Zikel soon meets up with the girls and Shinning after the bloody battle he had endured, it would seem that they were having their own fight as well with all the changelings that were coming for them. Zikel quickly made it to Twilight's side just in time to knock back a changeling that was attacking her from behind. She and the others saw what kind of shape he was in, they weren't all too happy.

Zikel..what happen to you?!"

"It doesn't matter right now Twi, you can chew me out all you want to later!

He then looked over to Shinning Armor, who was casting protection spells to keep the enemy at bay.

"You there, where are your secret cells in the prison under your castle?!"

"Why do you need to know? I don't even know who you are and you expect me to tell you things that need to be kept secret?!"

"Shinning, please tell him! He can be trusted...I promise"

Pleaded his sister, continuing to fight off the changelings that bombarded them, Shinning looked between him and her, then to him again.

"If Twily trusts you, then I trust you as well bud. Went you go back to the castle, hang a right and go down into the prison blocks, then at the far end of the hall, there is a wall, hit the very middle block of it and it will open and take you where you need to go."

"Thank you, and don't worry. I will bring your wife back to you, I promise. No one is going to lose their loved ones today...."

Zikel ran off towards where he was told to go before anyone could stop him,Twilight was about to run after him but was stopped by two changelings.

"Be careful Zikel...please."

--Prison, Under The Crystal Castle--

Zikel walked through the dimly lit halls of the prison, this worked out well for him, more than enough darkness to take out enemies should he needed to. He came across multiple cells full of real guards. He releases them by opening a shadow portal through the bars so that they could get out.

"They need your help up there everyone. Make sure to show no mercy to these bastards. keep the citizens safe and make sure that your commander and the mares he is with are aided in the struggle above. Good luck to you soldiers."

Without a word, they nodded and ran up and out of the prison, determined to take back their empire for the princess and their citizens. Zikel did this for as many full cells as he could find. eventually coming to the wall that Shinning had told him about. He presses the center stone, and just like that, the wall spun open and lead into a more darker corridor.

--Chrysalis' Lair--

Screams of pain and cries rung through out the walls as Cadence was being tortured, cuts and bruises covered the poor mare as she hung against the wall in chains, tears flowing down her face as a tall and slender changeling with a long mane and a large jagged horn watched as two of the lower changelings dealt out pain to her. She laughed wickedly as she enjoyed the show

"Mmm yesssss...scream, cry you pathetic pony...this is what happens when you foil my plans. You and that damn unicorn should have just stayed out of my way...and now you will pay the price for it. And when I am done with you. I will feed off of this kingdom's endless supply of love forever.And me and my children will flourish and soon, take over Equestria for all time!"

Cadence looks to her with a defiant glare, tears still streaming down her face.

"You will not succeed Chrysalis, the elements have come to stop you. And Twilight if a full alicorn now. She will have more than enough power to stop you..."

She laughed again.

"Oh we already know she is here, my changelings have already made sure she won't be coming down here..at all."

She then brought a hoof under Cadence's chin,locking eyes with her.

"And to make you pay for what you and those brats did...I am order your replacement to murder your beloved husband..."

"No, anything but that, please!!"

Fresh tears began to flow from her eyes again. As one of the changelings was about to strike her again, he suddenly vanishes into the floor, as did the other. Chrysalis looked around, seeing all of her changelings vanishing into the ground.

"What is going on here?! Who is doing this?!"

Suddenly the very same changelings that had disappeared fall from the ceiling, but each with a solid black chain wrapped around their necks, the drop instantly snapping their necks, or the others struggling to breathe, swinging back and forth, kicking their legs and convulsing, choking sounds and sickening snaps echoed through the room

"Today...you aren't killing anyone..."

Said a deep dark gravelly voice, a pair of glowing eyes emerged from the darkness, Zikel walked into the dim light, his eyes glared and full of anger and his hair which was normally combed back neatly was covering his face, but still stayed parted in the middle, carrying a changeling's head in his hand and tossing it at Chrysalis' hooves, the head blinking a few times before going still.

"Your army is going to die Chrysalis. And so will you if you don't give up now. I will kill more of your children if I have to. You have caused more suffering than you should have. And now...I will end it,should you choose to fight me."

Chrysalis looked down at the head of one of her children, and the others that were now dead from either strangulation or broken necks. She finally got a good look at Zikel, and she knew that she was in trouble. She stood her ground though.

"Y-you murdered my children?! How dare you! This doesn't even concern you dragon!"

Cadence's ears perk up as she heard that familiar voice...and the word 'dragon'. She gives a weak smile and calls out his name

"Zikel...you came...I knew I made the right call to have you come along..."

"I am here now Cadence....don't worry. The queen here will indeed be paying for her crimes."

"You will be dead long before you can do anything! I will avenge my children if its the last thing I do!"

She said as she shot a bolt of magic in his direction, but he vanishes quickly into the shadows again,his voice coming from all directions now.

"Poor little Chrysalis, so defenseless against the power of darkness, yet the evil queen who rose an army of changelings, can't handle one little shadowmancer. Who is the pathetic one now huh? You are weak...and can't survive on your own without leeching off others...no wonder you are hated by everypony...you are outcasts...untouchables...garbage.."

"Shut up! You know nothing about us. We don't care what you have to say. We can't help the way we are. So we do what we must to survive!"

She said as she began firing magic in all directions now, Cadence couldn't help but smirk at how she was losing control

"You won't catch him Chrysalis...you are in his world now. And because you made this place so ill lit. You made this his playground..."

"Shut up! Or I will kill you now!"

Suddenly five strands of chains comes down from the ceiling and wraps around her limps and neck, hoisting her into the air and spread out,the chains pulling hard at their captives.

As I said, you won't be killing anyone today. But I may just have to go and kill more changelings myself, and have you stay here and listen to the cries of your children. And maybe even after that. I will kill you myself and show your dismembered head to your children...that will break them completely..."

"Y-you wouldn't...you would kill me in front of them and all your friends..."

Zikel's eyes dart up to hers

'tell that to the bloody corpses of your children i left in the throne room,and the ones we have hanging here with you.'

'you vile brute...you cold blooded monster!'

she said as tears began to pour from her eyes

'Leave my children alone! Please! We will leave and never bother anypony every again!"

'How can I be sure that you are telling me the truth, Chrysalis? You have attacked before. And i don't think we can risk another with you and your army..."

He said as he drew his blade, the chains lowering down and having her hang in front of him.he drag his blade across her body, the edge threatening to pierce her outer shell.

"N-no...I promise..please...we won't do this again...'

He looked to Cadence, who had a look of fear on her face from what was going on in front of her, but nodded to him

'just let her go...this time Zikel....if she does do this again, I will let you do what you wish to her."

Zikel nodded and chuckled darkly

'Looks like the crystal princess is so kind hearted, even after what you did to her, to let you go..."

Chrysalis shook in fear as his dagger drew closer to her neck

"...but I am going to leave you something to remind you....that I will be coming for you should you do this again."

He suddenly dug his blade into her shell and her flesh, beginning to carve in his shadowmancing mark slowly and roughly, she lets out screams and cries of pain as he did this. Leaving a bleeding wound that she could never recover from. tears coming down her cheeks again.

'now...get the fuck out of my sight, and out of this kingdom...and take your children with you... ALL of them."

She nodded quickly, Zikel grabbed her by the neck and squeezed where he had cut her, the chains vanishing around her. He throws her towards the exit roughly, and she wastes no time in leaving, and as she does, her army follows as she had given the command to retreat. The Crytal Empire only left with a few corpses to clean up. Zikel looked at his dagger, covered in Changeling blood, he swings it through the air to clean it off.

"Filthy..."

He looks over at the still chained up Cadence who still had to look of fear in her eyes. Zikel sheathed his blade and walked over to her. he carefully unchained her and caught her in his arms before she could fall. She held onto him weakly and looked up into his eyes, the ones she had saw were gone,and now back to that kind and gentle gaze he had always had

"Zikel...thank you so much for coming...if you hadn't...things would have been much worse.."

"I know Cadence..and I am sorry you had to see me like that. It is true what she said, I am a monster...but only because I choose to be for my loved ones who I don't want to see suffer at the hands of other monsters. That includes you, Cadence."

She looked up at him with watery eyes, burying her face into his chest and beginning to sob quietly. He nods, carrying her out of the dark place,and to the world of the light. To her husbands side and to her people again. Next Chapter: Act 15: Unwanted Attention Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 9 Minutes