Twilight and Big Macintosh were were both sitting back in the castle dining room, enjoying a more cooler lunch than what Big Mac had eaten the day before. They were accompanied by Spike, Camo, and Soul Song; Spike and Soul Song were talking animatedly about different gems found only in underwater cave systems, much to Camo's boredom.

"So," Camo said munching on a carrot. "Ugh, spoiled. But, anyway, I heard a certain pompous unicorn got his block knocked off twice, you two don't know anything about that, do you?" He asked before taking a bite from a different carrot. "Much better."

"Which prince?" Twilight asked inspecting a hoof. "I'm unsure of which one you are referring to. Would you care to refresh my memory, sir Macintosh?"

"Blueblood." He said. "Rotten to the core."

"Oh, now I remember. We might have hit him, just slightly." She said getting a snicker out of Camo.

"Good, I didn't like him anyway. Lousy, self-absorbed unicorn." He muttered taking another bite.

"So," Spike said nervously, his eyes switching form the windows to the doors. "W-When's the... You know? Chrysalis said she'd be here today. And, well, it's today."

Looking around, they all shared uneasy glances. Slowly a rush of guards flooded the room, all of them visibly exhausted but they kept themselves going. Looking towards the golden doors, what they all saw made their blood run as cold as Spike's.

Queen Chrysalis stepped in, multiple unicorn guards desperately trying to slow her down with bursts of their magic. She simply smiled and let the spells come close before they poofed out of existence in a spark of yellow and red. Seeing Twilight, she gave a toothy smile and approached the table.

"Twilight Sparkle," she said, her voice now distorted by the energy flowing through her. "It feels like weeks since we last met. Funny thing, time I mean, it can seem to pass when you've got nothing to do but think. And I have been doing much of that, since I have nothing left."

"Nice look." Twilight responded. "You couldn't even fight me evenly. Every time I see you, the weaker you become. So, did your associate give you the new magic?" She asked getting out of her chair to stand.

"An even fight?" Chrysalis sneered. "You're the element of magic. The only ones who can have an even fight with you are alicorns or that Draconequus trapped in stone. We both know I would not have lasted long with just my magic, so yes, my associate did give me these."

"I figured." Twilight said stepping closer. "Did this associate tell you Alfred isn't dead?"

"Don't you dare!" Chrysalis hissed stepping back, a scowl across her face. "He died because of you! You killed him! I saw his body!"

"Then how come I spoke with him two days ago?" Twilight said taking another step. "He faked his death to save himself. He was afraid, Chrysalis, afraid of you. Who else do you think he was hiding from?"

Chrysalis, opening her mouth to speak, was interrupted by a loud crunch. They all looked back towards the table and saw Soul Song giving Camo a glare as he stopped mid-chew on another carrot. Shaking her head, Chrysalis turned back towards Twilight, glared silently for a few seconds, and then left.

"So..." Camo said. "My money is on Twilight. I happen to think she has a chance."

"Thank you Camo," Twilight said. "But could we not place bets? I don't want to be apart of any gambling. Spike, send a letter to the Princesses, tell them Chrysalis has arrived. If anypony needs me, I'll be facing my own demon. Goodbye."

They all watched her leave, her head hung low as she went down the hall. Not knowing what to do, Spike and the others suddenly sprung to life and were running out, to either tell Twilight's friends or the princesses.

Twilight

She was stomping through the hall, directly behind the changeling queen. Each heavy, angry step she took left small cracks networking into a line behind her, and her horn was already sending a few sparks arching across her. Staring ahead, she didn't notice the gold and purple flash that happened next to her, or did she pay any mind towards both princesses as they trotted next to her.

They turned a corner and her friends quickly joined them, she didn't see them through the red haze that was going over her vision, her thoughts now running rampad as she imagined what Chrysalis would do to them if she lost, or if she won and finally killed the thing in front of her.

Turning through another set of doors, Chrysalis had taken another turn and they found themselves outside in the statue gardens. Breathing in the fresh air, Twilight calmed down, long enough to listen to the others giving reasons for her not to fight.

"We could just get the elements right now and blast her!" Rainbow said. "You don't have to do this!"

"I agree with Rainbow," Rarity said noticing the smug smirk on Chrysalis's face. "If we act quick enough, all we would have to do is just surround her and use them."

"I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to use them, dear Rarity." Chrysalis said. "You see, my associate saw that in this little fight, you might try and use the elements to win, but, the elements need the ponies that they chose. And, I only see five, and a changeling."

"Why ya two-faced, dirty-"

"-no good changeling!" Chrysalis finished in Applejack's voice. "Please, I am merely here to fight, not argue with anything lower than yourselves. Twilight, if you are ready, we can take our positions across each other."

Twilight, snorting nodded and took the space opposite of Chrysalis. Standing in front of the changeling, Twilight saw how distorted she was, just from looking she could see the small flickers in the elder changeling's eyes, or even the red mist underneath the changeling's chest that resembled the alicorn amulet. Even her horn seemed to be giving off a familiar light, similar to her old magic, but infected at the point with Sombra's magic.

"Before we begin, there are a few simple rules, to ensure there being no unnecessary deaths." Chrysalis said. "First, any creature watching must be behind a shield strong enough to sustain a blast from either of the opponents. Second, we must stay within castle limits, any who exit them are disqualified and the opponent wins by default. Third, referring to the second, if one is pushed out of the boundary by a blast then they may come back in. Four, the winning strike must be a mortal injury. And the fifth, the winner takes the swarm, hive, and the changeling territories. Do any of you have any questions?" She asked looking between Twilight and her friends. "No? Then-"

"Actually, I have a question." Twilight said. "May anypony put objects that cannot aid or be non-beneficial to the opponents before the fight?"

"I suppose," Chrysalis said with an air of uncertainty. "What are you planning?"

"Pinkie," Twilight said smirking at the irritated and confused look on Chrysalis's face. "Could you be so kind as to set out barrels around the field? Or any other set of random objects?"

Pinkie Pie nodded and, reaching into her mane, she pulled out a black and red version of her party canon. This one with the words 'Random Canon' written on the side in orange letters. Pulling the string, it began firing barrels left and right, covering a few patches of the statue garden and putting a few in random places. Once it gave a sound like a cough, she shrugged and put it away.

"I'd say this is a good amount, thank you Pinkie." Twilight said. "Now we can start."

Chrysalis, distracted by the sudden appearance of dozens of black barrels, glanced at Twilight and nodded. Her horn was engulfed in yellow flames before she teleported away. Now twelve feet away, she crouched, horn still ablaze as Twilight dug her hooves into the ground, her eyes and horn giving off brilliant white sparks.

Chrysalis, firing off a wave of yellow and red flames, sent it hurtling towards Twilight. Twilight put up a shield, and finished as it hit. Her shield shook and cracked from the impact alone, she left grooves in the dirt as her and the shield were pushed back. Pumping out an extra dose of magic, she teleported out of it some few feet away, but even then she was almost hit by the flames as they stopped.

Looking at where the flames were coming from, she saw Chrysalis buzzing around in the air, preparing what looked like her version of the orbs. Her eyes widened as the orbs began their descent, and quickly with their own trails following them.

Twilight ran to the left, the orbs coming down just as she made it away, but even then, when she looked back she saw a few ice crystals on the end of her tail. Running into a circle of barrels that Pinkie had managed to stack, she focused her magic around herself and the normal, small Twilight, was now replaced by a minotaur, clad in steel armor and slabs of obsidian.

Rising from the barrels, she put up a hammer-like hand and let the orbs explode on that. She was pushed back slightly, but she managed to hold her ground. Reaching down, she grabbed one of the barrels and chucked it at one of Chrysalis's orbs. It impacted the yellow ball, and in a flash, the rest were going off mid-air as flames, ice, electricity, wind, and water all covered the changeling. Not wanting to let her guard down, Twilight had her two, obsidian and steel covered arms, or more of stone pillars with steel plating from looks, raised in front of her, only her eyes peering from the helmet being able to barely see through.

As the dust cleared, Twilight saw a massive, jagged, spike coated ball of ice, with Chrysalis stuck in the center, a surprised look still on her face. Lowering her arms, she allowed a small mental smile.

'Maybe this won't be so hard.' Twilight thought to herself.

Chrysalis's horn began glowing, and it turned a sickly black and crimson. The ice darkened until it was just a swirling mass of black and crimson, and then, much to Twilight's horror and shock, it simply melted, releasing the gasses that made small patches of black crystals sprout up. And in the center, out walked Chrysalis, eyes closed, and her horn giving off a red, black, and green glow, with purple at the tip. Twilight took a step back as she opened her eyes, red and green flames flowed out as serenely as Celestia and Luna's manes.

'Or maybe I'm dead meat.'

Author's Notes:

Should I add music to the next chapter?