The Belle of Tambelonby Mr. GrimmChaptersThe Dark Lord's ReturnTrogglesFamiliar FacesClouded Judgement The Dark Lord's ReturnTrixie looked up as the skies suddenly began to darken with ominous clouds, their massive forms streaked with jagged lightning bolts. The unicorn jumped as the ground began to quake violently. Leaves flittered down from the trees as their branches shook, and a nearby pile of boulders toppled over. The frightened magician managed to dodge a rotten branch as it broke off of an overhead oak. She looked up to watch for more, and then noticed something strange. The sudden storm was lowering itself from the sky, growing closer and closer to the ground. Trixie watched, eyes and mouth agape as the storm touched down on several farming properties, spanning over their predominately empty fields. Trixie crouched down in a bush as the clouds swirled and twisted to form the mighty towers of a monstrous castle built of dark, crumbling stone. Likewise, the rest of the cloud changed to make an ancient, decaying city materialize around it. Now before Trixie was a sight from another time, a time when the world was still in its darkest ages. Her first thought was that it was some kind of apparition of a settlement lost to the ever-progressing movement of time. The mare’s thoughts were interrupted when the beating of distant drums reached her ears. The rhythm reminded her of music she’d once heard when performing at a renaissance fair, but at the same time contained the threatening beat of a war march. Trixie’s magenta eyes grew wide as she found the latter to be true as the drums grew closer. Now she could make out the sound of an army on the march, too late realizing that they were heading in her direction. When she finally laid eyes upon the source of this noise, the unicorn was frozen with fear. Coming into view was a mass of the most hideous creatures she’d ever seen. Each was bipedal, though some of the smaller ones leapt about with the aid of their knuckles. No two seemed alike, some were muscular, some were lean, and some were small. Their oily, hairy skins were covered in rusting, dented armor. They clutched wickedly sharp weapons in their claws, as though they had raided a massive armory in the tomb of an ancient king. Unable to bear the sight of the wretched beasts, Trixie instead turned her attention to the unlikely figure leading them. Staggering ahead of the army was a gangly donkey clad in an orange and red tunic, his ears poking out of a tightly fitting hood. Trixie thought he looked rather ugly, but this was normal considering she thought than anypony was in someway blemished compared to her. The donkey suddenly paused in his advance, the creatures behind him stopping with a final collective step. “All bow before his Excellency, the Almighty Grogar!” the donkey cried in a nasally voice. At his words, the army parted into two long lines. Trixie watched as a huge beast came striding down the newly created path. The newcomer was an enormous goat, twice the size of an average pony. His strong, lean body was covered in dark, steely fur, the color of the storm clouds Trixie had first seen. He moved on four powerful cloven hooves, each one seeming large enough to crush a pony’s skull. A tangled beard hung from his sneering muzzle, and a spectacular pair of ebon horns grew from his brow, curling so that the sharp tips pointed ahead. The creature looked out at the world with two burning red eyes that glowered like coals in their sockets. Around his neck was a thick collar covered in tarnished brass plates. Suspended from it was an iron bell, that paradoxically did not ring as he moved. Trixie nearly fainted when the horrible beast turned and looked at her hiding place. “What manner of absurdity is this?” he called out in a guttural voice that grated the unicorn’s ears, “You, there. Come out of that bush at once!” Trixie was mortified. She had no idea how she could be seen, as she was unable to tell that the tip of her hat was quite visible as it protruded obtrusively from the shrub. Fearful of what would befall her if she didn’t comply, the trembling unicorn emerged from her hiding place. Her knees buckled violently as the monstrous goat trotted over to her, the ugly donkey trailing behind him. Trixie soon found herself face to face with the creature, who bore down on her with his terrible gaze. “Mage,” he growled, “What do you call yourself?” At first Trixie was confused at him calling her a mage. But then she remembered she wore her costume, which she had pattered off of the clothing once worn by the ancient wizards of Equestria. “Th-the Great and Powerful Trixie,” she squeaked, not sounding at all great and powerful. “Great and Powerful Trixie,” the goat replied, “I am Grogar, Lord of Darkness. I presume you know of me?” Trixie thought that he was going to kill her not too far in the future, and decided it wouldn’t make a difference if she shook her head. “..N-no…” “It matters not,” he said, “For soon I will rule these lands. Tell me, Mage, do you wish to join me?” The question had seemingly come out of nowhere, and Trixie found herself speechless for a moment. “…Pardon?” she finally murmured. The goat smiled, revealing a mouthful of jagged, crooked teeth. “I request your allegiance,” he said, “I need your help in conquering Equestria.” Trixie slowly pointed a hoof at herself. “My help?” she muttered, a dumbfounded look on her face. Grogar nodded. “Any who wish to serve me will be needed in my fight to restore the proper monarchy,” he said, “And those who choose to aid me will be rewarded.” Trixie’s ears perked up. “Rewarded?…” she mused. The great goat nodded. “In return for your loyalty, you shall receive a gift. What is it that you most desire?” Trixie’s fear was melting away as her true ambitious, opportunistic nature began to surface. “I want…” She paused for just a moment, some small part of her telling her not to trust someone who went by the title of ‘Lord of Darkness’. But though the magician was really quite clever, her intelligence was often dampened by her ambition. In effect, she became quite stupid when faced with an opportunity such as the one at hand. “I want to be the most magical unicorn in Equestria,” she said at last, “I want glory, fame, and power.” Grogar’s small smile grew wider, causing the unicorn to stiffen in fear. “And power you shall receive,” he said, “Now, swear to me. Do you promise to serve me, Grogar, to obey my every command and follow only me?” “I…promise,” gulped the unicorn. Grogar’s blatantly evil smile became a wicked grin. “Excellent,” he rasped, “Then by the dark powers invested in me, I hereby take you to be my personal escort, to fulfill any duties I see fit.” Trixie’s hopeful face suddenly fell as there was a bright flash of green light. She looked down to see an iron collar clasped around her neck, kept shut by the means of what appeared to be a keyless lock. The unicorn glanced back up at the grinning goat. “…What…what sort of duties might those be?” she murmured with a fearful frown. Grogar simply continued to smile. “You shall assist me in any way necessary,” he said, his voice laced with what Trixie took to be malice, “To aid me in my conquests.” This did not sound any more specific than what he had originally said, and so it only caused further nervousness on Trixie’s part. “And I still get to be the most magical unicorn in Equestria?” she asked, forcing a small grin to appear on her face. Grogar leaned in closer, snorting his foul breath in her face. “More magical than you can possibly imagine.” Trixie trailed behind Grogar as the dark spirit walked down the main street of Tambelon. She made sure to stay just far enough behind him so that she couldn’t smell the awful odor he gave off, but close enough so that she felt safe from the intimidating monsters behind her. She still had no idea what they were, but at the moment she didn’t care. Just as long as she was out of their reach. As she walked, the unicorn glanced off into the ruined buildings that made up the city. To her it seemed the city was a corrupted version of a medieval Canterlot. Houses made of rotting wood and crumbling stone lined the streets, and the streets themselves were full of filth and garbage. She heard hammers pounding somewhere, guessing correctly that there was a blacksmith nearby. Trixie couldn’t see any sign that the city was inhabited by ponies, and concluded that it must have only been home to Grogar, the donkey, and the army of monsters they commanded. Trixie looked ahead to the castle that sat on the top of a hill overlooking the ruined city. Walls made of black, weathered stone stood defiant against the cruel power of time, bearing scars from the unending battle. Its massive towers were wreathed in a peculiar smog, its wispy tendrils wrapping around the pillars of stone as if anchoring itself to them. Gargoyles adorned every possible point, their features carved to look so realistically horrible that they almost seemed to be alive, staring down at the magician with lifeless eyes. Though Trixie often thought herself to be infinitely more important that she actually was, she felt small and insignificant as she gazed up at the shadowy fortress. A sudden groan sounded off, causing the unicorn to stiffen in fright. She relaxed slightly as she realized that it was merely the colossal oak doors of the castle opening, seemingly by their own accord. Behind them lay a long corridor lit by weakly burning torches. Trixie felt a sense of foreboding as she stepped into the building, being swallowed by the malevolent darkness. She heard Grogar’s hooves clack loudly against the stone floor ahead of her. The unicorn found herself being led down a labyrinth of musty halls and dusty corridors, until at last they emerged into a vast room. It was lit by a huge, roaring fireplace, the flames a vibrant, unnatural ruby red. Lined against the walls were tables and benches facing the middle of the room. Behind the table on the north wall lay a massive stone throne, covered in elaborate carvings depicting writhing beasts. Hanging on the walls were massive tapestries. They looked as if they could once have been magnificent, were now tattered and moth-eaten. Still, Trixie could make out the images of terrible monsters, portrayed in an artistic manner from another era. Trixie followed Grogar and his donkey servant to the table that sat before the throne. Grogar sat down in the massive stone chair, with Bray taking up residence on a small seat to his right. “Come, Mage,” said the dark lord as he motioned to Trixie with a cloven hoof, “Join me.” Unable to decline, the unicorn took a seat next to him. Her nose crinkled as his goatish odor wafted into her nostrils. The unicorn looked at the doorway as some of Grogar’s army began to pour in, scrambling and pushing past each other to sit down in the benches. The last warriors to enter were rolling enormous brown barrels before them. Trixie watched in awe as the brutes lifted the casks up onto large stands with little effort, both fearful and fascinated by their strength. A short time later the hall was filled with the chattering of the beasts as they drank some kind of putrid ale from mugs hewn from leaky wood. “Music!” called Grogar as he clapped his hooves together twice. Almost instantly the hall was filled with a strange song. Reedy horns began to screech as a loud drum was beaten erratically. This completed the scene of a twisted, demented king’s court, straight from Equestria’s middle ages. Trixie honestly felt as though she had been cast back in time to an era where death and disease were common, where ponies still lived under petty monarchies and the wilds were still untamed. Her observations were interrupted as a goblet was set before her. Much to her delight, it was set with gigantic, colorful gems, their facets glinting beautifully in the light of the fireplace. The cup resembled the picture of a queen’s chalice from a storybook she’d had when she was little. Quickly she levitated it to her lips to sample whatever filled the glamorous goblet. The unicorn immediately gagged, almost vomiting all over the table. A foul rancidness stung her taste buds the moment she sipped whatever vile liquid lay within the cup. She was certain it was some kind of incredibly potent alcohol, perhaps some kind of grog that had aged badly and for too long. She looked over sheepishly as she heard Grogar chuckle. “Get the Mage something a little more suited for her taste,” he murmured to Bray. TrogglesTrixie sipped stagnant water from her goblet, trying to appear as content as possible while in the presence of her new master. In truth, she was sick to her stomach with fear. To her right sat a being who, at a word, could send a horde of deranged monsters to tear her limb from limb. Sitting in the surrounding tables was his army of twisted creatures. To look upon them was to gaze into Tartarus itself. Some cackled cruelly with each other, others snarled and sneered in arguments that Trixie couldn’t understand. The magician had never seen such vile, such terrifying beasts. She had come to notice that there were three distinct species that made up the militia, but she had no names for any of them. Whatever they were, they were loud, smelled terribly, and were prone to violence. No longer wishing to gaze at them, Trixie tried to address Grogar. The unicorn turned to her master with a superficial smile. The goat, who looked out at his minions with a scowl, turned his ghoulish face to peer at the nervous equine. “Are you enjoying yourself?” he asked, his words filled with a darkness that Trixie had only seen in her nightmares. The unicorn nodded vigorously in response. “Y-yes, I am,” she said quickly. A sudden roar by one of the monsters made her polite façade falter, and her grin disappeared for a moment. Grogar’s frowning lips slowly moved to form something that resembled a smile. “You wish to know what they are?” he rasped. Trixie’s mouth fell open in both awe and terror before the spirit of evil. “How did you know?…” breathed the astounded unicorn. The goat raised a thick, sinister eyebrow. There was something in his glowing red orbs that made Trixie cringe with dread. “There are many things that I know,” he answered cryptically, “Among them the answer to your question. The creatures before you are a gathering of Trolls, Ogres, and Goblins. I refer to them as Troggles.” The goat paused as he looked back out at the drunken abominations. “They are conveniently both stupid and violent, which makes them ideal for my purposes.” Sweat began to form on Trixie’s brow as she followed his gaze back into the mass of monsters. “…I see,” murmured the mortified unicorn. She jarred up as she saw two massive Troggles enter the room carrying an enormous platter. A smoky, burned odor worse than Grogar’s came along with them. Upon the greasy, burned metal was something that had been charred beyond recognition. Trixie’s mouth fell open once more as the platter was set down on one of the tables. Almost instantly it fell prey to the tearing claws of the Troggles. The wailing music and cacophony of yammering Troggles was now joined by a sickening ripping noise as the smoking carcass was torn apart by the ravenous creatures. Trixie’s open mouth trembled in fear as she watched the Troggles gnaw on the tough, stringy flesh of whatever had been served to them. As a herbivorous equine, she knew that there were carnivorous creatures in the world. But as far as she knew they were unintelligent beasts that devoured their prey the moment they killed it. The unicorn had never known that there were things that cooked meat like ponies cooked their food. “Wha…I…Uh,” Trixie didn’t know that she was babbling before Grogar addressed her garbled speech. “Yes,” he replied with a hint of cold, uncaring malevolence, “They eat flesh. But you needn’t worry. They wouldn’t dare attack an escort of mine.” Trixie didn’t feel any safer, for while Grogar said this a green, impish creature leered at her from across the room, running a forked tongue along its jagged fangs. “I…” Trixie felt as though she should have continued, but could just find nothing to say in response. The sight of the Troggles, their ragged jaws streaked with gore, left her speechless. She glanced back at Grogar, who looked down upon his bestial subjects with a chilling indifference. Trixie’s stomach twisted and knotted itself a dozen times over as she tried to hide her revulsion. More than anything she wanted to flee, to get away from this horrid place and never return. There was a sudden roar that rose above the clamor of the dining hall. Its source was quickly identified by the frightened unicorn, as two lean-bodied Troggles arose from their seats. Their yellow eyes looked at each other with uncontrolled fury, their long, branching fingers closed tightly into massive fists. They screamed at each other in a language the magician didn’t understand, their toothy maws snapping beneath their long, pointed noses. Trixie winched as the larger one swung a punch into the other’s face with a sickening crack. The smaller creature howled in pain before turning back to face its adversary, setting its jaw back into place with a loud pop. The two erupted into a fierce battle, attacking with claws and teeth. Trixie watched in morbid fascination as they tumbled to the stone floor, knocking over a table as they tore at one another. The others Troggles looked upon the brawl with ragged smiles, cheering the combatants on as if it were a mere sport instead of a fight to the death. “ENOUGH!” The whole room fell silent as a thunderous bellow echoed out from the mouth of Grogar. The giant goat rose up from his seat, looking absolutely furious as his horns crackled with a greenish-white energy. The bell suspended from his collar shone brightly, sending streams of energy over the brass plates surrounding the goat’s neck. Before the two brawlers could even look up at their master, two shafts of raw power shot from the tips of Grogar’s horns. The bell let out a hollow chime. The Troggles vanished as their bodies were enveloped in a blazing explosion, killing them instantly. For some time after this, everyone stared at the pair of burning carcasses that lay in the middle of the room, as if it were some kind of funeral pyre. Grogar growled loudly as he sat back down. “Get that mess out of here,” he grumbled, “Everyone, return to your posts!” Great haste was made as the Troggles scrambled to obey the command, their armor clanking as they brushed against one another. A group of small green Troggles dragged the bodies out through the doorway. Within minutes the dining hall was cleared. Trixie had watched all of this transpire before her with her mouth open in shock. She had no doubt that it was the most brutal thing she had ever seen, as the one she now called master had just murdered two of his subjects without a second thought. She slowly turned her trembling head to face Grogar, who regarded her with a flat look as he snorted away the smoke given off by his horns. “Trolls are the worst ones,” he mumbled. Trixie smiled weakly, but her palled face gave away her terror. “What shall we do now, Master?” came the nasally voice of Bray. Grogar stood back up from his throne, his red eyes flickering with twisted brilliance. “Let us return to my chambers,” he hissed as he glanced over to Trixie, “We have much to discuss.” Trixie’s heart beat so loudly that she was sure that Grogar heard it. “Right then,” said Bray as he stood up, “I’ll call for the kitchen staff to clean up.” The donkey trotted awkwardly around the edge of the table, then departed through the doorway, leaving Trixie alone with the murderous tyrant. “Come, Mage,” said Grogar, “I shall explain to you my plan.” Familiar FacesGrogar’s face remained locked in its typical stony scowl as he descended up the dark stairwell to his room. But in his mind he was smiling a hideous grin. He was all too aware of the unicorn’s fear. He could smell it wafting off of her in copious amounts. It pleased the goat that she was afraid of him, as it would keep her in line. The spirit of darkness hoped to one day make Celestia and Luna feel as frightened as the unicorn who followed him. Grogar glanced over his shoulder at the unicorn. The long trip up the tower was taking its toll on her limbs, each one made flimsy with fright. The necromancer snorted contemptuously. She would never have survived in the age when he had ruled. She was soft, spoiled by the prosperity and peace that flourished under the Alicorns’ reign. But perhaps, with a bit of guidance on his part, she could amount to something. If nothing she’d be a valuable source of information on modern Equestria. Trixie tried to muffle her heavy breathing as she climbed up the stony steps of the tower. They had been ascending for what seemed to be hours, though in reality it had only been a few minutes. She felt tired and sore, as if her legs were about to melt. Whether it was because of her terror or because she was out of shape, she didn’t know. Either way she didn’t want to disappoint Grogar in any possible way after seeing what he did to those who stepped out of line. It was only after seeing the two trolls destroyed that she realized she’d sold her soul to a fiendish tyrant. The collar around her neck seemed to grow heavier, dragging her spirits down far into the earth. The unicorn’s thoughts were interrupted when the monstrous goat stopped before a heavy oak door. He snorted as he butted his head against it, pushing it open. He continued on in with Trixie close behind. The mare shielded her eyes as they adjusted to the slightly brighter room, which like the rest of the castle was lit by torches. Trixie found herself standing in the middle of a cavernous room, its ceiling high and coned to match the gothic roof that covered it. Spread out on the floor was a great deal of ornately carved tables, their legs carved to resemble totems of strange, snarling monsters. Laid out on their dusty surfaces was an omnigatherum of objects, some as mundane as a simple sword, others were so exotic that she couldn’t identify them. The ones that mostly caught the unicorn’s eye were the ones that appeared as pieces of jewelry, crafted from gleaming gold and sparkling gemstones. The magician eventually noticed the tapestries that hung from the cold walls. Like the ones in the dining hall they were moldered and threadbare, indicating their great age. They depicted what appeared to be monsters in various acts of cruelty, some destroying villages, others attacking castles. Though they were sewn from decaying thread, the creatures still made the unicorn’s hair stand on end. One of the creatures was a massive behemoth, with the body of a black stallion. A strange torso emerged from where the head should have been, adorned with a black breastplate. The skin of the torso was red, and the muscular arms bore powerful clawed hands. The head was horned, and at first Trixie thought the creature was meant to be a malformed minotaur. But the face served to disprove her assumption. It was the strange, snarling face of some kind of ape, its grimacing maw filled with fangs. The bizarre monstrosity was in the act of toppling a tower by the means of a small black bag clutched in its claws that gave forth a beam of darkness. “It’s only a picture,” came the cynical voice of Grogar. Trixie was drawn out of her fixation and turned to look at the goat as he trotted over beside her, leering at the stitched creature with what seemed to be disappointment. “What…What is it?” the magician asked meekly. “Tirek,” came the curt reply, “Just one of the many sorcerers who failed me.” He turned and looked at the rest of the tapestries, a low growl in his throat. “They all failed me.” Trixie followed the goat as he walked along the walls, scowling at each monster. “I crafted the gifts that gave them power,” he pointed a cloven hoof at a hideous sea monster with a red amulet clutched in its tentacle, “And they were defeated by idiotic mortal values. Love and friendship…Peace and harmony…” Trixie began to shrink back as the necromancer shook with rage. Grogar’s red eyes blazed with long-held hatred, as though he might lash out and kill her at any moment. But he quickly regained composure as Bray entered the room. The donkey’s graceless stride made the warlord look upon him with flatness. “The great hall has been cleaned, Master,” Bray said with a bow. Grogar snorted and turned away, trotting toward what appeared to be a model of Tambelon. The miniature city sat on a table in the middle of the room. Trixie noticed that the replica of Grogar’s castle seemed to be made of newer wood than the rest of the tiny buildings. “Now then,” the goat said as he circled the table, “I shall explain my plan in simple terms so that your primitive equine brains may understand it. Trixie’s eyes widened indignantly, and grew wider as she saw the complete lack of offense taken by Bray, who continued to gaze obediently at their tyrannical master. “Mage,” continued the goat, “You recall when I gained your service by offering you power?” Trixie nodded, as this had only been a few hours earlier. “Yes,” she murmured, “But what has that…” She stopped when she saw the commanding glare Grogar gave her. “All mortals are easily corrupted,” he said with a small, wicked smile, “Even the purest heart can be consumed by selfish desire and pride.” Trixie frowned, for when he said this he was looking at her in an almost accusing manner. “That’s right,” Bray added with a crooked grin, “They can’t resist temptation. It’s like waving candy in front of a foal.” “Silence!” barked Grogar. Bray’s ears fell as his smile vanished. Grogar looked back to Trixie, who stood uncomfortably before his steely gaze as he spoke to her in an eerily quiet voice. “Mage, I intend to deceive the populace of Equestria into acting against their leaders so that I may ascend once again to the throne.” Trixie nearly fainted. He had told her his intention when they had first met, but now knowing just how evil he really was, the thought of him ruling Equestria was devastating. Her mind was filled with horrid visions of a dark dystopia; ponies succumbing daily to the iron hoof of the tyrannical Grogar. She saw bands of Troggles raiding the countryside, feasting upon whatever they could catch in their jagged claws. “How are we going to do this?” she breathed, not daring to allow any hint of her misery into her words. Grogar smiled at her in a way that made her shudder. “I have been gone for five centuries,” he said, “And do not know of what has happened in my absence. Tell me, who are the most powerful warriors of Equestria, second only to the princesses?” Trixie’s face turned horribly bitter as she thought of the answer. She knew all too well who qualified as the six most powerful ponies in Equestria. For almost a year she’d been keeping tabs on them, brooding enviously over their successes while she could hardly manage to maintain her already shaky reputation. “The Elements of Harmony,” she muttered. Grogar snarled fiercely at the jealous magician, causing her to leap back in fear. “I said second to the princesses, you imbecile!” he bellowed as his horns crackled with his destructive magic. Trixie fell to the floor in a cowering bow, her eyes pleading for forgiveness. “B-but they are!” cried the unicorn, “They’re six ponies! One of them is Celestia’s student!” She covered her face with her forelegs. She glanced up as the goat’s horns ceased their ominous sparking. He ran a cloven hoof through his beard as he took in the magician’s words. “Six ponies?” he murmured, “One for each Element.” A delighted grin spread across his face. “Tell me of their deeds, Mage.” Trixie began to rise to her hooves, her face once again embittered. Now humiliation was being added to her fear. Having to relay the heroics of the six ponies she despised irritated her to no end, but she knew she had little choice. “They defeated Nightmare Moon,” she mumbled sulkily. “That was when they became the bearers of the Elements.” Grogar frowned, his eyes clouded in memory for a moment. They returned to the present as he made a horrendous scowl. “Nightmare…” he growled, “That miserable strumpet…” Trixie’s eyes widened in surprise at his recognition of the name. “You…you know about Nightmare Moon?” replied the astounded unicorn. “I know of Nightmare,” rumbled the necromancer, “I am the one who wrought her powers.” Bray shuddered at the creature’s name, recalling his terrifying encounters with what was once the only female equine to inhabit Tambelon. “Glad to hear she’s been disposed of,” he mumbled. “Anyway,” continued Trixie, “They turned her back into Princess Luna. That was the first time they used the Elements. Then about six months later Discord escaped and took over Equestria--” Trixie wasn’t so much surprised that Grogar knew of the Draconequus as she was to his reaction. The goat let out a roar of deriding laughter, along with a shower of foul-smelling spittle. “That buffoon?” he guffawed, “He was but a glorified gargoyle in my time. The coward went into hiding whenever his subjects acted up.” Trixie paled upon hearing Grogar’s opinion of what she had up until this point believed to be the most powerful being in existence. Grogar picked up on this quite easily and laughed once more, this time at Trixie. “Your society is more pathetic than I thought if you were fearful of something as harmless as Discord,” he chuckled, “You’ll come to think of him as a jest when I return to power.” Trixie seemed to shrink at his words, knowing that he was probably right. “And then there was the wedding two months ago,” she murmured humbly, “They didn’t actually use the Elements there, but they defeated Queen Chrysalis’s army.” Again, the magician saw recognition in Grogar’s eyes. But rather than hate or mirth, they seemed blank, as if he were lost in thought. “Chrysalis…” he rasped, “She survived the uprising…” There was almost a trace of respect in his voice. “What happened at this wedding?” “Queen Chrysalis tricked Shining Armor into thinking she was his fiancé,” answered Trixie, “He’s captain of the royal guard. I think it was a ruse to get him to let down the spell that was protecting Canterlot at the time.” Grogar stroked his beard as he glanced up at a tapestry bearing the image of a tall, black equine with a crooked horn and ragged wings. “Interesting,” he murmured, “But of course, it failed?” “She was exposed at the ceremony,” said Trixie, “She did beat Celestia, though…” Grogar’s brow raised in surprise, and then scrunched back into his usual sneer. “By feeding on the captain’s love, I gather?” Trixie nodded. Grogar was silent for a few moments as he pondered this information. One of his evil smiles crept insidiously onto his muzzle. “The fool…She was defeated by the love between the bride and the groom, wasn’t she?” Trixie couldn’t help but be astounded by his correct and insightful answer. “Yes,” she said, “It sent her and her changelings out of Canterlot…How did you know?” “Because I am not a gluttonous idiot like she is,” Grogar beamed, “It must never have occurred to her that her power would be cut off when groom reunited with his true love. Likewise, she never realized that their true love would serve as an antithesis to the affection she feeds on though falsehoods.” He turned back to his minions with a dark grin. “But what can you expect from a creature that feeds on something as trivial and useless as love?” “Not much,” said Bray. Grogar narrowed his eyes at the donkey before turning to Trixie. “Mage,” he said, “Tell me everything you know about these ponies that bear the Elements. I must know their names and where I may find them.” Trixie frowned in discomfort as the goat craned his horrifying head so that it was only inches away from her own. “We have work to do.” Clouded Judgement Clouded Judgement Grogar stood over a strangely decorated cauldron, scowling as he poured the contents of several dark, twisted bottles into the glowering liquid within. The strange mixture gave forth wisps of smoke that wavered sickly in the air. Bray and Trixie watched nearby. Bray had seen Grogar perform such magic since he had signed on as his servant centuries ago, and so seemed much calmer than Trixie. At the moment the blue unicorn watched the goat work with a nervous grimace. The magic he was using was of a dark, malevolent variety, a kind that was used only for the most nefarious of purposes. Shortly after her humiliation in Ponyville, Trixie had obtained a book containing such magic in hopes of using it for revenge. What she had seen between its pages made her skin crawl, and shortly afterwards she discarded the horrifying tome. She did not know in particular what spell Grogar was casting, but she did notice something strange. According to the book, the caster had to call upon spirits with near-unpronounceable names in order to give the spells power. Grogar did no such thing, and remained silent for the entire duration. A sudden cloud of black smoke rose up from the mixture, causing Trixie to wince. Grogar smiled as it began to branch out with numerous tendrils across the room. They stretched out until the cloud dissipated into several writhing pillars, which snaked all over the ceiling. Trixie’s blood ran cold as one brushed against her horn, moving back into a mass with its siblings to once again form a dark cloud. It began to grow, spreading across the room like a malignant fog. The unicorn heard Grogar chuckle as it began to spread out the window, floating off into the breeze across Equestria, casting a shadow wherever it went. Twilight Sparkle was in the middle of organizing the library when she heard an unusual commotion out on the street. It had to have been very loud, as when Twilight organized her books she tended to block out most things. The lavender mare peeked out her window to see what was the matter. She immediately saw what was wrong. A thick, dark cloud was spreading across the skies, bringing a shadow along with it. Twilight immediately knew it was not a natural cloud, as it was actually growing in size as it came billowing along on a powerful wind. Ponies stood frozen in the streets, their eyes locked on the cloud as it reached Ponyville. It darkened the world as it blocked out the sun, leaving it in a cloudy bleakness. Twilight left her window and made for the door, galloping out into the now-gloomy streets. All around her she heard the denizens of Ponyville murmur fearfully, panic creeping into their voices with each passing second. Fearful of what was happening herself, Twilight looked around for her fellow Elements. She spotted Pinkie just outside of Sugarcube Corners, her body shaking, wobbling, and twitching in all sorts of ways. Knowing this to be a bad sign, the lavender unicorn rushed over to her friend. Pinkie spotted her and ran to met her halfway. “Twilight!” she cried, “Something super-duper major just happened!” “I know,” said Twilight as she looked up at the cloudy skies. She spotted several multi-colored ponies soar through the air, led in a V formation by a flash of cyan. Twilight’s eyes went wide with realization. “No!” she cried, though she knew that the Pegasai were too far to hear, “Don’t!” But it was too late. The squadron of winged equines charged at the stormy vapor. Before they could touch the ugly mass, the clouds erupted into chaos. Lightning streaked across the sky like skeletal claws, striking out at the Pegasai like a wounded animal. The frightened ponies broke formation, and scattered across the sky in an attempt to land. The cyan pony descended haphazardly, as if injured. Twilight soon saw the reason for this behavior, as the Pegasus’s tail was on fire. Another moment passed before the winged pony dove into the duck pond near Fluttershy’s house. Twilight and Pinkie looked at each other, and then started sprinting to where the Pegasus had crashed. Rainbow Dash burst through the surface of the water, gasping through the wet tangles of her mane. She flipped her head back, sending it out of face. The Pegasus then dogpaddled to the edge of the pond, spotting Fluttershy galloping up to the water’s edge. “Rainbow Dash!” cried the cream-colored Pegasus, “Are you okay?” Dash untangled a lily pad from her mane as she stood to her hooves. “Yeah,” she coughed, “I think so.” Her calm demeanor vanished, however, when she glanced back to see that her tail was nearly gone. Immediately she took on a look that was somewhere between utter fury and disbelief. “My tail!” she cried, “That…UGH!” She roared in anger, stomping her hooves and flapping her wings, “When I find out who made that stupid storm, I’m gonna bash his rotten head in!” Fluttershy took a step back, clearly frightened of her friend’s rage. The cyan Pegasus continued to rant as two other ponies galloped over to Fluttershy. “Fluttershy!” cried Twilight, “Is Rainbow Dash O-” The unicorn stopped as she saw the Pegasus throwing small rocks into Fluttershy’s pond. While she seemed concerned about the Pegasus’s anger, she was at the same time relieved to see she was alive. “Wow, Dashie,” said Pinkie, “I’ve never seen you this mad.” “Darn right I’m mad!” spat Dash, “Look what happened!” She turned around to show them her badly-burnt tail, which had been turned an ashy gray. “I don’t see why you’re so upset,” said Twilight, “It’ll grow back.” “You’re missing the point, Egghead!” Dash snapped, “I can’t fly without my tail! How am I supposed to get into the Wonderbolts now?” “I think we have bigger problems,” Twilight sighed flatly, “Like, for instance, this unusual weather.” Trixie stood behind Grogar as the necromancer gazed into a large crystal ball. The goat smiled as he watched the four mares within, his horrible teeth scraping together. “Are these the Elements of Harmony you spoke of?” he snorted. “Most of them,” mumbled the blue unicorn. Grogar’s dark smile broadened. Trixie could see unspeakably evil thoughts churning within his fiery eyes as he watched the ponies’ every movement, coming together to form a plan as bleak and twisted as his soul. “This ‘Twilight Sparkle’, she is Celestia’s protégé?” Trixie nodded, unable to hide the bitter hatred in her eyes as she recalled the purple mare. Grogar gave her a loathsome grin. “I understand you are jealous of her?” Trixie gave a hesitant nod. “I…Well, I guess I am,” she said. “That is understandable,” Grogar said, “From what you’ve told me, she’s very talented. For an Equine, that is. But don’t fret. You may get to kill her in the future.” Grogar turned back to the crystal ball, allowing Trixie to silently express her horror. The mare began to sweat profusely as a miserable grimace dominated her face. She didn’t want to kill anypony. Humiliate, maybe, but never kill. She looked away from the goat and the crystal, trying her hardest not to think what was in the days to come.
The Dark Lord's ReturnTrixie looked up as the skies suddenly began to darken with ominous clouds, their massive forms streaked with jagged lightning bolts. The unicorn jumped as the ground began to quake violently. Leaves flittered down from the trees as their branches shook, and a nearby pile of boulders toppled over. The frightened magician managed to dodge a rotten branch as it broke off of an overhead oak. She looked up to watch for more, and then noticed something strange. The sudden storm was lowering itself from the sky, growing closer and closer to the ground. Trixie watched, eyes and mouth agape as the storm touched down on several farming properties, spanning over their predominately empty fields. Trixie crouched down in a bush as the clouds swirled and twisted to form the mighty towers of a monstrous castle built of dark, crumbling stone. Likewise, the rest of the cloud changed to make an ancient, decaying city materialize around it. Now before Trixie was a sight from another time, a time when the world was still in its darkest ages. Her first thought was that it was some kind of apparition of a settlement lost to the ever-progressing movement of time. The mare’s thoughts were interrupted when the beating of distant drums reached her ears. The rhythm reminded her of music she’d once heard when performing at a renaissance fair, but at the same time contained the threatening beat of a war march. Trixie’s magenta eyes grew wide as she found the latter to be true as the drums grew closer. Now she could make out the sound of an army on the march, too late realizing that they were heading in her direction. When she finally laid eyes upon the source of this noise, the unicorn was frozen with fear. Coming into view was a mass of the most hideous creatures she’d ever seen. Each was bipedal, though some of the smaller ones leapt about with the aid of their knuckles. No two seemed alike, some were muscular, some were lean, and some were small. Their oily, hairy skins were covered in rusting, dented armor. They clutched wickedly sharp weapons in their claws, as though they had raided a massive armory in the tomb of an ancient king. Unable to bear the sight of the wretched beasts, Trixie instead turned her attention to the unlikely figure leading them. Staggering ahead of the army was a gangly donkey clad in an orange and red tunic, his ears poking out of a tightly fitting hood. Trixie thought he looked rather ugly, but this was normal considering she thought than anypony was in someway blemished compared to her. The donkey suddenly paused in his advance, the creatures behind him stopping with a final collective step. “All bow before his Excellency, the Almighty Grogar!” the donkey cried in a nasally voice. At his words, the army parted into two long lines. Trixie watched as a huge beast came striding down the newly created path. The newcomer was an enormous goat, twice the size of an average pony. His strong, lean body was covered in dark, steely fur, the color of the storm clouds Trixie had first seen. He moved on four powerful cloven hooves, each one seeming large enough to crush a pony’s skull. A tangled beard hung from his sneering muzzle, and a spectacular pair of ebon horns grew from his brow, curling so that the sharp tips pointed ahead. The creature looked out at the world with two burning red eyes that glowered like coals in their sockets. Around his neck was a thick collar covered in tarnished brass plates. Suspended from it was an iron bell, that paradoxically did not ring as he moved. Trixie nearly fainted when the horrible beast turned and looked at her hiding place. “What manner of absurdity is this?” he called out in a guttural voice that grated the unicorn’s ears, “You, there. Come out of that bush at once!” Trixie was mortified. She had no idea how she could be seen, as she was unable to tell that the tip of her hat was quite visible as it protruded obtrusively from the shrub. Fearful of what would befall her if she didn’t comply, the trembling unicorn emerged from her hiding place. Her knees buckled violently as the monstrous goat trotted over to her, the ugly donkey trailing behind him. Trixie soon found herself face to face with the creature, who bore down on her with his terrible gaze. “Mage,” he growled, “What do you call yourself?” At first Trixie was confused at him calling her a mage. But then she remembered she wore her costume, which she had pattered off of the clothing once worn by the ancient wizards of Equestria. “Th-the Great and Powerful Trixie,” she squeaked, not sounding at all great and powerful. “Great and Powerful Trixie,” the goat replied, “I am Grogar, Lord of Darkness. I presume you know of me?” Trixie thought that he was going to kill her not too far in the future, and decided it wouldn’t make a difference if she shook her head. “..N-no…” “It matters not,” he said, “For soon I will rule these lands. Tell me, Mage, do you wish to join me?” The question had seemingly come out of nowhere, and Trixie found herself speechless for a moment. “…Pardon?” she finally murmured. The goat smiled, revealing a mouthful of jagged, crooked teeth. “I request your allegiance,” he said, “I need your help in conquering Equestria.” Trixie slowly pointed a hoof at herself. “My help?” she muttered, a dumbfounded look on her face. Grogar nodded. “Any who wish to serve me will be needed in my fight to restore the proper monarchy,” he said, “And those who choose to aid me will be rewarded.” Trixie’s ears perked up. “Rewarded?…” she mused. The great goat nodded. “In return for your loyalty, you shall receive a gift. What is it that you most desire?” Trixie’s fear was melting away as her true ambitious, opportunistic nature began to surface. “I want…” She paused for just a moment, some small part of her telling her not to trust someone who went by the title of ‘Lord of Darkness’. But though the magician was really quite clever, her intelligence was often dampened by her ambition. In effect, she became quite stupid when faced with an opportunity such as the one at hand. “I want to be the most magical unicorn in Equestria,” she said at last, “I want glory, fame, and power.” Grogar’s small smile grew wider, causing the unicorn to stiffen in fear. “And power you shall receive,” he said, “Now, swear to me. Do you promise to serve me, Grogar, to obey my every command and follow only me?” “I…promise,” gulped the unicorn. Grogar’s blatantly evil smile became a wicked grin. “Excellent,” he rasped, “Then by the dark powers invested in me, I hereby take you to be my personal escort, to fulfill any duties I see fit.” Trixie’s hopeful face suddenly fell as there was a bright flash of green light. She looked down to see an iron collar clasped around her neck, kept shut by the means of what appeared to be a keyless lock. The unicorn glanced back up at the grinning goat. “…What…what sort of duties might those be?” she murmured with a fearful frown. Grogar simply continued to smile. “You shall assist me in any way necessary,” he said, his voice laced with what Trixie took to be malice, “To aid me in my conquests.” This did not sound any more specific than what he had originally said, and so it only caused further nervousness on Trixie’s part. “And I still get to be the most magical unicorn in Equestria?” she asked, forcing a small grin to appear on her face. Grogar leaned in closer, snorting his foul breath in her face. “More magical than you can possibly imagine.” Trixie trailed behind Grogar as the dark spirit walked down the main street of Tambelon. She made sure to stay just far enough behind him so that she couldn’t smell the awful odor he gave off, but close enough so that she felt safe from the intimidating monsters behind her. She still had no idea what they were, but at the moment she didn’t care. Just as long as she was out of their reach. As she walked, the unicorn glanced off into the ruined buildings that made up the city. To her it seemed the city was a corrupted version of a medieval Canterlot. Houses made of rotting wood and crumbling stone lined the streets, and the streets themselves were full of filth and garbage. She heard hammers pounding somewhere, guessing correctly that there was a blacksmith nearby. Trixie couldn’t see any sign that the city was inhabited by ponies, and concluded that it must have only been home to Grogar, the donkey, and the army of monsters they commanded. Trixie looked ahead to the castle that sat on the top of a hill overlooking the ruined city. Walls made of black, weathered stone stood defiant against the cruel power of time, bearing scars from the unending battle. Its massive towers were wreathed in a peculiar smog, its wispy tendrils wrapping around the pillars of stone as if anchoring itself to them. Gargoyles adorned every possible point, their features carved to look so realistically horrible that they almost seemed to be alive, staring down at the magician with lifeless eyes. Though Trixie often thought herself to be infinitely more important that she actually was, she felt small and insignificant as she gazed up at the shadowy fortress. A sudden groan sounded off, causing the unicorn to stiffen in fright. She relaxed slightly as she realized that it was merely the colossal oak doors of the castle opening, seemingly by their own accord. Behind them lay a long corridor lit by weakly burning torches. Trixie felt a sense of foreboding as she stepped into the building, being swallowed by the malevolent darkness. She heard Grogar’s hooves clack loudly against the stone floor ahead of her. The unicorn found herself being led down a labyrinth of musty halls and dusty corridors, until at last they emerged into a vast room. It was lit by a huge, roaring fireplace, the flames a vibrant, unnatural ruby red. Lined against the walls were tables and benches facing the middle of the room. Behind the table on the north wall lay a massive stone throne, covered in elaborate carvings depicting writhing beasts. Hanging on the walls were massive tapestries. They looked as if they could once have been magnificent, were now tattered and moth-eaten. Still, Trixie could make out the images of terrible monsters, portrayed in an artistic manner from another era. Trixie followed Grogar and his donkey servant to the table that sat before the throne. Grogar sat down in the massive stone chair, with Bray taking up residence on a small seat to his right. “Come, Mage,” said the dark lord as he motioned to Trixie with a cloven hoof, “Join me.” Unable to decline, the unicorn took a seat next to him. Her nose crinkled as his goatish odor wafted into her nostrils. The unicorn looked at the doorway as some of Grogar’s army began to pour in, scrambling and pushing past each other to sit down in the benches. The last warriors to enter were rolling enormous brown barrels before them. Trixie watched in awe as the brutes lifted the casks up onto large stands with little effort, both fearful and fascinated by their strength. A short time later the hall was filled with the chattering of the beasts as they drank some kind of putrid ale from mugs hewn from leaky wood. “Music!” called Grogar as he clapped his hooves together twice. Almost instantly the hall was filled with a strange song. Reedy horns began to screech as a loud drum was beaten erratically. This completed the scene of a twisted, demented king’s court, straight from Equestria’s middle ages. Trixie honestly felt as though she had been cast back in time to an era where death and disease were common, where ponies still lived under petty monarchies and the wilds were still untamed. Her observations were interrupted as a goblet was set before her. Much to her delight, it was set with gigantic, colorful gems, their facets glinting beautifully in the light of the fireplace. The cup resembled the picture of a queen’s chalice from a storybook she’d had when she was little. Quickly she levitated it to her lips to sample whatever filled the glamorous goblet. The unicorn immediately gagged, almost vomiting all over the table. A foul rancidness stung her taste buds the moment she sipped whatever vile liquid lay within the cup. She was certain it was some kind of incredibly potent alcohol, perhaps some kind of grog that had aged badly and for too long. She looked over sheepishly as she heard Grogar chuckle. “Get the Mage something a little more suited for her taste,” he murmured to Bray.
TrogglesTrixie sipped stagnant water from her goblet, trying to appear as content as possible while in the presence of her new master. In truth, she was sick to her stomach with fear. To her right sat a being who, at a word, could send a horde of deranged monsters to tear her limb from limb. Sitting in the surrounding tables was his army of twisted creatures. To look upon them was to gaze into Tartarus itself. Some cackled cruelly with each other, others snarled and sneered in arguments that Trixie couldn’t understand. The magician had never seen such vile, such terrifying beasts. She had come to notice that there were three distinct species that made up the militia, but she had no names for any of them. Whatever they were, they were loud, smelled terribly, and were prone to violence. No longer wishing to gaze at them, Trixie tried to address Grogar. The unicorn turned to her master with a superficial smile. The goat, who looked out at his minions with a scowl, turned his ghoulish face to peer at the nervous equine. “Are you enjoying yourself?” he asked, his words filled with a darkness that Trixie had only seen in her nightmares. The unicorn nodded vigorously in response. “Y-yes, I am,” she said quickly. A sudden roar by one of the monsters made her polite façade falter, and her grin disappeared for a moment. Grogar’s frowning lips slowly moved to form something that resembled a smile. “You wish to know what they are?” he rasped. Trixie’s mouth fell open in both awe and terror before the spirit of evil. “How did you know?…” breathed the astounded unicorn. The goat raised a thick, sinister eyebrow. There was something in his glowing red orbs that made Trixie cringe with dread. “There are many things that I know,” he answered cryptically, “Among them the answer to your question. The creatures before you are a gathering of Trolls, Ogres, and Goblins. I refer to them as Troggles.” The goat paused as he looked back out at the drunken abominations. “They are conveniently both stupid and violent, which makes them ideal for my purposes.” Sweat began to form on Trixie’s brow as she followed his gaze back into the mass of monsters. “…I see,” murmured the mortified unicorn. She jarred up as she saw two massive Troggles enter the room carrying an enormous platter. A smoky, burned odor worse than Grogar’s came along with them. Upon the greasy, burned metal was something that had been charred beyond recognition. Trixie’s mouth fell open once more as the platter was set down on one of the tables. Almost instantly it fell prey to the tearing claws of the Troggles. The wailing music and cacophony of yammering Troggles was now joined by a sickening ripping noise as the smoking carcass was torn apart by the ravenous creatures. Trixie’s open mouth trembled in fear as she watched the Troggles gnaw on the tough, stringy flesh of whatever had been served to them. As a herbivorous equine, she knew that there were carnivorous creatures in the world. But as far as she knew they were unintelligent beasts that devoured their prey the moment they killed it. The unicorn had never known that there were things that cooked meat like ponies cooked their food. “Wha…I…Uh,” Trixie didn’t know that she was babbling before Grogar addressed her garbled speech. “Yes,” he replied with a hint of cold, uncaring malevolence, “They eat flesh. But you needn’t worry. They wouldn’t dare attack an escort of mine.” Trixie didn’t feel any safer, for while Grogar said this a green, impish creature leered at her from across the room, running a forked tongue along its jagged fangs. “I…” Trixie felt as though she should have continued, but could just find nothing to say in response. The sight of the Troggles, their ragged jaws streaked with gore, left her speechless. She glanced back at Grogar, who looked down upon his bestial subjects with a chilling indifference. Trixie’s stomach twisted and knotted itself a dozen times over as she tried to hide her revulsion. More than anything she wanted to flee, to get away from this horrid place and never return. There was a sudden roar that rose above the clamor of the dining hall. Its source was quickly identified by the frightened unicorn, as two lean-bodied Troggles arose from their seats. Their yellow eyes looked at each other with uncontrolled fury, their long, branching fingers closed tightly into massive fists. They screamed at each other in a language the magician didn’t understand, their toothy maws snapping beneath their long, pointed noses. Trixie winched as the larger one swung a punch into the other’s face with a sickening crack. The smaller creature howled in pain before turning back to face its adversary, setting its jaw back into place with a loud pop. The two erupted into a fierce battle, attacking with claws and teeth. Trixie watched in morbid fascination as they tumbled to the stone floor, knocking over a table as they tore at one another. The others Troggles looked upon the brawl with ragged smiles, cheering the combatants on as if it were a mere sport instead of a fight to the death. “ENOUGH!” The whole room fell silent as a thunderous bellow echoed out from the mouth of Grogar. The giant goat rose up from his seat, looking absolutely furious as his horns crackled with a greenish-white energy. The bell suspended from his collar shone brightly, sending streams of energy over the brass plates surrounding the goat’s neck. Before the two brawlers could even look up at their master, two shafts of raw power shot from the tips of Grogar’s horns. The bell let out a hollow chime. The Troggles vanished as their bodies were enveloped in a blazing explosion, killing them instantly. For some time after this, everyone stared at the pair of burning carcasses that lay in the middle of the room, as if it were some kind of funeral pyre. Grogar growled loudly as he sat back down. “Get that mess out of here,” he grumbled, “Everyone, return to your posts!” Great haste was made as the Troggles scrambled to obey the command, their armor clanking as they brushed against one another. A group of small green Troggles dragged the bodies out through the doorway. Within minutes the dining hall was cleared. Trixie had watched all of this transpire before her with her mouth open in shock. She had no doubt that it was the most brutal thing she had ever seen, as the one she now called master had just murdered two of his subjects without a second thought. She slowly turned her trembling head to face Grogar, who regarded her with a flat look as he snorted away the smoke given off by his horns. “Trolls are the worst ones,” he mumbled. Trixie smiled weakly, but her palled face gave away her terror. “What shall we do now, Master?” came the nasally voice of Bray. Grogar stood back up from his throne, his red eyes flickering with twisted brilliance. “Let us return to my chambers,” he hissed as he glanced over to Trixie, “We have much to discuss.” Trixie’s heart beat so loudly that she was sure that Grogar heard it. “Right then,” said Bray as he stood up, “I’ll call for the kitchen staff to clean up.” The donkey trotted awkwardly around the edge of the table, then departed through the doorway, leaving Trixie alone with the murderous tyrant. “Come, Mage,” said Grogar, “I shall explain to you my plan.”
Familiar FacesGrogar’s face remained locked in its typical stony scowl as he descended up the dark stairwell to his room. But in his mind he was smiling a hideous grin. He was all too aware of the unicorn’s fear. He could smell it wafting off of her in copious amounts. It pleased the goat that she was afraid of him, as it would keep her in line. The spirit of darkness hoped to one day make Celestia and Luna feel as frightened as the unicorn who followed him. Grogar glanced over his shoulder at the unicorn. The long trip up the tower was taking its toll on her limbs, each one made flimsy with fright. The necromancer snorted contemptuously. She would never have survived in the age when he had ruled. She was soft, spoiled by the prosperity and peace that flourished under the Alicorns’ reign. But perhaps, with a bit of guidance on his part, she could amount to something. If nothing she’d be a valuable source of information on modern Equestria. Trixie tried to muffle her heavy breathing as she climbed up the stony steps of the tower. They had been ascending for what seemed to be hours, though in reality it had only been a few minutes. She felt tired and sore, as if her legs were about to melt. Whether it was because of her terror or because she was out of shape, she didn’t know. Either way she didn’t want to disappoint Grogar in any possible way after seeing what he did to those who stepped out of line. It was only after seeing the two trolls destroyed that she realized she’d sold her soul to a fiendish tyrant. The collar around her neck seemed to grow heavier, dragging her spirits down far into the earth. The unicorn’s thoughts were interrupted when the monstrous goat stopped before a heavy oak door. He snorted as he butted his head against it, pushing it open. He continued on in with Trixie close behind. The mare shielded her eyes as they adjusted to the slightly brighter room, which like the rest of the castle was lit by torches. Trixie found herself standing in the middle of a cavernous room, its ceiling high and coned to match the gothic roof that covered it. Spread out on the floor was a great deal of ornately carved tables, their legs carved to resemble totems of strange, snarling monsters. Laid out on their dusty surfaces was an omnigatherum of objects, some as mundane as a simple sword, others were so exotic that she couldn’t identify them. The ones that mostly caught the unicorn’s eye were the ones that appeared as pieces of jewelry, crafted from gleaming gold and sparkling gemstones. The magician eventually noticed the tapestries that hung from the cold walls. Like the ones in the dining hall they were moldered and threadbare, indicating their great age. They depicted what appeared to be monsters in various acts of cruelty, some destroying villages, others attacking castles. Though they were sewn from decaying thread, the creatures still made the unicorn’s hair stand on end. One of the creatures was a massive behemoth, with the body of a black stallion. A strange torso emerged from where the head should have been, adorned with a black breastplate. The skin of the torso was red, and the muscular arms bore powerful clawed hands. The head was horned, and at first Trixie thought the creature was meant to be a malformed minotaur. But the face served to disprove her assumption. It was the strange, snarling face of some kind of ape, its grimacing maw filled with fangs. The bizarre monstrosity was in the act of toppling a tower by the means of a small black bag clutched in its claws that gave forth a beam of darkness. “It’s only a picture,” came the cynical voice of Grogar. Trixie was drawn out of her fixation and turned to look at the goat as he trotted over beside her, leering at the stitched creature with what seemed to be disappointment. “What…What is it?” the magician asked meekly. “Tirek,” came the curt reply, “Just one of the many sorcerers who failed me.” He turned and looked at the rest of the tapestries, a low growl in his throat. “They all failed me.” Trixie followed the goat as he walked along the walls, scowling at each monster. “I crafted the gifts that gave them power,” he pointed a cloven hoof at a hideous sea monster with a red amulet clutched in its tentacle, “And they were defeated by idiotic mortal values. Love and friendship…Peace and harmony…” Trixie began to shrink back as the necromancer shook with rage. Grogar’s red eyes blazed with long-held hatred, as though he might lash out and kill her at any moment. But he quickly regained composure as Bray entered the room. The donkey’s graceless stride made the warlord look upon him with flatness. “The great hall has been cleaned, Master,” Bray said with a bow. Grogar snorted and turned away, trotting toward what appeared to be a model of Tambelon. The miniature city sat on a table in the middle of the room. Trixie noticed that the replica of Grogar’s castle seemed to be made of newer wood than the rest of the tiny buildings. “Now then,” the goat said as he circled the table, “I shall explain my plan in simple terms so that your primitive equine brains may understand it. Trixie’s eyes widened indignantly, and grew wider as she saw the complete lack of offense taken by Bray, who continued to gaze obediently at their tyrannical master. “Mage,” continued the goat, “You recall when I gained your service by offering you power?” Trixie nodded, as this had only been a few hours earlier. “Yes,” she murmured, “But what has that…” She stopped when she saw the commanding glare Grogar gave her. “All mortals are easily corrupted,” he said with a small, wicked smile, “Even the purest heart can be consumed by selfish desire and pride.” Trixie frowned, for when he said this he was looking at her in an almost accusing manner. “That’s right,” Bray added with a crooked grin, “They can’t resist temptation. It’s like waving candy in front of a foal.” “Silence!” barked Grogar. Bray’s ears fell as his smile vanished. Grogar looked back to Trixie, who stood uncomfortably before his steely gaze as he spoke to her in an eerily quiet voice. “Mage, I intend to deceive the populace of Equestria into acting against their leaders so that I may ascend once again to the throne.” Trixie nearly fainted. He had told her his intention when they had first met, but now knowing just how evil he really was, the thought of him ruling Equestria was devastating. Her mind was filled with horrid visions of a dark dystopia; ponies succumbing daily to the iron hoof of the tyrannical Grogar. She saw bands of Troggles raiding the countryside, feasting upon whatever they could catch in their jagged claws. “How are we going to do this?” she breathed, not daring to allow any hint of her misery into her words. Grogar smiled at her in a way that made her shudder. “I have been gone for five centuries,” he said, “And do not know of what has happened in my absence. Tell me, who are the most powerful warriors of Equestria, second only to the princesses?” Trixie’s face turned horribly bitter as she thought of the answer. She knew all too well who qualified as the six most powerful ponies in Equestria. For almost a year she’d been keeping tabs on them, brooding enviously over their successes while she could hardly manage to maintain her already shaky reputation. “The Elements of Harmony,” she muttered. Grogar snarled fiercely at the jealous magician, causing her to leap back in fear. “I said second to the princesses, you imbecile!” he bellowed as his horns crackled with his destructive magic. Trixie fell to the floor in a cowering bow, her eyes pleading for forgiveness. “B-but they are!” cried the unicorn, “They’re six ponies! One of them is Celestia’s student!” She covered her face with her forelegs. She glanced up as the goat’s horns ceased their ominous sparking. He ran a cloven hoof through his beard as he took in the magician’s words. “Six ponies?” he murmured, “One for each Element.” A delighted grin spread across his face. “Tell me of their deeds, Mage.” Trixie began to rise to her hooves, her face once again embittered. Now humiliation was being added to her fear. Having to relay the heroics of the six ponies she despised irritated her to no end, but she knew she had little choice. “They defeated Nightmare Moon,” she mumbled sulkily. “That was when they became the bearers of the Elements.” Grogar frowned, his eyes clouded in memory for a moment. They returned to the present as he made a horrendous scowl. “Nightmare…” he growled, “That miserable strumpet…” Trixie’s eyes widened in surprise at his recognition of the name. “You…you know about Nightmare Moon?” replied the astounded unicorn. “I know of Nightmare,” rumbled the necromancer, “I am the one who wrought her powers.” Bray shuddered at the creature’s name, recalling his terrifying encounters with what was once the only female equine to inhabit Tambelon. “Glad to hear she’s been disposed of,” he mumbled. “Anyway,” continued Trixie, “They turned her back into Princess Luna. That was the first time they used the Elements. Then about six months later Discord escaped and took over Equestria--” Trixie wasn’t so much surprised that Grogar knew of the Draconequus as she was to his reaction. The goat let out a roar of deriding laughter, along with a shower of foul-smelling spittle. “That buffoon?” he guffawed, “He was but a glorified gargoyle in my time. The coward went into hiding whenever his subjects acted up.” Trixie paled upon hearing Grogar’s opinion of what she had up until this point believed to be the most powerful being in existence. Grogar picked up on this quite easily and laughed once more, this time at Trixie. “Your society is more pathetic than I thought if you were fearful of something as harmless as Discord,” he chuckled, “You’ll come to think of him as a jest when I return to power.” Trixie seemed to shrink at his words, knowing that he was probably right. “And then there was the wedding two months ago,” she murmured humbly, “They didn’t actually use the Elements there, but they defeated Queen Chrysalis’s army.” Again, the magician saw recognition in Grogar’s eyes. But rather than hate or mirth, they seemed blank, as if he were lost in thought. “Chrysalis…” he rasped, “She survived the uprising…” There was almost a trace of respect in his voice. “What happened at this wedding?” “Queen Chrysalis tricked Shining Armor into thinking she was his fiancé,” answered Trixie, “He’s captain of the royal guard. I think it was a ruse to get him to let down the spell that was protecting Canterlot at the time.” Grogar stroked his beard as he glanced up at a tapestry bearing the image of a tall, black equine with a crooked horn and ragged wings. “Interesting,” he murmured, “But of course, it failed?” “She was exposed at the ceremony,” said Trixie, “She did beat Celestia, though…” Grogar’s brow raised in surprise, and then scrunched back into his usual sneer. “By feeding on the captain’s love, I gather?” Trixie nodded. Grogar was silent for a few moments as he pondered this information. One of his evil smiles crept insidiously onto his muzzle. “The fool…She was defeated by the love between the bride and the groom, wasn’t she?” Trixie couldn’t help but be astounded by his correct and insightful answer. “Yes,” she said, “It sent her and her changelings out of Canterlot…How did you know?” “Because I am not a gluttonous idiot like she is,” Grogar beamed, “It must never have occurred to her that her power would be cut off when groom reunited with his true love. Likewise, she never realized that their true love would serve as an antithesis to the affection she feeds on though falsehoods.” He turned back to his minions with a dark grin. “But what can you expect from a creature that feeds on something as trivial and useless as love?” “Not much,” said Bray. Grogar narrowed his eyes at the donkey before turning to Trixie. “Mage,” he said, “Tell me everything you know about these ponies that bear the Elements. I must know their names and where I may find them.” Trixie frowned in discomfort as the goat craned his horrifying head so that it was only inches away from her own. “We have work to do.”
Clouded Judgement Clouded Judgement Grogar stood over a strangely decorated cauldron, scowling as he poured the contents of several dark, twisted bottles into the glowering liquid within. The strange mixture gave forth wisps of smoke that wavered sickly in the air. Bray and Trixie watched nearby. Bray had seen Grogar perform such magic since he had signed on as his servant centuries ago, and so seemed much calmer than Trixie. At the moment the blue unicorn watched the goat work with a nervous grimace. The magic he was using was of a dark, malevolent variety, a kind that was used only for the most nefarious of purposes. Shortly after her humiliation in Ponyville, Trixie had obtained a book containing such magic in hopes of using it for revenge. What she had seen between its pages made her skin crawl, and shortly afterwards she discarded the horrifying tome. She did not know in particular what spell Grogar was casting, but she did notice something strange. According to the book, the caster had to call upon spirits with near-unpronounceable names in order to give the spells power. Grogar did no such thing, and remained silent for the entire duration. A sudden cloud of black smoke rose up from the mixture, causing Trixie to wince. Grogar smiled as it began to branch out with numerous tendrils across the room. They stretched out until the cloud dissipated into several writhing pillars, which snaked all over the ceiling. Trixie’s blood ran cold as one brushed against her horn, moving back into a mass with its siblings to once again form a dark cloud. It began to grow, spreading across the room like a malignant fog. The unicorn heard Grogar chuckle as it began to spread out the window, floating off into the breeze across Equestria, casting a shadow wherever it went. Twilight Sparkle was in the middle of organizing the library when she heard an unusual commotion out on the street. It had to have been very loud, as when Twilight organized her books she tended to block out most things. The lavender mare peeked out her window to see what was the matter. She immediately saw what was wrong. A thick, dark cloud was spreading across the skies, bringing a shadow along with it. Twilight immediately knew it was not a natural cloud, as it was actually growing in size as it came billowing along on a powerful wind. Ponies stood frozen in the streets, their eyes locked on the cloud as it reached Ponyville. It darkened the world as it blocked out the sun, leaving it in a cloudy bleakness. Twilight left her window and made for the door, galloping out into the now-gloomy streets. All around her she heard the denizens of Ponyville murmur fearfully, panic creeping into their voices with each passing second. Fearful of what was happening herself, Twilight looked around for her fellow Elements. She spotted Pinkie just outside of Sugarcube Corners, her body shaking, wobbling, and twitching in all sorts of ways. Knowing this to be a bad sign, the lavender unicorn rushed over to her friend. Pinkie spotted her and ran to met her halfway. “Twilight!” she cried, “Something super-duper major just happened!” “I know,” said Twilight as she looked up at the cloudy skies. She spotted several multi-colored ponies soar through the air, led in a V formation by a flash of cyan. Twilight’s eyes went wide with realization. “No!” she cried, though she knew that the Pegasai were too far to hear, “Don’t!” But it was too late. The squadron of winged equines charged at the stormy vapor. Before they could touch the ugly mass, the clouds erupted into chaos. Lightning streaked across the sky like skeletal claws, striking out at the Pegasai like a wounded animal. The frightened ponies broke formation, and scattered across the sky in an attempt to land. The cyan pony descended haphazardly, as if injured. Twilight soon saw the reason for this behavior, as the Pegasus’s tail was on fire. Another moment passed before the winged pony dove into the duck pond near Fluttershy’s house. Twilight and Pinkie looked at each other, and then started sprinting to where the Pegasus had crashed. Rainbow Dash burst through the surface of the water, gasping through the wet tangles of her mane. She flipped her head back, sending it out of face. The Pegasus then dogpaddled to the edge of the pond, spotting Fluttershy galloping up to the water’s edge. “Rainbow Dash!” cried the cream-colored Pegasus, “Are you okay?” Dash untangled a lily pad from her mane as she stood to her hooves. “Yeah,” she coughed, “I think so.” Her calm demeanor vanished, however, when she glanced back to see that her tail was nearly gone. Immediately she took on a look that was somewhere between utter fury and disbelief. “My tail!” she cried, “That…UGH!” She roared in anger, stomping her hooves and flapping her wings, “When I find out who made that stupid storm, I’m gonna bash his rotten head in!” Fluttershy took a step back, clearly frightened of her friend’s rage. The cyan Pegasus continued to rant as two other ponies galloped over to Fluttershy. “Fluttershy!” cried Twilight, “Is Rainbow Dash O-” The unicorn stopped as she saw the Pegasus throwing small rocks into Fluttershy’s pond. While she seemed concerned about the Pegasus’s anger, she was at the same time relieved to see she was alive. “Wow, Dashie,” said Pinkie, “I’ve never seen you this mad.” “Darn right I’m mad!” spat Dash, “Look what happened!” She turned around to show them her badly-burnt tail, which had been turned an ashy gray. “I don’t see why you’re so upset,” said Twilight, “It’ll grow back.” “You’re missing the point, Egghead!” Dash snapped, “I can’t fly without my tail! How am I supposed to get into the Wonderbolts now?” “I think we have bigger problems,” Twilight sighed flatly, “Like, for instance, this unusual weather.” Trixie stood behind Grogar as the necromancer gazed into a large crystal ball. The goat smiled as he watched the four mares within, his horrible teeth scraping together. “Are these the Elements of Harmony you spoke of?” he snorted. “Most of them,” mumbled the blue unicorn. Grogar’s dark smile broadened. Trixie could see unspeakably evil thoughts churning within his fiery eyes as he watched the ponies’ every movement, coming together to form a plan as bleak and twisted as his soul. “This ‘Twilight Sparkle’, she is Celestia’s protégé?” Trixie nodded, unable to hide the bitter hatred in her eyes as she recalled the purple mare. Grogar gave her a loathsome grin. “I understand you are jealous of her?” Trixie gave a hesitant nod. “I…Well, I guess I am,” she said. “That is understandable,” Grogar said, “From what you’ve told me, she’s very talented. For an Equine, that is. But don’t fret. You may get to kill her in the future.” Grogar turned back to the crystal ball, allowing Trixie to silently express her horror. The mare began to sweat profusely as a miserable grimace dominated her face. She didn’t want to kill anypony. Humiliate, maybe, but never kill. She looked away from the goat and the crystal, trying her hardest not to think what was in the days to come.
