. He turned and saw his other self standing tall once again, seemingly unscathed by his actions, the objects under which he was littering the surroundings.
“Not bad, I must say,” the champion spoke. “Cunning, resourceful, and all of it self-taught. Not half bad.” Then he began mumbling to himself as if he was wondering. “Still, something’s missing… There’s something in you that’s… lacking right now…” He grumbled for a while when finally gasped in realization. “Wait… I see now.” He pointed at Tirek. “It’s you! You’re denying your anger its purpose!”
Yet he could only give him a confused look. “I don’t need anger when I’ve got all the tools I need to defeat you right here,” Tirek told him.
“Oh yeah? Come on then. Take a shot at me.”
Instantly, the centaur grabbed the nearby pillar and from a great distance brought it down on his doppelganger. It snapped and scorched off halfway. He saw him standing there with a smug face, a large red energy ball hovering between his horns, but it shouldn’t be possible, not in his current state.
“Wait… how’s that possible?!” Tirek was left flabbergasted. “Where did you get that much magic?!”
“This?” the double pointed at the giant orb. “This isn’t magic, loser. This is anger made manifest. It’s all the power I need to beat you.”
The orb stirred and a powerful blast was sent in the centaur’s direction, forcing him to dodge. The battle had now turned into a casting one, something that Tirek was not confident he could win. He rose back on his feet and tried to conjure enough magic for an attack, but the tiny orb that he managed to produce did little more than tickle his opponent when he fired.
“Your anger is trying to consume, devour… Destroy your enemies, and yet for some reason, you’re holding it back right now. And I wonder… WHY?”
Tirek already knew the answer. So many times, in the heat of the moment, when he was supposed to focus, he allowed the emotion to get the better of him, and as a result, things quickly went awry for him, and especially recently.
“He will destroy you, Devourer, if you do not act.”
Tirek could hear the voice of Anger in the back of his head, then suddenly realized that his surroundings have frozen.
“I can’t allow it to happen again,” he protested.
“You mistake a moment of spontaneous emotion as anger, Devourer. To use the true power of anger, one must keep it aflame, compress it into the core of your body, focus it on your target, and then release it. Do that, and you will survive.”
“Even if you say that, I can’t just get angry on the spot,” he protested.
“Oh yes, you can. Close your eyes and concentrate.” Tirek followed suit. “Think back. Of all who wanted to deny you your destiny. Of those who made you suffer.” The images of all the ponies suddenly popped up, from Celestia and Luna to Twilight Sparkle and the Elements of Harmony, and many more. “Of all the ones that have tried to turn you from the nature of your people.” The image of his mother and father appeared in his thoughts. “And think about all of those… who BETRAYED YOU.”
When it said those words, the image of Scorpan emerged in his thoughts, that was the trigger. Tirek suddenly felt a rush of anger lighting up in his belly, and it kept growing and growing, allowing it to wash over him. Finally, he opened his eyes and focused on the lookalike. He let out a loud bellow, and soon after began inhaling. Suddenly, the fires surrounding the arena were being drawn into his open mouth, until all lights went out and the arena disappeared. The doppelganger could only watch, as Tirek began to grow huge, his body bulging out until his power was at its peak again. He then looked down upon his double.
“You… You’re a reflection of me, aren’t you?” He pointed at him. “The reason why I was weakened was because you were drawn out of me to be used as a challenge. Now… it’s time to go home.”
But it refused. It shot a beam of magic at the giant centaur, but all he did was open his mouth again and began inhaling his attack. Finally, it consumed the giant magic orb, as well as its holder, and they both disappeared. Tirek once again stood in complete darkness but was now fully energized.
A pair of giant red eyes opened once again, this time at the centaur’s level. “Well done, my Pillar of Anger. Now that you have been set in place, conserve that anger. Harness the rage. You will have an outlet for your frustration soon enough. You will be the pillar upon which our return will be guarded. Step once again into the waking world, and become the harbinger of our destruction.” The darkness surrounding him began to crumble on itself. “Awaken… DEVOURER.”
To those outside, almost as quickly as it began, it already ended. The darkness that surrounded the giant object made of hardened changeling slime retreated, and inside, a vague shape began to glow until it finally exploded, destroying the cocoon, and making Chrysalis and the Storm King cover. From the wreckage, a tall muscular figure arose, his tail and back hair were lit aflame.
“Hey, wildebeest, I think you’ve got something there. You know, flammable.” The satyr commented.
Tirek turned his head and it became obvious that it wasn’t just his hair that was on fire, so too was his mouth, after he ran his hand over his head. “Honestly, it doesn’t really hurt that much. I think it may just be a cosmetic effect… But I can tell who’s about to feel something.” He cracked his knuckles and began approaching them.
“Whoa, halt!” the construct protested. “Just for the record, what happened back at the griffin tree wasn’t our idea! Come on, freckles, tell him!
But Chrysalis said nothing, she was just standing still, almost as if she wasn’t quite present. But before things escalated, a weaselly shape flew in to intercept.
“He speaks the truth, Devourer. What happened to you at Griffinstone, the backstabbing, was my idea. It was the only way to get you to do what needed to be done.”
Tirek stopped advancing and glared at the wisp. “If you weren’t incorporeal I’d squash you right now.”
“And if you did that you’d have to answer to Anger. What did it tell you?”
“The centaur spoke between gritted teeth. “Conserve my anger…”
“Then do that.” Doubt flow down to where the other two were. “Now to the matter at hand. It seems our Broodmother is having one of her moments.”
Storm King waved his hand in front of her face and she still didn’t react. “Hello, anybody home?”
She finally snapped out. “I feel another one’s coming…”
“Another one what?”
“My clutch.” She flew up in the air and towards the lake. “Gentlemen, if you could please avert your eyes.”
At this point, her words didn’t reach them, something that they would not appreciate later. The newly awakened Pillar was curious about something else.
“Hey... Errr... SL/SK? Where’s Grogar?”
Dark stone corridors stretched a great distance, the only light that illuminated them was the dim flickering source in the distance from outside. They were deathly quiet… for but a moment. The sound of hoof steps could be heard echoing, belonging to a lone donkey. He wore an orange cowl, and some of his dark brown hair was sticking out the edge of it, partly obscuring his green eyes, along with a pair of long ears through the holes in the garment. This trail was not foreign to him, he’s passed it so many times but the number eluded him. This place… time lost all meaning in it. He couldn’t leave it, not until HE returned to it, and to leave it… He couldn’t imagine it; the outside world was something he didn’t want to experience alone, not again. But even if he couldn’t tell the time, he could feel that a lot of it has passed. And HE had been absent this whole time, what if he really was gone? Was he now truly all alone…?
FUUUUM!
He stopped. He could’ve sworn he just heard a sound. But maybe he was just hearing things. He didn’t dare give himself false hope. Yet as she resumed his walk…
FUUUUM!
There it was again! One may have been a coincidence, but the second time? He stood still, unmoving listening to every sound just to make sure.
FUUUUM!
He heard it, truly this time. There was only one thing that could’ve made it. He dashed off, galloping down the infinite hallways, listening to the glowing sound. There was only one object that could be making it, but why now, after all this time? He entered a great hall with a sinister throne, near it, a pedestal stood, shaped like a claw, and in its grasp, it held a large orange-yellow orb, an eye that once belonged to his friend. He slowly approached. There was a tingle in the back of his head, he was quivering from anticipation. He reached out and touched the orb. It flashed in bright light, and within it, a silhouette emerged, one that was slowly beginning to show detailed features, ultimately revealing the image of the Father of Monsters.
“Bray,” he spoke softly.
“Master… Is it really you…?”
“Yes, Bray. How long has it been?”
“I… I don’t know, Master… This place… It makes you forget the time and…” he was fumbling words as if he was on the verge of strong emotion. “Master, I thought you were-”
“Deposed? If these are the rumors then they were highly exaggerated.”
“What about Paramis? Is he-?”
“Also here. How do you think I’m contacting you? Now… Open the doorway.”
“Master?”
“Has it really been this long that you’ve forgotten? I’m at the portal’s location. Open the Doorway to Tambelon.” The grizzled ram insisted, yet for some reason, the donkey just stared at him. “Bray, what are you waiting for?
“Master… I fear I can’t do anything.”
“Excuse me?”
“The doorway is unlocked, Master. It has been this entire time in anticipation of your return. I do not want to say anything bad about you, Master, but…”
“But what?”
“I fear that the fault may be on your end.”
“WHAT?!” the dark sorcerer exploded. “I’m trying to open it on this end and it won’t react! This shouldn’t be happening unless…!” Almost instantly, the anger vanished from a sudden realization. “Unless… SHE did something to me…”
“Master?”
His image was looking to the side. “That’s the only thing that could explain it. But the knowledge, it’s beyond either me and the draconequus’ knowledge…” He turned back to the screen. “Bray.”
“Yes, Master?”
“I will have to do some investigating. Wait until I call you again. And if I never do…” He paused for a moment. “Consider yourself the lucky one.” And with a flash, Grogar’s image disappeared, and the Eye of Arimaspi became dormant.
He was gone. He left just as quickly as he returned, but he did return – he was still out in the world. But what he said at the end left him confused. Why did he say that, as if he might not return? Was there something that was threatening him out there? No. He knew better. He will return to the realm once more. He knew of the grand plan that they had to fulfill, and he, much like Paramis, was a faithful servant. He would wait for his master’s return.
The centaur and the satyr sat in the heart of the hive, their backs turned and their ears shut while the Pillar of Hatred was doing her business. Or at the very least, one of them was. The animated construct just sat by the other one, his expression showing disturbance. He shoved Anger’s servant to garner his attention.
“What?!” Tirek exploded, before covering his ears again to try and silence the background noise.
“I wish I had a pair of fully functioning ears right now,” the Storm King told him.
“Why? So, you could hear all those sounds behind us?”
“No, so I could plug them up.”
“But you already have ears.”
“They’re not real! I can hear sounds no matter what and it’s downright disturbing!”
“And here I thought you’d be the last one to have problems with bodily functions, construct.”
The two turned to the voice, which belonged to a familiar face they were missing for a little while now. The grizzled ram stood before them, bereft of amusement.
“You seem to be doing alright, boy. All things considered,” he remarked.
“Where did you come from?” the satyr wondered.
“Through the tunnel, like you. You both were just so preoccupied with cringing that you didn’t notice.” He gazed behind them.
“Old man, avert your eyes,” Tirek said.
“Why, boy? I’m not some weakling that couldn’t stomach the sight of the miracle of life - I’ve seen it enough to not be bothered by it. Can’t say the same about either of you.”
“Listen you, old fool, I’m not gonna-!”
Before the centaur could speak his mind, the animated statue intervened. “Wait, where’s your pet?”
“Outside. He need not be bothered with what’s happening here. It’s gonna get crowded pretty soon anyway.”
“What makes you say that?” Tirek inquired.
“Turn around, boy.”
“I don’t think I want to.”
“Wait… I can’t hear anything anymore,” the Storm King realized.
Tirek unplugged his ears. He was right – it’s gotten quiet. The two pillars turned their heads. Beneath the sinister tree, in the green pool, the Queen of Changelings lay atop a large pile of eggs, clearly exhausted from the ordeal. After a few moments, she got back on her feet and stretched. Her gaze soon locked on the new arrival.
“Ah, Grogar. We’ve been missing you,” she giggled.
“That would be an understatement.” Doubt, which was previously coiled around the Tree of Turmoil, flew towards the sorcerer, the tone in his voice clearly displeased. “You have a lot to make up for the stunt you pulled previously.”
“Stunt that I have pulled?” He raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you mean, the stunt that the boy has pulled because he got too greedy for his own good?”
“Hey!” instantly reacted.
“Be that as it may, you should’ve contacted us after that incident,” the wisp resumed.
“Even if the boy hadn’t done his deed I was going to ask you to help me restore my missing companion. And I’m doubtful you wouldn’t have seen it as “a waste of valuable time”. True, I may have “borrowed” the boy and the construct to assist me in the task, but I had faith that the Queen of Changelings would be more than adequate for the task.”
“I mean, it’s Doubt – faith is alien to it,” Storm King commented, to which everybody turned to him. “What? It’s true.”
“But back to the point. In hindsight, had we all gone together to Dragon Lands, do you honestly think things would’ve gone better than they have?”
“Sorry, to say that, Doubt, but he’s got you there,” Chrysalis
“Speak for yourself, Chrysalis!” the centaur glared at her. “I could’ve been saved a burn too many!
“Enough, Devourer,” the weaselly shape silenced him. “I will take your point on this, Shaper. But let me be perfectly clear, to all of you: I, nor any of the other fragments will tolerate any further deviation. We’ve come too far now to fail. One fragment remains, and I will not risk Turmoil’s return to be compromised on a point of pride from any of you. Do I make myself clear?”
Surrounded by the Pillars, Doubt looked around, trying to see their responses, which amounted to a “yes” behind clenched teeth. Then it looked at the blue ram, who was yet to give a response.
He smiled. “Of course. I assume you already have a plan to track down the last one?”
Much to everybody’s surprise, the shadowy vapor shook its head. “It is a complicated matter, unfortunately.”
“Can’t be more complicated than what we just had to go through. How long will it take to find this one?” the satyr asked
“Give or take a few hundred years.”
“WHAT?!” the three Pillars collectively said.
“As I said last time, this piece flew completely off my radar. Unlike Anger, which remained present for a while, this one disappeared before I could locate it. Last I’ve sensed it was on the south-western shores and that’s where we’ll have to start.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Chrysalis voiced her frustration. “You want us to check every single inch of land and/or sea, without any fixed location?!”
“What do you expect, Broodmother? The world is vast. As far as we know the final piece could be on the other end of it. And unlike previously, we have nothing to go on. We have no clues to track it.”
“The clues might be closer than you are aware, Doubt,” the shrilling multiple voices spoke.
The ground shook, and from the green pool, a large dark form arose, its multiple eyes opening, looking down on the forms below.
The shadowy vapor slithered closer to it. “Fear? Do you know something I do not?”
It cackled. “Oh yes. You wouldn’t have known unless you had entered the veil that one of my children had conjured when we gifted him our power. I had seen so many fear and dreads that made themselves manifest, but one of them… This fear was born of regret and guilt. There was something odd, familiar even about it.”
“Show me,” the weaselly shape requested.
A long slender arm sprouted out of the multi-eyed black mass. It reached out and gently poked the incorporeal formation, and its form bent as if it was touched. Its eyes flashed for several seconds before it finally snapped out of its trance, shaking its head.
“Despair…” It said in a tone of sudden realization. “This whole time, the answer was in front of us and I didn’t know…”
“Doubt? What are you talking about?” Chrysalis curiously wondered.
“There is ONE who knows where the final piece is,” it explained.
“Well, where is it? Tell us so we can drag it out of him.” Tirek eagerly said.
“Or is this going to involve another overly long investigation?” the satyr questioned.
“We need not do anything,” Doubt spoke. “All we have to do is wait.”
Stats
Page generated in 0.025 seconds
Total duration
977 users online
1,446,587 hits today, 2,205,040 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
So Discord knows where Despair is if I am reading that bit right?
Eh, this is some of if not the most speediest and consistent uploading I've ever seen on this site. Trust me, you're still good.
11579915
Sorrow, Despair. They're sort of similar. I figured it was something along those lines at any rate.
11589919
Zecora. She's the one who knows where Despair is. She had a big nightmare about it last chapter.
11590251
Oh yeah, I forgot.
Oof
Very good chapter. Even the part where you used a part of Tirek's origins from Fiendship is Magic. Also Anger makes a good point, Scorpan's betrayal to TIrek was his biggest mistake and maybe his own crime; being betrayed by the only family who cares about you is unforgivable. Also the last Pillar, the Pillar of Despair has to be Cozy Glow.
11590251
But there is a distinct difference. Sorrow is a pain for which there are sources of consolation. Sorrow comes from losing one good thing among others. Despair, however, is inconsolable, because it comes from losing an ultimate thing.
Despair is hopeless. But sorrow can be hopeful.
11590377
You're in for a surprise on that one.
a whole chapter on behalf of the villains? Were we even shown Tirek's backstory? Although, to be honest, somehow I imagined the background of Tirek. The only thing I can't understand is why Tirek is holding a grudge against his mother. All the time it was said that the conflict was mainly with his father, and it suddenly became clear that when Tirek remembered everyone he was angry with, it turned out that his mother was among them.
P.S. wasn't it possible to transfer the hot Tirek with the help of telekinesis? Or when transferring things with telekinesis, the temperatures are transferred to the caster?
11658116
What do you mean "Were we even shown Tirek's backstory?"? Of course it's Tirek's backstory.
Tirek's mom is present because, much like his dad, she went along to try to make him a pacifist.
Sorry, but I'm a bit lost on the last bit.