Chapter One: The Gathering
The depths of Tartarus had been suited to be a prison long before ponies had come along and begun to use it as one. The kind of creatures that lived inside it knew little besides chaos and destruction, viciously attacking one another whenever the opportunity presented itself. Those who the ponies chose to place inside were protected by the cages they were trapped in, but still felt terror creep into their hearts with every sound. All they had for company (besides each other) were the howls and screams of monsters.
Two such prisoners, Lord Tirek and the filly Cozy Glow, opened their eyes yet again, waking from the slumber they'd managed to get. Tirek stretched his arms and yawned, mentally preparing himself for another day of the exact same thing that'd come before.
"Oh, golly, a new day!" exclaimed Cozy Glow, fluttering her little wings, zipping around her cage. "I can't wait for all the possibilities! Can you, Tirek?"
Tirek groaned. "Yes, so many opportunities," he grunted, the sarcasm palpable in his voice. "Will I sleep on my left side or my right when I finally fall asleep again? Honestly, Cozy Glow, why do you ask such ridiculous questions?"
Cozy pouted. "You're supposed to have lively conversations with your friends! That was one of Princess Twilight's lessons!"
Tirek folded his arms, sitting down on his back legs. "Sometimes I wish you'd paid less attention when you were trying to figure out how to manipulate those ponies," he grumbled.
Cozy opened her mouth to respond, but what she said would remain forever unknown. The interruption took the form of a faint wave of shadow-colored light, rising up from the ground beneath her, engulfing her entire body in about a half-second. When it had faded, the pegasus was gone.
Tirek blinked, surprised, only to see the same light emerging from beneath his hooves. He barely had time to say "What?" before the darkness enveloped him, taking him away as well.
Not long ago, just hearing the name of the Everfree Forest had been enough to send shivers down the spines of ponies. It had naturally occurring weather, something unheard of in Equestria, dangerous creatures living inside it, and was generally unsafe. Nowadays, thanks to Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends, who'd gone on many adventures inside the forest and come out relatively unscathed, ponies didn't fear it as much, but most still preferred to stay away.
That suited former Queen Chrysalis just fine.
At the moment, the deposed changeling monarch was sitting inside a small clearing, using her magic to carve a chunk of wood into the likeness of a pony. She wasn't particularly skilled at the act, but the carving did bear a resemblance to Starlight Glimmer. Setting down the sharp rock she'd been using, Chrysalis levitated her creation onto a nearby tree stump.
"Perfect," said the changeling. Then she charged her horn, firing a blast of green energy into the carving, completely obliterating it.
Chrysalis threw back her head and cackled. "That was for stealing my kingdom, Starlight Glimmer!" she laughed. "Now I shall inflict the most painful tortures possible on your friend Twilight Sparkle, and—"
The former monarch was so lost in her dreams of revenge, she didn't notice the wave of darkness coming over her until it had obscured her completely. When it faded, she was gone.
The tunnels beneath the Crystal Empire were probably the least frequented spot in the entire area. The only reason the crystal ponies ever ventured down there was to mine for rare crystals that were difficult to find on the surface.
However, the tunnels held a special purpose for a particular individual today. They were where the connection was strongest.
A stick was levitated upwards, and began to draw on the ground. However, instead of simply drawing lines in the dirt, the point of the stick left blue, magical lines inscribed, which soon began to come together to form a symbol that would only be recognized by some of the most brilliant pony mages.
The symbol of a necromancy spell.
Once the runic sigil was complete, it flashed blue once, before turning a dull grey. A jagged, black crystal suddenly stabbed out of the ground, followed by a haze of darkness. Inside the darkness, two blood-red eyes with green sclera opened, followed by a curved red horn.
The vault of Canterlot was a place where the most dangerous items the Equestrian government had ever come across were kept. These included magical artifacts, such as the Alicorn Amulet, and other such deadly objects. The security of the vault was near impenetrable, in order to make sure no pony ever claimed the items.
However, there was one pedestal that held something out of place. It was a simple pile of obsidian rocks that looked extremely unremarkable. A magical scan would provide no further clues as to why they were there, as they were indistinguishable from ordinary stones. If one looked closely at them, they could see what appeared to be features, such as fingers and even some traces of a face, but they would likely dismiss that as a trick of the eyes.
A creeping shadow slowly passed over the stones, covering them completely, until it abruptly disappeared, leaving the empty pedestal.
With a flash of black light, Tirek and Cozy Glow reappeared, though this time, their surroundings were completely different. The chamber they sat inside was mostly made out of wood, with a throne topped with a horned skull sitting above a small flight of steps. From the sounds of water rushing around outside, they guessed they were in a swamp.
The questions only increased in number when Chrysalis appeared a short distance from them.
"Lord Tirek?!" she exclaimed. "And a pony?! How dare you drag me to this...this...wherever this is?!" She hissed, baring her fangs at them.
Cozy Glow flinched, diving behind Tirek's legs. "We didn't bring you here!" she insisted.
"The pony speaks the truth, Queen Chrysalis," said Tirek. "We were brought to this location as well."
Chrysalis closed her maw, actually looking a bit surprised. "Well then, if you aren't responsible, who is?"
As she finished speaking, two more flashes of the black light occurred in the chamber, before dissipating. One left a pile of obsidian stones, and one left what appeared to be a swirling cloud of darkness with green eyes and a curved red horn. However, the cloud soon collapsed, revealing a black unicorn stallion, dressed in royal regalia. He immediately began examining his body, poking and prodding himself.
"King Sombra?" asked Cozy Glow, peaking out from behind Tirek's legs.
"Indeed," replied the king, barely sparing a glance at the pegasus. "Hm. So it would seem I am flesh once again. How can this be?"
"That would be my doing."
Four heads turned to the source of the new voice. From the far end of the chamber came a new figure, with dark blue hair, curved horns, and cloven hooves. Around the neck hung a collar, dotted with golden studs, and a link where something could be hung, though it was empty at the moment. The eyes where what caught everyone's attention, however. They seemed ordinary enough on the surface, being the color of butter, with horizontal pupils. But there was something in those eyes, something ancient, something powerful, that made fear begin to creep up the spine of the formidable King Sombra.
The ram trotted past the four, as though they were insects beneath his notice. Turning to the pile of stones, his curved horns lit up with yellow light, and the rocks glowed the same color. They levitated upwards, stacking on top of each other, fitting onto each other like pieces of a puzzle. Soon, the statue was reformed, creating the image of a tall satyr with what seemed to be crown-like horns, and black chest armor with a symbol in the middle. The ram then closed his eyes, as the magic in his horns intensified, before shooting forward and stabbing into the statue. Color began to seep into it, as stone became skin and hair once more, and soon, the Storm King reared back and coughed.
"Oh, geez," he gasped, before hacking some more, "being turned to stone is such a pain in the neck. Everything is stiff now!" He examined his body, only growing more displeased. "And they let me get all dusty!"
The ram ignored the Storm King as he had the others, marching over to a nearby table. With another pulse of magic, he conjured up a heavy glass orb, which contained an image similar to one of his eyes.
"Now that we are all gathered together," he said, "I will explain your presence here. First of all, you may address me as Grogar."
The room went so silent you could hear a pin drop. King Sombra almost bit his own tongue in surprise. Cozy Glow nearly fell out of the air.
"The Grogar?!" asked Tirek.
"You're real?!" exclaimed Chrysalis.
"I thought you were just a scary bedtime story!" said Cozy Glow.
The Storm King simply blinked. "Um, who?" he asked. "Listen, not that I'm ungrateful for you breathing life back into my shattered body and all that jazz, but I have no idea what anyone's talking about. Who are you, and what's going on?"
Apparently, he'd said the wrong thing. The other four turned on him, with expressions ranging from shock to sheer horror. Cozy Glow was frantically waving her forehooves, as if to tell the Storm King to shut his mouth before it was too late.
"Grogar is ancient," King Sombra hurriedly spoke up. "He is one of the most powerful sorcerers of all time. The first ruler of the land that would one day become Equestria, thousands of years ago. He created some of the most terrifying beasts to ever walk the earth. You, you simple oaf, stand before the Father of Monsters!"
"Indeed!" chimed in Tirek. "Even as a child, I heard tales of the mighty Grogar and his power."
Cozy Glow nodded. "Every filly knows the story of Grogar and his battle with Gusty the Great! I just never thought it could be true!"
The Storm King simply scoffed. "Well excuse me! I'm not even from magic pony land! How am I supposed to know this stuff?"
"Neither am I, and yet I know of his terror!" Tirek snapped back. "Perhaps you're simply an ignorant beast, Storm King!"
Grogar slammed one hoof on the table, immediately cutting off the conversation and drawing everyone's attention once again. "It matters not whether you have heard of me, Storm King," he announced. "I am here, before you. I have given you life once more, along with you, Sombra. Tirek, Cozy Glow, I have freed you from Tartarus. Chrysalis, I have picked you up from your pitiful position, wandering the forest. I have done all this for one purpose: So that we, under my command, may work together to finally reclaim Equestria from those pathetic ponies. In particular, so that we may destroy Twilight Sparkle and her friends."
Cozy Glow poked her head out from behind Tirek. "Um, Mister Grogar, sir? You might wanna reword that—"
"Excuse me?!" demanded the Storm King. "Do you not understand who you're talking to? The Storm King! KING! You know, as in ruler! I don't work for anybody, especially some old goat!"
"Neither do I," said King Sombra. "I am the rightful ruler of the Crystal Empire. I will not be used as a tool so that another may rule."
Grogar merely sat on his haunches for a few more seconds, staring at the two kings who'd openly defied him. Without another movement, his horns lit up, firing a bolt of black lightning at each of them, engulfing them in the electricity. Both Sombra and the Storm King screamed in agony as Grogar's magic ravaged their bodies, levitating them a bit off the ground. Tirek, Cozy Glow, and Chrysalis could only stare in horror as the two continued to suffer. Finally, Grogar canceled the spell, causing the two kings to drop to the floor with a thud.
"Does anyone else have any objections to serving me?" he asked. Tirek, Cozy Glow, and Chrysalis shook their heads like their lives depended on it. "Sombra, Storm King. You would do well to remember that I returned you from death. I can easily inflict a fate worse than that on you."
Both kings got back up, shivering as they felt the lingering pain of Grogar's spell. Neither one spoke, likely because they knew that doing so would result in more punishment.
"I have watched your attempts to conquer Equestria for yourselves," Grogar continued, "as well as all of your humiliating defeats at the hooves of six simple ponies. Pathetic. But we shall use their own strategy against them. We shall be a team, with myself as leader, of course, and grind those ponies to dust."
"Er, Lord Grogar?" Chrysalis began, raising her hoof. Grogar motioned for her to continue. "Well, how exactly can we beat those six ponies? They have the power of the Elements of Harmony backing them, along with the infinite power of Discord. Even together, how can the six of us match that?"
Grogar smiled. "I already have plans for dealing with Discord, I assure you." He waved his hoof over the orb, shifting the image to show Discord's rule of Equestria. "One of my more flawed creations, I must admit. He will be disposed of. As for the Elements—"
"Uh, hold up, hold up," said the Storm King, raising his hand. "Just what are these 'Elements of Harmony,' anyway? Look, if you want me to be part of this little team up, fine, but you gotta give me all the important info."
Grogar sighed, and it was obvious to anyone watching that he was beginning to regret raising the Storm King from the dead. Nonetheless, he gestured to the crystal ball on the table. The image inside changed, showing the Tree of Harmony.
"The Elements of Harmony are Equestria's biggest weapons. Six powerful, magical stones, capable of cleansing evil and even overpowering the Lord of Chaos himself, Discord. They can only be utilized by ponies who embody their virtues, and right now, they are attuned to Twilight Sparkle and her friends. They are Generosity, Honesty, Loyalty, Laughter, Kindness, and Magic. While they only work if all six are present, they are extraordinarily dangerous."
The Storm King actually gagged. "Oh you gotta be kidding me. I mean sure, I knew these pastel ponies were sappy, but honesty? Laughter? Kindness? Those are their biggest weapons?!" He retched again, covering his mouth as his face turned green. "The cuteness is making me sick!
"If you'd ever been on the receiving end of the Elements, you wouldn't be treating it so lightly!" Tirek snapped.
Grogar's horns lit up again, and a portal of pure darkness appeared to his side. From inside the portal came six black stones, which floated down to the table's surface and rested in front of each of the villains.
"It has taken me millennia to forge these," Grogar continued, "and I have woven the darkest magic possible into them. These are the Elements of Disharmony, and they shall be our trump card. We will use these to destroy the Elements of Harmony and rid the ponies of their greatest weapon. They are Greed, Deceit, Betrayal, Despair, Cruelty, and Doom."
"Wow," said Cozy Glow, picking up her own Element and turning it over in her hooves. "I'm not sure which one I embody, but I'm not complaining!"
"You will also require additional power to complete my plan," said Grogar. The studs on his collar lit up, and he created two gold spheres of magic in one hoof. Then his horns activated, pushing one over to Tirek and the other over to the Storm King.
Tirek wasted no time, immediately devouring his sphere. With a flash of white light, he transformed from a thin centaur to a muscular one, his red coat becoming much brighter in color, and his horns growing. The Storm King, however, watched the demonstration with wide eyes and raised eyebrows, and looked back down at his sphere.
"You want me to eat solid magic?" he asked. "Is that sanitary? This isn't gonna give me indigestion, is—"
Grogar's horns began sparking again, electricity racing down them.
"Eat it. Now," he commanded.
The Storm King flinched, but obeyed, stuffing the sphere into his mouth and swallowing it. For a couple of seconds, nothing happened. But then a faint, blue spark began to trail down the Storm King's arm, followed by more. He held up his hands in amazement, as bolts of blue electricity began to zap between his fingers. As realization dawned on him, he pointed to a far wall of the chamber, and an explosive burst of lightning blasted out of his index finger, blasting the wall and leaving a dark scorch.
"Oh, you gotta be kiddin' me!" he exclaimed. "Now I can shoot lightning?! This rules!"
He immediately began pointing with both index fingers, sending bolts of electricity flying all over the chamber, hitting everything in sight, as he bounced up and down, waving his tail. Cozy Glow dived for cover under Tirek's legs, while Tirek, Chrysalis, and Sombra immediately threw up shields around themselves. Grogar simply looked unamused.
"Zappity zap! Zappy, zappy, zappa dappa ding dong!" sang the Storm King. "Zap-a-dee-doo-dah, zap-a-dee-ay—"
"ENOUGH!" Grogar roared, with a stomp of his hoof. The Storm King froze, unfortunately doing so while standing on one foot, leading to him toppling face-first to the ground. "Remember, Storm King, your new powers exist to serve me. Defy me, and I'll return you to the stone you once were, and this time, I'll leave you intact, and you'll be aware of everything around you for eternity. Understand?"
The Storm King climbed to his feet. "Yeah, I gotcha," he replied.
Grogar then created another sphere of magic, sending this one over to Cozy Glow. The filly took the sphere into her forehooves nervously, but obeyed the unspoken order, devouring the magic. She grunted as it permeated her being, before her wings suddenly grew bigger, and a jagged horn, formed of pure magic, emerged from her skull.
"I'm an...alicorn?" she breathed, as though she couldn't believe it.
"Not a true one, that is beyond my power," Grogar admitted. "However, you will be very close in power to an alicorn."
Cozy Glow grinned wickedly. "Alright! I'm ready to take down those ponies!"
Grogar's smile returned. "Excellent. Then we will begin preparations immediately. First, we will need to retrieve my bell from the place Gusty the Great banished it to. Storm King, we will need to seek out those in your army that remain loyal to you. You will all need to learn how to use your new Elements. Soon, Equestria shall be ours!"
He threw back his head and cackled, while the other five laughed along with him, but with fear in their eyes.
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You have my attention with this story
i'm loving the story so far. i always found the storm king to be kind of annoying, shame Grogar couldn't summon the Sirens as well
Now THIS is a Good, and a Clever MLP Villain Team!
This is How the Original Season 9 should happened. With the Real Grogar with his Non-Reformed Villains V.S. Main Six, Spike, Young Six, Starlight, Trixie, possibly Sunset and the Human Main Six ( Rainbooms), Tempest Shadow, Celestia/Luna, Cadence/Shining Armor and Flurry Heart, The Pillars, and Discord ( Who DIDN'T made his Stupid Plan, and betrayed his Friends a Second Time! Luckily for him.).
10655787
I might throw in a reference to the sirens later on, but they won't show up for real. Sorry, I just liked the idea of Grogar having his own Mane Six.
10655789
There won't be any Equestria Girls characters in this.
10655799
Okay. I just thought our Pony Heroes needs Back Up. Especially have Sunset to help? Because her Original Home World is in great danger by a Evil Villain Alliance.
Maybe throw in the Pony of Shadows?
Are you gonna kill of Sombra or no?
10655959
Nah.
10655974
Sombra's not gonna go it alone and get killed by the Mane Six like in canon. As to whether he'll die in this story, you'll see.
10656085
Personally, I think Sombra should fake his death. And comes backs to Grogar's Team and make the Ponies think that he was "Defeated/Dead". And when we get to the Finale Battle. Sombra can sneak attack Twilight and her Friends when they least expect it. 😈
10656085
Call me biased or whatever, but I'd honestly like to see Sombra redeemed and perhaps even Cozy Glow. I just can't imagine how that filly turned out to be a megalomaniac at such a young age, whereas Sombra... since the only origins we have regarding him are from the comics (which are not canon or at least a separate continuity or even some kind of semi-canon) I'd like to see how you handle him; preferably better than he was in his so-called comeback (UGH, I hated his voice...)
Every good villain needs an origin story just as much as a hero, and except for Nightmare Moon and maybe Tirek and Grogar, we know nothing about the other villains' pasts, which was a pity and a loss of opportunity to explore.
I mean, look at Tempest Shadow aka Fizzlepop Berrytwist - Her origin was tragic and somewhat understandable as to how it turned her into the villain we were introduced to in the movie
Although I didn't hate anything that was done with the Legion in canon, even the twist in the finale, I admit this is a good start. The one thing I wish was different was that there were at least six members, which is accomplished here. A concept like the Elements of Disharmony was also something I speculated over a bit.
I have seen one or two stories where Storm King was brought into the Legion, but giving him Lightning powers via Grogar was clever.
I know you already have your bearers of Disharmony, however maybe you can throw in Nightmare Moon/Daybreaker by going into the minds of Luna and Celestia.
Going to take a shot in the dark. Grogar represents Doom, (because duh) Chrysalis represents Deceit, (again, duh) Tirek represents Greed because he tried to steal everyone's magic, Sombra represents Despair because he plunged the Crystal Empire into a state of complete hopelessness, Storm King represents Betrayal for betraying his most loyal servant for seemingly no reason, and Cozy Glow represents Cruelty for almost condemning all of Equis to an inevitable collapse for seemingly no reason.
Looks like Storm King needs to consult the elder gods.
10688456
I didn't even think of that!
Pfffff!
Wonder how Luna and Celestia be handled in this?
Since they were done really dirty and got crappy sendoffs in the finale.
Luna really suffering worse from that(which made the retirement issues even worse.)
Whats in store for Spike too? Since he was done really dirty in the season 9 premiere.
I'm actually really surprised - and pleased - to see this different world! The Storm King is a very interesting pick for the Legion.
This is an interesting start and I have seen a version with the Storm King in a round robin story mostly focused on other things. The Grogar arc of that story wasn't finished when I last checked though and updates are sporadic.