Phonyyx was in the dungeon cells of the Crystal Empire. The cell was cold and wet. Water droplets dripped from the ceiling, falling onto Phonyyx's head. There was a stone slab protruding from one wall, suspended only by chains. The only light was from a ball of light cast to give the prison some light. Phonyyx was wearing an orange suit. It covered his wings, preventing their use. His hooves were shackled together by chains based on their side. All Phonyyx could hear were the yells from other prisoners. He was kept under them in a solitary cell. Phonyyx was speaking to himself. First, he spoke in a sinister voice with green colored eyes, then he was talking in his normal voice with his normally blue eyes.

"So, back in a cell are we. We can bust out of here easily."

"Yes, I can. But I won't." Phonyyx heard a door slam. He looked up to see Twilight, Rarity, Spike, Starlight, Cadence, and Shining Armor. Phonyyx looked back down and to his right.

"Phonyyx, we came here to talk." Cadence was being very calm for the seriousness of the issue. Phonyyx shuffled around, putting his back to the ponies.

"I don't understand why you would think that Sunburst was a changeling?" Rarity tried to coax Phonyyx into talking but he ignored her.

"I say leave him be, he deserves to rot in jail for what he did." Spike gave Phonyyx a scowl filled with hatred. His eyes turned into ovals and he stuck his forked tongue out at Phonyyx.

"Spike, what Phonyyx did was wrong, but I don't think he deserves to rot in jail forever." Twilight was astonished at Spike and how rude he was being.

"Well then, it's a good thing that you don't have a say in what happens to him then." The visiting ponies turned around to see Shining Armor in his guard armor. "Now, I'm going to only ask you five to leave quietly once." Once the others were gone, Shining opened Phonyyx's jail cell, accompanied by three Royal Protectors. "Turn around now." Phonyyx did as he said. "Why did you attack a civilian?" He referred to Sunburst as a civilian. This isn't Shining Armor Twilight's brother or Shining Armor ruler of the Crystal Empire, this is Shining Armor the captain of the royal guard. Phonyyx didn't speak. "When you were arrested, I ordered all the records on you that existed. You think you can cover up your past by trying to help others. You can't. You aren't just in here for attacking a civilian, no. You're in here for much, much more than that: Leader of the Crystal Eyes, multiple accounts of Hold-Up-Knife Robberies, extortion, Possession, and Distribution of A Controlled Substance, resisting arrest, escaping arrest, assassinations, Theft, Arson, First-Degree Murder and multiple cases of Mass Murder. You are going to be here for a long, long time. And from what Princess Twilight told me, you can serve the time. All forty-thousand years of it. And it won't be here. It'll be at an undisclosed location. You'll be gone within the week." Shining turned around and left. "But by law, you can move about the main area of the prison, but you must return to your cell before night." Shining left Phonyyx with the Royal Protectors. He got up and left. He was not going to be sent to a supermax for over forty millenniums. First, he needed to learn the layout of the jail.

Phonyyx walked out of the door and up multiple sets of stairs. The prison was built out of an underground canyon with no natural light anywhere. The sound of prisoners was getting louder and louder until. It all slowly stopped once Phonyyx made it up the final flight of stairs. The only sounds here hushed whispers and ponies murmuring to themselves. Is that him? It might be. He's still alive, he's here. The Boss. Phonyyx heard that name and sighed. Phonyyx walked to a table to sit down but was blocked by a group of three prisoners. When they walked up to Phonyyx, every pony moved out of their way from terror. The pony on the right was a burly pegasus with too many tattoos on his wings and an overbite. The pony on the left was smallest of the bunch and a unicorn. He only had three legs. His left foreleg was replaced by a mechanical contraption that creaked, very loudly. The pony in the middle was the biggest of all the ponies in the prison. He was an overweight earth pony and had lost three teeth and they had been replaced by golden teeth.

"So, this is supposedly The Boss. The Boss died over a millennia ago. Ain't that right boys?" The earth pony rotated his overweight body around and put a hoof up to his ear. About four-fifths over the prisoners cheered for the earth pony. "What's this, it seems that this imposter is challenging my reign. How about that, New Blood?" He shoved Phonyyx in the shoulder. He walked closer to Phonyyx and dropped his voice in a low, threatening tone. "You look and listen well, New Blood. I'm Brutus, the king around here, we run this prison. So you better stay in line."

"We?" Phonyyx stared in confusion. If he gave any sign of emotion, he was dead.

"Yes, we. Me and my two step-brothers. Alixe,-" he pointed to the pegasus "- and Cilcso." He pointed to the unicorn. "Now, you all see? This pony isn't The Boss, he's an imposter. And we all know who is in charge here. ME!" a roar erupted from the prisoners. Brutus, Alixe, and Cilcso walked back into the crowd of ponies. With about four-fifths of the ponies not believing him to be The Boss, Phonyyx sighed.Things just got a whole lot harder. Phonyyx sat down at a table in one of the corners and began to note of the prisoners. The head ponies were already figured out. Brutus, Alixe, and Cilcso. Next, Phonyyx needed to find out who's been here the longest. The most shriveled, oldest, and craziest pony is usually it, but it could also be the pony that no pony messes with out of respect. It was the latter. Phonyyx noticed an old, white, tall, grey-maned unicorn also in a corner. He had two dice for a cutie mark. Ponies were giving him their share of the rations. Now onto whoever held the most freedom. Found. A pegasus in a normal attire was flying around and she wasn't a guard. She would have been wearing a uniform then. She was red with a pinkish mane that covered most of her face and her cutie mark was of a metal being halfway transformed into a pole. Now, who is the favor pony? Phonyyx saw a pony walking up to him. Not now.

"Hey, I saw you stand up to BAC there. Nice work." He had a short, brown mane with a stubble beard growing and turning grey. He was muscularly built and easily twice the size of Phonyyx.

"Uhm, who?"

"BAC, the code we use to name Brutus, Alixe, and Cilcso. Anyway names Arnold, and if you ever need any pony for something, I'm your pony."

"Do, you have access to a metal?"

"Why?"

"Never mind." He has access. And that should be every pony. Phonyyx returned to watching the guards on rotation. Timing and memorizing where they'd go. Phonyyx noticed one pony who did not stop moving at all. He couldn't see the pony really well because of the lights behind him. "Now, how deep underground is this?" Phonyyx knew it was too deep for any natural lighting.

"No pony knows."

"The ice. The walls were covered in ice at some spots. And it's melting, that means it's deep enough to the planet's core for it to melt ice and close enough to the surface for the ice to form and air to get in." Arnold became intrigued.

"What are you planning? Are you really The Boss?" Arnold sat down with Phonyyx.

"One week. That's how long I have to break out of here. If not then I'll be shipped off to a supermax in an undisclosed location. To serve a sentence of solitary confinement for forty-thousand years."

"So let's make the most out of the week you have. Who and what do you need?"

"I already know who I need, now I'm working on finding out what I need. What type of locks are used here?"

"Pin tumbler locks."

"Such a simple type for a prison of so many capable and dangerous individuals. Unless the components to lockpick are difficult to come by."

"Bingo."

"Now, I need the names of the pegasus flying around and the old white unicorn sitting in the corner."

"Hilda and Cerant respectively."

"We'll need them if we're going to escape."

"We?"

"Yep. Me, you, Hilda, and Cerant. Now, which ones are their cells and yours?"

"Cerant never leaves his cell, mine is right above his, and Hilda's is the one that is always open. She has her own key to her cell."

"Why is she given so much freedom?"

"She's been here for at least three years. Three years of good behavior."

"She should've been released from here then."

"Nope. No pony is ever released from here and no pony has ever escaped."

"First time for everything." one of the guards yelled out, declaring it munch time. "Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner?"

"Meal." Phonyyx grabbed a tray at this realization. On it he stacked up mashed potatoes, normal potatoes, bread, and a carton of milk. "I can convince Cerant and Hilda to eat with us."

"Do it." Arnold grabbed Hilda's attention and motioned for her to come over. They all went to Cerant. Making sure to bring a little extra food. "I have a proposition." Hilda and Cerant looked at Phonyyx like he was crazy. He could've in fact been crazy.

"I know what you're thinking, and it won't work. Many have already attempted to escape. All have failed." Carent had an old rattily voice.

"Yeah, the best you can do is stay good for years like me and you'll gain more and more freedom." Hilda had a very cold, drunken voice. "Ponies have planned for years to escape and failed."

"Well, that record is about to be broken. In one week. If I don't break out within this next week, I'll be sent off to a supermax location," Phonyyx said as he took a bite of his bread.

"How? How can you succeed where so many others have failed? Why do you believe that you can break out?"

"Not just me, all of us. And I know that we can escape, together. First I need this potato. Then I need my sword and cloak back, but those are being held in the castle. Hilda, do you know how to lockpick?"

"Just enough."

"Good. But you won't be able to lockpick my cell instead I'll have to find a way to prevent it from locking on me. Cerant, what is the layout of the prison?"

"Yes, it's built vertically, with the most dangerous prisoners held further down. The only way out is up. Up a cold canyon wall." Cerant stared up the canyon into the dark abyss above them.

"Alright, now that makes it more difficult. Our only option is to scale the walls. I'll need to make some sort of climbing tools. Claws for my hooves to use, for that I'll need metal and lots of it. I can smelt the stuff into the things I need. Arnold, I need Cilcso's metal leg. But get it last. Any metal you can find. It'll happen at night, in between guard rotations." A guard pony yelled out saying it was lights out. Phonyyx shuffled back down to his cell. When he got down there the door slammed shut behind him. Quickly Phonyyx grabbed the potato from earlier and hid it in his pillow. Phonyyx laid down and slept. Only to be awakened by some ponies. Phonyyx woke up and looked out of the cell to see his Twilight, Spike, Rarity, Cadence, and Starlight. "What are you ponies doing here?"

"Hehe. He's so cute like this." Starlight giggled. Phonyyx blushed and felt embarrassed for the situation he was in.

"I was wrong. Sunburst isn't a changeling."

"Oh, we know." Then every pony, except for Starlight, transformed into a changeling. Starlight transformed into Queen Chrysalis. "Ohh, what's the matter Phonyyx? You're not blushing anymore." He wasn't.

"I will kill you." Phonyyx jumped at the bars.

"Oh, I don't think so." One of the changelings walked through the cell bars. Phonyyx spun around to see Starlight.

"Phonyyx, are you okay?" Starlight touched Phonyyx before melting in from of him, laughing.

"Aahh." He turned back around to find the changelings gone. Phonyyx curled up in a ball on the bed. He sat there for half an hour before hearing his cell door open. The guard merely looked at him and said nothing. Phoenix walked out of his cell and walked up the stairs. He walked out to find Arnold, Hilda, and Cerant sitting at a table with something. "What is all this?" Phonyyx had a go along with it motion with his hooves.

"Just a few things that we could find." Hilda leaned back a little too far and fell. "Oww."

"Now, how am I going to get these back to my cell?"

"How about a distraction." Arnold got up and started walking.

"What kind of distraction?" Phonyyx looked back to see Arnold beating the crap out of any pony that got close to him. "I guess that kind of distraction." Phonyyx grabbed the bag of metal in his mouth and ran for his cell. He got into his cell and hid the bag inside his pillow and smashed up the potato and stuffed it into the lock mechanism of the cell door before running back up to the rec room. I hope Arnold is okay. He was more than okay. He was loving the distraction. Laughing as he fought, not a sadistic laugh, but instead a this is awesome laugh. Then BAC got involved.

"What are you doing?" Brutus yelled at Arnold.

"Just a little bit of fun that's all." Arnold was being genuine. To him, it was truly fun. After that BAC backed off, mainly thinking it wasn't worth their time. Phonyyx sat back down at the table.

"Did any of the guards see you?" Caret asked.

"I don't think so." Phonyyx looked around. No guards were heading towards his cell. "Now, how are we going to get the rest of you up the walls?"

"I can fly myself and Cerant up there." Hilda beamed.

"And you Arnold?"

"I can climb it with my bare hooves." Arnold held up his two forehooves.

"Okay then. I'll work on making the claws I'll use to scale the wall. I'll be able to melt these chains off of my legs the night of the plan, tonight. I'll need a little time to smelt the metal into what I need. Once we scale that wall, our magic will no longer be blocked. And we'll be free. By the way, what are you all in for?"

"Petty theft." Caret looked down at his hooves.

"Same here." Hilda patted Cerant on his back.

"I'm in here for breaking and entering." Arnold folded his hooves together.

"And they won't let you out?" Phonyyx's jaw dropped. These were all small crimes compared to what he did. "Wow, I'm lucky that I'll get this week to escape. Also, Arnold, one of the first questions you asked me was if I was The Boss. Yes, I'm The Boss." All of their jaws dropped.

"So. You're still claiming to be The Boss. Well, that means you stepped out of line. Now you pay the price." Phonyyx turned around to find himself face to faces with BAC. Considering my luck, of course, this would happen. Brutus grabbed Phonyyx and pulled him into the center of the rec room. "This little imposter is still claiming to be The Boss. Let's show him who the one and the only true boss is!" Brutus threw a left hook that hit Phonyyx right jab in his mouth. Phonyyx stumbled back a bit, holding his mouth. He spat and blood filled his mouth. The entire prison was chanting BAC, BAC, BAC "You know, I saw a purple unicorn try and get into here earlier, to see this New Blood. I think after I finish beating the crap out of you, I'll take her as a prize." That was it. Phonyyx's eyes turned blood red.

"She is not something you own!" With that shout, Phonyyx jumped onto Brutus's back and fought back. He used his chains to wrap around Brutus's mouth, punching him with his other free hoof. Phonyyx leaped off of Brutus. The prison slowly started to chant for Phonyyx. The Boss, The Boss, The Boss It started with Arnold, Hilda, and Cerant. This boosted Phonyyx's drive to win. He wasn't just fighting for himself, he was fighting for every pony in the prison. His eyes changed back from blood red to their normal blue. Phonyyx slid under Brutus, tripping him over with his chains. Phonyyx saw Cilcso charging at him, horn first. Phonyyx jumped up and kicked Cilcso right in his horn. Cilcso fell down and tried to get back up, but Phonyyx kicked him so hard, it tore his artificial leg off. One down, two to go. Phonyyx spun around to face Alixe. The Boss, The Boss, The Boss The chanting was getting louder and louder with every passing chant. Phonyyx ran to Alixe and drop kicked him sending him flying and landing on top of a table. One more to go. Brutus snuck up behind Phonyyx and trapped him in a bear-hug grip. Phonyyx's felt his ribs about to crack. Phonyyx's body heated up. His skin was scolding hot, Brutus dropped Phonyyx and screamed in agony. He was silenced by an uppercut from Phonyyx. Game and match. The entirety of the prison was chanting for Phonyyx. The Boss, The Boss, The Boss. Phonyyx walked over and pulled Brutus up by the head. "If you ever threaten my friends again. I won't be merciful at all." Phonyyx shoved Brutus back onto the floor. My friends. He walked back over to Arnold, Hilda, and Cerant.

"I can't believe that some pony actually beat BAC." Hilda wasn't flying anymore.

"I didn't do it just for me, I did it for all the ponies down here. Those jerks won't be in charge anymore. The plan happens tonight. Be ready."

The cell door slammed shut but didn't lock. Phonyyx waited a while, melting and smelting the metals into claws to use. He slipped out of his chains and into the improvised claws. He opened the cell door and silently crept up the stairs to find Hilda, Arnold, and Cerant all waiting for him. Arnold put a hoof up to his mouth. Phonyyx nodded. They walked up to the highest point in the rec room and began their ascent. Arnold punched up the wall, embedding his hooves into the walls with every step he took. Hilda carried Cerant and Phonyyx climbed up with his claws. The climb seemed to go on forever. Then Hilda called down to Phonyyx.

"We've made it!" Hilda dropped Cerant onto the ground gently. Arnold pulled himself up second, then Phonyyx lifted himself up with help from all three.

"Now, where are we?" Phonyyx turned around to see that they were still in the canyon. Phonyyx felt his magic return. He removed the orange jumpsuit and burned off the straight jacket. "I know where we are. We're underneath the Crystal Empire." Phonyyx trotted toward a tunnel and looked back to his fellow escapees. "Come on, I know how to get out of here." Phonyyx and the others ran up a tunnel and came out to a horrifying sight. King Sombra held Phonyyx's friends captured and Queen Chrysalis by his side.

Starlight had not believed what she saw. Phonyyx had attacked her friend. She was with Twilight, Rarity, Spike and Cadence visiting Phonyyx in the prison. He didn't speak. Not one word. Why? Why did you attack him? Shining came in and told them they had to leave. She was astonished at the size of the prison, in it were hundreds of ponies, and all wearing orange jumpsuits. They exited the prisons and didn't speak. There wasn't really anything to talk about. Maybe Shining will give Phonyyx mercy. It's his first offense. Another voice appeared in her head.

Not really.

"Who's there?" Starlight jumped at this new voice.

I'm not out there. I'm in your head. I'm one of Phonyyx's fractured personalities. I got here when Phonyyx entered your mind to wake you up. And this is a one-way street. No, there is not a part of your personality in Phonyyx's mind.

I don't like this. You're invading my privacy.

No, I'm merely hearing and seeing what you hear and see and the only thoughts of yours that I can see are the ones you think of consciously.

If you got into my head from Phonyyx entering my mind to wake me, then does that mean all the other ponies he woke up like that have part of his personality in him?

No, I entered your mind only.

"Starlight, are you okay?" Spike walked up to Starlight, who had been standing in one spot, not moving at all, for apparently no reason.

"Oh, yeah. I'm just thinking." Starlight reassured Spike.

"Phonyyx?"

"Yeah."

"I say he should rot in that jail for the rest of his life." That apparently pissed of the fracture in Starlight's mind.

Oh, yeah! Well, how would you like it if you were accused of enough crimes to be jailed for forty-thousand years. You little prick. The fracture screamed inside Starlight's mind. She bit her lower lip to get herself from screaming out the fracture's thoughts.

Quiet.

Alright. He's a prick. Spike had walked off.

Can you not scream at some pony? Starlight didn't feel hungry so she went to her bed. What did you mean earlier when you said that this wasn't Phonyyx's first offense?"

He's the leader of the Crystal Eyes, a criminal organization situated here in the Crystal Empire.

Were those ponies that cornered me in an alleyway earlier members of the Crystal Eyes?

Yes. Starlight entered her room and laid down on the bed. She saw the open door to the room that was once Phonyyx's. She got up and shut her door and laid her head to rest on the bed. She woke up half expecting to see Phonyyx in the bed with her. But she did hear his voice, sort of. Wake up, Starlight. And really, you were expecting to wake up in bed with Phonyyx?

"Shut it." Starlight was groggy that morning. All she wanted to do was lay in bed all day. But her stomach had other plans. Rrrmm "What time is it?"

How should I know? I can only see what you see. Starlight walked out of her room and saw a platoon of guards leaving Phonyyx's room. OH no. They did not just search my room. Starlight felt the personality take over and walk into Phonyyx's room. What did they mess with?

"I don't know and I don't care." Starlight tried to leave but her legs weren't listening.

I'm the one in control right now. I just want to check on a few things and then I'll give you back control. Starlight picked up a small bag and looked through it. She saw a small wrapping with something in it.

"What is that?"

You should take a look at it. Starlight picked up the wrapping and removed the cloth. In it she found a small, expertly crafted golden necklace with her cutie mark as the pendant. He made this for you. A tear dropped from Starlight as she laid her eyes on this magnificent jewelry crafted for her. Phonyyx made this for her and she didn't even try to help him when he was thrown in the jail. Starlight put the necklace back and ran to the prisons. There has to be a way to convince the guards or Shining Armor to let Phonyyx go. She ran down to the main building in the canyon.

"Guards, there's a pony in this jail that shouldn't be here! He was thrown into here yesterday!" No response came. Starlight tried again. Still no response. Starlight tried to force her way in but the doors where all magically sealed and locked. Defeated Starlight looked out to the hundreds of ponies in a rec room. One floor beneath her stood an ugly trio of ponies and the latest one stared at her with a malicious grin. Starlight backed away from the window. Then she saw a pony walk into the rec room from a set of stairs. It was Phonyyx. He walked over to a table with three other ponies and a bag of something. Starlight tried to get Phonyyx's attention but couldn't.

Starlight, stop. He can't hear you. Defeated, Starlight sat down. A guard came up and grabbed her.

"What are you doing here, this is a restricted place." The guard asked, not harshly but nicely.

"One of the ponies in there doesn't belong in there." Starlight felt a tear drop out of her eyes.

"I'm sorry miss, but no pony can leave this place. These ponies are all in here for the multiple different crimes. I am going to have to ask you to leave miss." Starlight wiped her eyes and obliged. Starlight headed back up to the castle and found the others talking with confused looks on their faces.

"What's going on?"

"Tell me I didn't arrest Phonyyx, because I don't remember doing that." Shining had a bag of ice up against his head.

"You did arrest Phonyyx."

"Shining Armor, what happened?" Twilight grabbed another bag of ice to put on Shining's head.

"I was walking down the stairs to see what the whole commotion outside was about and then I felt a headache and next thing I knew, I found myself stuffed in one of the janitorial closets. Ow." Shining leaned his head back.

"Wait, what about the Royal Protectors. Shouldn't they have been shadowing you for this kind of situation?" Rarity asked.

"I don't know, some pony might have known about them and taken care of them earlier."

"Or this was by another royal." Sunburst walked into the room with a book. "I found this. It describes the Royal Protectors. If one royal is attacked by another royal and both of them are under the protection circle of the Royal Protectors, then the Royal Protectors will not interfere."

"But, the only royals here that would fall under their protection would be Shining, Cadence, Flurry Heart, Twilight, Phonyyx,-" Starlight countered.

And Sombra.

"-and Sombra."

"Uh-oh. There's a way that the Crustal Heart can be destroyed forever. If a natural born alicorn uses dark magic to break it, it will stay broken forever. If broken by a natural-born alicorn using dark magic it will be broken forever." Sunburst looked up to find Cadence gone. She ran to make sure Flurry Heart was okay. She wasn't. Above her sleeping body was Sombra in his physical form.

"Get away from her!" Cadence shot a magic blast at Sombra, but he evaporated. Cadence grabbed Flurry Heart and ran to the exit, but was cut off by a shade. Cadence ran to the balcony and was about to fly off with Flurry Heart when Queen Chrysalis trapped Cadence's hooves in a sticky goo. The others ran up to the door but were blocked by the shade.

Tell Cadence to make a high-pitched whistle. Now.

"Cadence, make a high-pitched whistle. Now." Starlight yelled to Cadence as Sombra and Queen Chrysalis moved closer and closer to Cadence. Cadence made the whistle and behind her, a Royal Protector appeared.

"I will take Flurry Heart to a safe haven." The Royal Protector held out his hooves and Cadence gave Flurry Heart to him, and he flew away, out of the Crystal Empire.

"No!" Sombra smashed one of his hooves to the ground and a cage made of crystals trapped Cadence.

Run, go get Phonyyx's sword and cloak. I can sense them, they're in a safe. Starlight ran, following the fractures directions. She came upon an enormous safe and teleported into it. She scanned the safe and saw Phonyyx's sword and his cloak in a corner. She grabbed the sword and put on the cloak. She heard the safe door tear and looked back to see Sombra. Starlight teleported behind him and kicked him into the safe and reattached the safe door. She ran. What are you doing? Fight!

I don't want to. I'll be killed.

Not necessarily, I can tell you what to do. I'll make the thoughts and you follow them. Starlight stopped and slide around. She braced herself against a wall, she looked to her left and saw a group of shades charging after her. She swung the sword at them and it did hit some of the shades. The rest stopped and took a few steps back. Starlight shot them with a blast of magic. She looked back to where Sombra was and saw Queen Chrysalis. Okay, change of plans. Run. Starlight happily obliged. She ran down a corridor and saw Sombra waiting for her at the exit. He breathed shadow magic at her. Put the cloak up and run through it cloak first. Starlight grabbed part of the cloak and ran through it. She sliced at Sombra and was parried. Sombra had formed a scythe made out of crystals. He swung it overhead and Starlight raised the sword and blocked the attack. A blast of golden magic shot out from Starlight and hit Sombra. He screamed in agony. Starlight couldn't move, she looked down to see a pile of green goo at her hooves. A crystal cage surrounded her and then she realized that Sombra had already captured her friends, and her. She felt the crystals cut deep into her skin and the sensation of blood dripped underneath her.

"Now... Where is the alicorn child!" Sombra roared the question at Cadence.

"I don't know and neither will you." Cadence wasn't scared, she knew how to defeat Sombra, all that was needed was for some pony to activate the Crystal Heart. Sombra casted a spell on all of them, preventing them from using their magic. Starlight looked at Sombra and saw Phonyyx running out of a tunnel under the castle accompanied by three other ponies.

"Hey, Sombra. Why don't you pick on some pony else?" Sombra looked back to see Phonyyx.

"I thought you said he would never escape the Chateau d'If?" Sombra looked over to Queen Chrysalis. She looked just as surprised by Phonyyx as Sombra was. He looked back to his son, and thousands of shades and changelings appeared. Phonyyx looked back to the other ponies behind him.

"Run, this isn't your fight." Phonyyx looked back at Sombra and prepared himself for battle.

"Not a chance. You helped us escape from that prison. Now we return the favor, this is our fight." Hilda picked up a crowbar and Cerant readied his spells. Arnold tore off part of his orange jumpsuit and wrapped it around his forehooves. Phonyyx looked around him at these ponies, they were still helping even after he told them to run. He summoned a sword made of crystals, but his first objective was to get his sword and cloak. He then saw Starlight wearing his cloak and had his sword. What is she doing with my sword and cloak? Cadence was nodding towards the Crystal Heart. Right, activate that and Sombra is done for. Phonyyx ran for the Crystal Heart only to be stopped by Queen Chrysalis. Phonyyx shot her with a blast of fire, and Queen Chrysalis dodged out of the way. Arnold and Hilda jumped straight into the army of changelings with Cerant providing covering fire from afar. They didn't know where they were going, and next thing they knew, they were a good ways away from the castle. Phonyyx, however, still had to deal with the rest of the army, Queen Chrysalis, and Sombra. Phonyyx was about to activate the Crystal Heart when Sombra hit him with a dark magic shot. Phonyyx felt Sombra's influence grow. He looked down to see his body turn a darker shade than it normally was. Phonyyx closed his eyes in pain as the influence covered his entire body. He opened them to reveal green eyes surrounded by an aura of shadow magic.

"Hehe," Phonyyx chuckled to himself as he raised his head and retrieved his sword and cloak.

"Son, do my bidding." Sombra looked on to his creation. Phonyyx teleported away and returned with the shadow crystal and the spell Starlight gave him. He put a hoof, covered in wisps of shadow magic, up to the Crystal Heart and the moment he touched it, it shattered.

"No," Starlight screamed. The others stared in disbelief, Phonyyx had betrayed them. The sky turned a brown-orange color, the storm clouds of the frozen north crept upon the Crystal Empire, and the crystal ponies lost their shine. Phonyyx walked up to each of the captives and read the spell, forcing their magic out of them and into the shadow crystal. Even Spike, he couldn't breathe fire anymore. Phonyyx reached Starlight and saw the look in her eyes, his eyes turned blue for a second, then back to green surrounded by shadow magic aura. He sapped Starlight's magic and turned to Sombra and appeared to give the crystal to Sombra. But he teleported behind him and placed the shadow crystal into the remains of the Crystal Heart. He began casting a spell on it and it began to reform itself. Sombra charged at Phonyyx. Phonyyx split and told his body to continue casting the spell. His shadow grew crystals out of the ground to protect his body. Sombra summoned a scythe out of crystals, but Phonyyx grabbed his own sword and blocked the attack. He kicked Sombra square in his chest. He staggered back and pointed his scythe at Phonyyx's body and roared. Phonyyx jumped back to protect his body, without him it would take longer to cast the spell. Thousands of shades rushed Phonyyx. Then a blast of magic came from another source. Phonyyx looked over to see Cathin and Maryl fighting towards him. He looked further back to see Selena, Bralen, and Cobalt running towards him as well.

"We accept your proposition, now let's clear out these shades." Cobalt jumped into the fray with an enormous ground pound that sent a shockwave out in all directions, Maryl was punching to her hearts delight, Selena was throwing daggers left and right and retrieving them, while Cathin was firing numerous spells and his brother Bralen was spinning the improvised war hammer around, catching shades left and right.

"Did you really start the party without us." Arnold charged in with Cerant and Hilda right behind him. Now Phonyyx only needed to finish the spell fixing the Crystal Heart. He saw Sombra staring him down.

"We both know what will happen if you activate that." Sombra walked closer to Phonyyx.

"I don't care. If it means protecting my friends, then I don't care what it does to me." Phonyyx looked over to see if his body was done fixing the Crystal Heart. It needed more time.

"Then you'll pay the price."

"So I will." It still wasn't done. He needed to stall Sombra.

"Rethink what you're doing, you can rule with me. Together we will rule all of Equestria."

"A tempting offer, but one problem. Ruling a nation sucks." The Crystal Heart had been repaired. Phonyyx jumped back into his body and Sombra lunged at him, but Phonyyx activated the Crystal Heart first. A wave of light and love was sent out. It transformed every pony into a crystal pony and launched Sombra into millions of tiny pieces. The changelings remained, however; but they left without a word. Phonyyx was also transformed into a crystal pony, but in the place of his heart was a crack, covered by his cloak. The blast freed the others and sent the storm clouds back. Starlight dropped down and felt a rush of well-being wash over her. But her cuts and wounds still bleed. Phonyyx ran over to her and healed her. Phonyyx felt the pain inside him from activation the Crystal Heart and killing his father.

"Where's Flurry Heart?" Cadence was running around trying to find the Royal Protector that held onto her daughter. Phonyyx whistled and the Royal Protector shortly followed with Flurry Heart in short tow. Cadence retrieved Flurry Heart and snuggled her affectionately. Phonyyx walked over to Sunburst.

"Phonyyx, Sunburst's not a chang..." Starlight started to talk, but she was hushed by Phonyyx putting a hoof up to her mouth.

"Sunburst,-" Sunburst jumped at Phonyyx's sudden talk "- I was wrong, you're not a changeling like I thought. And I am sorry for what I did." Phonyyx held out a hoof and Sunburst accepted it.

"Hey, we all make mistakes. It's a part of life." Sunburst chuckled slightly at the new awkward friendship he formed with a pony that tried to kill him a day earlier.

"I think its time to go home. What do you all think?" Twilight asked her friends.

"Home, that's something I never had. Yes." Phonyyx stared up at the castle. "This was never truly my home, I left and never returned." Phonyyx went to his room and grabbed the things he brought and saw the necklace on the floor. He picked it up and wrapped it in the cloth and placed it back into his bag. Phonyyx walked out to find Arnold, Cerant, and Hilda waiting for him. "I have a proposition for you three. I saw your incredible fighting skills out there. I believe you three will be important assets to a little team project that I have planned. It will include rigorous training, but you'll all be well fed and well paid, and you will play an important role in the protection of Equestria. What do you three say?"

"Hell yeah," Arnold smirked at the prospect. Caret and Hilda nodded in agreement.

"Well, then. You three should start packing up whatever you wish to take. It's a long ride to Ponyville, and we leave in about an hour."