//------------------------------// // Reunions // Story: No Heroes Part IV - The Crystal Empress // by PaulAsaran //------------------------------// Silma was sitting atop the castle’s wall, enjoying what she considered a spectacular light show. She could sense the immense power in the distance, and appeared to be taking great pleasure out of it. She was disappointed when it ended, though very curious to see which of the sisters had won. Probably Celestia; she’d always been more prodigious. She saw no reason to wait for the results. Their petty squabbles were beneath her attention… though they made for nice entertainment now and again. She turned to make for the stairs, prepared to go back to bed… And then she felt the familiar blast of magic. It resonated within her horn so intensely that she was actually pained by it! She came to an abrupt stop, cringing at the sensation, but her heart was leaping into her throat. “Archon!” She jerked about, eyes falling upon the castle library. “It’s here!” She opened her shimmering wings and launched off the wall, flying down to the library entrance as swiftly as she could manage. In the back of her mind she knew that something was wrong; how could the Shades of Night be here, in the castle? If it had been hidden here, then surely somepony over the centuries would have found it. But Luna was out there, fighting her sister. If she hadn’t found it, who had? She landed in the grass and galloped for the closed doors, her two gemstones following closely behind. There was a flash of light, and Archon appeared near the doors, face alarmed. “Silma!” “I know, I know!” The doors flung open at her call, and the two raced inside. “In the library. We must get the Stone!” They came upon the double doors, the library’s primary entrance. They had been blasted open, a black stain marring the exterior wall. Silma paused at the opening, taking just a moment to examine the wall. The magical residue was so familiar, there could be no doubt as to the source. “Silma!” She turned to find Twilight on the floor just beyond the doors. She was wreathing as if in agony, clutching at her head with tears in her wide, horrified eyes. “Silma, please, help me!” The self-styled Empress stepped over her and into the library. “P-please, I don’t want to go back!” “What’s wrong with her?” Archon asked, taking care to walk a wide path around the weeping Twilight. “She was probably hit by a spell from the Stone,” Silma declared, eyes peering into the darkness. She quietly wondered about the lack of lighting. Why hadn’t the torches been lit? Archon’s voice was hard, but he couldn’t hide his worry. “I don’t like this, Silma. It reeks of a trap.” “Anypony that tries to trap me,” she remarked smartly, “would regret it with their souls.” She eyed the unlit torches and, raising the Life of Earth high, concentrated. An instant later the torches all lit up at once with sparking red flames. “Silma!” She blinked, shocked to realize that the power of the Stones had suddenly diminished by half. She glanced at the Life of Earth, which sparkled brightly at her, then mentally felt for the Light of Day… and there was nothing. She turned about, confusion in her expression. And there, standing in the corner of the library with a grin on his face, was Fine Crime, the Stone in his hooves. “Pleasure robbing from ya,” he declared with a wave, black clouds beginning to form around him. Silma’s eyes flared black, her face contorting in rage at the realization that she, the single most powerful sentient being in existence, had just fallen for something so preposterously simple. “Fiend!!!” A black beam fired from her horn, cutting a thin line through the smoke and the wall beyond… but Fine was already gone. Another sensation of magic hit her; somepony was using the Shades of Night. She turned on Archon, who fell back at her fury. “Find the Stone! Leave the thief to me!” She flapped her wings and flew straight up before he could answer. The Life of Earth shined brightly, and the ceiling above her erupted in dust and stone. She rose through the castle and out into the night sky, horn glowing and crystalline body churning with white and black mixes that emulated her fury. “Where are you?!” “Right here.” She jerked about to see Fine Crime standing atop a nearby tower, tossing the Light of Day as if it were a mere child’s toy. She let out a furious screech and charged at him, horn sparking with condensed magic. She was halfway there when something flashed past… and her power was gone. Silma was so startled she forgot to flap her wings, toppling several feet before regaining control. She looked up to see that Fine was gone, and turned rapidly to find that The Life of Earth had disappeared. Horrified, her head swung about in search of who might- Jimmy Stone. She spotted him flying to the other side of the castle, the Stone in his hooves. Twice. They’d made a fool out of her, twice in under a minute. She let out a vicious scream – “Traitor!!!” – and began to pursue… but then a blast of yellow energy came down just before her. She had to fight to stop from being struck. Celestia landed on the roof of the castle just before her. “Celestia!” Silma waved to the pegasus wildly. “The Life of Earth, get it back! I demand you kill that-“ “No, Silma.” Celestia’s voice was firm and confident, her bearing regal as she gazed upon her former mentor. “It is you who shall obey, now.” Silma stared in bewilderment… then saw Celestia’s eyes. The Princess had been cured. “No… how did you free yourself?!” “She had help.” She turned about in time to see Princess Cadance land on the wall nearby, her usually pleasant face shadowed by anger. “Your ‘reign’ is at an end, Silma.” Silma sneered, anger and hatred flashing in her eyes. “So,” she whispered, turning to Celestia darkly, “you failed. I did not know you were so pathetic, Celestia. You could not even defeat this amateur Princess? And to think, I thought you were fighting your sister.” “She was.” Silma’s blood ran cold. She spun about to see Luna, landing atop a tall tower nearby to gaze down upon all three of with authority. “Your power is no more. We are free, Silma, and your precious Stones have been stolen, just as they were centuries ago.” It was at that moment, seeing the confidence in those cyan eyes, that she realized her situation. But Silma wasn’t defeated yet; she simply needed to think. “What happened?” she demanded, hoping to buy time. “How did you break my spell?” Celestia was the first to answer. “You failed to comprehend the very thing I only just came to grasp. We Princesses rule Equestria, and so you cut off the head of these lands.” “And in capturing the Elements,” Cadance continued, “you took care of the most powerful weapon in our arsenal.” “But you neglected my ponies,” Luna declared, voice proud. “Like me, you considered them low, weak, beneath your attention. But even without some powerful weapon such as the Elements, or your Stones, they were a threat.” She flashed a triumphant, satisfied smile. “You neglected my lowly, substandard non-heroes, Silma, and that is why you have lost. They are capable of more than your simple mind can fathom!” Silma sneered up at her, feeling at once humiliation and rage. Luna’s team? That ragtag, pathetic mish-mash of noponies? She was in this situation because of them? He horn flashed dangerously, and she flapped her wings to rise high. “Even without the Stones, I am still a viable threat to all of you! Let them have the things; they could never learn to use them! I still have Riptide; it can destroy the world, should I wish it! I will face all three of you now, and this time I will not give you any chances. Celestia, Cadance, this night you shall die. “But you, Luna? You will not die; I shall break you!” Mane Archon winced as Silma flew through the library’s ceiling with a crash of stone and wood. He glared up at the hole she’d left behind with a grim frown, unable to believe that she’d allowed herself to lose one of the Stones so easily. And that stallion who’d taken it… a spy? An assassin? Clearly he was a pony experienced in keeping hidden. Archon was impressed. There was no time to admire; with the loss of one Stone, finding the Shades of Night was more important than ever! He focused on the general area where he’d last felt its magic and teleported, flashing away in a bright light. When it faded he was in a long, dark hallway. He could sense the Stone’s power fading and swiftly climbed the nearby steps. “Where are you?!” He spotted the pony for an instant, but she disappeared as if she were fog. But… he could sense her direction. Horn flashing, her teleported again, and this time found himself on one of the inner walls of the castle. He saw her running away, looking back to him in alarm and fear with the Stone floating just over her head. “Give me that Stone!” He gave chase, magically reaching into his coat to pull out a long device with a thin barrel running along its length. He aimed, targeting her head, and pulled the trigger. The bullet erupted in a blast of fire as soon as it left the barrel. The small explosion made Archon slide to an alarmed stop just as some black clouds formed between him and the retreating mare. A second later, and the stallion who’d stolen the Light of Day was before him, the Stone hovering just over his shoulder. “A gun.” The stallion raised a curious eyebrow, lips set in a solemn frown. “Haven’t seen one of those in an eternity.” Archon pulled the rifle back, cocking the weapon as he did and glaring at this newcomer. “Fine!” The stallion didn’t look back at the unicorn. “Get going, Upper Crust. You still have a job to do.” She gave him one last concerned look before fleeing. “Fine?” Archon asked. He nodded, a small smile coming to his lips. “Verity Fine Crime. I am very pleased to meet you, Mane Archon. Your journals were quite fascinating.” Archon’s eyes flashed dangerously, and he leveled his weapon at Fine once more. “My journals were hidden! They should be dust by now.” But Fine shook his head. “You should know, sir; the Archons take great pride in their heirlooms. Do you think we’d just throw away the journals of our founder?” Archon’s jaw dropped. He almost dropped the gun, too, but recovered and aimed once more. “The Archons were destroyed four hundred years ago! I may have been gone for centuries, but I am not ignorant of this world’s history.” Fine frowned at him ominously. “I'm surprised. Even you couldn’t fathom it?” At Archon’s dark but hesitant expression he sighed. “The Archons were never ‘destroyed.’ We simply faded from public view. Your organization – I’m sorry, my organization – is alive and well. You know, we still call the leader of the Archons the ‘Mane Archon’, in your honor.” Archon lowered his head thoughtfully, though he kept his eyes locked harshly on Fine. “So… you are the… ‘Mane Archon’?” Fine nodded. “I don’t suppose you’ve come to swear fealty to your founder? The Archons were designed to gain dominance over Equestria!” “They’ve been repurposed,” Fine noted, and his horn glowed threateningly. “After your disappearance, we were assigned a new task: the protection of Equestria.” He shot Archon an ominous look. “From all its enemies.” Archon scowled, slowly taking on a more aggressive pose. “I see. Well, I must thank you for keeping the organization intact. After killing you, I think I’ll take it back.” “Two problems with that plan,” Fine noted. He gestured sideways with a hoof. Archon glanced aside and was surprised to see the walls being stormed by soldiers. “First, the Archons are die-hard loyals of Equestria, and would never allow you back in control. “And second?” Fine reared back and raised his hoof as if to carry something at his side. Just then a pegasus – Jimmy Stone! – flew overhead, dropping the Life of Earth into Fine’s waiting hoof. “I have some real power on my side.” Archon watched Jimmy fly a circle with a sensation of combined rage and horror. The traitor! Jimmy was giving Archon a dark look as he made his way back to the castle’s interior. “Give him hell, Fine!” “Archon!” He blinked, recognizing Silma’s furious voice. He turned and was surprised to find the Crystal Empress locked in magical combat with all three of Equestria’s princesses! Lightning flashed from Luna, fiery white beams pulsed from Celestia, White orbs gave chase from Cadance. Silma, visibly struggling to hold off their attacks, shot him a look pure fury. “Get the Stones or we fail!” Archon knew just then that all their well-paced plans were crumbling. He turned to address Fine, but was hit by something barely visible, a whisp of air that sent him sprawling. Fine pursued, the Stones glowing as they followed close behind. Archon knew he was in trouble. He couldn’t stand up to the Stones. He’d seen what Silma was capable of with them, and he’d never been a potent mage. His mind fought for a solution even as he jerked to his hooves and pulled out a huge sword, his rifle lost in the hit. He charged and swung down, but the weapon clashed against an invisible barrier. The two Stones each fired a lone beam, one after another, that burned him in the sides. He winced, swung the sword back for another attack, and was sent flying once more when the barrier seemed to erupt before him! It was no use. He knew it was a pointless struggle. How was he supposed to stand up to this threat? Fine was inexperienced in the Stone’s use, but after those two hits it was clear that his inexperience wouldn’t make a difference. He needed time to plan! “Wait!” A white circle appeared under him, and he was slammed upwards by a powerful magical force. He rose several feet and crashed back to the floor, body screaming in pain. He looked up and saw Fine approaching slowly, eyes menacing. That expression was very familiar to Archon. He’d seen it thousands of times in his life, in his work. Fine wasn’t the kind of pony to waste time; he was going for the kill, right now. “Wait…” Archon retreated, trying to think of something to hold this opponent off. “You can’t use them, they’ll drive you mad! Like they did Silma. You don’t want-” He fell on his back, just barely avoiding the massive red beam of energy. “W-wait! If you kill me, Riptide will go out of control!” He jumped to his hooves and, with visible effort, worked to control the mind of the beast. The world shook as it responded, raising its massive head high above the castle to emit a furious roar. “You see! It will destroy your precious Equestria!” Another blast of energy, this one sending him clear over the wall and into the courtyard below. He hit the grass and rolled, mind reeling from the pain. “I have a contingency plan for your pet,” Fine shouted down to him. “The monster frightens me no more.” Archon tried to sit up, but couldn’t muster the energy. He gazed up at Fine, who glared down at him from the wall, the two Stones hovering over his shoulders. “But… it could kill thousands of ponies! Hundreds of thousands! You can’t fight it, you can’t kill it!” “I would rather a hundred thousand ponies die before I let millions be subjected to your rule.” Those words sealed Archon’s fate, and he knew it. If Fine was the kind of pony willing to make sacrifices like that, he didn’t stand a chance. All his potential bargaining chips were gone. Archon had but one option left, and it was one he was afraid to try. Yet, as he gazed towards Silma and saw her fighting, he understood that it was their only chance. He reached down and lifted the necklace from around his neck, horn glowing as he prepared to open the box. He could only pray his soul would survive... Fine could not believe the sheer, unbridled power he possessed! He couldn’t imagine how it might feel to have all three Stones! But he couldn’t risk it, not yet. It didn’t matter, anyway; Archon couldn’t defeat him with one Stone, much less two. He would finish off Archon, and then Silma. And then… He glanced up at the monster hovering far overhead, at its massive fangs and menacing yellow eyes, and felt a shiver run down his back. Riptide, that was what they called it. He wondered about its relation to the Nilgiri myth. God or no, he had a plan for it… but not until he’d covered all the bases. The rest of his team had done their parts; the rest was up to him. He heard screaming. He turned back to Archon, eyes going wide at the sight of the black, smoky tendrils that were wrapping about his enemy. He’d opened the box… and something was consuming him. Fine Crime felt a moment of inexplicable fear; he didn’t know what Archon had unleashed, but he knew it had to be stopped before it could begin! His red sword appearing over him, he leapt from the wall and dropped, using the Stones to propel him down for the attack. He would kill the bastard now, before he could finish what he’d begun! He landed within a second, but just as he was about to strike Archon rose. An incredibly long, thin blade appeared and swung; Fine blocked, and was sent flying! He had to use the Stones to keep from smashing into the castle wall. He landed and looked up in alarm. Archon was… no longer Archon. He was taller, his mane longer, his face harder. He stumbled, observing himself with soft green eyes that literally glowed. He raised a hoof and studied it, as if not knowing what it was. Fine took a cautious step forward, not sure what to make of this behavior. “Archon?” The stallion gave him a calm but uncertain look. “No… I’m… something else?” He turned a full circle, taking in their surroundings. “I am… I don’t know. This place… I know it, like the fleeting edge of a dream.” He sounded confused, but also very certain of himself. As if he didn’t understand what was around him, and yet knew he could handle his own ignorance. Fine didn’t like it. He leveled his glowing sword at the stallion once known as Mane Archon, the Stones behind him flashing. “State your intentions!” The stallion turned to him, face solemn as he observed Fine. “My… intentions.” He considered for several seconds… then gained a slow grin. He reared back his head in a slow, methodical motion, and his long horn fired a dark line of shadow into the sky. As soon as he did, clouds began to roil and churn together, blotting out the stars. Fine prepared himself, this sudden display of power worrying him. He’d not planned for anything like this... “A part of me wants to rule this world,” Archon admitted softly, a calm smile on his lips. “It tells me to conquer, to dominate, to manipulate.” Fine sneered, his sword swinging threateningly. “I won’t let that happen.” Yet even as he spoke, he hesitated; there was a sense of alien strength to this stallion, a kind of power he’d never felt nor heard of. “You won’t have to,” Archon announced, his long, thin blade coming down to aim at Fine. “I don’t want a world as pathetic as this. I must start life anew in another world. But first…” Fine tensed. “But first?” Archon closed his eyes, as if to think on his answer. It was a very deliberate, patient motion. “I need to rid this one of the vermin.” The sword dropped low and sliced up, and to Fine’s alarm a wave of earth and air rushed at him! The Stones flashed, and he leapt high to dodge the- Archon was in his face, sword flashing! Fine was barely able to block, grunting with the jolt of being knocked through the air a second time. He used the Stones one more to slow down and- Archon was below him, a smug smile on his ever-calm face. Fine let out a shout in alarm as that impossibly long sword slashed, and again, and again! The weapon came at him in a flurry, and it was all he could do to keep up. Archon’s strikes were so rapid and strong they were literally keeping Fine in the air with each parry. Fine snarled and used the Stones to gain altitude. Once high enough he aligned them side-by side before him and conjured up a massive green and yellow beam that seared a hole in the ground, but Archon had already dodged. Archon’s four hooves hit the wall as if it were floor and kicked off, sending him flying directly for Fine! Fine, not having time to recover from his attack, desperately summoned up a collection of glowing red knives, which flew at Archon. The villain knocked them away with one swing of his sword, not even slowing down. Panicking, he jerked the unicorn-bladed knife from around his neck and used it to block the attack. Once more Fine flew through the air, barely able to hold on to the Stones with his mind. He slammed into something soft and started to fall, but was caught up by somepony. He looked up and was surprised to see Princess Celestia. “Fine? What are you-“ Archon appeared overhead and swung. On instinct Fine summoned another sword to block the attack, but the force of the hit made him and Celestia drop like rocks. Celestia was able to recover and land, keeping Fine from hitting the ground hard. “Archon!” They looked up to see Silma approaching Archon, who was somehow able to stay in the air despite having no wings. “What happened to you? Never mind, we must-!” She reared back in alarm as he took a swing at her. “Archon! What are you doing?!” “Giving you a gift.” Another slash. “The same gift I’m giving the rest of this worthless world.” “That isn’t Archon,” Celestia noted gravely. “I gathered.” Fine glared up at the villains, anger filling him; this wasn’t going at all according to plan, and he hated when that happened. As Silma was forced to retreat in the face of her former ally’s shocking strength, Luna and Cadance hovered about, clearly at a loss for what to do. But Fine had the Stones. “Please stick to the plan,” he told Celestia in a tone that brooked no argument. “I can handle him.” The Princess clearly had her doubts. “Are you certain?” He gave her an ominous look. “I am certain.” He concentrated, lowering his body and focusing as intently on the Stones power as he could. Something sparked on his back, then a dim light began to form over him. The light divided, stretched, reformed… and in a flash it had formed into glowing, aural wings. Celestia took a step back, eyes wide, as Fine leapt, new wings flapping to hold him aloft. “You! You’ll have to deal with this vermin, fist!” Archon paused in his assault against Silma, who was barely holding on, and turned to look down at Fine as he approached. “Oh? Consider yourself a hero?” Fine poured his concentration into his attack, and when Archon dropped down to meet him he summoned up his red sword and parried… and this time he didn’t go flying. “Everyone tries to be a hero at some point.” Archon gave him a small, impressed smile, eyes glowing dangerously. “I know.” Upper Crust watched the fights with an intense focus. She was amazed at how much information she was gathering just by watching the different ponies in their different attacks. Silma had nearly been killed by Archon – or, somepony who used to be Archon – but now she was once more locked in magical combat with the Princesses. Watching them fight had, at first, been an awe-inspiring moment; to see the Princess of Equestria going all out against an Alicorn who, if it was to be believed, was actually keeping them at bay? It was the stuff of legends! But all that was dwarfed by the resumed duel between Archon and Fine. Fine had the Stones, and by now she thought she had a good estimate of how powerful they really were. But Archon… his was a magic she’d never seen before, and so she had no way to gauge its power. What was it, where had it come from? And why wasn’t he Archon anymore? She winced as Fine was sent rocketing away, just barely able to conjure up a shield around himself before slamming into and through the castle wall. Archon flew in after him, leaving Upper Crust to fret over the possibilities. Was it possible that, via this new power, one pony could be more powerful than Silma’s Stones? She turned to study the Shades of Night. If she could just grasp its full potential. Fine hadn’t expected to have to use the Stones like he was, he didn’t really know how to. She knew, by what she’d seen so far, that he was making it up as he went, learning the Stones abilities a little bit at a time. She needed to learn more, and immediately! “Upper Crust!” She looked up to see Jimmy flying down to her with a relieved look. “Am I glad to see you. Help me get Lightning!” She followed his gesture and spotted Lightning Dust, lying unconscious atop the castle roof. She was dangerously close to the fight between Silma and the Princesses. “I’ll get her,” Upper Crust agreed. “Meet me in the tower with the others.” She focused on the Stone and a moment later was standing beside Lightning. She had to brace herself to keep from falling on the steep roof, but was able to stay on. She bent over and brushed Lightning’s windswept mane from her eyes… and was surprised to find her sleeping with the most peaceful expression she’d ever known. She stared to lift Lightning, ready to use the Shades of Night to teleport the both of them to- The roof erupted in a shower of electric sparks, stone and tile! The force of the blast sent both of them over the edge, Upper Crust just barely having the time to notice Fine and Archon flashing through the hole, their weapons clashing so fast and hard they were a blur of sparks! She held Lightning close and focused as hard as she could on the tower… She and Lightning hit the floor of the tower’s highest undamaged level with a loud ‘smack.’ “Upper Crust!” Octavia was at her side, helping her up. “Thank Goddess, you had me terrified for a moment.” “Ooh,” Nye noted, kneeling beside Lightning. “I’m glad she wasn’t awake to feel that.” “Are you okay, Uppity?” She turned and let out a horrified scream at the sight of her husband. “Jet!” She ran to him, but resisted giving him a hug. She looked him up and down, alarmed at the burns on his body. “W-what happened? Oh Goddess, your horn…” He winced when she touched it, and she jerked her hoof away. “It’s okay,” he told her, managing a smile through the pain. “I’m sure it’ll heal up, right?” She frowned, a spark of anger coming to her. “I shouldn’t have let you come. I told you it was dangerous, Jet!” “No time,” Jimmy called as he landed amongst them. “We have to get out of here! The Princesses can’t fight and watch us at the same time, and I don’t think that guy Fine’s fighting is going to be picky about collateral damage.” “He’s right,” Octavia noted seriously. “We’ve all done what we were supposed to do. It’s time we retreated and let Fine and the Princesses finish this.” Upper Crust nodded. “Agreed. Where are the Element Bearers?” “Applejack and Rarity went to get Pinkie,” Nye replied, working to lift an unconscious Rainbow Dash. “Fluttershy went to find Twilight. A little help?” “Here,” Octavia offered, taking Rainbow’s opposite side. “I’ve got Lightning,” Jimmy offered, easily lifting her off the ground. Upper Crust turned to Jet. “You go. I’ll catch up later.” Everypony paused to stare at her in alarm. “Later?” Jet shook his head, wincing at the pain of the motion. “Come on, Uppity, we need to leave now! It’s too dangerous.” “No, Jet,” she declared with force. “I’m staying. Fine might not be able to handle this new Archon, and I have the Shades of Night. If he has trouble, I’ll have to help.” “That’s not your job,” Octavia snapped. “We save the Element Bearers, Fine handles Archon, the Princesses finish Silma. That’s what we agreed to.” “Fine didn’t count on Archon becoming… whatever he is,” she argued, unmoving and confident. “Things aren’t going according to plan. I’m staying.” “Do you see what’s going on up there?” Nye asked in frustration. “And don’t forget Riptide,” Jimmy noted with significantly more calm than his twin. “If it’s true the monster will go wild once Silma or Archon is defeated, who’s to say it won’t make Canterlot its first target? Nopony can stay here, Upper Crust!” “I know the risks,” she assured them. “It’s worth it.” “Uppity!” Jet held her cheeks in his hooves, fear etched in his expression. “You don’t have to stay behind! You’ve done enough. You’ve proven yourself to everypony here, I’m sure of it. You don’t have to fight anymore!” “Yes, I do,” she told him, and at last her harsh expression broke. “Don’t you understand, Jet? This isn’t about proving myself to anypony, not anymore. I’m doing this because it needs to be done. I believe I can help Fine, and if he needs it then I must act. It’s about responsibility.” Jet stared at her, sadness and worry in his eyes… but at last he stepped back. “Okay, Uppity. Okay… but promise me you’ll be okay.” “I promise.” She turned to the others and saw that they, too, understood. “All of you, be safe.” “You too,” Octavia answered, and the others nodded their agreement. She watched them leave. Jet was the last to go, limping behind and giving her a worried look. She shot him her most comforting smile, and he tried to smile back for her. It was a nice try, at least. And then he was gone. Upper Crust took a deep breath, preparing herself for the task ahead. With a moment’s concentration, she teleported to a nearby wall. Almost immediately, she spotted Fine and Archon above the city, weapons clashing brightly in the night. She noted the Stones Fine was using, and how he was wielding their power to enhance his speed, reflexes and strength to match his opponent's. It had to be taking a serious toll on his body. She dropped to her haunches and thought on the Shades of Night, which floated down into her waiting hooves. “Alright,” she whispered, staring at its smooth crystalline surface, “let’s see if I can figure you out.” The clash of their weapons sent red and white sparks through the darkness, illuminating the rooms of the building. Fine and the former Archon were literally flying through hallways and rooms, bouncing off walls and dealing ridiculous damage to the structure. Fine’s body was filled with a dull, constant burning. He’d quickly learned to use the Stones to enhance his physical abilities and keep up with his mysteriously superpowered opponent. But he could feel it which every jump, every parry and swing, every flap of his magical wings. His body couldn’t take the strain, and if he kept this up for too long he would be in serious trouble. But if he didn’t focus all his energy on keeping pace with Archon, he would lose. On the other hoof, Archon – or the pony formerly known as Archon – hadn’t even broken a sweat! He was always moving just a little bit faster, always attacking with a touch more strength. Worst of all, he always seemed so damned smug! He wasn’t even using any magic, unless you counted his strange ability to fly; just his sword, his strength and his speed. It was almost humbling. “You’re stronger that I expected,” his opponent noted calmly between attacks, effortlessly dodging Fine’s lunge. The two bounced from wall to wall, weapons clashing with each pass as they moved through the dark hallway. “Perhaps there’s something worth taking from you, after all.” Fine gritted his teeth as he blocked a trio of lightning-quick slashes. “You already plan to take the world.” He was upside down on the ceiling, and the two met once more in the air. “What else would you take?!” His opponent was able to knock him back, and he crashed through a window. He fell a few stories before clumsily catching air with his wings and righting himself. How did pegasi make it look so easy? He looked up and let out a shocked sound as an entire floor of the building seemed to shatter at once, and a moment later it was falling down towards him. Archon was standing patiently in one of the windows as the building fell, watching Fine with a smile. Fine let out a snarl and flapped his wings, rising up to meet him. Archon dove out of the window just as it went horizontal, the room he’d been in erupting in a shower of stones and furniture. “Tell me what is precious to you,” Archon whispered, his voice barely discernible above the clash of their weapons and the noise of the collapsing building. The two were knocked apart, Fine landing on the side of the building and Archon on a large chunk of outer wall. Another large piece of the structure fell between them, and Fine leapt for it, hoping to surprise his opponent. The hunk of masonry gained three long red cuts, shattering into pieces as Archon came streaking through the debris! Fine let out a surprised shout and blocked the attack, only to take a rapid one-two kick that sent him sprawling back to smash into the side of the building. Pain tore through his body, but he was able to recover and leap away into the night and away from the collapsing building before Archon to deliver the follow-up blow. “I don’t understand anything you’re saying,” he cried as he jumped from wall to wall across the buildings, making his way back to the castle. “I don’t even know where you came from!” Archon flew through the buildings with phenomenal speed, meeting Fine in midair and exchanging slashes with him. Fine focused harder on the Stones, struggling to push more speed out of his body, to give him mind the reflexes necessary to keep up! “I don’t recall,” Archon noted, deftly deflecting blow after blow. “My origins don’t matter. All that matters is that another rotten world stands in the way of my glory.” A well-placed upward slice sent Fine flying, unable to handle the sheer strength of the hit. He recovered, straightened and met the lunging upwards attack, panting as his body ached from the effort. He couldn’t keep this up. Why wasn’t the bastard showing some kind of fatigue?! His plan had failed. He was supposed to have defeated Archon within seconds, but now it looked like he was going to lose. He just couldn’t fathom how his enemy could stand up to the Stones! His couple seconds of thought was all it took for Archon to land a real blow, his blade slicing through Fine’s shoulder. Fine cried out and struggled to focus, to maintain his speed. His body was practically on fire from the intensity of what he was putting his body through! One more slash, just one good hit, it was all he needed! He wouldn’t get it; he raised his magical blade up to block a downward slash, and it shattered. Archon swung his weapon back and struck Fine in the chest with the hilt of his sword, sending him crashing down to Earth. Fine closed his eyes and concentrated, heart hammering, body screaming in pain, struggling to use his magical wings to recover… He hit the roof of a building, smacking the surface so hard he cracked the concrete. He let out a pained shout, wings breaking like glass and fading away. The Stones dropped like mere rocks beside him; he was too weak to wield them anymore. He could only lay there, huffing in pain unable to move. He opened his eyes just in time to see Archon land lightly next to him, that long sword aimed at his chest. He stared along it to Archon’s face – that long, strong, confident face that didn’t fit the Archon he’d first met. “You disappoint me,” Archon note in his calm manner that was almost pleasant. “I guess you’re no hero.” Fine tried to raised his head to answer. “I was never cut out for being a hero, anyway.” Archon smiled slowly, weapon rising above his head to strike. “Everything will return to whence it came. Do not worry. You will see my glorious future.” Fine looked up at that blade and felt his heart stop. In that moment, he saw everything. His mother in the sea, laughing with Kit, earning his cutie mark, killing Sugarcube, becoming an Archon, reuniting with his father,meeting Luna, defeating Sombra, being strapped to a rack, the moment of freedom. And Fluttershy. Suddenly, for reason he couldn’t fathom, but with emotion that brought tears to his eyes, the thought that he’d never see her again… The sword began to fall- -and Fine’s world became a shimmering black. He stared up at the heated beam of condensed energy, the hair on his coat and mane rising up as if drawn to it. He saw Archon’s body consumed in the blast, a barely-discernible pony shape that rapidly shrank and faded until there was nothing left. Then the beam was gone, and so was Archon. Tiny black spots of magical residue arose along a line above him. Fine stared at that line, unable to believe what he was seeing, and slowly traced it back to the castle. Upper Crust. She was leaping excitedly, shouting and hollering triumphantly at him, the Shades of Night glowing brightly before her. He gaped at her for several seconds, then let his head drop to the ground, breathing an intense sigh of relief. Maybe this plan would work, after all. A second later, his moment of pleasure was clouded by an intense rumbling that shook the building, and an ear-splitting screech of horror.