The Return of Tambelon is the four-part, ninth story arc from My Little Pony 'n Friends. It features the villain Grogar and the return of his dark city, Tambelon, to Ponyland and his efforts to conquer the ponies.
Synopsis[]
Part One[]
During a game of hide and seek in Dream Valley, the unicorns begin disappearing one by one and not returning after winking out. Megan Williams leads her friends in an effort to find them, only for Buttons, the last one remaining, to disappear. While Megan sleeps that night Ribbon, who had reappeared in a mysterious city, appears to her in a dream and utters the name Tambelon. When she tells the other ponies about it, Paradise, recognizes the name as belonging to an ancient city.
Back in the gloomy city, the unicorns are approached by a number of creatures including a donkey named Bray, who leaves them food as they languish in a cell. He then reports to his master, a massive ram, on the status of the ponies, while his master anticipates their return to Ponyland. Back at Paradise Estate, Paradise remembers that Tambelon was the home of the evil Grogar, who was banished to the realm of darkness 500 years ago along with his city. Unfortunately, Tambelon then makes its return, and Grogar's army of Troggles swarms out and quickly conquers Dream Valley.
Part Two[]
In the aftermath of Tambelon's return, the ponies and their friends attempt to regroup around a campfire. While the Baby Ponies have been safely hidden away with the Moochick, many of the Sea Ponies, Flutter Ponies, Bushwoolies, and Grundles have been imprisoned by Grogar's army. The Grundles and Bushwoolies both attempt to make a strike against the enemy, but their efforts are easily thwarted. Meanwhile, in Tambelon, Grogar orders his underling Bray to insure that the remaining inhabitants of Ponyland are captured, with a particular emphasis on taking the humans as slaves.
Meanwhile, in Grogar's dungeon, the captured ponies manage to remove a block, with some of them escaping the cell in hopes of finding a way out. Along the way, they discover an ancient bell that appears to have magical powers, but are unsure of its nature. They then encounter Megan and a party of their friends who have infiltrated the city, but their escape attempt is thwarted when Grogar learns of their presence. He then uses his magic to capture them, with only a single one of the Flutter Ponies escaping to bring news to the few remaining rebels.
Part Three[]
With Megan captured, the rebels-having determined that the bell Grogar wears around his neck is the source of his power-launch a scheme to defeat him. After breaking back into Paradise Estate for Danny's tape recorder, they record Bray's voice. By splicing together the tape and having Masquerade don a Bray costume, they are able to lure Grogar beyond Tambelon alone. Unfortunately, their attempt to steal the bell fails, and Grogar succeeds in capturing another pair of ponies.
Within Tambelon, Megan and the captured ponies and their friends are languishing, while Grogar plots to send the ponies to the realm of darkness. The rebels capture a lone Troggle, Drog, who claims to have deserted Grogar's army and that many of the Troggles feel likewise. He then leads them into Tambelon, taking a secret route in order to reach the dungeon. Unfortunately, the rebels walk right into an ambush, with Grogar himself appearing to gloat over their fate.
Part Four[]
With all his enemies captured, Grogar begins the spell that will banish the ponies to the realm of darkness at midnight. Drog is then thrown into the cell with the ponies and their friends, revealing that he didn't betray them after all. The ponies discover a crack in the cell ceiling and are able to use magic to make a larger hole. Megan then escapes and is able to ambush Bray and steal his keys, which she uses to free the others. The escapees interrupt a mandatory Troggle celebration led by Grogar, and convince the Troggles to follow them out of Tambelon to a new home in Ponyland.
Enraged, Grogar launches magical attacks at his former captives and subjects, while Paradise finally remembers the significance of the ancient bell. Upon being rung by Megan, it destroys the smaller bell worn by Grogar and his powers along with it. The ponies, Troggles, and others are thus able to escape Tambelon, which disappears back into the realm of darkness with Grogar and Bray. As the various creatures settle back into their old and new homes, the heroes are confident that Grogar will not be returning any time soon.