The Shadow King looked into the crystal like a crystal ball and saw Sunset and her friends doing their own thing from the comfort of their homes. He strategized his own plan and told himself, “Seems like they’re going to gang up on me at some point. I need to find reinforcements before they get to me.
Then, a human appeared right behind him in its astral form... in the form of King Sombra.
King Sombra told him, “Maybe I can help you with that?”
Shadow King was startled and turned around to see the ghost of King Sombra, “Woah! Who are you?”
King Sombra introduced himself, “Why, I am the great King Sombra. Ruler of the Crystal Empire! Or rather, I used to be. And may I ask, who are you?”
Shadow King answered, “I am the Shadow King. The newest villain in all of Canterlot City.”
“Hey! You can't take my name! That's gimmick infringement!” King Sombra argued.
“Well, you're dead and no one took your name. Alright? So anyway, what happened?” Shadow King asked.
King Sombra explained to him, “Well, I was once a great king. But then, Twilight Sparkle, and her annoying pony friends came in and defeated me, taking my Crystal Empire away from me.”
“Hmm, interesting. Then what?” Shadow King asked again.
King Sombra answered, “That's it. And ever since I was defeated, I've been stuck in this spiritual form.”
“Sorry to hear about that. However, if you said that you were a pony, then why aren’t you a pony now?” Shadow King asked.
King Sombra asked, “What? What do you mean by that?”
“See for yourself.” Shadow King showed the crystal of his staff in front of King Sombra and looked at his human reflection.
King Sombra was astonished by his human appearance and he still wore his armor, cape, and crown.
“Fascinating. And I look dashing.” King Sombra smiled.
“And may I ask: Why are you standing on all fours? You look ridiculous.” Shadow King questioned King Sombra, but also noticed him standing on all fours.
King Sombra scoffed, “It's a pony thing. Alright?” After that, he fixed his composure and stood up on his legs. “Better?”
“Better. Anyway, since you were defeated by those ponies, maybe we can try defeating their counterparts in this dimension.” Shadow King suggested.
“Hmm… I suppose that could take some burden off of my soul.” King Sombra answered.
Shadow King beamed, “Great. Let's start the day by recruiting some new members on our side.”
“Strength in numbers? Not a bad idea. But who should we recruit first?” King Sombra said.
Shadow King informed him, “I have a few ideas in my mind.”
King Sombra grew a wicked smile on his face, “I'm listening.”
Meanwhile, King Sombra and Shadow King teleported to the junkyard where the Diamond Dogs hang around.
King Sombra whispered from the crystal, “What is this place?”
“This place right here is a junkyard,” Shadow King answered.
King Sombra asked, “And what do you intend to find here?”
“You’ll see,” Shadow King answered as he entered the junkyard and found the Diamond Dogs, hanging around and being lazy like they always do.
“Seriously?” King Sombra frowned, unimpressed by the trio.
Shadow King whispered, “Just watch. Now be quiet and get inside the staff.”
“Hmph. As you wish.” King Sombra answered as he went back inside the crystal.
Shadow King cleared his throat and approached the trio, “Gentlemen. It’s nice to see that you’re the same guys as always.”
The Diamond Dogs looked at the uninvited visitor, perplexed by his appearance.
Rover asked, “Umm, who are you?”
“Oh, where are my manners. My name is the Shadow King.” He introduced himself to the Diamond Dogs.
“Shadow King?” Spot asked.
Fido added, “What kind of a name is that?”
“I see that you got questions that you want me to ask. Well, I ain’t got no time for that you poodles.” Shadow King announced.
Rover shouted, “And just who do you think you are to come to our turf without asking permission and berate us?!”
Shadow King sighed, “I was hoping you might say that.” The Shadow King then used his staff to levitate the Diamond Dogs, pinning them against a car by its dark magic.
Rover struggled, “Hey!”
Spot struggled, “What the…?!”
“I don't like where this is going.” Spot feared.
“Do I have your attention now?” Shadow King questioned them.
The Diamond Dogs nodded, with fear in their eyes.
Shadow King said, “Good. Now, the reason why I came here is because I need your assistance.”
“With what?” Rover asked.
“Taking over the world, of course. What am I to you? Stupid?” Shadow King said.
Fido whispered, “Does he want an honest answer?”
“I don’t know.” Spot whispered back.
“Maybe we should just go along with this, until we think of a way out.” Rover suggested.
Spot whispered, “Agreed.”
Rover cleared his throat and answered to the Shadow King, “Why do you want our help?”
Shadow King answered, “Because I need people who are unpredictable. And our enemies won't expect you guys and they never fought against you before.”
“Then you've come to the right bunch.” Rover answered.
‘Huh. Well, that was an easy than I expected.’ Shadow King thought to himself
Rover asked, “So, who are you behind that crown?”
Shadow King chuckled, “You don’t remember, do you?”
The Diamond Dogs shake their heads, meaning "no".
“C'mon guys, use that big brain of yours to think really hard.”
The Diamond Dogs observed their adversary as Spot said, “You do seem familiar.”
“Really?” Shadow King asked.
Fido noticed, “I think I've seen those eyes before.”
Shadow King scoffed, “Pfft. What else is new anyway.”
“Hey. Aren't you the guy that we first picked on during Freshmen Year?”
Shadow King gasped until he lied, “Never heard of it.”
“No. It is you. I recognize you now. You're Amethyst Majesty.”
Shadow King laughed, “That's great and all. Unfortunately, he’s dead. Now I’m in control.”
Spot said, “But…”
Fido continued, “I'm confused.”
“This is the new "me". This is who I am now. You can now call me, the “Shadow King.”
Rover whispered to his boys, “What has gotten into him?”
Spot whispered back, “No idea. But he seems to mean business.”
“So, do we have ourselves a deal?” Shadow King offered his hand to Rover and his buds.
Rover shook his hand, “Sure thing,” Then Rover whispered to himself, ‘For now.’
After the Shadow King each of the boys’ hands, he informed them, “Good. Now it's time that I give you guys some upgrades.” The Shadow King used his scepter to transform the Diamond Dogs into demons, just like Snips and Snails used to be.
Fido checked out his demonic self, “Whoa! Look at me!”
Spot beamed, “Look at us, we're mean. Sweet!”
“And we are badder than ever, baby!” Rover cheered.
“Now, bow before your master.” The Shadow King ordered the trio.
“Yes, master!” The Diamond Dogs knelt and bowed down to their master.
“Excellent! Looks like we’re making progress here.” Shadow King laughed sinisterly.
King Sombra appeared from the crystal and asked, “So, are you done recruiting your team yet?”
Shadow King replied, “Not yet. In the meantime, I got something to take care of. So go back in your crystal now and wait for further instructions.”
“Okay, okay. Sheesh.” King Sombra said and returned to the crystal as the Diamond Dogs and the Shadow King teleported themselves out of the junkyard.
Meanwhile, Applejack was busy working and carrying baskets full of apples at the Apple Family Barn.
Applejack wiped the sweat off her forehead, “Whoa. Ah got my work laid out for me today.”
Then, the villainous faction magically appeared outside of her home and was ready to approach the premises as Winona started barking.
“Insolent pest.” Shadow King said as he shot a magical beam from his scepter and fired it on the ground, making Winona scared and started running away from him.
Winona ran to Applejack at the backyard, shaking like a scared little puppy.
Applejack hugged Winona to calm her down and said, “Whoa, whoa. There, there, girl. What's got ya so spooked?”
As the Diamond Dogs scared all the barn animals away, Applejack saw them running past her, in fear. “What the heck is goin' on?!”
“Howdy, waifu stealer!”
Applejack turned around to see the Shadow King and his minions. “What?! Who in tarnation are you?!”
“Don’t you recognize me, AJ?” Shadow King asked.
“How do ya know…?!” Applejack got a look at the Shadow King until he recognized him, “Wait a minute… Amethyst?!”
“That guy's dead. You will now address me as, the "Shadow King".” Shadow King said.
Applejack asked, “What has gotten into ya?! Are ya feeling alright, Amethyst?”
Shadow King smiled, “I never felt better in my entire life now!”
Applejack felt worried, “Are ya sure, buddy? And where did ya get that staff?”
“I'm sure you and your friends remembered this staff before.” Shadow King said.
The cowgirl observed the staff until she remembered it and gasped, “No! It can't be!”
“It is. You remember that cruise when you and your friends had to deal with a storm during your Spring Break?”
Applejack answered, “Far too well. But that thing was locked away, wasn't it? How did ya get a hold of it?”
Shadow King answered, “A villain never reveals its secrets to anyone.”
Applejack begged him, “Amethyst, ya need to let go of that staff. It's dangerous.”
“I WANT IT... To be dangerous! Boys, create a barrier around this area at once.”
“Yes, boss.” The Diamond Dogs answered as they flew away to create a magical barrier surrounding the Apple Family Barn.
“Amethyst, snap out of it! This isn't you!”
“Oh, this is me now. The old me was puny and weak. And look at me now, I am more stronger, smarter, and powerful than your magical powers.” Shadow King stated.
“But it's also corrupting you. Ah know the real you, and this is not who ya are, deep inside.”
Shadow King said, “This is who I am now, AJ. And what I’m about to do to you, will not save you.”
Applejack reasoned with him again, “Amethyst, please. Ya have to control yerself. Ah don't wanna fight ya. You're my classmate. My friend.”
“I don’t think you have a choice, AJ.” Shadow King said as he fired a magical blast from his staff at the cowgirl.
Applejack dodged it and shouted, “Why are ya doing this?!”
“Because you stole something from me!”
Applejack replied, “What?! Ah would never steal anything from anyone!”
“LIES!” Shadow King yelled and fired a strong, magical bolt from his staff, destroying AJ’s truck.
Applejack gasped, “Amethyst, stop! Ya don't know what yer doin'!”
“I know what I’m doing, AJ. And I’ll start by taking you down first!” Shadow King shot a magical bolt from his scepter, targeting Applejack.
Applejack jumped out of the line of fire, and ponied up, “Amethyst, stop this, before ya hurt someone!”
“I don’t care.” Shadow King angrily replied and shot another bolt at her.
Applejack dodged the bolt and said, “Look, Ah don't know why yer doing this, but ya need to stop!”
“Stop? I won’t stop until I get what I want. If you really want to stop me, take your best shot.” Shadow King motioned his hand, taunting the cowgirl.
“Ah really don't wanna do this. But if it's the only way to calm ya down… Then, here Ah go! Applejack vowed, charging right at him.
The Shadow King dodged the cowgirl and swept her legs.
Applejack fell down, “Oof.”
The Shadow King spoke in a country accent, “Ah knew you were gonna do that.” He then used his palm strikes, but the cowgirl blocked his attack.
Applejack dodged the attacks, “Look, Ah don't know why you are so mad at me. But, please, stop!”
“Do you want to know why, AJ?!”
Applejack replied, “It would help.”
Shadow King explained, “I’ll tell you why. You stole Rarity away from me so that you can have this secret, romantic relationship with her.”
“WHAT?!!! Y-Y-Y-Y-You've got it all wrong. We're just best friends. Ah know it.”
“LIES!!!” Shadow King shot another bolt from his scepter, but the cowgirl dodged it again.
Applejack suggested to herself, “Ah gotta call Sunset and the others.”
As the cowgirl pulled out her phone, Spot swooped in, stole her phone, and crushed it with his hands. Applejack gasped, as Spot dropped the remains of her phone.
“No interruptions. No distractions. No help. It's just you and me, cowgirl! You got nowhere left to run.”
Applejack pleaded her former friend, “Amethyst, please, listen to me! There's nothin' between me and Rarity.”
“Oh really?! Because I saw you the way you're looking at Rarity back at Equestria Land. I was going to give her roses to thank Rarity and probably ask her out, but I was too late. And my heart was shattered. So now, IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! Hiyah!” Shadow King continued striking her with more of his punches and kicks while Applejack protected herself against his blows
While they continued to fight, Apple Bloom was watching them from the house, picked up her phone and called Rarity.
In Rarity’s house, Rarity picked up the phone and called, “Hello?”
Apple Bloom whispered in her phone, “Ah've got no time to explain, Rarity. Just get you and your friends over here, and hurry!
As Apple Bloom hung up her phone, Rarity called her, “Apple Bloom?!” Rarity hung her phone and told herself, “Hmm. I better get over there, and see what is happening.”
And when Rarity was about to leave her bedroom, a portal appeared behind her all of a sudden and a tentacle grabbed Rarity by the leg, taking her away into the portal and leaving no trace behind.
The Shadow King then got an idea, he used dirty tactics by throwing dirt on her eyes. Applejack was affected by the trick and groaned, “Argh!”
Applejack tried to clean her eyes, but the Shadow King found the opportunity and hit her with every punch and kick while she was defenseless. The cowgirl groaned in pain as she kept getting beat up badly.
“Now, surrender.” Shadow King demanded, drawing his scepter at his enemy.
Applejack growled, “Never!”
“Alright. Guess I’ll have to do this, the hard way.” The Shadow King used his scepter and casted a spell on AJ as she covered her eyes.
In a flash of light, the spell was activated as the Shadow King sinisterly laughed at her. Applejack opened her eyes and got wrinkles on her skin, thus the villain’s spell turned her into an old lady like Granny Smith.
“How do you like me now, you old hag?!” The Shadow King yelled.
“Argh!” The cowgirl tried to clean her eyes, making her defenseless. After that, she felt terrified while looking at her hands. “What have you done?!”
“Oh, by the way, you won’t be needing this anymore.” The Shadow King saw her geode and snatched her geode by the magic of his staff. He retrieved the geode and placed it in his pocket.
“NOOOOOO!!!”
Just then, the Diamond Dogs came by and Rover informed the Shadow King, “Uh, boss. We got company.”
The Shadow King sinisterly chuckled at the elderly cowgirl, “You know, I have a feeling that your friends are on their way to save you. So you know what, I’ll leave now and leave you be. Tell them that this fight is far from over. See ya, sucker!” After that, the Shadow King magically teleported him and his minions out of the barn, leaving no trace of them.
Minutes later, The Turtles, Rainbooms, and the CMC arrived at the farm and they were terrified when they saw the state of the farm, covered in debris. And the farm animals were scared, shivering with fear.
Fluttershy gasped, “Oh, dear!”
While Fluttershy went to take care of the barn animals, Pinkie commented, “This looks like a typhoon has wrecked it.”
Apple Bloom ran out of the house and wondered, “Ah hope my sister's okay.” And when she found Applejack, Apple Bloom screamed in shock, seeing AJ as an elderly woman.
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo ran to Apple Bloom to check on her. Sweetie Belle asked, “Apple Bloom, what happened?”
Apple Bloom cried, “Some scary villain destroyed our farm and turned my sister into an old woman.”
The rest of the Rainbooms and Ninjas came by and gasped as they saw Applejack.
Sunset checked on her friend as Apple Bloom aided her sister. She told Apple Bloom, “This is some strong magic that was used. But don't worry, Apple Bloom. We will get Applejack back to normal. Somehow.”
Leo asked the cowgirl, “Applejack. Who did this to you?”
Applejack spoke in a dry, country accent, “Amethyst.”
“Uh, who's Amethyst?” Mikey asked.
Applejack coughed before she answered, “Amethyst Majesty is a student at our school.”
Sunset realized who he was and gasped, “He’s the same guy that we encountered last night.”
The cowgirl nodded, “Eeyup.”
“But why would a student from our school would do something like this?” Spike asked.
Applejack answered, “Because he thinks Rarity is in a relationship...” She coughed, “With me.”
"What?! Why would he think something like that?!” Rainbow questioned her.
Ah don’t know, but Ah wish there’s a way to comfort him,” Applejack wondered. “Sadly, Ah’m not sure if hearing those things will snap him out of it.”
Rainbow questioned everyone, “More importantly, where did he get the power to reduce you to an old hag?”
Everyone gasped as April slapped Rainbow on the backside of her head.
“OW!” Rainbow yelped.
April angrily told her, "Rainbow Dash! That’s very rude to say something like that in front of an elder."
Applejack nodded, “A-Hum!”
April apologized, "Sorry. But, you know what I mean."
Rainbow apologized too, “I’m sorry about my choice of words, AJ.”
Applejack forgave her friend, “It’s alright. But still... I can’t believe my friend did this... To me,” She coughed.
Sunset asked her, “Applejack? Is it okay if I look into your memories? It'll be the fastest way to get everything explained.”
“Of course, sugarcube.” Applejack answered as Sunset touched her forehead and looked into her memories to see everything that happened when Amethyst attacked the farm. Sunset also saw Amethyst using the Staff of Sacanas, the same staff that was used by the Storm King.
After that, Sunset released Applejack and informed her, “Amethyst is using the Staff Of Sacanas?”
“Eeyup.” Applejack answered as she tried to stand up, but Sunset caught her as she almost slipped.
“You better take it easy, girl. You're not exactly in any fighting condition.” Sunset informed her.
Twilight asked Sunset, “But… How did he get the staff? I thought that thing was locked away.”
Sunset remembered, “Yeah. We broke the staff and gave it to Princess Celestia for safe keeping back in Equestria after we saved our friends from our Spring Break cruise.”
Donnie suggested, “Maybe he created a new staff that looked like the Staff of Sacanas.”
“Well that seems very obvious, Don.” April noted as Donnie shrugged.
“And he’s got minions of his own. The Diamond Dogs.” Applejack alerted everyone.
The rest of the Rainbooms, CMC, and Spike groaned as their ninja friends got puzzled by their reaction.
“What? You know them?” Raph asked.
“Yeah. They’re the bullies/troublemakers from our school.” Rainbow answered.
Leo noted, “I see.”
“So, what are we going to do now?” Rainbow asked.
Applejack noticed that Rarity was missing and asked everyone, “Well y’all can start by searching for Rarity.”
Everyone looked around and Applejack was correct, Rarity was indeed missing.
“What? Where did she go?” Scootaloo asked, looking around.
“I saw her this morning and now all of a sudden, she disappeared? This doesn’t sound right at all.” Sweetie Belle stated.
Twilight assured Sweetie, “Don’t worry, we’ll find Rarity as soon as we can.”
“Great. I'll look after my sister and take care of her back into my house.” Apple Bloom informed everyone as she helped her sister walk.
“I'll help too.” Fluttershy said.
“Me three!” Pinkie cheered.
“And us too.” Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo vowed in unison.
Leo ordered everyone, “Okay everyone, let’s get to work.”
Everyone nodded as the group split up to take care of their friend while searching for Rarity and their new enemies.