Dusk rushed towards the Crystal Empire, utilising a one-pony aircraft that Star Buck had graciously loaned him. The craft cut his travel time by a fair amount.
'Hopefully, I can get there before the Changelings do.' Dusk thought. 'If they were to feed on all the love in the Crystal Empire, they'd be unstoppable!'
Dusk landed the aircraft just outside the Empire and raced inside. Everything seemed to be normal, but Dusk knew better then to trust his eyes. The Changeling could have already taken the place of many Crystal Ponies.
As Dusk approached the castle, he saw an unexpected sight; His father's cousin, Iron Hooves, was one of the guards stationed outside.
"Hey, kiddo!" Iron Hooves called. "Long time, no see!"
"Iron Hooves?" Dusk gasped. "What are you doing here?"
"I just got transferred." Iron Hooves smiled. "What brings you here?"
"I need to talk to my aunt and uncle." Dusk explained. "It's an emergency!"
"Go right ahead." Iron Hooves stepped aside. "And whatever it is... good luck."
"Thanks." Dusk nodded as he galloped inside.
As Dusk entered the Crystal Palace's throne room, he saw his aunt, uncle, and cousin Anthem, all present and correct, a platoon of guards and a handful of attendants also in the room.
"Hi, cuz." Anthem smiled.
"No time for 'hi's'." Dusk declared. "We have a big problem."
"What's the matter, Dusk?" Shining asked.
"Changelings." Dusk answered. "I ran into a couple of them in Las Pegasus, and they told me they're all coming here, to feed on the Crystal Ponies' love!"
"Oh, dear." Cadance sighed. "We can't let that happen!"
"What do we do, mom?" Anthem asked.
"Don't worry, son." Cadance smiled. "We always feared the Changelings would someday come, so we've made preparations."
"Guards, gather the others." Shining instructed. "Form a defensive perimeter around the Empire. We can't let one Changeling get in."
"Yes, sir." The Captain saluted.
"Miss Quill." Candace turned to her major domo. "Write up some instructions to the Crystal Ponies. They need to know how to deal with Changelings if any do get in."
"Marvellous idea, your majesty!" The periwinkle Crystal mare beamed. "I expected no less! After all..." Her eyes flashed green. "We know each other so well."
Miss Quill's body was suddenly engulfed in green flames. When the flames died down, the unmistakeable form of Queen Chrysalis stood in her place.
"You." Cadance said quietly.
'It's worse then I thought.' Dusk realised. 'They're already here!'
"It's been so long, princess..." Chrysalis sneered. "Aren't you happy to see me?"
"Guards!" Shining called.
The guards came back in.
"Seize her!" Shining yelled.
"No." The captain smirked.
"What?" Shining asked.
One by one, the guards and attendants became Changelings.
"Surprise!" Chrysalis gloated. "We've been hiding amongst you for a while now. I hadn't intended on springing my little trap just yet, but the young prince's arrival left me no choice. Attack, my children!"
The Changelings charged. Two of them tackled Shining, while another pounced on Anthem. Cadance made to fly, but the Changelings grabbed her wings, pulling her down.
"You won't get away with this!" Dusk yelled, staring down Chrysalis.
"We'll see about that, little prince." Chrysalis sneered.
Dusk fired a blast of magic, but Chrysalis leapt aside. Dusk fired again, but she parried the beam with one of her own.
"Foolish boy." Chrysalis smirked. "Didn't anypony ever tell you that I once bested Celestia herself!?!"
Chrysalis fired another beam. Dusk struck it with one of his own. The recoil sent him stumbling back. As he fought to steady himself, he was pounced on by more Changelings. As he struggled to get free, Chrysalis trotted up to him.
"Bedtime, little prince." She sneered, raising a hoof.
The hoof came down on Dusk, and he saw only darkness. When he came to, he found his hooves trapped in some strange green goo.
"Dusk!" Anthem's voice called.
Turning, Dusk saw his cousin in a similar predicament, alongside Shining, Cadance, and several others, all of whom Dusk had "seen" above.
"What happened?" Dusk asked. "Where are we?"
"In King Sombra's old dungeon." Shining explained.
"We have to get out of here!" Dusk groaned. "We can't let them get the Crystal Heart!"
"Dusk, relax." Cadance declared. "We haven't been down here long. We still have a chance to stop them."
"This slime can't be broken." Anthem noted. "Not by one pony, at least. But if we all focus on one slime sticker at a time, we might have a chance."
Concentrating, the four directed their magic beams at the slime around Shining's hooves. It sizzled, cracked and shattered. They then repeated the process with each other.
"Now, let's stop those Changelings." Shining declared.
"What about the others?" Dusk asked.
"Don't worry about us, your highness." The real captain declared. "Keeping those fiends from the Crystal Heart is more important!"
The four royal ponies broke down the cell door and raced out of the castle. Outside, they saw what looked like Cadance, Shining, Anthem, and a platoon of guards approaching the Crystal Heart.
"Stop right there, Changelings!" Dusk called.
"Changelings?" A Crystal Pony bystander asked. "Where?!"
The pony next to him became a Changeling.
"Here!" It hissed.
More Crystal Ponies became Changelings.
"Out already, I see." The fake Cadance changed to Chrysalis. "No matter. The Crystal Heart is mine."
"No it's not!" Cadance roared, blasting Chrysalis away.
The rest of the Changelings attacked, but this time, the royals were ready for them. Shining defended against their charge with a shield, and Anthem charged them head on, toppling them like bowling pins.
One Changeling, larger and more heavily armored then his peers, took on Dusk's form and leapt at him. The two locked hooves; While Dusk's opponent looked like him, it was much stronger, and the young prince started losing ground..
"It's all over, princey." The fake Dusk sneered. "You cannot hope to stop us! We will finally get the love we deserve!"
"No!" Dusk struggled. "I won't let you!"
The fake Dusk let out a sinister laugh... then was smacked upside the head with a spear. He collapsed over Dusk (Who could have sworn he could hear birds tweeting). Looking up, Dusk saw Iron Hooves, wielding the spear that knocked out his opponant.
"You okay, kiddo?" Iron asked, as more guards entered the fray.
"Iron?" Dusk gasped. "What are you doing here?"
"Saw all the commotion, and thought you needed reinforcements." Iron chuckled. "Couldn't let my favorite little cousin down, could I?"
"Well, thank you." Dusk smirked. "I was impressed that you had managed to discern between me and the changeling.
" Yeah..." Iron's eyes darted left and right. "I knew which one was you the whole time..."
Iron gave Dusk a false smile. Chuckling softly, Dusk returned to the fight.
The assembled ponies fought hard, but the Changelings had numbers on their side, and quickly overwhelmed their foes. There was a green flash, and Cadance's prone form crashed to the ground, a triumphant Chrysalis following.
"Mom!" Anthem gasped.
"She really has nopony to blame but herself." Chrysalis chided. "If she didn't care for her measly subordinate so much, I wouldn't be nearly this strong."
Shining raced to Cadance's side, but was Diamond Dogpiled by the Changelings before he could reach her.
"Oh no, we can't be having that." Chrysalis tutted. "After what happened last time, I think it's best to keep you two separated."
Dusk looked around. Everypony else had been knocked out or pinned. Chrysalis was trotting over to the Crystal Heart.
"No!" Dusk charged forward, evading and deflecting the Changelings. Leaping forward, he snatched the Crystal Heart from out of Chrysalis' hooves. "I won't let you have it!"
"Foolish boy." Chrysalis cackled. "What can you possibly hope to do alone?"
Dusk had only one idea rattling around in his head. It was a long shot, certainly, but everything he'd heard about the Crystal Heart supported his theory. Holding the heart tightly, Dusk thought about everything and everypony he loved; His home, his family, his friends, Dazzle...
The Crystal Heart began to glow. The light flowed over Dusk's body, changing it to crystal.
"What is this?" Chrysalis gasped, taken aback.
Dusk stood up tall, wings open, horn glowing. The young prince had managed to tap into the power of the Crystal Heart. He had never felt anything like it before.
"You want love, Chrysalis?" He smiled. "Then have your fill!"
A blast of magic like no other blasted out of Dusk's horn, striking Chrysalis dead center. She struggled against it, but found herself being pushed back. A second later, and she was blown into the horizon.
"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" She screeched as she vanished from sight.
"The queen!" The Changelings said as one. "Muzzzt zzzave queen!"
The Changelings relinquished their hold on their prisoners and took off, following their sovereign's path into the sky.
Dusk, his energies completely spent, collapsed to his knees.
"And don't.... come... back..." He panted, before falling into unconsciousness for the second time that day.
When Dusk awoke, he found himself in a bed back in the palace, Shining, Cadance, Anthem and Iron smiling at him. A starry night peeked at him though the window.
"Is it over?" He asked.
"Thanks to you, yes." Cadance smiled.
"Way to go, cuz!" Anthem beamed.
"Way to go, kiddo!" Iron added.
"You're a hero, nephew of mine." Shining chuckled. "I wouldn't be surprised if you got your own window in Canterlot castle for this one."
"Hero, me?" Dusk asked.
"It's no surprise." Cadance smiled. "It runs in the family, after all. Just wait until your mother hears about it. She'll be so proud!"
Dusk smiled bashfully.
"I just did what I had to do." He declared.
"That's what all the heroes say!" Iron chuckled.
"We're holding a celebratory dinner downstairs, if you're up for it." Anthem smiled. "the Crystal Ponies wanna see the guy who saved them all from the Changelings."
Dusk's stomach started growling at the mention of the word "dinner."
"I think I could handle that." He chuckled.
After joining the dinner (and receiving much accolades), Dusk returned to the bed, and slept the rest of the night away. The next morning, he prepared to depart.
"So, where are you going from here, cuz?" Anthem asked.
"First, I have an airship to return." Dusk noted. "Then I think I'll be heading home. As great as all this travelling's been, it'll be good to see some familiar surroundings again."
"Goodbye for now, Dusk." Shining smiled.
"Come back soon." Cadance added.
"Tell yer pop I said 'hi'!" Iron declared.
"You got it." Dusk nodded.
As he headed towards the spot where he parked the airship, Dusk reflected on the events of the past few days. He had never imagined his travels would bring him to such an incredible occurence. Saving a whole kingdom was certainly something he hadn't planned for. But that was the way of life; Fate brings one to places they do not expect. And now, Dusk was returning home, to share his experiences with those he loved, the ones whom he owed his victory to.