//------------------------------// // Chapter 16. The Crystal Rebellion // Story: Resuscitatio Artium Magicarum // by Xomniac //------------------------------// It was chaos, pure and simple, an insane melee filled with war-cries and shouted orders. Blood and ichor flew as metal and crystal dug into flesh and chitin, the air was a mess of brawling pegasi and changelings, and blasts of magic lanced across the battlefield. Throughout the madness could be seen several distinct individuals who utterly dominated the combat they were involved in. One of those individuals was a psychotic gold-armored griffon, her claws carving open flesh to allowing lancing arcs of lightning inside to cook vital organs and fluids, her screeches drowning out the screams of her enemies. In her wake, corpses lay leaking boiling liquids and smoking organs, as she leapt atop a pegasus that had narrowly avoided a spear and before the stallion could anything, the griffon shoved a claw into his mouth and fired a bolt of lightning down his throat. The effect was gruesome as the powerful blast of electricity boiled his brain and popped his eyes like a pair of wet balloons. Blood flowed out of every possible orifice as the griffon ripped out her gore-caked talons and tore through the skies, sending bolts of lightning down on any Equestrian that looked to be getting the upper hand over the Crystal Ponies. Or, judging from the way she was cackling madly the whole time, more simply for the hell of it. “COME ON YOU BASTARDS!” She screeched, “COME AND GET ME!” Another notable fighter was far more silent than his colleague. A minotaur, towering above the bloody melee, a great maul gripped in his hands. Every swing pulped flesh and bone, sending limp bodies flying, and every slam into the earth tore up great rents that somehow avoided Crystal Ponies and swallowed up Equestrians before closing up and entombing them. Silent and imposing, the armoured giant’s cloven hoof lashed out in a kick that caught a charging Earth Pony on the chin, and with a sickeningly wet crack, the pony’s head went flying in a bloody arc as he turned and glared down at another pair of ponies, who turned and fled...right into the waiting spears of the Crystal Ponies. A third warrior, a Unicorn in silver armor, rarely sullied her hooves, but was nonetheless an epicenter of death. Literally. All around her, the air shimmered with a silver fog, and when it touched the Equestrians, they turned on each other, dueling to the death. And through it all, the Unicorn trotted along, sidestepping blood-sprays and causing the odd fatal mistake. Occasionally, a Unicorn with a glowing horn or a visibly struggling Earth Pony or Pegasus would break out of the crowd and confront her, but every time, they would attack just to the side of her or their assault would fall just short. Then the Unicorn would casually sling her hoof around their throats and snap their necks like twigs. Some of the conquering fighters were slightly less... hinged than the others. “I’m si~ingin’ in the rain!” Lacewing chanted as he used his spear to pierce an Earth Pony’s exposed throat. “Just si~ingin’ in the rain!” Rotfang continued in the same pitch, using his brother as a springboard to pierce a Unicorn from above. They both fell into synch as they moved as one and jabbed their weapons upwards, impaling a passing Pegasus. “What a gl~orious feeling! We’re h~appy again!” Meanwhile, a twitching and hopping Changeling was bouncing through the crowd, each bounce he made punctuated by an object flying off his being and into the crowd, producing a rather loud and violent explosion. Chitter giggled as he went about his merry way. “Boom! Boom! Kaboom boom boom! Hee hee hee!” “STOP!” The Changeling blinked in surprise and planted his hooves in the ground when he suddenly found a sword pointed in his face, held in the magic of a badly singed Unicorn. “You... killed... my brother...” The soldier grit out. Chitter tilted his head in confusion. “So? I’ve killed lots of people. Some of them not even on purpose!” The Unicorn snorted angrily. “Any last words you monster?” Chitter gave a wide, honest smile as he nodded eagerly. “Yahuh!” Before the Unicorn could react, the changelings hooves whipped out and slammed into both his cheeks at once, forcing his jaw open. The Equestrian’s eyes then widened in abject panic when he felt something forced between his jaws. Chitter leapt up and landed on the Unicorn’s snout, cackling madly as he went. “BOOM!” The Unicorn’s head detonated, sending Chitter on a mad flight over the fray. And finally, some of the fighters were more unique that could possibly be imagined. Null lashed out his his hand, sending the tomahawk he held in his hand spiralling into the helmet and into the skull of an Earth Pony. He then flicked both his hands, producing a pair of blades which he then threw through the throats of a pair of Pegasi as they swooped away from him. This was then followed by a kusarigama, the scythe lashing out to dig into the base of a Unicorn’s neck, who was then pulled up by the chain and into several of her comrades. Meanwhile, Nix sent out a ball of emerald fire to engulf a soldier as he tried to blindside a Crystal Pony. She continued by augmenting the ball with a blast of magic, turning it into an inferno that engulfed the two other Equestrians standing behind him. The golem then flew up and around a Pegasus, imbibing her hand with magic before shoving it clean through the Equestrians skull. And finally, Priscilla did not so much wade through the battlefield as she did dance through it. Every step was precise and calculated. She spun the entire time, whirling about this way and that, her scythe in constant motion. Sometimes the wounds she inflicted were extravagant, decapitating and bisecting ponies, while others were minor, leaving them with little more than scratches. Either way, all damage she caused was fatal. All of this occurred in less than three minutes. The trio were a whirlwind of corporal devastation, blurs of red and green and white, leaving naught but death, damnation and pain in their wake. Weapons and magic flew through the air, maiming and crippling, while the bloodthirsty scythe simply sang the Reaper’s tune for all to hear as it flew through the air. Scholar sighed nostalgically as he watched the war wage. “This,” He stated simply, gesturing out towards Gilda as she disemboweled a Pegasus. “This is what I’ve been missing, the action, the carnage, the thrill of battle! Yes, research is all well and good, but it’s at moments like these where we are pushed to our utter limits that we truly redefine ourselves, and see what we are capable of!” Chrysalis chuckled heartily as she observed a changeling slit an Equestrian’s throat from out of the blue from a first-person view. “Waxing nostalgic, are you? Ah well, but who am I to speak. I’m enjoying it almost as much as you are! Remember that war between the Cryptlords we orchestrated so that we could uproot a good number of their conspiracies? Oh, that one went on for days!” Seath let out a half-rumbling, half-grinding laugh as he contemplated his daughter removing the limbs from a pony in a few mere swings. “Ah, those were the days indeed. And it appears that the next generation is coming along just fine too! Truly, this is a beautiful day to be alive.” Scholar nodded in agreement. “I concur wholeheartedly!” He turned his attention to the prisoner of the runic cage he was leaning against. “And what say you, Twilight?” The lavender unicorn was far too busy emptying her stomach contents to respond. Her actions were being imitated by the rest of the Elements. Only Spike managed to withhold a violent reaction, and even then just barely, much to Seath’s shame. The Rune Keeper raised an eyebrow at the vomit. “Well now, that’s unappetizing.” Turning to face her fully, he sighed, “So, are you learning anything from all this? Do you understand now? This is not some kiddy story where all of the problems go away so your mother can tell a new story every night, this is real.” He waved a hand at the mess, and Twilight’s eyes followed it just in time to see a Crystal Pony’s corpse get stabbed over and over again by a maddened Royal Guard. She turned away as Scholar saw a bolt of lightning turn the insane pony into a scorch mark as he continued, “This is a war, Twilight Sparkle, one that was delayed but was long in coming, because your mentor made mistakes that now cannot be forgiven or fixed by any way except by the destruction of all that she has built.” He leaned closer, “And unfortunately for you, it is only going to get worse. You think this is bad? This is a walk in the park. All the forces of Concordia that Celestia tried to hide away are going to come roaring back with a never before seen fury, and not all of them will be on my side. And none of you can even hope to compete.” Suddenly, a flash of pink magic drew his attention to the side. He blinked in surprise before raising an eyebrow. “Well, almost none of you anyways.” Twilight followed his gaze uneasily and gasped in shock. Shining Armor was in the full middle of the battlefield, flaring his magic energetically. He was a sight to behold. Shields flashed around him again and again, blasting away attack and attacker alike. He maneuvered his hooves expertly, making sure to clip enemies in just the right way to turn them away from him. He bore a few scratches, but was a faring far sight better than most others. Chrysalis sniffed condescendingly, “I recognize those moves. They’re the same tactics that the Crystal Ponies used to use for riot suppression.” She cast a glance over her shoulder at the still paralyzed Cadance. “You must have taught him those. Hardly fitting on a battlefield, but he may survive yet.” Scholar nodded sagely in agreement. “Indeed. See, Twilight Sparkle? This is war. And in war, people fight to their best. Hell, even those four Generals are-!” The human cut off as he glanced around, his searching becoming even more frantic as he failed to discern his targets. He snarled furiously and cast a glare up at Seath. “Where the hell did those traitors go!?” The dragon craned his neck back, staring upwards as he hummed thoughtfully, a few runes flicking past his eyeless face. Finally, he nodded. “Pilum has rallied a squadron and taken to the Subarchives, Gladia is roaming Lucente, and Arcus and Sagitta are up amidst the Overloft.” Scholar eyes darted back and forth behind his glasses as he searched his memories. “Anything compromising they can do?” Seath shook his head definitively. “None. No weak points, no nodes, no escape. They act out of desperation.” The human chewed his lip thoughtfully. “Maybe so, maybe so, but still... I’d rather they not be out there in the first place.” “Shall I dispose of them?” Scholar waved his hand dismissively. “No, no, we’ve still got forty more minutes on the clock. I’ve got a better idea.” He flipped his grimoire open with a hand, flicked to a page, and touched it with a finger, lighting the whole thing up in runes. Almost simultaneously, runes appeared near the ears of Gilda, Trixie and Iron Will. “Alright, listen up you three.” Scholar’s voice filtered out and over the din of combat. “The Generals have gone AWOL. Now, they can’t do us any harm, but better safe than sorry. They’re in the districts. Hunt them down and end them.” Iron Will nodded definitively, turning and stomping towards the edge of the plaza. “Iron Will will find Pilum, and will see which of them is stronger.” And with that, he jumped over the edge, slamming his maul into the side of the crystal structure to slow his fall. Trixie wheeled around and galloped up one of the bridges leading away from the Palace. “Trixie claims Gladia’s head. Skill-on-skill combat, as is appropriate.” Gilda snorted, releasing the charred equine corpse she was clutching by the throat. “Guess that leaves the gruesome-twosome to me.” Her beak twisted into an eager smirk. “Perfect. I needed a challenge.” She flared her wings and took to the skies anew, this time soaring far higher than before, loosing bolts of lightning as she went. Seath snorted as he watched the three depart. “So, you have faith in those three?” Scholar folded his arms and nodded confidently. “Are you kidding? Those three are prodigies, pure and simple. Out of everyone present, us and the P.O.W.s excluded, they’re the most likely to survive. Well...” Scholar turned his head and glanced towards Shining Armor, watching as he caught one of Chitter’s stray bombs and redirected it upwards, where it detonated harmlessly. Well, as harmless as possible considering the current state of events. “Them and him I suppose.” “Him!?” Chrysalis scoffed. “Please, that two-bit pomp is worthless. Captain of the Guard? What’s the point of such a title if the ‘Guard’ doesn’t even qualify as competent?” The Rune Keeper shrugged evenly. “In my opinion, it means he’s the only one who’s actually worth a damn in the whole lot. He’ll live.” He then winced when he saw the unicorn get clipped by a changeling hoof. “Maybe.” “Hmm...” Queen Chrysalis hummed in thought as she tapped her chin, a cheeky grin playing across her chitinous lips. “Well now... care to make that a wager?” Scholar blinked in surprise and gave her a befuddled look. “Clarify.” Chrysalis waved her hoof airily. “Oh, it’s easy. I bet that by the end of the time limit, Shining Armor will be little more than a corpse on the pyre.” “Hmmm...” Scholar grinned and looked upwards contemplatively. “Well now... in that case...” He stuck his hand out towards her. “I’ll put up five that he isn’t.” Chrysalis took his hand and shook it. “Make it seven.” “Deal!” “You too lunatics are betting fourteen lousy bits on my brother’s life!?” Twilight screeched in disbelief. Scholar and Chrysalis gave each other disbelieving looks before bursting into laughter. “F-fourteen bits!?” Chrysalis giggled. “Puh-leeze!” The human chortled. “Give us some credit! When we Oligarchs make a bet, we bet big! That’s seven million standard credits apiece we’re putting up! Payable in either valuable metals, favors, or objects and information of sufficient worth.” Twilight blinked in surprise. “Umm... well...” She shook her head and growled angrily at him. “That doesn’t change the fact that that’s my brother’s survival you’re betting on!” Scholar shrugged helplessly. “Eh. We’re  immortals. When you’ve lived for so long, you take your excitement where you can get it. Besides...” He gave her a disbelieving look. “The heck can you do about it?” The lavender unicorn grit her teeth and lit her horn up in response, putting as much force as she could behind a magical push. The Rune Keeper merely raised his eyebrows before flexing his own arcane muscle. The runes composing her cage flared briefly before knocking Twilight on her rump. “That’s what I thought. So, anyways, clock is starting now.” “Perfect! Now then...” Chrysalis suddenly flapped her insectoid wings, rising up above Scholar to hover by Seath’s head. “Dearest Duke Seath...” She drawled in a tempting tone. “Would you be so kind as to aid one of your oldest and dearest friends in her pursuit of wealth and power?” “What!?” Scholar protested. “Why you lying-” The changeling matriarch cut him off with a childish raspberry. She then went back to giving the dragon a pleading look. “Well?” Seath merely turned his head to give her a flat look, despite his lack of eyes. “Fifty percent of the prize.” Chrysalis’s smile turned into a scowl. “Thirty-five and not a credit more. I’m the one who started this bet in the first place.” “Forty-five. You asked for my help.” He raised an eyebrow questioningly. “Why is that anyways? For what reason do you require my assistance?” The Queen bore her fangs and growled angrily as she crossed her forelegs. “I’d order my hive to deal with the ponce myself, but they’re wrapped up in liberating your city. I’ll need your help if I’m to guarantee my prosperity.” Seath snorted angrily. “And you think my citizens aren’t either? These damn soldiers aren’t cheap to go down, you know. I can’t spare any of them.” Almost instantly, Chrysalis clasped her hooves together and pouted, the picture of cherubic benevolence. “Pleeeeeease? I’m just trying to ensure the wellbeing of my poor, innocent hive.” The dragon renewed his flat look. “Endos has several caverns filled to the brim with silver, gold, and every valuable object in between. Most of which were acquired via swindling and cheating others. Me included!” Chrysalis dropped the act and snorted in frustration. “Do you want the credits or don’t you?” Seath scratched his chin contemplatively before slowly gaining a smirk. “Now that I think about it... there is one option...” He raised a massive hand and snapped his fingers, producing a medium-sized array that flashed before disappearing. Meanwhile, Shining Armor was straining visibly as he kept a shield conjured, utilizing it to hold back the crystal broadsword of a particularly large rebel. Suddenly, a shadow falling over him drew his attention upwards. Shining Armor spared a glance upwards before widening his eyes in panic. Relying on his old training, he pushed back on his forelegs the same instant his back legs kicked, the white unicorn performing an graceful hop that drew him back seconds before a lance impaled the space he had been occupying moments before, landing on all fours. His legs were spread evenly, prepared either to charge or to block. Slowly, with a great amount of cracking and grinding, the statue that was once Prince Aristo withdrew its lance from the ground, swinging it around in a grand sweeping flourish before pointing its dragon-shaped tipped at Shining Armor. Seath let loose a rumbling chuckle as he crossed his arms pridefully. “How’s that for service?” Chrysalis gave an appreciative whistle as the two started to square off. “Oh yes, you’ve earned that forty percent.” “Yes, I have earned my forty-five percent.” “Drat.” Shining breathed heavily as he and the statue faced off. “Alright...” He growled under his breath. “You want me?” Lightning began to crackle up and down the construct’s lance in response. “So be it...” His horn shone pink as he prepared to cast a new shield. “Come and get me!” The energy coalesced at the tip of the spear, and prepared to blast at the unicorn. In three... two... “Look out!” Suddenly, Shining Armor was tackled out of nowhere, taking him out of the diamond lancer’s line of sight and forcing it to cancel its attack. Shining Armor shook his head as he tried to reorient himself. He found himself clutched in the white aura of an Equestrian soldier’s magic, being dragged down a flight of stairs and away from the battlefield. “Hey! What do you think you’re doing!?” He tried to struggle, but was rewarded with a hoof upside the back of his head. “Saving your life!” The soldier huffed before setting the other unicorn down. “Now hurry up and run!” “But!” Shining Armor stared desperately at the runic cages containing the Oligarch’s prisoners. “Cadance-!” “Is alive!” The soldier interrupted. “Which is something you won’t be if that Gem Custodian catches us! And unless the princess is into some seriously weird stuff, I’m fairly certain she wants you with a beating heart! Now hurry!” Shining Armor gave the battlefield a final, mournful look before galloping after the soldier. Seath scowled furiously, raising a claw to point in their direction. “After them, you fool!” He ordered, his voice layered with violent magic. The crystal remains of Aristo acted briskly, darting through the throngs of fighters in the direction indicated, occasionally stabbing or blasting Equestrians as it went. Scholar growled as he watched the construct give chase. “You slippery sons of- two can play at that game!” He brought his fingers to his lips and whistled loudly. “Nix! Null!” The lethal blurs came to a sudden halt, Null holding a soldier up with a pair of foot-long hand claws and Nix impaling one with an aetherial blade. “Yeah?” They called out. “Tail Shining Armor and keep his ass in one piece!” “WHAT!?!” They cried in shock, the red one airing his struggling target’s chest cavity when he jerked his claws to the side and the green one all but blowing the back of hers off in a magical detonation. “Are you nuts!?” “Less lip, more moving!” Scholar bellowed. “Hurry the hell up, I’ve got a fortune riding on that stallion!” The twins growled indignantly for a moment before wheeling around and darting away into the city. “Cheater.” Chrysalis pouted. “Oh cram it up your abdomen.” The human groused. “You’re the ones who started it!” Seath sighed and moved his head in a direction similar to another being rolling their eyes as the two started to bicker and snipe at each other. “Here we go again...” He muttered under his breath. Nonetheless, nothing could hide the shifting of his lipless fangs. One might have been able to say that the dragon was smirking as he turned his head towards one part of the city. Seconds later, an explosion erupted from deep within the Subarchives.