Twilight's appearance was different compared to previous opponents. Although there have been multiple unsettling appearances from the previous enemies, they didn't compare to the monstrosity that stood across from them. Both of her eyes weren't blank spheres, but rather, coated with the dark matter, with a blazing magenta pupil from her right eye staring directly at them. Her neck and legs were stretched, her skin was shriveled, and her neck and abdomen were horribly thin, the shape of her ribs and spine visible. Within' her mouth were long white teeth, that even in darkness could still be seen clearly.
Twilight’s head cocked to the side and her singular, bright magenta pupil shifted glances between all five survivors. Then, her sinister gaze shifted to the diamond, and her head tilted to the other side.
Realization struck Starlight and Chrysalis, and the former quickly grabbed the diamond and held it close.
Sparks burst from Twilight’s horn as it proceeded to glow with its magenta aura, the dark matter on the horn slightly fizzling as if reacting. She attempted to take the diamond from Starlight, her magic’s strength clearly superior.
Chrysalis quickly attempted to help, but Twilight only brought greater strength, still pulling the diamond closer to her with more ease than resistance. With nothing else to do, Starlight shot the diamond with a bolt of magic, and it was gone in seconds.
“There. You can't take it from us now!" proclaimed Starlight.
"Where did it go! Did you really think that all the way through?!" Chrysalis spat.
"I don't know! We need to get to it before she does something else!” Starlight’s horn lit up as Twilight stared, remaining oddly motionless, though her horn continued to remain ignited.
“Is it weird that Twilight’s just standing there not doing anything?…” Pinkie asked, seeming a little bit less in her usual chipper state of mind than before, as if the weight of all that has happened was slowly starting to finally affect her.
Starlight’s horn remained aglow, but still nothing was happening. A small cackle began to emit from Twilight, a cackle so unlike her it separated her even more from who she was.
“I… I can’t get us out of here!” Starlight realized.
Chrysalis attempted to try using her own magic to help them leave, but it didn’t do a thing. “She blocked off our magic!”
Twilight took a shot at the group, the blast of magic incredibly massive and threatening, prompting them all to get out of the way. Luckily, nobody got hit, but the tip of Fluttershy’s tail was horribly singed off. The blast went right through the open doorway, and out into the dark night sky, the magic’s light getting more distant the further it got. Twilight continued to laugh, and it was only getting louder. She glanced at Starlight, grinning maliciously, and shoved the unicorn into the corner, the impact incredibly rough. Immediately after, Twilight blasted her.
“STARLIGHT!!!” Pinkie called out.
Because she knew she couldn’t teleport or run, Starlight attempted to use her magic as a last resort. A large shield popped up in front of her, and the massive surge of magic was enough to break it on impact. But luckily nothing got past, and Starlight was perfectly okay.
That’s when it dawned on Starlight.
“She only took away our ability to teleport!” Starlight explained.
“Something tells me she wants us to fight for our lives first before anything more…” Chrysalis mumbled.
Twilight took one step back from the group, her maniacal laughter now bellowing. She then started to change.
She started to grow.
“What’s happening!?” Spike shrieked.
Twilight’s body twisted, contorted, and snapped as her already malformed body grew in size, exceeding what was supposed to be natural. The group all stared at her in horror as crackles of magic sparked around Twilight, as if she was about to burst. Fearing the worst, Starlight manifested a forcefield, having no other options to leave safely. A massive shockwave of magic was released, the magic fortunately passing over the forcefield. The tall walls of the tower were instantly reduced to massive chunks of debris launched in every which way, scattering all around the city of Canterlot, and even beyond. When it finally ended, Twilight stood tall, as large as a Bugbear.
“Do we… do we have to fight her?…” Fluttershy asked, backing away.
Starlight sighed, lowering the forcefield. “She's powerful... maybe more than Celestia herself, but... it’s the only way. If we go now, she’ll follow us… if we want to all make it out of here alive, this is the only option.”
“Sometimes… you don’t have a choice…” Chrysalis proclaimed. “Sometimes you have to do what you must!”
Chrysalis charged forward, and Twilight struck again, her horn releasing multiple different forms of attacks targeting everyone. Starlight helped defend her friends, blocking whatever was coming their way with a magic forcefield. Chrysalis head-on split the blast targeted for her in two as she continued making the dash to Twilight. She leapt, flew, and attacked, shooting Twilight only for the corrupted mare to hold up a hoof in an effort to block the blow. With ease she grabbed Chrysalis with her magic and launched her straight for the others.
Starlight was prepared to do something else, but as it turned out, she didn’t need to. With some well-executed maneuvers, Chrysalis was able to land on her hooves, now standing in front of her allies. She charged again.
Starlight finally decided to join Chrysalis, letting out an “I’m sorry Twilight!”
All Spike, Pinkie, and Fluttershy did was watch as the two known rivals worked together to fight Twilight, pulling out every attack she had, with Starlight and Chrysalis somehow managing to evade their doom.
“Oh dear…” Fluttershy gasped.
“We have to help them!” exclaimed Spike.
“Or at least we need to do what we can to help!” Pinkie pointed out.
“But I don’t know what I can do…” Fluttershy said. “Maybe it would be best if I stayed here...”
“But then if you stay here, and we go out, nobody will help you if you’re in-“ Spike stopped when he noticed the approaching shadow from above him. “LOOK OUT!”
Guard ponies were dive-bombing at the trio from above, already getting close.
“Looks like we’ve got our own issues to deal with!” Pinkie took out her party bazooka and immediately fired multiple rounds of cake, releasing a battle cry that consisted of mere chaotic screams.
Spike went into action as well, fighting off the attackers with fire breath. Although the breath was strong, his lungs began to sting, the overuse of it throughout the night beginning to take its toll. But he managed.
As for Fluttershy, she ducked down. But Pinkie and Spike were already on either side of her, allowing her to feel safer.
More guard ponies went to attack from all directions at their sides. Pinkie took quick notice, prompting her to take immediate action. She threw her bazooka aside and grabbed Spike, aiming him like a weapon, and with the multiple pulls of his tail, great big flames flew out of his throat. Pinkie’s quick, unimaginable speed allowed her to scare off or defeat ponies that were just mere inches away from touching them.
As it happened, Starlight and Chrysalis continued to hold their own against Twilight, and although it was a miracle they were managing, great struggle was inevitable. Twilight was not just powerful and large, but she was fast as well, usually going back and forth between Starlight, Chrysalis, and both. When it came to Starlight, because she couldn’t teleport, she had to rely purely on levitation and especially defense magic every time Twilight attacked in a nearly unavoidable manner, raising some form of protection every time Twilight went for her.
Chrysalis had it easier, twice using changeling magic to transform into different tiny things when Twilight was about to attack her. On other occasions, Chrysalis also resorted to defensive magic. As the fight carried on, and after multiple failed attempts resulting in a continuous battle, Chrysalis and Starlight were beside each other, and Twilight once again sent a massive, deadly beam of magic right their way. Chrysalis and Starlight engaged in a collaborative attack, combining both magic blasts as both a defense against the attack, and an offense as an effort to not only defend themselves, but hopefully overpower Twilight. Although the defense purpose was successful, the offense goal was a failure, and the fight carried on, Twilight seemingly getting impatient and angry.
The dark matter covering Twilight’s body got more unstable as she got more aggressive. Limbs began to spring out from her mouth and/or body, nearly catching one of the enemies multiple times, last-minute actions being taken every time, with either Starlight or Chrysalis slicing whatever went after them into pieces. Twilight even resorted to throwing rubble at the two, which was instantly obliterated the moment they both noticed.
Only once did a tendril succeed in landing a successful hit, and that was with Chrysalis. In seconds it wrapped around her, and then brutally threw her into a broken pillar.
“CHRYSALIS!” Starlight called out but she couldn’t help. And without Chrysalis’ help, Starlight was unfortunately unable to fare as well as she did before. Within moments, Twilight had Starlight by the tail.
Meanwhile, for the other three, attackers finally stopped coming, allowing Pinkie to finally put Spike down.
“That was insane!” Spike exclaimed, eyes spinning out of dizziness. “Never do that again.”
Pinkie smiled. “Okay!”
The happy mood came to a quick interruption when Starlight was suddenly flung past the group. She hit the top of the doorway, causing her body to flip as it fell to the ground in front of the broken pillar.
Everyone looked and saw Twilight approaching. Chrysalis was lying on the ground behind her, clearly struggling to get up. They returned their focus to Starlight, blood running down her head as she groaned in a daze, not getting up.
“Starlight!” Fluttershy squeaked. She put her hooves on the unicorn and proceeded to shake her in a desperate attempt to help her recover.
Spike, though hesitant, let out a wave of fire to Twilight, hoping to at the very least make her back off. It did nothing, and all four of them were raised with her magic, as if Twilight wanted to salivate their last moments.
“Chrysalis!” Spike shrieked. “Help!”
Chrysalis trembled as she got up, her body even more coated with the twisted dark matter. Her normal pupil was gone, and her grin was wide, but after one quick head twitch, both of those features vanished, and she took back control.
“PUT THEM DOWN!!!” she bellowed. Horn lit and sharp teeth bared in rage, Chrysalis rushed for Twilight, flying off the ground for an air attack.
Twilight’s head spun a 180 turn, her eye’s glare meeting Chrysalis’. Tendrils grew from all around her body, as well as from the ground beneath their hooves, every single one of them intent on impaling Chrysalis.
She dodged each and every one, as if she saw them coming. As if, although the increasing darkness throughout her body made it more difficult to control herself, it also gave her more power. More senses. More agility. Her horn shimmered once more, multiple rays of magic slicing through every tendril. She finally made her way to Twilight, about to shoot out her eye, when the top of Twilight's head suddenly snapped back. A tentacle darted out from her gaping mouth, successfully impaling Chrysalis right through the chest, eliciting screams from her allies.
But Chrysalis refused to back down, continuing to stare at Twilight in rage. Twilight's head turned to the rest of the group, her grin spreading wider.
Chrysalis had one more option, one she hesitated to do, but thoughts circled around her head as time seemed to slow down.
"I'm losing control..." she thought to herself. "The more it makes contact with me, the more my mentality slips. And now, it's in my body, touching my organs, spreading throughout my blood... I can't last much longer... it's getting to be too much... so maybe I can try and help them survive. I hate them with every fiber of my soul... their ways disgust me... but they are the world's last chances."
Chrysalis' body was shrouded in green swirling magic, expanding rapidly as she transformed, and when the process came to an end, she was a massive Bugbear. Instantly she wrapped her arms around Twilight, one arm grabbing the horn, proceeding to break it off, causing the magic holding the hostages to fade and let them go. Twilight took a leap, allowing herself to fall on her own back where Chrysalis was latched. Chrysalis roared, rolled, and shoved Twilight off of her, the force successfully pushing Twilight out of what remained of the tower, sending her falling to the ground below. In an effort to buy time, she used her magic and sent multiple chunks of debris to plummet towards Twilight.
Her allies all got up.
“Quick! We gotta get out of here!” Spike shouted. “While we still can!”
“I can’t g̵o̶,” Chrysalis spoke, her voice containing a slight trace of scratchiness. Twilight was already recovering.
“What? Why?!” Pinkie asked.
“ L̵o̶o̶k̵ at me…” she said. “I feel physically strong, but my mental strength is s̸l̷i̶p̷p̷i̶n̷g̶ ̷a̴w̸a̴y̵…̵“
“No! That’s not going to happen!” Spike stomped. “You’re Queen Chrysalis! You don’t obey! It obeys you! Nothing controls you! You just have to fight it.”
“An admirable statement, and once a true one…” Chrysalis felt her head throb. “But it won’t be long before it’s t̷o̷o̷ ̶l̵a̸t̷e̸…̷ it’s in my own flesh and blood. I may despise you… but if you are what this world needs, I refuse to get in the way. The best I can do is fight her, and keep us botho̵u̵t̸ ̸o̴f̷ ̶y̸o̷u̴r̷ ̶w̸a̷y̷.̸ ̴ Now leave.”
Twilight returned, horn having grown back more twisted before, and without hesitation she began attacking, forcing Chrysalis to immediately get into defense. She pulled no punches, turning into an Ursa Minor and tackling Twilight, sending them both collapsing on a cluster of buildings. Twilight again attempted to stab Chrysalis with multiple tendrils, but she instantly grabbed the whole cluster and tugged until they tore apart.
Her allies only watched as the fight ensued, hesitating to run. However, Starlight finally managed to recover enough to bring back the reality that they shouldn’t stay, but run.
“We can’t stay for much longer…” she said, her voice indicating that she was still recovering.
“She’s right! We need to get out of here,” declared Spike.
“How?” Fluttershy asked.
Starlight thought it all over, but then noticed Twilight’s old severed horn on the ground, slowly growing spider legs and getting completely covered by the darkness as it started to transform. Starlight quickly obliterated it before the process continued, stopping a massive issue before it began.
And then it occurred to her.
“Wait! Chrysalis breaking off Twilight’s horn… and now me destroying it…” she pondered. “I think we can get out of here!”
“So… I guess we’re going without Chrysalis?” Pinkie asked.
“She doesn’t want us to even take her,” said Spike. “She said it herself that it’s gotten too risky to have her around. Maybe… maybe we should let her stay like she wanted. All we really need to do is make the final trip a quick one.”
Noises were heard, and attention was brought to the many corrupted ponies that successfully climbed up the tower and onto the top floor where the group stood. It was clearly apparent that there were more than it seemed, and they continued to multiply as the group was surrounded in seconds.
“Hurry!” Spike exclaimed.
“I hope Twilight forgot to recast the spell…” Starlight mumbled. Her horn began to glow as she prepared to teleport.
Everyone got close to Starlight as the crowd closed in. It felt as if they were going to get unlucky.
But then, Starlight’s horn burst and they all disappeared.
The crowd stopped moving, and their focus shifted to the brawl between Chrysalis and Twilight. After Chrysalis once again knocked Twilight down into a nearby building, she returned to normal and flew over her, staring down at her with no emotions. Twilight got back up and glared at her.
“Such a turn of events…” Chrysalis said out loud. “Never would have I expected to have to save this world from you.”
She turned into an Ursa Minor and tackled Twilight right as the Alicorn was about to attack, and with Twilight pinned on the ground, she swung a massive paw at her jaw. The hit was powerful, but it did little, and Twilight shoved Chrysalis off with ease. The brawl raged, as they continuously damaged the city around them from either magic or tackling/shoving one another into any nearby structure. Corrupted ponies were crushed multiple times, only to get back up again.
Green light would illuminate the city every time Chrysalis transformed into something, or used her combat magic against Twilight. Twilight on the other hoof, proceeded to be far more ruthless, attempting to use physical attacks that would nearly result in complete mutilation. During their brawl, Chrysalis returned to her Bugbear appearance, and managed put Twilight through a headlock. Without hesitation, she rammed her into the nearest structure. Both of them crashed right through, and Chrysalis tossed Twilight into a cluster of smaller structures. Twilight didn’t seem to struggle to get up, only for her to spring at Chrysalis in a sudden, alarming rate, and successfully plunge her horn into Chrysalis’ abdomen.
Chrysalis shrieked, and aggressively brought her elbow down into the back of Twilight’s neck, which did little. She returned to her normal form, and fell to the ground, managing to move her wings and hover to save herself last-minute.
She sat down, panting, Twilight’s second stab to her wound draining her focus to a mere sliver. Her head throbbed as if her brain was being squeezed and her vision was reduced to a pinhole. She felt seething pain, but at the same time great relief as both wounds in her chest remained.
For once, she knew what it was like to give up. Her mouth etched into a smile.
And then she glanced at Twilight, who seemed to enjoy watching Chrysalis suffer and again struggle to fight back.
Chrysalis’ smile faded and she growled. If Twilight wanted to win, Chrysalis would have to go down fighting, not quitting! And as long as Chrysalis didn’t quit, there was a chance her allies could save Equestria in time before she too finally lost.
Chrysalis, her anger and determination feeling as though it endured a supercharge, turned into a Roc and charged at Twilight. Twilight’s wings opened and she too flew at her, their charge at each other ending in a simultaneous tackle. Their brutal battle continued. Crowds of corrupted victims either watched or stared, or they’d attempt to help Twilight, only to get instantly sidelined by Chrysalis, or even Twilight, the latter doing so because she wanted the honors to beat Chrysalis.
Everything seemed endless, and with Chrysalis’ charged refusal to give up standing strong, and Twilight’s persistence to win, it seemed as though there would be no victor for a long time. Both were powerful, both were strong, and both were ready for whatever the enemy was going to do next.
But eventually, it ended, and the dust settled as the victor stood near their defeated foe.