VILLAINS: Let the Bell of Freedom Ring

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter 1: The Journey to Dream Valley
Chapter 2: A Deal With the Destroyer
Chapter 3: Darkness in Equus
Chapter 4: Sorcerers and Cursers Part 1

Prologue

PROLOGUE: GROGAR AND ISABELLE

Grogar looked on as his crops were mostly wilted inside of a small green field. “If this rain doesn’t come soon, we’ll have to sell the farm,” Grogar said, groaning. “It’s worse here in Tambelon than anywhere else in Equus. We’ll starve if we don’t do anything soon!”

Suddenly, a pink sheep with black hooves and blue eyes entered through the doorway. “Don’t worry, honey. I know that we’ll figure something out,” his wife assured. “I hear that the unicorns in Dream Valley have food. I think they use magic to make it grow or something. Maybe we can go there and get food from them.”

“I’m not sure. You know I don’t like anything to do with magic.”

“If we don’t, then we’ll starve! The baby won’t survive if we don’t do something soon! Please, Grogar, just give it a chance.”

“Alright, but only because I love you. Now get some rest, we leave in the morning.” After saying this, Grogar headed up the wooden stairs of his stone house and went to bed with his wife. “Good night, Isabelle.”

Chapter 1: The Journey to Dream Valley

CHAPTER 1: THE JOURNEY TO DREAM VALLEY

After waking up in the morning, Grogar and Isabelle headed out to their red wagon and started to Dream Valley. “I hope we find what we’re looking for,” Grogar said. “If we don’t, then all of Tambelon will starve!”

“We’ll get food from Dream Valley, I know we will,” Isabelle says. “Now let’s go. The valley is almost half a day away.” After Isabelle finished, the two set off for Dream Valley.

A few hours later, the two came across a fork in the path. “Alright,” Grogar said, “the map says that in order to get to Dream Valley, we have to take this route.” Grogar pointed to the left path: a forest with dangerous plants and animals.

“I think we should go this way,” Isabelle said while pointing her hoof to the right path: a beautiful valley with flowers and sunshine.

“The map says that if we go that way, it’ll take us three hours to get to Dream Valley,” Grogar said, frowning. “If we go on the left path then we’ll be there in less than two.”

“Alright, Grogar. But at the first sign of danger we’re turning around, and going my way.”

Afterward, the two went on the left path and traveled through a dark, foggy forest. When about an hour passed, they heard eerie howling.

“I’m not sure about this, Grogar. I think we should head back.”

“Isabelle, we’re almost out of the forest. Just a few moments and we’ll have arrived at Dream Valley.”

Suddenly, a gray wolf jumped out in front of the two and charged at Grogar, who rushed to save Isabelle. “Stay behind the wagon, Isabelle, I’ll handle-“ But before he could finish, Grogar was attacked by the wolf as it scratched his foreleg. “I won’t let you hurt my wife!” Grogar yelled as he got back on his hooves. Suddenly, he charged at it with his horns and it ran away.

“Grogar! Are you okay?”

“It’s just a flesh wound,” Grogar said as he grabbed a bandage. “I’ll have it treated once we make it to Dream Valley.”

Then, the two headed off and arrived at Dream Valley, where they were greeted by a white unicorn with a green and red mane and tail, along with blue eyes and leaves for a Cutie Mark. “Welcome to Dream Valley, my name is Gusty.” Suddenly, Gusty noticed the bandage on Grogar’s leg, “I see you’re hurt. How did this happen?”

“Me and my wife were attacked by a wolf. I rescued her and was scratched in the process.” Grogar put a hoof on the bandage to stop the pain from coming.

Gusty pointed her horn to the bandage and healed the wound. “We unicorns can use our magic to heal the sick or injured,” Gusty said before looking at Isabelle. “What are you and your friend doing in Dream Valley? Is there anything I can do to help you?”

“Yes, our home of Tambelon has been hit by a horrible drought and we’ve heard of food in these lands. We humbly ask that you trade us some for these.” Isabelle grabbed three golden coins from her saddlebag.

“Of course, let me get you some. In fact, please stay the night at my home. It’s a long journey back to Tambelon.”

“Are you sure?” Grogar asked, wrapping a hoof around his wife’s right foreleg. “We wouldn’t want to intrude.”

“Please, I insist. At least until morning.” Afterward, the three headed into a wooden house. “I hope you enjoy yourselves here. My home is your home.”

Grogar looked at the beautiful house and sighed. “This place might not be as bad as I thought it was going to be.”

Chapter 2: A Deal With the Destroyer

CHAPTER 2: A DEAL WITH THE DESTROYER

That night, Grogar and Isabelle fell asleep in a room adjacent to Gusty’s. “Good night, my love,” Isabelle said before falling asleep.

“Good night.” But after falling asleep, Grogar woke up in a white void and hears a strange voice.

“Where am I? Who’s there? What do you want from me?!” Suddenly, a pony-like figure in a black hood with red eyes appeared before Grogar and introduced itself.

“I want nothing you could give,” the figure said, “I’ve come to offer you the chance of a millennium.”

“What are you talking about? Where am I?”

“Your mind. I’m simply contacting you through the Dream Realm.”

“This is a dream? Why are you in my mind.”

“Because I’ve been watching you, Grogar. I’ve seen how you’re in need of something to save your population.”

“How do you know what I need? What could you possibly offer that could get rid of a drought?”

“Magic. The power to ensure that your family will never have to ask for anything ever again.”

“How could I use magic? Magic is only something that unicorns can do.”

“No, my friend. Magic is within everycreature, even you. You simply must learn to use it.”

“You’re saying that if I use magic then I can save my home and my wife?”

“Indeed.”

“What should I call you then?”

“I go by many names, but you may call me Orthodox. Master Orthodox.”

Hearing these words, Grogar woke up to see that Isabelle and Gusty were at a wooden table with soup by an empty chair. “Please, sit down and eat,” Gusty said before taking a spoon with her magic.

“What kind of soup is this?” Grogar asked.

“Vegetable,” Isabelle told her husband, “made from the food that the unicorns have recently harvested.”

“Mind if I try some?” Grogar asked, turning his attention to Gusty.

“Of course! Sit down and grab a bowl.”

Hearing this, Grogar sat down at the table and grabbed a bowl of soup from the middle of it. Smiling, he took a large slurp.

“This is delicious! I haven’t had anything to eat for almost three days,” Grogar exclaimed.

“It is good, isn’t it?” Isabelle agreed, looking at Gusty.

“I made it from corn, carrots, and beets. It’s an old family recipe.”

After finishing, Grogar and Isabelle went outside with Gusty and loaded a lot of food on their wagon.

“Thank you for the food. We owe Dream Valley with our lives!” Isabelle said.

“Don’t mention it! Just stay safe and travel through the better path this time, okay?”

“We will,” Grogar replied, “and we’ll share with all of Tambelon!” After finishing, the couple headed out on the nicer (but longer) path. Exiting Dream Valley, Grogar turned to his wife. “Honey, I had a strange dream last night.”

“What do you mean?”

“I dreamt that there was a creature, like a pony, telling me to use magic to save our home.”

“Are you sure about it? Maybe it was just a dream, and didn’t mean anything.”

“I don’t know, but I do know that whatever was talking to me was something that I need to think on.”

The two ended their conversation and headed toward Tambelon. But little did they know that this would be the last time they would travel somewhere together.

Chapter 3: Darkness in Equus

CHAPTER 3: DARKNESS IN EQUUS

After arriving back at Tambelon late in the evening, Grogar and Isabelle approached the square and called everyone from their houses. “Citizens of Tambelon! Good news!” Grogar exclaimed.

“We’ve brought food from the neighboring valley! There’s enough for the whole village!” Isabelle shouted. Afterward, she and her husband gave the villagers enough food for a month!

“Alright, Isabelle,” Grogar said, looking at his wife, “we need to eat as well. Head on inside and I’ll make something to eat.” Saying this, Grogar helped his wife to the table and put on some of Gusty’s vegetable soup.

“Are you making some of Gusty’s soup we tried?” Isabelle said, smiling.

“Yes, and I think I may add some potatoes for the baby.”

“Are you sure? Do you think the baby will even ‘enjoy’ potatoes?”

“Who doesn’t enjoy potatoes?”

“I guess you have a point,” Isabelle said while laughing. Afterward, the two got the soup and began to eat.

A few moments later, after they finished, the two headed up to their room and got in bed, since it was sunset. “Good night, darling,” Isabelle whispered softly.

“Good night, Isabelle.” Grogar fell asleep shortly after.

Hours later, the sun rose and Grogar woke up, before going outside to look at his crops. “Still no crops grown or even alive. How can I stop this?” Suddenly, Grogar remembered the words that Orthodox told him. “Maybe my dream was actually trying to tell me something. But the question is: where can I learn magic?”

Meanwhile, far away in Dream Valley, Gusty was in her house when she got a knock at the door. “Come in!” she yelled, looking at the door.

Suddenly, a young gray unicorn with blue eyes and a white mane and tail appeared in the doorway.

“Star Swirl! I wasn’t expecting to see you this early,” Gusty said, approaching the male unicorn.

“I just wanted to check on you. I hear that you recently received visitors from Tambelon.” Star Swirl said, smiling.

“I did, my young apprentice,” Gusty said before opening a sealed door with her magic. “I sensed something… off about the ram who came.”

“What do you mean?” Star Swirl asked, entering the door with his master. When they entered, Gusty and Star Swirl stood in front of a bookshelf with spell books around them.

“I sensed something dark about him.”

“Like he was evil?” Star asked, concerned.

“No, but as though he had conversed with a creature far more dangerous than any other,” Gusty said, before picking up a book titled A History of Equus. She then turned to a page about Orthodox.

“The fallen one?” Star asked, shocked. “You think he is alive? He can’t be. He was banished to the Dark Netherworld millennia ago!”

“I believe that he has found a way to contact the ram,” Gusty said, worried. “I have sensed great potential in this young creature. The fallen one may be trying to use him to release his spirit upon this realm.”

“If he has, then what are we going to do?” Star said, looking to his master.

At the same time, Orthodox was witnessing this from his own lair in another realm. ”So, the unicorns of Dream Valley think they can stop the plans I have for Grogar? I believe it’s time I ‘change the scales’,” Orthodox laughed evilly.

Chapter 4: Sorcerers and Cursers Part 1

CHAPTER 4: SORCERERS AND CURSERS

Grogar was studying in Tambelon’s small library when he found a book on the history of Equus. “What is this?” he asked himself. Reading, he found a passage on Orthodox. “Orthodox. I wonder what it says.”

“Of all the creatures to have ever existed in Equus, he is the most mysterious. He is the last of the Primordials that once roamed our beloved land. As old as he is powerful, Orthodox, the Fallen One, is someone who sees potential in us creatures. Where others call us inferior, Orthodox sees something else. Something magical.

Suddenly, the words faded off the page and Grogar jumped back. “What’s going on? Portray him as what?” Grogar asked himself. “Everything I find about Orthodox is either useless or disappears.”

That was when Grogar got an idea: “Maybe Gusty will know what to do! She knows powerful magic, and Orthodox is a powerful magic-user.”

Leaving the library, Grogar packed his things and told his wife about his idea. Then, heading off to Dream Valley, Grogar took the safe route and arrived at Dream Valley. Knocking on Gusty’s door, Grogar waited patiently for the unicorn.

Gusty came to the door and saw Grogar. “Grogar! I was wondering when you’d come back. Where’s Isabelle?”

“At home. I came here to talk to you about something.” Sitting down, Grogar told Gusty about Orthodox: “The night Isabelle and I were here, I had a dream.”

“A dream? What kind of dream?”

“There was a kind of... creature that talked to me.”

Gusty got a worried expression on her face. “About what, exactly?”

“It told me about how I could use magic. To save Tambelon.”

“Grogar,” Gusty replied. “What exactly was this creature called?”

“He called himself ‘Master Orthodox’. Does that name mean anything to you unicorns?”

Gusty’s eyes widened in shock. “Orthodox? Did this creature happen to be called ‘The Fallen One’?”

“I read a book about him. It said that he is indeed the ‘Fallen One’ and that he is a benefactor to us creatures.”

“Grogar, there’s something you need to know. Did the words happen to give an opposite opinion on him? Maybe something bad?”

“Actually, they started to. But then, they kind of... vanished.”

“What do you mean by vanished?”

“I mean they just... faded from the page. It was like something didn’t want me to know about it.”

“It’s just like I feared. Come with me.”

Gusty got up and led Grogar to the sealed door. Opening it, she picked up one of the books inside with her magic and started reading: “Of all the creatures to have ever existed in Equus, he is the most mysterious. He is the last of the Primordials that once roamed our beloved land. As old as he is powerful, Orthodox, the Fallen One, is someone who sees potential in us creatures. Where others call us inferior, Orthodox sees something else. Something magical.

When it comes to creatures, Orthodox is the master. He is very powerful, and even though he is old, he is strong. However, where some mentions of his name call him a benefactor to Equus’ magical creatures, others portray him as a ruthless being who cares only for his own interests. Banished by Lady Eclipsa, he is trapped in the Dark Netherworld and has since been manipulating creatures into setting him free.”

Gusty closed the book and Grogar looked in horror. “How could I have fallen for that? I should have known not to trust him. A creature like me can’t even do magic.”

Gusty put a hoof on Grogar’s foreleg. “Grogar, all creatures can do magic. Sometimes, all you need is someone to teach you.”

TO BE CONTINUED