Upheaval: Legacy

by Visiden Visidane

Parents and Purpose

Upheaval: Legacy

Chapter 4: Parents and Purpose

“Ponyville!” Spike cried out. He couldn't believe it was finally time. The snow from the worst winter ever was finally melting, his training was complete, and he was finally allowed to return to his friends. He soared past Everfree Forest, admiring the enormous shadow he cast on the trees below. With a graceful flourish, he landed in the middle of the village, expecting a great many “oohs” and “aahs” from the ponies all around.

A horrible and deep wail blared from village square's sirens followed by the screams of every pony who caught sight of him. “Wait!” he told them. “It’s me! It’s Spike! I’m not going to hurt any of you!” He cringed as his voice came out as vicious roars. Something struck the scales on his chest. He looked down and saw a crossbow bolt fall away. Several more followed.

“Seifralhadar!” Seethe Scale was suddenly right next to Spike. She roared at the panicking ponies and the line of legionnaires that had formed up. “It’s us against them!”

“No!” Spike roared. He raised a claw to stop her, but it was too late. She exhaled a great blast of fire, consuming the entire line legionnaires. They screamed only briefly before collapsing. Their molten armor ran across the ground while their bodies sizzled and smoked. Every nearby house with their wooden doors and their thatched roofs caught flame. The screams grew louder and more frantic.

Big Macintosh neighed loudly, and jumped past the flaming wreckage of an apple cart. He rammed into Seethe Scale so the other ponies could escape. She rumbled deeply in her chest, then lifted him with both claws. Stoic as Big Macintosh had always been, even he had to cry out when sharp dragon claws sank deep into his flesh.

“Stop! Seethe Scale, don’t eat Big Mac! Don’t eat him!” Despite Spike's pleas, Seethe Scale bit down on Big Macintosh’s head, and pulled. His neck stretched and tore. Blood spattered all over Seethe Scale’s white fur, and dripped from the bits of torn muscle and few remaining ligaments still attaching the head to the rest the body. Throughout the gruesome scene, Ponyville’s siren continued to drone on and on…

Spike groaned and opened his eyes. The dream was already receding, but that awful droning noise continued. Seethe Scale was already up. She moved to the very back of the cave, the one place that she didn't allow him to explore, and took something. “What’s going on?” he asked. “What’s that awful noise?”

“Alarm,” Seethe Scale said. “A rogue dragon is approaching Wallforge.”

The mention of a dragon attack may as well have been a bucket of ice water hurled into Spike’s face. “What am I supposed to do?” he asked. He already feared the answer. He wanted to see firsthand how the Barrier Lands reacted to dragons, but Seethe Scale was likely going to ask him to stay in the cave while she dealt with the problem.

“You’re coming with me,” Seethe Scale said. “You need to see this.” She lowered her shoulder so Spike could climb to her back.

The feel of Seethe Scale's coarse hair between Spike's fingers suddenly made him realize that this was the closest he had been to her since they met. The nearness only made her size more apparent. She was undoubtedly a giant among ponies. Her fur made it difficult to notice, but she was very strong; a veritable wall of sinewy muscle, coarse fur, and toughened scales. His dream lingered within the recesses of his mind. Even Big Macintosh, the biggest and strongest pony he knew, would be a mere colt compared to her. Even alone, it wouldn't take much for Seethe Scale to demolish Ponyville and slaughter its inhabitants. ‘Or me either…’ he thought.

Still, a full-grown dragon would dwarf Seethe Scale. The Legion relied on her to kill ‘rogue dragons’, but he doubted that she did her job by matching her foes brawn for brawn. That was where her weaponry came in, he supposed. On her back, he moved a few inches aside as she slung a bow across her shoulders. It had to be a bow from the shape and from what other ponies had said. The weapon was made from a white, flexible material that curved into a graceful crescent shape. Even unstrung, it maintained its curve. Seethe Scale grabbed hold of the great roll of dragongut attached to one end, then stretched it over to form the string. “Is…is that how you hunt dragons?” he asked. The continuing siren forced him to raise his voice.

“Yes."

“What’s it called?”

“The pony who crafted it called it ‘Dragonslayer Greatbow’. I just call it ‘Father’.”

“Father? Why?”

“His bones. His gut.” Seethe Scale attached an enormous quiver full of the barbed arrows to the belt she was wearing, then unfolded her wings. "Spike?"

"Yes?"

"If it helps you sleep better, I promise not to eat Big Mac."

"Uh...thanks. I'm sure he'll appreciate it too."

“Hold on.” Seethe Scale flapped her wings a couple of times, then took off. In an instant, Spike was clutching desperately at hanks of her fur as a cold winter draft blasted him in the face. He closed his eyes on instinct, before bits of grit flew into them. “Over there,” Seethe Scale said.

Spike forced his eyes open, and followed Seethe Scale’s claw. Snow-capped trees covered the icy expanse of the Western Barrier Land’s terrain, turning it into a tapestry of whites and greens as far as he could see. Wallforge was only a short flight away, easily spotted with its massive gray walls, and the smoke from its hundreds of chimneys. It was the dragon approaching the city that held his attention.

The dragon was huge, easily adult-sized. It walked on the ground with six legs, a single one able to crush a house with a step, despite the pair of wings on its back. Its long, serpentine body was covered in dark green scales and divided into two segments from the way its legs were positioned.

“Gluttony Dragon,” Seethe Scale rumbled. “There is no negotiating with this one.”

“What are gluttony dragons like?” Spike yelled over the draft.

“The name should tell you everything,” Seethe Scale said. She banked to her left, to get a good spot that had a view of the dragon’s side. “This one is liable to stuff the entire city in its gullet, walls and all, if it’s not stopped.”

Spike looked at the gluttony dragon’s serpent-like head. Unlike other dragons he encountered, it didn't have any horns, spines, or a crest. “It’s got a pretty small head to fit an entire city,” he said. “Do its jaws work like a snake’s?”

“You’re looking at its talking mouth,” Seethe Scale said. The gluttony dragon reared up. Two pairs of its legs remained on the ground while the foremost pair spread out as if it was going to embrace the city.

Wallforge's pegasi squads flew around its attacker in formations. They swooped in, slashing with their enormous, curved blades. Several dove head-first, and stabbed the dragon's back with their spears. The dragon let out a hiss and tried to swat the pegasi away, but its slow swings found nothing but air. There were more ponies along the walls, wheeling forward ballistae and catapults. Lightning flashed as several unicorn magi unleashed their magic. An enormous arcing blast flew from behind the walls, slamming into the dragon's back hard enough to make it wince.

Spike could only gasp and wince as the dragon’s chest quivered, then split open from the base of its neck all the way to just above its middle pair of legs. Hundreds upon hundreds of dagger-like teeth lined the resulting flaps of flesh and the maw itself. The gaping jaws displaced its front claws so that they were almost parallel at its back. Great gobs of yellowish slime dripped from the cavernous mouth, hissing and smoking wherever they landed.

“That’s the feeding mouth,” Seethe Scale said.

Spike clutched at his own chest. “Thank Celestia I didn’t turn into a gluttony dragon!” he said.

Seethe Scale landed on an outcropping of rock, still a good distance from the monstrosity as it continued to lumber onwards. The gluttony dragon was so bent on eating the city and fending off its attackers that it hadn't noticed them. Spike shivered and held on to Seethe Scale tightly. The dragon was so big that it plunged them entirely in its shadow. Seethe Scale lifted her enormous weapon, and plunged the spike on its base into the rock. Her shoulders tensed, and her arms bulged as she nocked an arrow. The silence of the whole encounter was disturbing. The gluttony dragon didn't roar or thrash, and the city’s defenders were so far that all that could be heard from them were a few distant shouts. For a moment, Spike watched breathlessly as Seethe Scale kept her bow taut and aimed. There was a loud thrum and the arrow was gone.

The gluttony dragon suddenly thrashed about. It didn't cry out, but a violent growl escaped its gigantic maw. Seethe Scale’s enormous arrow stuck out of its skull. Great clumps of soil, mixed with boulders and tree trunks, flew around them. One tree sailed over Spike, then splintered when it struck the rocks behind him. Seethe Scale didn't even budge. She fired a second arrow. This one punched through the gluttony dragon’s neck, leaving a hole that a pony could crawl through in its wake. Hot blood rained on both of them, soaking Seethe Scale’s white fur an ugly crimson, and forcing Spike to wipe the slick liquid from his eyes. Another tree flew towards them. Seethe Scale simply opened her jaws and exhaled a blast of flames. Spike coughed and choked as a cloud of ash engulfed them. A loud crash sent more snow and dust rising and, when Spike finally cleared his vision, the gluttony dragon had disappeared under all the debris it raised.

Spike tried to lean in and see, but his arms trembled so badly that he could barely maintain his grip. He let out a small cry when his claws slipped and he started to slide off Seethe Scale's back. His legs kicked on instinct, but they found no purchase. Seethe Scale shifted slightly, letting him get his balance back.

“Calm down,” Seethe Scale said. “It’s dead.”

The ponies circling above them cheered while the cloud settled. Spike strained to see what should be a massive corpse, but he couldn't even make out a silhouette. Seethe Scale leaped from her spot, and glided gently towards the center of the cloud. When everything had settled at last, Spike finally spotted the body.

Instead of the corpse of the rampaging monster, the body of a juvenile that couldn't be past its early teens lay on the torn ground. He gagged when he saw the stubbly wings, the gangly legs, the badly ripped neck, and the half of the face that was still there. The arrows were nowhere to be seen.

“Gluttony phase,” Seethe Scale said. “Not a true adult. A dragon of the correct age would have noticed us at least.”

Spike seized the fur around the kirin’s neck, and tugged at them hard to make her look at him. “You knew?” he shouted. “You knew that it was just some kid going through a phase, and you shot him dead?”

“Yes.”

Spike pounded Seethe Scale's back with both fists. “Why?" he cried out. "Wasn't there some other way? Couldn't you have done something to change him back? I survived my appetite phase! Why couldn't he?”

“Different dragon, different circumstances,” Seethe Scale grunted. She walked over to the corpse, and picked it up.

Spike gripped the fur tightly. “What are you doing now?” he asked. He inhaled sharply and held it, already expecting the answer.

“Breakfast.”

Spike's jaw dropped. “You’re going to eat him?”

“Yes.”

“That’s disgusting!” Spike snarled. "You're disgusting!"

“For a pony," Seethe Scale said. "For a dragon, being eaten by another dragon is the most honorable way to have your corpse treated.” Seethe Scale glanced at the city behind her. “The opposite is to have your remains turned into construction material. If you’re finding yourself sick, think more like a dragon.”

Spike folded his arms and glared at Seethe Scale. She was right. Of course she was right. She knew everything there was to dragons while he knew nothing at all. He was the full-blood while she was the half-breed, but he was the angry and ignorant one while she lectured him. He hated it. He hated every bit of knowledge she imparted to him with her cold, unchanging face and her terse way of talking. Dragons were awesome and majestic when he was sitting by the sidelines of their great migration with all his pony friends. The more he found out about his own kind, the more their savagery appalled him.

The pegasi legionnaires had landed all around them and more ponies were coming out of the city. She grunted and flexed her wings. A low, rousing chant emerged from the gathered ponies. They pounded their hooves on the ground in unison while a few reared up to cheer her.

“Seethe Scale!"

"Seethe Scale!"

"Seethe Scale!”

---

Seethe Scale flinched. Staring. Staring everywhere. Ponies with their big, soulful eyes just looking and looking. Their cheers melded into an incoherent drone. Their faces blurred into a mass of judging eyes. She covered her face with a wing, and took a step back.

There was once an abomination with no place in this world.

“What’s the matter?” Spike asked.

“I don’t like crowds,” Seethe Scale muttered. She flapped her wings and rose to the air with the dead dragon in her claws. The gathered ponies below them cheered even louder. Some of them even galloped after her.

“They just wanted to show their thanks,” Spike said. Some of the outrage had died out of his voice. Perhaps genuine concern moved him, but Seethe Scale suspected that he just wanted to move on. The sight of her discomfort likely looked better than the sight of a dead dragon.

Seethe Scale had put several miles between her and those stares when she replied. “I don’t want their thanks,” she said. “I don’t protect Wallforge for Wallforge’s sake.”

“Then, why do you protect Wallforge?”

“Wallforge is one of the prince’s favorite cities,” Seethe Scale replied. "It contributes greatly to the foundation of the Western Barrier Land's defenses. It's plain, it's strong, and its ponies work long and hard. But it's often beset by rogue dragons and ursan agents."

“You’re doing all of this just for Prince Terrato?” Spike asked.

Seethe Scale lowered his voice. “The prince ransomed my life from the Draco'dim at a great cost. Every day, I must prove that he made a wise investment.”

Spike said nothing else after that. He shifted on Seethe Scale's back and let out a little groan of disgust as she dug into her meal. The young bones crunched between her powerful jaws. This one...wasn't very good. The truth was, Seethe Scale wasn't particularly fond of dragon flesh. The bones were too hard, the scales tended to get stuck between teeth, and the flesh was not as savory as boar or bear. She had planned on a breakfast of gems today, but the slaying of one so young deserved the best way of disposing the body.

It was a good quarter of an hour after Seethe Scale had finished the last of her gristly breakfast, but Spike seemed more uncomfortable than ever. She could feel his heart thumping against her back, and his grip on her fur was tight. He must have realized now that she wasn't flying home. “So…uh…where are we going?” he asked.

“The lair of Himfadora,” Seethe Scale replied. “She’s an envy dragon who wants to meet you.”

The farther they flew, the more rugged the landscape became. They flew past a frozen gorge, then plunged into a valley so deep that the sun’s rays barely made it through. Here, foliage gave way to jagged rock formations. They flew between the sheer walls of a narrow corridor of rock and until they came upon the entrance of a cave. The size alone should tell Spike what he should be expecting.

“Remember my warnings,” Seethe Scale said.

---

Spike swallowed a lump in his throat and nodded. ‘Seifralhadar,’ he thought. ‘So long as I’m out here with Seethe Scale, my name is Seifralhadar.’ Some of his frustration returned. Why should the Draco’dim even care what his name was? Why were they willing to kill dragons for petty slights like this? Having them be the closest thing to dragonkind’s rulers was wrong no matter how he looked at it. Not allowing dragons to eat ponies didn't make things alright. He clenched his fists tightly, the ends of his claws digging into his palms so hard that he might draw blood.

Spike looked around impatiently after a minute passed. Dragons were a fiercely territorial lot, as Seethe Scale had explained, easily provoked into a rage by trespassing. The respectful way was to wait at the entrance until their host detected their scents and gave them permission to enter.

“The half-pony is back I see.”

The loud, hissing voice came from the innermost recesses of the cave. If Seethe Scale hadn't mentioned that the dragon they were going to meet was a “her”, he wouldn't have figured it out from the voice.

“And she has an actual dragon with her. Is he the one to make the claim?”

“Yes,” Seethe Scale replied. “This is Seifralhadar.”

“What?” Spike asked loudly, his eyes wide as he stared at Seethe Scale. She didn't even blink at his question.

Neither did the dragon in the cave it seemed. “Enter,” Himfadora called out. Seethe Scale took a step forward, but Spike remained where he was.

“Tell me what this whole ‘make the claim’ business is all about first!” Spike said when Seethe Scale looked at him.

“If you loiter out here, Himfadora will take it as an insult,” Seethe Scale replied. “She’ll sting you, and you’ll die. More from bursting like a too full water balloon than from any effect of the poison.”

Spike ground his teeth. “You’ll explain inside right?” he asked.

“You have not even bothered to tell him, half-pony?” Himfadora said. “Sometimes, it’s hard to tell who is worse: Afralhadar or Terrato. Everything will be explained in time, Seifralhadar. Now, come inside.”

Spike forced himself to be mollified for now. What was this claiming business? Was it part of his disguise just to hide from the Draco’dim? His resentment towards Seethe Scale’s terse methods returned. If she had her way, the world would be reduced to yes or no questions. His darkvision took over when the light from the entrance failed.

Unlike Seethe Scale’s naturally-formed cave, Himfadora’s lair was clearly carved out of the surrounding rock. The floor was smooth, as were the walls. Gigantic rounded pillars rose around them, each one easily fifty feet high. Spike caught a glimpse of the piles of coins and gems as he walked farther in, but he made sure not to look at them. Dragons distrusted their kind most of all when it came to treasure. One covetous creature knew the mind of another one all too well. He followed the loud breathing and looked up.

Himfadora reclined on a raised marble slab that looked over her entire hoard. Darkvision made it impossible to tell what color her scales were. She was very sleek for a dragon of her size and her scales were fine, like a snake’s. A majestic, spined crest, each spine about five feet from root to tip, ran down from her forehead to her tail, which coiled on itself several times before hanging down the slab. It had to be twice as long as the tails of other dragons he had seen. It ended in a great stinger, similar to that of a scorpion’s.

“I expected a slightly bigger dragon,” Himfadora said. “But that may be because of your pedigree. If you listen to the stories, one would expect Reinfadora’s hatchling to come out of his egg fully grown.”

“Seifralhadar has spent all his life fending for himself in the Heartland,” Seethe Scale said. “His growth has been delayed.”

“But now that the pony prince has assigned him to your care, he’s going to be better I take it?” Himfadora said. “The others won’t take well to the idea that he is pony-grown.”

“Just hold on!” Spike yelled. He clapped his own claws over his mouth at the outburst, but being surrounded by creatures so much bigger than him made it feel as if anything less would not be heard. “What do you mean Reinfadora’s hatchling? What’s going on?”

Himfadora stretched herself out lazily, and let out a hiss. “We’ll get to the details later. First, we make sure that we’re not wasting our time and pinning our hopes on a worthless hatchling.” She snaked her head down towards Spike. “Did you really think that the pony prince sent you here out of the kindness of his heart? He needs you to accomplish things, and I am going to make sure that you are up to the task. After all, it’s my neck on the line if you aren't.”

Spike looked to Seethe Scale again. “Seifralhadar will prove himself,” she said. “I believe in him.”

Himfadora rose from the marble slab, and walked deeper into the cave. Spike nearly jumped at eerily swift motion. Himfadora moved on her thin limbs like a big spider suddenly scuttling about. “Follow me, I know just the place for him to prove himself,” she called out after them.

“Prince Terrato said that I’m here to grow stronger,” Spike said. “He’s using me, isn't he?”

“Of course he’s using you,” Seethe Scale replied. “Just as he’s using me, Himfadora, and the others.”

Spike stomped a foot. “What for?" he asked. "Why didn't he just tell me from the start?”

“Equestria will need allies soon. Your friends and his sisters would not have agreed to burden you with this task. You are a hatchling to them. The prince needs you to be more.” Seethe Scale followed after Himfadora. Spike grabbed a hold of her fur in response. She stopped, and looked at him, her eyes glowing gold in the darkness. “Earlier, you protested against the way the Draco’dim ruled. Here’s your chance to do something about it.”

The challenge left Spike silent. It was true that that something had to be done about the Draco’dim. But what could he do? He was barely more than a hatchling. “Is it because I’m this Reinfadora’s hatchling?” he asked quietly. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer. He was torn between wanting to believe just to have something about his possible origins and viewing the whole thing as just some elaborate lie by either Prince Terrato or this Himfadora.

“Yes.”

Seethe Scale picked him up with a claw, and settled him on her back as she walked. The deeper recesses of the cave resembled the hallways of a palace. Or a tomb. Himfadora did not believe in keeping her hoard in one enormous, arrogant pile. There were little rooms carved into the sides of the cave, each holding small, meticulously organized piles of treasure. With Himfadora far ahead, Spike ventured a better look. One room held neatly stacked coins, another held carefully shelved diamonds. If Twilight turned into a dragon, her cave would probably resemble this. Except with labels on each room.

"Why all the organization?" he whispered.

"Envy dragons resort to nuancing in the perpetual hoard competitions in their mind," Seethe Scale said just as softly. "Perhaps you have a bigger hoard than them, but they have more diamonds, or more coins, or more decorative goblets. Anything to 'win'."

Spike frowned. Envy dragon didn't sound like something he wanted to be either. So scratch two from the very bad list of what he'd grow up into. Maybe he'd have a better idea if he knew his birth parents. As they went deeper and deeper into the cave, Spike tried to picture what his actual mother would look like. The only image that ever formed was Princess Celestia. He welcomed the inability. It was true that he had always been curious, but that had always been all it was: a mild curiosity. He needed no other family than the one he actually grew up with. “Just who was Reinfadora?” he asked.

“Reinfadora," Seethe Scale said. The reverence was unmistakable in her voice. "Draco’hraz, Draco’riina, Draco’shur Saryll…”

Spike raised an eyebrow. “Uh…I don’t understand a word of that.”

“You should get used to those words at least. Reinfadora: Dragon Scourge, Dragon Queen, Dragon of Sin.”

“D-did you just say ‘queen’?”

“As close as there could ever be one among dragons,” Seethe Scale replied. "Reinfadora's name carries a great deal of influence. Even today."

Spike leaned closer to Seethe Scale's face. “What happened to her?” he asked softly.

“Sickness,” Seethe Scale said. “Even a mighty sin dragon can fall to a bad infection. It was a humbling experience for all of dragonkind. So much so that many refused to accept it. Many dragons turned on her mate, Drellhadar, thinking that he had cooked up something in his laboratories that killed her.” Seethe Scale eyed Spike closely. “He was your father.”

“And what was he like?” Spike asked.

Seethe Scale hesitated. “Drellhadar the Malformed...a hideous creature supposedly, born almost blind, with neither scales nor hind legs. Only a milky white skin and a mass of tails that dragged him to where he wished to go.”

“What kind of dragon was he?”

“No one is sure. Drellhadar’s early life was a secret, and he didn't fit with the other categories of dragon.”

“So my mother is the queen of dragons and my father was deformed monster…”

Before Seethe Scale could reply, the two of them finally caught up with Himfadora. She was perched over great hole in the ground. Spike tried to look at what could lie within, but even his darkvision failed him.

“Below is the entrance to one of Drellhadar’s laboratories,” Himfadora said. “Some of the guardians he created are still active. They are meant to recognize him and those who carry his blood. If you are truly his and Reinfadora’s hatchling, they will acknowledge you.”

“And if he’s not?” Seethe Scale asked.

Himfadora grinned, revealing a row of broken, but still sharp teeth. “Drellhadar delighted in killing intruders in violent and horrific ways.”

“Seifralhadar will pass with no trouble,” Seethe Scale said. She turned towards Spike. “You can do this.”

Spike edged closer to the hole, and shuddered. “I-I don’t know. Why do I even need to do this?”

“The prince needs you to be a seed of influence among dragonkind,” Seethe Scale said. “The dragons need you as a symbol to rally behind and overthrow the Draco’dim’s tyranny. You need to harness your origins to help your friends. Find the balance.”

Spike held on tightly to Seethe Scale’s fur as she jumped down and winged her way through the darkness.

Comments

[The Descendant]

Seifralhadar

Does the name carry any meaning?

I promise not to eat Big Mac.

I made myself the same promise. I've lost 30 pounds since I stopped eating at fast food restaurants.

[The Descendant]

The arrows were no

This sentence was never completed.

If you’re finding yourself sick. Think more like a dragon.”

This should probably be one sentence, connected by a comma.

[Voldine]

Aha! I knew I recognized some of this from somewhere else back when I was reading these as intermission chapters in Reckoning!

Gluttony Dragon form is spot on for the Gaping Dragon.
Seethe Scale has something of the background of Crossbreed Priscilla, with a name that is a variation of Seath the Scaleless.
Drellhadar's description is a perfect fit for Seath the Scaleless.

Bravo for not getting noticed for this before. The only reason I even made the connection now while missing it before is because of the recent Steam Migration for Dark Souls from GFWL.

I eagerly await more.

[djthomp]

Poor dream Mac.

Heh, I still can't help but think that the gluttony dragon sounds an awful lot like a less pleasant version of Crackle. Hey, maybe the magic of the heartland ended up changing how some of the adult forms worked.

[Ganon]

Yes a lot of the characters are based off if dark souls

[Cerulean Voice]

Couple typos here, mang.

This one punch through the gluttony dragon’s neck

Seethe Scale simply opened her jaws and exhaled a blast flames

Welp, better man up, Spikalhadar.

I also want to squee over my favourite piece of dragon headcanon you instilled in this chapter, that of the honourable and dishonourable deaths of dragons. It's so great.

[Swirling Blade]

Wow! I'm re-reading through the [iUpheaval] stories and only just noticed all of the Dark Souls references in this chapter!