Chapters Call me Hot Scoop, one of Equestria's up and coming journalists, a resident of Manehattan. In my brief time as a journalist, I had reported on all the trials and tribulations that Equestria has been through in its long and storied existence. But, there was a story, a time where I had been approached to do something that would test both my confidence and my integrity as a journalist.
It all started a few days after word arrived that the creature known as Lord Tirek had been reimprisoned in Tartarus. I was sitting at my desk at the Equestrian Journal going through the edits I had made to a recent story about political corruption in Rainbow Falls, when I heard a knock at the door of my office.
"Hot Scoop," I heard a gruff sounding voice say as I turned to find my boss and editor standing in the doorway. "Sorry if I interrupted anything, but I've got an assignment for you."
"Chief," I groaned, turning away from what I was working on. "Can't you see that I need more time on getting this story done? I mean, you've always said that you can't rush art…"
"I am aware of that, Hot Scoop," he interrupted, holding a picture of somepony infamous in his hoof as he walked into my office. "But, since you are a young up and coming journalist, I think it would be best that it would be good practice for you to face a challenge."
The chief was always prone to offering up challenges for us. According to him, it was a way of not just building us up into premiered journalists, but also to put confidence into our minds in general. Nevertheless, I waited to see what he had to say.
"Since you want me to face a challenge," I sighed. "What is it that you want me to do?"
The chief then placed the picture on my desk and I took a very good look at it. It wasn't just any creature, it was Lord Tirek himself, his recent mugshot from his re-imprisonment afterhis escape. Then, I realized that the chief was probably wanting me to…no, he couldn't, he wouldn't.
"You're not serious," I cried out. "You want me to…"
"Yes, Hot Scoop," he said firmly. "I want you to go to Tartarus and interview Tirek. The ponies of Equestria have the right to go inside the mind of this monster and find out why he did what he did. You know very well that it is our duty to share these kinds of stories with the public."
"Of course they know what he did, Chief," I retorted, trying to weasel my way out of this situation. "He stole magic from everypony in Equestria, nothing more. We were just one of the lucky ones that managed to avoid getting our energy stolen. With all due respect, sir, have you considered anypony else for this job?"
"I have," said the chief. "And they all refused the offer, Hot Scoop. As the youngest of the staff, I think you are the most promising member of our young fleet of reporters and you've been the one who always stepped up to the challenge in the past, remember?"
As I listened, I knew that the chief had a very good point on me stepping up to the plate. Still, I had my reservations, which I kept to myself.
"I guess you're right, sir," I remarked, accepting my fate. "I've always been the one to take the bigger assignments because I care for this business. I don't know, maybe I'm just nervous to take these kinds of challenges."
"Don't be nervous, son," encouraged the chief, walking over to an award-winning article that I had written about the Changeling Invasion of Canterlot during the Royal Wedding. "You've done so much for this business that it is undeniable to me that you have proven to me and to your colleagues that you can take this kind of challenge. Besides, when you think about it, Lord Tirek is nothing more than a sniveling coward who throws temper tantrums when he doesn't get his way."
I couldn't help but think of whether my boss was telling me the truth or not. Tirek was not like any petty criminal and that was the truth. He was a dangerous creature that did more than just steal magic.
"If you say so, chief," I sighed, writing down this impending assignment in my list of tasks to get down. "When do you want me to leave?"
"Well, the prison warden at Tartarus have said as soon as possible," he said. "So get all the sleep that you can muster, Hot Scoop. In the meantime, I will let you finish the story you are working on right now."
With those words, I watched my boss walk out of my office and I was left to accept the cards that had been dealt to me. I knew very well how dangerous Lord Tirek was, but I did remember reporting that he did some things that had gone too far. Chief was right, Tirek did much more than just steal magic.
In fact, I began to think back to the days after Tirek's rampage when I went to Ponyville to try and get an interview with Princess Twilight about her fight with Tirek. I could still remember the words that her friend, Applejack, had said to me that day I stood in front of the destroyed Golden Oak Library where Princess Twilight had been living during her student years.
"Hot Scoop, Equestrian Journal," I said to Applejack. "I have a few questions for Princess Twilight regarding her battle with Tirek."
"Sorry partner, I'm afraid yer going to have to come back another time," she replied as she directed me over to a distraught Twilight being consoled by her friends. "Twilight is not going to be in the mood to talk any time soon. As you can see, her library is gone."
"But, doesn't she have a castle to call her own?" I asked, remembering that there was now a castle in the middle of Ponyville that had come up after Tirek was defeated.
For a moment, I could also remember that Applejack's eyebrow raised up, almost as if I was being oblivious and insensitive to the situation that was before me. Then, the scene continued to play out again in my head.
"Let me tell you something, partner," I remembered Applejack snapping at me. "How would you feel if you lost everything that you held dear to a freaked out monster who didn't do anything to you? That's exactly what Princess Twilight is feeling right now and even if she does get over this, I would certainly think she won't want to talk about it. So, if I were you, I'd mosey on out of here! Go on, shoo!"
"All right! All right!" I remarked and then I turned to leave, but not before taking one last good look at the destroyed library. "I'll come back some other time."
Even though it was only for a brief moment, I had every reason to believe why Applejack would be so angry at me. I had come to interview Twilight at a worse possible time and perhaps maybe that one day, she would open up and give me that planned interview. But, of course, like Applejack had said, I would have to wait until the moment would come. That was one of the downfalls of being in this business, because you needed to invade a celebrity's privacy to make a living.
However, right now I needed to prepare for my interview with a monster in Tartarus. So, I finished what I was doing and set off for home, only wondering just how an interview with one of Equestria's most dangerous enemies was going to go.
…
"Preparing for the Interview"
The idea of interview such a creature as Tirek continued to go through my mind as I returned home to my apartment near the music district of Manehattan. This particular walk from the Equestria Journal to my apartment was longer than normal, probably because of the fact that there was so much going through my mind. In other words, I needed to get my priorities straight in addition that there was a job that I needed to do.
"Hi Hot," called a voice and I turned to see my next-door neighbor, Coloratura also walking towards her apartment. "Funny to see us back at the same time. How's your day?"
"Interesting to say the least," I said as Coloratura bypassed her apartment and came up to mine, walking up the stairs. "I got assigned to interview Lord Tirek in Tartarus."
"The centaur that had escaped recently and stole everypony's magic?" asked Coloratura. "How do you feel about it?"
"Well," I answered reluctantly. "I really don't want to do it, considering the damages he had done and such. One thing as a writer that I learned is to show and not tell, Coloratura. I'd much rather see Tirek's actions show for itself. Care to come in for a few minutes?"
Coloratura smiled and silently nodded in reply before she followed me into my apartment.
"Nevertheless, it is a job after all and that you have to do it whether you like it or not," said Coloratura. "Trust me, I know that there have been times where I don't want to perform, but I have to. It's all part of making a living in this world."
"Easy for you to say," I remarked as I sat down on the sofa. "You're a pop star when in reality you are just a singer-songwriter and I am just somepony that reports the news. Why can't I just report on my own news instead of somebody else's?"
"Because that is the way that it is, Hot Scoop," replied Coloratura, sitting down in the recliner next to the sofa. "We all have paths that are chosen for us and that we have to follow them. Now, I know you probably don't want to hear this, but I knew somepony who was attacked by Tirek."
I reached down and took note of my small notebook and pen realizing that hearing my next door neighbor knew of somepony who had been attacked by Tirek.
"Who was this somepony you are referring to?" I asked.
"Applejack," answered Coloratura.
My eyes widened upon hearing this. Up until that moment, I had no idea that Coloratura, my next door neighbor, was friends with the pony who had verbally berated me for trying to get an interview with Princess Twilight at a moment when she was sad. Still, I remained focused to what Coloratura had to say.
"Did she tell you of anything else that Tirek had done aside from stealing magic?" I asked. "Aside from destroying the Golden Oak Library?"
"How did you know that her friend's library was destroyed?" wondered Coloratura.
"Because I was sent to Ponyville to interview Princess Twilight about her fight with Tirek," I answered, nervously. "In fact, your friend told me to go away when I tried to get an interview with Twilight."
"That's just how Applejack is unfortunately," said Coloratura, shrugging her shoulders. "There is a side to her that is mostly just overprotective and such. To be honest, I wouldn't exactly blame her for the way she acted towards you, Hot Scoop."
Coloratura was right in her response to Applejack's behavior towards me. In fact, I couldn't help but put myself in Applejack's shoes, Princess Twilight's shoes or anypony's shoes for that matter. Tirek was a creature that was very dangerous and was capable of doing anything to get what he wanted.
"But if you want to interview Princess Twilight," she continued. "You will have to do it when Twilight is ready to talk. All you have to do is find out the truth about Tirek's motives. That's what the ponies of Equestria want to know and that it is your job to find out for them."
"Well," I sighed, stretching out in the sofa while looking up to the ceiling. "You took the words right out of my mouth, I'm afraid."
…
So, we continued to converse and I continued to take notes for the next few hours before heading to bed. No sooner did Celestia raise the sun the next morning, did I hear a knocking at my door.
"All right, all right," I muttered getting out of bed. "I'm coming, hold your horses."
It took me a few moments and once I opened the door, I saw a pony wearing an Equestrian military uniform looking straight at me with a stern glance.
"Are you the reporter, Hot Scoop?" asked the pony.
"Yes," I replied, still feeling groggy from being woken up. "You're looking at him. What do you want?"
"My boss, the Warden, has sent me to bring you to Tartarus," answered the pony. "The prisoner known as Lord Tirek wishes for you to interview him today."
I widened my eyes upon hearing this and after telling the guard to wait, I grabbed my hat and notebook and then I was quickly on my way to Tartarus.
"We should be there shortly," the pony said as the two Pegasi pulling the chariot pulled with all their might as we tried to get there as fast as we could.
Finally, we came towards a large cave that felt warm even if you were standing right at the entrance.
"Is it just me or is it hot in here?" I asked.
"It's definetly hot, I will say," called a voice and I turned around to see a brown stallion dressed in a black suit walking towards me. "I'm Lock Up, the warden of Tartarus. You must be Hot Scoop, the pony assigned to interview Lord Tirek, I assume?"
"Yes, I am he," I answered nervously and Lock Up motioned for me to follow him.
I will admit that I was more than a little scared going into the prison. Who knew what was going to be found inside or what kind of prisoners were going to be encountered? Chances were that I would make an unforeseen enemy before the day was done. Then again, I had made many enemies in the past. But, this was something completely different.
"Tirek's cell is just up on that hill," explained Lock Up, pointing up to a steep hill where a steel cage sat with a weakened creature inside. "Good luck."
"Thank you," I replied, nervously and taking an enormous gulp and a deep breath, I slowly began making my way towards the cage and the impending interview…
I couldn't tell just exactly was going through my mind as I approached the cage that bore one of Equestria's most feared enemies. From my first impression, he was clothed in a long black cloak that covered his body and I could tell from the look on his face that he had been branded for escaping. He did not feel the bare winds, nor smells the gassed airs. Only the marks of some inner crucifixion and woe were implanted in his face.
"Good morning," he said quietly in a pitiful effort to be polite.
"Lord Tirek, my name is Hot Scoop, may I speak with you?" I asked, not knowing whether to run away or stay and do my duty.
"You are the pony assigned to interview me, is that correct?" he retorted. "To ask me why I did what I did to your fellow kind?"
Rather than answer the question, I just stood there and said nothing, waiting for Tirek to lash out for being rude to him. But, he didn't say anything in regards to the issue. Then, he proceeded to ask me something else.
"Let me see your creditentials," he said and I took out my identification and showed to him from a short distance. "Closer, Closer."
Honoring his request, I showed my identification with the fear that he my absorb my strength right then and there. To my surprise, however, he didn't.
"If you think I am going to steal your magic," he said, remorsefully. "Then, you shall not fear. My powers have been stripped from me upon my re-imprisonment and I have been threatened with death if I escape from here again. Now, what is it that you wish to ask of me?"
I then sat down in the chair that had been provided for me and I looked back to see Lock Up watching from a short distance along with several others guardsponies ready to keep Tirek in line in case he would get out of hand.
"I would like to ask you about your recent escape from here," I said, taking out the notebook to take down whatever notes I could get. "Why you did it and whether or not you have any regrets for your actions."
Almost immediately, I could tell that Tirek was going to be hostile and I had to prepare myself for it.
"Do you want to know why I did what I did?" he asked, bitterly reaching out to clutch the bars of his cage. "Do you? All I care for is power and nothing else. I came to Equestria to fulfill one goal and one goal alone, to obtain all the magic in Equestria for myself and myself alone and nopony would be able to stop me!"
"You have no regrets for your actions, Tirek?" I asked, not convinced by what he had just said. "Not even to the fact that you caused so much to your victims, both mentally and physically?"
"I don't," he replied, his voice calming down a little. "I have no regrets for what I have done, colt. Power is all I crave and nothing else. When those pathetic mares came here to offer me friendship, I wasn't going to let myself sink to their level."
As he said those words, I couldn't help but think back to a conference that Celestia had held after Tirek's re-imprisonment when she said that Tirek had rudely turn down the chance of accepting friendship. I was now beginning to see that Tirek wasn't going to embrace any form of friendship, however I had to keep asking him the questions I had to ask him.
"And when you write down your words," TIrek continued. "You can say that I would rather die than to embrace the magic of friendship."
"Very well," I said quietly, writing down what Tirek had dicatated. "But, you did much more than steal magic, Tirek. Are you aware that you have been charged with crimes that are much more than just stealing magic? You have been charged with false imprisonment, destruction of property among other activities."
"I don't care what I am charged with," snapped Tirek as I wrote down what he had said. "I did what I did and like stealing the magic of your kind, I have no regrets for what I did! Throwing the princesses in this place was revenge…revenge for robbing me of my freedom in the first place."
"Revenge," I said quietly, staring at Tirek with a blank expression. "All because of the fact that you had your freedom stripped away from you? Do you realize of the horrors that you have instilled in the royal sisters, not to mention Princess Cadence of the Crystal Empire, who had been placed in a similar situation by the Changelings?"
Upon hearing this, Tirek let out a quiet chuckle when I mentioned Cadence's name almost as if he enjoyed the horrors that the young leader of the Crystal Empire had gone through.
"What are you laughing at?" I asked, insultingly. "Are you saying that you enjoyed seeing Cadence being thrown in a hellish situation such as this?"
"Yes, because she killed somepony close to me," Tirek remarked, bitterly as his eyes widened with rage. "I was friends with the true leader of the Crystal Empire and was distraught when I learned of his death. How would you feel if somepony you were friends with was killed in such a brutal manner?"
"You speak of King Sombra, don't you?" I replied, looking up from my notebook. "A creature who was just as worse as yourself, Tirek? All you did was steal magic while he carried out murders, murders that were unjustified and unlawful. Was that what you were planning to do? To restore the laws of King Sombra? Was that it?"
Tirek didn't take this lightly and he lunged himself at the bars and spat in my face, his slimy and vile saliva hitting the skin beneath my eyes.
"Yes," he answered, silently after a brief silence. "Only that I would have all of Equestria under my wrath and that no other creature would be able to stop me. Furthermore, any monuments that honored my enemies were destroyed without mercy."
"Which brings me to the question of why, why you would destroy a home that belonged to a princess of Equestria," I said, throwing the subject of Tirek destroying Princess Twilight's library onto the table.
"What is that to you?" he asked, uncaringly. "Why do you ask me of such a question?"
"Because Princess Twilight, for that matter," I said. "Would like to at least know the truth. Do you realize of what valuables of her's that you have taken away from her? She had treasures in that library that are of great value and can never be replaced."
Tirek was silent upon hearing this and I could only begin to wonder whether he would answer the question…
"No Regrets For What I Done"
"Why do you ask me about a library, a meaningless, nothing library?" Tirek asked as he backed away from the cage. "You make it sound like I killed somepony, which I did not."
I couldn't believe how Tirek had been behaving during this whole interview. To him, the Golden Oak Library was more than just a library, it was a home to Princess Twilight. Part of me wanted to tell him about how Twilight was feeling that day when I saw her being consoled by her friends. But no. I had to remain professional.
"I wouldn't say that, Tirek," I replied. "But, that library was a home to Princess Twilight and you took it away from her all because of magic you probably weren't going to hold on to for very long. But, let me ask you this, do you value life in even an ounce of your soul?"
Tirek raised an eyebrow and felt as if I was being impractical, which in reality, I wasn't. He was probably just assuming that I was attacking his actions.
"Life? Do you think that I value life?" he remarked. "No, I never valued life to begin with, colt. I value power and power alone. My goal is to rule over these pathetic creatures like yourself and thanks to Princess Twilight and her friends, that is a goal that I will never fulfill."
"I don't know how to say this, Tirek," I replied. "But, perhaps it is best you remain here in this prison you now call home. I, for one, think that you were probably given a chance that not only could have given you freedom, but also a chance to live, avoid being killed in the most gruesome fashion for your actions."
I then turned around to see Lock Up motioning for me to finish up the interview as quickly as possible.
"Life doesn't matter to me, colt," sneered Tirek. "Power does and not you, not that worthless brother of mine not even the princesses can make me change my life. If I am to one day die for my crimes, then I will die with no regrets."
"Just as you did to the library," I said, writing down what Tirek had just said. "I don't think you understand this, Tirek, but trees have lives of their own."
"Why do you keep bringing up the library, you fool?" asked Tirek. "Stop it!"
"No, I am not going to stop it," I answered. "Because the Golden Oak Library will symbolize everything that you had done to Equestria and the lives you had destroyed or even damaged for life. Princess Twilight may have a castle to call her own, but not even a magnificent castle can replace what that library brought to her."
"Are you here to interview me or preach over something so meaningless that I don't care about?" Tirek said. "If you are, then I suggest that you leave me alone."
Tirek was right, I should leave because there is no way that somepony like him was going to listen and understand the consequences of what he had done. I had already written down what I had planned to publish in the article that I was going to work on when I came back.
"Then, you will get your wish," I said, rising to my feet. "But, remember this, that one day you will come to see the error of your ways, Tirek and you will one day regret your actions. You will see."
Tirek didn't listen to what I had to say and instead showed his back to me in a rude manner. Sighing heavily, I walked away from the cage and back towards Lock Up, feeling in a sense, defeated at being unable to get Tirek to be remorseful for his actions. How could I, a simple reporter from Manehattan, be able to get a monster to show any empathy for stealing magic from everypony to satisfy his own needs? If he can't listen to reason, then he will never listen to anything.
"I am done here, Lock Up," I said. "He can stay in there forever if he knows what is good for him."
"Oh, he won't be going anywhere," he replied as I climbed into the chariot to take me back to Manehattan. "I have direct orders from Princess Celestia that if Tirek does escape again, then he will pay for the escape with his life and his life alone."
I didn't say anything to back up this statement and instead motioning for the guardsponies to make their way back to Manehattan. Leaving the darkened prison behind, all I could do was think of the article I was going to write about this interview with a soulless villain. Eventually, I returned to my apartment and slowly walked up the steps into my apartment. Finally, I went inside and collapsed onto the sofa, exhausted and wanting to just curl up into a ball and never come out of it. This was a draining experience that I knew was not going to go away anytime soon.
But, I had to face it eventually and the sounds of knocking broke my solitude.
"Coloratura, I wasn't expecting you to show up," I said as the singer-songwriter walked into the apartment. "I guess you are probably wondering how my interview went?"
"Yeah, you look as if you had been hit by a train or something," she remarked. "I take your interview was draining."
"Yes, it was," I said as I walked back towards the kitchen to get myself some water. "I tried to make him seem remorseful for what he had done, Coloratura. But, he just won't listen to reason."
"A creature like Tirek?" asked Coloratura. "Of course, he won't listen to reason and he never will listen to reason. All that matters now is to tell Equestria the story that Tirek has no regrets for what he did. So, what do you think you will do now?"
"I don't know, Rara," I sighed, walking back over towards the sofa and sitting back down on it. "I just don't know. Perhaps I can get Twilight's side of the story over what had happened and get that interview I was denied a while back."
"That is if she wants to, Scoop," advised Coloratura. "But just try and get over what you had done here. You've done your duty and now its time to move on to the next best thing."
I knew Coloratura was right, but I couldn't exactly move on right away from this interview. It was going to take time to absorb and who knew what the next few days would bring as I wrote this story?
…
"Was It Really Worth It?"
I returned to work the next morning feeling like somepony who had failed his most important task to date. I tried to get through to Tirek, trying to make him see the error of his ways, but it just didn't matter one bit. He was not going to listen and the stuff I am writing about him now was stuff that I didn't want to write, but I had to. But, that is besides the point now, there was no reason in any sense of the word that I should keep worrying about Tirek. He's in a cage now, where he would spend the rest of his natural life or longer. Now, here I was, about to tell the story that I had obtained while I was in Tartarus.
"Come in," I said as I heard a knock on the door and turned to see my boss walking into the room. I couldn't tell if he had a look of either disappointment on his face or what, but it was not a look of congratulations. At least, not in my point of view. "I assume you hear to reprimand me for how I conducted myself during the interview, I suppose?"
"No, Hot Scoop," he said. "I know what you were trying to do to get Tirek to understand the error of his ways. But, you can't change somepony's ways to benefit their lives or as well as your own. Tirek will never forgive anypony for what he did and you know it. What do you have written on here?"
He turned over towards my typewriter and saw the article's title, "Interview With a Monster," written at the top. Once he read the title, he backed away and looked over at me, nodding in approval.
"This is exactly what the ponies of Equestria will want to see, Hot," he said. "Everypony has branded Tirek as a monster, a creature that should be locked up and never released. It's too bad he couldn't end up like his brother."
"Scorpan?" I wondered, turning away from the typewriter. "What do you mean?"
"Do you remember a couple of months ago, we sent somepony to interview Scorpan after he helped Discord redeem himself?" he said. "But, the interview never happened. It's such a shame, we could have gotten his side of the story behind betraying his brother."
"How could I forget?" I chuckled, briefly playing around with a pencil on my desk. "You went berserk for days when we couldn't get an appointment in. But, why do you ask?"
"Because I said so, Hot Scoop," replied my boss, as he smoked a cigarette in his mouth. "Scorpan is the poster child of true redemption, not Discord. No matter how hard he tried, Discord will never, at least in my eyes, prove that he was truly sorry for putting Equestria on a silver platter for Tirek to consume. But, the only reason why Discord won't face the same justice is because the Princesses feel that he's been punished enough."
As I listened to my boss rant through huffs and puffs of smoke, I realized that he was probably wanting to interview Discord and lie about how much of a backstabber he ways. But, there was a side to Discord that I felt was if he deserved to have the whole truth behind his betrayal shared. But, that was for another time and another place.
"Boss, I think since you brought up the princesses," I said. "Would it be okay if I got an interview with Princess Twilight about the loss of her library?"
"If she is willing to talk, Hot Scoop," he remarked, quickly changing the subject. "I know from your first attempt to interview her, you were rudely turned away by that farm pony, Applejack. I know we are a newspaper business, but we have rules of whether or not ponies want to open up about their personal struggles."
…
Just then, we heard a knock on the door and I turned to see one of our secretaries emerge with a piece of paper enveloped in a magical aura. My boss took the paper and read it briefly to himself before turning the paper over to me.
"It's from Princess Twilight's assistant," I said, reading the paper before putting back down on the desk. "She says that she and the other princesses want to talk about the events with Tirek. They say they want me to interview them at the Castle of Friendship in five days."
"Why do they say that?" wondered my boss.
"They probably have some grievances that they wish to air," I guessed. "At least that they won't be like Tirek to say the least."
For a moment, I didn't know whether or not to approach this either carefully with a sensitive nature or with jubilation over the fact that I had finally obtained the interview with Princess Twilight over the loss of her library. My mind was torn, but that was just how it was.
"Guess you have a big task ahead, Hot Scoop," said my boss as he got up to leave my office. "Might as well finish the Tirek article and then motivate yourself to get ready for this interview."
Before he left my office, he turned back towards me and gave one wise glance.
"And if I were you," he said. "I'd bring a pair of tissues as well. Who knows how strong the emotions will come out?"
With those words, he departed and left me alone to finish my work. The article was completed under an hour and then edited before being placed in the pile of stories to be published in the next day's newspaper. Now, I was back home in my apartment, preparing my mind and body for quite possibly, the most emotional experience of my natural life.
"An interview with a brokenhearted princess and her fellow princesses," I thought to myself as I went to sleep in my bed that night. "Whoever thought that I would be given the chance? I don't know how it is going to go, but I must be ready for whatever comes my way, even if my own emotions may get the better of me."
And with that, I went to sleep closing the book on one part of this story and opening the book on the other…
TO BE CONTINUED...
