Deep within Taurtaurus, a pony with a black coat and white, soulless eyes was wandering around.
The underground cave seems quite barren and cold but it doesn't hide the fact that the cave was the home to many dangerous creatures who tried to take over the surface world.
Cerberus didn't seem so hard to get past. And now, I shall free all of the inmates in this accursed jail," the pony, known as Spellweaver, said.
He started by destroying the cell bars of a certain centaur creature - Tirek.
Thank you for freeing me... I will see to it that the ponies will suffer," Tirek snarled as he left Taurtaurus.
Next he moved to a second cell. In it was a humanoid cat woman with red hair. She wore a red dress with purple trimmings.
"Please, free me, too. Then those ponies will know true torment," the cat woman requested.
"With pleasure, Katrina," Spellweaver uttered as he destroyed the cell bars.
As Katrina fled to the surface, Spellweaver then moved to a cell containing three witches.
The first wore a purple cloak and had a necklace shaped like a crescent. Her name was Hydia.
The second was a taller witch wearing overalls with red hair and with a bow in her hair. Her name was Draggle.
The third was a shorter witch with a red dress and black hair, with a pot on her head. Her name was Reeka.
"I still can't believe you two morons just let us get caught like that!" Hydia shouted.
"But that dog is really mean!" Reeka retorted.
"And he didn't seem to be affected by our magic!" Draggle added.
"Will you three stop arguing? I'm here to free you," Spellweaver said, breaking the bars of the cell and freeing them.
"Those ponies will see our power on full display! Come on, you two nitwits! Let's get to the surface!" Hydia shouted as they headed to the surface.
In another cell, a huge red octopus with some grey barnacles on his head lay moping in a corner. This was Squirk.
Also in the cell, a purple lobster with yellow eyes and big white eyelashes attempted to calm Squirk down. His name was Crank.
"Calm down, we got as further than we did last time we tried to escape," Crank uttered, patting Squirk on one of his tentacles.
"Shut up, Crank! I'm just really mad that we never seem to escape!" Squirk cried out in anger.
"Actually, you are going to escape- and right now, as a matter of fact," Spellweaver said, destroying the cell bars.
"Hey, thanks! I'll remember you once the Sea Ponies aren't in control of their home anymore!" Squirk shouted as he and Crank fled.
In a fifth cell, an oversized stony bulldog with several lines of energy on him lay weeping. His name was Crunch.
"My Diamond Dog buddies must be getting so lonely without me... Mining up in the mountains on their own..." Crunch cried.
"Well, Crunch, why don't you join them?" Spellweaver muttered as he broke open the cell bars.
Crunch rushed out of the cell, looking happy. He cried out, "Surface world, here I come!"
In a sixth cell, a being made out of clouds with stormy clouds for arms lay in a cell, looking very hungry. He was called Arabus.
Alongside him was a zebra wearing a pair of glasses and a fine shirt. He was known as Zeb.
"Arabus, Arabus, chill, my good man! I'm fairly certain I've got a new plan!" Zeb rapped.
"Forget your plans, Zeb! We'll be stuck down here forever! And that means no shadows to eat!" Arabus cried out in sorrow.
"No, you won't. You'll be free now. Go and eat all the shadows you can eat," Spellweaver exclaimed as he broke the cell bars again.
Arabus flew out of the cell, carrying Zeb in his arm, shouting, "I'm gonna eat so many shadows that everyone will be sad!"
In a seventh cell, a mighty deep blue ram wearing a black cape stood, looking down at his hooves. He also had a bell around his neck and a tuft of white hair on his chin. His name was Grogar.
Also in his cell was a donkey wearing a jester's hat and a hood over his head. He was named Bray.
"Boss, there's got to be a way out of here. I just know it," Bray bleated.
"I didn't ask for your opinions, Bray. But I know we can escape," Grogar replied.
"Oh, don't worry, you two. Now go and bring Tambelon back into this plane of existence," Spellweaver muttered as he shattered the cell bars.
Grogar stomped out of the cell and uttered, "Freedom! The return of Tambelon is nigh!"
He then headed for the surface with Bray in tow.
Last but not least in one last cell was a being made of earth with lava flowing through his body, acting as his arms and legs. His name was Lavan.
"How can I be the strongest if those accursed princesses are in the way? How?" Lavan cried out.
"You can be the strongest if you work together with the other villains, Lavan. Let Equestria know your name as the strongest there is!" Spellweaver uttered as the bars were shattered one last time.
Lavan poured out into the outside world, shouting, "Look out, Equestria! I'm coming for you!"
Knowing he would be caught, Spellweaver remained in Taurtaurus, his fate sealed.
He cackles menacingly as Cerberus rushes in to see that the inmates were long gone and captures Spellweaver for his crime against ponykind.
Before long, the villains had all gathered in a remote part of Equestria.
"I know just the place to make a base..." Grogar uttered, and with that a kingdom appeared from smoke high above.
"This is Tambelon, the city over which I rule. I made sure to remove the bell that caused my downfall last time... Now the ponies have no chance of defeating me." Grogar replied.
Everyone entered and proceeded to look over a map of Equestria.
"Heh, heh... What do you say we take it over? Every last city!" Squirk uttered.
"Sounds like a plan! I also heard that some stupid hybrid creature turned my Smooze into a green friend of his. What say you I remind Equestria that I very nearly succeeded in Smoozing the land?" Hydia replied.
"Of course. I've got a bone to pick with the creature in question myself," Tirek replied.
And so, the villains began launching their assault upon Equestria.
Grogar had strengthened them with enhanced durability, thereby preventing any pony from defeating them in combat.
The creatures seized Canterlot in moments, with Grogar himself fighting Celestia and Luna.
"You two can't stop me! The Flutter Ponies couldn't, so you can't!" Grogar cried out in anger.
He soon defeated them, allowing Tirek to take their magic.
"Yes! I feel my power slowly returning... They'll never win!" Tirek shouted.
He soon imprisoned them in the dungeon.
Before long, the villains captured all of the Mane 6 and their closest allies.
Tirek took the magic of all of them, as well as Trixie and Starlight Glimmer.
"Hahahahaha! This is great! Not a single soul can stop me now! No one!" Tirek roared.
And soon enough, the villains overthrew the Crystal Empire, with Tirek taking the magic of Cadence and Shining Armor.
"The magic of all four Alicorns plus even more magic... Could anyone dare to stop me now? ANYONE!?" Tirek shouted.
And thus, Equestria fell into its darkest time yet, with the villains ruling virtually all of the planet.
But what they had failed to account for was a group of nine ponies who would begin their downfall...