Chapter 199: Force From the Past
Miles and miles away from Canterlot, deep in the depths of Tartarus, nothing but the occasional grumble from a prisoner or the dripping from stalactites punctuated the silence of the prison.
And at the far end of said prison rested two cages watched over by Cerberus, said cages belonging to Tirek and Chrysalis. The former had his back turned and was facing inward toward the back of his cage. Meanwhile, the latter held onto an unusually bright white colored log. When she wasn't gazing at it, she occasionally rolled it or concentrated her horn on it. It beat just staring at the ground and doing nothing all day.
When she paused briefly in her actions, the former queen swore she saw the log shimmer. Perhaps there was still a bit of magic left in it, magic that even the Tree of Harmony had been unable to take away. Now if only there was a way to use that small spec of magic for something. Something that could preferably get her out of Tartarus.
But Chrysalis didn't want to risk what magic she still had on the long. And there was only one other magical being in Tartarus she could reach out to. "Oh Tirek. How's about helping a fellow baddie out?" She purred to the centaur from her cage. "I've got a little something you might be interested in. Something magical. Sound good?" But there was no reply, just a raspy silence. The changeling immediately lost patience and growled. "Oh come on, Tirek! Stop ignoring me and say something! I know you can hear me!"
Tirek didn't even bother to turn his head to face Chrysalis. "I'm not interested in your silly little... log. The magic inside it would hardly pass for a snack. And your magic would barely sustain me for one meal. So don't bother wasting my time."
"Do you ever think about something besides feeding on magic?" Chrysalis hissed as she glared at Tirek.
Tirek still didn't turn to face Chrysalis. "You're one to talk. Every five minutes you complain to your log about not having any love to feed on. How you want to get out and get revenge on those pesky ponies for deposing you. I've been trapped in here for far longer than you have, and you don't hear me whining about it."
The former queen just coldly replied. "You know what, forget it! You're not good for anything, you don't even have any love I could borrow. Your heart is as black as night."
"I buried my heart when my brother betrayed me long ago. And after Discord and Cozy Glow both betrayed me, you'll forgive me if I decide not to make the same mistake again," Tirek coldly answered. "Unlike you. Your plans always involved disguises, confusion and lies. Lies that anyone with half a brain could see through. I, on the other paw, execute my plans to perfection. So don't waste my time with your half baked ideas, Chrysalis. Just leave me alone! What did I ever do to get stuck with an annoying roommate like you? Given the choice I'd rather be turned to stone."
Rejected in her latest offer, all Chrysalis could do was just sit there and pout. But she hadn't been pouting for very long when she felt something take hold of her body! It was definitely a foreign feeling, almost as if she were on fire even though no visible flames could be seen! "What is this?! What's happening to me?! Is this your idea of a joke, Tirek?!" She bellowed in horror!
But Tirek had turned to face Chrysalis, for he too seemed to be experiencing the burning sensation! "I'm not doing this! And judging by your comment I assume it's not your doing either!" He gasped in alarm! "Someone or something else is doing this! And I don't like it!"
"Is this it?!" Chrysalis wondered aloud. "Is this how it all ends for us? Are we somehow being erased from existence?! I'm too young to go!" Then without warning a dark aura enveloped her and Tirek! It lasted for just a second and when it had disappeared so had they, as if they'd never existed in the first place.
In another, remote part of Equestria, an unknown figure was reassembling the shattered pieces of a statue of a familiar satyr creature that had a frozen face of horror. And when the statue was completely reassembled, the figure watched as it took on a bright but eerie glow.
Satisfied, the figure moved quickly to another location and drew a circle into the ground. Placing a horn tip that had clearly been cut off from somewhere in the circle, the figure began to chant some sort of incantation as the circle glowed brightly. A veil of darkness shot up from said circle and enveloped the horn tip, a pony like figure beginning to slowly materialize in a black, mist like substance.
The figure smiled to itself. "My work here is done. It's only a matter of time before all four of them awaken. And soon they will know to whom it is that they owe their new lease on life." It thought and then quietly slipped away.
From the mist emerged the familiar form of King Sombra, the thought to be dead king. Opening his eyes and blinking, he immediately let out a roar that shook the ground! "I'm alive?!" He slowly realized as he looked down at himself. "Yes. But how? And why? Who dares to summon the mighty King Sombra back from the grave?!"
"Oh, so you're a king too?" An unfamiliar voice called out, soon taking the form of a satyr like creature with an almost whitish-gray coat of fur and brilliant opal eyes that seemed to show contempt. "Well join the club, pal. There's already a king around here, and that's me!"
If Sombra was at all intimidated by this unfamiliar creature he didn't show it. He just calmly replied in his low, cold tone. "And just what are you a king of? I am the great King Sombra, the once proud ruler of the Crystal Empire! My name strikes fear into the hearts of even the bravest of souls! I've never heard of the likes of you."
The satyr like creature just cackled in response. "Then you clearly don't get out much. Name's Storm King, The Storm King to you! You're lucky I don't have my staff with me, or I'd make you grovel at my feet like I do to all who are foolish enough to question my authority."
"So, Mr. Storm King," Sombra questioned without concern. "Are you the one to whom I owe my resurrection? If so I am honored, though why you would bother with the likes of me I have no idea."
The Storm King just rolled his eyes. "Me? Resurrecting you? Don't make me laugh! Even if I could have brought you back, which I couldn't have, there's no way I'd bother. I don't need some 'pretender' thinking he's better than me. None are better than me! And I know for a fact that you couldn't hope to have revived me," He paused briefly before he added. "Clearly this was done by another. A much higher power than you or I."
At that very moment, Chrysalis and Tirek appeared in the same kind of dark mist that had brought Sombra back to life. Immediately, the two creatures were stricken by surprise! Not only had they found themselves in some kind of swamp (still alive to boot) but they were now standing before creatures whom they had only heard of in passing before.
"King Sombra?! The Storm King?! You're the ones who brought Tirek and I here?!" Chrysalis concluded.
Tirek couldn't help but blush. "Normally I'd be honored, but couldn't you have given me back just a little bit of my powers? I feel so... underwhelming now."
The Storm King only replied. "I'd love to take credit for bringing you two peons here, but sadly it's not my doing."
"Then, if it's not you and it's not Sombra, then who is the one who's summoned us all here?" Chrysalis questioned. "Who could possibly have the kind of resources to do all of this?"
"Me, that's who!" A voice that no one recognized suddenly spoke up. The gathered baddies turned to where the voice had come from, and all watched as what appeared to be a goat like creature stepped forward. His fur coat was a moderate cornflower blue in color, his tall, curly horns almost as dark blue as the night sky, and his eyes a pale apple green with moderate red surrounding the pupils. Just above his legs rested a bright red collar with a series of yellow orbs attached to it. He trotted over a series of floating stone platforms as the surrounding area lit up, revealing a massive skull of an unknown creature.
The goat like creature quickly trotted past as all eyes fell upon him, soon standing over some kind of crystal ball that rested on a platform. "You may call me... Grogar." He informed the others.
"As in The Grogar? The father of monsters?" Chrysalis pondered aloud.
"I thought you were just a legend." Tirek commented in astonishment.
Sombra only snorted. "I've heard of you. About what others say of you."
Grogar nodded his head. "Then you know what I'm truly capable of," He proceeded to tell the others. "I can assure all who doubt me, that I am very much real. I have summoned the four of you here today for a purpose. A task that you have all been chosen to help carry out."
"And that would be what, exactly? If you've got something to say, say it and stop wasting our time!" The Storm King demanded of Grogar.
Grogar just titled his head as he calmly replied. "Patience, Storm King. All in good time," He cleared his throat. "Gaze into my crystal ball. Who is that you see?"
The four creatures did as instructed, and all immediately gasped when the familiar face of Shining Armor appeared in the ball's reflective surface, surrounded by his friends. "I sense that we share a common enemy: Prince Shining Armor and his friends," Grogar explained. "I have gathered you all here today to accept my offer: Join with me, and together we can rid ourselves of the only one that can stand in our way! The one pony who stands between us and the demise of Equestria!"
The Storm King only rolled his eyes. "And why should we work with you, oh greatest of the great?" His entire sentence was filled with sarcasm and malice. "Maybe you haven't noticed, but the four of us have all tried to take down that pesky prince at one point or another. And well... you probably saw the results for yourself."
Grogar nodded his head. "That's correct, Storm King. I've been biding my time, slowly regaining my strength ever since that self-rightious Gusty the Great rose up and deposed me long ago! As my powers slowly returned to me, I gained the ability to watch you all make your own attempts to topple Equestria and break the prince: Some of you in body, some of you in mind, and some of you in spirit. Yet each and every one of you failed. And do you want to know why that is?"
"Because he and his friends cheat!" Chrysalis hissed. "They never play fair!"
"Because they're all too powerful. It seems like there's no need to the number of things they can tap into for magic." Tirek commented.
"Because I was careless and trusted a pony to do my job for me." The Storm King complained.
Sombra simply remarked. "Because that meddlesome dragon got in my way and interfered!"
Grogar shook his head and stomped a hoof down, causing the ground to shake! "No, it's because they all work together! Shining always has friends to back him up! Whereas each of you has depended only on yourself. That's why your subjects turned on you, Chrysalis. That's why you were so easily tricked by Discord and Cozy Glow, Tirek. That's why Tempest is the one who brought you down, Storm King. And that's why your own empire is lost to you, Sombra. But no longer will that be an exclusive advantage!"
"So what, we're to form some kind of anti-friendship league or something? A Legion of Doom?" The Storm King asked Grogar.
"Not quite what I had in mind, but Legion of Doom will suffice for your simple minds," Grogar remarked as he rolled his eyes. "The goal is for the four of you to work together and serve under me. Alone you are weak and vulnerable. Whereas Shining and his friends are strong, when one stumbles or struggles the others are there to support him. So together, the four of you will cover each other's weaknesses. Two heads are better than one, and four heads are better than two. In return, all I ask is that you pledge yourselves to me and only me. Help me, and I will grant you all what you most desire."
The Storm King just scoffed and waved a paw. "You seem to know us quite well, Grogar. How do we know you're not just using to get what you want? Like how I used that back-stabbing Tempest to nearly seize Equestria for myself."
"The Storm King makes a good point," Tirek added. "I've been down this road before. I won't be burned again!"
"You're welcome to decline my offer if you wish," Grogar informed the baddies. "I will return you all to where you came from."
But Sombra stood up and declared. "You won't send me back into the ether, Grogar! I've been given a new lease on life, and I intend to make the most of it!" Then he added. "But I don't care about all of Equestria, all I want is my empire back. You can do whatever you want to the rest of Equestria, as long as you leave my empire alone."
Grogar's eyes arched upward, the gears in his head started to turn. "Very well then, King Sombra," He declared in what sounded like a sincere tone. "If that's what your heart desires so badly, it would be foolish to try and stop you. But why don't we make a deal? I'll send you to the Crystal Empire myself, all expenses paid. If you succeed, you're welcome to keep the empire and I won't trouble you further."
"Hah, no sooner said than done, Grogar! A fool and his money are easily parted!" Sombra boasted. "Taking back my empire will be like taking candy from a baby, which is fine by me!"
Grogar threw up a hoof. "Not so fast, Sombra. You didn't hear me out all the way," In an ominous tone of voice he then declared. "When you fail, you will return to me and be my humble servant. You will never again question my authority or judgement and you will do only as I command."
Sombra spun around. "Don't you mean 'If' I fail? Because I can assure you I won't! I won't make the same mistake of underestimating that dragon."
Grogar only insisted. "You heard me right the first time, Sombra. Not if but when. Because you will fail, I have already foreseen this."
The black hearted king scoffed at the suggestion. "Fortune teller nonsense, Grogar! Besides, I don't take orders from anyone, certainly not the likes of you! I WILL reclaim my empire! And you'll be a fool to have ever questioned me!"
'
Grogar's expression did not change in the slightest as Sombra spoke. He only continued to insist. "You seem quite confident of victory. Ignore my warnings if you wish, but don't say I didn't warn you. You only get one chance, Sombra. So you'd better make the most of it, for your sake."
"Oh I intend to," Sombra cackled with glee. "Now go ahead, send me on my way! All this time I spent here talking to you is time I could've spent taking back my empire." But he had no sooner finished speaking when Grogar aimed a beam of magic at the king and sent him away.
"Now then," Grogar turned to the other baddies. "Gather round and let us watch Sombra's attempt."
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Oh yeah! Season 9! Gotta see this through.
Somehow I should have known it would be The Storm King. That's my bad, considering I brought him, AND The Pony of Shadows back - the latter under the name "Erebus". But right now, YOUR story is what's of interest, as it's what inspires. And I, for one, can't wait to see what happens next.:)
REALLY good job on this latest chapter. LOVED the argument between Tirek and Chrysalis before they were brought in by Grogar. And, yeah, I can see using the Storm King to replace Cozy. In addition, good additional points on the other villains pointing out THEMSELVES that pretty much any of them would be quite able AND willing to betray everybody else at the first real opportunity. Definitely looking forward to seeing your spin on Sombra's attack. In addition to your spins on "Frenemies", "the Summer Sun Setback" and the finale.
Of course, the TRUE final episode is probably going to be divided into two chapters- the first chapter showing Shining's coronation (and the disasters that occurred during it) and the second chapter picking up two decades in the future (and showing how much things have changed since Shining took over the throne [though the fact you are NOT confined to a 22-minute time limit, you can go into more detail concerning the changes than the actual episode]).
I'm guessing "the Big Mac Question" will stay MOSTLY the same, except with Cheerilee as the bride instead of Sugar Belle.
For the appropriate point of the finale, Shining can tell Twilight "Look, Twily, I appreciate the offer to help, but right now, you and your friends are needed more rallying the unicorns (you and Rarity), the pegasi (Rainbow and Fluttershy) and the earth ponies (Applejack and Pinkie Pie). If my friends and I fail, it's going to be up to EVERYONE coming together to save the day." After all, it would probably seem more meaningful having the CANON Mane Six be the ones helping the ponies overcome the "villain encouraged in-fighting" while Shining and his friends are battling Grogar and the others instead of having some random unicorn youth and Pegasus youth being the ones snapping the unicorns and pegasi out of it (seriously? It would have made more sense to have Apple Bloom helping Sandbar rally the earth ponies, Sweetie Belle being the one to rally the unicorns and Scootaloo be the one rallying the pegasi). Plus, it would give them a more important role than simply "helping Cadance protect Flurry Heart" WITHOUT them overshadowing the Stallion Six. Besides, it would make Yona's point about "yaks and ponies stronger together" have more impact if Sandbar is helping her rally the yaks.
But, I admit I AM just guessing and could easily be wrong. If you already have other ideas, I can and DO completely understand and can respect that.
So she still trying to get the Clone Shining Armor back or use that magic what's left of it to escape
Just leave me alone! What did I ever do to get stuck with an annoying roommate like you? Given the choice I'd rather be turned to stone."
Yeah about that be careful what you wish because you might not like the end result
Oh shoot its him grogar 😱
So gorgar is Gathering up all the villains Tirek queen chrysalis king Sombra and the new edition in this universe the Storm King which that's actually a pretty cool idea since you made cozy not a bad guy interesting team up indeed
to the villains of mlp