Friendship and the Beast

Once upon a time in the magical land of Equestria, a young King lived in a Crystal Empire. Although he had everything his heart desired, the King was cruel and unkind. The King ruled his kingdom with an iron hoof, tormenting and slaving his poor subjects.

Then, one winter's night, and old beggar pony came to his castle, and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold. Laughing madly, the King called upon his guards to take the old pony away. But she warned him not to be decieved, for the magic of friendship is within everypony.

When the King sneered and called upon his guards once more to dismiss her, the old pony's appearance melted away to reveal the Princess of the Night herself. The King watched in horror, for he knew of the Princess's power, and tried to apologise and beg for forgiveness. But it was too late, as the Princess had now seen that the King's heart was as black as her night, and he could not be forgiven.

As punishment, the Princess transformed the King into a hideous beast, and banished him from the Crystal Empire and Equestria.

Ashamed of his monsterous form and with nowhere else to go, the King concealed himself inside the castle ruins of the Everfree Forest, hiding away from the outside world.

The rose that the Princess had offered, was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom until Princess Celestia's one thousandth year. If he could learn the magic of friendship and love another, and earn her love and friendship in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken and he would be deemed forgiven. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time.

As the years past, the King fell into despair, and lost all hope.

For who could ever learn to befriend a beast?