"What are they?" Cadance asked.

"Crimson changelings, they unlike the black changelings are far more fierce and blood thirsty, they drink blood not love and they kill everyone they encounter. But unlike the black ones who had no heart, they do. They can still transform into other ponies to gain intel but they kill that pony in order for no one to blow their cover. And killing that said pony they gain their intel, who they live with, what they behave like, their favourite food, and so on, and the only two ways they can come be be is if Chrysalis bred with a stallion or they breed with a living pony in order to have a heart. They are the elite of the changelings." Thorax said and Cadance was almost sick to her stomach.

"If they got a heart then they can be killed." Spyro said, getting ready for an aerial fight, and before he took off Shining Armor came next to him and looked at the purple dragon and said. "If you help me and my men, I'll rethink about you dragon but until you prove you can be trusted I'm watching you." Spyro nodded and took off with twelve pegasus behind him. As Spyro came at them, they dived towards him, his muzzle crackling with lightning and as they got closer, Spyro hovered where he was and unleashed his breath attack. The blast caught at least two dozen changelings and fried them in seconds. Flying right by him were the pegasus and they started fighting in the air, some had razor blades on their wings and were dealing a great deal of damage to the enemy.

Not liking their brethren getting killed by the crystal ponies the changelings started blasting green magic and once they hit a target, that target fell from the sky dead. The allies started weaving around the magic blasts, low on numbers as it is they can't afford to loose more, some would even place a changeling in front of them so the magic hit it and not them. Spyro was having problems, the changelings would attack him from every direction, knowing that he was the biggest threat in the air. They would attack with their horns, going through his thick scales and drawing blood, they wanted him to die of blood lose and exhaustion. But he knows what was on the line, he curled into an electric shire and those around him where instantly zapped to death. Coming from his shire a changeling charged him but Spyro moved out of the way and caught the red pony by the neck with his jaws and tossed it into a large crowed spitting a fire ball at them, it exploded on impact.

Whatever changeling got pasted the air defense was met with magic blasts from the unicorns on the ground, Cadance having created a suitable platform for the guards so they could have a better line of fire, taking them out with ease as the Princess and Prince were taking aim as well. Any changeling that came within the distance to be struck from the sky was and if the blast didn't kill them the fall did. They started to fire back and when magical beams collided there was a small thunder clap every time. As the changelings started to grow in number, their power was more powerful then the Princesses or so they thought until a light pink blur came from the palace and a light yellow beam headed for them and decimated them and floating where the changelings once were was a light magenta pink alicorn, her mane and tail were light cerise, greyish violet and light arctic blue.

"Flurry Heart what are you doing?!" Shining Armor shouted

"You need me you old goat, you won't admit it but I'm the best you've ever trained. Now summon your shield, mom create holes for the guards magic cannons, I'm going to help in the sky where I'm needed." the young alicorn ordered and took off.

"Well you heard your daughter." Cadance said and Shining sighed

Summoning his famous magic barrier, Shining covered the entire empire with it while Cadance used her magic to open it in some places where the guards summoned magic cannons. Magic cannons are new to the defense line, like a real cannon they fire cannon balls laced with magic but they explode on impact instead of going through things. The young alicorn made a good call as they cannons were forcing the army back. In the sky the pegasus number has dwindled from two dozen to only fourteen left, plus one dragon and he was having trouble staying a float, he lost a lot of blood and was past exhaustion, he was barely staying awake. The pegasus surrounded him in a protection circle and the changelings were closing in an as they summoned their magic for the final blow until a beam of light yellow took out a good chunk of the surrounding changelings and soon Flurry Heart was beside one of the pegasus. "Can you get him to the ground Wind Sheer?"

"I'll try but...what the hell..." Wind Sheer was cut off as Spyro started glowing light purple and took off to the remaining army of crimson changelings and once in the middle of the army Spyro unleashed the signature power of the purple dragon, the power of aether. The blast was more powerful then anyone expected and it desecrated the remaining army and Spyro fell from the sky no longer able to stay afloat. "Oh no you don't!" Flurry Heart said before diving after him, once she got close to him she surrounded him in magic, slowing his fall and placing him on her back. Unfolding her massive wings the young alicorn dashed off towards her home as the shield came down and she landed in the throne room. Medics came rushing in and tended to him right there, as the medics tended to the dragon Flurry Heart saw a red gem laying on the floor, it fell from Spyro. "Hmm...never seen one like this before." As she held it above Spyro the gem slipped from her magic and into Spyro healing a few cuts surprising the alicorn.

Three days after the battle, Cadance was in the throne room two letters floated in front of her, one had a crescent moon seal on it and the other was a plan one. Sitting beside her was her daughter and husband and before her was a dark blue dragoness waiting patently for the Princess to finish reading. "Ok Princess Luna will be making an appearance sometime tomorrow, that's the good news the bad is that the previous battle was only a small taste of whats to come, no doubt sent by Queen Chrysalis." Cadance said then looked at the young dragoness before her. "Your mate will be ok we have our best medics looking after him and should be all good within the week."

"Do you have red gems? They can heal him faster then traditional medicine." Cynder said, getting Cadance's attention.

"Flurry dear can you gather some red gems and give them to the nurse?"

"Yup." With that the young alicorn trotted off, taking a glance at Cynder's backside and off she went.

"Spyro didn't mention much about your background why is that?" Cadance asked and noticed that Cynder was rubbing her arm, a sign that she was uncomfortable.

"It's complicated and I'd rather not talk about my past I'd like to leave it there, in the past." Cynder said, her head hanging low in ashamed of all the terrible things she has done under Malefor's control. Hearing hooves coming from the hall Cynder turned her attention to the doors and Flurry Heart and Thorax came back.

"Nothing worked, we laid them near and on him but nothing." Flurry Heart said, sounding somewhat disappointed.

"Hmm your gems must be different then ours." Cynder thought out loud before asking "How is he doing anyway?"

"Good, still breathing and the wounds are wrapped in bandages but he'll need rest for sure." Thorax answered and Cynder nodded her head in acknowledgement.

"Hey how about I give you a tour of the palace." Flurry Heart said.

"I would love that thanks." Cynder said and the two girls left the throne room and Cadance looked at Thorax and asked. "What else can you tell us about these crimson changelings?"

"Not much else I told you most of what I know three days ago. Having a heart makes them vulnerable to emotions like love and that can change them but that normally takes months to happen. And as you saw in the field easier to kill if you hit the heart but other then that not much else sorry Cadance."

"It's alright my friend and thank you for telling us what you know." Candace said with a warm smile.

Down the hall Flurry Heart was showing Cynder the rooms and they came to a large room, "And this here is the library." Opening the doors Cynder was amazed at the size of the room not to mention the amount of books that were every where. "I spend much of my past time here, like my aunty." Flurry Heart said with a giggle. As Cynder wondered, Flurry was staring at Cynder's backside, checking her out, shaking her head Flurry said to herself, "Why am I looking at her like that? I met her three days ago and already checking her out why? Gotta be her form, nice sleek build, some muscle but not enough to ruin her slim form. Nice round butt, nice curves, sexy sway of the hips....aaarrgghh!! Stop that Flurry Heart stop checking her out."

"Hey you ok?" Cynder asked coming closer to the young alicorn.

"Hmm oh yeah just thinking about where I left a book that's all." She lamely said looking into those emerald orbs of Cynder's seeing a kind passionate dragoness but they also hid a horrible past."

"Ooookay? So are you going to show me some more?"

Flurry Heart nodded and continued to show Cynder around. Night fell and everypony went to their rooms except Cynder who curled up outside the medic room and slept there for the night, worried about her purple dawn.

The following morning Cadance was in the throne room with her daughter holding a meeting with a number of peasants all asking about the attack and as to why are they were keeping dragons here. Cadance was doing her best to calm the peasants down and try to tell them that the dragons mean no harm and that they will be more prepared if the changelings attacked again. Some calmed down others took more convincing to calm down and Flurry heart told them the same as her mother did about the dragons but with more information like her tour with Cynder. "And if she wanted to kill me she had many chances but she didn't, they are our allies here not the enemy."

Many felt that would be true and left feeling somewhat more safe now, knowing that their reptilian guest are friendly and left while others where still weary, all the stories they heard of dragons when they were foals were still there, then came the matter of Spyro's raw power that scared them the most. To defeat a large army like that, you had to be more powerful then Princess Celestia, Goddess of the sun.

After two hours of arguing everypony left, leaving a mentally exhausted Cadance and Flurry Heart. But they did have one point and that was Spyro's power, he told her before he can wield more then one element but he never said anything about his power surpassing her aunts. While Cadance was pondering about the purple dragon, a tapping came from the balcony and Flurry Heart shouted with excitement. "Princess Luna!!" Looking to the balcony doors there was the Princess of the night. Letting her in, Flurry Heart gave Luna a big hug.

"Nice to see you too my dear." Luna said hugging the young alicorn back. releasing her grip Cadance walked up to Luna and noticed some new features on the night alicorn. Instead of her black necklace that had her cutie mark on it, it was now a star silver with an onyx moon on it. Same with her shoes, her crown stayed the same all silver in color with black patterns on them.

"Luna, it's good to see you again." Candace said hugging hugging her aunt as she hugged her in return. "What brings you here?"

"Thought I'd come and visit and it seemed you had quite the meeting judging from the amount of ponies coming out."

Cadance gave a frustrated sigh just from thinking about the meeting. "Tell you what during lunch I'll catch you up on what's been happening here." Cadance offered and Luna excepted the offer.

Near the medical room Flurry Heart was walking by until she saw Cynder curled up by the door still sound asleep. Walking up to the sleeping dragoness Flurry gentle shook Cynder getting her to stir. "mmm uh wha...?" Looking up she saw the alicorn.

"Time for lunch if your hungry."

Cynder stretched cat like and followed Flurry to the dinning room and was shocked at what she saw.

Author's Note

Yes it's Flurry Heart grown up, 18 years of age.