A character we haven't been able to see in the series at all, which is really a shame, because I saw alot of story potential within Scorpan. All he had was that flashback appearance in the season 4 finale. At least in G1, he had a full-on appearance for one movie. Only one movie, but still that's more than we got for G4! Is it too late though? No, of course not! We have the comics still! But let's discuss how in any way Scorpan could fit within the story.
Is he still alive?/Friendship with Starswirl
I'd like to think that Scorpan actually is alive... I dunno about well though. With all the story opportunities Scorpan might have, I'd hope that he is indeed still alive so they could be made possible! I wonder if Starswirl ever tried to look for him after he returned, or at least find traces of him? Cause it didn't even mention that he went out looking to reunite with his ol buddy, because Starswirl traveled to learn friendship, so why couldn't he look for one of his oldest friends? Did he even try?
If Scorpan were to physically appear in the present, then odds are, Starswirl would be the one to introduce him to the Mane 7! It'd be great seeing the two interact on-screen, and maybe learn about how he met Starswirl and became friends with the ponies - see what their connection was like! Maybe their friendship coulda led to something very important, which I'll explain down below!
Hey, if they brought the Pillars back into the present, I'm sure IDW will find a way to bring Scorpan into the present! I actually thought he was more likely to appear on the show than Starswirl!
Rekindling with Tirek
Well, let's think about how Scorpan's life mighta turned out after he abandoned Tirek. I'm pretty certain that if Scorpan returned home, he didn't exactly get a warm-welcome. Tirek mighta been evil, but Scorpan still betrayed someone who trusted him, and that can't be without consequence.
If he returned home alone, I'm sure King Vorak and the rest of the centaurs wouldn't take kindly to that, even if Tirek was a rebellious son that never lived up to his expectations, he's still Vorak's son, and Scorpan's actions could put the peace between centaurs and gargoyles at risk! Maybe even would start a war, or Scorpan could only stop it if he were banished? I mean, can it REALLY be that easy for Scorpan's life to return to normal after what he did?
I still have no idea how a centaur dad and a gargoyle mom can come across a gargoyle and a centaur respectably. I have the feeling that Tirek and Scorpan could actually be STEP-BROTHERS, and their parents married for political reasons. I just find it hard to believe for the two of them to physically make two different species sons with eachother (unless gargoyle and centaur children-making are different?).
If by any reason that Scorpan has disrupted the peace between centaurs and gargoyles, then perhaps that could be a reason for the Mane 7 to help him out. If Scorpan doesn't go back to Equestria himself, the Mane 7 can always go to him, as a friendship mission, in trying to help the centaurs and gargoyles make peace, and the only reason to bring peace is to bring Tirek back, then Scorpan could have no choice by to try to rekindle with him and bring him home!
Anyhoo, who's to say he even returned home after betraying his brother? The princesses only assumed that. Could Scorpan even have the guts to return home and face his family knowing he dishonored them? How would he feel about abandoning Tirek? For all we know, even though Tirek was physically imprisoned, Scorpan mighta felt imprisoned on the inside - trapped with guilt. Could he really live with himself by his choice? He mighta known that selling him out mighta been a good idea at the time, but he left him in a foreign country, all alone. How are we supposed to know if he ever visited him?
Princesses Celestia and Luna could reflect their experiences towards Scorpan and Tirek, since Luna became Nightmare Moon and forced Celestia to make a very difficult decision. The events of Scorpan and Tirek from the big year of a thousand moons ago happened before the whole ordeal with Nightmare Moon, so Celestia couldn't relate to Scorpan at the time. Now she can.
Since the princesses have met Scorpan before and have witnessed first hoof of the events, they are probably best suited to help him out at his time of need. They've retired so they have all the time in the world to help him!
The Staff of Sacanas/Possible Connection with the Tree of Harmony?
Despite the princesses thinking that Scorpan left for home, there's still the possibility that he either returned to Equestria or never left at all, because according the Movie Book, the Staff of Sacanas (the staff used by the Storm King) used to belong to Scorpan, and it was made from a branch by the Tree of Harmony! The Tree didn't even exist until Starswirl and the Pillars disappeared, and Starswirl was still around at the time of the brothers' attack, cause he befriended him! Could that mean that Scorpan looked after and guarded the Tree and it was being raised, and the Staff was his reward?
You could say that the princesses mighta looked after the Tree, but how did they even know about it? The Pillars didn't even know what the seed they planted would become, and I'm pretty sure Starswirl had to tell SOMEONE about it! Even if Scorpan containing the staff isn't quite canon (yet), the idea could still be recycled, and this would give Scorpan's character more meaning than just being "Tirek's brother"!
Connection with Spike
Alright, here's my favorite part! I'm sure most of you saw this part from a mile away! In case you didn't know, back in G1, in the pilot story known as "Rescue at Midnight Castle", Spike was looked after by Scorpan before Spike decided to go with the ponies - so who's to say that idea couldn't happen again? On a previous soapbox I made, I was talking about how Spike's egg mighta ended up in Equestria, and I said Scorpan could be the reason behind it.
While G1 was a time where Scorpan and Spike had to go their separate ways, G4 could be how they REUNITE! Now of course G1's not canon, so their connection could be a bit different. Let's say that after Scorpan had to abandon Tirek, he was lonely, and one time stumbled upon a lone dragon egg, alone like him, so he took the egg in and has been a companion, and has been there with him since protecting the Tree of Harmony sapling, and Scorpan's friendship with the egg is what caused the Tree to grow, hence would explain Spike's connection with the Tree - hence would explain Spike's throne at Twilight's castle and why he was part of the climax in The Ending of the End! But after a while, Scorpan thought the egg would be safer and would deserve better at the hooves of the ponies, either due to safety reasons or he thought the egg could do better than him..
Then we move to present day, Scorpan meets Spike and knows he's the egg from his past - of course Spike could grow connected to him, since because of him, Spike has a family, and a great life, and would make Spike's bond with him be very similar to Twilight's! If Twilight were actually a mom instead of a sister, then Scorpan would be the dad Spike was missing in his life - be like that fat cabbage of a dragon from Father Knows Beast, only he ACTUALLY cares about Spike's well-being and doesn't plan to take advantage of him. Perhaps Scorpan could see him as a replacement to Tirek, to fill that empty space he has inside of him.
Though, if his relationship with Spike rivals Twilight, there's a chance that Scorpan could play as an Anti-Hero, and try to steal Spike from her, thinking he might deserve a better life than being overshadowed by Twilight all the time (this would be before Spike becomes ambassador, he's just an advisor still at this point), and this would cause Spike to have a conflict with himself if Twilight and Scorpan were to fight over him.
You'd think he'd automatically take Twilight's side since she was always there for him, but in this case, Scorpan could make some interesting points that Spike mighta not thought of, or just decided to ignore those feelings since he thinks about others before himself. A similar story would be in Star Wars, how Chancellor Palpatine charmed Anakin to his side, saying he deserves so much better than the Jedi and that they don't see his potential and is holding him back, and his point was proven since it did look like that. Judging by Spike's history of being considered "the sidekick" to the Mane Six and being left out alot, Scorpan could easily win Spike over if convinced enough!
Twilight would play more of the role of raising Spike to be the caring and supportive friend that he turned out to be, but Scorpan's role could be more of convincing Spike to think about himself more and to be more independent from Twilight - since Scorpan was basically following Tirek in the past, being his shadow, but he might reflect himself onto Spike's life which would start up his doubts with Twilight. Of course it would play out later on, but it's a conflict woulda loved to see happen!
Now this doesn't HAFTA be like this - maybe Scorpan will actually be a positive role model for Spike and not try to steal him from Twilight, but instead, help him become the big handsome friendship ambassador that he became in The Last Problem! Since he's travelling around trying to make peace between cultures, being separate from Twilight for the longest time, Scorpan could reflect his independence from Tirek to prove how much better Spike could be independent, but this time not in a negative way.
Scorpan doesn't hafta just play a mentor role for Spike - Spike can also play a bit of a mentor role towards Scorpan as well, using his own experiences and reasoning to help Scorpan gain the courage to face his brother and apologize for abandoning him. Perhaps the two story ideas can intertwine with eachother, after Spike comes to his senses and not be caught under Scorpan's spell anymore, which would give Scorpan the friendship lesson he needs about family, and perhaps Tirek as well, but odds of him listening are slim, though it would depend on the circumstance of what's at stake. Spike could also be the one responsible for resetting the peace between centaurs and gargoyles, which led him into becoming full-time ambassador in the first place!
Remember, I'm just talking out loud here. I'm not part of IDW or Hasbro, so I have no control over this!
How would his personality be?
In terms of personality, judging with how he is in the comics, he's a pretty sensitive guy and a bit of a wuss, but he tries to act towards a voice of reason towards his brother and shows his loyalty to him by not selling him out to his parents. His relationship with Tirek reflects a bit on Twilight and Spike's relationship, as Spike acts as the voice of reason towards Twilight, and was a bit of a wuss as well in the earlier seasons, which adds to the possible connection between Spike and Scorpan.
Why did he join Tirek to attack Equestria in the first place anyway? Well, Tirek did mention on the comics that he frequently follows him around, but does not consider him a threat, just annoying. Scorpan does care deeply for his brother and wishes him to be safe and not sneak out of the castle every night so he wouldn't have to be in trouble. After sneaking out of the castle in the middle of the night, Tirek lies to Scorpan and their parents, in which Scorpan feels betrayed.
So adding Scorpan's personality from the comics and combining his personality of what little we saw of him from the flashbacks, he didn't have a mean bone in his body. I know this kinda cancels out a bit of my story idea from the post up above, but seeing how similar Spike and Scorpan are, I can sense Scorpan being someone who feels empathy towards those who he feels have been in similar circumstances than him.
If he were to appear in the present, he'd appear kind, smart, caring, but I can see him as still being a coward, which could be why Scorpan has never returned to visit Tirek, and could be why he still hasn't come around in the series. He's too afraid to return to face his brother. If he were to return to Equestria, it would take persuasion, from most likely Starswirl.
Plus, seeing how sensitive Scorpan is, I'm willing to bet that he has regret leaving his brother behind, and has never truly felt at peace ever since. What kinda person would betray their own family and live a normal life? Maybe someone evil like Tirek, but to someone like Scorpan, even if he didn't face the consequences at home, he still most likely lived a life of shame, which is one of the main reasons why he should return in the series. Reform him or not, Scorpan must face his brother, and it's gonna take someone like Starswirl or Spike to do it.
Conclusion
So with all of Scorpan's potential story arcs, we got trying to rekindle with Tirek, his friendship with Starswirl, possible connection with Spike, and possible connection to the Tree of Harmony - that's a seasonal arc's worth of potential there! I'm really hoping IDW doesn't let this fly over their heads! This is too good for fanfiction, this story NEEDS to be made, in comic form if not anything else!
If Scorpan were to come back, what would you like to see him do? Do you think he's still alive? Do you WANT him to physically appear?
