Chapter 25: Bells and Stone

Everyone who could see the Bewitching Bell stared at it. And those who couldn't see it tried too. Only Sam and Josh didn't show as much shock as everyone else.

"This bell proved pretty useful you know..." Grogar finally said. "First, it did me a great favor when I drained the magic of all the former cult members after we banished you three. It did even greater when it drained all the magic in Equestria!"

"Except for ours," King Sombra pointed out.

"Yes, except for ours," Grogar muttered, rolling his eyes. "You see, what we did was trap every single pony and creature, magic or no magic, in a forcefield. We then turned Princess Twilight and her friends into stone before we drained everypony and everycreatures magic. Luster Dawn was lucky to escape. I don't know how she got out. The forcefield possibly closed before she got in. It was the next morning when we discovered she was out there. But before we did, we also found out that you three were under the care of these... humans. So we hatched a plan. When Luster was performing all the spells that brought you together, it wasn't really her. It was all us. All she was doing was lighting up her horn with no effect. We performed the spells that allowed her to communicate with you. We teleported you all here. And then when we felt it was time for the final step, we caught Luster, drained her magic, and turned her to stone."

"And since you three are the only creatures from Equestria that are not under our rule, all we need to do is take care of the three of you," said the Storm King. "And then we will drag these six humans with us, interrogate them, and then move our rule to this very planet. And then we will destroy both Equestria AND Earth!"

"You can't win," Tirek growled, pointing at Grogar.

"Did you even hear what we said?" Sombra said. "We DID win! All traces of friendship and harmony are gone!"

"And besides, your magic is restrained," Grogar said. "No magic can do you good. You can't even undo what we are about to do to you."

"What are you gonna do to them? Huh? Turn them to stone?" asked Leo,

Grogar turned to him and immediatly lit up his horns. All of the humans were suddenly covered in a yellow transparent skin, that made them look like they were covered in shiny yellow plastic. Their facial expressions were frozen. The former villains gasped as soon as they saw what Grogar did.

Grogar grinned.

"This freezing spell should keep all of you quiet while I perform this little spell..." he said.

And then, Grogar turned. Immediatly after he did, Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow began to glow yellow while lifting up into the air.

When the three former villains looked at their bodies, they realized why. They were turning into yellow silhouettes.

When the former villains fully became silhouettes, with fear expressed on their faces, their bodies slowly began to change.

Tirek shrank back to his first form, with his body becoming weak and frail, and his horns shrinking to knubs.

Chrysalis' mane, tail, wings, and hoof suddenly became more weathered, silky, and/or covered in holes. Her horn grew out to be more jagged and the fuzz on her barrel and ears noticably faded, along with her elytra. She also became slightly taller and thinner.

As for Cozy Glow, she stayed the same.

Finally, the silhouettes floated to the ground, landing on their hooves. Once they landed, the glow on Grogar's horns dimmed, and the three former villains turned into their physical forms again.

But different.

Tirek examined his body and saw that he was back in his first, and weakest, form.

Chrysalis also examined her body and realized that she looked like the way she did back when she was evil. With black chitin skin, long jagged horn, green carapace, and holes covering her mane, tail, hooves, and wings.

And as for Cozy Glow, she took one look at her flank. And there, on her flank, was a picture of a rook.

Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy all looked at Grogar.

"W-what did you do?" stuttered Tirek as he and his friends stood back up.

"Why, I used my magic to transform you back into the forms you've had before you were turned to stone," Grogar calmly said. "That way, you can all suffer the guilt you've endured and remember who you all used to be."

"If you think turning us back into our evil forms and appearences would plunge us into extreme guilt, you would be wrong," Chrysalis said. "It will take a lot more than that!"

"Well, I have just the method to do that in a way where you won't escape," replied Grogar.

He lit up his horns again. He was still smiling. Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy suddenly stood straight and froze in place, covered in the same yellow coat that surrounded the humans at the very moment.

"Together forever..." he hissed. "I can't think of anything you would want less!"

As soon as Grogar said that last word, three large beams blasted from his horns, one beam heading for each reformed villains.

The three beams struck the former villains at the same time. And the same effects began to take place at the same time as well.

Once they were struck by the beams, the trio of reformed villains immediatly realized that something was not right.

They began to examine their bodies. And each of them saw their bodies become covered in stone.

They didn't do much.

When Cozy fully turned to stone, she put her hooves on her cheeks. Just like the last time she turned to stone.

When Tirek fully turned to stone, he cowered, holding up his arms as if to shield himself. Just like the last time he turned to stone.

And Chrysalis lunged. Just like the last time she turned to stone. Only two differences: first, she didn't show rage, but fear like the other two. And instead of hissing, she screamed only one thing.

"NO!!!"

And with that, all three former villains levitated in the air for a brief moment before they floated together. When Cozy's tail and Chrysalis' wing touched Tirek, stone grew around those areas, fusing the reformed villains together. Just like last time they turned to stone.

And then, for the final touch, a stone pedestal grew beneath Tirek and the stone statue fell to the ground with a THUNK!!!

The three current villains stared at the statue and said nothing for a brief moment before Grogar did something. He and his allies turned around, before Grogar lit up his horns again, and blasted a beam to the wall of fire that still blazed behind the humans. When the beam hit the fire, it stopped, and the end of the beam suddenly grew. It transformed into large yellow strips, swirling into an even brighter yellow center that was way smaller, but still big. In the gaps between the yellow swirls, there was a black aura of magic.

It was a large portal. A portal the size of the Storm King.

The portal back to Equestria.

Grogar finally spoke, but didn't turn at all.

"We are going to bring these humans to Equestria with us so we can learn more about this place," he said. "After we imprison the humans, we will come back for the statue. As of now, those reformed villains are in stone sleep. But I plot to wake them soon, and then have Sombra force them to see flashbacks of their villainy for all eternity."

"*sigh*. I've been waiting for so long to show ponies... and other creatures I suppose... their fears," Sombra purred.

"You will when the time comes. As I've said before, we will leave this portal open since no living being will be near it. Well... aside from the reformed villains," reassured Grogar.

Then, the six humans levitated into the air as Grogar's horns continued glowing. One by one, they floated through the portal, avoiding harm from the fire.. And as soon as the last human (Leo) passed through the portal, Grogar walked forward and stepped through. King Sombra immediatly followed. Then the Storm King.

And so, Chrysalis, Tirek and Cozy Glow, were now alone, trapped in stone once again.

Grogar has won.

Princess Twilight, her friends, and her pupil have all been turned to stone. Every other pony and creature has had their magic trained. Grogar has allies and even his bell. And the last hope Equestria has is now gone. The humans have been brought to Equestria as prisoners and the three reformed villains are now trapped in stone again.

Now, the end of Equestria has begun. And the end of Earth will soon rise...

Then, a large changeling and a gargoyle stepped through the large portal.

Author's Note

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