Chunks of automations fell to the floor, torn apart by magic.
It had taken this long to find any security measures, and while Tundra had clearly looked distraught at the destruction of the archo-tech, the bots themselves hadn't stood a chance against a trio of umbrum and a cannon-wielding unicorn. This time, being so close to the dark magic hadn't set off a transformation, but she'd still been woozy by the time they'd finished the fight, and needed a bit of time to get her hooves all moving in proper sync instead of wobbling.
The halls of this section were engraved with elaborate patterns, and between that and the security measures, some deep part of Rutile knew they were close. Her brain-spider seemed to know it too, which may have been why the voice had been silent, just radiating a sense of anticipation without trying to hiss venom at her. She didn't like it, because at least the hissing meant that she'd know what the voice was thinking.
As for Bizra, Morga, and Thana, the more she looked at them, the more they really did look more solid. Umbrum were known to be able to change their shape, and they seemed to be trading in their smoke-like appearance for something that looked a little more physically present, details settling into their faces and bodies that had previously been hazy and indistinct.
She stared up at the ornate doors, her eyes following the patterns. Tundra had taken her now-routine place at a nearby terminal, but the screen of it soon flashed red at her and let out several angry-sounding beeps, prompting her to let out a noise of frustration and smack the machine with her hoof. "It's not working. Whatever's got it locked, it's not the same lockdown as the rest of the building."
Rutile flicked an ear at that, nodded, and, on a hunch, stepped closer to the doors. As hoped, a much more agreeable beep had part of the wall sliding open, and sitting there...
A silver medallion, engraved with a heart.
Tundra's eyes widened. "That's..."
"Another conduit," Rutile confirmed, as her magic wrapped around the iron. She made sure it stayed blue, rather than black, not wanting a hint of darkness to have a chance at tainting it. "Probably just for this purpose, so somepony could let her out when it was time."
Was it time? She didn't know. She didn't know when the empress had expected to be woken up, and by whom, but thousands of years later by a single crystal pony, a reindeer, and three umbrum, with the Crystal Empire ancient history, couldn't be it. The thought of waking her up to all this made Rutile hesitate slightly, the medallion bobbing in the air.
Then again, if not them and now, then who and when? And there had to be a reason her mark had spurred her on like this to find this place.
Rutile took a deep breath, and focused. This time, instead of home and the past, she thought of Tundra, and the future. Then she watched the doors slide open and became the first pony in millennia to see an alicorn.
Empress Flurry Heart was a pale pink, her long purple-and-blue mane and tail curled at the tips. She was taller than any pony Rutile had ever seen, much of the height in her long legs and swan-like neck. She had a longer horn than any unicorn, larger wings than any pegasus, and her mark resembled the old Crystal Empire heraldry Rutile had seen in books. And even stepping out of a stasis chamber, she had a crystal crown perched on her head.
Rutile bent at the front legs and bowed low. Tundra was right behind her, the tips of her antlers thumping against the floor in her haste. The three umbrum were slower, but eventually lowered themselves to the floor, bowing each of their heads. Rutile looked up without lifting her head, and saw the empress's gaze sweep over all of them. She then closed her eyes, ears twitching as if listening for something, and when they opened again, the look in those pale blue eyes was full of sorrow.
"Rise, my little pony." She gestured with her wings for emphasis. "All of you, rise." Her eyes swept over them again, with a sad smile on her face. "This wasn't the picture I was expecting to wake up to." Her eyes fell directly on Rutile. "You're the first of your kind for a very long time, aren't you?"
"I am," she confirmed as she rose to her hooves again. "It took time for anypony to even know what I am, and I've been hunted for it."
The empress gave a slow, sad nod. "Some things never change." She then lowered her head, peering at the quartz embedded in her chest. "But sometimes they still surprise us. Hello, Rabia."
"Curse your entire line, alicorn. Curse Cadenza, Amore, and every last Crystal Empress stretching on to eternity."
Rutile cringed at the sudden hissing. "That's her name, huh?" She gave a shake of her head. "There's not much of her, but still enough to give me a headache. I don't suppose you know how to separate us?"
"I can look into ways. Though..." She smiled. "...Who knows, maybe you'll be a good influence on her?"
Rutile chuckled. "I've never been a good influence on anypony in my life, but there's a first time for everything."
The empress gave the slightest giggle, then looked at the three umbrum. "Well, you certainly seem to be getting along with her children, at least."
"My children will lay such a torment on you that'll you'll beg to be turned to stone, and I will listen to your cries for mercy and laugh."
Morga was the first to approach Empress Flurry Heart, and Rutile raised her cannon-clad leg slightly, ready to strike if Rabia's hissing was correct. What Morga did do, however, left her stunned.
Wings changed their shape, growing feathery, the skull-like face grew flesh and blank voids were replaced by true eyes, and then four solid hooves met the metal floor. Where had once been a fearsome-looking umbrum was an aquamarine pegasus, her mane and tail a dark cyan and her eyes a bright green. "There'sss..." Morga stopped, worked her jaw a bit as if trying to get used to having one. "There's so few of us left, your Imperial Majesty."
Bizra floated forward next, wings vanishing entirely as he shifted into a bronze-coated unicorn with a bright copper mane and the same green eyes. "It seems to us we have that in common with crystal ponies, and alicorns."
Thana was last, becoming a pink earth pony, again with green eyes, and the streaks of darker pink in her curly mane seemed to be mimicking the empress's. "All that acting against you has ever done is have us locked away in different prisons."
The imitation was uncanny. If Rutile hadn't watched it happen, she would have truly believed that there were three ordinary ponies there. The only thing off was the lack of cutie marks.
"We'd rather be your allies than your enemies," Bizra continued, before inclining his head to point this horn at Rutile. "We just didn't want to see what remained of our mother left to rot."
Rabia's voice was silent.
Not going to call them weak and soft-hearted, Rutile thought with a smirk. Throw a little tantrum about how your kids didn't turn out how you wanted?
"Leave me alone, pony."
Empress Flurry Heart, for her part, smiled. "I wouldn't be my mother's daughter if I didn't believe in putting old grudges down. I'm willing to make it a fresh start if you are."
Tundra stepped forward tentatively. "We fought through a lot of chaospawn to reach you. And one dimensional tear that leads to a hostile changeling nest. There might be more trouble on the way back up."
"Don't worry." The empress's horn lit, and Rutile could feel the weight of her magic. "If anything tries to block us, they won't know what hit them."