Grogar was by himself in a bedroom where he locked himself in. His mind was bombarded with so many thoughts, and his dark heart was filled with raging emotions. After everything that Gusty told him, he felt that he just wanted to be alone to contemplate what he learned. But not only that, he did something which he had never done ever since he was a kid: he wept.
His eyes were red due to the tears, his nose was runny, and he started to have a headache. Naturally, he cared for no creature but himself, but Clawma was arguably and probably the only creature in his life he truly loved and respected. Her motherly care, instruction, guidance, and love though misdirected were what brought Grogar to be the powerful ram he was. For her to be taken away from him forever was one thing, but to have his brother betray his family, kill his flesh-and-blood, and turn on Grogar as a vehement rival was like a stab on the back. He knew how dangerous and vile Slash was to him and to his kindred in Tambelon years ago but he never thought he would do anything like that.
A double knock on the door interrupted his train of thought. “Grogar, are you okay? Can I have a moment with you?” Gusty asked, outside the door. Grogar groaned in annoyance before wiping off the tears from his eyes.
“If you relish my suffering enough to bother me with more heart-breaking tales, then fine.” Grogar replied. He unlocked the door with his magic and opened the door to allow his nemesis to enter the bedroom. Gusty saw the emotional pain in his eyes even though he was trying very hard to not allow his emotions to weaken his dignity and demeanor. Gusty shut the door and locked it back so no one could sneak in.
“Listen, I just came here to say that...I’m sorry for the loss of your mother. I really am.” she genuinely sympathized. Grogar slightly chuckled in disbelief.
“Really? After a full millennia of being my worst enemy, you finally have sympathy for me? Your arch nemesis? Unbelievable.” Grogar scoffed.
“I know. But like I said before, I never wanted to be your adversary. Don’t you remember the time we were friends as foals? Do you remember when we used to play with each other in my parents’ home? Clawma used to be friends with my mother; they used to be so close to each other just like you and I were, Grogar. Why can’t things be the way they were before?” Gusty said with a sad expression.
“Those were the years of old, Gusty. They no longer matter to me since Clawma showed me the true path of victory and superiority. She taught me that everyone is to be inferior to my power, that evil is more powerful than good, and if there is any source of might that the good possesses that can threaten the existence of evil, it must be revisioned and converted to evil in order for evil to remain to be the winning side.” Grogar replied.
“That is where your mother was wrong, old friend.” Gusty refuted. “If the good has a source of power that can destroy the life of evil itself, that puts the good on a higher level of strength. Do you not realize where you are wrong? Evil is weaker than good and you know that.”
“I AM NEVER WRONG!! There is nothing you can say to change my mind or my ways!! I, THE FATHER OF MONSTERS, WILL NEVER BE BROKEN!!!” Grogar bellowed with glowing yellow eyes. But as soon as he said those words, he fell upon the floor and wept again. He knew that Gusty was right, but he was too stubborn to acknowledge the truth.
“You see my point? I will say this again to make it more clear to you. Evil will always fail you to the end no matter how many times you deny it. You cannot keep ignoring the reality of the situation! If you keep following this path of stubbornness, evil, and lust for power, you will end up exactly like your brother. In fact, you are no better than him.” Gusty pointed out. Her statements angered and irritated Grogar, making him stomp his hoof on the floor hard enough to shake the whole bedroom.
“You dare compare me to that murderer?! I’ve always been better than him! It’s not my fault he wasn’t as lucky, obedient, and faithful to my mother like I was!” Grogar stubbornly boasted. Gusty then locked her eyes on him.
“What exactly makes you better than him? You created monsters that killed everypony and creature they came across, thus putting their blood on your hooves; Slash murdered tons of innocent folks in pursuit of power. You ruled as a dictator and tyrant which is exactly what he wants to be. You were selfish and vindictive which is what he is. I can go on and on.” Gusty argued.
Grogar was about to counter-argue her points but couldn’t say a word back. It was at that moment, the realization hit him like an incoming train. He thought back on his defeat by Gusty and her unicorns and the humiliation that followed. He also thought back on Slash’s imprisonment in Tartarus for his grievous crimes. The more he thought about it, the more he began to connect the dots. “Wait...you’re right. We are no different from each other, yet he allowed his jealousy and hatred to separate himself from me. All because of the high honor and love my mother gave to me whereas he got none of it. THAT IS WHY!!! She praised me for every single thing I did where she gave me all this power—my Bewitching Bell—so that I could rule Equestria! That could explain why I am so stubborn and prideful since I was never corrected on where I was wrong.” Grogar said.
“Mmmm-hmmm, and you used that power for evil and for the destruction of every creature that stood in your way. Even though I didn’t want to punish you without talking to you first to help you see the error of your ways, at least you suffered the consequences. Still, my guilt in not offering you a hoof of reformation never left my soul afterwards. I feared that I would live with it for the rest of my life.” Gusty said.
“Until I returned.” Grogar said, smirking. “Did you really think that I would stay banished from Equestria forever? Ha! It clearly didn’t work long enough.”
“I guess not.” Gusty agreed. “Do you now realize the full truth of the matter though? I know that darkness will always be in the world but so will the light. Light casts out the darkness, and the truth will always stand vindicated unlike deceptions and lies.”
“(Sigh) I don’t know, Gusty. I am infamous for being the Father of monsters for over a millennia now. How can I adapt myself to change if I habitually keep my own ways and path of life? The great Grogar accepting the magic of friendship? (scoffs) I seriously doubt that would ever happen.” Grogar scoffed. But before he headed for the door, he turned his head to Gusty. “Nevertheless, I now realize you speak the truth after so many years of ignorance and arrogance. I’ll think more about our discussion. For now, we need to start working together and making plans if we are to stand against our common enemy. Who knows what damage Slash has done already in Equestria?” Grogar advised.
“My thoughts exactly, old friend! Keep talking like that and sooner, I’ll have the Grogar I used to love and befriend come back again!” Gusty shouted, smiling.
“Do not push your luck, Gusty!” Grogar yelled. Gusty giggled in amusement. Once he and Gusty left the room, he saw the villains and heroes play chess together in the living room. Then the latter noticed their presence in the room.
“Is everything all right, you two?” Groundbreak asked.
“Yeah, I could’ve sworn I heard some crying back there. Was there?” Cozy Glow asked.
“We are doing fine. What’s important at the moment is making a plan where we can travel back to Equestria and defeat my brother Slash once and for all. He possesses an artifact that can extinguish us all forever along with all of Equestria with us! We must work together if we are to succeed!” Grogar spoke sternly.
“Oh great, first he unites us villains to work together, and now we must work with the ancient heroes together as well. What can possibly go wrong?” Chrysalis wondered out loud.
“So we can take Equestria back for us to control?” Sombra asked. Sharpbeak, Joypath, and Groundbreak frowned at his request. To their surprise and pleasure, Grogar answered otherwise.
“No, we shall not. We need to...save it instead of conquering it.” Grogar answered. Gusty smiled brightly.
“WHAT?!?” all the villains shouted in shock.