//------------------------------// // The Serpent // Story: No Heroes Part IV - The Crystal Empress // by PaulAsaran //------------------------------// Stickin Stone was at the cemetery, standing silently over Sweet Dream’s grave, when the tremors hit. The force of the shaking was so intense that he dropped to his knees and had to struggle to keep from falling down. He looked around in alarm; tree were swaying, gravestones were cracking, and ponies were fleeing for shelter. First the night went on too long, and now this! Something terrible had to be happening; Manehatten didn’t get earthquakes. The shaking did not stop, and a thunderous sound began to fill his ears. Ponies were screaming. He noted the direction they were all pointing and turned to see the city beyond the park… and gasped: buildings were falling. A massive wave of ocean came across the land, a vast shape within sweeping over the city. Stickin’s mind was numb at the impossibility of what he was seeing. The wall of water would come upon a building, enveloping up to thirty stories at a time in its glimmering sheath. Then the massive, dark thing within would hit, and the bottom of the structure would literally shatter from the impact. But it was not one building. It was thousands, all at the same time. The ponies around him began to flee in terror. He hardly noticed them. His intensely logical mind was so busy trying to grasp the reality of what he was seeing that running didn’t even cross his mind. Even as the water began to wash over the park, he didn’t flee. He couldn’t recover. There was no recovering from something like this. He had just a moment – a split second of understanding – to think on his sons. And then the water hit. Fleurboard’s breakfast fell with a crash as his entire apartment rocked violently. He held on to his chair for balance, crying out in alarm as it began to slide across the room from the vibrations. Las Pegasus had been through an earthquake or two in his day, but this was ridiculous! Surely it must be some sort of record. He tried to wait for the shaking to pass, but it only grew worse. The building seemed to swerve from beneath him, and he toppled to the floor painfully. He began to wonder if the building itself could handle this much shaking. Nervous, unable to stand, he did exactly what all the bulletins and public warnings told him never to do: he went to the window. Crawling along, keeping his jaw set to keep from biting his tongue, he made his way along in hopes that he might see the state of things outside. He was at last to the window, though he had to really work to get himself high enough to see out of it. He stared in awe at the sight. A massive, purple, scaled body came sliding across the desert that surrounded the city. He was just in time to see it literally crushing the outer residential sectors, and was astounded by the sheer size of it! His heart bled for all the ponies who couldn’t have possibly survived. The snake-like tentacle crashed into the outer skyscrapers and casinos, bowling them over effortlessly. He could hear the screams of the ponies below, could see the masses trying to flee. Pegasi erupted from the streets and buildings, desperately trying to gain altitude and avoid the devastation. Many were carrying ponies with them, friends or loved ones. None came for Fleurboard. He felt his chest tighten at the realization that he was about to die. He didn’t try to escape; what was the point? No, he merely sat at the window, the world still vibrating wildly around him. Fleurboard chose to wait, and pray that his son might have a better chance to escape this horrible thing that had come upon Equestria. The body struck the building, and it began to tip over. As he was sent flying across the room, he tried to reassure himself. At least now he could finally see his wife again. The world began to shake, and Benjamina fell to her knees. She’d been in the courtyard of her home, wondering why the sun was still up here in Nildia. She tried to stand, but the ground wouldn’t allow it. She’d been through plenty of earthquakes in her time, but none had ever rivaled this. She was glad to be outside, where it was safer. But then she looked through the open walkway to the city of Nilhi beyond her hilltop, and her eyes went wide at the site. A snake’s body, impossibly huge, was flattening the city. Benjamina was a practical unicorn. She didn’t know what she was seeing, but she understood that things would never be the same. She could see the buildings getting crushed under that mass, and knew the loss of life would be phenomenal. Then she realized that it would be coming over her home, and soon! Mind frantic, she tried to think of some way to escape this situation. Her servants were fleeing, but that was pointless. What to do, where to go?! The massive body was coming up the hill… Inspiration hit. She struggled to fight the shaking earth beneath her hooves and literally threw herself into her pond. The water rose over her head, and the chaotic noises went dull. A precious few seconds later, the world went dark. She gaze upwards, the thunderous noise almost deafening, the water churning all about her. She used her magic to struggle against the motions and keep herself low, knowing that touching that monstrosity would probably be the death of her. Then there was light, and she burst from the water with a gasp. Gone. Her home was completely gone, wood and glass and stone scattered across the area in a wide, flattened mess. In the distance, the tentacle rolled on, ignorant of the destruction it had wrought. Benjamina crawled out of the pond, mind frantic from the reality of what had just happened. Was this a dream? Some sort of twisted, bucked up nightmare? The rumbling lessened, but her mind was so lost in confusion that she couldn’t stand properly. She fell to her knees after a couple steps, staring around at the shattered remains of not only her home, but bits and pieces of things from the city that had been dragged all this way. She lowered her eyes, trying to think, and that was when she saw the smear. It was wide, long, wet and red. So very red. Her heart leapt into her throat in understanding of what it was. And then she thought of her family. Silma Ril had been attempting to block an attack from Cadance when she felt something happen in her mind. It was almost like an important cord had snapped, and she realized almost instantly what it was. She was so shocked that she lost track of the situation, and took the full force of Cadance’s attack. She flew through the air and smacked the already-damaged roof of the castle, but the pain didn’t matter. Neither did her plans for dominion. At just that moment, nothing mattered. She flipped to her belly and stared out across the castle, to where a black beam was just beginning to fade. Fine Crime, the stallion he’d been fighting, lay on his back, worn out but alive. Mane Archon was gone. The connection was gone. The control was gone. And Riptide was furious. She let out a piercing scream of terror as she felt the monstrosity break loose of her now-frail bonds on its mind. Already the world was shaking from its anger, and as she turned she heard it emit a roar so fierce it made the roiling clouds above split away. The beast squirmed and flung itself from the castle, rocketing away as if determined to make as much distance between its former captors and itself as possible. “It’s over, Silma!” Celestia cried, landing before her with authority. Luna and Cadance landed shortly afterwards, all three gazing down at her with menace. “You fools!” She pounded her hooves furiously. “You have no idea what has just happened. That thing will destroy the world! I can’t control it!” “Then we will,” Luna declared simply, even as she slipped on the sudden vibrations of the castle beneath her. Silma leaped to her hooves, mind frantic, eyes wide. “We… we have to find a way. It’s going to kill everypony!” “You cannot lure us into-“ Cadance began. Silma turned to her furiously. “Listen to me! We have to stop it. We must work together, it’s our only chance. You cannot fathom the sheer power of that monster!” And she was off, flying through the air at the greatest speed she could muster. “Help me, please!” She didn’t bother to see if they were following. She chased after the beast, panic and terror in her mind. What good was defeating the princesses and conquering the world when there was no world to conquer?! She gazed down and saw the massive, purple, scaled body writhing below, crushing everything in its way. She knew its size, knew that the monstrosity was now wreaking havoc across the entire planet. Damn that Archon, how could he have failed? Why had she trusted him to handle any of this? Her utopia of perfect order was about to crumble before her, and there might be nothing for her to do about it! “Silma!” Celestia appeared at her side, struggling to keep up with the panicked empress. “What do you intend to do?!” “We must try,” she cried back. “Try what?” Cadance asked, appearing beneath her. “To control the beast!” “We would never combine forces with the likes of you,” Luna declared from opposite Celestia. The head came into view, making its hasty way to the coast. They rapidly caught up and flew past, into the hilly country to the West. “I wanted to rule the world, not destroy it,” Silma shouted, pushing her wings for more speed. “I am not the greatest threat, anymore!” They were far enough… she hoped. She dove, the princesses following, to land on a large hill in the beast’s path. “If you want there to even be an Equestria, you will help me!” Riptide was coming straight at them, its yellow eyes glowing with rage in the distance. The princesses landed about her, facing the monster. They all took tentative steps back as the world began to shake under its sheer size. “What are we supposed to do?” Cadance asked anxiously. “Combine our powers,” Silma insisted, standing firm despite the fear tearing through her. “Concentrate on controlling the beast’s mind. We have to control it!” “Sister?” Luna asked nervously. “She is right,” Celestia announced, her voice concerned. “Like it or not, the monster must be tamed!” Silma’s horn glowed darkly, and she concentrated all her energy into Riptide’s mind. A second later and she sensed the power of the princesses, who joined her in the attempt. “Yes, that’s it! Tame the beast!” Riptide slowed, eyes flashing in fury as it felt the tugs on its mind. It let out a vicious roar and raised its head, writhing wildly against their attempts. Silma pulled relentlessly, desperate to regain control of the monster. It winced, thrashed, cast its menacing gaze upon them. It approached, coming to the bottom of their hill, but Silma refused to flee. She would defeat this thing! “Silma, it’s too powerful!” Cadance shouted. “No! We can do this, we must!” The beast reared up, mouth clamping with a clash of teeth so loud it was ear-splitting. Smoke began to billow from its lips. Silma glared and pressed everything she had into the controlling spell. She could do this! “Silma…” Luna’s confidence wavered. Silma let out a frustrated scream, her furious pulls on the monster’s mind meeting indescribable resistance. “It’s no use,” Celestia called. “Silma, we have to retreat!” “No!” She glanced back to see Celestia ascending. “You can’t give up!” She looked back to see Cadance already departing. “We have to stop it here!” “It is a hopeless cause, Silma,” Luna announced fearfully. “Do not throw your life away!” And she was gone, too. Silma ground her teeth. Cowards, they were all cowards! If they were too scared to succeed, then she would just have to do it herself. “Foul beast!” She turned on Riptide, who gazed down upon her with pure hatred. “I am Silma Ril, founder of the Crystal Empire, creator of the Elements of Harmony. I controlled you once, I shall control you again! I call upon you by your true name: “Jörmungandr! I am Silma Ril! You will obey!” A vicious hiss sent shivers down her spine, but she refused to back off. Sweat pouring from her face, her horn red hot, black sparks flying, she put everything she had into the magic. The monster raised its head in a gargantuan bellow, smoke and heat erupting from the depths of its mouth. “You will acknowledge me! You will obey me!” Her voice was going shrill. The beast gazed down on her, mouth gaping wide, a bright yellow light growing intensely within its cavernous throat. The air began to radiate with heat, but Silma would not back down! “Obey!” The bright yellow beam erupted from its mouth. The intensity was so great that the hill began to disintegrate from the sheer power of the blast. And then it was over. The hill was gone, replaced by a massive crater in the earth. Silma Ril was no more. “Fine!” Upper Crust appeared at his side, helping him to sit up. “Are you okay?” He groaned and shook his head. When he spoke, his voice was quiet, and his words came out slowly. “Careful, I’m tender.” He gazed out to see Silma and the Princesses speeding away into the night. “Looks like they’re going after it.” Upper Crust nodded. “Was that part of your plan, too?” “Not really.” She hesitated, but then used her magic to offer Fine the Shades of Night. “I did what you asked, and I was able to figure it out. The power of the Stones isn’t infinite, Fine! Even when taken together, there are limits to their power. You can do what you want with them.” He glanced at the Shades of Night wearily. “And the risk to the mind?” “It’s a long-term thing,” she said. “For what you intend, there shouldn’t be any side effects.” He looked up at her with a weak smile. “How do you know what I intend?” She returned the smile, and abruptly the urgency she'd been feeling was gone. “It’s my special talent to guess things, remember?” She sat and held the Stone, which he hadn’t made any attempt to take. “You want to face Riptide, right?” He considered her for several seconds, face serious, but then bowed his head with a peaceful expression. “I did, yes. Not anymore.” She blinked, caught entirely off guard. “What? But, isn’t that the entire reason you wanted me to gauge the power of the Stones?” He nodded, then slowly lay back down. When he spoke, the exhaustion in his tone seemed far more pronounced. “Yeah, it is. But some things happened I didn’t expect, like Archon being a real beast. Thank you, by the way; if you hadn’t intervened, I’d be dead. I’m spent, Upper Crust. I don’t even have the energy to stay sitting up.” “Oh…” She glanced up in the direction the Princesses had gone, worry filling her. “Then… what are we supposed to do about Riptide?” “Not us,” he whispered. “You.” She turned to him in alarm, eyes going wide. “Me?” He looked absolutely serious. “Oh no. Goddess, no!” She set the Shades of Night down and waved her hooves at him in a denying motion. “This was your idea! It’s your childhood monster! I… I don’t know if I could…” “Listen,” he whispered. He raised a hoof, and she took it in both of hers nervously. He looked her right in the eyes, and he was smiling. “This is your moment, Upper Crust. There is nopony else. You know how to use the Stones, and you know exactly what needs to be done to defeat that beast. The Princesses tried to hide the Stones, but that was wrong. “You have a chance,” he pressed, tugging her down to look her in the eye and emphasize his meaning. “Riptide must be destroyed, and it must happen now. Thousands of ponies could be dying as we speak! Use the Stones, Upper Crust. Face Riptide. As of right now, you are the single most important pony in the world. You’ve earned this moment! Everything you’ve been through has led up to this. The yacht, your husband, your job, Nildia, all of it. “I believe you can do this,” he concluded, griping her hooves tightly. Upper Crust was overcome with emotion. How did he know just the right words to use? She felt tears in her eyes, but she didn’t bother to wipe them away. This stallion, who had challenged her very existence four years ago, was saying such things! “I… I mean…” She bowed her head, taking a moment to control herself. “What… W-what about you…? I can’t just leave you here.” He chuckled and lay back once more. “I’m not gonna die, if that’s what you’re thinking. I’m just… so… tired.” He waved a hoof feebly at her. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine, I promise.” She stared at him for several seconds, wishing she could put her feelings into words. She just couldn’t think of anything appropriate, so instead she dropped down to give him a tender hug. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you for including me in all of this. You have no idea how much it’s meant to me.” He returned the hug, legs weak. “You’re welcome. Now go on, you’ve got a snake to kill.” She stepped back, wiping tears from her face, and used her magic to collect the Light of Day and the Life of Earth. Together with the Shades of Night, they offered her power so great it made her reel. The sheer magnitude of the energies within was staggering! But she had no time to think on what she’d just been given; there was a world that needed saving. She dropped to her knees and concentrated. It didn’t take long, and soon a massive green light began to engulf her. Within seconds the light had morphed and shifted, until she had a large pair of green, bug-like wings floating just over her back. Body pulsing in her green aura, wings buzzing eagerly, she cast one last look at Fine. “I promise, I won’t let you down.” He smiled, and slowly closed his eyes. “I know you won’t.” She watched him for a little longer, but decided she could waste no more time. Concentrating, she took to the air and flew through the night sky, a green line trailing her path. She was passing over the serpent’s long, writhing body, dropping the occasional green energy bomb onto it. The attacks weren’t meant to cause any serious damage; she simply hoped to get it angry. The Princesses appeared in the distance, heading back for Canterlot. She slowed down and allowed them to fly alongside her. “Upper Crust!” Celestia shouted over the wind. “What are you doing with the Stones?!” “I’m going to take down Riptide,” she answered with determination. “What?” Cadance was flying just above her. “But I thought Fine Crime was going to-“ “Fine can’t use the Stones now,” she interrupted. “His fight with Archon was too much. He has asked me to do this in his place.” “Fine did?” Celestia asked, her doubt clear. “I don’t think either of you understand the danger. The Stones will destroy you if you use them. You mustn’t try.” “Let us take care of it,” Cadance offered. “No!” Upper Crust increased her speed, moving ahead of them. “Fine entrusted me with this task, and I will not fail!” “Upper Crust,” Celestia called out warningly, “listen to us! We are only-“ “Enough, sister,” Luna interrupted, even as she managed to catch up to Upper Crust. She cast a calm, knowing gaze at her. “If Fine trusts you in this, then so will we.” Celestia caught up, giving her sister a concerned look past Upper Crust. “Luna, are you certain that is wise? You know as well as I what could happen.” Luna nodded. “I trust Fine’s judgment. He wouldn’t have given her the Stones without good reason, and Upper Crust is far more capable than you know. Believe in my ponies, Celestia!” Upper Crust gave her an appreciative look, thrilled to have the Princess’s endorsement. She looked to Celestia, who was taking her sister’s words very seriously. “I can handle this, Princess. Please, let me do this!” “Let her try, Celestia,” Cadance offered, finally catching up. “Goddess knows we don’t have any ideas!” Celestia eyed Cadance, then cast a serious look at Upper Crust. “We are in this mess partially because I took my sister’s recommendations too lightly,” she confessed. “I have ignored her advise far too many times, and we have all paid the price. I will trust you, Upper Crust. Be careful, and remember: the Stones are dangerous! Do not take them lightly.” “Thank you, Princess!” Celestia nodded before banking off. “Good luck,” Cadance offered before departing, as well. Upper Crust looked to Luna, who was giving her a firm, but proud, look. “Of all my ponies, none have come so far as you,” she declared. “I have faith in you, Upper Crust, and will be watching from a distance. No matter what happens tonight, rest assured that all of Equestria will be proud.” And she flew away, leaving Upper Crust with a heart bursting with confidence. Riptide was crashing its way over a forest when Upper Crust finally caught up. She’d been following the body all this time, and was genuinely astounded at the sheer size of the thing. She was intimidated, but also devoted. She knew what needed to be done… if not just how to do it. But first? She had to catch its attention. She glanced at the three Stones, taking a moment to reassure herself, then opened fire with a single wide beam. The magic streaked across the forest, cutting a jagged line in the landscape. When it passed over Riptide’s body it let out a ferocious roar and jerked up at the pain. It’s head raised, she fired a large ball of energy that popped like a bubble upon hitting the back of it, sparks flying about wildly. The head jerked around to glare at her, yellow eyes flashing dangerously. Upper Crust hesitated at the sight, a moment of real fear running through her, but refused to let up; she poured out literal rain of small red lasers upon the beast’s head! “Come on, you ugly thing! Got some tasty pony for ya, right here!” The beast let out a furious roar, and she had to respond quickly to avoid getting swatted out of the sky when its body rose high into the air. It began to coil tightly, keeping parts of its body high to swing wildly at her, and for several long seconds she as caught in a dodging game against the building-sized serpent. She fired violent shots of black lasers from the Shades of Night, dropped massive green energy bombs from the Life of Earth, and kept a constant yellow beam slicing all around via the Light of Day. She knew she wasn’t doing any serious damage, but at least she was getting its full attention. Soon the serpent’s body was squirming all about like a mass of gargantuan tentacles, each trying to knock her from the sky! She weaved over, under and around them, a veritable maze of purple scales and furious noise. Fear and adrenaline kept her alert, and somehow she was able to dodge every sudden shift and swinging attack, all while keeping the attacks up blindly. She let out a horrified scream when, out of the pillars and columns of slithering scales, a gaping maw appeared under her! She dodged sideways as the fangs clamped closed, swearing she felt a hair or two of her tail being pulled out. She was sure to release a powerful shot from all the Stones as she retreated, the hit making the monster’s head reel in pain. “Come on, Uppity,” she shouted to herself, dodging down to avoid another swing of serpentine body. It wasn’t going to attack in the way she wanted! She had to get it out in the open… Over a wall of scales, around the swaying body, she found herself face-to-face with the monster! It let out a snort, almost like a sneeze, and from its eyes bolts of electrical energy fired off. They hit her in the chest and sent her reeling, green wings flailing wildly. She was able to recover through the Stones despite the pain, but when she looked up a massive shape was coming down to crush her! She dodged, barely avoiding being crushed. An opening! She darted up, a yellow and green blur in the sky as she went for the hole in the mass of scales. Riptide saw its prey about to escape and tried to block her path. Upper Crust sped up, eyes tearing from the pressure of the wind against her face. The space was rapidly closing… She burst into the open night sky! “Hah!” She flew a quick circle and looked down at the huge mass of writhing purple below. “Let’s see you get me up here!” A pair of tentacles shifted apart, revealing Riptide’s open maw, which was glowing yellow. “Crap!” She flew out of the way, a massive yellow beam searing the sky where she’d been seconds before. The heat of the beam was so intense she thought her hair might catch on fire! The tentacles squirmed about, and the face was gone once more. How was she supposed to beat that?! No, wait… that was exactly what she needed! “Come on, ya big snake!” She fired a ball of energy down amongst the scales. “Try that again!” Riptide obliged, it’s face appearing in an entirely new location and blasting another shot of energy at her. She cried out and dodged, sweating from the heat of the beam that curved through the sky in an attempt to catch her. The beast ran out of breath, though, and retreated back among its body. She knew what needed to happen. It was a huge risk, but if she could get the timing right… Another parting of scales, another yellow blast. And then another, in a different spot. Then another! With each shot she was able to dodge, but only barely. Yet she was also getting a feel for what to look for. If she got this wrong… With the fifth shot her tail was literally seared off! It was getting closer to hitting her, and she knew it wouldn’t miss again. But she finally had the motions down, she knew what to look for! At least, she thought she did. Praying she wasn’t making a terrible mistake, she flew high and eyed the mass of scales below. She had to look for just the right motions, make the timing perTHERE! She did something that, to a bystander, might have seemed like suicide: she threw the Stones. All of them. They sailed through the air, faint magical energy sparking as they gradually grew closer together. Jolts began to fly among them, yellow and green and black shining chaotically in their wake! Upper Crust struggled to control their flight paths and stay aloft at the same time. “Come on, you big ugly thing, open up. Please, open up…” The tentacles parted, and Riptide was there, it’s massive fangs opened wide and intense yellow heat forming in its throat. The Stones flew into its open mouth, down into that yellow light… …and touched one another. Upper Crust was literally blinded by the brightness of the explosion. She covered her burning eyes and felt the unbridled, sheer force of the Stones’ power unleashed in explosive fury! Sensations of heat and cold came over her like shockwaves of the blast, and then a cataclysmic combination of noise and pressure and energy sent her flying into the sky, a stream of magical energy following in her wake. Her body burned from the concentrated energies. Had she just killed herself? Her mind flashed through a lifetime of uselessness, then to achievement and success. She saw her friends, her enemies, her struggles. She saw her mother and father, her wedding. Jet Set… She saw Jet. Just as tears began to form in her eyes, she felt herself slowing. Something was tugging on her shoulders, but she couldn’t see for the intense light still in her eyes. Her ears were ringing, but she thought she heard… “…Crust! Are you alright? I have you, you’re okay.” Luna. Though she couldn’t see, she could feel just fine, and clutched a the Princess desperately. “Princess! It burns!” “You’ll be okay, Upper Crust,” the Princess whispered as they hovered in a world of white. “It will fade soon.” True to her words, Upper Crust’s vision was already beginning to clear, and though her body still burned, it was now more like being too close to a flame, rather than actually being on fire. She held on tight, cringing against the pain even as she thanked anypony who might listen for the knowledge that she was going to live.