Chapter 6: Pride

"Onward!" the Pie twins called out in unison (they usually do this), "To Manehatten!"

The gang was on the train to Manehatten. Hope, who was still tired from her duel with Crown the day before, was out cold. Zach and Ditzy were in a different car, along with Twilight, Night, Fluttershy, and Discord.

"Are you sure this tournament is a good idea?" Fluttershy asked softly, hiding behind her mane, "This thing called Oblivion seems too dangerous."

"That's what I said," Ditzy agreed.

"I've been planning this tournament for over a year," Zach said, "I can't just cancel. But Celestia has agreed to put her guards in every major location to keep the peace. Anypony using an Element of Vice card will be arrested immediately. And the princess is going to meet with Twilight and I with information about Oblivion."

"It seems strange that I've never found any books on this creature," Twilight said, "I've been through almost every book in the Canterlot royal archives. Do you know anything about him, Discord?"

Discord shrugged, "All I know is that he wants to destroy the world. I came after he was defeated."

As the train came to a stop Zach said, "Night, I want you to help Ditzy make sure Hope stays safe. Over the past couple of days trouble has been finding her like Rarity finds gems."

Night nodded, "I'll do my best. But she might be more like you than we'd like."

Zach sighed, "That's what I'm afraid of."

-Time Skip-

Zach and Twilight were waiting in a penthouse hotel room. It appeared Celestia spared no expense in making sure that they wouldn't be overheard. But she was about two hours late.

"Where is she?" Zach asked impatiently.

"She'll be along shortly," Twilight said, "She probably has a good reason to be late."

At that point Celestia teleported in, "Sorry I'm late! I've just felt really lethargic lately."

"It's alright Celestia," Twilight said, "Do you know anything about Oblivion?"

The solar princess sat down and nodded, "I do. I assume you both know that Faust created the planet and its inhabitants." The other two ponies nodded. "Well, when the three tribes of ponies began to fight with each other, she wanted to stop this unrest. But, being a goddess, directly interfering was dangerous and she needed a proxy. So she created Oblivion as a peacekeeper. His one mission was to keep the ponies from fighting. But he took this too far.

"Oblivion finally decided to prevent all ponies from fighting forever by destroying them. He began to destroy everything, forcing Faust's hoof. She came directly to this world and fought with Oblivion for weeks, but couldn't bring the final blow. Instead, she trapped Oblivion within the planet itself and built a prison on top of it."

"Tartarus," Twilight said.

Celestia nodded, "He's been trapped ever since. But Faust wiped the minds of every pony so they wouldn't remember the bloodshed."

"If she wiped everypony's memories then how do you remember Oblivion?"

"Luna and I were originally the sun and the moon. We were turned into ponies and sent to Equestria shortly before the reign of Discord. But that doesn't matter at the moment.

"It seems that Oblivion found an ally. I looked at the name Dagger; he was an ambassador for the dragons. About three decades ago he was assassinated by some radicals. It appears the power of Oblivion returned him to life."

"Interesting," Zach said, "But what about the Elements of Vice? Or the fact that one of their bearers has a vendetta against my daughter?"

"I'm not sure. But I might know how to track them."

Twilight and Zach looked at Celestia for a moment before Zach said, "Go on."

"It might be possible to use the Elements of Harmony to locate an Element of Vice due to the fact that they are likely opposites. Simply focus on the darkness."

Zach thought for a second and said, "Could I also use this to track Hope through Darkness?"

Celestia suppressed a laugh, "Yes."

Zach's duel disk appeared on his leg. It still acted as an Element of Harmony. He focused on the darkness around him and the gem began to glow. He gasped when he felt not one, but two powerful dark auras. One of them was Hope and Darkness, somehow he just knew. But he didn't recognize the other. Both auras were in close proximity to each other.

"Hope's in trouble!"

-Elsewhere in the city-

"Manehatten is amazing," the Pies said. They went to every major sight in the city. Honeycrisp acted as a guide since she came to Manehatten so much with Rarity.

"We should probably start making our way to the stadium," Ditzy said, "The concert starts in about an hour."

As the group began to move Hope looked at Turvy and saw that she looked more nervous than usual.

"Are you alright?" Hope asked quietly.

"I'm fine," Turvy replied, "There are just so many ponies here and I don't like it being so crowded."

"I hear you Turvs. But try to focus on something else."

Since Hope wasn't looking where she was going, she walked right into a Pegasus couple.

"Sorry about that," Hope said, "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"Of course you weren't," the stallion said. He was black with a yellow mane and tail. "You unicorns always have your noses in the air."

Hope tried to ignore this but it was Ditzy who spoke up, "I don't appreciate you talking to my daughter that way."

The unknown Pegasus mare, who was grey and blue, lowered the sunglasses that were over her eyes and said, "Ditzy, is that you?"

Ditzy looked at the mare closely before saying, "Mother?"

The others backed up as Ditzy stared at her parents.

"So you've actually come back," the stallion sneered, "I never thought I'd see the day the little traitor would return."

This time it was Hope who spoke up for her mother, "Who are you to speak to my mother like that?"

"This is my wife, Star Stream," the stallion said, "I am Melvin Do." Hope had to suppress a giggle as the stallion continued, "We used to be your mother's parents until she left us for that bastard unicorn child of hers."

"Do not insult Dinky!" Ditzy yelled, scaring the others.

"It also seems that you had another child with another unicorn. Where's he at, in the back alleys of that cesspool you call a town?"

"And don't insult my husband either."

"What do you even have against unicorns?" Hope asked.

Melvin looked straight into Hope's eyes and said, "Your kind are nothing but lazy bastards who look down upon everypony else. Pegasi and earth ponies do all the work while the only magic users who do anything of worth are Celestia and Luna. Not even that Twilight Sparkle is useful."

Hope cringed, not only from the cussing but from this Melvin insulting Twilight.

Three, two, one.

Both Hope and Discord used their magic to hold Night and Dusk back. The last time they heard somepony insult Twilight that pony nearly had to go to the hospital.

Discord began to pull the stallions while Hope dragged Ditzy away from the area.

"Let's just get out of here," Hope said, trying to calm her mother down.

As the group began to walk away Turvy noticed the eyes of the Pegasi turning red. The mark of Oblivion also appeared on their foreheads.

"Hope," Turvy said quietly, "We better run."

"What do you…?" Hope turned around and saw what Turvy saw.

"We weren't done with you," Star Streak said.

"We lost all of our pride when you left us," Melvin added, "We want it back."

Matching black duel disks appeared on their legs and Melvin continued, "Oblivion promised us that we would get our pride back if we would just defeat either you or Zach. And you're the only one here."

Hope's duel disk appeared on her own leg, "Let's go then."

Night stepped up beside hope, his duel disk also on, "I'm not letting you duel on your own Hope. I told your dad that I'd try to keep you safe. I know that you're too much like your father to back down, but I'm going to try to give you some backup. Dusk, get a guard. One should be around here somewhere since Princess Celestia is here."

Dusk nodded and flew off.

"Fine," Melvin said, "We can defeat two unicorns instead of one. Each of us will get 8000 points. If one pony loses, their partner does too."

Melvin Do: 8000

Star Streak: 8000

Hope's Light: 8000

Flutter Night: 8000

Melvin drew, "I set three cards and end my turn."

Just three face-downs? What is he planning?

Night drew, "I summon Infernity Necromancer (ATK 0). When I summon my monster I can switch it to defense mode (DEF 2000). I set two cards and end my turn."

Star drew, "I set two cards and end my turn."

More face-downs? Are they using Artifacts? That's the only time I think this strategy could work.

Hope drew, "Since I control no monsters I can special summon Photon Thrasher (ATK 2100). Thrasher, attack Melvin!"

All three of Melvin's face-downs raised, "I activate all three of my Metal Reflect Slime, who special summon themselves (DEF 3000 x3)."

"Stop!" Thrasher's sword stopped inches from one of the Slime's heads. "I summon Shadow Beast Stalker (ATK 1200). I activate Quick Surgery to change the type of all monsters on the field until the end phase. I overlay my monsters and xyz summon Galaxy Stealth Dragon (ATK 2000). I use its effect to summon Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon (ATK 3000). I end my turn."

Melvin drew and Star's face-downs rose, "I summon two more Metal Reflect Slimes (DEF 3000 x 2)."

"Thanks," Melvin said, "I overlay my three Metal Reflect Slimes to xyz summon Superdimensional Robot Galaxy Destroyer (ATK 5000). I activate its effect to destroy all of your spells and traps." The giant robot fired upon Night's face-downs. "I now overlay my Destroyer with Star's Metal Reflect Slimes and xyz summon Element of Vice – Proud Locomotive (ATK 3600)." A giant train appeared from the overlay network. Black smoke spewed from its smoke stacks.

-Random Alley-

Zach and Twilight ran through the alleys, Zach leading the way with his Element. They made it to one alley and saw Hope and Night dueling two Pegasi. A giant train was on the field.

"That must be the Element of Vice," Twilight said, "I'll call some guards."

Dagger appeared in front of them and said, "I don't think so." Grey energy appeared on both openings of the alley. "I don't think you're going anywhere."

Zach activated his duel disk and tried to levitate a card, but found he couldn't, "Why can't I use my magic?"

"This energy field keeps you from using magic. I just wish for you to watch the duel."

Zach tried to ram Dagger with his horn but Dagger used magic to stop him. Then he pulled a card from his cloak.

"Which card is that?" Zach asked.

Dagger spun the card around. The picture was of six gravestones on a grassy hill with a familiar looking silhouette.

Zach backed up, "No, that was destroyed!"

"I don't believe so. I found it in Canterlot. Now I suggest you watch the duel and ponder what me having this means." Dagger disappeared.

-Back to the duel-

"I now use the effect of my monster. I can detach an overlay unit from my monster and your Galaxy Stealth Dragon to special summon a monster from my deck. I summon Simorgh, Bird of Ancestry (ATK 2900). Proud Locomotive attack Galaxy Stealth Dragon!"

The monster plowed through the small dragon, making Hope slide back a few inches.

Hope's Light: 8000-6400

"I use my Simorgh to attack Infernity Necromancer. I'll set a card and end my turn."

Night drew, "I set a monster and one card and activate the spell Wave-Motion Inferno. I tribute it to send all the cards from my hand to the graveyard. I end my turn."

Star drew, "I set a monster and a card and end my turn."

Hope drew, "Galaxy-Eyes, attack with Photon Stream of Destruction! Now I-"

"I activate Imperial Iron Wall to prevent all monsters from being banished."

Hope's Light: 6400-5800

As Hope took damage Night thought, "I can't believe that I'm taking no damage while Hope's lost nearly all of her points. I need to step it up."

"I set a monster and two cards and end my turn."

Melvin drew, "I set one card and attack Night with Simorgh."

When the card was destroyed a fiendish cowboy appeared.

"When you destroy one of my monsters while I have no cards in my hoof I can special summon Infernity Avenger (ATK 0)," Night said, "Then it becomes the level of the monster destroyed. You destroyed my level four Infernity Archfiend."

"Then I attack with Proud Locomotive!"

Night grinned as his face-down card flipped, "I activate Infernity Force to destroy your Element of Vice!"

The train was smashed to pieces.

"My Infernity Force also allows me to bring back my Archfiend (ATK 1800). Then I get to add an Infernity card to my hoof."

"I end my turn."

Night drew, "I tune Infernity Avenger to Infernity Archfiend to synchro summon Hundred Eyes Dragon (ATK 3000). I use its effect to banish Infernity Dwarf and copy its effect of piercing damage. Thousand Eyes Dragon, attack Star's face-down with Infinity Sight Stream!"

The face-down was a Harpie Lady (DEF 1400).

Star Stream: 8000-6400

"I end my turn."

Star drew, "I activate Xyz Reborn to bring back Element of Vice – Proud Locomotive. Attack Hundred Eyes Dragon!"

Hope's face-down rose, "I activate Negate Attack."

"I end my turn."

Hope drew, "I activate the effect of my Radius, the Half-Moon Dragon. While you control an xyz monster I can special summon it and make it level eight. I now overlay my Radius with Night's Hundred Eyes Dragon to xyz summon Shadow Beast Dark Leviathan (ATK 4000). I now use the effect of Dark Leviathan to destroy every card on the field and gain the points of every destroyed monster (ATK 4000-7600). Dark Leviathan, attack with Total Darkness Destroyer!"

Star Stream: 6400-0

The blast only hit Star, but Melvin dropped to the ground at the same time. Both Pegasi began to glow before fading away.

"Where did they go?" Hope asked. Then she dropped to her knees.

Zach and Twilight ran out of the alley. Night began to panic and said, "I'm sorry, I tried to keep her safe!"

"I saw the whole thing from the summoning of the Element of Vice," Zach said, "You did your best."

Twilight's horn began to glow and said, "I feel some strange magic. It's almost like those two Pegasi were converted straight into energy and removed from the area."

Hope began to stand and said, "Can we go to the concert now?"

-Location Shift-

Dagger was standing in front of the portal to Tartarus. The crystal around Oblivion was cracking, his power increased by the energy released from the duel.

"I was… unfortunate that Pride was defeated," Oblivion said.

"Yes," Dagger agreed, "But we have this." Dagger held up the card from before.

"Yes, the human's greatest mistake: Eternity's End."

Wow, this took a while to type. I forgot to mention during the last chapter that all Element of Vice cards that have found owners so far belong to moviemaster8510. I only own the Element of Wrath card, whose name has not been revealed.