//------------------------------// // Genius Battle Royale // Story: Equestrian Techno-Wiz // by Wildcard25 //------------------------------// The Changeling army hovered behind Jack and Chrysalis, the queen announced, "And now my changelings..." "Hey-hey!" Jack piped up, "Can I do it, Chrysalis, please? It would mean so much to me!" he pleaded. Chrysalis sighed, "Very well." Jack smirked, "I've wanted to say this," he turned to Iggy and the ponies before finger motioning to them and called out, "Changelings, attack!" The Changeling's upon given the order flew at them, only for Shining Armor to cast a barrier spell around them to shield the attackers. The Crystal Guards flew in, s Cadence gave them orders. "Protect the Crystal empire!" "Yes, your highness!" One answered, as the guards fought the Changelings. "Ok, Chrysalis, now what?" Jack asked. "We go for them!" she motioned to the group. "Into the castle, hurry!" Shining ordered, as they all ran into the castle before shutting the doors. Shining Armor cast a shield on the doors to keep them from entering before, Rainbow spoke up, "We can't stay in here forever." "And we won't. We just need to think of a plan before we go out there." Cadence explained. "And I may just have one," Iggy spoke up, as they all looked to him, "The Crystal Heart is what protected the empire from anything evil like the Changelings." "But Jack was able to slip in due to not being like them." Cynthia added. Twilight catching on continued, "If we can get the Crystal Heart back from Jack." "We can drive the Changelings out." Shining finished. "But how can we get to Jack with all those Changelings and the Queen helping him?" Fluttershy wondered. "I'll get to Jack." Iggy said. "Iggy?" they asked. "Jack is my enemy, and I have to stop him." "Are you crazy?!" Rainbow shouted, "You don't stand a chance against all those Changelings!" "You're right. I don't. That's why I need Twilight and Cadence to help me." "Us?" Twilight asked, as she and Cadence looked at each other. "Yes, I'll need your magic to keep a path cleared for me to go after Jack." "But Iggy, it's too dangerous." Cynthia pleaded with him. Iggy responded by kissing Cynthia, taking every pony by surprise. When they parted, Iggy spoke, "Believe in me." Cynthia smiled, "I believe in you." Iggy nodded, before Gizmo wheeled over and handed him a bag he brought with. Iggy reached into it and strapped to wrist cannons to his wrists, and dawned his scanning visor, before activating his rocket boots, "I'm going in." As the doors opened, Iggy stepped out with Twilight and Cadence, "We'll keep the Changelings back as long as we can." Cadence said. "Then let's go!" Iggy called, as the three flew off, with the two princesses using their magic to blast at the Changelings giving Iggy a clear space for him to fly up above the Empire. He activated his scanner and looked around the area to get a read out of Jack, "All right Jack, where are you?" he suddenly got the signal, "Gotcha! Oh no, he's heading for inside the castle!" He flew off to get back inside. Back in the castle, Shining, the girls, Spike, Gizmo, and Machina were prepared for if any of the Changelings got inside. Suddenly the door was blasted down, and entering was Jack who used his Changeling magic to give himself a sonic cannon arm, "You really should get those doors checked." he joked. Chrysalis walked in with him, "This castle will be perfect for my Changeling empire." "We don't think so!" Applejack replied. "Jack, deal with them." Chrysalis ordered. "Right," he clicked his watch summoning his Mecha Jacks, "Get 'em, boys!" The Mecha Jacks flew in to attack, only for Gizmo and Machina to arrive and strike back. Gizmo was firing his own blasters against Jack's robots, while Machina opened her mouth and a cannon came out and fired at the Mecha Jacks. "We gotta help them!" Rainbow called, as they went to help, only for Chrysalis to use her magic to blast them with green slime that pinned them to the wall. Neira who had been watching from a safe spot shouted, "No!" Jack and Chrysalis hearing her caught sight of her, as the queen used her magic to levitate the little one over to them, "Well what have we here?" Chrysalis snickered. "Let her go!" Spike shouted. Chrysalis ignoring Spike's demand spoke up with her eyes fixated on Neria, "The former queen of ice and snow." "Oh, look how cute." Jack cooed. "Yes, adorable," Chrysalis said dryly, "But imagine how much use she and her magic could be to us." "That sounds sweet!" Jack cheered, as Chrysalis levitated her closer to them. "No! Get away! Get away! GET AWAY!" she screamed as her eyes glowed, and released a magical force that broke her free of Chrysalis' levitation and knocked the queen and Jack into a wall. The group gasped as Neira landed back on the floor looking tired from her magical release. Chrysalis and Jack peeled themselves off, as jack spoke, "What was that about?" "It seems she retains more of her old magic than I thought." Chrysalis deduced. "So now what?" Jack asked. "Now you give up!" Iggy called, as he flew in and tackled Jack to the ground as they wrestled. "Jack, show no mercy!" Chrysalis called, as she was prepared to assist him, only to get blasted by Twilight and Cadence. "You've tried to take over Canterlot, but I won't let you do the same here!" Twilight declared. "Oh, I'm trembling with fear." Chrysalis mocked, followed by a laugh. She was cut off as she was blasted by their magic and knocked into the wall, "What?" she looked up at the two. "We've grown in strength and magic since we last met." Twilight warned her. Chrysalis frowned as she attacked the two in mid air with a battle of magic. On the ground, Iggy and Jack rose to their feet, "Jack, this has to stop! This beyond what you would ever do." "I know. I've stepped up on the evil chart," he replied, "And this time you will not stop me!" he activated his Changeling magic, and transformed again. Suddenly Jack stood as a seven foot tall black gargoyle like creature, with hair that looked like fire, sharp claws, a tail, and wings, while retaining his same clothing. He laughed, "How do you like me now?" "In all seriousness you're even uglier than before." Iggy responded. "Sticks and stones, Iggy." Jack retorted as he flew in to attack his rival. Iggy flew to the side avoiding Jack's strike. He aimed his right wrist cannon at Jack blasting him. Jack took the attack and was knocked further back, before he regained altitude in the air. Neira seeing Jack and Chrysalis were distracted galloped over and started using bits of her magic to free the group from the slime. When they were freed, Spike spoke, "Thanks, Neira. Look out!" he tackled her before one of the Mecha Jack pieces fell to the floor. Gizmo and Machina had just about defeated all of the Mecha Jacks, "Good work, Machina. Now to help Iggy." Gizmo said, as the two bots came to their creator's rescue. Gizmo and Machina flew around, and started blasting Jack from behind until Jack looked back and started attacking them. With a swipe of his claw he put tears in their bodies, "Leave my bots alone!" Iggy called as he tackled Jack, and received a scratch on his arm from Jack's claw. He gripped his arm and recoiled, before Jack tail whipped him, and was sent falling down, only for Rainbow Dash to catch him. "Gotcha!" "Thanks, Dash." he got back to his feet. "We need to get the Crystal Heart from him." Shining told them. "And I have a plan, if there's one thing Jack can't stand it's being ridiculed and mocked." Iggy stated. The girls smirked, "Yeah it makes him whine like a mama's boy." Cynthia mocked. Hearing that, Jack shouted, "Who're you calling a mama's boy!" he tried to attack, only for Iggy to blast him with his wrist cannons. As the two fought, the girls started mocking Jack, "He may look like scary thing, but without that changeling magic he's as scrawny as an old pony." Rainbow mocked. "I am not scrawny!" Jack called, only to get punched in the face by Iggy. "Jack's slower than a three legged cow in quicksand." Applejack mocked, and the girls laughed. "Stop that!" Jack cried. "And he has such poor choice in fashion, it's like his mother dressed him." Rarity mocked. "For self proclaimed evil genius, he's lacking the evil." Pinkie added. As the insults continued to pour out, Jack started getting angrier and angrier, "STOP MOCKING ME!" He cried like a crybaby. "Jack, focus!" Chrysalis ordered, as she was still holding her own against the two princesses. Iggy suddenly flew forward and tackled Jack, before reaching into his jacket and pulled out the Crystal Heart, "I'll take this!" "Give that back!" Jack tried to grab it, only for Rainbow to fly in and slug him. "Get that back to the spot!" Twilight ordered, as Iggy flew out of the castle. "Jack, stop him!" Chrysalis shouted. Jack flew after Iggy determined to get the Crystal Heart. Iggy saw the spot where the crystal originally was and reached it, "Sorry Jack, but as always you lose!" he placed the Crystal Heart back where it belonged and it released it's magic. Jack screamed as the magic washed over him and he transformed back to his normal human form. The Changelings were being repelled by the magic shield that was coming back, and Chrysalis saw this, "Jack, you idiot!" she shouted before the magic repelled her and her changelings sending them all flying off into the horizon. "Iggy did it!" Cynthia cheered. "Come on!" Twilight ordered as they headed outside. Jack who landed on the ground after being drained of his Changeling magic saw the barrier reappear and Chrysalis and her army sent flying off, "No! My ticket to domination!" he heard Iggy clear his throat. Jack saw Iggy, Cynthia, Gizmo, and Machina glaring at him. Jack tried to escape, but upon turning around he saw the girls, Spike, Shining Armor, Cadence, and Neira blocking his second retreat shooting him glares as well. Jack looked seeing he was surrounded had only one thing he could do. He dropped to his knees and cried, "I SURRENDER! JUST DON'T DO ME UGLY! DON'T DO ME UGLY!" he covered his head. Iggy spoke to his pony friends, "And that means, we've won."