For Whom the Bewitching Bell Tolls p5.5

>You are Grogar
>Well, not really. You're actually Discord
>Seeing the "King" get toppled was a good wakeup call for the other three stooges to try to get their act together
>At least you had hoped it was, Aside from Cozy Glow, they were still mostly aloof at the best of times.
>What they will need is a task - a difficult one that wont pit them against your friends immediately but give them enough challenge to make them see the benefits in teamwork
>Nothing brings that and friendship together like a common goal, after all! You've seen it first hand many times before. When ponies work together, they can make impossible things happen.
>And it certainly does feel good to be a part of that effort, too. Better than you imagined, even.
>Sure, primarily having them learn to overcome things on their own is nice, even if its a little white lie to excuse bringing about a little chaos to shake things up in a world thats been more harmonious than ever
>Even better was that you got to do a little bit of heroism in their most recent confrontation too.
>It was absolutely delightful to be so important that your friends felt like they couldnt do it without you. It made your heart soar to imagine yourself as the key to saving those fair damsels from their vicious enemy, even if you played up the drama a little bit and his presence there was technically your doing
>Oh, who cares, they wont ever find out about that, and what they dont know, never hurts~

>But back to your thoughts....perhaps they could be competent enough to acquire "his" Bell.
>Yes, it was once a myth that Grogar's Bewitching Bell lay at rest in the greatest mountain of Equestria, beyond the reach of anycreature
>Even you could not acquire it with how well protected it was
>But there was far more to the story than the writers of old could have ever known.

>Grogar was a lot of things - the few books that speak of him call him "the mean old goat", or "the maker of monsters", but you knew better.
>Better than anypony.
>Long ago, before Equestria even had its founding, before even the Windigoes existed, this world was a very different place
>Ponies of the different tribes didnt disagree with each other, and lived in perfect harmony in nature
>Supposedly, there were even other beings similar to that talking Ape Fluttershy and the others met in recent years
>Still, no world of pure good could exist without a counterbalance, and evil slowly crept into the land
>Creatures began oppressing each other, monsters began to appear
>And soon, there was a face to it all, the horned monstrosity of legend himself

>Grogar was evil incarnate. He didnt just make monsters out of thin air like a cheap parlor trick - he was both the monsters of one's greatest fears in their mind, as well as the sweet, seductive whisper for power for those who would give into their darkest thoughts.
>And you, were one of his first creations in his plan to throw this world into disarray; to bring chaos and disorder into a utopia and to sow distrust among its populace
>All to spread his influence as distrust, fear, and outright evil began to set into the hearts of the once pure ponies
>The more power he gained, the more you did as well, as he shared just a fraction of it with you on occasion
>Still, it was more than enough. Soon, even the sun and moon were at your mercy to toy with as you saw fit, wresting them from their natural cycle to move at random
>As Grogar's power's grew, he brought greater evils into the realm. With the utopia in shambles from the attacks of lesser monsters, nature in complete disarray, and the feuding of the races, his last act was to scatter them from their home by calling upon the Windigos - spirits he weaved into existence to hound them to the ends of the world, attracted to the negativity you both sew into them all.

>The races feuded on how to restore the land, and such were their disagreements that they would attract the Windigos wherever they gathered in large numbers. They would never be capable of uniting or amassing a force to undo what you two did.
>And without any unity or plan to abide by, the races split to solving things their way with a tenuous peace.
>The Earth Ponies sought to reclaim nature and grow a sustainable food source
>The Pegasai attempted to rectify the aberrant weather patterns that you so carefully weaved as you traveled
>The Unicorns hoped to tame the Sun and Moon, at the expense of their magics waning over time
And what few humans who may have existed, disappeared without a trace
>Few bastions were made for each race during these tumultuous times, but no matter what, Ponykind remained separated for thousands of years, all as the two of you enjoyed your domination of this world in the face of the meager resistance they put to those changes.
>The unicorns in particular were a subject of Grogar's interest. As magic was precious to them, to be conscripted to the self-sacrificial duties would often lead the maligned or the self-interested to him, sooner or later....and they in turn would become minions to his ever growing army

>....
>And then, things changed.
>Friendship and commonality was found among the three races as they sought a new home.
>The Royal Sisters came to this world
>And evil was pushed back for the first time in thousands of years
>The old fool himself was bested by a pony stealing his prized treasure and sealing it away,
>And ultimately, he would be banished to the aether while you were turned to stone.
>Still, to this day, you wonder if his influence remains in this world, as ponies can still be seduced to evil and have it manifest in unprecedented ways
>Perhaps as long as that Bell exists, so will he, in some form or another.

"And that makes the Bell all the more important to have," you grumble to yourself.
>You were different now. Before, you would probably revel in the possibility of your maker returning to help you unmake this peaceful world into the chaotic mess that it once was, but now...you've grown rather accustomed to this charming state of the world
>Even if it needed a little spicing up here and there.
>Certainly it was perfectly safe where it was, at least for now. Yet there is no telling that it always will be.
>Even in a more harmonious world that the self-made Princess of Friendship is trying to create, evil can and will return...and the last thing you would want would be to have Grogar himself come back with it
>Even better, you were certain this ultra-rare relic would smooth things over between you and Twilight as she would gush over its historical significance, and you're sure Fluttershy and the others would be ever so thankful that their best friend was looking out for them as he always does
>It always pleases you so to be the center of attention~
>You decide that its about time to send them on this fetch quest. If nothing else, they will learn to work together, and their friendship going against that of your friends' should make for a spectacular show in the long run.
>And who knows? Maybe they might learn a thing or two and change from such a contest of power. If not, then again, you wouldnt find any harm in stopping them as you did with Sombra
>You could later explain your part in helping them change while testing them with finishing the reformation of Equestria's worst, or be the hero who puts a stop to their "nefarious scheme"
>All with one big, chaotic hurrah of a conflict
>Its a win-win, no matter what happens!
"Well, this party wont start itself. Let's begin!"