Chapter 13

"Tirek Arrives in Canterlot"

Discord watched with nervousness deep in his stomach as the royal guard made their final approach towards Canterlot Castle. He could see that a majority of Canterlot's citizens lined the streets eager to show both him and Tirek how they felt about getting their magic and cutie marks stolen. Arriving at the draw bridge, Shining Armor and the guards unloaded Tirek's covered cage and started to make their way into the castle.

"Do whatever you have to do to protect yourselves," ordered Shining Armor, placing his helmet on his head. "We've got subjects who will want to give Tirek a piece of their minds. So be careful!"

The guards saluted the prince of the Crystal Empire upon hearing those words as they started to enter the Equestrian Capitol. Fearing that the ponies could target him along with Tirek, Discord disguised himself as a guardspony in order to protect himself.

"I hope this keeps me safe," he thought as he took off the tarp over Tirek's cage. "Let these earth, unicorn and Pegasus ponies focus their attention on this monster."

Nopony in the royal guard seemed to have noticed that the tarp was off as their mindset was getting Tirek through the crowds. As they approached the lines of angry ponies, some began to boo and jeer and throw food and debris at Tirek's cage. The centaur was pounded with anything that the ponies could produce. Some of the debris managed to get into the cage and despite being pelted with food and debris, Tirek was determined to not be broken.

"Take this, you monster!" shouted Lyra Heartstrings, who threw a pot of flowers at Tirek, striking him in the face.

"Have a bucket of boiling Pegasus rainwater!" shouted a blue Pegasus pony who splashed scalding water at Tirek. "A little something from the Wonderbolts to you!"

"How dare you try to overthrow the princesses!" cried another pony as he threw a cup of scalding hot coffee. "We answer to them, not you!"

Tirek howled in pain as the coffee was splashed in his face, but he still remained steadfast despite all that was happening to him. Soon, they got to the entrance to the throne room doors and Tirek was disgusted to see that Scorpan, his own brother was waiting for him.

"What are you doing here, Scorpan?" snarled Tirek. "Trying to show me that you remain loyal to these Equines, instead of your own brother?"

But Scorpan remained steadfast at the monster that he called a brother. He merely kicked the cage and caused it to vibrate as Discord jumped back in fear, nearly shedding his disguise.

"Shut up, Tirek!" snapped Scorpan, growling slightly. "If you think that I am going to help you get out this, then you are wrong! You are going to face those whom you hurt, you scum! This all ends today, Tirek! You hear me? It all ends today!"

Tirek said nothing to his angry brother as his cage was carried into the castle as the ponies converged at the entrance only to be held back by royal guardsponies. Scorpan then walked inside and shut the doors while Tirek was brought into another room where he would be cleaned before being brought before the princesses. At this point, Discord changed out of his disguise and joined Scorpan outside the room.

"I can't believe that he would do this to me, Scorpan," remarked Discord. "Trying to offer me something more valuable than friendship."

"I know how you feel," sighed Scorpan, looking over to the ex-master of chaos. "He brainwashed me as a young gargoyle and made me believe that power was more valuable than anything. Had it not been for Starswirl, then I would have been in that cage with him."

Scorpan then walked towards the door and listened in to the guards laughing and mocking Tirek as he was been cleaned, calling him such hurtful words as "worthless," "idiot," and several beating sounds were heard as well that made Scorpan cringe.

"I'm glad that you aren't," said Discord. "You would have suffered the same fate and agony as him. Had I not repented for my actions, then I would have also suffered the same fate. He made me do things that I strongly regret now."

Scorpan walked back from the door and followed Discord to the throne room entrance walking past the windows that Discord had repaired not that long ago. As they walked past, Scorpan saw Discord's eyes well up with tears, confirming to him that Discord was hiding something from him.

"But, why do you still feel regret now?" wondered Scorpan, as they stopped at the stained glass window of Twilight's coronation. "Were you planning on something that you have not told the princesses?"

At that moment, Discord sighed and placed his lion paw on the window and lowered his head for a moment, trying to pull himself together.

"I actually have," confessed Discord to Scorpan, looking up at him. "After your brother was re-imprisoned, I looked at a magic mirror and I saw all the ponies of Equestria plotting to hunt me down and destroy me, because I betrayed them all. I wanted to end the suffering by turning myself into permanent stone, so that I don't end doing it again. I went to the tree of harmony and commanded it to use the elements of harmony on me and since neither Princess Celestia or Princess Luna nor Princess Twilight and her friends were no longer connected with them, I would never be freed from my self-imposed stone prison."

Scorpan was shocked at this for he knew that Discord was a creature of chaos and without that chaos, then balance that made Equestria what it was would have been imbalanced.

"Discord," sighed Scorpan, shocked at what he had heard from him. "There is something that you need to understand. I was feeling the same way as you when I helped my brother absorb the magic from these ponies. I had plotted to rid myself of Equestria and I was stopped by three ponies: Starswirl and the royal sisters. They taught me that I could not run away from my troubles and that I had to face them. So, I went up to Tirek and said to him that I could no longer associate with him in his psychotic plans. You need to face your problems, Discord and so will I. But, we need to do this together, understand?"

Discord extended his paw to Scorpan's and the two of them shook hands and at that moment, a new friendship was made. But, their joy was short lived when the doors to the throne room opened as Equestria's four princesses plus Twilight's friends were waiting for them on the other side.

"It's time," said Celestia as Scorpan and Discord walked in and the trial of Lord Tirek was about to begin.