I sat behind a bright white console as Subject three was wheeled into the room. "Good morning Sandy...how are you feeling?" The bug like pony snapped at me, struggling in its binds and screeching. "I know it hurts little one...I know...but soon it will be over."

I ran my hand over her solid skull. I noticed my assistance bringing over the proper supplies. I filled a syringe with the white paste and held the subject's mouth open. "Easy!" she tried to snap her mouth shut. I barely managed to jam the tip of the syringe in her mouth before forcing the liquid down her throat.

I stepped back, letting the syringe fall to the floor as the subject went still as a board, her eyes glowing bright as I hurried to my console. "Hook her to the system!"

A unicorn stallion bolted out and dragged a few cables from the console and started sticking them to the changelings head. "Enough, I have it." I watched the screen go from pitch black to a fuzzy white as the video slowly cleared.

The stallion slowly trotted over and looked at the video with me. "So...what is this?"

I let out a soft sigh and leaned back in my chair. "This...these are memories...raw electricity we can interpret as thoughts or visions, amazing really." the screen finally cleared to a useable point. Images of large rock spires and a large tower were finally visible. "Look...see this." I pointed to the tower. "Each time we do this, that fucking tower is there. It is where they are coming from, I know it."

I continued to watch as the tower grew closer and closer, the subjects memories must have been flying or being flown the way they approached the tower. "What's happening?" my assistance pestered.

"The same thing as all the others...pay attention to the taller one." I pointed out the tall unicorn mare in the center of the subject's vision. "She is beautiful...but watch."

My assistance leaned in and watched in horror as a bright light consumed the tower, this subject's view was perfect, she had been standing downwind of whatever calamity wrought their curse. The large mare seemed to be as calm as could be as she was enveloped by the light.

The subject's memories went blank. The next visual on the screen was of Subject one, staring down at Subject three. "That's it...that's all we're getting." I cut the feed and went to unhook the creature. "Newton, take her to standard detoxification. Month long regiment, understood?"

My assistant nodded dutifully and carting the changeling towards the chemical treatments we've been giving them. Two months and only a single glimmer of hope remained. One of the more recently changed bug ponies was showing signs of regaining memories.

I sat back and pondered my amazing luck. They asked me to try and find out what happened and all I could do is watch as a lovely mare was continually swallowed up by a blinding light. And that thing, Subject one's face, every time I thought I could get something more I saw her damn face, smiling, mocking me.

I wished they'd allow me to drive a spike through that bitch creature's head. But I was under a direct order to dig out as much information as I could before either curing or disposing of these miserable wretches. I pressed the button on my console. "Bring in subject two."

I waited and yet the subject never came. A loud crackle came from the speaker behind me. "Doctor, Subject two has passed away, we are still determining cause."

I felt the rage build inside me as I slammed the console. "Fucking bitch! Subject one, then!"

I waited with an angry expression as Newton wheeled Subject one into the center of the room. He preempted me and set the readers to her skull. I patted him on the head as I passed by and undid the Subject's muzzle. "Subject one...Queen Chrysalis...I heard you can talk...so how about you save me some time and let me figure out what this is all about eh?"

She didn't say a thing, just stared at me. "Okay then...I guess we do this the hard way." I gestured for Newton. "Get me more of the solution, and a way to feed it into her, maybe a tube or something." Newton nodded and hurried out. I turned to the subject and looked her over. "I know who you are...it's obvious...you were beautiful once...but now...." I couldn't finish my sentence. However tragic a change it was, it was no excuse to spread her curse like a virus.

Newton came back in with the supplies. I forced the tube into the subject's throat and hooked everything up. I could now control the dosage of the white formula uninterrupted. "Newton how much more of this do we have?"

Newton joined me behind the console. "The princess just sent another batch if we need it."

I shook my head and started the feed. "I think this should be fine, but go get some just in case."

Newton darted out of the room as the subject's memories started to come into focus. As I expected, she was the tall mare from the other subjects recollections. Such a shame to lose someone that beautiful. Things played out as they always did, a large gathering, a tower, then the bright light. I leaned back in my chair and watched the subject as her memories went black. "Nothing...I learn nothing from you...." I held my head in my hands as I wallowed in my failure.

I snapped upright as the screen came back to life. An image of a black figure thrusting over a smaller green one. I upped the dosage she was taking, the colors of the screen grew more vivid and the Subject started talking.

I bolted upright, kicking my chair over and pulling the tube from her mouth. I ran back to the console and watched as the Subject narrated her side of the story.

The vision grew clearer, and either comatose or dead mare was being violated by a coal black stallion. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry- I never thought-" the coal stallion backed off the limp body, slowly kicking it aside and trotting over to the subject and staring at her. "Please...no."

I couldn't tell what the stallion was saying, but he quickly disappeared behind the subject. Her vision started rocking back and forth as she babbled to herself. "Please, it hurts, it hurts!" her vision was fixated on the empty eyes of the previous mare, zooming in and out between thrusts. "Please...I can't...it hurts." her once hearty whimpers and moans were quickly becoming more and more defeated as the vision went on.

Eventually her vision stopped rocking as she was shoved forward. "I want to die...just let me die...."

My mind went to a very dark place as I recalled everything I knew about Subject one. She's been a problem for nearly two thousand years, or so I was told. Whatever this was, whatever this coal black bastard did was horrific. He wasn't simply happy with the rape and murder of an innocent in front of another, no, he made her carry that image for life unending.

I looked at the Subject, the light from her eyes was glistening in her tears as the abuse went on. I watched as once again the video cut out, coming back to the faces of uncountable changelings surrounding the subject.

I cut the video as ponies were slowly encased in cocoons. Whatever she could tell me about fixing this, it was gone by now. I cradled my head in my right arm and leaned against the console.

"I didn't remember that...why would you make me remember that?"

I stood up and walked over to the subject. "I thought I could fix you...I thought maybe I could mend this...deformity."

She looked up at me with an indescribable amount of pain in her eyes. "I didn't remember what happened...I didn't want to!" she started trying to burst from her restraints. "Why!? Do I deserve to relive that!? Did I deserve this!?"

I put my hand on her head, keeping it safely out of reach of her mouth. "I'm sorry...I had no idea." I rubbed the edge of her mane with my thumb. "You were beautiful...."

"I was normal! I never...I...I don't even know my real name." she laid her head back in the gurney. "I don't know my name."

She didn't cry, letting her cry would have been the easier path. She just sat there, staring blankly at the ceiling as her world crumbled around her. I grabbed her by the cheeks. "I promise you...I will find out." I thought back to every subject I'd watched, trying to piece together what I could. I could only piece together one word. "Princess...." I let her go, keeping on hand on the gurney. "Princess...of what...I do not know." I turned her head to meet my own. "But I promise you, I will find out."

Newton tiptoed over. "Doctor...should I-"

"Chemical treatment, triple dosage. Cure her, or kill her. Either way is a mercy." I rubbed her forehead with my thumb as she was wheeled out of the room.

I lumbered back behind the console and sat there for what felt like hours. I pulled back a log, leaving a blurry image of the mare that had once been burned into the screen. That is who I'm fighting for...that is who I spoke to. Not that vile bug creature, not that shell of a beast, but the true person inside of it.

I'm not sure whether that was the right thing to do or not, but I pray to god that I will be judged on my intentions, for my actions come at a heavy price.

Author's Note

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