The Nine to Free Them All

Canterlot

P.O.V Jasper

I lead the army throught the streets, killing changelings left, right and center. Corpses rained from the skies as archers hit their marks, none missing their intended target. As we came up to a humongous cross roads, an entire battalion of changlings charged down a side street towards us.

I and my fellows let our screeches be heard as we plowed strait through them, the first casualty dealt by me slicing open a chest of a changeling. Around me I could see the battle raging on as a guard skewered a changeling and threw him against the walls of the street. Another guard deflected a sword strike delivered to below his knees and, with skill, swung his sword upwards, cutting the changeling in half. Changeling corpses started piling up as the fight was coming to a close. I thrust my sword into the neck of a changeling and guided his body to the ground, sword still wedged in his neck. As I took my sword out and glanced up, I could see the street brawl was now over and everyone was anxiously waiting for orders.

"Johnny, Crocker, and Lemur take two legions of Shadow guard and retake the main city! Everyone else, follow me to the keep!" I barked and saw 10,000 troops follow the three Nazgül to the core of Canterlot, as the rest followed me upwards toward the castle.

Any changeling that was brave enough to get in the way was blasted apart by my flame bolt spell. The castle was in sight and the defences were already wavering at the sight of us. Some of the changelings tried running away from the battle, but were met with an arrow from the core of Canterlot. Looking towards there, you could see archers lining the rooftops of the main square and the guards fighting in the square. The castle drew nearer and nearer until we blew down the front gates and started splitting up to capture more ground. Me, Ragr, Cryo, Crisis, Drak, and Draugr go our seperate ways to clear the castle. The plan was that I would obviously be the one to confront Chrysalis at the wedding ceremony while the others clean the castle and regroup at the gardens. Unfortunatley that left me with no guards left, just me against the world. They dont stand a chance.

I bluntly strut into the castle like I own the place and started down the path to the ceremony. As I turned a corner, I was met by an entire hallway full of changelings. Oh the smug looks on their faces at seeing me alone. I chuckled darkly, which unnerved the pitiful changelings. As soon as I stopped, they all charged at me, to which they were met by a torrent of fire that incinerated the entire hallway and its occupants. I continued down the charred hallway, stepping over the mounds of ash, and came upon the doors that led to the the wedding ceremony. I could here voices on the other side.

"No no no no no! This was supposed to be my best day ever! My subjects would finally feed and I would get myself a stud!" wailed Chrysalis. Oh how right you are. "There is still something that I can make happen right now. And that would be your death, Celestia!" Ive heard enough. I nonchalantly push the doors open and waltz inside, looking like a badass while im at it. I sarted it like any other rescue-barge-ins, with a slow clap and a chuckle. All heads turn to the doors to see me.

"Well well well, I pronounce you brain dead" I point at the entranced Shining Armor "And corrupted queen. Isnt that right, Queen of the Honeycomb Kingdom?" Her left eye twitched dangerously.

"Do not call me that!" She spat at me. I glowered down at her. Being the same size as Celestia, she only came up to my chest with the horn included.

"Why? Is it because you abandoned your title, like you abandoned your people! Or is it that he doesn't want you to carry that title anymore?"

"Stop it! I demand that you stop!" She screamed at me with tears in her eyes. I clasp my fingers around my throat and make a perfect mimic of past Chrysalis.

"No! Please! I can make myself more beautiful for you, my love!" I mocked, as her eyes started tearing up. I adopt a much more sinister aura "I can change for you! I can change for youuuuuu! If I cant have you as the one I love, then I will not let anyone take you away from me, not even yourself." The words seem to reverberate through Chrysalis's head until she burst into tears and collapsed on the floor, uncontrollably sobbing. Everybody except me was beyond confused at the sight before them, the evil villain thought to be without emotion was sobbing on the floor in front of them. I have long removed the magic from my voice at this point, but Chrysalis was still balling on the ground. Something in my heart started to ache at the sight. Sure, Ive had a crush on pretty much all the characters of MLP, guilty as charged, but this was something beyond the crush I had on Luna. This felt much more realistic, much closer than I had with Luna, and im not gonna give it up. She NEEDS me now more than ever, and who am I to not help a damsel in distress? I knew what I had to do now. I had to free the real Chrysalis, but the way would be painful for her. It would need me to forcefully rip the dark magic that has addled her brain. It has had far too long to seep into the deepest, darkest places of her mind, if im going to do this, it will take every ounce of strength I possess to free her mind. For her, I will do it. Even if she doesnt return my affections, it is the right thing to do.

I slid my sword back into its scabbard, much to the surprise of the ponies in the room, and walked over to Chrysalis. She attempted to raise her head but I muttered "sleep" in Mordor and she gently lowered her head onto her tear stained hooves. I was about to cast the spell to go into her mind when someone spoke up.

"um...Mr. Witch King sir, you can let the royal guard take it from here now." Cadence said bravely.

"Oh, I have no intention of handing over her to you." Everybody took a betrayed expression.

"So this is it, your master plan? Interfere in the wedding, knock out Chrysalis, and take over Canterlot. Typical." said a very PO'd Celestia.

"Wrong. I dont seek your city, I seek your safety. But you are not the only one suffering." I pointed at Chrysalis. "Now stand back! I will take care of the corrupted Insect Queen." Everybody took several steps back. I extended my hands towards Chrysalis's head. Muttering an incantation, a veil of green surrounded Chrysalis's head, allowing entry to me. As soon as my hands went into the veil, the connection to her mind was made and all was black. The first thing I noticed was a pale white, almost albino, alicorn in some sort of spotlight in the never ending darkness. As I got closer, I could see that she had elegant insect wings with a mane and tail made of pure honey. She looked beautiful, her body being pristine and whole with her cutie mark being a green heart with black ooze dripping from it while it shone in the light.

But when I circled around to face her, she squealed and fell on her haunches.

"Who are you?! Another shadow sent to taunt me for what I did? Am I not broken enough yet?! LEAVE ME ALONE!" She screamed at me, but when I stepped into the light, both myself and her were shocked at my appearance.

I was in my human form for one, this must be just my subconscious. Two, I was wearing a plain white t-shirt with a pair of navy jeans on. Three, this will make me talking to her all the easier. "Hello there. My name is Jasper, im a human who has come to save you from your imprisonment." She looked extremely happy then sad as though I had said "Just kidding!".

"Your just another trick to get my hopes up only for them to be crushed!" She managed to say before she hung her head and started weeping. "There is no way out! There will never be a way out!" she wailed as she continued crying her eyes out. I went over and started to rub the back of her neck in a soothing way.

"Where there is a light, there will always be a shadow. You are stronger than the shadow inside you, you can escape and you will live again. I promise to protect you for as long as I live. You need to believe in yourself and believe in me, this dark magic cannot leave by itself. I need you to trust me with what im about to do and you can escape this prison." She looks in my eyes, as if trying to find a lie in my words. "Trust me."

"O-okay then, I trust you. Will it be painful?" she askes fearfully.

"Yes, it will be painful but it will be worth it in the end." she looks scared but nods for me to continue. I then go back to the real world and focus in on the dark magic in her body, grasped it with my hands still inside her head, and pull with all my strength. Chrysalis's eyes shoot open and lets out an ear piercing scream of pain, but I continue to pull on the dark magic. I pull and I pull until I start to see the black string of dark magic in my grasp. The strand gets longer and longer until, finally, all of it is removed from her mind. The screaming stops the instant the last of the dark magic leaves the veil, and Chrysalis collapses onto the stone floor. The black strand in my hands starts to dissipate due to its host being gone. As I watched the dark magic dissipate, I heard gasps and turned my gaze back to Chrysalis. Chrysalis was slowly reverting back to her original form, her holes (*snort*) started closing up, fur was growing as chitin started softening into hide, her mane and tail turning into pure honey, her horn turning from jagged to a spiral horn, and her fangs were becoming flat. After the transformation was complete, her eyes slowly opened up, scanning the room before her. She suddenly shoots up, giving the cutest smile ive ever seen.

"IM FREE! IM FREE IM FREE IM FREEEEEEE!" She snaps out of her celebrating to look around at all the ponies in front of her, before her gaze fell onto me. "Who are you?" She asks curiously.

"I guess I should formally introduce myself." I said as I gave a bow. "I am Jasper, Witch King of the nation Angmar, wraith, and former human." Her expression goes to confusion then to pure happiness. Next thing I know im in a bone crushing hug.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" I didnt mind the squeezing too much because I am immortal, but my mind began to wonder on what I was to do with her now. I cant allow her to go back to that acursed hive, it must be riddled with dark magic. So does that mean she stays with me? And what about her hive? She broke the hug and looked down at me curiously.

Your right I cant go back to the hive the dark magic calls home and yes that does mean ill be staying with you, if you dont mind, and I can break the spell on my subjects, seeing as I am the last of my alicorn generation. I stare at her dumbstruck.

How are you in my mind?!

Im an alicorn, plus it helps that we opened our minds to eachother.

Oh...did not see that coming. Is this a permanent thing?

Yes it is, so get used to it. And remember your promise to protect me? I think this will benefit us greatly.

Indeed. Is there anything else you want to do? I kinda have a city to reclaim at the moment. She blushed and gave an "Oh yeah" and got off. "It is time to return to the battle at hand and I think you need some time to reintroduce yourself to the others while I personally end this conflict." I said before going back the way I came in.

"Anybody got a deck of cards?" was the last thing I heard before leaving to the gardens. I walked through the hallways that were now littered with changeling bodies until I came to a familiar garden area covered in bodies. I saw my Nazgül in the distance and ran over to them.

"Took you long enough! Where the hell have you been?!" He yelled in my face angrily. I gave one low, threatening hiss and he backed off.

"Ive dealt with Chrysalis, but she has been reformed back to a certain Honeycomb Queen." I said suggestively.

"OOOH~."

"I think the area is clear along with the castle, so lets move to help our comrades down in Canterlot city! On me!" I yelled and everbody followed behind me towards the raging battle inside Canterlot itself.

P.O.V Chrysalis

I watched him enter the garden and lead soldiers with silver armor and black robes into the city. Something about him just makes me feel.....safe. I hope he comes back okay, or im out of a home. But something else in me wants him to come back safe for a different reason. What is that reason? Why do I care so much about him? I just want things back to normal. But nothing is normal anymore, the very definition of normal has changed since my imprisonment. Staying with Jasper is going to be as close as I am going to get to "normal". Gah! Everything is already crumbling around me! I just need to wait until he gets back and I can get settled into my new home.

P.O.V Jasper

We just re-entered Canterlot and made our way to the big battle raging in the square. As the men charged in from the back of the battle I saw that the guards were still killing changelings and possibly innocent people. I quickly took action to stop this. "Incapacitate them, do not kill anymore. They are under the influence of dark magic, so keep them alive!" All the guards started using the blunt end of their weapons, like that guard that smacked that changeling with the back end of his spear. ooooo that was one hell of a hit. I then saw Johnny bash a changeling with his sword hilt and throw another over his shoulder into a wall. Lemur was on the rooftops and, like all the other archers, broke off the end of the arrows and shot changelings in the head with them, effectively knocking them out. I ran up to a group of them and propeled them backwards into another group, which I picked up telekinetically and threw into a wall. The battle was all but won, the changelings that surrendered were incapacitated anyways. Everything was getting wrapped up here, so I aperated back to the castle wedding ceremony. SNAP! Everyone in the room fell off their seats as I aperated into the room.

"What the hay?!" Applejack yelled as she frantically looked for the source until she found me. "Oh, its just you." she said in a bored voice.

"Well hello to you to. The battle is over, we have won. We have also saved as many as we could in the short amount of time given to us. Chrysalis, you said that you could break the curse on them?" She nods. "Perfect, they are in Canterlot square. Grab ahold of my arm and we'll be off." Chrysalis did so and grabbed my arm with one hoof, blushing as she did so. "Celestia, there will be a meeting at Minas Morgul about this and about the rise of Angmar. I hope to see you at the meeting." I said seriously before disaperating. When we came out the otherside, Chrysalis started vomiting on the ground. "Whoops, I forgot that you were mortal. The fist time disaperating is the worst, so dont let it dim the light on aperation." I gently started rubbing her neck again as she continued to wretch. When she finally finished she used some sort of spell to break the curse on the changelings. Their chitin turned into hide and fur as their wings, body, mane, and tail began to change as well. Their eyes were still the same as a fly, but it looked more normal on them now. Their wings were pretty much th same as Chrysalis's, albeit smaller, but the same nonetheless. Now that they are free, we needed to get on the road. That was the plan until I heard a certain insect queens stomach growl, which made her clutch her stomach and blush a deep red. She lookes really cute when she blushes. Anyways, we need to get some food into her soon or she'll starve. I guess were taking the fast route. I thought to my comrades as I grab onto one of Chrysalis's hooves and disaperate to the Minas Morgul kitchens. When we arrived, Chrysalis stumbled a bit before regaining composure and sniffing for some delicious food to eat. I pull out a salad bowl for her and set it down in front of her at a table in the corner.

"Thank you." She said as she started eating the salad I made. Im no cook, but I can make a mean salad. As soon as the first bite enters her mouth, her eyes light up with joy. "This is delicious!" She said with a mouthful, I chuckled in response as she wolfed down the entire bowl. She gives a very unlady-like belch and I start laughing and she soon joins in. She then yawns loudly. "I suppose its time to go to bed. Would you mind taking me to my quarters?" she asked in a flirty tone.

"Of course M'lady, follow me." I said in a humble tone and showed her her quarters in the western part of the castle. When we got there, we bid eachother farewell and went our seperate ways.

TO BE CONTINUED....