Tales of Equestria

by Lunerpet

Chapter 9

Misty Gale came out and saw them around Fluttershy and Rarity. “What's wrong everypony?”

“Hey Misty, you look nice...” Pinkie said still sad over the loss of her friend.

Misty Gale looked at Fluttershy and it hit her. “Oh no...this happened while I was in the shower...”

Applejack nodded. “It did, but don't blame yourself, none of us knew what happened until it was too late”

“That's what you really look like huh?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah, this is the real me” Misty Gale said. “Are they going to be okay?”

“Yeah, they have to...” Pinkie said looking down at the floor.

“We tried our best and nothing works” Applejack said.

“And nothing will work” A voice came from the door.

“Huh?” Twilight looked at the door and Melody walked in. “Melody? What do you mean?”

“Princess Celestia told me everything she knew about it, and the fact that she was the same one who sealed me away” Melody explained.

“Oh dear....you didn't fight her did you!?” Twilight asked in a panic.

“Well I might have blown up some parts of the castle, but that's all” Melody said and then laughed a little. “Haha, no we didn't fight, and that's thanks to you Twilight”

“Phew...wait me?” Twilight looked at her confused.

“Yeah, the friendship I have seen while around you, it made me realize that if you have such trust in those around you and are so loyal to the princess's, it really showed me to give Celestia a chance, a chance of friendship” Melody said, she knew it was a little sappy but she learned a very valuable lesson.

“Wow, all that from being around me?” Twilight smiled at this, she didn't think of herself like that but it was what she needed to hear, with her friends as they were she needed some positive reinforcement.

“You got it, I mean even I wasn't sure if I could forgive her, but I just kept thinking about you and your friends and how you saved me, I'm grateful to you for that” Melody said.

“Thanks Melody, I'm happy that you feel that way” Twilight said feeling a lot better.

“Now then, Princess Celestia told me that the bug things are being lead by larger brain like monsters called forgotten ones, like a hive mind, they had the elements at one point, I don't know when, but they used their powers to control all of the terrasects, but they lost that power and they feel incomplete without them, so now they want their old powers back, but you and your friends are the elements now, so then they take the elements it's like they take their souls, so if we can stop them, they should all go back to normal” Melody explained.

“So...if we stop those things, they should go back to normal?” Pinkie asked getting her smile back from the hope.

“Oh no...it's all my fault...” Applejack stepped back in shock. “I ran into one of those things...and he released everypony so I thought they weren't so bad...but I was being used...I led them right to everypony...”

“Applejack...” Twilight went over to her and placed a hoof over her shoulder. “You didn't mean to do anything, you were just looking for our friends”

“But...I hurt everypony....” Applejack only blamed herself, she didn't know what else she could do.

“No!” Pinkie suddenly spoke up. “It's not your fault Applejack!”

“Pinkie...” Applejack looked down and away from her.

“You didn't hurt them, I know you would never do anything to hurt our friends, so don't blame yourself, blame those meanie bugs!”

“She's right you know? It's the terrasects not you who did it, and we still have a chance to save them” Twilight added.

“Right...sorry...I'm just...it hurts so much...” Applejack felt better thanks to their words.

“Maybe it would be good to read your book Pinkie? Do something to get your mind off things?” Misty Gale said.

“My book!?” Pinkie took her hoof and put it into her mouth. “Shhhh! Don't say anything!”

“Mmmmmf!?” Misty Gale looked at her strangely with her mouth full.

“What book Pinkie?” Twilight raised her eyebrow confused.

“Nothing! I don't have a book!” Pinkie said making shifty eyes.

“Okay?” Twilight didn't know how to respond to that honestly.

“Mmmf? Mmff?” Misty Gale tried to speak but with Pinkie's hoof in her mouth made it rather difficult to do.

“Oh sorry Misty” Pinkie said and took her hoof off her.

Misty understood that Pinkie wanted her book to be a secret so she changed the subject. “Where is Rainbow Dash? I wanted to talk with her again”

“She's off trying to cool off, she needs some time” Applejack said.

“Are you sure that's a good idea? She's an element of harmony isn't she? If she's out there she could be a target” Melody brought up.

“That's a good point! We need to find her!” Twilight said.

“Well let's not waste time!”Applejack said and dashed out.

“Wait, we shouldn't split up!” Twilight called out. “We need a plan!”

“I'll go with her!” Winter Sugar said and ran off after her.

“Wait, come on we can't be rash about this!”

“Weee!!” Pinkie hopped away and Misty Gale looked confused but followed after her.

“Don't leave without me Pinkie!” Misty said as she flew dashed after her.

“Ugh...great!” Twilight ran after them hoping to catch up.

“Oh boy” Melody said to herself and turned to the two girls sitting there like dolls. “You two be careful okay?”

Melody then ran after Twilight, Applejack and Winter Sugar were looking around the city. “Where would Rainbow Dash be?”

“I'm not sure” Winter said.

Rainbow Dash came out of an alley looking just as dead as the others and Applejack gasped. “Oh no! Now Rainbow!?”

They went over to her in a hurry and looked her over. “I'm sorry Applejack...she's gone just like Fluttershy and Rarity...”

“DARN IT!!” Applejack stomped her hoof hard on the ground. “Now what do we do!?”

“Hahaha!” A voice laughed from behind them. “You elements are so easy to fool!”

“Huh?” Applejack and Winter turned to see Greed right there. “Rarity? Wait...your somepony else..”

“Well you have it half right Applejack” Greed brushed her mane back. “I'm a part of Rarity, and yet I'm nothing like her”

“Your the ones hurting my friends! Change them back!” Applejack shouted.

“It's not like I meant to hurt them, I don't wish them harm, but you all have my sisters inside you, and I want them back” Greed said grinning. “”So why don't you you just give up and let me have them?”

“What are you talking about!? You make it sound like your an element of harmony!” Winter stepped in.

“Well actually that's close, but I'm the living counterpart of Rarity, Greed, I'm what was made using the magic and powers of the forgotten ones, my fathers” Greed explained.

“So that means...they twisted the elements, turned them from positive to negative, who kind of monsters have that kind of power? Their elements of harmony, and yet they changed them to be reverse” Applejack said to herself.

“Oh no....how can we fight something like that?!” Winter asked.

“We can't, not easily, we need Twilight, can you go and find her for me? I'll hold off this fake” Applejack glared at Greed while speaking to Winter.

“You sure about that Applejack?” Greed asked. “You don't stand a chance.

“The hay I don't!” Applejack rushed her and Winter ran off to find Twilight, Greed stepped to the side as Applejack jumped her.

Her magic glowed and grabbed Applejack by her legs. “What the!?”

“Hahaha! You rush into a fight faster then Rainbow Dash, it's almost too funny!” Greed said as her tentacle broke out of her back in a painful way, it then stabbed into Applejack's neck.

“AHHHHHHHH!!!!” Applejack cried out in pain as Greed took her elemental energy.

“HAHAHAHAHA!!!!” Greed laughed hard as she filled herself with Applejack's element.

Applejack fell down and passed out as Greed finished with her. “Two more to go”

Greed walked off and Winter poked her head out, she couldn't leave Applejack and Rainbow Dash not like that, she went back over to them and picked them up, she put them on her back and walked off, she was actually very strong so she was able to hold them both up, she needed to get to Twilight and fast with the news.

Meanwhile Pinkie and Misty were wandering around the market, Pinkie looked around seeing all sorts of things, but nothing she was looking for. “Jeez, we'll never find Rainbow Dash this way”

“Well it'll take some time but we'll find her” Misty said smiling.

“Yeah, I hope so” Pinkie said.

They wandered for awhile when Anger sneaked out of the shadows and watched them. “Do you think they will still eat their cupcakes in that weird state?”

“I don't know, maybe?” Misty pondered Pinkie's question.

Greed walked up to Anger and smiled. “I see you found one”

“Once we have her, all we need is Twilight” Anger said. “I want to hurt them...”

“Let me handle this sister” Greed said and started to follow them.

“Tch, I wanted the pink one” Anger said annoyed.

“You don't know how to harness your powers yet, give it time” Greed said leaving her.

“Do you think it will ever be the same?” Misty asked.

“I don't know, of course I hope so, but even I'm not very positive at this point” Pinkie said honestly.

“Don't worry, we'll save them all” Misty said. “I know we will”

“Aww, it's cute that you think that, even though it's wrong” Greed said behind them.

“Huh?” They turned and Anger stepped up to their side. “Who are they?”

Pinkie shrugged and another one showed up ahead of them, this one looked a lot like Rainbow Dash, her coat was darker blue, her mane and tail where all different shades of a rainbow and her eyes glowed red. “Wait, is that Rainbow Dash?”

“I don't think so...” Misty said looking at them all. “Although they all have a similar look to our friends”

“Betrayal? Be a darling and hold the pink one down” Greed said smiling.

“Sure sis, I can't wait do see our next sister!” Betrayal said, she didn't have a cutie mark just like the others.

Betrayal then jumped on Pinkie and pinned her. “Hey what the!?” Pinkie tried to struggle but she was able to keep her down.

“Let her go!” Misty tried to stop her when Greed's horn glowed and grabbed her by her wings. “Hey!”

“You're just a normal pegasi, move aside” Greed then snapped back her left wing.

“AHHHHH!!!!” Misty fell back with her wing broken and she hit the ground hard. “My wing!!”

“Misty!! you big jerks!! stop hurting my friends!!” Pinkie cried out. “Stop it!!”

“Oh boo who, your friends don't matter to us” Anger said grinning. “If you ponies weren't so goodie horseshoes maybe we wouldn't have done that”

“Ha! Yeah right! I would have done it anytime!” Betrayal laughed.

“Goodbye Pinkie” Greed said and her magic formed around Pinkie and the tentacle came back and stabbed into her.

“AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!” Pinkie screamed out in pain and the tentacle sucked out the element from her and it went into Greed.

“PINKIE!!!!!” Misty cried out and tried to ignore the pain to stop them.

“Oh I've been waiting to beat something!” Anger said as she slammed a hoof down on Misty.

“AHHHHHHHHH!!!” Misty gritted her teeth still trying to stand up. “Leave Pinkie alone!!”

“Hahaha!! I love those screams!” Anger said as she hit Misty again and again.

Pinkie's essence was soon sucked out and she stopped struggling, her eyes dimmed, Greed took her tentacle back inside her and the energy stored into her body. “Two at once, our sisters well be ready soon”

“Can we call our fathers yet?” Betrayal asked getting up.

“Not yet, we need one more” Greed said walking away. “She should be coming by soon”

“Let's go Anger, stop playing with that pegasi” Betrayal said as she went back into the shadows.

“Tch, I wasn't done” Anger got up from the beaten Misty and walked off annoyed she couldn't finish.

Sometime later Twilight and Melody were walking along not sure where everypony ran off too.

“Great where did they go?” Twilight asked looking around.

“I don't know, but it's strange isn't it?” Melody asked worried. “The town has been rather quiet lately”

“I did notice” Twilight said pointing out the fact that there were no ponies on the streets. “Something bad is happening....”

“I hope Rainbow Dash is okay” Melody said as she kept her guard up sensing magic that seemed off. “Do you sense that?”

“I do, it almost feels like Rarity's but...it's darker” Twilight could feel eyes on her, but then in the middle of the street she saw Pinkie and Misty laying on the ground, Misty looked really hurt while Pinkie wasn't moving. “Oh no...”

Twilight and Melody went over to them and Twilight checked Pinkie out. “She's alive...and in the same state the others are in, how is Misty!?”

“She's hurt, a broken wing, but she'll recover” Melody checked her wounds. “Nothing really bad”

“I hope Applejack is okay...” Twilight said shaking.

Just then Winter came running up with Applejack and Rainbow Dash. “Twilight!”

“Winter!?” Twilight saw her with her friends and gasped. “Rainbow Dash and Applejack too!?”

“I'm sorry, I tried, but...I was scared, I ran for it...some friend I am..” Winter hung her head and set the two next to the others. “I don't know what to do...”

“This isn't good they now have five elements...” Melody said checking them over for wounds or bruises.

“No, it's worse then we thought, they ARE the elements, those bug things have a strange way of taking the life force of the ponies with elements and turn them into opposite versions of them, such as Greed and Anger!” Winter explained.

“So that's how their doing it...” Twilight was shocked, why didn't she figure this out before? They took Rarity's generosity and took out the positive parts and put only the darker parts into copies of them. “Then that means we're facing five negative elements”

“If they get yours Twilight, we can kiss Equestria goodbye” Melody said worried.

“Equestria!? Who cares about Equestria!?” Twilight shouted suddenly. “My best friends souls were just taken from them, and I couldn't protect them! What kind of friend am I!?”

“Twilight, it's not your fault, we did what we could” Melody tried to calm her down but Twilight wouldn't have it.

“Just-just stop, okay? I'm a failure...” Twilight couldn't stop herself from crying. “I let them all down...”

“But you haven't let US down” Greed appeared with a grin from the shadows.

“What!?” Twilight noticed that she looked similar to Rarity and knew who she was. “You!? Your the reason my friends are in this state!”

“Well I wouldn't want to take all the credit” Greed said with a laugh. “Right sisters?”

Then all five came out of the shadows as well. “Meet my sisters Twilight”

Anger flew just above her and growled. “You, I hate you most of all! Can I ruin her sis? Please!?”

Betrayal flew on the other side of her. “Name's Betrayal, I like you, maybe I'll help you, help end you that is!”

The Applejack lookalike was a lighter orange almost yellow, her mane and tail were colored white and her eyes were neon green, she went over to Twilight and smiled. “I'd say it's nice to meet you, but I'd be lying, I honestly don't like cry babies, by the way My name is Lies”

The last one was the Pinkie lookalike, her coat was hot pink and her mane and tail were a darker candy red, her eyes had different colors for each one, her left eye was yellow and her right eye was blue. “You can call me Gloom, I love to make others suffer in total misery!”

“And I'm Greed of course” Greed said smiling as they all gathered around Twilight.

Twilight didn't even notice, but her eyes were clouded with tears. “This...this is all wrong...you look like my friends, but your nothing like them....”

“Don't worry Twilight, soon you'll be like us too” Greed said and her horn glowed ready to attack.

Suddenly Melody appeared in front of Twilight using a teleport spell. “Back off!!”

“Who is this?” Betrayal asked annoyed.

“Get out of the way, you useless mare” Greed said coldly and cast a spell at Melody, she quickly countered it and Greed's magic back lashed canceling it out. “Huh? Nopony can stop my magic!”

“You blank flank freaks better leave or else!” Melody growled.

“Can I sis? Can I please hurt her!?” Anger asked.

“Please do” Greed said annoyed now.

Anger flew at Melody ready to hit her, but she cast a quick spell making a bunch of roots suddenly sprout from the ground and wrap around her four legs. “What the?! Roots!?”

“Hya!” Melody kicked her hard forcing her back. “I didn't spend all that time in the pits to lose to some fakers!”

“Pits? Who is this mare?” Greed raised an eyebrow. “Sisters take her out!”

Twilight was in no condition to fight back, she couldn't stop crying over the loss of her friends, Melody stayed in front of her knowing that she was their last hope. “Don't even try!”

Betrayal flew at her ready to kick and Melody cast another spell that magical grabbed her tail and spun her around like a dryer and slammed her down on the ground. “Oof! What is with this mare!!?”

Lies came up from behind her going to Twilight and Melody focused her magic and froze the ground under her making her slip and hit the ground. “Ow! Why you!”

“This mare is getting on my nervous!” Greed said getting more and more angry.

Gloom suddenly slammed her side making Melody stumble and fall, but she quickly kicked herself up and her horn sparkled as a bubble formed around Gloom and a loud BOOM of noise hit her ears making Gloom fall back holding her head. “Ahhhh!!! Too loud!!”

“That's it!! I'm done with you!” Greed used her magic to create a ribbon and it wrapped around Melody's throat choking her.

“GAHH!!” Melody quickly cast another spell making roots spike up and ripping the ribbon apart. “Haa...haa..not that easy!”

Melody grabbed Winter and Twilight and ran to the group of Twilight's friend's bodies. “Sorry fakers, but Twilight is off limits!”

Melody focused her magic hard causing a ripple in the fabric of reality and a blinding flash hit all their eyes.

“STOP HER!!!” Greed cried out putting a hoof over her eyes so she wasn't completely blinded.

They all jumped Melody but then they only hit the ground where she was, Greed growled and walked over to the spot. “Twilight still had friends to help her, I don't know who that mare is, but I want her gone, I want Twilight to watch as we snuff out the last of her friend's life, do you understand sisters?”

They all nodded. “Yes sister”

Then they all heard a voice reach them. “Five is enough, send in the workers”

“You all heard them, let's go” Greed said in a bad mood and they all walked off.

Melody wrapped into the castle with everypony with her and she stumbled a bit and was very tired from all that casting. “Haa...haa...I'm not used to this body yet...I can't control even a tenth of my magic without problems...”

Twilight was crying in the corner, all her hopes seemed pointless, she had given up, without her friends around, what was the point?

“Oh dear...I was afraid of this” Celestia said as she walked in. “So they have taken all of Twilight's friends....”

“Without her magic, do you think we have a chance?” Melody asked holding her head a little, it was easy to get headaches from so much magical use.

“I'm afraid I can't answer that Melody, Twilight? You must remain calm, this fight isn't over” Celestia tried to talk to Twilight.

“Celestia....” Twilight choked down her tears to try and talk. “I failed my friends...I failed Equestria....what good am I to anypony?”

“Twilight Sparkle, this is a time where your friends need you the most, you must defeat them to restore them back to their former selves” Celestia tried to explain.

“But how?” Melody asked.

“Is there anything we can do?” Winter asked looking over all the ponies.

“Twilight is the only one that can defeat them, if she can make the elements turn back to normal she can put them into her friends and save them, but Twilight is the only one that can do that” Celestia pointed out.

“M-me?” Twilight asked wiping away her tears. “Can I really save them if I can take their elements back?”

“I have a spell here you can use, but you can only use it once as it will take a lot of magic to use, so make it count” Celestia brought over a magical book to Twilight.

Twilight took it and started to read it, maybe it was to early to give up, with this last chance she could save all her friends, at least this spell gave her a final hope.

“Great..I feel so useful” Melody said sarcastically.

“I need you Winter Sugar to look over all of them while we ready for battle” Celestia said.

“Of course princess, I'll do my best” Winter said.

“And Melody, you will be more useful out there fighting their minions” Celestia walked over to a window and Melody followed.

Melody looked out the window and saw a large amount of Terrasects start to come out of the mountion the city was placed on. “Oh hay barrels...”