Having just returned to his homeland, Scorpan, son of Casilisk, inhaled deeply. The air was dirty and reeked of decay and dust. Yet, the smell was comforting. The Equestrian plains from whence he just came from may have had a tinge of alluring sweetness, but it could never compare to the scorched earth that made up his home.
After having confronting the Equestrian diarchs and revealing his and his brother’s plan of conquest. He had convinced them that he could not, in good conscious, follow through with it any longer. His brother on the other hand would not falter and was already continuing with what they had originally planned. When the two princesses first agreed to met with Scorpan, it could be said that they were more than a little hesitant to agree to such a confrontation. Especially after word had reached them that settlements had become abnormally quiet in passing weeks. In the end, it was on the word of one of their most trusted advisers that they did meet. Scorpan revealed that it was he and his brother that were attacking the settlements and stealing the magical essence of the pony settlers. Princess Luna and Celestia were mortified at hearing such news. The fire of vengeance burned hotly in their eyes, but ultimately came to the final question they needed an answer to. Asking Scorpan why he had came forward and why they should trust him. They were surprised when just smiled and laughed soft-heartedly.
“I have only been in your land for a short time, but I have never met such creatures who have had nothing but open minds for others such as yourselves.”
Now, Scorpan looked over his homeland, knowing that the deal he made would prevent him from ever returning to his equestrian friends. His only hope was that his brother, Tirek, would one day forgive him for his betrayal.
“Scorpan!”
Scorpan jumped, having been startled from his musings and turned to find source of the shout. Even against the haze of the dust bowl, it was easy to spot the shout’s owner and easily recognize the owner in tow.
Even though Scorpan was the older brother, he was still half a foot shorter than his brother, Tirek. This became even more apparent as the centaur stormed up to his brother with a furrowed brow. Scorpan could already see the reason in the disapproving look etched into his brother’s features. His own stance tensing as he awaited his brother’s inevitable tirade.
He was unsurprised as Tirek huffed and spat at the ground in front of him, “Brother…”
“Scorpan,” Tirek hissed, “I know what you did.”
“What I did was for our own good.” The statement was punctuated by a pause from both creatures. Neither of them dared to move as the wind kicked up an errant mist of dust between them. It actually came as a surprise when the younger of the two sighed heavily and relaxed his squared shoulders, “Brother, I thought you said we would never work behind each other’s back.”
“I did,” Scorpan responded, only letting his posture ease slightly, “But you left me with very few options.”
“I know, brother. Although it pains me to see my own brother betray me in such a way.”
“You wouldn't listen to reason, brother!” Scorpan began, “Those creatures, those ponies. I had only walked among them for a short time, and like you, I only saw them as a source of power to be acquired; a means to an end. As I committed my first travesties, I felt nothing for them. I watched as you and I gained new found abilities and strength. Power, unlike anything we had before, and it was grand. I felt like a god.” Scorpan clenched his fist, raising it up in triumph in front of his small grin to emphasis his point. Though it soon fell limp, and the ghost of a smile disappeared into a grimace.
“But as the days passed, I saw something in those ponies that gave me pause; Compassion. Not toward me, but to each other. For no matter what differences they had, they treated each other as if they were one of each other’s kin. You and I are the only ones left of the elder race, Tirek.”
Scorpan held the gold medallion hanging around his neck up to look at. It’s surface was kept meticulous clean and free of any other blemish.
“This is the last artifact we could recover after the great famine claimed our land, our home. Seeing the prosperous land those ponies lived in made me jealous. My jealousy gave way to hatred, but then I discovered a new feeling. My hatred ebbed away into curiosity and longing. I wanted to know what it would be like to be accepted instead of feared. Not having to rely on mere instincts to just survive and find a place to truly live. One unicorn I met in particular showed me of what it meant to call someone a friend. The old fool even convinced his peers to extend their compassion onto me.
“Tirek, you and I were both as young as our sixth cycle when we were left to score the new wasteland for the necessities we needed to survive.”
Tirek nodded in understanding as he too remembered their first cycles on their own. Nothing but desolated landscapes and bare scraps to get by from day to day. If it hadn't been for his brother, he honestly believed he would have never survived, although he would never openly admit it. In time, the harsh trials had turned him callous and hard to an unforgiving world. His philosophy shifting to one of ‘take what you can before it is taken from you’.
“I found a glimmer of hope throughout my travels of Equestria, my brother. They showed me that I can lead a better life. My only plea is that you see the error of our way, Tirek. Please, give back what you have taken from the ponies. I promise that we can find a different way, a new way to live in peace and comfort.”
Throughout the entire conversation Scorpan had been gauging his brother’s reactions. Tirek’s life had made him stoic to the point where one would be unable to tell if he had even listened at all, but Scorpan had been by his side long enough to read every one of his subtle movements. To him, Tirek was like an open book.
Scorpan watched his brother run from anger, hatred, to feeling betrayed, doubtful, then finally defeat. Another heavy sigh escaped Tirek’s breath. He walked out behind Scorpan overlooking the desolated expanse just as his brother did not so long ago.
“Perhaps you are right, Brother. Perhaps it is time to put an end to all this.”
Scorpan only felt a moment of relief before the sensation of searing pain tore through his chest. The protruding knife slid out from his back with a wet ‘shlick’ and splattered the ground before him with crimson blood from the open wound. The last thing that Scorpan felt before his pierced heart gave out was the chain around his neck breaking away and freeing his sacred pendant from his ownership.
