Chapter 14

"Tirek's Trial"

When the moment had come for Tirek to face the four rulers of Equestria, Discord and Scorpan joined their allies as Shining Armor and the royal guard brought the now cleaned, but still caged Tirek into the Canterlot throne room. The centaur growled as the shackles around his ankles were tightened further and the shackles around his wrists continued to stretch out his arms. As they walked him in, Shining Armor had the guard in front of the window depicting Twilight's princess coronation and used his magic to force Tirek to look at it.

"You think you could destroy the window of my little sister's coronation?" he snapped, determined to get back at him for attacking his wife and little sister. "Well, it's back and it is going to stay there, you monster!"

Tirek just shrugged it off as Shining Armor violently released his grip on Tirek's head. At that moment, Equestria's most dangerous enemy to date was brought into the throne room as those in front of him watched with disgust and determination to see justice carried out. Discord had transformed into a judge with a gavel and bench, setting the mood for this trial to be carried out. Lowering the cage down and with two guards on each side of him, Tirek looked up at his accusers and readied himself to continue his fight, trying to get back his ability to steal magic.

"Trying to steal your magic?" remarked Luna, smirking in a sly manner. "It's not going to work, vile villain. Your magic was permanently destroyed when Princess Twilight and the other elements of harmony returned you to Tartarus."

For the first time, Tirek's face began to drop from its determined look and he began to feel slightly afraid as the thought of losing his powers made him feel weak. But, he could still be manipulative and was determined to use it to his advantage.

"That's impossible," he thought, as he struggled against his bonds. "I may have lost my magic, but I can still use my words the same way I used against that traitor, Discord and that pathetic excuse of a brother!"

He looked over towards Scorpan, who merely just stood there folding his arms with a satisfied look on his face. At that moment, Celestia rose from her throne and walked down towards the caged Tirek, looking at him directly in the eyes.

"Do you know why you are here, Tirek?" she asked coldly, glaring at him. But Tirek didn't respond to this question. "You are here charged with crimes committed against Equestria, crimes that could result in you being put to death."

Tirek stayed silent and at that moment, Celestia grew cross and used her magic to force Tirek to look at her as everypony suddenly jumped at this behavior Celestia was displaying.

"LOOK AT ME WHEN I AM TALKING TO YOU!" she bellowed, using her royal Canterlot voice. "WHEN I ASK YOU QUESTION, I EXPECT YOU TO ANSWER!"

But, Tirek only chuckled at Celestia's rage as a small smirk came onto his face. His plan of using his words was about to take action.

"Oh, dear Celestia," he snickered, looking at her. "Do you think words will get you anywhere? Why you are still the pathetic and weak pony you were when I sent you and your sister and niece to Tartarus. Had I not lost my magic, I would have done it to you again."

This made Celestia even more cross as she released her grip on Tirek and threw him down onto the cage floor violently, the sounds of his shackles loudly rustling. After a moment, Tirek managed to get onto his feet and shake off the abuse that Celestia had imposed on him.

"Why don't you just surrender your magic to me now?" asked Tirek, rising to his feet. "I can see the fear in your eyes; you don't want to destroy me. You merely want to offer me the choice of being reformed like those two over there. Two creatures that I befriended, but managed to betray me like the pathetic creatures that they are and always will be."

He pointed over to Scorpan and Tirek, who both growled at Tirek with glaring eyes. Celestia then pointed her horn at Tirek's throat and snarled at him with her cold, icy angry voice.

"Leave them alone!" she snarled quietly, her horn glowing with raging magic as she walked around the cage. "I told you that you will not prevail, Tirek. And when I say words like that, then I mean it. Even without our magic, we were still going to find a way to defeat you and thanks to Princess Twilight and her friends, that prediction had come true."

"In addition," added Luna, joining her sister in swarming the cage. "You expected us to rot in Tartarus in the same manner as yourself. But Cerberus knew that we didn't belong in Tartarus and protected us from your allies who intended to kill us once and for all. Had it not been for him, we wouldn't have been alive when you were defeated.

This made Twilight get a lump in her throat as the thought of her mentors and sister-in-law being killed made her spine shiver in fear. It was bad enough losing her home and seeing her friends and Spike in danger, but having her fellow princesses killed made her feel afraid. Seeing her sister-in-law feel afraid, Cadence placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulder for support. Seeing this as an opportunity, Tirek looked over towards the two youngest princesses.

"Are you trying to hide behind your savior, Princess Cadence?" mocked Tirek, seizing an opportunity to terrorize the leader of the Crystal Empire. "Afraid that I am going to take care of your pathetic husband and your subjects in your empire after I take care of you?"

This struck a chord with Cadence and filled her with rage as she raised her wings and with a death glare, she fired a blast of her magic right at Tirek's chest, causing him to roar in pain.

"Don't you dare mock my husband and my subjects like that!" hissed Cadence, not afraid to use her magic. "Talk to me like that again and I will personally destroy you the same way as King Sombra!"

This made Celestia and Luna feel concerned and Celestia had to step in to calm her niece down.

"Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, stand down," said Celestia firmly and heeding her elder aunt's command, Cadence stepped down and still glaring at Tirek, went back over to Twilight's side. Still, this gave Twilight's friends a shock for they had never seen Cadence so angry. Feeling that he could get away with his words despite the pain that was being inflicted on him, Tirek then turned his attention towards his main adversary.

"Do you fear me, Princess Twilight?" he laughed. "Are you afraid I am going to destroy your castle the same way I destroyed your library?"

This did not sit well with Twilight at all and she leapt in front of Tirek with a look of pure anger on her face, blasting him with a ray of her alicorn magic, much to the shock of her friends. Like the blast fired by her mentor and sister-in-law, Tirek rose to his feet and chuckled slightly.

"Oh, Princess Twilight," he snickered, ignoring her anger. "Trying to stand up for all these pathetic ponies around you? You scare me even less than your fellow princesses."

But, Twilight was not going to continue standing for it as she stormed over towards Tirek, much to the hesitation of her friends and fellow princesses.

"Twilight, stand down," ordered Celestia, fearing that her youngest equal would do something rash.

"No Princess," cried Twilight as Applejack attempted to stop her, only to have her hat shoved into her face. "I need to have my say with you, Tirek!"

Twilight walked over to Tirek and much like Celestia, raised her glowing horn at Tirek's neck, a look of rage pasted on her face. Celestia wanted to stop Twilight from doing something foolish, but Luna raised a wing and allowed Twilight to face down the monster that had affected her the most.

"I speak on behalf of everypony here when I tell you that I hope you suffer for what you have done not just to my friends, but also to me!" she began, glaring at him. "All you ever wanted was power and greed, two things that you stop at nothing to get! Even if it meant destroying my home, putting my mentors and sister-in-law in Tartarus, using my friends as a way to get the alicorn magic and stealing magic that doesn't belong to you!"

At that point, tears began to form at the corners of Twilight's eyes when she decided to bring up the loss of her library.

"I want you to think about something even though that you don't care about how I feel," she continued, trying not to cry in front of her enemy. "I want you to know that when you destroyed my library, you only made yourself weaker instead of stronger. When you used my friends to get the alicorn magic, you made yourself weaker instead of stronger. The magic of friendship will prevail and that is something you will never take away from us! I hope you suffer greatly for what you have done, Tirek."

At that point, Twilight turned away from her enemy and walked back to Cadence and her friends, crying silently and holding her wings over her face, trying to not cry in front of Tirek. Moved by her youngest equal's speech, Celestia along with Luna turned to Tirek and began to pass down her judgment.

"Lord Tirek," she began, her eyes still locked on Tirek. "For your crimes committed against Equestria, we, the four crowned princesses of Equestria, hereby sentence you to be put to death by purification."

Despite having been heard that he was going to be put to death, Tirek showed no emotion as Discord slammed down his gavel and the guards came out to bring Tirek out to the Canterlot castle courtyards to be executed.

"Take him away," ordered Luna to the guards and Tirek was carried out of the throne room as Discord coldly looked down at him along with Scorpan.

"All you ever did was show me what a fraud friend you truly are," thought Discord as the throne room doors shut and everypony had gathered around an emotional Twilight. "Twilight was right; I hope you suffer for what you have done to my friends and to all of Equestria."