The return of Disharmony
Tirek's raised his head, and his look swept over the lifeless wasteland that was formerly known as Equestria. Once huge cities that reached for the sky were now nothing more than dirt on the ground. Even if he hadn't destroyed them, even if he hadn't smashed the ancient towers, they would still be nothing more than toys before his hooves. The happy and cheerful people of Equestria were reduced to empty vessels, smaller than ants compared to him. He inhaled the black smoke which was ascending from the towns he burned down. He could still smell the wood, the hay and the flesh that were burned by the flames he ignited himself. The smell of a burning kid crying for help. The smell of it's mother, grabbing a brick to smack her childs head so it wouldn't have to burn alive. The smell of tears and blood. The smell of victory. The arrogant people of Equestria lost their magic, their flight, their connection to nature. Their pride. The world itself had become Tireks kingdom. And Equestria would only be his castle, with Canterlot being his throne. He had brought the entire pony-race to their knees, including their leaders, the princesses themselves. For ages, they have kept Equestria save from all the dangers that were lurking in the shadows of this world. And yet, he, Tirek, their final challenge, managed to break their reign. And on the ashes of their kingdom, he would build his own. And the whole world would learn to fear his name. The name of Lord Tirek the Great.
A silent sob distracted him from his thoughts. He lowered his head, and down there, just as small as insects, seven individuals stood in front of his hooves. Five of them were the former bearer of the so called 'Elements of Harmony', the legendary heroines that saved Equestria from destruction countless times. He didn't care for them as much as for a bug. They were weak, even before he drained their magic. Without their necklaces, they were nothing. Not even worthy to be called 'a minor obstacle'. It would only take one single blast, a single move of his finger, to banish them from existence. But...not yet. He would still have use for them. Probably. Right now, the person drawing his attention was the conspicuous Draconequus Discord. The master of Chaos and Disharmony himself, formerly known for his tyrannical rule and mischievous ways. Feared by all of Equestria. Once feared even by Tirek. Once. But the tables had turned. Tirek needed to manipulate Discord to avoid being put into Tartarus again. He had use for his magic, which allowed him to speed up his plans and grow strong much faster than he expected.
He looked at Discord, and he smiled. The Draconequus' look was filled with confidence and arrogance. Most creatures would have recognized this as Discords usual look, but Tirek saw the difference. Discord betrayed his friends, and over that betrayal, he felt strong. Powerful. Invicible. He thought that this was their moment of triumph. That he was, once again, the smartest being involved. That he was superior. But Tirek knew better. The Draconequus had fulfilled his use. Now, it was time for him to take the role in Tirek's plans that he was always meant to play. It was time that he would finally fulfill his real use.
He didn't listen as Discord was blabbering about what was probably some kind of stupid joke. He had dealt with his goofiness for long enough. He was only paying attention to the last sentence the Draconequus spoke:
"Soon, there won't be any pegasi, earth pony or unicorn that will be able to stand up to us."
Tirek smiled again. Foolish little creature, this Discord was. So confident in himself, too arrogant to see that he was the one who was being used. He had just never been on the receiving end. Therefore, his arrogance would be his ultimate downfall.
"Us?" Tirek said, and even though he wanted to whisper the words, his voice was clearly audible and made the earth around him shiver.
"Who said anything about us?"
He raised his right hand and focused just a quantum of his magic into one thought: 'Mine'.
A thin, orange aura appeared around the Draconequus and lifted him up, high enough to make it possible for Tirek to look him into the eyes. And just as he did, he was surprised by the lack of fear in Discords eyes. No insecurity, no dread...instead, his face showed anger and impatience.
"Tirek...don't. You still need me. Do you really think you can obtain Twilight Sparkle on your own?"
Tirek hesitated for a single second before he replied. He was unsettled by the Draconequus' stare. He knew what Tirek was about to do. And yet, he didn't seem to fear him the slightest. He looked like he was expecting him to do it all the time. Why did he still seem to confident in himself? That wasn't his usual cocky arrogance. That was the look of someone who was truly superior. The look of someone who had a plan and wouldn't allow anybody to get in his way.
"You clearly overestimate your worth to me, Discord. I have already drained every single grain of magic in Equestria. You helped me to grow strong, but now, you are no longer from any use to me. I am powerful enough to squish the fourth princess like a cockroach. Her magic will be mine. And so will yours."
He opened his mouth.
"You are not strong enough, you fool! Do you really think you can match the magic of four Alicorns? The magic of the oldest and most powerful beings in all of Equestria? You can not beat her! You need me! I can bring her to you, but if you drain my magic now, you will still be no match for her! All your plans will be ruined, Tirek! Do you want to see Cerberus again that bad?"
Tirek paid little attention to his words. Those were the words of someone begging for his life. A gambler, trying to talk himself out of trouble, trying to outstretch his life just a little more. Tirek focused his magic, took a deep breath, and felt the raw force of Discord's magic joining his own. It was overwhelming. A much better feeling than he could have ever expected. It was so much magic, so much power. As he drained every single drop of Discord's magic from his body, he heard his screams as a far away distraction.
"No! Don't do it, you idiot! You are making a mistake! You are making a horrible...LET ME GO, DAMMIT! THIS WAS NOT A PART OF THE PLAN!"
Tirek closed his mouth. He released Discord from his grip and heard him fall down to the ground. Once again, his heart was pumping pure magic through his veins, and the feeling of triumph posessed him once again. He had won again. He was the one who was superior. The one who would reign supreme. Lord Tirek the Grea-
Suddenly, the feeling stopped. The triumph was gone. Instead, it had been replaced by pure anger. But it was not his own. Those were not his feelings. Just as he was asking himself what was going on, a familiar voice popped up in his head. And with that, Tirek understood just one thing. This was indeed a moment of triumph. But it was not his.
"You stupid, impatient little Centaur! Couldn't you just wait for a few more hours? Just until you obtained Twilight Sparkles Magic?"
Tirek fell on his knees. He tried to get up, but he couldn't. His body wasn't following his own commands anymore.
"This...cannot be!" he thought to himself.
"I am Lord Tirek the Great...I have no match! No one is my equal! I can't be defeated! I can't be..."
"Can't be what?" the voice asked with a chuckle.
"Betrayed? Tricked? Are those the words you are looking for? My dearest Tirek, do you really think I though about butterflies and flowers while being imprisoned into stone? Do you think that less of me? Tirek, Tirek...you think of yourself as the smartest being alive. You think that you are the winner, that you are the trickster, not the tricked. But you are wrong, Tirek. You are not the one with the masterplan. You are just a part of mine. And even as such, you failed. You were meant to drain my magic just after you drained Twilight Sparkles power. But now, I have to deal with a pony that is able to use the combined power of no less than four demigods. Now I have to improvise."
The voice of Discord gave a small chuckle once again. Tirek tried to hold on to his mind, to control his thoughts, but were these his own thoughts? He tried to retain his memories, to keep them close to him, but what he saw wasn't his own past.
He saw a being of pure energy roaming free on the world. A being without a true form, free like smoke, a being that couldn't be named, that couldn't be obtained or tamed. A being that caused chaos whenever it went. Then, a Draconequus approached the being. He looked just like Discord, but much younger, without a beard and clear blue eyes. He spoke words in a language the being couldn't understand, words which didn't make any sense to it. Suddenly, the being lost it's freedom. It was being sucked directly into the Draconequus, caged inside his body, doomed to share a mind with him. The Draconequus' eyes changed from blue to yellow.
"This...is not me..." Tirek thought desperatly. He shook in fear. The effort to hold Discord back made him sweat. His muscles were burning. He couldn't hold himself straight up anymore.
"Those are not...Those are my memories...No...I am Tirek, the Grea-"
His movements stopped. For a few seconds, the whole world was covered in silence. Not a single sound was to be heard. Existence itself hushed in fear. Then, Tirek opened his eyes. Their colour had changed. They were not their usual pitch-black anymore. Instead, his iris was yellow, and his pupil red. His look changed. It wasn't filled with certainty and confidence anymore. Instead, his grin was overflowing with pure arrogance and joy. He opened his mouth to speak a few words, to introduce his new self to the world.
"I am Discord, spirit of Chaos and Disharmony. Charmed."