A lil note, don't look at Ella's outfit till I say so, okii? Please, it'll just spoil the chapter :(

Originally, Ella is wearing the same outfit as Britney, Michelle, Zakiyah and Shiloh.

Ella grit her teeth as the white bricks in front of them opened, letting the group walk in. As they opened she spotted a glimpse of Marcus, sitting comfortably on his throne.

"Shiloh, Ella. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Ella balled her fists, but before she could say anything Shiloh yelled, "You know what we're here for! Give him back!"

Marcus raised a hand, and a small tower of white blocks came out, and a window opened in front of it. Elijah appeared in the window, eyes widening upon seeing them.

"Guys!" He yelled.

Ella's throat went dry, as Judah yelled from behind her, "Elijah!"

"You wan him back?" Marcus asked, making the white and black chess pieces appear in his palms. "I challenge you. To a game of chess. Winner, keeps him." The black king transformed into a mini statue of Elijah.

"NO!" Elijah yelled from his prison, "leave me, he's gonna-"

Elijah was interrupted by the window shutting in front of his face.

Marcus pulled an apple out of thin air and but into it. Judah pshed. "You think you're intimidating by pulling an apple out of thin air? Well that's not impressive."

Marcus' glare intensified, as he pulled his hand up, holding underwear with carrots printed on it. Judah pat his legs.

"That's not the only thing he can pull from thin air." he announced. Ella and Shiloh turned around, Cloaks flying behind them dramatically. Everyone bent a little, forming a huddle.

"What the plan?" Zakiyah asked, making Shiloh and Ella look at each other and shake their heads. "Neither one of us know how to play chess." Ella said, making the group freak out. "What?!"

"We just never got into it!" Shiloh said, making Josiah look up, "Anyone? Does anyone know how to play chess?"

"I know how to play ch-" Cole said, straightening up, but Ella raised her hand. "Not you."

A few seconds later, Judah sighed heavily. "I know how to play."

"Yeah, he used to play with Elijah all the time!" Micah said, making Ella snort. "Sorry, not the time."

Micah and Josiah struggled to keep straight faces, as Judah fake-vomited. "That's my BROTHER!"

"I'M SORRY!" Ella yelled. "Moving on, Judah, you'll be the king." Judah nodded slowly, face twitching. "Great."

"Ooh. You might wanna change your face so he doesn't know you're scared." Micah said. Judah frowned, eyes glaring suddenly and eyebrows furrowed.

"Ooh. No." Shiloh said. "Try smile"

Judah grinned widely. 

"That's scarier than before." Ella announced, "But it'll have to work."

Ella and Shiloh turned back to Marcus, "YOU'RE ON!"

"Excellent." he smirked. "Do you all agree?"

There was a murmur of mutual agreement, making Marcus lean back, as their names burned into the bricks behind him, before disappearing. Marcus clapped and the lights flickered, and suddenly, they were in different clothes, standing in their piece's position. Ella's clothes were the same as Britney's.

Marcus' pieces appeared, staring agressively. Ella looked at their side. Judah was, of course, king and Shiloh was queen. Micah and Cole were bishops, Michelle and Josiah were the rooks, Zakiyah and Robin were the knights and Britney and Ella were two of the eight pawns.

"Remember." Said Marcus, pointing to Judah, "Take out the king to win. Any questions?"

Cole raised his hand. "How does the knight move?"

Everyone groaned, as the white queen slammed her staff on the ground, "You know we don't how to explain it!"

"Why would you ask that"

"It's like a circle!"

"Just move where it's highlighted!" Shiloh and Ella yelled as everyone yelled, and there was an announcement on the speakers.

"The match will begin in three.."

Josiah picked up his hammer and Micah clutched his weapon.

"Two.."

Zakiyah breathed out, calming herself, and Shiloh glared at Marcus.

"One."

Judah looked at Marcus, who announced, "Pawn advance."

"I long for the warm embrace of nothingness!" She cheered, taking two steps forward.

Judah breified the group about how they moved quickly, before Shiloh and Ella turned to him. "What's the plan?"

"I'm just gonna wing it, you know!" he said happily, making them sigh. "No Judah. You have to be smart and think multiple moves ahead."

"Got it." Judah said, "Britney do exactly what their pawn did!"

"Elijah, you're gonna be in there a while!" Micah called and Britney turned around.

"Why am I a pawn?" Britney asked, "They're the most worthless piece and I feel like there are mcuh cooler pieces I could be."

"Well," Judah said, "I just thought to myself, who's the most worthless person on my team. And it was you!"

Ella turned around slowly, left eye twitching as she glared at Judah. "I'm sorry," she said through gritted teeth, "you want to try repeating that?"

Judah shook his head furiously, "I said nothing."

Ella turned back to Marcus as Britney took a few steps ahead, reaching Lily.

"I see you're doing the Bulgarian double duck formation." Marcus said. "How interesting."

"You definitely just made that up."

Ella slapped her forehead.

The game went on, and Ella particularly enjoyed the insults Micah and Michelle threw at Marcus.

"Question: were you always this ugly or is today a special occasion?"

"Ha got him!"

The moment Ella realised how dangerous this was was when their first piece, Robin, got taken out.

Green sand scattered, and a second later, Robin was in a tower similar to Elijah's.

The window in Elijah's tower opened. "GUYS YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" He bellowed, "WHEN YOU PLAY AGAINST HIM, THE WINNER GETS EVERY PIECE THAT GETS TAKEN OFF THE BOARD."

They all stood in shock, staring at Elijah as their minds processed the information. "Your faces are exactly how I wanted them." Marcus said.

Ella didn't have any interest in chess, in fact, it bored her so much that she would have fallen asleep in this game, if it weren't for Elijah.

She still wasn't paying attention to the game, as her mind worked at high speeds to figure out an alternate way to get Elijah and the others that were out back, if they lost and had to retreat.

She only snapped out of it when Judah called her name several times. "ELLA!" He yelled in her ear, making her jump.

"Sorry what?" She asked, looking around the board. She noticed that in the time she was zoned out, most of their pieces were taken off the board. It was only two pawns, Josiah, Micah, Britney, Judah and her left.

"Nothing, just asking where you were lost."

"Nothing." Ella said, not wanting to discourage him, "Go on."

Judah stopped, turning to Elijah. "Why'd you come here in the first place."

"YOU CAME HERE?!" Ella yelled, turning to him, "Elijah?!"

"Again, where were you?" Judah asked, making her turn away.

"I came here to find someone else to play with." Elijah said, "because i felt bad that you always lost."

"Are you kidding?" Judah asked, "I loved those games."

"But I always won."

"It didn't matter!" Judah yelled back, "I just wanted to play with you." Ella's eyes widened as her bottom lip trembled. "That's so cute."

They conversed softly about their new plan, and with a new plan came their newfound determination to win this damn thing.

The determination shone in their eyes, as they moved across the board, Judah directing them. The plan was simple. get Britney to the other side of the board.

Ella, Michelle, and Micah all protected Britney as Josiah protected Judah.

Every time one of their men was lost, the white pieces showed no mercy. Twice,Judah only just noticed in time that Ella and Micah were in danger. 

The white queen turned her blank face toward them, making Judah's eyes widen. "NO!"

"What is it?" Ella asked, turning around. The wind picked up, making her hair fly around.

"It's Britney." Ella turned back with wide eyes, seeing the white queen approach them, staff raised. 

"NO!" All four of them screamed, the staff swished through the air, followed by the sound of sand scattering, and when it cleared, Britney was no longer there.

Ella's eyes searched for her, finding her red hair in one of the towers behind Marcus.

"No." She whispered, turning back to Judah. "Now what." 

A few minutes later, Judah looked up, eyes focused on her. "Now it's your turn."

Ella's eyes regained some of the old determination as she nodded. She moved around the board, Micah and Michelle protecting her as Judah directed her.

"PAWN TO D2!" Judah yelled, and Ella stepped forward. The white rook appeared in front of her, making her gulp, leaning backwards, away from him.

Judah looked at Josiah, who nodded. "I'm with you till the end of the line! Any sacrifices?" Josiah yelled, running next to the rook, diagonal to Ella.

"Finally, some action!" The rook said, pouncing on Josiah and taking him out.

"AH!" A yell came from the towers. "It's so dark I can't see anything!" Josiah said, making Shiloh yell, "turn around!"

"Ah!"

"What could your measly, worthless pawn do?" Marcus asked, making Ella glare at him, eyes flashing. 

"Checkmate you." She said, raising her head. 

She lifted the hammer, bringing it down on the rook, who promptly turned to sand, and took a diagonal step forwards.

She turned around, her cloak fluttering in the wind behind her, hair flying by the wind's force, as a beautiful magic, black in colour began to envelope her, and she rose in the air. Ella's body began to glow as the magic changed colours, going from black to gold to a blinding white, blending in with her body.

It circled around her as she floated, moving up and down.

"What's happening?" Marcus asked, making his queen turn to him with wide eyes. "If a pawn makes it to the other end of the board, it can become a queen!"

They all squinted, the brightness of the magic and Ella blinding them, as the magic placed her softly back onto the ground. She grinned. Shiloh's crown was on her head, and her staff was in her gloved hands. She looked down, seeing the most beautiful black dress on her. [NOW YOU CAN LOOK AT THE PICTURE I ATTACHED.]

"Holy..." Elijah gasped, eyes widening as he looked at her from the tower.

Ella grinned at Marcus as the magic disappeared. The people in the towers gasped.

"My Queen." Someone said, followed by a "kachow!"

"NO!" Marcus yelled, hand up to his crown. "How can this be? Bishop, protect me!"

The bishop rushed to the square in front of Ella's who smirked at him. Judah pointed, and Michelle rushed forward, turning him to sand. Ella high-fived her.

Marcus looked around wildly, pulling another bishop in front of him. Michelle hit him too, taking a step forward. "Check!" She said, pointing her hammer at Marcus.

Marcus stepped sideways. Micah rushed, turning the white queen to sand. "Rook go after their king!" Marcus said, making Ella turn to Judah, worried.

Judah pointed to him happily, as Micah rushed over, turning him to sand.

Marcus yelled at the pawn next to him to move. Michelle turned to Lily , who had been standing next to her. "Today's the day!" Lily yelled, as Michelle turned her to sand, turning to Marcus. "Check."

Marcus jumped forward, to G3.

Ella's eyes travelled to Elijah, who was grinning happily. She ran forward to G1, yelling "CHECK!"

Marcus moved to H4, and Michelle followed, moving to F4.

Marcus moved again, stepping sideways onto H5. Ella grinned, nodding at Judah as she ran forward to G5. She smirked at Marcus, raising her staff to his nose, his eyes going criss-crossed as he tried to keep looking at it.

"Checkmate." She whispered menacingly. 

Marcus looked around. Michelle was at F4, Judah, the Black King at F7, Micah at A7. Two pawns were stationed at F6 and H7, and Ella, the Black Queen, was at G5. He sighed. His only piece was a pawn at H3, which was of no help. He was trapped. It was indeed a checkmate.

"You win." Marcus said. "I guess pawns can be kings." Ella didn't understand the reference, assuming it to be something Marcus said to Judah when she was zoned out.

Everyone in the towers screamed joyfully as Marcus took off his crown. The brick wall in front of Elijah fell, and he stepped forward, breathing in the fresh air, the weight on this chest had been lifted.

Ella moved to him, as Judah and Marcus discussed about some clause. Ella narrowed her eyes at him, hitting in with the staff as he moved away from her.

"OW! OW! EL- ELLA- OW! STOP THAT."

She threw the staff angrily, pulling him into a hug. "Don't do that again." He stared at Shiloh, who smiled, nodding. Elijah raising his arms, wrapping them around the girl. "I won't."

"Good." She whispered, pulling back and grabbing his hand, pulling him to dance with the others.

"They gave me stats after the match!" Micah announced. They all stopped dancing to listen "You had 14 mistakes, eight blunders, three misdemeanours and a felony." 

They stared at him, as he continued, "And ONE BRILLIANT MOVE."

They looked at each other for a spilt second, before yelling loudly, and dancing again.

Ella and Elijah were walking in M.O.M's southern wing's hallway, when they heard a loud noise near the artefact room. They rushed, seeing no one. Elijah shrugged.

"Must have been somewhere else."