"Uh hello? Hello!" Rachel called out, banging on the door. "There has to be a mistake!"

When the Queen called Rachel her daughter, the cursed Mordi took her and separated the others and put Rachel in this room. Bright lit braziers lit up what appears to be a lavish bedroom. A small rectangle window covered with a worn, holey fabric of a curtain to block out the moonlight. Too small for Rachel to crawl out of.

The door was too heavy for her to open, only opened by magic from the Blue Celestial.

When Rachel was put in here, the cursed Mordi placed in trays of fruits, nuts, meats from animals they had hunted from outside and whatever they could scrape up that Rachel has zero trust for. A set of clothes in colors of gold and blue laying on the large dusty bed.

Separated from her friends, she had no idea where the Mordi took them. More soldiers were going to storm in and were going to be slaughtered.

Rachel banged on the door again. "Uh…. Is anyone there? Can you all understand these words that are coming out of my mouth?" Rachel spoke Draconic in hopes to get anyone's attention, though be a bit hesitant.

No words called her back.

"Fuck this shit." Rachel groaned, taking a few steps back from the door. "I could try dragon-up and beat it down?" She thought out loud.

However, she didn't follow through."Best not pissed these guys off." Rachel muttered, scratching the back of her head.

"Now I may be related to Rùna distantly, but I'm not her daughter." She told herself. Rachel knows her mother. She looks very much like her mother, almost a clone to her. Rachel sees similarities to the Queen but not to her own mother's expense.

Rachel sighed heavily before looking around. Judging by this chamber that it was meant for guests of importance. Though the room had dust, dirt and cobwebs in the corners of the room and furniture and drapes. If cleaned up, the colors were of a deep red with trims of black accents. The only things not covered in dust were the food and clothes.

She shook her head, adjusting her burnt blanket before shrugging it off and getting the clothes.

"Better than walking around in my birthday suit and a blanket I suppose." She muttered as she looked at the items before she began putting them on.

It was a shimmery gold scaled top with one black long sleeve with blue design markings, a strip of black cloth that fell around between her legs with tight pants that were similar to leggings. The scales by the touch felt like actual dragon scales.

She hugged herself before looking at the food brought in. Feeling a bit uncomfortable and confused. "Why can't things just go my way for once…?" She muttered before sniffing the food. Yeah the meat she didn't trust though she was a bit hungry for nourishment.

A moment later, the door glowed before it slid down. Rachel turns to see the door opening before Queen Rùna marches in.

Rachel straightened up as the Queen approached, backing herself into the food, nearly knocking it over.

Queen Rùna came to the center of the room as the door to it sealed back up, locking the two inside.

She looked at Rachel now fully clothed, her eyes scanning at the tall girl closely. "Who are you?" The Queen asked her in Draconic. Rachel was able to understand her as if in English. She had a hiss when she spoke. "You have my eyes but you have the appearance of my child. Your scent is close to hers but you are not my Freja."

Rachel shuddered, licking her lips before responding. "My name is Rachel." Rachel introduced herself to her. Rachel stared at the Queen, seeing that unlike the other cursed ones, Rùna retained most of her mind and was not volatile. "I am related to you and your daughter, but I am not her. My apologies, but you aren't like the others I've encountered tonight."

The Queen huffed, the Blue Celestial's pupil was looking at Rachel, rapidly moving, scanning her.

"When my subjects and I were cursed, The Blue Celestial allowed me to keep my mind, having me watch as my fellow brothers and sisters turn feral while I remain sentient." Rùna said as she walked over to a corner of the lavish room before setting the staff down. It shimmered when Rùna let go.

She turns back around, her hands shimmered yellow before raising it up, waving in the air. A spot in Rachel's chest glowed.

She made a noise. "Before the fall, I had ordered a few of my people in a ritual, giving our young a piece of our souls, so one day if there was any that were lucky to not be affected that they may write a wrong… you have a piece of mine and part of the staff….seems time had passed it along to you…" the glowing died as she puts her hand down. "My child… my two loves, they are both gone, are they… ?"

Rachel nodded in response. "I am so sorry, but Freja and Nanog are gone. Freja's blood is through my veins as do yours. I had heard tales of Dragonlord Nenog and his conquests and tribulations through my travels."

Queen Rùna stepped towards Rachel. "Why are you here? What brings you and your companions here to my domain?" the Queen asked.

Rachel licked her lips, rubbed her stomach before speaking. "Frankly speaking, I am here for that." She motioned to the Blue Celestial.

Queen Rùna growled.

Rachel raised her hands up in defense. "I need the Blue Celestial for the dragons. I am the mate of the current Dragonlord, I am with his child. The dragons are safe but right now the world where they ran off to is in danger. The inhabitants that coexisted with the dragons are at war with the humans. I was sent to retrieve the staff to take my place as Queen and help save their new world… to save my world. My home." She lowered her hands down.

The staff glowed with a low hum, Rachel grunted and touched her temple with her fingers as she felt a force not of her own swimming in her mind. Combing through her memories and thoughts. It was discomforting.

The Queen too had the same look, feeling the information shifting in her consciousness to see and feel any deception. Shifting out potential lies and truths Rachel may be withholding her true intentions.

Her intentions were pure. Her mind, though full of uncertainty and partially clouded with the little one in the womb, Rachel's words rang true.

The glow died and the Queen straightened up.

"The dragons are safe… they have made it to the new world." Rùna muttered with exacerbation.

Rachel shook her head now feeling much clearer. "That was weird…." She said before looking at the Queen. "Both worlds are on the verge of collapsing. The portal that is now open needs to close." Rachel explained. "You have seen my memories, my thoughts. If the portal continues to stay open, the dragons escaping to Equestria a millennium ago will all be for naught. What you have done and suffered will all be for nothing." Rachel then looked at the staff. "I do not know nor understand how the dynamic is between staff and its wielder but if I don't go back with it, close the portal and fight in this war, both worlds will fall. I know it's angry at you but I can take it home, to be reunited with the Blood Staff. I could also help cure you and the cursed Mordi if you allow me.``

The Queen closed her eyes, letting out a shudder whisper. "There has…. Always been a cure to our condition. I could not bring it upon myself to do it nor ask my subjects… half hoped the intruders would have done it but so far ..."

"How? What can I do?"

"You know how it has been exchanged. When one dragon challenges the Dragonlord for the title and throne."

"But only the Dragonlord chooses their Queen." Rachel reminded her.

Her next set of words sent chills down Rachel's body.

"I must die to cure my people. Normally it is done by the Dragonlord but as you see… our situation is unique. Trial by Combat is needed. You want the staff to save both worlds and cure my people, I have to fall so you can rise."

The Mane 7, Spike and Malik were put in what looked to be a large chamber room, with pillows, flowy sheer fabric woven in the ceiling. The ten prisoners they had saved were taken elsewhere along with Rachel. The chambers sealed so they were trapped. Their weapons were taken away for safe measures.

Malik looked at the paintings, a symbol of two dragons intertwined with each other. "Harem Room…" he muttered.

Spike whimpered as he paced around. "Where did they take Rachel?" He asked.

"We don't know, but we know she's safe for now." Cassandra said as she fixed the bandage around her hand. "Right Malik?"

Malik looked at the girls, seeing Lucy lounging in the pillows with RD, AJ, and Sunset and Serenity. Elizabeth held herself as she also paced around the open area.

"I-I don't know. The Queen called Rachel her daughter so she's safe." He said.

"Genetically speaking, she's not her daughter, enough time and centuries of genetics changing, in a way she's not really related to the Queen." Cassandra said before reaching over and petted Spike to calm him down.

"Maybe Rachel can use this confusion to get the staff so we can get the fuck out of this dump." RD said as she leaned back in the pillows, her feet on Applejack's lap. Applejack reluctantly gives her girlfriend a foot massage.

"All we know is that the mum-to-be is safe. And I hope she has a plan." Malik chuckled softly. "Plans are not her strongest suit, she just charges all in and makes it up as she goes… gotta admire her pluckiness."

"Just how much do you know Rachel?" Serenity asked.

"I know she's someone you'll regret doing her wrong. Even with our short time, we were connected, we came to Equestria and lived together shortly before she took off to explore the new world." he then let out a laugh. "I used to have a thing for her back in the day and did ask her out, obviously that didn't work."

"What happened?" Spike asked, causing the man to snort in response.

"After I asked her out, she used four magic words, "I'm fifteen years old."."Malik smirked. "I was eighteen at the time. I don't know about the legal age in Equestria but here is a good way to get into a certain group that I have no wish or will to join so I tossed the notion out of the window and we remained friends." He then sighed. "Rachel is the toughest girl I know. More balls than most grown ass men I've seen, she always finds a way out."

The door shimmered before it moved out of the way, several dwellers marched inside. Malik went up to them to talk to them about Rachel, but they only grabbed him and began dragging him out. They also grabbed the others and took them out.

"Where are they taking us?" Serenity asked as they were led away.

"Just stay calm everyone." Malik said as they walked.

Everywhere they went there were echoing sounds of clicks, low growls and hissing, a few of the smaller ones attempted to swipe at them but didn't make contact. As they walked, there was a sound of drums beating in rhythm the closer they got to their destination.

Malik looked around the corridor before speaking with the group. "I recognize this path, I know where we're going."

"Where are we going?" Sunset asked as one of them got shoved by the Dwellers to keep up with the others.

They then came through a large door, a flash of bright light, the drums intensified with the roars and hollers of many Dwellers, the gang came to the underground colosseum.

Though the seats could fill hundreds of thousands of large creatures, a small portion of it was filled with nothing but Dwellers. Young and old, small to large beings who lined up in the stands.

"Oh my gosh," Cassandra gasped as she and the others gazed around before they came to a set of cages. Cassandra, Spike, Sunset and RD were in one, Serenity, Elizabeth, Malik, Aj and Lucy were in another. The prisoners were in cages of their one on the other side of the ring.

"Oh man, we're not fighting anything?" Rainbow groans.

"Something tells me, we're for the opposing team." Malik muttered. The more he looked around, remembering his history, he cursed. "I know what's happening."

"What's happening?" Lucy asked as her hand was banging on the bars of the cage along with the drum beats.

"The only reason we're here is because a Trial by Combat is being initiated. The only way to exchange hands is to have a fight to the death… Rachel is going to be fighting the Queen." Malik explained.

"How do you know that?" Sunset asked from the other cage. The girls looked above the stands to see where the source of the drumming was, seeing a large Dweller dressed in bones in a decorative manner banging on a really large drum that looked like it was made with flesh.

The drummer shifted to a more pulsating rhythm as two figures emerged from different entryways. One is the Queen and the other Rachel. Aside from her new clothes, she wore a ceremonial mask and a curved blade.

The chanting began as soon as the two stepped out.

"Normally it's the Dragonlord that chooses their Queen, their Equal. If a female or whoever wants to be that, they cannot by combat because it's always the Dragonlord's decree." Malik explained as they watched the two get to their place.

The Queen raised the staff up, causing the Dwellers in an uproar before tossing it up in the air. The staff glowed before it raised itself up in the air, hanging above twenty feet by itself. A blade materialized in the staff's place and got in place.

A tether of light materialized, cuffing the Queen and Rachel in about six feet in length.

"Only the Dragonlord can do this." Serenity mentioned.

"Normally yes, but in this case, Rachel and the Queen are doing this exchange. You hear these guys?" Malik asked.

Everyone stopped to listen to what the cursed Mordi were chanting about. After a moment, Rd's foot began tapping to the beat and so did Lucy.

Cadthar, ethythuto cathartic DragoLodins

"The exchange of the Dragonlord is here." Malik translated.

Scorevale horale bura burta DragoLodins jurgo attu kartae

"The spirits of the past Dragonlords, watch us all, let us say their names so we can see our future lord." Malik spoke. "This is the Dragonlord warcry."

The shift of the drums went hard, a lovely beat echoed before the fight began with the Dwellers in unison spoke and banging their hands in the railing in harmony.

Fafnir

Esknor

Ascanfir

Norflesh

Tir-fan

Jia-ngif

Belgor

Spornk

Valvic

Nifelheim

Nenog

Echoing that list of names over and over. With each beat, the two girls charged at each other, swinging and clashing their blades together.

"They are chanting the past Dragonlord's names. Those who lived on Earth." Malik said as he watched the fight.

"This is the most metal nonmetal song I've ever heard, it's a party!" Lucy giggled as she bobbed her head to the beat.

"This is not a party," Elizabeth said before looking to see Cassandra holding her cracked phone up and recording everything and everyone. "Twilight Sparkle, this is a life and death situation and you're recording?"

"Seriously, Twilight!" Spike growled.

" I-I am sorry but as gruesome as this is, this is fascinating! For countless centuries these guys lived in this state, as feral as these guys have become, they retained their tribal traditions!" Cassandra said as she panned the phone up to the stands and back at the fight just as the Queen swung sword, nearly missing Rachel's head, the tip of it hit the mask she wore, knocking it off of her.

Rachel snarled, hopping back as far as the tether allowed her before seeing fire erupted from the Queen.

Her hands waved, fire fluidly moved before thrusting her arm out. Like a whip, the fire shot out, wrapped itself around Rachel.

Rachel struggled with the fire, momentarily having her tied before absorbing the flames into her, the scales on her shirt glowed but didn't create holes or burn markings, before it shifted to her signature blue flames and blasted it back to the Queen.

It hit her and pushed Rùna across the dirt floor. But since the women were still tethered, it pulled Rachel forward. After colliding with the Queen, Rachel was pushed off of her before thrusting the sword at the pregnant woman.

Rachel jumped back, swinging her sword, blocking the attack, creating sparks. The two were almost in a dance of sorts. As the chanting was getting faster and faster along with the drums, the faster the women were fighting.

Eventually, the Queen used her magic again and dosed Rachel. When the fire dispersed, she had dragon-upped and began to push harder.

"You got this Rach!" Applejack cheered on.

"Kick her fucking ass!" Dash yelled.

"Get her! Get her!" Lucy cheered too before pulling out a bucket of popcorn and was eating and watching.

Elizabeth watched her pink curly haired friend. "I hope the reason your hair's a bottomless pit is due to your Equestrian magic, darling."

Malik watched the fight, under his breath, he too was chanting along with the other Mordi. As he watched on, his eyes caught something strange: the grooves along Rachel's horns were glowing blue. The same shade of blue as the glow of the staff. It moved along the beat like an audio visualizer.

He gets a strange sensation, something inside of his body shifting. Something beneath his skin was changed.

Something else did change.

"Uh hey, did the list of names just get longer?" Sunset asked.

Malik listened and let out a gasp. The chant added more names to the list.

Onyx

Pryyr

Smaug

Warscorn

Lavabra

Scorch

Fang

Torch

Ember

Spike

"I-I don't know those names." Malik admitted.

"I only recognize two names." Sunset said. "I recognize Torch-"

"And Spike." Both dog Spike and Sunset said in unison.

The cursed Mordi were chanting the past and current Dragonlord in Equestria!

"You lads see Rach's horns? And see how the staff is using her to update the chant?" Malik asked the gang.

"We're seeing it. What does it mean?" Serenity asked.

"Maybe using her to do just that since she's the Dragonlord's mate?" Cassandra suggested as she recorded the fight.

Noticing that the only one doing any damage was Rachel but the two continued to dance around.

"Maybe… Or…" something clicked in Malik's mind. "You cheeky little… "

"What?" The Mane seven and Spike looked at Malik.

"They already did the exchange and are just doing this as a set up." Malik said. He caught a look that was shared between the two females.

The two scooted back as far as the tether allowed them. Both of them nodded before charging at each other.

"This isn't a Trial by Combat, this is a theatrical suicide!"

As soon as Malik shouted, the distance between the women closed. The Queen purposely dropped her weapon as Rachel shoved her blade into Rúna's stomach, the tip of the sword pushed out in the back.

Queen Rùna let out a sharp gasp and froze. A second after the stab, the chanting and the drums came to a startling halt.

The prisoners in the cages cheered in joy, so did the mane 7 and Spike. Malik was silent as a sombered look washed over his face.

Rachel closed her eyes, feeling tears trickling down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry…" she said to the Queen before pulling the sword out, black blood splattered on the ground and Rùna began to fall.

Rachel caught her and gently lay her down on the dirt floor. Rùna gasped and gurgled as blood seeped from her mouth.

A collective sound of moans and shrieks echoed around the colosseum. The Dwellers were consumed in pain as every single one, from child to elder began to bellow smoke from their bodies, the queen as well.

The spikes and horns fell off like ash, the calcium scales fell and their skintones returned to normal. Ranging from mostly pale to some dark skinned humans. Having similar features of the ears and sharp teeth and their dragon eyes like Malik and Rachel when she's normal looking.

"Oh my God, look at them!" Cassandra gasped.

"This curse is lifted, Rachel did it!" Elizabeth exclaimed, jumping in joy.

Rùna's skin was fair, there were tattoos that weren't seen before on her cursed version, runes inked on her hands and feet. A few scars she has over the course of her long life now soaked in her own blood. Now returned to normal, her blood began bleeding red.

Her fading eyes looked at Rachel, who changed back to normal. Holding her hand gently.

"Thank…. You… Child… " her voice weakened. "F-find your. .. love."

She exhaled one more time before she went still. Her hand loosened in Rachel's, her eyes permanently fixated at the dark ceiling.

Rachel gently lowers the hand, placing it over the Queen's chest before reaching up and closing her eyes, leaning over her and planting a small kiss on the body's forehead.

"Long may you reign and be at peace…" Rachel muttered as she stood.

The Blue Celestial shined brightly as it lowered itself down to Rachel.

She could hear a faint whisper. A whisper sounding familiar to her coming out of the staff. Not in her ears but in her mind.

"I hear you, and I know what you want, but first~" Rachel reached out and grabbed the staff.

Once grabbed, her clothes shimmer, shooting from her hands and traveling, this black and blue scaled armor lay over her clothes, covered from the neck down to her feet in this shiny armor. A crown materialized on her head of the black, six pointed obsidian crown with blue dragon jewels embedded in the stone.

"I need to take care of some business."

Reign of Queen Rùna had ended. The era of Queen Rachel has now begun.

Rachel looked up, she saw the remnants of the Old Mordi staring at each other and down at the ring in confusion and fright.

"They don't remember," Rachel muttered, hearing what the staff was saying to her. The old Mordi don't remember the events when they were cursed or prior to. The look on their faces appeared if they had just woken up from a bad dream.

The military radio of Malik's then sounded off.

"Be advised, arrival eta five minutes." A male voice radioed in.

With a tap of her staff, all the cages opened at once.

"Malik, round up everyone, they're coming with us!" Rachel ordered.

"Right away, ma'am." Malik said, giving her a bow and a playful wink before heading out.

"Guys, help Malik, I gotta get to that portal." Rachel said to the gang.

"We got this, hurry!" Sunset shouted.

With a nod, the new Queen ran out of the colosseum.

Rachel maneuvered through the halls and pathways. With the help of the Staff, she shifted the walls of the whole temple once more, helping her migrate more clearly to the destination.

It didn't take long before she came to the Throne Room.

The Portal crackled and hummed as more branches extended out.

The Staff hummed in Rachel's mind, causing her to grunt.

"I figured this will be a temporary fix. Need both the Dragonlord and I to close it permanently but until I find him, this is what we're doing at this time! " she moved past the fallen bodies towards the chairs.

She got to the middle step and held the staff in both of her hands, pointing the large crystal at it.

Roughly the same time, a group of commandos came in, weapons drawn and aiming at Rachel.

"Ma'am, drop the weapon and step away from the portal!" One of the soldiers barked orders at her.

"Sorry boys, but I don't take orders." Rachel said before the staff lit up, every fiber in her body became alive once she shot a bright concentration of light at the Portal.

The soldiers shot at the Queen. However the bullets fell just short from hitting her, losing velocity and dropped around her feet.

The Portal reacted from the magic, the whole temple trembled. A stray branch of the portal shot out, hitting several of the soldiers, incinerating them into dust.

Rachel gritted her teeth, sweat dripped from her pores as she fought with the Portal. After being open for so long, there was a struggle of closing it. Since she was brand new, she doesn't have the stamina and energy of handling this powerful artifact just yet, but she refused to give up.

The soldiers kept trying to get closer, some still shooting but none were hitting her.

When they got close, Rachel raised a hand, an energy shot threw her and out of her palm. Crystals began forming on the men. They tried to fight before they became crystal statues before turning her focus back to the Portal.

The Portal again shot out stray branches, hitting one of the statues and shattered it like glass. Another nearly hitting the Queen.

The tendrils began sealing up. With one last push and a shout from Rachel, a shockwave pushed everyone down.

And everything went black.