My Little Pony: The Return of The Storm King

Night. The dark shrouds of the desolate time period wreaked their havoc upon Equestria, broken only by the soft gentleness of Luna’s moon. It glowed with a great deal of strength, jettisoning its own energy in favor of lighting the paths of the equines who chose to trod this hour. Anypony with any sense would have been sound asleep. But, some ponies have no sense, and on this night, one such pony was out and about. No, she wasn’t crazy, or at least, she didn’t think she was. Simply put, she was on a mission…one that had engrossed her mind for moons. Things in Equestria simply weren’t right with Twilight Sparkle on the throne. She would see to it that the purple Alicorn wouldn’t reign for any longer than absolutely necessary.

She had worked tirelessly to create a spell to revive the one ruler that, she believed, could end, in her opinion, Twilight’s tyrannical monarchy. This particular being had been so powerful that he’d nearly brought all of Equestria to its knees. He’d encased three of the four princesses in stone…or, at least, his former commander had. But, all the same, the magic that had done the deed came from his brilliant mind. Her eyes glinted under the moon as she dove towards Canterlot, seeking the royal statue garden. There, she knew, the pieces of this particular ruler were exhibited for all to see. Truth be told, she hated the display. It spoke of great disrespect and dishonor. But, soon, all of that would change.

Underneath her dark cloak, she carried an elixir of her own making. This would revive anypony who had been turned to stone by a princess’s magic. Brewed thanks to certain key ingredients not found in Equestria, it had truly tested her patience. But, good things come to those that wait, as they say, and this mare was willing to wait…very willing. Months and months of planning, experimenting, testing, and brewing were all about to come to a head. She was about to receive something she’d long pined for: the resurrection of The Storm King. Her mouth curled in a wicked grin as she trotted into Canterlot, meeting very little resistance. For, after all, she was a fellow pony. What better inside spy could The Storm King have?

What did surprise her were the number of ponies out at this hour. Some were staggering home from the local pubs, drunk off their rumps on cider. Others were members of the tourist trade, conducting night tours of the city. These were a lot more popular than somepony might think, and the mare swore she saw 30 or 40 ponies in one group. Local theaters had recently let out as well and those restaurants that chose the hard road of hardnosed, ‘round the clock service now found themselves jammed. The mare didn’t care, though. It made her all the more invisible, which was exactly what she wanted. No attention, no setbacks. Perfection in every sense of the word.

Soon, my beloved Storm King, she breathed, we’ll be together…and you and I will rule this miserable wretch of a nation!

She slowly trotted around a certain corner, utilizing her recent scouting of the city to locate the statue garden. Her mind raced as she crept closer and closer to the gate. Soon enough, she found herself hiding in the bushes right outside the entrance. But, as with all the most royally significant places in Canterlot, the doors were shut tight and guards patrolled the entrance. This came as no shock to the mare. For, after all, this was Canterlot. But, what did come as a shock were the number of guards. There were four of them, which doubled the normal detail. Quickly, she ducked back into her bush and tried to think of a way around them.

I could charm them, she thought, though, I’ve never really been good at such things…I could fight them, though there are way too many…or…ah-ha! Yes! That’s what I’ll do!

Her sneer widened as the wicked plan came together. Slowly, gently, she poked her head out of the push and crept ever closer to where the guards marched. Then, quick as a flash, she whipped out three small magic pellets. Setting them down ever so slightly, she spoke a spell into each one before rolling them into the center of the guards. This intrusion on their area immediately caught their attention, and they peered down to investigate. When they got within a certain range, the balls exploded, and the spell that the mare whispered caused sharp spikes to shoot from each one. These impaled the guards, killing them instantly.

Excellent! The mare thought as she strode up to the lead guard and took his keys to the garden. This plan is working perfectly.

Carefully, she unlocked the doors and stepped inside. The garden was a rather spooky place at night, with Luna’s moon casting shadows upon the figures trapped inside. While strolling towards The Storm King’s remains, the mare noticed certain legendary figures. They all had one thing in common: they were villains who had been defeated and turned to stone. She saw the legendary Maxinius Hooficus, a close relative of Flash Magnus who had turned rogue and been banished to this prison by Princess Celestia. A second statue was the evil enchantress Green Thorn and her mystical well of wants. It was said that anypony who looked in her eyes immediately fell under one of the greatest spells of all: their own selfishness.

Terrific villains, both, the mare thought, but, I’m not here for them.

There was one statue that made her stop and stare. It was the most recent one, placed there a few moons before. The creation consisted of, not one, but three different figures: Queen Chrysalis, Lord Tirek, and Cozy Glow. All three had a goal of complete domination in mind, just as the mare had. However, the difference (at least, in her mind) was that she was full of tact and intelligence. Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy couldn’t get past their own egoism and, in the end, that had been their downfall. The mare was going to ensure that, in her and The Storm King’s new kingdom, they each had an equal share.

After all, I’ll be the one setting him free from his cage, she thought, he’ll owe me a huge favor.

After a few more moments of treading the garden’s winding path, she finally found herself standing in front of The Storm King’s display. She winced a bit as she looked on the pieces of the broken statue. The King’s decapitated head sat front and center, as something of a trophy. Once more, a wince came over her, followed by a deep seated anger. She couldn’t believe that her beloved Storm King had been treated this way, and all by the supposed Princess of Friendship.

Don’t worry, Your Highness, she thought, in just a few moments, the next chapter of your glorious reign will be written…and I’ll be holding the pen.