Yona sat in her room at the school, pouring over an old diary, particularly entries where she wrote about her relationship with Sandbar.
“You were supposed to be his Queen, Yona, and you let him slip through your hooves. Yaks never fail, and you have.”
Her father’s words echoed in her mind painfully. Yona closed the diary and stood up, crying. She began to sing softly.
“I’m so tired of all this pretending
What happened to having a happy ending?
I’ve followed all the rules
I’ve drawn inside the lines
I didn’t ask for anything that wasn’t already mine
I waited, patient, for what I thought would be my time
But when it came, he called his name.”
Yona stomped a hoof on the ground, gritting her teeth.
“And now I can’t stop this overwhelming pain
I can feel it deep within my veins
It’s burning itself into my brain
My thoughts have been running in circles like a train
A perfect painted portrait with a shattered frame
And I know exactly who’s to blame!”
Yona grabbed one of the fire pokers from the fireplace in her room and stared at it, before pacing around her room.
“I never once thought I could be malicious
I just wanted to be his queen
But there’s not an in-between!
If I can’t have that, I will rule the dark and bad!
The devil’s sitting on my shoulder where angles used to sing
And he’s saying I’m the Queen!”
Yona paused, then left the room.
Soon enough, she was walking into The Museum of Equus History. Yona entered the room, the guard asleep, and with a few quick taps on the keyboard of the security computer, the cameras were off.
With that, Yona walked into an exhibit she had visited many times before. The Crown of the Queen of Auradon. Shell Scallop stored it there when it wasn’t being worn, and it had been moved there permanently after she and her husband officially passed the kingdom to Sandbar.
“Being nice was a trivial pastime
I’ve been hurt for the final time
I’m never going to let someone else take advantage of me
The anger’s burned itself into my skin, don’t you see?
My blood runs hotter than a fiery phoenix
Nocreature will ever come close to me
They’ll bow down to this evil Queen
Their nightmares are my wildest dreams
Wait until they fall to their knees at my wicked schemes.”
With that, Yona struck the glass containing the Queen’s crown with the fire poker, shattering it. She smirked and tossed away the fire poker, then reached in, taking the crown in her hooves and lifting it up, laying it gently on her head.
“I never once thought of myself as malicious
I just wanted to be his Queen
But there’s not an in-between!
If I can’t have that, I will rule the dark and the bad!
The devil’s sitting on my shoulder where the angles used to sing!
And he’s saying I’m the Queen of the Malicious!”
As Yona strutted around, wearing the crown, she heard something calling her name. Her song trailed off briefly as she turned to find the source. The next exhibit over. The Storm King’s staff.
“The Queen of the Malicious…”
Yona headed for the staff, staring at it.
“Something magical is pulling me like a magnet
My body is moving, I’m unsure why I’m headed
To this, my senses have left me and I’m defenseless,”
Yona knocked the helmet of Nyxmare Moon off a pedestal by the staff, placing the Queen’s crown on top of it. She then turned to the staff.
“Darkness surrounds me, it promises vengeance!
And the price I’m willing to pay, it’s expensive
You know there’s nothing to lose when you’re lonely and friendless!”
Yona grabbed the crown again, putting it on.
“Now my only interest is showing that griffon
That I am malicious and my reign shall be eternal!”
With that, Yona grabbed onto the Storm King’s staff. In a flash of blue magic, she was transformed. The ribbons and dyed parts of her hair were darker, now deep blue and purple. The gold rings on her horns had turned stormcloud silver gray, and her dress had turned to dark pink with gray specks and a dark black cape of crow feathers. She grinned and yanked the staff from it’s holder.
“I will get what I deserve!
I will rule the world!
Time for them to set back and learn
That at last it’s my turn!
If they want a villain on their throne
I’ll be one like they’ve never known!
I’ll let them see what it truly means!
Now that I am this, I will rule over the dark and the bad!
The devil’s sitting on my shoulder where angels used to sing
He’s calling me the Queen of the Malicious!
The Queen of the Malicious!
Time to get what I deserve!”
With that, Yona blasted the lights with the staff, causing them to short circuit. She was left in the dark, a wicked smile on her face.
-----------------------------------------
“We all know why we’re here.” Sea Kelp announced to the creatures before him. Rising Dawn, Shell Scallop, his son Sandbar, and Gallus. “The citizens are in a panic about Grogar. He almost got out.”
“And who knows what he would have done if he had escaped.” Rising Dawn added.
“We can’t risk having another villain on the loose.” Sea Kelp finished. Sandbar stepped forwards.
“Dad…” he began, but Gallus held him back, looking at the adults.
“We know how bad this is. Tempest the most, she believes it’s her fault that he nearly escaped, because she feels it’s her duty to protect Equus. It is what her cutie mark stands for. She feels she owes Equus her life.”
“But she does protect Equus.” Sandbar said
“I know Sandy. But Tempest won’t rest until she’s certain.” Gallus explained. Sea Kelp cleared his throat, drawing their attention to him.
“Boys, every time we open the barrier, we’re exposed to more danger. The Storm King. Spitfire. Grogar.”
As the boys opened their mouths to object, an alert went off on Sandbar’s phone. He opened it, read the message, then looked up.
“The Storm King’s Scepter and the Queen’s crown have been stolen.” he reported, and Gallus’ eyes widened slightly.
“Spitfire.” Sea Kelp immediately said
“We don’t know that.” Gallus told him, Sandbar nodding agreement. “Look, I know villains, Spitfire would never do something that obvious, she’s a thinker.”
“Regardless of who took them, when the citizens hear of this they’ll be terrified to even leave their homes. What will we tell them?” Shell Scallop put in. “Boys… what do we do? We need to keep evil out of Equus.”
Sandbar seemed nervous, so Gallus stepped forwards. He took a breath, then spoke.
“I think… the only way we can truly guarantee everycreature’s safety… is that to ensure there’s no more going in and out. We have to close the barrier. Forever.”
“Wait, what? No, Gally-” Sandbar began, and Gallus took his hoof, looking him in the eye.
“Sandy, believe me, taking away your dream… our dream, is the last thing I want to do. It was beautiful, and one of the many reasons I love you. But as the Kings, what is our duty?”
“...To protect Equus… but Gallus… all those kids… are you really prepared to tell them? And tell your friends?”
“...It wasn’t my idea…” Gallus sighed. “Tempest has always been a tactical thinker. She predicted the conversation would turn to the barrier at one point, and… she made me promise I’d bring this up.”
“You didn’t have to listen.”
“Sandy, she made me use the StarBlight Swear.” Gallus told him, and he sighed, nodding.
“The what?” Rising Dawn questioned, and Gallus shuddered slightly.
“A-All I can tell you is… it was created because of the reason Tempest lost her horn.” Gallus looked almost guilty as he said it, and the others knew not to press any further. “Anyway… Tempest is prepared for it. But I’m not. And I don’t want to do it, I know what it would mean. I just think we have no other choice…”
Sandbar sighed, then nodded. “Alright Gally. I trust you, and I trust Tempest’s judgement.”
“So it’s agreed.” Sea Kelp said, and the group nodded solemnly.