Chapter fifty four

As chaos rages outside and even in certain parts of the castle. The throne room has remained untouched as the doors where sealed from the inside, as best as they could be at least. Piles of rubble set up to block entry, as Queen Chrysalis sits in the center, quietly meditating to herself with the six elements in a hexagon around her slightly off the ground. Even with the sounds of fighting going about that she can catch off in the distance, she still with much concentration, has gotten far on the corruption spell and is nearly there finally.

The occasional ear twitch from the sound of a spell being cast to close to comfort, the only thing that makes her focus on something else. Hearing the remnants of a unicorn calling upon a Meteor shower spell outside, that still has enough force to even shake some of the stones around her, causes the monarch to crack open an eye to make sure that nothing actually is going to affect her at the moment, before quickly brushing it off.

“Well it sounds like the Equestrians are having a heck of a time…” she allows a small smile to come forth, “…I wonder how Sombry is doing?” Chrysalis bites down on her tongue, trying to realize what she just said, “did I really just give him a pet name?” the foul taste in her mouth though soon dissipates as the queen chuckles at the slip. ‘It’s kinda cute, isn’t it…?' she blushes, as infatuation with her king comes to mind yet again, ‘I can save that for later though,’ she turns her attention back to her work, continuing again.

Twilight has managed to keep herself, and her guard on track, as they moved through the tunnels. Ending up right where she said they would, and with a hefty push from Flash, the block holding them underground moves as he inches it out, without too much noise at least. Lifting their heads up out from the little hole, they find themselves right behind the throne that Celestia used to use.

“I’m going to guess that we’re here…” Flash states the obvious, looking at the clear sun decal on the back of the chair.

“That would seem so, the princesses would use this to get out of sticky situations if need be,” Twilight answers as she is helped out by her coltfriend. Coming to her feet as she peers around the corner of the seat, suddenly drawing back to him with a suspenseful look plastered all over her face.

“Twi? What is it?” he looks over top himself, to see Chrysalis sitting there in her state of mind, as the Elements reside next to her, “How far gone are they?” he asks the more magic knowledgeable one out of the two of them.

“I’m not sure…” Twi responds, having not seen them clearly enough.

Though as she goes to take a second look. To find to her surprise, and worry, Chrysalis is no longer there, nothing but an empty spot on the ground remains from where the queen once was. Before the alicorn is even able to say anything though. Half the throne is destroyed in a green blast as the couple are thrown to the ground with some of the debris covering them, only to rise and see the queen fluttering there with her translucent wings hovering above them.

“Well I may be the bringer of bad news in this case…” Chrysalis taunts them as they get to their feet, “…but I’ll have you know that the spell is almost complete,” without another word the pair of ponies draw out their respective blades. Each one wielding it with expert skill as they take a fighting stance, only getting a grin out of the queen as they are in step with one another. “You two are even in tune with one another in combat? It’s actually rather cute when you see it honestly,” she puts a sarcastic hoof to her chest in a rather posh way.

Though in truth even the queen would admit on any other day that it is rather adorable seeing the pair, if they weren’t her enemy of course. Breaking out her own crooked and jagged blade from her side holster with a hoof, she lands before the two with the Elements still floating next to her in her magical grasp. “Now I have some special matters to attend to…” She brushes a lock of hair from her face.

“What?” Sentry mocks her, “wedding plans?”

“Oh har, har…” Chrysalis draws closer to them with a quick slash, causing the two to spread apart to either side.

Now both Twi, and Flash try to do the same to her. Having to quickly bring up the blade to block the stallion’s own, as she somehow contorts her body around the princess’s attack in to a rather uncomfortable bend. ‘Ugh, that’s going to be sore in the morning,’ Chrysalis remarks in her mind after feeling several spots on her back crack in unison. Bucking back with her hind hoof, she kicks the guard down to ground level, giving a quick turn to head butt the princess and leave her in a daze for a few moments so she can take care of the stallion as she soon follows Flash down.

The queen knows full well that out of the two of them, Twilight will never be as good with a sword as her own guard. Seeing as for most of her life she would use the gift of magic, something she doesn’t have to contend with now thanks to the king. This makes Sentry the obvious larger threat in her mind, and one that she must eliminate soon.

Though she does make one terrible mistake… the queen underestimates the ticked off nature of a mare, with a sword, who has her Coltfriend being attacked.

Flash flips over on to his back and sees the shining glint of the light reflecting off of the queen’s blade through the corner of his eye. Rolling just in time to avoid the majority of the blade, the only injury he gets is a slight trim to his mane. A single lock of blue hair passes by his face as Sentry brings about his own blade, accelerating it with a few flaps of his wings. The added power even causes the queens sheer form to skid back a few feet as he pushes back in to her block while she herself holds her own.

Even with the difference between them with height and power. Both Flash and Chrysalis are comparable when it comes to sword play. Flash because he is a Royal Canterlot Guard after all, and Chrysalis because she has been doing this for a while and on top of that she knows the same thing that Luna does… you can’t always rely on magic all the time.

Bringing a back hoof to break the minor draw between them. It contacts her cheek and even catches the Queen by surprise as she takes a step or two back, having to catch her breath because of the fighting and the magic toll that is being done. “Did you really just back hoof me?” she wipes her face off, noticing the small about of emerald blood on her hoof.

“Hitting a mare is against my nature, honest,” Flash states, holding a hoof up as a scouts honor, “though, I pretty sure I can make an exception for you…” he lunges back at the queen and puts his two hind hooves in to her chest as she now flips over on her own back.

A rather familiar view, as she sees the guard wielding his blade and set to slice her skull in two with it. Freeing her mind for a moment, she clears all thoughts and conjures up a simple Bolt spell and sends the charged beam in to his chest. The Elements that hold themselves near her falter as a reaction to her use of magic, but she quickly recovers and keeps them in place. Contacting the metal plate, the spell leaves a scorch mark on his chest as the armor does its job. Though that said, the colt is still sent skipping over the ground like Pinkie Pie on a sugar rush. Coming to a stop as his helmet hits the wall, and his head whiplashes in to the back. Flash slumps over as he feels the massive pounding in his head while a small dribble of blood falls down the front of his face.

“Well I have to say…” Chrysalis comes back to her feet and slowly walks over to him, drawing closer and closer with every word, “for a pony, you are quite skilled when it comes to fighting… I could have used one like you to train my own soldiers.”

“Seeing as they are just horrible at their job…” he snickers at her to dig a knife in to her ego.

“Making jokes in this case won’t get you far…” she reminds while her horn glows green once again as the same spell powers up. Taking care not to put too much in to it so she doesn’t lose her connection to the magical relics that she controls. Taking aim at the stunned guard…

Just in time to hear the gut wrenching wail from the alicorn mare in the room.

“DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH MY COLTFRIEND!!!” Twilight screeches, catching Flash and Chrysalis off guard as her decorated blade makes a connection with the Queen’s own as she manages to bring it up in time to save her own skin.

The flapping of her wings and the force from her getting a running start, carry both her and the queen back as she tackles her adversary and Chrysalis scrapes her back against the ground as she drops her crooked blade as a result. The mare’s lavender hoof uppercuts the queen and slams her head back in to the stone floor as her own small teeth dig in to the soft monarchs neck drawing blood.

Using what strength she can, Chrysalis lifts the angered mare off of her and tosses her relatively light body on to the ground so she can get some distance between her. “You…You really are pissed…aren’t cha?” the queen tries to get some humor in to her mind to calm her down so she can continue the spell.

“Ohhh, you have no idea…” Twilight grinds her teeth as some of the green still taints her molars. Blood lust in her eye at seeing her coltfriend hurt brings out a new side to the usually calm princess. She’ll defend her friends, she’ll fight for what is right… but fighting for one she truly loves is a whole new game.

Leaping across the small space between them, Twilight wraps her hooves around the thin neck of Chrysalis and tries her best to choke the lights out of her. Even causing the queen to get stars in her eyes as she furiously tries to fight off the attack from the alicorn. Lifting her knee up and in to her gut, she knocks enough wind out of Twi to get her to lay off as Chrysalis brings out a short dagger and takes a few slashes at her target.

Several cuts dig in to Twilight’s warming lavender coat as crimson blood starts to run down and through the hair, though in this moment, she could care less about what happens to her. Ignoring the pain all together, Twilight plants a hoof on the very blade the queen was using and rips it from the queens grasp, getting a minor cut as a result. Though through this, the cat fight is broken off while Chrysalis tosses the mare from her, but not before Twi throws the blade right at its user. The knife digs in to the monarch’s leg as it sticks out and causes her to wince down to the ground. Looking up only to see Twilight’s horn glowing brighter and brighter.

Even with the lock on her magic, and the pain that’s resulting from trying to use it anyway as it starts to back fire in to her. The sheer rage that the mare has built up at the moment over powers even Sombras spell on her as it breaks a small red aura around her horn, and a violet blast rips its way from her magical appendage and onwards to the queen.

“Oh crap…” Chrysalis gets out as her eyes widen before being sent back in to the back wall and leaving a clear imprint of herself on the stone, as she falls now face first to the ground.

Gritting her teeth, she looks up and in the moment of peace that comes between the two. To seeing Twilight gallop over to Flash’s side as he stumbles up to his feet. Rather grateful that the princess fancies him so much at the moment, so the queen herself can catch her breath.

“Flash? Are you okay?” Twilight asks, helping to lift him up to his feet. Taking note of the rather large dent on the top of his helmet.

“As good as I’ll ever be,” he rubs the top of it, “Remind me to not tick you off…”

“Oh you should be so lucky though,” a loving smile graces her face, even in the wake of all that’s going on, “besides that was for you…”

“As sweet as that is, dear…” Flash looks over her shoulder and sees the queen pulling out the blade from her leg as she staggers to her feet. “We have other issues right now to attend to,” Twilight turns about and nods to him as they get back in the familiar stance that they had when this skirmish first started.

“Agh…” Chrysalis rips a piece of a tapestry next to her off, and wraps it around her injured leg. Quickly soaking it with blood, though it does manage to stop some of the bleeding and she takes note of the situation of the couple behind her, “Are you two done with one another, so we can continue this little fight of ours?”

“Only if you’re ready,” Twilight answers her as they all grasp their blades at the ready.

Prepared to charge head long in to one another yet again. Though that gets cut short as the trio finds themselves getting interrupted by a flying, or more likely crashing, Dragonoci coming through the back wall as he slams in to the opposite wall and slides down to the ground much like the queen a few seconds ago.

Discord sits there for a few seconds, thankful that his armor took most of the brunt as some of the spikes are even bent from the impact. Looking back towards the hole and seeing another coming to meet him halfway. Sombra pile drives the prince and even knocks the wind out of him, though only gets a serpent’s tail to the face as a result from the turn around. The king now slides over the ground to the side of his queen, laying there for a second so his head can stop spinning.

“Well you look like you’ve been having fun…” she chuckles as he shakes off the hit, and Chrysalis helps him to his hooves.

“Oh I don’t want to hear it Chrysie,” Sombra lets the nickname slip from his tongue while not even taking note of the slight blush rise up to her cheeks as she notices it, “I’ve been dealing with the captain of the royal guard, the princess of the night, and the prince of chaos… let’s just say it’s been a busy day.”

“Well now that you say-” she shakes her head, “wait… what?” Chrysalis looks back at the hole that was made by the flying prince. Only to see both Princess Luna with Shining Armor in tow close behind, as they each make a line up against them. Twilight, Flash, Shining, Luna, and Discord all in a line with one another, as they stare down both King and Queen

“Well isn’t this a nice showdown…” Discord cracks his neck, before he looks at the king, “you’re mine by the way…”

“Nice to know, Discord,” Sombra grinds his teeth, looking back to Flash and recognizing him easily from PonyVille, “how’s the gut doing by the way?”

“Better,” Flash remarks coldly as he clenches his blade, already irritated by the king from what he did the last time they encountered one another.

“Easy now, Flash…” Twilight eases him, catching the fire burning in her coltfriend’s eyes.

“What do you say… let’s make this interesting,” Chrysalis grins mischievously at them, with a subtle nod to her own lover, “Colts versus colts, and mares versus mares?”

“I thought thou never ask,” Luna responds as she takes a place next to Twilight right in front of Chrysalis.

Rather glad to have a chance to do one in for the mare that crippled her sister and killed her nephew. All the while Discord, Flash, and Shining do the same with Sombra as they ready themselves for a fight. As Shining will enjoy the pleasure of kicking the hind of the king that kidnapped his sister. Taking the first hit, Sombra teleports between the three in a puff of smoke as he uses his shield and sword to block Shining and Discord’s own attack. While getting a swift pair of wings boxing his ears from Flash as he rips off his own helmet and clobbers him in the jaw leaving him in a daze.

After fixing it back on his head, the Pegasus tackles him to the ground with his wing strength and head butts the king. Only to receive a swift kick to the chest to lift him up and over as the guard is tossed aside. Sombra doesn’t have time to recover though, as Shining teleports above him and brings the sword down on the unicorn. Thankfully though, the armor does its job and stops the blade cold. Giving himself the opportunity to get to his hooves and knock the captain away, and Discord the opening to snap his fingers. Bringing up a few columns of stone, shooting up from the ground in an attempt to crush the dark unicorn. The prince slams them on either side of the king, knocking several layers of rock off the sides and leaving a small cloud of dust from the impact spot, though as the dust settles. Discord’s eyes only narrow when he sees Sombra using his own two fore hooves to hold back the stone. Not even breaking a sweat from his brow as he leaps up and the pieces meet one another, while the king lands gingerly atop them.

“You’re going to have to try better than that now…” Sombra mocks the chaos god’s attempts. All the while the crystals on his armor continue to glow while they feed his strength.

“Well don’t worry…” a sinister grin that only the king could appreciate plasters his face, “…I’m just getting started,” Discord cracks his neck and pounds his fists in to the ground, now having them caked in stone as he hulls himself towards the king.

Crashing the stone boxing gloves in to his own bracers and shield, even the king has to admit that the armor is the only thing that kept that from breaking his hoof. As he feels the metal around them dent left and right as he blocks, or more so, dodges the attacks. Though while the prince occupies him, another colt sees an opening. Sombra clenches his tongue after feeling a blade slice a cross his back hoof. Turning around only to see Flash there with a grin on his face, withdrawing the blade for a second swipe. In an instant, the king whips his shield back around after ignoring the prince for a more apparent enemy, to stop the strike mid stride. But the opening is seen, and a blue bolt of energy from the captain whips its way in that window.

The blast knocks the king back as he brings out his shield to block the relentless blasts from the unicorn. Through the fury of his attack, Shining can see the king’s defense faltering. As the metal itself starts to heat of from the energy impacting it over and over again. Even the king can feel the blockade curving around him like it’s being forged. Soon enough, the once solid piece, is left as nothing more than a metal shield, melting from the repeated attacks as the king tosses it to the ground and it starts to sizzle against the damp bricks. Finally coming to a stop, Shining halts to catch his breath from the use of so much energy in one go.

“Had enough?” the Capt. pants.

“Well you succeeded in torching my shield…” Sombra looks at the still glowing piece of much needed protection, rather displeased to see it go, “it’s a shame… that was a gift.”

“So is this!” Discord heaves a crystal spike at him out of nowhere.

The large cut stone even gives a glint in Sombra’s eyes as he watches it draw closer and closer. At the last second, he brings out a spell he has used time and time again. The Spike shield charges up from his raw power, and being increased by the crystals in his very armor, Discord’s own stood no chance at all as it collides. Shattering apart, the splinters from the projectile go every which way. Discord is rather grateful for his armor, as he feels the shards bounce harmlessly off of him. While Shining brings up his own ward to cover both he and Flash as they stand in a line.

After uncovering themselves though, all they see is Sombra standing there with the most mind-numbing dull glare he can muster, staring right back at them, “Valiant effort Gentlecolts but you fail to realize. I was the ruler of the Crystal Empire…why in Equestria would you attack me with such?”

“…Well…didn’t think that far ahead,” the prince scratches his head, wondering his own fault in that one, before he quickly grabs hold of Shining by the back.

Lifting him up in to the air above him. The white unicorn knows exactly what is going on, having done this move once or twice with Discord already while out in the courtyard. Charging up his horn, the cool air meeting it starts to give off a chill that flows down his face. Small ice crystals form on the tip, as even a blanket of frost starts to cover the captain’s mane, just before the prince of chaos throws him like a law dart up in to the air and down upon the king.

The impact meets its mark only several yards in front of the king. Sending the spell deep in to the ground as a dozen ice spikes shoot out in a path of destruction to Sombra. Without any time to react, a few of them manage to puncture through the armor that the king wears. While bright cerise fluid drips down the cold surface and even starts to freeze on some of the spikes. Breaking off the over grown ice sickles, Sombra stumbles off of them, as he falls to the side. Though an attack like that can leave one quite drained, even with his suit of crystals, which are now missing a few from the attack. So when the king sees Flash darting towards him, the shield he conjures up does little for him to begin with.

Powering through the feeble defense that Sombra brings up in his wounded state, he beats his wings hard with one last yard to go and uses his legs to kick the spikes deeper and deeper in to his opponent’s chest. The impact has enough force to pin the king on the wall behind him a few meters back. Flash himself falls back after his own contribution, but is given a perfect view of Sombra shaking his head as he pulls himself off of the spikes. Hitting the ground as the blood seeps out, the king punches his fist to the floor while trying to force his lungs to suck in what air they can.

“Ugh… well that I didn’t see-” the king doesn’t get out any more, as Discord trades in his broadsword for the war hammer, and sends it careening in to the king’s temple.

Knocking him head over hooves around like a rag doll across the throne room floor…