Corrupted Lands

by Nameless Narrator

Rating: teen
Tags: Sex, Adventure, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark
Length: 63800

Two centuries after Twilight Sparkle's ascension, the pony races are nearly gone. The ancient kingdom of Equestria cannot be traversed safely, and deadly beasts roam the land. Will ponies recover from this horror, or is the time of their rule over?

The Corrupted came from the west, that is all that's known. Before ponies understood what's going on, princess Celestia marched to stop them. She had to know something nopony else did, but it wasn't enough.

The last vestiges of ponies and changelings are now ruled by princess Luna, queen Chrysalis, and Twilight Sparkle, starving and losing hope in face of an enemy who grows stronger with every passing day.

Sex tag for: descriptions of bodyparts and base animal instincts. No clop.

Published 2015-12-13 03:10:01 UTC
Last updated 2016-06-08 21:29:53 UTC

New Hope: Strange company

The black, shiny tendrils of the Hunter above me reach out of his sheath, one clearly headed towards my mouth, one leaving a sticky trail on my belly, and one sliding down my inner thigh.

Okay, okay, there's just four of them, and they are still only Hunters. After Drones, these are the weakest Corrupted, so if I play my cards right I might get out of this in one still thinking piece. All I need to do is not make them mad, have them enjoy their time with me, and keep remembering that I'm still a pony, rather than a more than willing pouch for their seed. Right? Easy!

I only wish my body wouldn't make the last part so damn... inviting.

Alright, focus!

I carefully move my legs, and when the Hunter does nothing to stop me I pull the tendril closest to my muzzle inside my mouth and lick it. The Hunter lets out a low moan as an answer.

Definitely not as bad as I thought.

I keep going, and it seems my only half-fake eagerness surprised the Hunter. As long as I don't stop sucking he makes no moves to go for my hind parts, and his two other tentacles only keep slithering all over my body.

Mmmm it tastes so good... strong... warm...

GET A GRIP!

I already am, and it's in my m-

Right, right, I AM NOT, I repeat - AM NOT, enjoying this whatsoever.

More approaching hoofsteps make me stop, but the Hunter does not press forward. In fact, he takes several steps away from me. Perhaps the Hunter who left to chase Lunar finally returned with him and the others want to plunder his ass first? That would be fun to watch. Free from the body atop me, I look in the direction of the newcomer.

Newcomers.

In the second I turn my head I know I'm dead. If I was really lucky I could have survived the Hunters and possibly returned to Ponyville, spent few days under observation for the spread of corruption, and then returned back to my duties. Hey, I'm not THAT weird for a pony, I know some others who have a thing for semi-corrupted mares. The dark and oily fur which is the first sign of corruption has some appeal to the adventurous, after all. Sadly, the one of the two approaching Corrupted assure me that the pony called Nightshade will not be returning anywhere, and will spend the rest of her existence being mindlessly rutted by anything and everything. Such is the life of a female Breeder.

One of the incoming duo really is the Hunter who left to chase my unit, but the other one is a Corruptor, undoubtedly being the alpha of the wandering group.

Corruptors are special in that they don't have to look like ponies, and the best way to describe them is like a corruption given solid form, rather than a corrupted pony. This one looks like a hybrid of a wolf and an equine, completely black and dripping inky liquid from his coat. As the name we gave them suggests, their main purpose is to infest faster and deeper than any other type we know of. Well, possibly a Queen, but nopony has ever met one and lived to tell the tale.

Talons form from the Corruptor's front hooves and squeeze my neck. As I open my mouth to gasp for breath, he opens his and pushes some wriggling mass inside me.

I choke, I cry, I struggle. The longer it lasts, the more I like it, though. I moan with the mass sliding down my throat, its twisting sending shivers down my spine. I stop resisting, and push myself up to get more of the living infestation into me.

An ear-splitting screech wakes me up from my trance, and I start choking again as my throat resumes its natural function. Or perhaps being penetrated by a long, thick appendage is its true purpose. Filled and-

Mental slap, right now!

Through wet eyes I can't see what's going on, but the Corruptor's twisted tongues get ripped out of my abused throat. A quick wipe of my face lets me get a good look at the black body of my assaulter flying away and breaking several of the strange pale trees around.

The Hunters are backing away from something else.

The owner of this forest is my first thought. It has to be him. A light grey, almost white, Hunter with light blue hue similar to the frozen leaves on the trees flowing through his form. The Corruptor gurgles something, and the Hunters jump at the white one. I have no idea how a single Hunter can fight off five others AND a Corruptor.

After about a minute I get a pretty good answer. The white one doesn't seem much stronger or faster than the others, but he does not stay down no matter how badly he is struck. It has to be something about the connection of the Corrupted with their surroundings, because right here, inside this cold forest, the white Hunter is slowly but methodically wiping the floor with the invaders. He has to be the reason the Ponyville scout thought this part of the forest to be empty.

As I stare in utter shock at the ending fight, my body lurches to the side along with a spike of burning pain from my front leg. The Corruptor is clutching it in his mouth and dragging me away.

"AAH!"

My pained yelp brings the white Hunter's attention to us, and he starts chasing. The Corruptor is faster despite being hurt and having to drag me through the leaves, branches, and grass. I can't feel the leg in his mouth anymore. That's probably a good thing. Thank you, adrenaline overdose! You are a true friend, not like the living and breathing abortion survivor Lunar freaking Watch.

I'm about to do something really dumb.

Passing a thin enough tree, I wrap the three remaining legs I control around it. My leg twists and slips inside the Corruptor's mouth, and I gulp down the bile rising up my throat as he lets go and I see the shredded flesh with bone peeking through.

The white one jumps over me and tackles the Corruptor in the second he takes to ponder whether losing me is worth it. Apparently, letting me go and running away would have been an amazing idea for his survival. Too bad he won't get a second chance at it. The white Hunter furiously stomps the Corruptor into the ground and bites his head off. The dead creature's flesh boils and melts, draining into the thirsty ground. Few moment later there is no trace that there ever was a Corruptor, or a fight at all. Only the white Hunter remains.

Who walks cautiously to me.

Look on the positive side, girl! The plan of surviving one Hunter's breeding attempt is back on the table. Too bad there's no way I can get to Ponyville before bleeding out on only three legs.

Head low like a cat approaching a vacuum cleaner, he sniffs my hind hooves, and keeps going until he reaches my wrecked front leg.

Heh, he doesn't look half bad. A bit bigger than an earthpony stallion, smells like freshly fallen snow and wet fur. I press my muzzle against his neck and take a deep whiff. Yep, definitely cleaner than the wandering Hunters.

He recoils when I do that, leaning his head back, ears drooping, and eyes wide. Black sclera with beautiful white orbs of blue undertone watching me.

I must be getting light-headed. Heh, at least I got to go without turning into a twisted image of myself. We never got to know whether the ponies who turned into Corrupted actually keep a little of themselves inside, desperately trying to escape the prison of their body's instincts, but at least I won't become THAT.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" I scream. My hurt leg feels like being on fire and melting in acid at the same time.

I scream and scream until I cough blood, but it does not stop. I thrash on the grass, but the freedom of a spasming body is taken from me as well as the Hunter's hoof pushes me down. In the end I just wheeze and pray to Twilight to make everything stop.

It does, and my eyes roll back from wherever they ran away to escape reality.

I can feel my leg again. It's as if pins were being repeatedly stabbed in it, but I can feel it, and move it. I'm not an anatomy expert, but that should not be possible without blood and with most muscles torn off.

The leg disagrees with my assessment, and moves in front of my face. It's completely black and covered in matted, oily fur from the knee down, but there are no tears and no flapping flesh.

One thing is certain - I am corrupted. To what extent, I have no clue. So, since the Hunter seems to be waiting for something let's start with the important things.

My name is Nightshade and I need to be filled with seed.

What?

I shake my head.

My name is Nightshade, and I serve princess Twilight Sparkle in the Hex Guard. I was sent on a mission to find the nearest stallion and spread!

No no no. I can handle this.

My name is Nightshade. I am a strong soldier. I can find a Breeder, transform further, and dominate my own hive, become a Queen, and spread!

No!

My head hurts. I can't focus. I have to get away, get back home to Ponyville and prostrate myself before my Queen, submit to her will, and transform the lesser ones.

I- we-

No, I am me, not us.

One mind, one will, one desire, one purpose.

Spread, breed, feed, serve.

Spread, breed, feed, serve.

Spread, breed, feed, serve.

Spread, breed, feed, serve.

Spread, breed-

Complete silence.

How long did it take for me to realize there is a "me" again?

The pressure of voices all around me is gone. There is just me again. I am only one body, not many. I am complete just like this. I don't need seed flowing through me to feel right. I might WANT it, but that's because I'm a particularly kinky pegasus, not a tentacled monstrosity.

Aaaah, it's good to be back. Now, what the hay happen-

Something is touching my nose. Engaging optics, right noooow!

The white Hunter's nose is touching mine and I stare into the glacier-bright eyes.

"Umm..." I say. Smart and inquisitive, that's what I'm all about!

He twitches back. My head explodes once again.

The voices are back, but not screaming. They're just whispering on the edge of hearing. Is this what the partially corrupted have to deal with every day? Is this why they sometimes look like they are daydreaming despite other ponies talking to them?

I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.

Headache goes away.

Yep, the Hunter is touching my nose again.

An empty forest, its owner blocking the influence of other Corrupted. One who is cautious around ponies instead of being hostile.

Is the poor thing lonely? An ex-pony who retained some of his equinity despite being lost?

He leans away as I pat his head, and the voices return. Third time's the charm, though, and I successfully fight the presence inside me off.

Feeling this pressure all the time, fighting day after day to stay barely sane... is it worth it? Wouldn't it be better to just give in to lust?

Easier, definitely.

I hate Ponyville. I hate living underground. I hate eating the damn mushrooms all the time. I hate the artificial light. I hate that I can't use my wings. I hate this life!

I HATE LUNAR WATCH!

No, I'm not giving up. I will return to the enclave and I will make sure the bastard gets disciplined. Then... only then I just might give in to the corruption, grow some tentacles, and rip his anus so wide we'll have a new airship docking bay.

My angry hissing makes the white Hunter back off, growling like a cat being given a bath against its will but grudgingly accepting the necessity.

"Mrmmrmmrrmrmrm..."

Well, at least he's not stopping me from looking for my lost saddlebag. Too bad it got trashed when the Corruptor smashed me into a tree after tree.

"Most of the glassware is broken, the firebombs had NOT blown me to bits, which is gooood," I keep mumbling to myself while the Hunter sniffs the camping supplies soaked in chemicals I'm rummaging through.

"Mrmrmrmrm!" he sneezes as I uncork a vial with some of the more acrid contents and splash it on my corrupted leg. I barely feel the desinfectant.

My eyes water again as I recount the broken crumbs of hay biscuits in the bag which had not been ruined by the acids and other concoctions. Despite my stomach laying down some heavy resistance, I stand up, put the saddlebag back on, and take a deep breath.

"Okay, I'm a day away from Ponyville. This part of the forest isn't too dangerous, and I'm in a pretty good shape."

The last thing is a blatant lie. While I still have my leg, I'm bruised beyond any healthy measure, exhausted from the physical and mental struggle, and I am starving.

"Mrmmmr?" the Hunter is looking at me, head tilted to the side.

"Yes, and I have you, thank you for correcting me," I say absent-mindedly. He can't understand anything I'm saying, but it feels good to have somethi- somepony to talk to- talk at.

"Well, Ponyville, here I come!"

"Mrmr!"

"Exactly."

New Hope: Corruption

The sky grows dim, and the light gradually drains from the naturally gloomy surroundings of the forest. I've left the icy woods nearly half a day ago, and whether it's through my careful and sluggish pace or sheer luck I haven't even heard a single Corrupted.

On cue, a branch behind me crunches.

Aside from Chilly, of course.

I called the white Hunter who saved me from a lifetime of joy, ecstasy, and endless-

Chilly saved me from becoming a Corrupted, or a corpse, at the small and utterly insignificant price of becoming only partially a twisted abomination. Nothing to worry about.

Se yeah, Chilly, the bluish-white Corrupted. I thought the name was funny, describing a creature who lives in an icy forest, makes the nature around him become covered with rime as he passes, and who has been following me since the attack.

Why? No clue. It might just be a trick to find one of the secret entrances leading to Ponyville enclave, but I don't think that is the case. Also, for some weird reason I don't like starving to death up here on the wild surface, so I don't really care enough to try to lose him.

Now, if I get back safely then I have several observations to make about the Corrupted which might help us avoid them. I'm getting the feeling that Corrupted are much less equine than we thought. My totally-not-a-wild-guess comes from Chilly disintegrating and "absorbing" the bodies of the killed Hunters. The second part, likely much more important, is that -it's hard to explain- they ARE NOT the bodies we see walking around, they are the LAND we walk on. From the way the ground itself absorbed the fallen Corruptor, and the way Chilly turns the area around him into his forest while he passes, I conclude we have been thinking about them the wrong way all this time. Killing few of the bodies walking around literally means nothing.

Perhaps princess Twilight only needs a new perspective on things. One I can bring after peering deeper into the corruption.

Or I might be just imagining things.

"All clear?" I whisper to the white stallion staying a pony length behind me all the time.

"Mrmm..."

I think I can sense changes in the tone of his grumbling and stance. He seems vigilant, but not nervous. At first he was on edge when we left his territory, but despite my trying to shoo him away he kept following me.

What do you mean I should have tried harder?! I'm not gonna push a guy who kept a large stretch of forest clear of enemies who make alicorns change their diapers!

As we pass through the forest, we come to an unexpected obstacle. There is a wide ravine blocking our path. The good thing is that I know Ponyville is near, the bad part is that I misjudged the path my unit and I took through the forest before, and ended up going too far west. Going around would waste two or three more hours, and I don't want to take that path at night.

I wasn't taken by the taint, and I sure as hay am not going to be stopped by a hole in the ground now.

Flying too high up would end really poorly for me, but a long jump aided a little by my wings can't hurt, right?

I steady myself, run towards the edge, jump, spread my wings, fly.

The hidden flytrap wines from across the ravine snap around me in an instant, and I get pulled into a web of sticky petals, branches, and tendrils.

"Crap!" I hiss.

On a brighter note, I got to the other side quickly...

I look pleadingly at Chilly running along the other edge of the rift, but I don't dare call out to him. He can't fly to get here, and me yelling would only serve to either scare him away or lure others to me. After a minute of confused walking around, he disappears into the dark wall of trees.

Well, he helped me get this far. I think I used up all the luck for my next two reincarnations already, and asking for more would only lead to divine retribution.

Sooo... I'm hanging spread-eagle a pony height above ground, legs so tightly entangled in a green mess that I can't move an inch.

Can I reach the wines with my mouth? Noooope.

Can I somehow bend time and space to reach my saddlebag and pull out any kind of acid strong enough to melt the wines? Only with a rubber neck.

Can I make the whole flytrap disappear with the power of friendship and my mind? Not a unicorn.

Can I-

Stop making up dumb ideas? Apparently not.

All I can do is breathe out in defeat. So this is how the flytraps work up close. This one is tiny, only a pony-sized web of green tendrils. Honestly, I would love to see one of the huge ones which can take down an airship. Well, there has been no airship travel in my lifetime, but my mom told me that her mom who died during the times when the threat was still unknown told her stories about giant flying ships lugging around whole loads of timber and ores. Cool as heck, I say!

Something smells sweet.

"Hmm?" I mumble.

A bulb above my head opened and is now emitting a fairly pleasant aroma. No our guidebooks ever mentioned anything of this sort happening. Can I smell it because of my corruption?

When I inhale my whole body feels as if there were small bolts of lightning running through it. All my nerves light up with pleasure, and I start dripping from my nethers with no restraint.

The scent is there to lure nearby Corrupted to the trapped victim.

With nothing to do other than hang there, I let my mind wander.

As much as I dislike living in the enclave, it wasn't always like that. When I was a little filly I got spoiled beyond belief by my parents. You know, one of the few remaining pegasi and such. They would always share their rations of sweets with me and tell me stories from the outside. Ponies aren't allowed on the surface before the age of sixteen, and the teachers tell horror stories about how we lost control over the land to scare them from trying. My mom, a pegasus, is a geologist working with the tunnel razing crews and miners. Dad, an earthpony, was a Hex Guard like I am. He passed away after a Corrupted attack on the surface part of the enclave. I still remember how I used to fall asleep on his back during the big Hearth's Warming gathering each year, our weird habit of drinking hot chocolate from one cup with sippy straws, how he growled and chewed my leg...

A brief moment of contemplation whether I mistook my father for a dog I never had, and I open my eyes.

"Chilly!" I whisper, smiling wide at the Corrupted ripping away the wines binding me, "Wait, how long was I out?"

It's still not completely dark, which means he got here in at most an hour. Twilight almighty!

Several minutes later, I'm back on the corrupted mushy ground and hug the white creature who grumbles and struggles for a moment, but stops and nuzzles me in the end.

I clutch my cramping stomach. As much as I want to get out of here, my legs are shaking and I can barely stand. Time to grab what little food I have left to alleviate the pain.

Chilly stares at my saddlebag with hostility, probably still not used to the smell of drying chemicals. He thaws a little when I start chewing on some broken biscuits and hold a hoof with some crumbs up to his nose. Giving them an exploratory lick, he spits everything out.

"Hey! Now they're all soggy," I complain, knowing I will eat them anyway. After sucking a Corruptor's tongue like a lollipop, most of my inhibitions towards disgusting stuff are dead and gone.

"Mrlmrm!" he sniffs the air. Is something coming? He doesn't seem to be getting ready to fight, just looking for something.

After several deep inhales, Chilly runs off while I finish the last of my food off. He comes back soon, carrying two black berries the size of plums in his mouth, and lays them in front of me.

They don't smell downright repulsive. Is this what Corrupted eat? I haven't seen any of these around, which could mean that only a small amount is enough to sustain one. Perhaps it won't poison me? Alright, Chilly seems smart enough to understand I'm not a Corrupted, and he still brought this.

Hmm... juicy, and tastes like sweet wine. Pretty goo-

Spasms wreck my body from the stomach up. My throat bulges with something stuck inside. I need to throw up! The thing definitely wasn't meant to be eaten by ponies.

"Blueeeeh!" it finally comes out.

I can't close my mouth.

"Whah ve ey?" I squint down my muzzle. Three long black tentacles are hanging out of it, "Blrblblb!"

Remember the sippy straw!

The things slip back inside me. Thankfully, I'm not choking anymore. Running my hooves up and down my windpipe, I notice my neck being a bit thicker than before. Nothing disfiguring, though.

"Can I talk? Cool, I can!" I stick my real tongue out. So they have the tentacles AND a normal tongue. The things seemed pretty tough, perhaps they are grabbing appendages. Well, there's going to be enough time to test them out later.

Warmth rushes through each muscle of my body. They become more toned and pronounced, and I realize the ground is slightly further away than before. I'm taller. It might be an excellent idea to find a mirror before returning to Ponyville just to see if I still look like a pony. I mean, I like the longer and more slender legs, I definitely like the wider hips and...

What did just brush the inner thigh of my hind leg? I crane my head to see.

"Ohhhh dear..."

Two large and dripping black teats are hanging where little and completely normal nipples used to be. I still don't look like a cow or a female Breeder, but the apple-sized bulges are creeping me out, I must admit. I rub my hind legs against them experimentally.

They feel so goooooooood!

I need to try them out. Closing my eyes, I spread my mind around the area. I can sense three Hunters, a Protector, and two Breeders, a male and a female one. They will serve me well. The female's submissive mind offers no resistance when I take over.

Each nerve lighting up as I get penetrated deeper than my body should allow, ready to accept the seed of the beast thrusting inside me. The other Breeder wrecking me pants and stares blankly nowhere as he just pumps away. Once he is done we can spread and the cycle will continue.

Ho ho ho! But a mare is not what I'm looking for. I switch to the next mind nearby.

I pound away at the mare under me, shivers running down my spine and gathering in my loins, ready to breed her. I have to spread.

The other guy is busy, apparently. Hmm... I want to try it for myself. A nearby Hunter's individuality dissipates as I command him to come to me.

Something is growling nearby. I ignore it. What could touch me here with all this power pulsing through my veins? My subjects will come if I call anyway, and I can't sense any Corrupted belonging to other Queen.

"On the ground!" I command the Hunter I called. He is a fine specimen, lean, agile, fertile, and well-developed. He is ready to enter me already. Not that he has a choice, I control and own him. I could let him mount me, but that is unworthy of such a lowly servant who is here only for my amusement. Instead, I make him lie down on his back, and straddle him.

Ponies, duties, worries and concerns evaporate the second I impale myself on him.

"HAH HAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" I can't stop the pure and unbridled joy running through me.

Spread!

Spread!

Spread!

Spread!

Spread!

Gain power and spread! Cover the world!

I am going to need more power, so I assimilate the Hunter, melting his body into the natural biomass, absorbing him through my hooves, and partially through the orifice he was enjoying a moment ago.

I want MORE!

The angry growling returns me back to reality for a second.

The white Hunter will be an excellent source of power.

"Feed your Queen!" I jump at him, shocked for a second when my direction is reversed along with a crushing blow to my chest.

He will serve.

As I get back on my legs, he turns to run away, giving me a perfect opportunity to tackle him to the ground. I need something to help me hold him down, though. Long spider legs sprout from my back and dig deep into the mud nearby. To stop him from moving completely, I let my hooves melt and glue his torso to our makeshift bed of leaves. Fool, thinking he could escape his Queen. Too bad I can't just get inside his head and make him do my bidding. Well, this body will shift according to my wish, and that wish is getting the seed of someone so powerful.

A long fleshy tube pushes out of my nethers, finds his sheath, and latches onto it.

My drool splatters all over his face. Soon he will be mine.

"Struggle more, Chilly, I like the lively ones!" I hiss, spreading my saliva all over his muzzle with my new wriggling tongues.

He stops struggling when he hears the name, and his eyes wide with horror focus at me. The blue orbs offer me a reflection of myself. A twisted and ferocious grimace cackling madly at the sight of her- its prey.

It hits me harder than a sledgehammer.

"I'm gonna be siiick..." I groan.

I try not to think about all the unnatural appendages currently sticking out of me. My head isn't made to handle those, so as I push myself off of Chilly the spider legs slip out of the ground and the ovipositor or whatever the thing sticking out of my ass is limply drags through the black grass.

Chilly walks over to me, razor-sharp talons coming out of his hooves.

"I'msorry..."

"Grrrrrr!"

Right now I don't wish for endless ecstasy, power, seeing my friends at the enclave again, or even watching Lunar get hanged by his balls on the highest branch of the crystal castle. I wish for only one thing - not being the monster I turned into anymore. Warmth and little spikes of pleasure pass through me as Chilly steps on my chest and raises his hoof to cut my head off. The extra legs are gone, and my hindquarters host only orifices again. Thank Twilight!

"I'm sorry," I sniffle, tears welling in me at the sight of my impending doom. I was so close to getting to Ponyville, but maybe it's better that I won't. I took control of Corrupted so easily, who knows what I could have done from inside of the enclave, "Let me... at least let me thank you for making me stave it off long enough to get this far."

I close my eyes and push myself up a little to nuzzle him.

"GRRRRWRR!"

Don't stop! At times like this, fear loses all its meaning.

"Grrrrr..."

Finally, I bury my muzzle into the fur on his neck, spreading snot and tears everywhere.

Wait! One important message!

What is it, brain? You still have a head!

I open my eyes so cautiously as if the movement of my eyelids could make it fall off.

Chilly is watching me, quiet growling coming from him, but not making any moves to decapitate me. As I press my hooves against him, he takes a step away and lets me stand up. An idea comes to mind. I was planning to take the second corrupted berry to the enclave for research, but now it's all smooshed inside my bag.

Perhaps he'll still take it. I know for sure I'm not touching the damn thing again.

I toss the berry on the ground near him. He carefully sniffs it.

"I don't know if you're hungry or what, but you gave-"

Aaand he just munched it along with some grass... and dirt.

"Wow, were you THAT hungry?" I raise an eyebrow.

With utmost caution, I recall how my senses felt when I was "out of it". The berries give off a distinct scent, but I can't smell anything of that sort nearby. Are they starving as well? That can't be right. What if it is, though?

We were wrong in so many things about Corrupted. Of course, we were right about a lot of the bad stuff concerning them as well.

I have to talk to princess Twilight. She needs to know what being a Corrupted feels like. Perhaps, under careful observation, I could tap into the minds of the Ponyville hive and, I don't know, tell them to go away for a while or something.

Well, I need HIM to do that, otherwise I'll go all Chrysalis-mode again. Ehm, everypony knows those stories about attempted world domination. Good thing ponies and changelings live together these days.

"Will you help me again? You'll get to meet other ponies if you do that," I smile at Chilly who is observing me quietly.

He nods.

"You understand me?"

Nothing.

"Hmmm, it's not words. You can't talk. And I can't get inside your head like I could with the others. So what is it?"

I focus on the image of the two of us entering a tunnel leading to Ponyville.

"Are you coming?"

"Mrmmmr," another nod.

As we trot through the forest again, I keep humming to myself while trying to work out our communication. Unfortunately, I don't come to any sort of definite answer. The only thing that makes sense is that he can see a little of what I'm thinking about due to me being corrupted. That means there IS a link between us, but why couldn't I get inside him before? Can he close not only his connection to the rest of the Corrupted, but that of others as well?

No idea. Still, he is following me, and we are at the hidden entrance already. I pull up the trap door leading into the tunnels and beckon Chilly to come as well. This can go so horribly wrong, but it's only up to me not to make it so.

The second door stopping our progress is a slab of steel with a tiny slit opening from the inside. I knock.

"Password!" comes from the open slit.

"Three three seven nine, pinecones," I answer.

"That is an old password which got changed after a member of a scout party got corrupted. Who are you?"

"My name is Nightshade, I am a Hex Guard soldier, and I need to talk to princess Twilight. I'm pretty sure I am the lost scout you were talking about. I'm hungry, exhausted, and really pissed off at the guy who ordered the squad to desert me. Can you at least send for somepony I can talk to? Lunar Watch, my commander, should know me really well."

"Look, no password, no entry. We don't know what the Corrupted can do, but they can change shape and we aren't letting anypony who doesn't know the code inside."

"No," I growl, "you don't know, do you? Then I will show you!"

I turn my tail into a tendril which I wrap around Chilly's neck, and mumble:

"I need to stay sane for this one. Watch my back one more time, Chilly."

Pressing both my front hooves against the metal door, I dig deep into the power inside me. The Corrupted are the land, and Ponyville is a home to many others. My hooves fuse with the steel which gradually turns into black goo and drips on the chiseled stones of the tunnel floor. After mere seconds. all that remains is a thin, slick membrane which a tear through just to see three trembling ponies.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle, the closest lunch lady, and commander Lunar Watch of the Nightguard! In that exact order!"

New Hope: Return home

The large guard room in the access tunnels to Ponyville fills with ten more soldiers and a white unicorn mare staying on the other side, as far away from me and Chilly as the situation allows.

"Come oooon!" I roll my eyes, "I'm just trying to get home. Why do you insist on making it so difficult?"

"It's simple. You are a Corrupted. No matter what your little story is, you are not getting inside."

"I'm normal! Mostly..."

"Look, the only reason you're not dead yet is that we are leaving that decision to you. If there is any equinity left in you, you will walk away, stay on the surface, and never be a threat to any pony again. Surely you can understand a noble sacrifice like that, especially if you really WERE a member of the Hex Guard like you claim."

"Sacrifice?" I grit my pointy teeth desiring nothing more than ripping the unicorn's leg off and beating her to death with it, "I have a family here, well, mom! I have friends here!"

"I am suuuuure all of them will be happy to see a Corrupted pretending to be somepony they know. I will repeat it only once - leave, and 'your'," the way her hooves make quotes in the air makes me boil even more, "family will recieve a commendation of 'your' bravery without having to see their 'daughter,'" kill, kill, kill, "tainted."

"You are not stopping me, you pompous twit!" I take a step forward, making all guards around clutch their weapons and clench their buttholes, "After this, I might even PREFER living out there rather than being cooped up down here with the likes of you! Now shove your fancy horn up your bony ass and let me see the mare who raised me into the nice and polite mare I am today!"

"Soldiers, purge the enclave from this Corrupted filth!" she orders.

"Stay your weapons!" a voice filled with authority comes from the hallway leading down to Ponyville.

Two tall unicorns wearing the dark purple armor of the Hex Guard push themselves into the already full room.

I know those guys. Well, I've seen them before, not actually talked to them. Mana Burn and Knowledge, the Hex Guard elite, and princess Twilight Sparkle's bodyguards -and consorts, according to some rumors. I can see why, those guys are huge for unicorns!- which means the voice commanding absolute obedience behind them is a lavender alicorn even taller than both of the soldiers or anypony else in the room.

"Your Highness-" the rude unicorn mare starts, but Twilight just raises a hoof, interrupting her.

"Go secure the lower part of the tunnel. We have some 'repairs' to make to this entrance."

"Sorry, your Highness," I mumble and lower my head, "I'm hungry, scared, tired, and I really, really want to see my mom."

Everypony rushes off, leaving only Twilight, her bodyguards, me, and Chilly in the guard room.

"Do you truly wish her to see you, Nightshade? There is little left from the mare you were before," she asks calmly.

"Before? You know me? I'm just a grunt," I blink.

"I know all my little ponies," Twilight smiles wearily, "After all, there is so few of us left. I pay close attention to everypony here in Ponyville. I would be a pretty awful leader if I only cared about what I myself think. So let me ask again, do you really want your mother to see you like this?"

"Of course! Why would you ask? Like what?"

Her horn shimmers, and I take a good look at myself in the conjured reflective surface.

The dark grey pegasus with silver mane and tail who left Ponyville two days ago is no more. What looks at me from the mirror is a taller, slimmer and more muscular creature of inky black coat, dusty grey mane, and a thick slick whip instead of a a fluffy light tail. The eyes staring at me in utter horror are completely black, with bestial yellow pupils being the only major difference in color.

Hey, at least my tears feel the same.

"Damn it," I whisper, "Damn it! Damn it!"

So it wasn't the guards' fault. My head was just trying to make sense of my new body and kept telling me I was mostly fine.

"The gate guards said you asked specifically for me, Nightshade. Why?"

I slump on the cold floor. Chilly coming closer and nuzzling my neck helps stave off the cold depression taking me, but not much.

"I wanted to report the result of the forest expedition. I wanted you to know what I learned about being partially... about being a Corrupted. I wanted to hug my moooooooooom!" I break down in tears.

The touch of soft feathers wrapping around me is something I've felt only at home. The alicorn herself sat down next to me, and is waiting for me to gather myself.

She needs to know. Whatever happens next, she needs to know the threat or corruption is different from what we thought.

"So?" she gives me a reassuring smile when I stop sobbing and wipe my eyes.

"You're not afraid of horn rot?" I push her away, but she doesn't budge.

"Terrified," she said in complete seriousness, "but my research indicates that horn rot is not an infection, but an ability Corrupted use to fight against magic users."

"Well, I am-"

"Corrupted cannot talk."

"I-"

I stop.

"Mrmmrmr!" Chilly agrees with Twilight.

"Speaking of which," she looks at him, "Who is your strangely peaceful companion?"

"I call him Chilly. I think he used to be a pony, likely a soldier, and he still keeps other ponies from harm. He was the reason the part of the forest we were sent to was empty..."

Recounting everything that happened helps not think about the future. I hesitate before telling her how I went crazy, but she gives me time, and doesn't say much when I finally decide to do so. When I'm done, she helps me get up, and dusts herself off.

"...one last thing - without Chilly, I think the potential farmland in the forest will be useless, as others will move into the empty territory."

"You have given me a lot to think about. If you want you can come with us inside. For now, you will be under observation and I will perform some tests on you and," she gives my white friend and exploratory look, "Chilly."

"Mmrmm..."

"Does he understand what I am saying?" she says, clearly surprised.

"I doubt that. He can understand simple things I say and think because we are both Corrupted. He just learns fast, and knows that I want something whenever I talk to him."

"I see," the corners of Twilight's mouth twist up a little, "Mana Burn, accompany Chilly to the holding cell on the twenty-seventh floor. It's close enough to my personal laboratory. Knowledge, prepare a room for miss Nightshade nearby and set up a guard schedule and security rules."

"Umm, why?" I wonder aloud.

Twilight's smile returns to her usual sleepless expression.

"I believe you don't want to be a threat. However, that doesn't mean you are not. These are just precautions in case I'm wrong."

Unfortunately, I have to agree with her.

I spent the next two days 'assisting' the princess with her experiments. She took samples of my blood, spit, waste, and other bodily fluids I wasn't even aware of having. When she insisted on me 'giving' her my, ehm, juices, offering either the assistance of one of her bodyguards or herself, I had to go to the bathroom to stop myself from spontaneously combusting.

A sharp stab of pain makes me clutch my head in the middle of watching princess Twilight melting some of my shaved coat in acid.

Confusion, hunger, loneliness, walls closing around me.

"What's wrong?" Twilight stands up.

"I... I don't know," I groan, standing up on wobbly legs, "It's coming from that way."

She props me up as I limp forward, following the soft but insistent tugging inside my head. We stop in front of Chilly's holding cell. With all the testing and hustle, I completely forgot about him.

"Open the door."

She opens a metal panel next to the door, and watches the blinking lights inside.

"Something strange is going on inside. We should obs-"

"Open the door, or I am opening it permanently!" I growl, ignoring the fact that I'm threatening an alicorn. Come to think of it, the more I say it, the more convincing I sound.

Twilight pushes more buttons, and the door slide open.

Chilly is slowly walking in a circle in the middle of the room, frozen grass sprouting and melting in his hoofsteps.

"Chilly?" I come closer.

He just keeps walking, head hung low and ears drooped, not hearing me. My attempt at talking to him in my head falls on its ass. I can't sense him anymore. Touching him does nothing either.

He is alone again.

"I need to go outside!" I say firmly after watching the weakening Corrupted for a moment.

"What for?"

"I need to find something. I think he's hungry, but that would have been fine on the surface where he had his land. This sterile place doesn't do him good. That might explain why the Corrupted never hunted us underground. I gotta go out and get some of the berries."

"That's dangerous."

My subject will not suffer due to my negligence.

"I am dangerous!" my tone turns aggressive, "Stay with him! Open the door and let him roam through the tunnels. I will find you when I get back, just give me two hours. If I don't... have somepony escort him back to his forest. With him staying there you will have a protected area for farming."

Yes, I am ordering an alicorn around. And yes, she will obey unless she wants to lose her horn. The Hunter who saved me will live through the day, or I won't.

Rushing through Ponyville enclave followed by Mana Burn who saves the gate guards from becoming my food, I leave him in the guard station in the tunnels and breathe in the fresh surface air. Strange, it feels much less threatening up here now. As if I belong here.

Letting my mind roam, I use the sharp senses of Hunters nearby to catch a scent of the berries. There are some around, but they are high up in the trees where Corrupted fail to reach. Looks like I have to go there personally. Growing claws for climbing up, I am assaulted by irresistible vertigo and fall from several pony heights down on the ground. Thank Twilight for its mushiness.

Alright, it's not that they don't know how to fly, they literally can't. Strangely, the uselessness of my wings doesn't bother me anymore.

A tree... a TREE is my obstacle now?!

I call the nearest Protector, and order the bulky earthpony-shaped Corrupted of twice my height and three times my width to push. With the help of my back tentacles we tear the tall tree down, and I gather the remaining berries.

Then it dawns on me that there is a Protector and a Hunter standing behind me, and I am not crapping myself.

"Good job, guys!" I throw some of the harvested berries to them, and they hungrily devour them, "Now piss off, I'm not taking you home with me."

To my utter astonishment, and the feeling of correctness of the situation deeper inside me, they leave.

Happy to see Twilight walking Chilly through the corridors near her lab, I shove a berry into his mouth. His eyes light up and he shakes his head. A little stab of jealousy hits me as he licks Twilight's face, making the alicorn jump far away with the help of her wings in complete shock.

"Hey, I brought you these," I grumble.

He licks me.

"That's better!" I pat him.

The corridor gets colder, and the walls freeze over.

"What's going on?" Twilight asks, coming back and blushing.

"Ooops," I giggle and scratch my head, "Let's get him back to the holding cell. I think Chilly needs a room fo his own."

To our surprise, he leads the way, and the metal door turns to ice and melts at his touch. As he sits down in the middle of the room, the stone floor turns to corrupted mush, and fragile, pale bushes cover it. Wines drop down from the ceiling, and I spot several more small berries ready to grow on a tree taking a large chunk of the back of the room.

Twilight watches the transformation with mouth open so wide a string of her saliva doesn't need to go far to touch the floor, well, ground.

"Celestia's rainbow mane!" she says when the first light green leaves fall down from the tree, "Whhuh?"

"I told you, they are the land we walk on and live under. They aren't invaders, and we aren't prey, they are..."

Sadly, I don't have the right words to finish the sentence, so I just shake my head.

"Nevermind."

"MORE TESTS!" Twilight snaps out the paralyzed stupor.

"Later, your Highness," I smile to myself. There is one last thing left undone. Actually, two things, but this one is more important, "I want to visit my mom now."

"Mana Burn will escort you. Speaking of which, I sent Knowledge to restore your status as a Hex Guard. He's going to be your partner for quite some time, not just to monitor you, but also to make sure ponies don't get the wrong idea."

"You're not coming with me?" I gulp. My new "appearance" would bear a lot less negative connotation if the princess came along.

"Don't worry too much," she looked me straight in the eyes, "A mother will know."

Biting my lip, I hope beyond any reasonable measure that she is right.

Not too much later, after I had a shower and wishing I had a drink of something strong to steady my nerves, I knock on the door of the suite I grew up in.

"Coming!"

Few days ago, I was screaming the same thing into the air of the for-

A quick facepunch puts my unruly thoughts back in line.

"What can I do-" she takes a step away from the door when she sees me.

Please, don't yell for the guards!

Please, don't yell for the guards!

Please, don't yell for the guards!

I can't make a sound.

"Welcome home, honey," she smiles, "You're all grown up now. My my, does the time fly."

I stare, gradually breaking into giggles.

"You saw me not even a week ago, mom," I hug the mare. All my worries dissipate when she hugs back.

Mana Burn closes the door behind us, staying on watch outside.

"How did you know?" I have to ask. I could barely recognize myself, "Secret mom superpower?"

"Not really," she goes to the kitchen and returns with two cups of tea, "Princess Twilight told me everything yesterday. I wanted to see you, but she said you needed time to deal with it yourself. I'm glad it didn't take long."

"So you're not worried by this?" I run a hoof through my coat.

"Pfff," she waves her hoof, "You looked a lot worse when you slipped out of me. Even the doctors thought I slept with a swamp monster. I have the pictures somewhere. Call the guard hunk inside, I think he'd like to see them."

"MOOOOOOM!" I whine loud enough for most of Ponyville to hear.

"Come on, don't be shy!"

I'm home.

And nothing has changed.

New Hope: Loss

"As much as I sympathize with you, what Lunar Watch did was the correct choice," princess Twilight shakes her head, "I know it hurts, but both his report and your recount of the situation are the same in their core. We can't afford to lose anypony, and if we are in a situation when it is unavoidable, we are to keep the losses at minimum. Honestly, with how the rules are he should get a commendation for 'losing' only one pony when faced with six Corrupted."

I grit my teeth. Deep down I know what he did was right, what bothers me is WHY he did it.

"Your Highness, Lunar Watch is a racist bastard who only used the protocol to cover being a coward on top."

"I disagree," Twilight says firmly, looking straight at me, "ANYPONY would be terrified in that situation, and he chose the right course of action. The unit escaped a pursuit by a Hunter and a Corruptor, and returned to Ponyville."

"Is he actually getting a damn MEDAL for leaving me out there to rot?!"

Twilight raises a hoof.

"HOWEVER, his report about the area his unit was sent to explore was grossly incorrect, rushed and imprecise."

"Yeah, just watch him blame me for, I don't know, not giving him enough information or something equally false. I brought you what was left from my on-site testing."

"I know," she gives me a weak smile, "Look, I can't bend the rules and act on a hindsight. The best I can do is reassign you to somepony else."

"Yeah," I mumble, looking at the glistening black coat of my legs, "I'm sure they'll be ecstatic..."

"I don't know, Mana Burn didn't seem to have any issues with you."

"Huh?"

"At the moment, you have the power to control the Corrupted, at least temporarily, and I want you to use it. I need to do more tests to ascertain whether you and Chilly are just anomalies, or whether there is a way to reach out to other Corrupted, perhaps communicate with them. We have to find out how they can so easily change their physical attributes, how they can be reborn just few hours after being killed by us, and how the spread of corruption onto ponies works. Right now, you might be the most important pony in the world."

Blushing, I step my legs back and forth.

"I wouldn't even know where to start with all that."

"Well, that's where I come in. What we need to do first is carefully monitor the spread of corruption in a pony. Let's say we do it first on somepony who is mentally and physically strong."

"You want me to CORRUPT a pony? What about the 'there is too little of us to lose any' speech?"

"I want you to help me PREVENT the corruption of a pony. And no, I don't think you or Chilly doing it would give us satisfactory results. You show some characteristics of a Queen like the one leading the Ponyville hive. You can order others around, take control of their bodies, and break them down into their base mass. In short, I believe your influence would be too strong. We need a Corrupted who is just a grunt."

"So, if I get it right, you want me to bring a Corrupted here, into the heart of last remains of pony races, infest Mana Burn, one of your best soldiers, and make sure he doesn't go crazy and try to mate with anything he sees including chairs?"

"So crudely delivered - yes. There will be more later."

I sigh.

"I hope this decision won't lead to a complete disaster."

A crazy glint passes through Twilight's eyes.

"Welcome to what I think about every second of my life."

We part ways, and I come back to Chilly's little forest room. During the past week, this place and a chunk of hallway around transformed into a perfect replica of the fragile forest he lived in on the surface. Thankfully, there were no more incidents, althought I had to go outside several times to get more berries and other samples for experiments. I believe that this fragment of the unnatural nature will be self-sufficient and able to feed Chilly in some time. I "asked" him not to change any more of the area not to weird ponies out. Whether he understood or not, the spread stopped there despite him spending most of his time wandering through the vastly spread halls of Ponyville enclave. There have been exactly zero incidents of ponies being hostile to him, as after I fed him the last time he has "allowed" me to sense his presence and mood continuously. I must admit it's super weird having an open "link" to somepony inside my head, always sensing little bits of what they are doing, but it helped me know ponies respected princess Twilight's news about Chilly.

Well, to be completely honest, I believe it was more the case of them being too scared of him to do anything.

"Yo, up for a little trip on the surface?" I ask Chilly when he wakes up as soon as I enter his doorless room, my cheer surprising even myself.

"Mmrmmr!" he grumbles, mirroring my enthusiasm.

When we stand on the surface again, taking in huge lungfuls of fresh air, I ponder how different this place looks to my new eyes. It feels more like home than the underground tunnels, artificial lights, and the constant humming of pony voices in the distance. Granted, it's dimmer out here, and the "voices" in my head telling me to conquer some territory and gather forces are much closer, but I like it out here now.

Oh well, time to get to work.

Mana Burn said he would prefer a mare for the experiment, so I let my mind jump from Corrupted to Corrupted in the vicinity.

Several Breeders. We should avoid using those for now,

Breeders are traps. They are physically weak, barely able to defend themselves even from a civillian, but that's not what they are supposed to do. The scent of a Breeder can make a pony lose all their inhibitions and give in to lust instantly.

Perhaps I should do it, just for fun? Probably not, though. I doubt Twilight would look at me kindly for transforming her bodyguard into a stallion humping machine.

There are few female Hunters around. Judging from their size, the shouldn't be too overdeveloped to make Twilight's little guard suffer from performance issues.

Should I get a female Protector just to see him try and mate with a mare twice his size? Screw it, we're doing it just for the hilarity value!

Three, four, seven Protectors nearby. I'm either able to spread further and faster when looking for Corrupted, or there is a ton of others around whom I wasn't able to sense before.

It's quite lively today.

I smile to myself. I don't even know why it makes me so happy that the surface is anything but a barren landscape, although filled with killers feasting on pony flesh. Certain several inches of pony flesh, to be exact, heh. I could go for a little "feast" myself, come to think of it.

Let's go with the Protector mare then.

Chill runs up my spine as I tap into her mind.

Oh heavens! Something sees me! Something is watching me, getting closer!

Chilly.

Chilly!

CHILLY!

The touch of soft fur and the warmth pressing against my back stops the icy feeling of shadowy claws wrapping around me.

What the fuuuuuu-?

I'm shaking all over.

I have no idea what really happened, only that my instincts told me that something drastically more powerful than I am wanted to find me.

Can't go back empty-hooved. Let's try to find a nice Huntress, preferrably one who won't have a dark, looming presence inside her head. I touch the next mind very carefully, aware of the shadow looking for me again. Not daring to take the Huntress over completely, I leave her with just an order to come to me.

Chilly growls at her as I lead her back into the enclave, but the mare obeys my explicit order to not do anything other than follow me.

The white unicorn bodyguard of princess Twilight is waiting for me in the laboratory we set up just for the "occasion".

"Okay, what should I do?" Mana Burn asks me meekly. Pretty cute for a high-class unicorn.

"How should I know," I grin, "I'm not a stallion."

He pouts. Even cuter.

"I mean is she going to bite me or something?" he comes closer to the Huntress watching him with curiosity. She is as tall as him, slim and obviously ready to pounce and restrain her prey. Just like all the wild Corrupted I've seen her colours are shades of black gleaming in the white light of the lab lights.

"Start whenever you are ready!" Twilight's voice comes from behind a glass panel of the observation room.

"Let me start you off, Mana," I nuzzle the unicorn and slip my mouth tentacle between his teeth. He blushes, and I whisper in his ear, "Don't think of her as a monster, and it'll happen naturally. She wants it much more than you do."

Tapping more directly into the mind of the Huntress, I have to restrict her instinct to jump Mana Burn here and now, keeping her in the more submissive role. As soon as the stallion finally puts his muzzle to good use, waves of mirrored pleasure wash over me.

Corruption spreads quickly. Moments of Mana Burn eating the Huntress out later, I can sense a new mind joining the pool of the infested I can reach out to. For the moment, I just observe his slow fall into rutting insanity.

Oh if only Twilight understood how little she truly knows about her closest subjects. With Mana Burn's mind spread before me, I watch pleasure creep through him, tainting his strongest and most dutiful thoughts with it. It does not take long for him to see the Huntress just as a willing mare, and when he admits her as "normal", I see the corruption push against his submissive desires first.

The Corrupted are a tool MADE for something, that's why obedience comes first.

Failing being the submissive one, Mana Burn is tempted with power, dominance, herding, and being the indisputable alpha male. That one catches on, as expected of a stallion. No matter the upbringing, the core of both stallions and mares still hosts the desires of ancient times where intelligence was only starting to take root.

As he ruts the Huntress harder, strings of his drool touch her back, and his pristine coat fills with veins of black.

"Mana Burn, stop and take a break," Twilight orders.

Not gonna work. He is more mine than yours now.

With a careful mental touch, I put the memory of him being admitted to the Hex Guard and swearing his loyalty to Twilight forward.

He shakes his head and stops the mechanical pistoning in and out of the Huntress.

"Sorry, your Highness," he bows, "I... I-"

With my momentary lack of attention, the Huntress impales herself on his member still halfway inside, making him explode into her. His horn lights up, liquid magic dripping from it. I watch more and more of his self being consumed, trying to make notes of the pointless resistance he tries to muster. As the unfocused magic released by his mind-shattering orgasm lights up the room, the Huntress panics, revealing one instinct I have not seen yet. She splits part of her mind, and a thread of living corruption drains into Mana Burn's horn, dousing all the magic and making him drop on his -finely toned, I must say- rump, tongue out and eyes rolled back.

I can sense his head lighting up with pleasure as his horn slowly turns black and melts, dripping down his forehead. Horn rot, an ability where a Corrupted sacrifices a large portion of their strength to assault a unicorn with pleasure so overwhelming they literally orgasm all their magic through their horn.

Hmm, so this is how it works.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Twilight barges inside the room, screaming at me.

Chilly, Mana Burn, and the Huntress surround her, growling. They won't move against her, not without my command. In a moment of clarity, I notice a strange similarity between Chilly and Mana Burn. Their minds feel almost identical.

Mana Burn is mine now. Protective, obedient. And excellent guard who will become a great Protector when I transform him completely.

"Your Highness, this is a result of your experiment. You have seen horn rot in action, the spread of corruption in one of your finest. I will tell you every little detail I've gathered, but your bodyguard is now one of my Corrupted."

"That wasn't supposed to happen! I thought you could prevent it," she says, begging more than anything else.

"I need to do this, your Highness. I need to find out what this means."

"What 'this' is it?"

"Chilly, sever his connection to the others."

When he touches Mana Burn, the ex-unicorn shakes his head.

"Wh-what happened?" he scowls and clutches his head, "Aargh! What is going on, my Queen?"

The expression on Twilight's face when he addresses me as the queen is barely contained fury. Veeeeery barely.

"What did you do?" Twilight hisses.

"I certainly wasn't expecting he could still talk," I raise an eyebrow, "Chilly, keep him locked out."

"No... no need," Mana Burn focuses, and my link to him weakens drastically. It still remains, though.

"You can do it too?!" I blurt out.

"I... think so..." he groans under the strain.

Several things click inside me.

"Your Highness, please stop looking like you want to send me to the moon. I think I know a little of what's going on."

"Mana Burn, are you okay?" Twilight ignores me.

"Please don't hurt my owner, princess. I will stand in your way if I have to, no matter how much it hurts me."

"Mana..." she looks about to cry.

"Your Higness," I try again. Twilight turns to me, defeated, "I think ponies who used to be devoted guards have a 'slot' -I don't know how to explain it without you being able to see their minds- for an owner. They can lock the influence of the others out and, if Chilly is any indication, they can do the same for somepony else."

"Chilly can't talk, though."

"Yes, I think he was alone for too long so he forgot. I have no clue if he can learn again, but I don't think so, or it would take too much time and effort. Decades, possibly. Chilly is incomparably more powerful than Mana Burn, though, which leads me to think he must be REALLY old, maybe from the early years of the corruption's spread. Let me see if I can get a glimpse of his 'real' master."

Don't freak out. Just show me.

I can't access the memory, the only feelings I get are:

"White... and... a rainbow?" I shake my head, "I don't think he wants to show me out of fear he would lose the preserved memory. He is already sort of accepting me in its place. Ummm... your Highness?"

Twilight is staring at me, mouth open and eyes wide.

"Uhhh, your Highness?" I try again.

"That can't be..." she whispers.

"Wha-"

I get interrupted by warning of screaming sirens and bells tolling through the enclave.

The Corrupted are attacking.

Heart Of Old Equestria: Twilight's entry II

I hated myself so much, seeing nearly hundred ponies dragged away before my eyes by the Ponyville Corrupted. I wanted to fight, to use all of my alicorn power to destroy the hive and Nightshade as well, but it was just a wish, like any other day. I was still too young to understand how my alicorn divinity worked, and me using my magic recklessly would only lead to a complete disaster.

The enclave was at Nightshade's mercy.

I cursed every event that had led to me being forced to make the decision. I boiled with fury when the mare took one of my sons and turned him into a Corrupted... poor Mana Burn. Sadly, my mind still worked despite the pressure and kept yelling at me all of that was my fault - the inability to kick Nightshade out of the enclave after her return, the great need for knowledge making me ask her to perform an experiment on Mana, the desperation and the pressure of hungry and terrified ponies nagging me inside.

Sadly, I made the right choice.

Over the next weeks we reclaimed most of what used to be Ponyville fortress we lost some thirty years after the corruption started spreading. With the new farmland at our disposal we expected to be able to grow our population to three or four thousand, almost doubling the enclave's amount. Peace with Ponyville hive gave us so much, yet I still regret it even now, weeks later. Mana Burn and Knowldge eventually drifted apart, when Knowledge came to the realization that his brother was no more and that blood ties meant nothing in the face of loyalty to Nightshade anymore. However, what sort of mother would I be if I broke contact with Mana Burn?

Being a mother and a ruler is a difficult task to balance.

We gained so much. I doubt any words can express what that little spark of hope that ponies might grow in number again meant to me. Not only the farmland and access to the surface, but the information and knowledge Nightshade allowed us to gain by performing many more experiments on various kinds of Corrupted and semi-corrupted ponies. Granted, she denied us any invasive surgeries and such, and we had to consult her before performing anything even slightly uncomfortable on one of her "subjects", but I could understand her feelings more than well.

I would do the same.

We now had proof about what had been only guesses and observations before. The Corrupted are more plants than ponies after transformation. How or why their mind works in a similar matter we do not know, but their bodies can regenerate tremendously fast when in their native environment, like trees, only drastically accelerated. They can regrow any appendages aside from their heads, which explained Chilly's method of disposing of the enemy Corrupted quickly. To combat that "weakness", the Corrupted host three tough tendril-like tongues embedded in their thicker necks, making decapitating them less likely. As far as we know, the land the Corrupted transform into their habitat becomes something like mycelium to them, making even a decapitated powerful Corrupted reform fully in the matter of days. The only way Nightshade showed us to eliminate strong Corrupted completely was either luring them out of their habitat and killing them in an environment untouched by them, or taking their "essence" for oneself. Remembering her companion Chilly's despair when locked in a sterile laboratory and its transformation into a frozen forest after he gained power, I realized the first method was a time-limited one, and the second one worked only in battles between Corrupted.

Luckily for us, the common Corrupted are not capable of twisting their surroundings to such degree on their own.

We had time to gather samples and study everything we wanted. At first, my Hex Guards were strongly against walking among Corrupted, even when assured by Nightshade they will not be attacked, so the first expeditions around old Ponyville were performed by queen Chrysalis' changelings, our Black Ops. Chrysalis liked the sound of the nickname belonging to Griffon Empire Intelligence Service, don't ask me why, and she called her soldiers that way. Speaking of griffons, they helped us immensely during the first years of corruption, providing weapons and reinforcements. Unfortunately, when the Corrupted spread past Canterlot to the east, we lost our supply routes to the coast, and after some time even the bravest of caravaneers dared not travel through the infested territory. As for the CORRUPTED griffons, however, they are terrifying, even to me. I have to thank the stars every day for so little griffons being Equestrian residents pre-corruption. Normal Corrupted look for ponies to mate with when provided with the opportunity, and are mostly just doing their business which is walking around, sleeping, and breeding. Corrupted griffons, just like their ancient carnivorous nature dictates, hunt for ponies tirelessly, savagely torturing their prey before eating them alive.

Granted, other Corrupted do the same sometimes, Corruptors especially, but each time it seems the ponies enjoy it in the end. Not with the griffons, definitely not.

Speaking of the common Corrupted:

The lowest ranked, and the second least dangerous at least in terms of physical capabilities, are Drones. They are pony-sized, some even as small as changelings, and completely incapable of transforming the areas around them which means they cannot survive on their own. Their combat abilities should pose threat only to completely untrained civilians and foals. Even a strong stallion can make one or two Drones run away. Of course, their weakness is also a trap for those ponies who, let's say, cannot control their desires enough. Even these days, with corruption becoming a thing to study rather than a very rational fear, there are ponies who wish to have sex with Corrupted just to sate their lust for something ponies cannot provide. Those usually easily overpower a Drone, male or female, and lose themselves in rutting frenzy. Solely for that reason, Drones are not to be underestimated as they secrete pheromones taking advantage of that kind of ponies. Their appearance is the most similar to a pony's, aside from the black, oily coat and two tentacles on their back which are not useful for grabbing, but measure temperature, air flow, and other environmental attributes. They don't even have sharp teeth.

The second kind, the physically weakest, are Breeders. Regrettably, they are the biggest cause of our loss of young ponies freshly allowed to walk on the surface. After the age of sixteen, ponies are allowed to join surface missions and gain experience. Young colts and mares with hormones leaking out of their ears quite often fall for the sweet scents of Breeders, and try to explore a new world with their nethers. While Breeders pose the least threat to a level-headed pony, giving in to the pheromones they produce and mating with them is the end, no matter gender or capabilities of the fallen. Females offer those looking for them wide hips, slick coats, and overall plumper appearance topped by a set of huge, hanging teats constantly dripping black milk. It, just like all their bodily fluids, is supposed to be delicious. I have yet to ascertain that. Male Breeders are similar to earthpony stallions in shape and slightly bigger in size. Aside from their remarkable scent, what ponies immediately recognize about them are their enormous testicles. Their genitals, however, are moldable and transform to perfectly fit females they mate with. Both Breeder genders also seem to possess limited amount of mind-reading abilities allowing them to "fit with" their prey better. They can be both submissive or dominant to bring out the appropriate response from those mating with them, ponies specifically. Among Corrupted, there is no submission and dominance, as both genders desperately need each other. The exact purpose of Breeders, however, is a strange thing. As observed, Corrupted can grow in egg-like sacks sprouting out of the ground as well as being given birth by a female Breeder. A mare impregnated by a male Breeder will lose her mind and give birth to a Corrupted before transforming herself. These three methods seem to be redundant ways of spreading in case some were unavailable, but that is only a guess sice even Nightshade could not give me an answer. More tests are pending.

Hunters are the third "weakest" kind of wild Corrupted, although here the term weak starts to lose its meaning. Both males and females are lean, toned, and extremely athletic-looking. They are the lowest ranked Corrupted possessing the thicker necks and the grappling mouth-tentacles, and the ability to shift their bodies. As far as my experiments went, they can change their hooves to talons or claws, they can lengthen their teeth to a small degree, making me believe they are capable of taking down a manticore. Their natural advantage when hunting lies in their whip-like tail capable of grabbing or being changed into a a sharp-tipped whip. While the Hunters don't look like it due to their natural prowling posture, they are on average about twenty percent bigger than ponies. Their muscles are tough as ropes and serve well to protect them from blows of both blunt and sharp weapons. Still, two or three well-trained ponies can deal with a Hunter without sustaining casualties or sometimes even injuries due to the Hunters' animalistic and primitive fighting. Nightshade's companion Chilly proves, however, that such a theory still needs testing, and that ponies transformed into Hunters can retain some of their training, especially ex-guards. Meeting those could result in a very threatening encounter.

I have yet to perform extensive testing on a Protector, a Corruptor, and a Queen.

- Twilight Sparkle, first notes after the reclaiming of Ponyville.

Heart of Old Equestria: Breached

I levitate a thick book down from a shelf far above me. It silently glides through the still air of the royal library in Canterlot castle, and ends up on a reading table in front of me. It looks like a tiny speck in comparison to the massive bookshelves reaching the ceiling high above stacked and stacked with more books.

"Okay," I mumble to myself. It helps to keep the constant solitude at bay, "Let's see if 'Miraculous Minds of Equestria: Volume VI' contains something more valuable than the previous five parts."

Just from the first few pages I can guess it does not, but my job here is to scour the library for any mentions of obscure magic, inventions, and anything forgotten by ponies and time. I've been doing this for nearly a year already, ever since old Dusty Quill went out of the castle to give his old bones one last taste of willing mare meat. I guess fucking a Hunter till death is still a better way to go than dying of dust-filled lungs. I'm pretty sure I will do the same one day, although I doubt my willpower will last for sixty years.

I sigh, imagining my name in a book like the one I'm reading:

Bound Tome, a unicorn - discovered a spell reversing mind-deteriorating effects of corruption, thus ending the era of darkness. In addition, he improved the magic to such degree that ponies could keep the corrupted traits if they wanted to. Died at the blessed age of ninety of a heart-attack while having sex with his three six-breasted alicorn wives.

The image makes me smile and shake my head while waiting for my blood to return to its rightful place.

"Heh, I doubt I'll last two more years like this. Perhaps I should have kept trying to get into Hex Guard just so that there would be something mares could admire about me. Nah, failing the exams three times was a bit too much."

Funny thing, I am pretty good at complex magic. Sadly, I find it difficult to focus under pressure even despite all the unicorn battlemage training. With me being sub-par at physical activities and not really useful in a fight, I joined the ranks of research mages and started studying with Dusty Quill here in Canterlot when I was allowed to go to the surface. It should have been simple - spend five to ten years here dealing with the library, finish my apprenticeship, and then join the active research back in Ponyville. Now, with Quill being one of the corrupted monstrosities outside, I'm going to sit here forever, day after day, going through ancient books which couldn't have been moved to Ponyville due to being too derelict to survive the transport.

Yep, most of them. Thankfully, the library is protected by a spell keeping the books inside from turning to dust when touched. I have aaaaaaall the time in the world to read volume after volume of, while super interesting, probably useless tomes.

"Hmph! I'm giving it a year before I walk outside and spread my asscheeks in front of a Protect-" I shake my head, "What did I say? I mean before I wreck a Corrupted mare's... ehm."

I might not be too experienced or, well, experienced at all in such matters, but this library offers some rather "instructional" books, such as "A Comprehensive Guide to Alicorn Anatomy and Heat Cycles". Too bad that in this age, where most of the population is forced to go through periodical military training, I am not that attractive to anypony.

Any mare, I mean, M A R E!

Well, reading here alone lets mind wander, and where else could the mind of an eighteen-year old "untapped" unicorn go other than... there.

"Amber Trap, a unicorn - the inventor of the 'Want it, Need it' spell. Known for using it repeatedly on himself to gain the attention of ladies. Died by casting it unknowingly in the vicinity of a deserted dragoness."

I snicker. No matter how advanced and intelectually ascended unicorn wizards are, long-term loneliness is a crippling thing to everypony. Perhaps I should try using the spell in front of the Nightguard mare outside, who is patrolling the library. Getting some batpony tail would be pretty cool.

"Nah, not even that kind of magic will make your skinny ass attractive to one of the gorgeous thestrals. Better keep doing your job while you still can, and when it becomes too crushing," I shake my head, "there is a whole world of carnal pleasures just outside of the protective spells hosted within the castle walls."

Yep, I'm giving it a year. Perhaps I might even bother with making an idiot of myself in front of one of them by using my patented pick-up lines like "Would you like to know about some pre-corruption history?"

"La la la la, I'm a failure, la la la."

Halfway through my shift, I hear some scratching and the clanking of armor from the hallway outside. Nothing unusual. The library's protection spells lower all incoming noise, presumably so that the business outside wouldn't bother the readers in the old days. An another Nightguard patrolling the castle must have stopped to chat with the mare on the library shift.

A cool fact - Nightguards used to actually patrol just at night in the pre-corruption era, but now the name is just a designation for all ponies serving under princess Luna, no matter night or day.

"Should be another of my excellent pick-ups..." I snort in contempt, "Hey, girl, I know loads of cool facts, does that make me cool?" I imitate a mare's voice and make a mocking face, "No, no, it doesn't. Now go away and let this handsome and muscular earthpony buy me a drink."

So yes, this is my life. Sitting alone, reading, and being sarcastic to myself while a single Nightguard stands in front of the door in the hallway. I guess I should be happy none of them ever go inside aside from using the bathroom, and that they can't hear me. The odds of me finding anything relevant here are so slim I'm pretty sure the only reason I'm here is so that there is one less potential Corrupted outside.

The heavy, barred door of the library shakes with a blow that makes dust fall of the ceiling-high shelves.

"That can't be good."

Excellent, I might have a career as a marginally successful fortuneteller.

A quick walk to the window leading into the hallway later, I slide under it as a head covered in slick, black mane passes by.

"Corrupted, here inside the castle?" I take another brief glance outside and see several Hunters prowling through the hallway.

I crawl underneath the window again to have a look to the opposite side of the hallway and see the most beautiful mare I have ever seen, her black posterior inviting me with its delicious firm plumpness. Several small tentacles followed by a tongue slip out of her marehood as if they saw me looking, and slide back.

She turns halfway to me and I see the Nightguard mare guarding me being tangled in tentacles originating from the other mare's chest.

"That's no normal Corrupted. A Corruptor perhaps?" I whisper, dying with curiosity. Granted, most of it is coming from my nether parts telling me that surrendering myself to the Corruptor is an excellent idea, "Oh dear..."

The batpony struggling in the Corruptor's grasp is pulled upwards to her captor's mouth, and several more tendrils wrap around her neck, squeezing. As she opens her mouth to gasp for breath, the Corruptor mare draws her into a sloppy kiss. Splatters of black liquid taint the floor, but the choking thestral gulps down much much more of it. It goes on forever, and I watch my guard's belly bloating into unreasonable proportions before she is released and falls limply down, opening and closing her mouth while a thin black stream dribbles out. The Corruptor then presses her muzzle against the guard's rump, and starts sucking everything she gave her back again.

More than what she gave her.

The utter horror at the mare's body deflating until there are only skin and clearly visible bones left breaks my horny stupor.

"Invisibility, invisibility, invisibility," I curse my nerves forbidding me to remember the spell I'm looking for.

The Corruptor can't have seen me. Yet, as she turns to the window I'm peeking through, I know she somehow had to feel me ogling her, and deliberatly showed me the entire spectacle.

As the first strands of her black mane appear right in front of the window, I finally turn invisible, and breathe out deeply. There is no way I'll be able to keep the spell going while moving, so I stare into the abyss of two pupil-less black eyes looking through the window at what MUST be empty library.

She smiles warmly, and opens her mouth, giving me a good look at the rows and rows of sharp teeth inside. Her jaw splits, opening the tunnel even more.

I don't wait. She somehow knows, and it has nothing to do with seeing.

My quick dive backwards is accompanied by shattering glass and three tentacles whipping the air where I was a millisecond ago. There is a set of iron bars on the hallway part of the window, giving me hope that she can't get through.

However,-

*SLAM!*

The door shakes again and cracks.

-it seems she knows as well.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit," my muttering habit returns, "So, invis is out. Can't teleport down to the inhabited floors either."

The library is well-protected against magical interference.

"I don't want to become a tube of nutrient paste. It tastes like crap," I complain.

Another blow. The wooden part of the door splinters, but holds, kept together by the metal framework.

I rush to the nearest window leading outside and shoot it open. The rebounding shutters smack me in the face.

"Blrmb!" I shake the daze off and look out, "Hmmm, if I grab the windowsil, swing myself just in the right way, and let go at the right time, I might just miss that balcony by inches and break my neck down on the castle grounds. Perhaps if I hit that Hunter before I hit the ground I might break only two legs and still get the fucking of a lifetime as all the others pile on me."

I look away from the black shapes sleeping or slowly walking faaaaaaaar down.

"So, scaling the castle wall down isn't happening. How the frick did the Corrupted get inside anyway? The protective enchantments have been working for decades, keeping even the Canterlot hive Queen out."

The door shatters.

"IM'SORRYPRINCESSLUNA!" I focus on the only thing I can see besides the Corruptor melting the remains of wood and metal with her touch - the enormous bookshelf filled to the brim right next to the entrance. The glow of my horn blinds me, and the mental strain makes me feel as if my bowels were being evacuated via my ears, but the shelf moves.

The Corruptor looks up as the rain of books from the toppling shelf starts.

The entire library shakes from the impact.

"Didn't know you spent your free time buried in books as well, miss. Perhaps we should meet for luuuun-FUCK!" I spot shadows wrapping around my legs a fraction of a second before real tentacles materialize to grab me.

The semi-liquid Corruptor growls as the pile of books nearby melts and reveals her underneath, crushed by the shelf. Talons grow on her one free front leg, dig deep into the marble floor, and she starts pulling herself towards me.

"Alright, crushing doesn't work as well as I hoped," I turn to look for a way out which wouldn't lead into a hallway filled with Hunters through a doorway blocked by a gigantic shelf with a pissed off Corruptor under it.

Everything goes hot and red.

I wipe the bloody gunk off my face, looking around at its source.

The Corruptor dragging herself inch by inch from her not-too-effective prison is forgotten for a moment when I notice a Hunter's remains lodged halfway through the window I was peeking to the hallway through before.

The steel bars held, the minced Hunter did not.

I don't dare to go closer to the rapidly dying Corrupted to find out what showed him inside with such strength it grated him on the bars.

"Alright, one down, time to return to the-"

The Corruptor screeches, and something drags her irresistibly backwards through the door blocked by the shelf, her talons cutting the floor even further. For just the tiniest moment I pity her, then I return to the reality where she sucked a mare dry, and not in the fun way, and concern myself with the possibility of me being next.

"Okay, okay, don't panic. Somepony out there is just using ridiculously strong telekinesis to do this. Princess Luna perhaps? What would she be doing here, though?" I raise my voice and yell, "IS ANYPONY THERE?"

Nothing aside from hushed screeching, blows, and thumping of Corrupted running away.

All noise finally stops.

"The Corrupted are inside the castle. A pony did not do THAT," I look at the bleeding mush remaining of the Hunter blocking the window and come to an excellent conclusion, "And I really don't want to meet whoever DID do it."

I run past bookshelf after bookshelf, dive into the furthest storage closet, cast an invisibility spell, a soundproofing spell, a barier protecting me against scrying, and quietly whimper and whine to myself over and over while trembling like a little filly.

Yep, I am a failure.

Heart of Old Equestria: Attack

Rocking back and forth in a tiny dark storeroom might not be the greatest achievement a pony can go for, but I believe it is important to spend some time reflecting on one's past deeds. I gradually stop foaming at the mouth out of sheer terror, and when nothing barges in to melt me to goo, I regain some shaky control of my legs.

"Get it together, Bound Tome!" I slap myself, "What would your dad say if he saw you like this?"

I keep talking while disabling all the protective spells I managed to layer on myself in my panic.

"Braaaaaains! That's what zombies are supposed to say, right? Being dead does that to a pony."

Well, he is not dead, but he may as well be. He got turned into a Corrupted three weeks ago during the big attack on Ponyville. Mom has been dead for years, but that is something a colt whose both parents are Hex Guards has to learn to cope with.

"Hmph, since he's one of THEM now, shouldn't he be saying 'Hornyyyyy!' or something? That's what they are all about."

A quick, and most of all - careful, examination of the library shows that nothing or nopony is inside, and that all damage I caused was focused on two bookshelves, ones which I have finished reading already. I'm not sure when the second one toppled over, but that does not matter now.

Sadly, said two stacked bookshelves are blocking my exit.

Engage magic - fireeeee!

A quick 'whoosh!' of flames later, I still stand in the same spot, staring at the untouched wood.

"Right, protected from magical damage. Telekinesis?"

My brain feels for a moment like being squeezed in a vice, with my reward being the stoic barrier still blocking my way.

"Even one is too heavy. Can I squeeze in?"

I might be skinny, but to get through I would have to become the mare currently lying sucked dry outside.

"Hmmm..."

I DID see a balcony during my erratic looking for an escape earlier. The library takes most of this floor's space, perhaps one of the other windows might give me a better way to get down there.

It does. A window near the corner is right above a balcony which has to lead either into some room or straight into the main hallway. It is still too high to drop down, though.

"What to do? What to do...?" every detail of the situation is running through my head, "Slowfall spell?"

A good idea. Spell which allows one to drift down like a leaf is great, but if wind blows the wrong way, I end up down on the castle courtyard, surrounded by more Corrupted than I can count.

Me am smart!

Books could be my saving grace. Unfortunately, the amount from the toppled shelves is nowhere near enough to cushion my fall, and I'm not throwing down more of the ancient tomes than I have to.

"Weren't there cardboard boxes in the storage closet?" I think aloud.

Minutes later, the balcony under the window is filled with enough cardboard for me to possibly only hurt myself badly instead of going splat straight up.

"Breathe in, breathe out! Don't think, because then you might realize how dumb this idea iiiiiiiiiis!" I fall flat on the pile, "OOF!"

Rolling around to regain some sense of up and down, I feel pretty accomplished.

"Not bad, Bound Tome, not-" the high pile starts toppling over the railings along with me, "BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!"

I survive the shower of falling boxes hanging by the neck of an ornate gargoyle. Deep down, a black head pokes out of the relocated pile, looking around in confusion. Chill runs down my spine when the stricken Corrupted looks upwards at me, but when he or she crawls into a surviving box and arranges several more into a little nest, I can't help but grin.

"You're welcome!"

Swinging myself up on the balcony, I shoot open the locked door ot the hall. Thank heavens for no magical protection on the upper floors aside from books. Now to run four stairs down, alert some Nightguards on the way and the princess in the throne room.

"Wait a minute. Either they know already because the Corrupted are down there as well, or they won't believe me. After all, how would Corrupted get to the upper floors first. I'm sure somepony would ring an alarm reaching up to the library," I freeze and hide behind the nearest corner, "Unless they're gone already."

My stomach revolves at the thought of me possibly being the last pony in Canterlot. Last one out of the two hundred or so ponies stationed in the castle - guards, servants, mages. However, that's the worst case scenario. Let's plan for that one later. First, in case everything is fine and this was just some random breach of a place nopony inspected, I need to get some proof. On top of that, something killed the Corrupted who attacked me, and Corrupted don't fight each other as a rule.

Silencing spell envelops my hooves, and I sneak to one of the two staircases leading upwards. While the Canterlot castle is circular from the outside, its each floor is a square of hallways with rooms on both sides. There are several oddities on the upper floors, such as random towers scattered on the roof with small access paths, but that's the general gist of the layout.

"Ewww," I shudder as I reach the library again, this time from the outside, and bite my lip as I see the corpse of the guard mare sucked dry. I didn't know her name, I never know the guys outside, "I'm really sorry, ma'am. If it was anypony else, they could have helped you somehow... probably. I couldn't. At least if I survive this I'll go tell your family myself so they can vent their rage on me. I sure wish this was me and that you were the one safe-ish in the library. The only reason anypony bothers patrolling up here is me reading books anyway. I'm really, really sorry."

Shaking my head, I leave the poor batpony's remains, taking her Nightguard badge. I meant everything I said, but there is nothing self-pity will accomplish here. Her badge should be enough of a proof, but a spike of curiosity drives me to follow the trail of obliterated Corrupted and puddles of gore.

"What could have done so much damage to something bladed weapons only scratch?"

Thanks to the silencing spell, my heavy breathing is the only thing disrupting my ability to hear anything that could move nearby.

"Glk!" half of a Corrupted's body flies out of a door leading to what I know is a common bathroom, deadly jaws trying to bite me along the way. Nearby puddles of blood and flesh get slurped into the torso, and a male Corruptor reforms. It has to be one despite looking like a Hunter. Those definitely cannot do such a thing, or if they can then stars help us all now.

A huge, muscular, and -strangely enough- winged Corrupted charges out of the bathroom, knocking me away with its membranous wing. When I stop seeing stars and coughing, the big purple blur has just splattered something black over a wall at the end of the hallway. For being larger than princess Luna, who outgrows even the biggest earthpony as an alicorn, that guy is fast. Definitely a Protector. My eyes start focusing, and I see the black remains of a Corruptor reform again under the brutal assault of the Protector.

"Alright... I think I've got... all the proof... I need," I gather myself, gasping in pain.

For good measure, I look into the bathroom. The toilet in one of the stalls is ripped out, and the masonry around the thick main drainpipe where all the mess used to go is demolished. All these pipes lead to the sewers deep under the castle.

"Hmm... did they crawl five floors up the pipe? How? And most importantly - why?" I shake my head at the ingenious and yet incredibly stupid-looking plan, "Nevermind, I know where they came from, and I know that whatever beat the shit out of the Corrupted at the library was a different one. Perhaps two hives fighting or something. The others need to know... unless they do already."

Summoning a little cup I have on the table inside my room, I sweep some Corrupted's remains inside and sneak as fast downstairs as I can. The noise coming from the drain pipe makes me hurry, but not enough to forget safety.

"Teleportation?" I ponder, "Nah, I'm too exhausted and my head is still ringing. Don't wanna end in the middle of a wall. The soundproofing will have to suffice."

My knees give out when I meet two Nightguards on a patrol two floors lower.

"I need to talk to princess Luna. We have to raise the alarm, the Corrupted are inside!"

The guards are confused at first, but one leads me down to the throne room and one rushes off.

Thankfully, it seems that either the situation is much less dire than I believed, or it is much worse because nopony knows anything yet. The ornate double door opens, the Nightguards outside usher me in, and my eyes go wide.

Princess Luna is surrounded by four Corrupted, two stallions and two mares. One is an athletic mare as tall as the princess, but leaner, with more pronounced muscles, smaller wings, grey mane, and slick, black coat. One is a white Corrupted portraying all characteristics of a Hunter aside from the color. He and the second mare, who is a Hunter as well are just sitting nearby, staring at me now. The final Corrupted is a well-built grey stallion whose tail is wrapped around the handle of a greatsword, granting me a look at his incredibly fine posterior. He seems familiar for some reason.

"Your Highness, we can't help you retake Canterlot. I can barely hold control over the Ponyville hive, and I know how the Corrupted felt when the other queen was forcing them to attack the enclave. I'm not strong enough to push them that far, and I don't want to. I know Canterlot is important for you, but to everypony else it is just an empty city sitting on the side of a mountain."

"Nightshade!" Luna objects strongly, "Canterlot is the heart of-" she stops when the two Hunters growl as I approach, "What is going on, Bound Tome?"

"Calm down, Chilly," the Corrupted mare whom princess Luna called Nightshade says, and the white Hunter goes quiet.

"Ummm..." I might be juuust a tiny bit confused at whoever these non-attacking Corrupted are. Then I put two and two together as my overtaxed mind recalls the news about Ponyville. Well, my dad got corrupted during the fight, so I should at least honor him by remembering this little detail, "Your Highness, Corrupted are inside the castle."

I realize how ridiculous that sounds when faced with four of them looking at me.

"I mean the bad ones. Up on the library floor," a very important, and equally shocking, piece of information sinks through my thick skull, "You know who I am, your Highness? I mean, by name."

"Of course I do, young apprentice, I know all those who are brave enough to stay here in the castle with me. Now, calm down and say your piece."

I take a deep breath.

"I got attacked in the library. The mare guarding me... is dead... I hope..." I stop, knowing how dumb I sound, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it-"

"Focus!" Luna says firmly, "I have a very good idea what you mean."

"They tried to get inside, so I blocked the door with the shelves, but a Corruptor still got in. Then this big guy dragged her out and..."

Everything in my head is swirling, and I can barely think.

"I had to jump from a window. I got out to bring you proof that I'm not insane, or a coward, or that I did something to her. They came through a toilet drain pipe."

The guard tags, the badge, and the cup with the Hunter's remains clink on the floor. I realize a big chunk of the fatigue I'm feeling is due to me levitating all the things I gathered all this time.

"The... big guy?" Nightshade asks.

"A Protector. He killed a lot of them, including at least two Corruptors," I nod.

That makes her take a step back.

"Oh?" she turns to the grey Corrupted in Hex Guard platemail, "Mana Burn, any ideas?"

"No, ma'am. However, Canterlot garrison has not reported any unexplained losses, which makes me think it might be a Corrupted along the lines of your mate Chilly."

Mana Burn, Mana Burn, Mana Burn... name rings a bell. Princess Twilight's bodyguard! How come he is a Corrupted? This does not look like only a partial thing.

"He's not my mate!" Nightshade squeaks.

Mana Burn's knowing stare makes her look away.

"Not important!" she coughs, "If he is not a mindless beast then finding him might be a good idea. Perhaps the upper layers of the castle have been safe due to his interference just like Chilly's forest."

Princess Luna walks up, and wraps her wings around me.

"Are you up for one more service, Bound Tome?"

Hearing her say my name is like a gust of fresh air. No mare aside from my mom has ever said it with caring. I can't leave her hanging just because of some minor things like coat-wetting fear, cracked ribs, all that coupled with physical and mental exhaustion.

"Anything, your Highness."

"Then, please, stay here while I assign a squad of Nightguards to accompany you to where the Corrupted came from."

"Mana Burn," Nightshade orders, "Take YOUR mate and go as well. Fight if necessary, but bring clearer information," she turns to me, "I mean no disrespect to you, mister Bound Tome, but your report is a little garbled."

"Sorry," I mutter.

"Of course," Mana Burn nods.

I am a bit nervous to be surrounded by Mana Burn and the Huntress while Nightshade and princess Luna return to their original debate. Without a word, the Huntress presses her side against me as I drink some water, waiting for the Nightguards to assemble. Mana Burn does the same from the other side. Confused beyond belief, I rest my head on Mana's shoulder. The Huntress' coat is soft, and she smells like soil and grass, but Mana Burn's pronounced muscles make me feel safe after what I've been through. Perhaps looking for a mare my entire life was a wrong direction.

"Hmph?!" I open my eyes, "Whuh, what?"

"You doze off," Mana Burn says gently, "but we have to go now, the guards are ready."

A dozen Nightguards, Mana Burn, the Huntress, and I march upwards through the castle, eyes and ears peeled. The grey Corrupted stops us at one point.

"Something is off," Mana growls, "I can FEEL other Corrupted, but I can't see anything."

The walls around turn black with goo dripping from the ceiling. Four Corruptors surround us, taking alicorn forms as they materialize from the slime. All of a sudden, the hallways burst with the movement of hooves from afar.

"They knew about us..." I breathe out.

"Indeed," Mana Burn scowls, "This is way too well-coordinated for the wild ones. A hive is attacking," he nudges a paralyzed Nightguard nearby, "GET THE ONES BEHIND US AND RETREAT!"

Nightguards in front of me, stopping the Corruptors and the incoming horde. Nightguards behind me, helping Mana Burn and Huntress to clear our escape route.

In the middle of them - me, legs trembling and head not working properly. I wish I could use magic in combat, but I can't! I wish I could do at least something a bit useful, but I can't!

Nightguards are getting ripped apart, but all I can do is-

"RUN!" Mana Burn orders when the path is clear.

Heart of Old Equestria: Wrong decisions

Warning bells toll throughout the castle as we flee, tide of Hunters breathing down our necks. Our only saving grace is that the floors are high, and thus the long staircases connecting them cannot host the entire horde on our backs. Corrupted inside the castle, this has never happened before. The ancient magic, older than the Corrupted, older even than the ponies before held any enemy at bay in even the darkest of times.

I keep trying to think of something to do to help, but I can barely keep pace with the running guards. Breathing steadily becomes my most important concern.

"Screw this!" curses a Nightguard behind me, the commander of the squad assigned to assist me. I mean, officially Mana Burn is the leader, but he is a Hex Guard, or a Corrupted now, so rank does not really apply to him, "Whisper! Dusk Shield! STAND YOUR GROUND!"

Two Nightguards immediately stop, and join him in facing the incoming Hunters.

"We are retreating, that's an order!" Mana Burn yells.

"Go, evacuate the princess and the civilians. You'll need every second you can get!" the commander replies, "BOYS! GET THE SONS OF BITCHES!"

They get swarmed immediately, but the Hunters aren't able to resist their instinct to play with their prey, giving us precious time to get away.

There is only six of us as we reach the second floor. The sounds of panicking and quickly moving ponies from all around accompany us to the throne room.

"Your Highness," Mana Burn reports loudly from the entrance, "An entire hive must be attacking! You have to evacuate to Ponyville at once!"

"We are not letting Canterlot fall!" princess Luna objects, "How did you defeat the Ponyville attackers?"

"With way too much luck and them underestimating us severely!" Nightshade replies, "I don't have the strength to deal with a hive this big," she closes her eyes for a second, "and the Queen behind this knows about me. How, I have no idea, but we might have misunderstood the mentality of Queen-type Corrupted completely."

"YOU are one!"

"I wasn't born like this. Maybe if I had a month or two more to get over the hundreds of minds inside my head then I could do something, but we will lose if we fight straight up."

"Alright," princess Luna nods as the throne room fills with more and more ponies seeking refuge, "IS EVERYPONY LISTENING?"

The door to the throne room shakes.

There is only about a hundred ponies inside, barely half of the castle's population, but if the Corrupted are breaking in here then the rest are either hiding in their rooms and beyond help, or they are already a part of the attacking hive.

Black tendrils slip inbetween the door wings, and rip them open.

A tall mare similar to Nightshade, only completely black, and with a mass of tentacles on her back, is staring straight at Luna and smiling. Her mouth opens, and with her loud hiss the ranks of Corrupted behind her charge.

The first wave of attackers is sucked inside a black hole appearing on the floor with princess Luna roaring:

"THE HEART OF EQUESTRIA SHALL NEVER FALTER!"

Cosmic magic bending time and space like this makes my eyes go wide with wonder and admiration. This is the peak of wizardry, the power of an immortal archmage like princess Luna. The sort of magic every unicorn apprentice only dreams of. Frost so shattering that it is only found in the darkness between stars destroys Corrupted after Corrupted. The blazing plasma of distant suns melts others, but more and more come.

"What are you standing here with dropped jaw for? RUN!" a nearby Nightguard nudges me.

The princess covers our escape as best as she can, but the focus she needs to perform such spells prevents her from moving.

As the last of us, namely me, still in utter astonishment at the magic presented, leave the throne room through a secret exit behind the throne, we give one last look to the midnight-blue alicorn erecting a magical barrier around herself.

There is no time to rest, though. Hoofsteps are coming from all around us. It seems the castle is teeming with Corrupted.

With Nightshade and her entourage leading the way and taking down any solitary Corrupted blocking our progress, we successfully get into the dungeons where the entrance to the tunnel leading to Ponyville is. Black goo drips from the ceiling, giving away that Corruptors have found us. Some ponies are grabbed by tentacles coming from upwards and wrapping them instantly in black cocoons. I jump and roll on the floor to dodge two trying to snatch me. Complete panic of screaming servants breaks the little semblance of order we've had a second ago, and everpony starts running to what they believe to be a safe spot.

I, for one, would love to choose to stay with Nightshade, Mana Burn, Huntress, and Chilly, who are fairly successfully eliminating the Corruptors dropping through the ceiling, but a veil of tentacles between us makes me follow a bunch of Nightguards into a different hallway.

Nearly half of us disappeared during the surprise attack.

"The east wing armory!" I hear somepony yell nearby, "We can cut it off from the rest of the castle."

I've never heard of anything like isolating a wing of the castle being possible, but I'm not going to argue now.

We run and run, and while I want to be useful and come up with something to save us, I can barely keep myself from collapsing after today. A painful infinity of burning lungs and shaking legs later, I slump down on the floor of a large room in what has to be the east wing.

"Engage lockdown!" I hear nearby, and feel a massive magical charge build up all around.

I pass out. Through blurring vision I see that I'm not the only one.

Angry voices wake me up.

"We can't afford to wait here! We need to rescue princess Luna," a Nightguard with silver insignia on his armor is arguing with several civilians.

"How? We can't fight through that many of those things!" one of them complains.

"Yes, we can! They just took us by surprise. Anyway, it's either that, or waiting here for a rescue that might not even come. After all, how do we know that the Corrupted who ran towards the Ponyville tunnel weren't only playing with us, mapping the castle out for the rest? They are BEASTS! A century of safety and boom! We get a 'diplomatic' visit and this happens. A bit too much to be a coincidence, am I right?"

"That's dumb," I mutter. Sadly, batponies are known for their hearing.

"What did you say?" he turns to me, fuming. Everypony goes silent. I don't know where the others have gone off to, but the two dozen ponies staring at me make me want to implode and disappear.

"Ummm... I mean, I don't know who this Nightshade is, but Mana Burn used to be an elite Hex Guard, princess Twilight Sparkle's personal companion. I doubt he would-"

"Oh yes," the Nightguards rolls his eyes, "because ponies who lost it due to corruption are known for their ability to return to their previous life," he spits sarcastically, "Now shut up, kid. Adults are talking. If you really want to be useful, go grab a sword out of the armory and help us save your princess."

"Uhh..."

"Thought so," he scowls at me, "You're a disgrace, unicorn. You have no place in a city as sacred as Canterlot."

"I am a librarian, an unlike you I'm not suicid-"

His punch sends me to the floor. I may have hit a nerve, but I will be the one trying to get the horseshoe tattoo off my cheek for weeks. Well, so much for the just a little over-the-top loyalty, I mean fanaticism, of the Nightguard batponies.

Only about ten of us stayed behind when the expedition to rescue the princess left, and those were the guys too hurt to be of any use.

So, I'm the only semi-healthy pony who didn't volunteer.

"It's not that I don't want to help. I just think attacking a horde like that is beyond dumb," I complain to nopony listening, "And to think she even knows who I am..."

I shake my head.

"With all the attention on the throne room, I COULD try to get to the Ponyville tunnel myself," I keep mumbling, "I mean, who knows if Mana Burn got there safely to inform princess Twilight, right?"

While travelling to Ponyville through the tunnel on hoof would take one over a day of walking, there are teleportation spots used in case a quick visit is needed which transport the user towards the guard post on the other side.

Nopony objects to me leaving the safe room. Maybe they think I'm a coward and deserve whatever happens to me, or maybe they really are all unconscious. I think it's about fifty-fifty. As soon as I get to a staircase up, I take it to avoid the main force of Corrupted last seen on the first floor.

"Good choice," I force a weak smile as I hear the sounds of combat from downstairs, "Now to get to the other side, take the stairs down, and pray nothing is between me and the dungeons."

Sounds of whining and heavy breathing are coming from around a corner, so I sneak a peek before moving onwards.

Two Hunters are mating wildly, although it looks like a really pleasant combat. The stallion is on top for a moment, pounding away the sqealing mare, but soon after he groans in what presumably is an orgasm, she uses his moment of weakness to get on top and start riding him with no time to recover.

Before I even realize it, I'm breathing deep the scents of sex while running my telekinesis up and down my own member in sync with the Hunter mounting the mare again.

They stop, and I can see their nostrils flaring. Both heads turning to me, I get a glimpse of their hungry grins.

"Fuck..."

I'm not sure if it was an observation, a curse, or a vision of my immediate future, but I run with one more leg -Well, I wish I was that endowed. Sadly, not even close- back to the main staircase. The short rest must have cleared my head a little, so I scratch a symbol into the dust on the stairs up, and my horn flashes. I wait for the Hunters to walk up.

"Explosive runes," I smile smugly as the staircase goes up in flames and flying stones. My joy disappears quickly as I burst out in coughing from all the mess flying around, "Okay... maybe I've overdone... it a bit..."

After recovering my breath, I look at the collapsed stairs and the two Corrupted buried underneath, and head for the staircase on the other side of the castle.

"Alright, the plan still stands. I'm just on a third floor now. But hey, guess I was right! Only two Hunters in the way."

My head hurts again. The overuse of magic today is taking its toll. Trying to shake the headache off, I turn the corner again and trip over something.

"Owwwwww..."

A warm lick followed by a wet kiss makes my condition a lot better and my confusion go out of propotions. A chubby black mare is lying next to me, tentacles running along my coat, but not attempting to grab or anything. My gasp of breath is followed by another nuzzle and lick. I stumble up and aim my horn at the Corrupted mare just lying there, smiling, and watching me with the weird yellow eyes with no whites. Unlike the fit physique of most Corrupted, this one's wide hips, puckered mouth, and teats the size of balloons assure me this is a female Breeder.

So... why am I still thinking fairly clearly and not blindly rutting her to oblivion? Is she one of the good ones, maybe?

"Hello, ma'am. Can you talk?" I ask shyly, and once again feel super dumb. She just tilts her head.

Breathing in her sweet scent, I lean down to her. If I'm not losing it already, then I might be fine because Breeders aren't supposed to be too dangerous. Out of curiosity, I poke her soft belly.

Yeeeeah, I'm not too sure what to do around mares, much less Corrupted ones. My previous idea was that I would sort of be the bottom one if I ever decided to leave the castle for one final -and first, regrettably- romp.

My curiosity wins, and I run my hooves all over her body, careful not to offend her in any way. The six tentacles coming out of her back do the same to me. Perhaps I could...

Her teats feel almost boiling hot to touch, and the thick and heavy black milk that comes out as I suckle on them makes my body shiver from my hooves up. I don't know how long I just lie there and drink, but it doesn't seem to stop. When I wake up from my stupor, I feel a lot better. Still exhausted, but sort of invigorated at the same time. I quickly check myself in a conjured mirror for any unwanted changes associated with something I REALLY shoouldn't have done.

White coat - check! Although slight grey veins around my mouth portray the sign that I DID get touched by corruption a moment ago. Nothing even remotely serious, though.

Brown mane - check! Once again, black strands here and there, but nothing like what should have happened to somepony consorting with a Breeder.

Book and a magnifying glass cutie mark - check!

"Phew!" I wipe my forehead. Corrupted ponies lost their cutie mark along with their mind.

End result - I am completely fine, which, no matter any possible set of coincidences, should not be the case.

"Maybe I could do something more?" the blood currently residing in my fully prepared lower regions makes an interesting decision for me.

When the Breeder doesn't object as I press my muzzle against her marehood, I start licking.

Sadly, thinking with one's balls is always a bad idea.

Time loses its meaning with me drinking once again, this time the spicy liquid the Breeder releases with every few touches.

Hoofsteps make me snap back to reality.

Two more Hunters are approaching. On the positive side, this is about as close to getting laid as I'll ever get.

"Bye, ma'am!" I lunge back towards the staircase which, after my previous narrow escape, leads only up.

She hisses at me, but is silenced quickly by one of the Hunters jumping straight at her in a rutting frenzy.

"Okay okay okay," I mumble while galloping like a madpony, "This is impossible. It has never happened before, that a stallion would return to being normal after losing it with a Breeder. Am I resistant somehow, or does even corruption not want me?"

I bet it's the latter. A quick run by the window of the darkening day reveals my muzzle turned oily black, but aside from that there are no more changes. I guess I now have a permanent mark allowing everypony to see what a loser like me has to stoop to to get some.

There is no way for me to blow up another staircase, but after drinking the Breeder's milk I can focus enough to cast a brief invisibility spell and hide behind a pillar on the side of the hall. The Hunter runs by and disappears behind a corner.

So this is it... Breeders don't exist just for enjoyment and spreading of corruption, they can restore strength of a wounded or exhausted ones. I'm petty sure a dying Corrupted who would do the same thing I did would be fully healed after few minutes of drinking.

They seem solitary, or living in packs of strict ranking unless they are a part of a hive, but that is not the case. They are all connected, a complex ecosystem of living creatures providing for others. Just like the world itself.

A revelation hits me.

"Flies aren't gone, bugs aren't gone, birds aren't gone, otherwise all flora would die, but the corruption takes everything. It drastically changes only that which is not ruled straight by instinct anyway. It has no meaningful effect on those things. What is it, though? And WHY does it exist?"

I feel as if there is a little piece I am missing. One tiny bit of information which would make sense of everything that is happening.

A growl makes me freeze.

The Hunter previously chasing me is walking towards me. I foolishly believed a soundproofing spell would be enough to allow me to sneak through. Right here, at the only other staircase leading down, I get caught.

"A bad Hunter chases his prey. A good Hunter lies in wait where his prey has to go," I mutter, watching the Corrupted with newfound respect.

The Hunter smiles, takes a deep breath...

...and HOWLS.

Several howls answer.

None are coming from upstairs, so I go into full hunted mode and obey blind panic.

Fourth floor. Fifth floor. Library.

The Hunter is toying with me, swiping at my legs and sides. Easily running circles around, but while I offer him the thrill of the chase he doesn't kill me or mate with me.

Broken bathroom. Stairs up. Attic.

Tripping over the last small stair leading to a wooden attic, I brace myself against being dragged back down. My defiant stare at the small square of an open trap door leading up here in unanswered.

Nothing.

"Haaah haaah haaah," I wheeze, unable to do more, while waiting for claws to seize me.

Still nothing.

A floorboard creaks behind me.

"Fu-" I turn, expecting the Hunter.

I look up... and up... and more up...

Words elude me, and my mind goes completely blank.

The dark purple, alicorn-sized, bat-winged Protector is standing above me, staring at me firmly.

Heart of Old Equestria: Bastion

My mind is overloaded.

For one, there are the Hunters behind, well - under, me, threatening to get up into the attic any second.

Next, there is the Protector responsible for saving me in the library inside the small room with me, and he does not look friendly.

HOWEVER, my eyes betray me and slide around the room not in an attempt to find an escape route, but to drink in the crazy old artefacts lying around.

I can identify some patterns and items, at least my constant reading was useful for something. There is a century-old full plate Nightguard armor being worn by a dress figurine. A tarnished, yet rust-less halberd from the pre-corruption era. Some jewels adorned with gems and crystals from the famous and lost Crystal Empire. What catches my attention the most, however, is a small leather-bound book portraying a symbol of the sun on its cover.

A floorboard creaks under the Protector's weight. I twitch, whine, and try to look small. It's not a conscious effort, the Protector is just too big, too menacing, and his presence too spirit-crushing. I know how fast he can be. I know how strong he is.

In his presence, I know better than any time before how insignificant I am.

"AAAH!" a stab of pain follows a literal stab of Hunter's talons through my hind leg.

Too many things happen too quickly.

The Hunter pushes himself through the trap door to bite my impaled leg and drag me down. The Protector's front hooves turn to talons, and he grabs the halberd on the floor. The weapon lenghtens and its blade grows, strenghtened by black taint coming from the Protector's grasp. He lunges past me, stands up on his hind legs, yanks the Hunter up by his mane, and hacks the flailing Corrupted in half.

Yes, I am dumb enough to stare straight towards the shower of blood in utter amazement and horror.

"Ow, damn!" I curse, wiping the mess off my face. It's not too helpful, as I now get a clear sight of the Protector. My head fails me just like in every crisis situation, and I return to the habit of rambling incoherently, "I know you don't want me here, what with the territory thing. Trust me, I don't want to be here either. I just wanted to get help for princess Luna so that she didn't end like, well, you."

"Hmmm?" he looks at me, question in his eyes.

Work, work, WORK! Stupid brain.

He looks like a really big batpony, well - a corrupted one, so I take a wild guess about what I said.

"Princess Luna?"

"Hmmm..." he glares.

"Well, yeah. She's in danger, if she's even still alive. You... I mean the other Corrupted are attacking her in the throne room. She's awesome and super strong. Plus really nice, she even remembers who I am, but it's only a matter of time."

"Hmph!" he huffs meaningfully, and starts rummaging through the pile of things in the back of the attic. I catch myself staring at the firm rump and the large, heavy, swinging testicles.

"Mares... mares... mares. Don't shame your dead family even more by being into stallions!" I try to stop myself ineffectually, and look closer at the set of plate armor. Still, I sneak a peek at the Protector's bulging muscles every so often.

So, going back down is suicide. At least this guy doesn't seem to want to rip my head off.

"Hmmm," every part of the armor is clean, although not oiled, and it is the really heavy kind used by war chargers in the old days. Today it is more important to be agile, because Corrupted can swarm you easily and no amount of protection will help, so full sets of plate mail are almost never used. A set of silver guard tags which read "Bastion" hangs around the dress figurine's, right - ponnequin, neck, "Is your name Bastion?"

He gives me a quick look when he hears the name, but returns to his business immediately.

I'm not touching the halberd, especially since it looks now to be half-made of the corrupted biomass.

The book with the sun, however...

I gasp, and my head spins as I open the front page.

To my dear sister Luna,

The Golden Legion left Canterlot four weeks ago, and today we can finally see what we call "The Barrier". The resistance of the local Corrupted hive is beyond all expectations, but the best of mine, Chrysalis', and your forces are truly the champions among our ranks. Many of us are wounded, but our losses are minimal. We hope to cross The Barrier tomorrow and destroy the root of this so-called corruption.

I have many theories, but very little actual proof about what I believe is hidden there. If I am correct, however, then there is a high chance the encounter will pose a deadly threat even to me. In case we fail, I am sending general Bastion back with information we have gathered during our march. I have to cipher this journal's contents, as it contains the methods we used to successfully survive in this hostile territory, and were it to fall into... the wrong hooves, it might destroy your chances of dealing with the Corrupted as well.

I turn the page, drop the book, and clutch my head.

"ARHG!" chaos of images, words, colors, and sensations ends my perception of the world for a moment.

Thankfully, I am just confused, not hurt.

"There's no way I can break a magical cipher like this," I mumble with absolute certainty, "Princess Luna might, since it is meant for her eyes. Her sister... Celestia, was it?"

Making the not-so-wild assumption that the Corrupted Protector used to be a member of the legion led by princess Celestia to eradicate the Corrupted, I look for a place to pocket the book.

"HMPH!" Bastion finally finishes his search, and throws something to me, something heavy and made of steel.

The final part of the plate armor - the helmet. Complete with the sliding visor, rotten and withered plumes on top, and everything. With one leg, he picks up the ponnequin wearing the rest of the suit, and it ends on a heap in front of me as well.

"Wait a minute..." I look at it with dread, "You can't-"

"Grrrrwr!" he points towards his wings, then to the old Nightguard insignia on the breastplate, and salutes.

This can't be real.

"Look, I think I can guess you want to save princess Luna or something, but there's an army down there. A QUEEN is there!" I shake my head, "I can't even wear that, it's too heavy, I-mmph!" the helmet lands on my head and the visor slides down, "I'm not a fighter! I'm not useful! JUST LISTEN!"

With surprising care and precision for somepony so huge, he tightens the straps of the legplates so perfectly that they fit even me. For a second, I ponder why a Nightguard helmet has a hole for a horn AND fits me fairly comfortably, and then my fear gets the better of me.

"Come on, I'm not a hero! I'm so tired I can attack Corrupted at best by fainting at them," I sag under the weight of the chest and back plates, "I CAN'T DO ANYTHING!"

Meaningfully, he puts princess Celestia's journal into the saddlebag hanging on the side of the suit of armor.

I can barely keep balance in this heavy thing. Every movement threatens me to keel over...

...which is exactly what happens when Bastion pushes me gently backwards.

Clanking like an overturned trolley of cutlery, I roll down the attic stairs. The padding of the armor is so ridiculously well-done that I barely feel the impacts.

Bastion lands like a cat on three legs straight above me, one of his front ones grasping the halberd.

"Wonder what training would I have to go through to get a stomach like that," I roll from under him, and shakily get up.

Four Hunters are approaching.

"I guess heroes aren't born... they are just normal guys with nowhere left to run."

Bastion cleaves through the two foolish enough to jump at him head on with one swing, and impales the third one with his free talons. When I trap the last one in a second-long antigravity spell, stopping his lunge at the big guy from behind, he crushes the attacker's skull with his hind leg, and smiles at me proudly.

"I get it, I get it," I grumble, "There are hundreds more of them downstair, though, smartass."

He doesn't look bothered. Too bad, I am crapping myself.

Crapping myself while we DO NOT sneak down, but casually walk, completely without any respect for the horde under us.

Crapping myself while Bastion throws a Corruptor out of the window, and the creature of living corruption squirms, trying to find a shape allowing it to survive up there and failing.

"Cool," I whistle as the Corruptor explodes into a black shower, "They can't handle heights, and if they are forced to stay up high then Corruptors lose the ability to keep their cells together."

Still crapping myself as he methodically cuts his way through any opposition while I simply shove the ones getting to his blind spots away with magic, or cast a quick shield spell to deflect an unexpected bite.

I am mostly being ignored, as the Corrupted know who the real threat is, and the few trying to flank us get a taste of Bastion's unearthly agility and weapon skill. My armor is enough to protect me from a furious Hunter until Bastion slices his head off with his wing.

My presence is taxing him, that is clear, because while I can save him from an unexpected attack or two, his having to get Corrupted away from me is taking toll on the huge body.

Huge body with bulging muscles, sweat-drenched coat glistening in the torchlight, and the posture of somepony filled with absolute confidence and conviction. He isn't just a bulk of overgrown muscles, he is... perfect. Somepony I both wish to be and to be with.

"Huh?" I stop staring at Bastion's heaving chest when the Corrupted retreat, "This LOOKS good, but I like it even less now."

"Grrrr..." he looks around, sniffs the air, and nods.

Our trek to the throne room is clear, with only the distant moaning and shuffling of Corrupted doing Corrupted-y things making my mane stand on edge. The throne room itself, however, is filled with the sounds of growling and chaos. We enter a scene of what should be wild combat, but feels like a theatre play.

Princess Luna is sitting in the middle of the long room, barrier of blue flames protecting her from the Corrupted around. The spell feels weird, not like magic, rather something more - reality bent by a powerful wish. Maybe something native only to alicorns? I know for sure I have not seen anything like this before.

The survivors of the first attack, who must have returned through the hidden entrance, are holding a line against Corrupted trying to charge them over and over. They aren't causing much damage to the attackers who seem to be killing time rather than trying to break through,

The Queen is watching them with amusement, accompanied by dripping forms of Corruptors, and a male Breeder with his muzzle shoved deep in her nethers. The Breeder's ears perk up as the Queen turns to us, and he walks away behind a nearby pillar.

"Yep, they were waiting for us," I bite my lip.

"Heh heh heh," the Queen chuckles. Tendrils shoot down from the ceiling, entangling one of the defending ponies instantly, and swinging him towards her. The Queen's jaw... and chest... splits...

My mouth drops open.

The Queen entire front opens, revealing a mass of tentacles inside which envelop the unlucky stallion, shoving themselves into any orifice they find. Accompanied by his muffled screams, the Queen's outer layer closes around him, leaving only the devourer herself. She opens her eyes and licks her grinning mouth.

The four Corruptors surrounding her turn to puddles, and disappear. In the same instant, black rain comes down from the ceiling all over the throne room. The ponies look up when the black substance, as if having a mind of its own, slips down their throats, noses, and seeps through their skin. I can't avert my gaze from the ponies willingly throwing away their weapons and presenting themselves to the Corrupted.

The rain falls down, leaving only princess Luna's protective bubble, and me hiding underneath Bastion's wing untouched.

"FLEE, GET TO PONYVILLE!" I hear princess Luna's scream, just as I get flung out of the throne room.

The Corrupted howl, roar, and the horde's hunt for us begins.

"I can't outrun them in this thing!" I plead. My legs are like noodles, yet somehow I am absolutely sure that Bastion will not save me if I stop giving it my everything. With how close the enemies are, I doubt it's going to matter.

The Corrupted batpony looks at me, and slaps his ears.

"What?" I wheeze, moving my legs as fast as I can. He doesn't answer, just takes a long and deep breath.

For once my brain pretends to be useful, and makes me slam my hooves into the helmet's earholes.

The ultrasonic bat screech shatters all the windows in the long hallway and makes me beg for death. Thanks to the warning, though, I'm not in as bad of a shape as the Corrupted. Excellent hearing CAN be a disadvantage. A quick glance backwards reveals collapsed black shapes, clawing and pawing at their heads in utter agony. That will not last long, though.

"-" I say, but can't hear a thing over the ringing in my ears.

One thing is clear - we have to escape, but where?

"-"

I must be muttering to myself, it's too strong of a habit.

Considering the previous trap near the Ponyville tunnel, I'm sure the Queen knows we would want to go there. So, since the entire hive is on the lower floors, we could go up, but then what?

I pat Bastion's back and point towards the staircase leading up. My legs burn with objections to what I'm planning to do, but it's either this or...

You know? After seeing the Corruptor-esque Queen leading this hive and having my stomach revolve so fast it could generate electricity, I think I'm gonna pass the offer of one final mating. Luckily, the old tunnels leading from Canterlot city sewers down the mountain and then to Ponyville SHOULD still be safe-ish.

Time for a leap of faith.

Heart of Old Equestria: Never surrender

With Bastion's wing wrapped tightly around me, I am half-dragged, half-running up four flights of stairs again. It's happened far too many times today already, and I am on the verge of throwing up and just lying down on the floor to wait for the end.

What would it change?

Nightshade must have gotten to Ponyville during our first flight through the castle, and the rescue force has to be massing in order to save at least princess Luna. Even if that is not the case, then what can a single pony, especially sompeony like me, do? To be completely honest, what can even a titan like Bastion do in a situation like this? Canterlot is lost, and it is only a matter of time when the Queen breaks through princess Luna's protection. Perhaps I should have waited with the few wounded in the east wing.

No, I need to get princess Celestia's journal to Ponyville no matter what happens. From what I've read about the expedition, she did not have that many ponies with her, but they still managed to get across half of old Equestria with, at least according to the journal, minimal losses. These days we consider an organized force of twenty Corrupted a deadly encounter, and WE are the ones who should have years of experience in dealing with the enemy.

Passing by the library again, I long for the boring and depressing life of mere hours ago. However, the heat of Bastion's sweating muscles pressed against my side burns away the memory of loneliness. He is a soldier who survived the effects of corruption, although not without a sacrifice. He has been protecting Canterlot for a century following his return home ALONE through territory after territory of hostile Corrupted just to deliver a journal which may or may not contain something valuable. All that only thanks to the burning desire to protect.

And I wanted to get into the Hex Guard just to earn a modicum of respect and possibly some tail. No wonder I failed over and over. The harsh training has never been about building muscles or endurance, but about testing one's drive and willpower to never give up while going through it.

As far as I know, the journal might not change anything now that there are too few ponies to actually retake and hold any bigger territory, but I owe it to all the guards whose image I tarnished by my stupidity and mere presence to deliver it.

I don't matter. The agony of my legs and crushing exhaustion don't matter. If I have to die, then it will be only after I can say - I did everything I could.

We end up inside the breached bathroom, and I once again pray that my suit of armor is as good as it seemed until now. Bastion understands when I point to the hole leading into the thick drain pipe, wide enough for two normal ponies, and his black coat hardens, transforming into a replica of the Nightguard armor I am wearing.

"Alright, I'll go first and see if there is anypony do-whoa!" he sweeps me off the floor into a tight hug of legs and wings, and jumps into the hole.

The snarling of Hunters chasing us is cut off by rushing air.

Thankfully, the pipe is not just a straight hole in slick concrete, but rather a slide, although one admittedly leading far more down than a stomach would find comfortable.

An impact.

Water in my helmet.

Can't get up in this thing.

Can't breathe.

Dragged upwards.

Coughing.

Thankfully, since Canterlot is a dead city, the sewers underneath are mostly unused, and the water is crystal clear, coming from a well somewhere inside the Canterlot mountain. At least dying of dysentery later is out of the question. I don't know the layout of the sewers, but I know what direction leads towards the mountain. If we get to some dead ends there, we just need to go along, and eventually we should find one that leads to the waterworks. As I take a step to leave, Bastion stops me, points to the hole in the ceiling, and starts counting on his talons.

One, two, three.

He holds his halberd firmly, the spike on its top aimed straight into the hole.

A Hunter comes down at such speed it skewers itself on it. Bastion crushes the corpse with his hind hooves, absorbing the Hunter's mass into himself.

"Heh heh heh..." he snickers.

"Creepy, but effective, I guess," I croak, dry throat burning from my irregular breathing.

Bastion looks reinvigorated by the deed, making me slightly jealous of my desperate need to eat, sleep, breathe, and some other vital things. Scratching noises from above tell me that more enemies are coming, although at a much slower pace now. This is our best time to lose them, so I fight through my splitting headache, and conjure a sound-dampening bubble around both of us. Complete soundproofing is out of the realm of possibility for me now, so this will just have to do.

During the next half an hour, black and yellow spots stop appearing in front of my eyes, and my lungs only hurt now, not burn with the anger of a supernova. Things look up as we finally reach one the waterworks inside the Canterlot mountain. The tunnels are still shored up from the mining operations which had been going on here some thirty years ago. These days, all mining is done under Ponyville because these sewers were too easy to drop into from Canterlot city, and we lost too many mining crews.

Not that I was alive in those days, but reading DOES have its advantages.

Thankfully, now I can finally overcome my objections to drinking sewer water, because it turned to a mountain stream, if only by name. Excellent! Now I am only starving and exhausted, but not completely parched.

"If I remember my history correctly, then there should be mining shafts leading down the mountain to its base. Some of the old Ponyville-Canterlot tunnels join the main tunnel we use today, but those entrances are sealed. There are others which lead to the vicinity of the enclave, though."

Bastion sniffs the air and looks at the ceiling. Chill runs down my spine.

"No... please no... not again..." I whine as black drips moisten the rocky ceiling, "THEY CAN MOVE THROUGH A MASS OF SOLID ROCK?!"

With the first of the alicorn-like Corruptors forming in the shaft, Bastion gets serious and puts me on his back. I get the feeling that even he believes we are outmatched.

He is right.

The Corruptors give us no chance of retaliation, as they fuse with the shaft's walls and their progress is shown only by thick black veins quickly closing in on us. Biting my lip and holding Bastion's halberd while my other front leg is wrapped around his neck, I scream as a thin arm with razor-sharp talons comes from the black vein and swipes at us.

"LEFT!"

His reflexes are still top-notch, and he fluidly dodges the blow. The Corruptors move through solid matter faster than we can run, though, and the attacks start coming from all directions.

I cough out blood, as a barrier I quickly conjure while Bastion avoids a different blow shatters from an attack from the ground.

We enter a cavern with veins of crystals and metals ending in a tunnel leading upwards. Heavy duty mining had to be going on here before the operations were stopped, but some of the equipment is still lying around. In the light of my horn, this place should be a beautiful sight. Tears well in my eyes, however, as I come too close to the breaking point once again.

The Queen is in front of us, two Corruptors by her side, and two more forming out of the shadows of the tunnel we have just left.

"Shiffffty prey," her hissing voice makes me tremble, and she looks at Bastion, "Fake... pretender... to be one of ussss. Useless..." giving me a lidded gaze and licking her lips, her expression brightens, "You, however... are interessssting. I sssense your desire... deep down. You wisssh to embrace me, to become more than you are... to gain endless pleasure. Sssso pent up... soooo deliciousss. Bow down to me... and I will reward you..."

I wonder how it would feel to have the Queen open like a bodysuit and engulf me, how it must have felt to the pony she devoured in the throne room. Even the Nightguard mare in the library seemed in complete bliss when the Corruptor melted her from the inside.

"I can feel... you thinking..." she hisses again, "I will transssform you into a part of me... and feed you the alicorn..."

"Princess Luna is still alive?" I can't help asking.

"Tough... resistant... draining her power will be a feasssst."

"And the others?"

"My... hive..."

The two words confirm my fears. It is just princess Luna, me, Bastion, and possibly the wounded locked away in the east wing left. Near the exit leading upwards, I notice a red, wooden barrel. Thank stars for easily-recognizable color coding.

"Bastion," I whisper, knowing the Corrupted Protector's hearing, "Get the journal to Ponyville, will you? When it begins, rip the bag off my back and run towards the exit."

Having access to the restriced part of the royal library had its advantages, namely allowing me a peek into kinds of magic nopony should know. The theory, to be precise, of blood magic and necromancy, and where they draw power from. There are no souls of the dead to call upon, but there is enough blood inside me to channel into energy.

"From the corners of the world, I summon the four guardians," I pronounce clearly. Chants and mantras are unnecessary, but they help less-skilled wizards focus. Here comes the difficult part. Self-preservation instinct, please don't stand in my way now!

Finally determined to do something useful with my life, I impale my leg on my horn, successfully cutting an artery and stopping only when my horn scrapes the steel armor on the other side.

"Earth," four pillars of risen ground crush the Corruptors against the ceiling. They start reforming quickly, but that is not my concern.

"Ice," the Queen freezes in a thin block of ice which cracks immediately, but seconds are all I need... and have left, at least if the blood squirting from my leg is any indication.

"Wind," a burst of compressed wind shoots the recovering Queen away.

The last one is only a whisper, because my vision is nearly black.

"Fire," a roaring flare shoots from my cut leg straight towards the red barrel which is doubtlessly filled with explosives used for razing tunnels.

Hey, I am not completely stupid. The scorching heat burns my leg, cauterizing the wound and leaving black marks on the steel armor.

The Queen can take me if she wants, but Bastion and the journal will have a chance to-

"BLRBHFLT!" I turn from a unicorn standing still, well - wobbling on the spot, into a grey blur crushed by instant acceleration.

A second later I get singed again by the ball of fire I shot as I speed PAST it and into the tunnel.

Did I miss the earth-shattering kaboom?

Aaaaah... here it is.

Before the shockwave hits, a pair of legs and wings wrap around me once again, saving me from becoming marmelade in the steel can of my platemail. The tight ball of Bastion and me gets shot at a meteoric speed upwards the collapsing tunnel, crashing through a trap door into a large cavern.

Large... carpeted... cavern?

I could ponder about ponies and Corrupted around us, staring in shock. I could also ponder about the black alicorn immediately coming from the cavern's shadows. Last, but not least, I could ponder about the narrowed yellow eyes as big as I am belonging to an enormous scaly head.

All of those would be excellent and smart choices.

So, it makes complete sense that I do none of that, and throw up inside my helmet while passing out on the carpet due to hunger, bloodloss, and complete exhaustion.

Hey, at least the visor sliding up prevents me from drowning in my own vomit. The old blacksmiths sure knew how to make a good suit of arm-

Heart of Old Equestria - End: Allies from times long gone

"Wake up!"

The whispered order is accompanied by my body jerking upwards without any input from my brain. Opening my eyes proves to be a bad idea, because it only allows dark spots dancing in front of me to make me sick again. Thankfully, somepony must have taken my helmet off, as I am now breathing heavily, messy and sweaty brown mane glued to my muzzle.

"Blrbl- urk!" I smell of vomit. Putting a hoof to my mouth to keep at least something of my long-forgotten breakfast inside me only serves to put me off balance. My slow fall to the side is stopped by an invisible grasp of magic. I barely have enough strength to raise my head up to see a black horn casting soft, pink glow reflecting off my armor.

The horn belongs to an alicorn mare of black coat, not the darkness of refined ink, but the kind of black of clothes washed too many times. Still, black is black, even if slightly shabby. The portrait of a bad fairy tale villain is enforced even further by a pair of glowing red eyes with slit pupils of a batpony, and both mane and tail bearing a darker shade of the same. She is a little smaller than princesses Luna or Twilight, which means just two heads taller than me, but where the moon princess is slim and the archmage slightly chubby, this alicorn could easily pass for a well-trained guardsmare. Her cutie mark makes me gulp. On the first glance it looks like a red rose with detailed black lines of the blossom, the real liquid dripping down the "petals" assures me that it is no flower, and that the delicate insides are what I've longed for and never gotten most of my life.

It is quite clear that she is the one holding me up.

I don't know how long I was out, but a quick look around shows Bastion shaking the remains of the mess I made out of my helmet, so it can't have been more than a minute. My heavily protesting body agrees.

"Sorry," I croak, barely able to make a sound. It really is a lovely helmet.

Sadly, said "quick look around" forces another, much slower look around followed by Discord-grade confusion and disbelief.

Ponies and Corrupted are around, either mating, cuddling, or generally chilling out. Granted, even the most innocent gestures like a pair of stallions, one corrupted and one pegasus, holding hooves nearby are accompanied by the black one's raging hard-on and the pegasus' rock-stiff wingboner. Still, while the living ponies look like they are in a dream, they don't present any characteristics of oncoming corruption, and the Corrupted, some buried balls-deep in their pony counterparts don't seem overly keen on spreading their curse. A cuddling mare and a stallion, both completely normal, are spooning each other while chuckling at Bastion's attempts at cleaning the piece of armor.

Aaah yes, the final little detail my mind tried to delay as long as ponily possible.

The entire large cavern's circumference is made of dragon. A weird expression, but the giant, winged lizard is coiled around to fit inside comfortably without bothering anypony. He is the only non-Corrupted who bears clear signs of the taint, but not to any major extent. His golden scales are covered with veins of darkness, he looks curious and amused, however, not wild.

"Ya awake?" I hear the alicorn mare ask, voice slightly screechy and playful.

Oh yes, along with the batpony eyes, she also has membranous wings. One couldn't look more over-the-top if they tried. Although, working among Nightguards for so long, I recognize the harmonics of her voice as true, and not as if somepony just tried to look bat-ish.

"Good," her tone grows deeper, "I love new blood to play with."

Now that I can focus a little more, her voice makes me shiver and pant as my whole body reacts to the hidden message of being drenched in sweat and drowning in sweet agony of endless rutting. I move towards her like a zombie, fatigue forgotten and tongue lolling out.

Bastions's quiet growling makes no difference to me. I need her.

My unbidden telekinesis unbuckling each piece of my armor while I walk answers to my instincts rather than mind, and I can feel the growth between my hind legs. She is the mare of my wettest dreams, the one who could use me... use me... and use me... over and over like a living sex toy... robbed of any will... just serving for her pleasure.

"Will you introduce me to your Hex Guard mates?"

"I like you more as a friend."

"Thanks for the drink, but I really have to go."

"You need to be at least THIS tall to get on my ride, if you know what I mean."

"With you? Not on your life."

"Keep dreaming, loser."

And what then?

She's an alicorn, for stars' sake! She won't even feel me inside her if we try anything. What can I do, eat her out for hours? Then she'll get bored with me like every mare ever. I don't even want sex! I am a unicorn, I have magic to touch myself in a way other ponies can't... I just don't want to be alone.

I don't need a goddess who could make the entire world drool. I just want some pervy mare to cuddle with and experiment from time to time...

The memory of me falling asleep on Mana Burn's shoulder surfaces, and I breathe out a sad and slow sigh.

...and it doesn't even have to be a mare.

All desire and lust evaporate under the crushing weight of the knowledge that I betrayed everything my parents might have wanted by having a normal foal. Thank stars none of them got to live to see their son realize he is into both mares and stallions, but feels more comfortable about a colt.

"Anything stupid enough to want to stay with me would be fine..." I whisper to myself and sniffle.

As the grasp of telekinesis around me fades, I look up again to see I am not the only one about to cry. The alicorn is standing with her mouth open and eyes glowing, all that while shaking slightly at the sight of me.

"Not that my stupid wish matters," I mutter under my breath and curse my moment of weakness. It was easier to deal with this in the silence of the library. Now, however, surrounded by others, it comes down like a hammer, "Not even a Corrupted would touch me willingly."

"Ha... hahahah... haha," the alicorn starts laughing, but it feels like despair given physical form, "I am really shit at my job, aren't I, Vert?"

"You leave a lot to be desired, indeed," the gold dragon rumbles in answer, corners of his mouth curling up, "However, each one of us bears heavy and painful memories."

The alicorn leans down to me sitting down and feeling sorry for myself.

"You remind me of a... good friend. Do you know what he needed?" she puts a hoof under my chin and makes me look upwards, "A good rutting!"

I look at my crotch, still ready to go despite me not feeling like it in the slightest.

"Do you really want something like this, ma'am?" I am below average, that is all there is to say.

"I think I can find a better... partner for you," her horn flashes brightly, making shadows dance all around the cavern, "BASTION, GIVE IN TO YOUR DESIRE!"

I am grabbed, roughly pushed down, and entered from behind. Tears streak down my eyes from the pain of being stretched like never before. I can barely breathe with one muscular leg tightly wrapped around my neck, and Bastion's teeth are biting the back of my neck so hard I gasp in agony. I am just a sleeve for the Corrupted, something to be filled. It doesn't take long for me to push back against his thrusts, and turn my head to start sucking his three tentacle-tongues wriggling down my throat. I couldn't be happier.

So... this is what I was missing. Somepony truly wants me.

Corruption be damned, pain be damned, this is worth it!

Waves of heat fill me from behind and the front, choking me as I try to gulp down everything Bastion releases. Surviving the tide without drowning seems to take forever, but just a while later I am once again lying on the carpet, strong legs and wings wrapping me in a tight cocoon with Bastion gripping my neck with his teeth.

I should fall asleep, spent after a day of complete stupidity. My head, however, decides that this is a good time to finally start thinking. Maybe it is the lightened load of no more self-loathing or worries. I found somepony who wants me, and it won't take long before I am a crazy beast locked in eternal submission to him. I feel lighter than ever before...

...and there still is a me who can feel all this.

My mind is working just fine, better than ever, actually.

"Hmmmm," I examine what I can, careful not to unwrap myself from Bastion's tight hug. Nothing has changed, and the only signs of corruption are what I suffered after meeting the Breeder.

"Grwrrr..." Bastion grumbles at my movement.

"Oh shush," I can't help smiling to myself.

"I feel like this is a good time to talk," the alicorn mare sits nearby, giving me a good look at her wide and toned rump, "How about it?"

"Anything, ma'am. Can I ask something first, though?" she nods, "How did you know I was... weird?"

"You mean bisexual with heavy preference for stallions?" this time I nod shyly, "I can see into the darkest wishes of ponies, and your inner self screamed for help."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"Forget the titles, my name is Joy, the giant but cuddly gold dragon is Vertradict, and the ponies are the Cult of Lust, my little fanclub. The Corrupted get here from time to time too, but they have no real power here, so I let them and the ponies mingle. None of them really want to leave. How about ya?"

"Bound Tome, ma- miss Joy," my curiosity goes through the roof, "If you don't mind me saying, I thought the only alicorns were princesses Luna and Twilight Sparkle. Queen Chrysalis comes close, but she doesn't count."

She scowls at the mention of princess Luna.

"I am the alicorn of Lust and Desire. There should be several more of us, but aside from your 'princesses' we don't appear in public much. Especially these days, what with most ponies being long gone."

"How come there aren't more ponies asking for refuge, this close to Canterlot? Or, you know, Corrupted trying to transform them. The old city is completely lost to us."

Her pointing hoof encircles the cavern.

"This place isn't real. It takes the location of an empty cavern on top of Canterlot mountain, but is a pocket dimension with fewer entrances. The two of ya got shot through one of them."

A little dimension where rules are as its owner wants them to be, a feat of magic not even the legendary Starswirl the Bearded could perform. It must be something to do with the inherent power of an alicorn. As I stare around in wonder and amazment, Joy continues:

"Speaking of which, why were ya pretending to be a shot bullet?"

"You don't know what is going on in Canterlot?"

"Not really, Luna can go eat a shit biscuit for all I care. She took what mattered to me, so why should I give a damn when her world falls apart?" she stares at me defiantly. Strangely, I can feel she is trying to persuade herself more than anything.

I recount what has happened to me on this bad, very, very bad day. Sadly, Joy says she can neither decipher the journal for me nor get me to Ponyville.

"I know very little about complex magic, I just have a lot of power," she says, "You probably know more than I do."

"Heh," I smile bitterly, "I doubt I know anything that would impress and alicorn."

She leans to my ears, and rips one with her sharp fang. A shiver of pleasure mixes with the pain as I relive a second of the "roughhousing with Bastion" memory.

"Even the tiniest bit of love for oneself goes a long way," she whispers, "Trust me, I knew a pony who believed the same things you do."

"Ehm," Vertradict coughs, waking up several of the sleeping ponies, "If Luna is still resisting, we might offer assistance. Ponies losing another one of their ancient leaders would-"

"No," Joy says icily, "She brought this on herself. She could have moved to Ponyville colony, or whatever it is, and worked from there. Instead, she put hundreds of ponies into mortal danger by not pulling her head out of her stretched anus and pretending that Equestria still exists!"

Mentioning ponies in danger makes me shove Bastion's legs and wings aside, and groggily stand up, levitating all the bits of the plate armor I took off before.

"What are ya doing?" Joy raises an eyebrow.

"If I can't save princess Luna, then I need to get the journal to Ponyville. The Canterlot Queen and her hive are crazy strong, and the book is supposed to have some clue to dealing with organized Corrupted. They might be marching down the Ponyville tunnel already," I poke the purple, snoring Protector, "Bastion, up for some more running?"

"I believe saving Luna would be the wisest-" the gold dragon starts.

"VERT!" Joy barks at him.

"Joy... I believe I know you fairly well, and I know that by refusing a request for help you are hurting yourself rather than vindicating. I am going, whether you want it or not."

"So..." Joy hisses, "I'm going to lose another close one due to her."

"No, this time you can be there yourself to help, a chance you did not have then. Do you really hate the princess's past deeds, or is the issue within your own inability to stop her."

I'm not sure who would win the fight between a gold dragon and an alicorn, but Joy's murderous glare tells me I might have a chance to find out soon.

Head, solutions, now!

Finished with putting my armor back on, I bow to Joy.

"I want to thank you for giving us sanctuary for a while, miss Joy, and I won't ask you to help the princess you so clearly hold a grudge against," a big mouth bites my neck playfully, "And I think Bastion thanks you as well."

Joy lets out a frustrated screech, and then growls at Vertradict:

"FINE... but only because a world of Corrupted would be boring beyond belief."

"Of course," Vertradict snickers, "Of course."

Never, EVER, would I expect to fly down the Canterlot mountain on a dragon's back alongside a Corrupted Protector and the alicorn of Lust, no matter the last one's annoyed grumbling.

It is a bumpy ride to say the least, though. Tendrils of flytraps shoot from the ground over and over in attempts to entangle Vertradict and drag him down. The dragon, however, seems adept at burning them with his breath before they can reach. Joy is busy shooting down those which temporarily succeed.

The gates of the castle are in shattered pieces, all protective magic drained away from the lower floors. Most of the Corrupted still have to be inside, but the wild ones inhabiting the wide castle courtyard first rush to us, and then quickly run away after a burst of Vertradict's flames turns a couple of them into charred lumps.

A howl comes from the inside, and I know the main horde will be coming soon.

"Princess Luna was being held in the throne room," I tell Joy.

"Then let me lure the army onto myself," Vert smiles, "I need a good exercise after the years of lounging around."

"Just be ready to come when I call," Joy pats one of his claws, "This can turn ugly fast."

We briefly spot the Corrupted streaming out of the main gate towards the dragon. We are crawling through the bushes under the first floor windows, however, and they don't go looking for us as they have enough of their own problems.

Joy leads the way, reassuring me again that she had to be around Canterlot castle for quite some time. Sneaking so close to one another, my muzzle is inches from her behind. She is doing that on purpose. I know it, and she knows that I know. A wet breath reaching MY behind tells me Bastion doesn't like me ogling the alicorn too much.

Bastion breaks the window I point at, and we jump inside. Luna is sitting in a meditating pose, blue flames of her barrier separating her from the Queen and the four Corruptors who have to be her bodyguards. Our entrance doesn't go unnoticed by both the Corrupted and princess Luna, whose eyes go wide with shock...

...and her divine shield fades as her concentration breaks.

The Queen's front splits again to engulf the princess. Bastion moves so fast that chunks of the floor shoot off his legs, and charges at her. Three alicorn-like Corruptors wrap him mid-run with tentacles coming from the floor, and surround him. I can't get to the princess in the armor fast enough.

I don't have to.

A see-through image of Nightguard armor appears on Joy's body, twin blades come out of each of her horseshoes, and she teleports between the Queen and Luna.

"Miss Dar-" Luna breathes out, still obviously not believing the situation.

"It's Joy now... Luna. Try not to fuck up again, you've taken far too much from me already."

Sadly, I can't listen anymore. The last Corruptor decides to have fun with me, and I doubt even this armor can protect me from his teeth, talons, acid, and tentacles. Too bad I can't use magic now that he considers me a danger. A brief moment of focusing my power is all it would take for a threatened Corruptor to part with a bit of his power to inflict horn rot on me. All I can do is dodge his blows, barely and only so often, survive, and occupy his attention.

The familiar drain of magic followed by pleasant shiver coming down my horn makes me drop on the floor and roll away, expecting to be a target of horn rot.

It's not me, however, but Joy.

The enraged Queen's black spit lands on Joy's head. The alicorn's eyes roll back, a squirt of liquid splashes on the floor behind her, and she screams in all-consuming ecstasy.

Aaaand now her horn is going to melt, she's going to go crazy, and the Queen will have a control over a corrupted alicorn.

"Huh?" I roll poorly, and the Corruptor kicks me towards the others.

"Trying to break the alicorn of Lust with pleasure? Ya gotta try waaaaaay harder, girl," Joy cackles like a madpony.

Bastion roars as tentacles of three Corruptors spear him from all sides. He doesn't relent in returning blows, though.

The Queen snarls, spitting black goo everywhere as Joy punches her, leaving two deep quickly-healing scars in the liquid-like face.

I notice something Joy must have overlooked. While the Queen seems to need a little time to recover from using the anti-mage disease, she is nowhere exhausted enough to prevent her from doing it again. This time on Luna, though, who is still recovering from her loss of concentration. Then she will have an alicorn to either command or devour for sure, and we will all become black milkshakes.

Intelligence is something allowing us to go against instinct. Horn rot is an instinctive defense against big concentrations of magic.

I am a unicorn.

"SHIELD YOUR EYES!" I scream.

The Queen turns her head to me just as I set off a magical flare, completely non-lethal, but filled with all magic I have left to be as bright as possible. The Queen's plans go up in flames as her body works against her to get rid of me in the best way it can.

Recoiling as her spit hits my forehead, I hope that two uses of horn rot will weaken the Queen enough to be destroyed.

That is my last coherent thought before all nerves in my body light up with paralyzing agony mixed with pleasure, and my magic melts my horn along with all control I have. My armor clanks on the floor again.

It is not enough.

Joy is kicking the Queen's ass, but Luna is too weak, and Bastion cannot handle three Corruptors for much longer, especially after the one toying with me joins in.

"VERTRADICT!" Joy suddenly screams, raises her horseshoe blade, and slits her throat.

Joy's blood floats unnaturally through the air, forming a barrier of red mist around her and Luna, and the wound closes.

"It seems that all alicorns of Lust have high affinity for dark magic," Luna chuckles weakly.

Bloody tendrils drag me and Bastion inside the barrier just as the gold dragon presses his big mouth against the nearest window.

"With pleasure," the dragon rumbles and takes a deep breath.

The fiery inferno turns the room of white marble into black conflagration of cracking masonry and melting golden decorations. The bushes outside turn into ash heaps in seconds. The Queen's scream is cut off with all oxygen around being burned away.

I lie there in the black pool of goo - the only remains of my unicorn pride. Princess Luna's hoof closes my eyes.

Voices, headache, leg-ache, everything-ache.

"Ouch..." I open my eyes, which is accompanied by several sets of hoofsteps coming closer.

"Now, that is quite the sight," says a voice I recognize as Nightshade's, making me turn my head.

This white, soft, and comfortable place has to be the Ponyville infirmary. Either that, or the afterlife is a definite upgrade from normal life. Princess Luna is lying on the next bed, waving at me weakly.

"She wanted to stay in the same room to see if you... when you wake up," Nightshade explains, "I think you impressed her quite a lot."

The Queen of Ponyville hive is accompanied by Chilly. A deep grumbled "Hmph!" nearby brings my attention to a statuesque Protector standing on watch by my bedside.

Wait, I knew he was there all the time. That's why I didn't go grasping for him in panic.

Bastion?

He looks at me and salutes.

"Having more minds in one head takes a bit of getting used to," Nightshade smiles at me, "But I think that if somepony can manage then it is you."

"So... thirsty..." I croak, throat feeling as if swallowing sandpaper.

Luckily, there is a glass of water on the bedside table, so I levitate-

"Damn..." I curse, recalling I am not a unicorn anymore, just basically a weak earthpony.

Umm... why is everypony staring at me?

The desired glass of water is being held by black tendrils coming from a nearby wall. Ignoring the pain in my everything, I slap my forehead, hitting a horn. The mirror on the wall shows... a shiny, black protrusion coming from my forehead.

I stare.

The tentacles bring me my glass.

I stare harder.

"We..." Nightshade starts, stops, and just shrugs, "You know what? No freaking clue. As far as we know, this has never happened before."

"The journal?" I ask about the final thing.

"Princess Twilight is taking a look at it, and when princess Luna recovers, they will start deciphering it."

"Can I... Can I go back to being in the library?" I return to the only stable point of my existence.

"We are retaking Canterlot castle and the grounds around it. The Hex Guard can now do it, since Nightshade's hive is keeping Ponyville safe-ish instead. When the order is restored, then I see no reason why not," princess Luna's weak and tired voice makes me sorry for making her talk, "I see you have your own library guard now."

Bastion chuckles.

Nightshare walks around him, and then turns to Luna.

"Are you sure you know him?"

"I remember all thestrals under my wing, Nightshade, just as you know your Corrupted. I patrol their dreams and fight against their fears while they sleep. He might have changed, but general Bastion was my stalwart Nightguard during my sister Celestia's campaign against Corrupted. He was... one of my best, if not the best. All I wonder about is how he got to Canterlot."

"Then, will you allow me to look into his mind?"

"Don't ask me," the princess smiles.

Nightshade turns to me.

Are you okay with it, Bastion?

A slight feeling of worry drowned by a great sense of duty flows through me. I nod to Nightshade.

Her eyes go wide, smile growing on her muzzle.

"Back when you still knew little about the Corrupted and did not let semi-corrupted ponies to live with the others, he was not allowed to return to Canterlot. He survived out there for years on his own, with his final duty as the light protecting him from turning into a wild beast, and when Canterlot fell he got inside through one of the secret tunnels. Nightguards chased him off, and he didn't want to hurt them, so he retreated... and eventually forgot anything outside of him being tasked to protect Canterlot and the journal," Nightshade bows deeply to Luna, "Your Highness, we in the Hex Guard don't joke in vain about your batponies being 'batshit insane' fanatics, but this... I bow to you for raising and training the best of the best."

For some reason, Luna looks at me and says:

"I know."

Silly princess.

We Are the Land: Twilight's entry III

We have Canterlot.

The sentence shouldn't make me so happy, but that's how it is. The city I was born in, the heart of Equestria as I remember it, and the beacon of hope visible from Ponyville. Day after day I visited the surface, only to watch the dead mountainside city and feel my resolve fail. Day after day, while I was teaching in the Ponyville school I hoped any story I could tell was even close to showing the foals how monumentally important the white city was. And day after day, it wasn't enough.

We have recovered, and are repopulating, Canterlot.

I know I should mourn the loss of fifty ponies during the fights with the wild Corrupted, but I am only a mare. When I saw the old tower which I spent my filly years reading books in, I knew it was worth it, and if somepony is not convinced, then I will just have to try harder to make them see. Sadly, not everything is as amazing as I make it seem. Canterlot is a dead city, no matter what we do. In the old days it used to be a home to hundreds of thousands of ponies. Now, every living pony could pick a building and live inside on their own without having to worry about any sort of housing crisis. We cannot even raise the population limit much higher, because Canterlot cannot feed more than a hundred ponies no matter what we do.

However, this may be able to save the few pegasi we have left. If they can finally fly outside without the threat of flytraps then we might prevent more suicides that culled the pegasi population after we lost the surface. Nopony can imagine how difficult it is to live without one of your most basic needs. Well, since Canterlot is mostly made of stone and concrete then the flytraps cannot simply grow there, and pegasi should be able to stretch their wings if they fly low. Not too surprisingly, many ponies are signing for relocation to Canterlot because they want to live under clear sky, and not in the crowded underground. We are going to lose some sense of community, but I believe we will also gain much more.

Note to self - with decreased population of Ponyville, we could transform more space into mushroom farms, and underground cultivation areas for crops. Plus, as we are able to recover more and more farmland around the town thanks to Nightshade's hive, we could populate Canterlot to a decent degree. All that remains is to order periodic scouring of town for Corrupted and the flora surrounding them for several weeks, and then secure the main gate of the city. The first time Canterlot fell, it was because we were surrounded and cut off with not enough supplies to feed the citizens. The following uprising and exodus of ponies through corrupted countryside into Ponyville left only a hoofful of them alive. This time we have underground supply routes, Ponyville mines and blacksmiths churning out equipment, and a fortress which can be attacked via only one, fairly thin mountain path.

Canterlot will not fall again!

To ensure that is not an empty promise, I am cooperating tightly with Queen Nightshade to find every weakness of the Corrupted we can use. She is worried we will use it against her, but we have never been the aggressors. If Ponyville hive stands with us, then we will stand with them in their time of need against anypony and anything which dares to pose a threat. I have never thought I would say that - but if Corrupted can be a part of the society, no matter on what level, then so be it. They are fascinating creatures with unusual thought patterns and habits. All in all, ponies, even the soldiers tasked with surviving danger on the surface, are gradually getting to accept the Corrupted roaming around Ponyville and doing their business, which generally is mating and finding food.

At first, it was only Nightshade's willpower and mental strength holding them at bay, but the big breakthrough came with some of our food-focused scientists' attempts at growing what they call "corrupted berries". I know, it is not an innovative name, but it serves its purpose. We tried to find a name which would fulfill the scientific naming conventions, but we couldn't understand the berries enough. As mentioned before, Corrupted are more plant, or mushroom, based lifeforms, but the ability to metamorphose their bodies to an unprecedented degree without the use of a horn or any other magic-focusing appendage says something different. I believe they can use magic, the energy in everything around, and transform it at will because they are made of it, at least partially. This theory is yet to be tested, but my observations lead me to believe that the Corrupted percieve mass, energy, magic, and possibly even divine power as one and the same thing.

The berries are the manifestation of that.

They are less a kind of food, and more a biochemical power source. I attempted to extract the energy using various means and store it in crystals, but all experiments ended with the vessel shattering. Either my means of transport are insufficient, or the power stored in the berries is much greater than our crystals can handle. If the Crystal Empire was still a place, I could order sets of minerals to experiment with and figure it out. Sadly, the crystals around Ponyville are sub-par at best. This might change when we resume mining operations inside Canterlot mountain, but that is still at least months away. The theory about the power in the berries being too great seems correct, however, as Nightshade explained that Corrupted can live months on single one.

Which leads us back to the cooperation topic.

The berries, for lack of a better word, seem to condensate the essence of life itself into a piece of "fruit". The mere presence of Corrupted in an area is enough to make it happen naturally. HOWEVER, our unicorn wizards quicky found a way to crystalize the berries faster. Since Nightshade told us the Corrupted were starving as well, we fed them some of the ones created by us. They proved to be a much less nutritional than the natural ones, but more than enough for Corrupted to gain more physical and mental strength. Now that they are well-fed, the Ponyville hive is much more willing to obey Nightshade, thus taxing her mind less and allowing her to imprint more rules for them to follow. The more interesting thing is that well-fed Corrupted hold much lesser need to spread, as they are not threatened by death.

The next two experiments were dangerous, but determined that we CAN trust the Corrupted around us.

When Nightshade told me the theory of possible extinction being the reason for uncontrolled cancerous spreading, we asked for volunteers to repeat Mana Burn's experiment. As they mated with several satisfactorily fed Drones, Hunters, and even Protectors, Nightshade followed the spread of corruption within the subjects, noticing the effects of taint being nearly nonexistent. I am not going to spread the information about it being mostly fine to have sex with Nightshade's Corrupted, but it is one less thing to worry about. A thing to note - only one stallion out of the volunteers wanted to mate with a Protector mare. Perhaps they can't handle not being in charge of such situation and under a strong mare's hooves.

The second experiment was mostly an accident, but one much more rewarding than the previous one.

One of Nightshade's rules of cooperation was to allow free access for her Corrupted to the entirety of the underground enclave. It was a tall order to prevent panic and violence, but we had little choice after the big battle. The Corrupted followed Nightshade's rules to the letter, which could not be said about our foals. Several got out on the surface through the open tunnels, and were found and returned by Nightshade's Hunters, who showed great pleasure in the chase. None of the younglings were tainted or hurt, so we allowed a monitored group to play outside. Of course, they eventually went to play hide and seek, so I asked the Nightshade to explain the rules to a Hunter.

The results were, as my long-gone friend would say, totally awesome.

Nightshade's Hunters suffered because of the peace treaty, having to venture outside of the hive territory to chase prey and satisfy their instincts. No other kind aside from Corruptors had such a problem, but Corruptors are weird to say the least. Protectors patrol the borders of Ponyville, Drones move stuff and do some things to plants we have yet to examine, Breeders are enjoying the lifted ban on sex with friendly Corrupted, and Nightshade suffers less headaches because of it. Hunters, however, were the issue until we gradually allowed ponies of all ages to spend their time outside. The possibility of playing chasing games, even if they have to limit themselves, is enough to keep the Hunters content. Our ponies are happier, although quite worried, to be on the surface, and the Hunters chase down those who wander too far away and lead them back. Everypony wins.

There is no way for wild Corrupted to understand what is happening in Ponyville, but those under control of an "understanding" Queen are proving to be a blessing in black and oily disguise. Also, happy Corrupted are more cooperative during long experiments. With Ponyville starting to thrive, I was allowed more intricate experiments on the kinds of Corrupted previously difficult to touch - Protectors, Corruptors, and Queen Nightshade herself.

Let us start with the simplest ones - Protectors. While the lesser Corrupted are mostly satisfied with mating and finding food, Protectors are purely territorial, and are never a part of a roaming group for long. In short, they need a territory to settle down in and protect, as the name we gave them suggests. While wild Protectors are limited to protecting only the area of their choosing, ponies turned into them can easily become the bodyguards of another pony or Corrupted whom they consider worth it. According to Nightshade, Protectors are the rarest kind of Corrupted, aside from Queens, due to the naturally high requirements on their mentality and physical attributes. My son Mana Burn is one of them now, and his participation in the experiments alongside the normal Protectors of Nigthshade's hive told us a lot about the differences between transformed Corrupted and the ones born naturally. First of all, the transformed Protectors cannot achieve the sheer size and physical toughness of their natural counterparts. However, as seen by Chilly destroying the Ponyville titan, size and natural armor come second to the higher intellect of the transformed ones. The smaller, and by "smaller" I mean up to the size of male alicorns, Protectors like Bastion and Mana Burn cannot break through a wall or withstand a falling meteor like a wild Protector shaped by a Queen to explicitly do so, but the remains of pony within them allow them to metaphorically outmuscle the wild ones.

The penultimate class of Corrupted are the Corruptors, and their research is a pain in the plot. From what little I have managed to find out they have no set physical form, little to no need for standard corrupted berries, and their mentality is completely different from the other Corrupted. To be honest, they feel like a totally different species. Since their bodies are much more moldable than that of any other Corrupted including Queens, they can move in yet unforseen patterns, like phasing through solid matter or inside ponies akin to a disease. Sadly, this means they are nearly immune to any physical damage, telekinesis, or magic causing kinetic effects. They are also non-reliant on common senses. They percieve the world via some sort of "aura" emitted by any living being, making masking spells completely ineffective against them. As for the food, when they get hungry they simply corrupt any matter nearby and absorb it. This includes plants, ponies, other Corrupted, liquid, and even rocks. In their feeding patterns they prove to be different from other Corrupted who do not attack each other unless ordered by a Queen or remaining in someone else's territory for far too long. While the mentality of normal Corrupted can be understood by basic instincts, that of Corruptors cannot. Their only desire is to spread corruption and cover anything which is not tainted yet. However, since they have no real will of their own, unlike any other Corrupted, they obey their Queen no matter what the order is.

The last but definitely the most terrifying class is a Queen. They are collectively insane, as Nightshade told me. They possess pony-like intelligence, but they are also pushed beyond its limits by the commands ingrained within the Corrupted hive mind - spread, breed, dominate. Without this obstacle, I believe it would be possible to strike alliances or communicate with hives on regular basis. However, the Queens are specifically instructed to transform ponies, an order which is becoming more and more prevalent in their minds, as if something was pushing them to aggressively find the last of ponies and taint them. A lock against cooperation like this, the rapid spread of the Corrupted without any previous trace of them, and their physical attributes are more of a reason to think that someone or something made the Corrupted with the sole purpose of annihilating ponies, and that said creator had the means to link every single Corrupted all over the world into one mind into which he put the instructions. Such power could only come from ancient alicorns or gods themselves, but none of this shows any marks of Discord's or Nightmare's modus operandi.

Well, back to the Queens. Despite being a class of their own, they seem to assume the major attributes of one of the other classes as well as their major skillset. The defeated Ponyville Queen was doubtlessly a Queen of Hunters, indicated by the structure of her hive, her reliance on overwhelming the enemy with numbers, and not the greatest strength or endurance. Nightshade is a Queen of Protectors, as expected of an ex-Hex Guard, and her natural desire not to increase her hive's numbers, but to strenghten every single individual in it. This leads me to believe she will never be able to use some of the more magic-like abilities of the Corrupted like ignoring physical matter and transforming the world with only the power of will. The Queen of Corruptors in Canterlot was her exact opposite, and I am beyond ecstatic for her to be gone and purged with fire. Her reported abilites make me think the Queens can empower Corrupted of their class somehow. I don't envy poor Bound Tome having to deal with the empowered Corruptors. For some reason I believe there is no Queen of Drones, because submissiveness is not in their nature by definition, but I imagine a Queen of Breeders to possibly exist as a broodmother able to estabilish and nurture a massive hive. Hmm... what would a Queen of Queens be like?

Now, the notion of Queenhood and spreading is definitely connected with motherhood. However, I see no reason for there not to be a possibility of a King Corrupted. None have yet been reported, though.

Getting this kind of information was only possible because I had one other reason to believe Corrupted can become allies - my mentor's notes currently being deciphered by princess Luna and the previously mentioned semi-corrupted unicorn by the name of Bound Tome.

Bound Tome and Luna have managed to read the first part of the journal, which is both chilling and hopeful at the same time. The exact methods written in it are beyond the scope of this entry, but during the march of Golden Legion, princess Celestia successfully captured and dissected many Corrupted, coming to some of the conclusions I did in my research with Nightshade. Since Celestia had no reason to be gentle in the experiments, she and her unicorns revealed a rather invasive way of breaking into the mind of the Corrupted...

...then she used it on her soldiers.

I can understand the despair which had driven her to do so. I saw the pony race dwindle into almost nothing. However, I would have never gone with the orders she gave her ponies. She turned her legion into Corrupted one by one, slowly and carefully preserving their minds while granting them Corrupted abilities. It wouldn't have worked with normal ponies, but the strong soldiers of crazy willpower went through with it, and evolved into something else. Celestia turned the Golden Legion into a Golden Hive, and set herself as the Queen, taking away any free will her soldiers may have had. It was the only way to cut them off of the hivemind gnawing at their resolve and sanity. I know the soldiers would have followed her to Tartarus and back even without the change, but... I cannot say I would have done the same. On the bright side, we are now sure that both Chilly and Bastion used to be the Legion's soldiers, and their skills and power give me tiny bit of hope that there are some more places protected by more surviving members.

The last thing - Joy and the Cult of Lust. After killing the Corruptor Queen, Vertradict and Joy retreated back to their pocket dimension, refusing any other request for cooperation. I cannot blame her, although I would like to. Joy used to be a batpony over two centuries ago, one of princess Luna's best Nightguards. How she became an alicorn is beyond me, but her reason for hating both Luna and me is crystal clear. On Luna's orders fueled by lack of information, I got involved in a fight between an insane archmage and Joy's lover, the alicorn of Hope. The archmage stole my power to bolster his own and kill him. Joy, however, should have been dead at the time, having been killed by the mage weeks before that. My only explanation is that her unexplained ascension to alicornhood allowing her resurrection left her with time to find out what really happened, and to become really bitter towards us. That, however, is a different story for a different time.

- The Journal of Twilight Sparkle, entry 359

We Are the Land: Mrrwrm! (True Queen)

"So, are you absolutely certain that none of your Corrupted did that?" asks Twilight Sparkle for the third time.

The tall, Corrupted Queen by the name of Nightshade rolls her eyes.

"Yes, yes, and yes. I know it's difficult to understand when you don't have absolute control over your subjects, but queen Chrysalis would already be looking for a different answer to why ponies are disappearing from Ponyville. She knows how hive minds dominated by a single ruler work."

The two have been debating the recent situation for half an hour without success. During past two weeks, several groups of farmers, mostly mares, have been abducted with visible signs of battle on each farm. No significant damage has been caused, but all more complicated tools, weapons, and supplies have been stolen along with the ponies. Neither Hex Guards nor the changeling Black Ops have found a thing leading towards explaining the events, so eventually Twilight Sparkle resorted to complaining to the only ex-pony capable of sufficiently defending the surface of Ponyville enclave - the slowly reconstructed Ponyville town.

Unfortunately, Nightshade could not feel any wild Corrupted in the vicinity of Ponyville, her Hunters and Protectors tasked with protecting ponies from hostile beasts raised no alarm, and Twilight Sparkle was far from happy, leading to the meeting currently going on in her office on top of the tree castle overlooking the regrowing town.

"All of the disappearances happened on the furthest reaches of Ponyville," the princess clutches at straws, "Could wild animals do this? A manticore or something?"

She knows it is nonsense, simple beasts don't steal equipment. Come to think of it, neither do the Corrupted.

"Look, Twilight," Nightshade is resolved to end this discussion, "The only Corrupted I can't sense are the ones transformed by princess Celestia and cut off from the hive mind. Even if it was a new hive settling in nearby, I could either sense their trespass into my territory or some of my subjects would. Us Queens are literally made to be able to feel and control other Corrupted, so I doubt I could somehow miss a wild pack running around and stealing both ponies and equipment. My best guess is that ponies did the abductions, and as such my Corrupted didn't bother checking it out. I can't really make such complex rules like which pony is and which is not a friend for them yet. My hive is growing smarter with each day, but making them into something even remotely resembling a society is going to take years."

"My little ponies understand how important it is to be kind to each other and cooperate to get through these years!" Twilight objects, "They would never hurt others!"

Nightshade facehoofs.

"Don't tell me you haven't lived through separatist groups trying to take over bits of land to create a domain they would rule? Come on, YOU teach little foals history down at the school. You taught ME when I was little. I know these things used to happen on monthly basis in the pre-corruption era."

"Well," Twilight hesitates, "yes, but that is what happens when ponies are safe and have time to think about the dark side inside them. If there is a good thing about the spread of corruption then it is that it forced us to work together tighter than ever before. The situation is still too dire for these things to happen, I think."

"Is it? For the first time in nearly a century it is possible to safely walk on the surface. The land around Ponyville is mostly unexplored, and there is enough food and weaponry being brought up from the enclave so that a group of power hungry maniacs could abduct ponies to be their slaves."

Twilight shakes her head.

"I doubt that is the case. We have lost ponies like this before, soldiers mostly, and it has always been due to Corrupted catching and transforming them."

"Well then," Nightshade says more aggressively than she wants, "I KNOW it wasn't my Corrupted and I am pretty sure no other hive or group is behind this. You FEEL that your ponies wouldn't sate their natural thirst for domination like this either. Wild animals wouldn't steal farming equipment and weapons. I guess the farmers just imploded into a tiny ball of joy and happiness, and got sucked through a black hole into the land of friendship where they play with their hoes, shovels, and ploughs."

"No need for that," Twilight frowns, "I just-"

"You just don't trust me enough to take my word for it not being any of US, but rather one of YOU!" Nightshade's tentacle tail cracks through the stuffy office air like a whip, "You have no clue what it feels like to have hundreds of minds in your head, and to have SOMETHING constantly nagging you to breed, kill ponies, transform everything into black goo and absorb it. I could have easily let Chilly or Mana Burn cut me off from the hive mind, but that would mean the Ponyville hive would go wild again and you would lose EVERYTHING! Instead, I have to constantly remind myself I at least USED TO BE a pony, and when it becomes too much I have to spend time with one of my separated guards to finally be ALONE. ALL THIS AND IT IS STILL NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU?"

"Listen, I am sorry to put you in a situation like this, but it is all for my ponies-"

"WHICH I AM NOT ONE OF ANYMORE, IS THAT IT?" Nightshade takes a deep breath as the betrayed feeling slowly subsides, and gives Twilight a cold stare, "You wouldn't ask one of 'your ponies' to do this, but I am just some THING for you to use. Well, consider this as me giving up my equinity... princess," Nightshade's coat disappears completely, turning into a mesh of scaly muscles harder than steel, and her wings, the last memory of her being a pegasus, retract inside her body, "I WILL find out what happened to 'your ponies' and I will end the threat," she hisses, "However, now that I know how you feel about US, how NOTHING has changed aside from US, I won't help you like this anymore. If you ever want something more, then be prepared to pay a price."

Nightshade storms out of the office, leaving confused and terrified Twilight sitting and staring at the door slammed shut so hard they cracked.

"We are not welcome here anymore," Nightshade scowls at Mana Burn and Chilly who were waiting outside, "We are nothing but tools to be used against wild beasts ponies couldn't tame."

"My Queen," Mana Burn matches Nightshade's angry pace, "What did princess Twilight say? To be honest, I don't wish to leave my home."

"DO YOU THINK I DO?!" Nightshade yells at him, tears welling in her eyes. She wipes them off and watches the wetness glisten on her new... body, "It's fine. My rules are still in effect. Corrupted are still allowed unlimited access to the enclave, so you can do whatever you want. Chilly and I are going outside. We have assholes to hunt."

"Do you mind if I talk to... my mother?" Mana Burn asks shyly.

"You are free to do what you want," is the only thing the grey unicorn Protector hears before his Queen storms away, followed by the white Hunter.

"Oh dear," he bites his lip, "This can't be right."

The fresh surface air cools Nightshade down, making her reconsider her transformation. She knows she acted rashly, but that does not change the fact that Twilight does not see her hive as more than animals. The hard part being she is mostly right. However, this means no more experiments, no more pointless discussions, and no more worried glances her way when she is asked to work with ponies.

As the last illusions of her equinity shatter, Nightshade can finally focus on being what she really is. Twilight will help the hive get food in exchange for protection, that is given. Her Corrupted feel easier around ponies, as their constant bustling around allows them not to think about the original orders of transforming or killing them. For now, the evil voice in their heads is shut off by Nightshade's instructions, pony interaction, and the hive's biological needs being sated.

There is no reason to worry too much. The alliance is so beneficial for both sides that breaking it is out of the question.

Chilly and Nightshade reach the place of the last disappearances. Just like many times before, there are clear signs of fighting, but no larger amounts blood, most of the light farming equipment is gone, and there are no traces of the attackers. With Nightshade's corruption settling deeper into her, she is able to send her mind further and further away to scout for hostile Corrupted. There are several packs of the wild ones, but she can sense their fear and respect of her preventing them from entering the hive's territory. However, there are little sparks of will not too far away from the hive's territory she cannot invade, just like several inside the enclave - semi-corrupted ponies no doubt. Probably one of Twilight's scout groups.

"Mrmmmrmm!" Chilly grumbles in his "annoyed cat" tone.

"What?" Nightshade scans his mind without a result, being gently pushed away by his force of will. The separated Corrupted rarely let her inside their minds. Mana Burn prefers to speak so he can think of himself as a pony. Bastion does not hold any loyalty for Nightshade, and so she has no place in his head. And Chilly is just Chilly, her secretive Hunter.

He shows her a broken branch here, an imprint of a hoof in the mushy corrupted soil there, but there is nothing she can put in place.

"It's not like we have any better lead... or any lead," she looks skeptically at Chilly still set on following a trail of what could just be a natural decay of trees and signs of a pony wandering off for a bathroom break. She knows to trust a Hunter, though, in the matters of finding something or somepony.

After about two hours of following a trail completely invisible to her, Chilly finally leads her to a path cut through thick vegetation. Nightshade invokes a mental map of her territory along with current positions of her hive. Ponyville is to the north, there are several Hunters and two Protectors within ten minutes' march, and they have made a circle around the edge of the hive's influence.

"So, whoever did this knows how far my Corrupted can go, knows the usual search area of guards well-enough to cover their tracks, but not for needlessly long time, AND has a hideout set up nowhere near any of the places the attacks happened. If a Corrupted did this, then they have a Hex Guard training, a school education, and Twilight is a potato," a quick mental search shows her a group of semi-corrupted ponies to the south, "Are the tracks going that way?" she asks Chilly and points towards where she senses the group. The Hunter nods, "Yeah... some bastards made a base just beyond the borders of my territory so that they could quickly return to the vicinity of Ponyville, and be protected by my Corrupted in case something hostile came from further south. They know I instructed my hive to protect any pony, known or unknown. And since I prefer not to spread my influence, they are pretty safe. So, there is at least fifteen semi-corrupted ponies who know about our habits and are armed. There can be any number of ponies whom I can't sense there as well. Do we bring in the cavalry, or are you up for some serious practice?"

"Mrrmr?"

"No, there's no need to be gentle with them. After all, Twilight insisted none of her ponies did it," Nightshade smiles sadistically, "Kill, transform, fuck, or do anything you want to anypony who resists."

Chilly's front hooves transform into razor-sharp white talons, his tail twists and grows a scythe blade on its end, and his coat glistens with ice and rime, hardening into armor.

The semi-corrupted earthpony sentry outside of the entrance into a cave opens his mouth to scream when he spots Nightshade calmly walking out of the shadow of trees. Black tentacles shoot out of the ground underneath him and choke his warning by filling his throat full of black biomass as he takes a breath to call for help. More and more tendrils cover him, solidifying into a coccoon on the ground which melts, and is absorbed through a hoof into Nightshade.

The Corrupted Queen steps into a wide cave lit by several torches and glowing crystals. A bunch of normal ponies and semi-corrupted ones are either having their way with other beaten, bruised, and shackled ponies, just chilling, or enjoying an orgy around a black blob in the back of the cave which Nightshade recognizes as a female Breeder.

"Oh yeah, grow another hole, you monster bitch, one of the newbies wants to play!" an earthpony currently buried balls-deep into an orifice on the end of the Breeder's tail sucking and slurping his member laughs and slaps the Breeder's pregnant belly.

His smile freezes when Chilly and Nightshade enter. Some of the shackled ponies gasp.

"Hello, dear food," Nightshade's pleasant smile is mirrored by terrified whines and hurried grasping for weapons, "Your princess signed your death warrant."

A semi-corrupted unicorn mare in Hex Guard armor slides off of a chained earthpony, obviously tortured by being forced to stay hard for countless orgasms with magic, still dripping his seed and levitating a sword. Her eyes betray that what little mind still remains before going full Corrupted is set on defending her prey from anypony who would take it.

"Heh, if Twilight left you alone for a week or two more then I could just come and collect you all for my hive," the snort of contempt is answered by the attack of the, while tainted beyond saving, still organized ex-guards.

Fifteen semi-corrupted ponies and ten normal ones, especially with combat training, would never be afraid of an attack from two Corrupted. One of them being a Queen as the big balancing factor, they poorly split their focus and heavily misunderstand that Chilly is the real threat while Nightshade mostly defends herself, her Protector transformation giving her tenacity and toughness to withstand magic and bladed weapons.

Soon, anypony resisting or trying to fight is incapacitated. Despite having free choice, Chilly opted for the non-lethal, although painful and possibly crippling, attacks.

As Chilly watches the rogue guards for any attempt to escape or attack, Nightshade unshackles the farmers.

"Where is the equipment they stole?"

"I-I-I-In the back," a trembling stallion answers, pointing towards a pile of something covered with tarp, "t-those are loaded carts."

"Good. Get them ready for transport. You are going home."

"Thank- Thank you!" the stallion bows and loses balance before being propped by a mare next to him.

"Now..." Nightshade ponders, turning to the bandits, "Who was the 'newbie' who wanted to join you?"

One of them nods towards an earthpony stallion who cannot be more than twenty years old.

"So, you wanted to know how a Corrupted tastes?" she grins, sits down, and spreads her legs, "How about I enlighten you?" he takes few zombie-like steps forward as Nightshade channels her inner Breeder and releases weak mind-clouding pheromones. They wouldn't work unless the pony really wanted it. He does, and a moment later he buries his muzzle in her crotch, "Mmmm, good food."

"Look, we just got caught in our lust for a while," a nearby bandit pleads, "We'll bring the supplies back, help the farmers, take night shifts, just-"

"I don't care," Nightshade moans, pushing the choking stallion between her legs deeper, "Twilight was vehement that- ooooh..." the stallions entire head slides inside her, "none- none of her ponies would do what you did. Thus," tentacles shooting out of her marehood entangle the unlucky stallion pleasuring her, crush him into mush, and pull the entire corpse melting into black goo inside her, "you are not ponies. And since you are not my Corrupted either, you are my enemies."

Her bulging, muscular belly returns slowly to its toned shape as she licks her lips. Only then she notices the farmers staring and whimpering in terror. She gives them a defiant look:

"Grab your stuff and get out. I called Hunters to escort you to Ponyville. If you have any complaints about what I'm about to do, go thank your princess for it."

The cavern floor turns soft and swampy, sticky holes opening underneath each bandit. Those resisting get dragged inside by tentacles, those limp and defeated simply slide in. There is no difference in their fates, though. All of them will be decomposed to nourish Nightshade, her hive, and her land.

The tentacles, being generally nice horrible abominations, hold the farmers standing in the wrong spots steady so that they do not suffer the same fate.

Feeling the power flowing through her coat of muscles, Nightshade knows fully that by publicly doing this, her equinity is gone forever.

Not that she minds anymore.

We Are the Land: Hai, Ai em nyu heer!

The moldy grey corrupted landscape is illuminated by an eerie pink glow coming from an enormous shimmering dome in the middle of nowhere. Freezing wind whispers in the black leaves and turns the dark grass crunchy. Dark forms of wild Corrupted slowly walk around, reaching for black berries which are not too high up in the trees from time to time. Here up north the winter starts much earlier than everywhere else, and the crisp air reveals there is not much time before the blanket of snow covers the land.

Blurs move on the inside of the magical pink barrier, dampened sounds of music and life reaching outside here and there. The outside of the barrier, however, is far from lively. Deserted houses, inhabited by Corrupted looking for any shelter, farming equipment left lying around, broken and unattended, ruins of landmarks being reclaimed by nature is all that remains from the outskirts of the once great Crystal Empire.

No pony or Corrupted would ever bother noticing a black egg by the side of an abandoned house, slimy tendrils coming out of its bottom growing through both the mortar and soil.

The egg quivers. Impacts dent its surface from the inside. Over and over the invisible attacker hits its prison, making cracks appear all over it. The blows become weaker, but more erratic and faster. The top of the egg flies open, letting a black, sticky head peek through the hole and desperately gasp for breath.

"Blrlblrlbl!" the head shakes, three tentacle tongues licking the black goo off its muzzle. It sniffs the air around, then the egg, then the air again, and then bites a piece of the eggshell off, munching on it, "Mhmmm..."

This goes on for minutes, but the newborn Corrupted mare cares not for time, only for eating a hole big enough to allow her to get her skeletal body out. Her physique gives away a starvation a pony could never survive, but the longer she nibbles on the egg, the more mass she gains. When she reaches the size of a grown earthpony stallion, tendrils creep out of her hooves, and penetrate the ground and the egg, which liquifies and is drained into the mare's body.

When the egg is no more, completely absorbed by the new Corrupted, the only proof of what has just happened remains a dark, mossy green mare with bright green eyes curiously sniffing the short grass at her hooves.

Spread.

"Mrm?" she looks around, ears twitching and turning.

Spread!

She takes some dirt and throws it around in a bigger circle.

SPREAD!

Her final attempt to understand the forceful voice coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time is her stretching her neck and legs as far as she can.

"Mmmm..." she rubs her leg as something snaps in it and sits down, sulking. The voice, however, does not stop twisting her mind to obey.

Devour!

Sharp teeth rip off some grass for her to munch on. It doesn't taste bad, so she just walks around for a while, content with simply grazing.

DEVOUR!

The voice in her head yells, making images of everything that is yet to be corrupted dance through her simple mind. Grass, trees, rocks, pretty and colorful four-legged creatures, other warm, soft and squishy beings, all has to become one in a perfect unity of a single mind and body.

So, she tries to obey and appease the voice to stop her head from hurting. From all that is supposed to be taken over, she can only find a piece of a stone windowsil. However, a rock is a rock, and as the voice said - devour!

As she chokes on the solid block, she has some time to ponder her instincts not being too beneficial to her health while punching her neck and twisting her strong tongues in order to dislodge the obstacle.

"BLEH!" the rock bounces off a wall, followed by the mare's angry grumbling, "Mrmrmrmrmrm!"

Is there a thing such as voicepalm? Because if there was, and the voice had hands, it would definitely be smacking itself repeatedly.

The mare, despite her strange behaviour, does not present any features specific to any kind of lesser Corrupted, but her straight posture and ability to wonder about her own instincts make her a prime candidate for a Queen. The voice, having failed its attempts so far, turns to what this Queen might be after all - a Breeder.

Breed.

The mare moans as her body shivers in pleasure, and her thoughts are rebuilt to find somepony and something to make her feel like this again. Sadly, she does not understand the whirlwind of unknown pictures of creatures in various positions overwhelming her simple thoughts.

"AH!" she finally makes at least a little sense of things. Now to find the correct candidates for making the voice quiet down. She walks without any real direction through the landscape dotted with ruins.

One of the bright four-legged things wrapped in a hard, grey, shiny shell is lying on the ground, motionless.

Breed!

The anger from afar connected to the order makes her increase her pace. She feels scared whenever the distant influence forces her to do something, so she tries as hard as she can to stop it. However, she finds a possible solution, and allows herself a triumphant smile.

A rock! Not the one that tried to kill her, but a new one, non-hostile one.

Now, as the images showed her - orifices were involved. To the voice, rocks and ponies were the same, insignificant "things". This gave her a way to solve the situation to everyone's satisfaction. She will breed the things, and the voice will stop yelling.

"AH?!" the hard and shiny part of the four-legged thing's head falls off, revealing long, soft strands of mane. In blind panic, she spits out sticky liquid on the head in her hooves, and shoves the metal part back on. SAVED!

Not worried about the anger of the voice anymore, she examines the four-legger. Since the rock has none, she examines the soft thing's orifices. The front ones wouldn't do, as the images showed, so she has to choose the correct of the hind ones. The tight one under more of the soft long strands looks like the better choice to keep the other breeding thing inside.

And thus, the young Corrupted Queen shoves a hoof-sized boulder up a dead guardsmare's anus.

KILL THEM! KILL THEM ALL! WIPE THE WORLD CLEAN!

The pony's corpse, luckily, contains a piece of cloth with which the confused Corrupted starts polishing the ground.

Waves of blind anger and rage nearly consume her, making tears stream from her eyes and blood drip from one tentacle tongue she bit off during the fit. Her mind is forcefully torn apart, ripped out of her body and spread over a large area. A speck of warmth some distance away is put in front of her terrorized self's attention, and she starts limping in its direction.

Fighting her splitting headache as well as the screams of fury threatening to make her brain explode, she approaches a trembling four-legged thing, one without the shiny shell.

"Eeep!" the little thing, barely reaching the Queen's knees, whines, "Mommy..."

It whimpers some more when the young Queen's front legs grow sharp talons.

Kill!

The small four-legger is yellow, the long strands coming from its head and backside are chocolate brown, and the way it sparkles like a mirror unvoluntarily makes the Queen smile. It walks closer, encouraged by the Corrupted's confused expression, and wraps its tiny front legs around the taloned black one.

Maim! Kill! Make them suffer for their futile resistance!

The Queen tries again, this time opening her mouth to bite the foal's head off. Her momentary lapse of determination is followed by the soft touch of a little nose booping her chin. She stands there, muscles of her body creaking as they fight against the order inside her head to messily obliterate the little creature. Every strand of the Breeder Queen's will is resisting the foreign influence. The voice, however, does not understand a mare's instinct forcing her to protect a defenseless youngling, no matter what species.

"Aaaah!" the Queen clutches her head, feeling as if her brain was boiling.

DEFECT! Kill. Kill! KILL! KI-

"Blrp?" the Queen's world hiccups... and restarts. This time, however, in blissful silence.

"Are you okay, weird lady?" the little thing opens its mouth and says something squeaky. As far as the Queen is concerned, it might just be breathing loudly. She does not understand a thing.

"Mrrmm..." the Queen wobbles, trying to steady herself and figure out the new controls of her body.

"You look silly, like daddy when he drinks the special juice," the squeaky voice continues. The Queen likes this voice, it makes her warmer, not like the one inside her head. She pats the sound-making blob which twitches as the talons touch its head. It is soft, hot, and nice, "He he, you're a nice Corrp- Corrup- bad pony."

"Pon-ee," the Queen croaks.

"Yeah, pony!" the foal's face brightens up, "Like me, my dad, and my mom! Only you're weird, and they are awesome. They even beat up some of you Crop- bad ponies when they came to take our farm," the foal's stomach rumbles, and it clutches its belly, "That was two days ago, owww. So hungry. You don't have anything to eat, weird lady, right?"

"Rait?" the Queen gives the little colt a puzzled look. The thing seems to want something.

"Food?" he rubs his belly, and then points to his mouth, making chewing motions.

The feeling of "rightness" flows through the Queen as she sits down, spreads her legs, and guides the colt's head to her teats. He gives in to reflex, and starts suckling the sweet black milk soon enough. Barely visible veins of corruption spread from his muzzle to his neck as he drinks, but nothing worse happens. This young of a pony understands nothing about breeding or dominance, and while he is still controlled by instinct as well as by his intelligence, such little corruption has nothing to take hold of yet.

When the Queen starts feeling light-headed, she pushes the colt away.

"Mrmm?"

"Thank you!" he jumps up, reinvigorated and chipper, "Ummm... I guess you can't take me home, right? It's behind the shield. I'm not supposed to stay out here on my own. There's a ton of other ponies there as well. I think they'd like you. You're nice."

"Pon-eez..."

"I'm Wheat Sickle, what's your name?"

"Neighm?"

"I guess you Corcrap- bad ponies don't get names then. Hey, you have a nice coat," Sickle rubs his muzzle against the Queen's dark green chin, "Soft, and green like grass in spring."

"Spring," the Queen repeats.

"Hey, you said that one right!" he smiles, points to himself again, "Wheat Sickle," then touches the Queen again, "Spring."

"Spring," the Queen repeats, touching her nose with one talon, "Weed Sikkel," she taps on his head.

"Good enough," Sickle hugs her leg again. His warmth assures the Queen she finally did something right. A small sense of satisfaction rings through her, as she, in defiance to the now silent voice, accepts the name "Spring".

Wheat Sickle starts trotting towards the pink shield in the distance. Spring overtakes him in few long strides.

"Hey, wait!" he squeaks as she walks too far forward, "You're too big."

"Beek?" she waits for him.

"Can you take me on your back like mom does?" he jumps up and down. Curious, Spring lowers her head to him. Sickle tries to climb up her neck, failing and falling flat on his rump, "EEP!" he squeaks as a bunch of tentacles grow from the ground, pick him up, and carefully lower him on Spring's back, "THAT WAS SO COOL! Do it again!"

"Mrmrm?"

"Nevermind," realizing she has no clue what he wants, Sickle finds a comfortable position to lie in, "Let's go!" he points towards the shield again.

"Lesgo!" Spring mirrors the enthusiasm in his voice, and resumes her brisk walk.

A Hunter crosses their path, growling at Wheat Sickle. When Spring approaches him, however, he rushes off. They pass more and more Corrupted walking around barely giving them a second glance. Spring can feel the ones who are close, but she can also feel something inside them, something much more threatening than they are. As they get to the pink, quietly humming barrier, there are Hunters and Protectors beating against it with hooves and tentacles. They don't seem to be trying too hard to break through, but their bruised looks prove they have been doing this for a while already.

"Mrrmr!" Spring grumbles angrily as her muzzle hits the impenetrable barrier over and over.

"You aren't supposed to get in," Sickle explains, "Only ponies can."

"Pon-eez..."

"Yeah, sorry. You're really nice. If I could, I'd take you in with me," his little legs hug her neck from her back.

"Nais."

He points at the ground, and Spring leans down to let him get off her. She gasps when Sickle's hoof effortlessly passes through the shield and tries to follow him, forgetting what happened before.

"Mrmrmrm!" she pokes the barrier after rubbing her bruised muzzle.

"If you ever get in, I'll tell mom to make you some cookies!" he gives her a wide smile, waves, and trots off.

Spring is alone again. Surrounded by dozens of abused-looking Corrupted, Spring feels completely alone. A large Protector keels over nearby, hooves cracked from beating the shield. Scream is hungry, and the malevolent will controlling these Corrupted does not seem to care about losing them too much. Her instincts keep telling her to absorb the Protector and gain strength, but she knows the same drive was forcing her to hurt the little colt. Instead, she tries to do the same thing as before, and shoves her teats into the Corrupted's face. A moment later she feels her strength flow away, but at the same time something inside her grants her more and more.

The more a Breeder Queen cares, the stronger she becomes.

She can't understand words, but the feelings of everything being the way it is supposed to be calm Spring down. As the Protector suckles, his memories and sensations flow into Spring. There is a plan behind forcing the Corrupted to blindly attack the barrier over and over. Why is she being kept out, though?

Images of thousands of ponies, shiny, winged, horned, and a pink, tall one with all the extra accessories, milling around make her eyes go wide. She wants to get inside as well, to see all of the pretty sights. A flicker of the Protector's further orders assure Spring that the Queen leading the attacking hive does not share her desires, rather that she wants to taint and devour all that sparkling beauty.

Spring arrives to a conclusion - she needs to persuade the other Queen not to do that. After all, the other one is a Breeder as well, and she should understand the "pon-eez" are not dangerous. They are small, physically weak, and squishy, but those things should make her want to safeguard them, not destroy.

Filled with confidence that nothing can go wrong welling from her being alive for mere hours, and being rather simpleminded, Spring walks along the edge of the barrier until she sees a mare taller than she is. The other Queen's smell makes her knees weak and fills Sping with desire to let the milk from the Queen's dripping, hanging melon-like teats melt her mind, to press her mouth against the other's hinquarters and be force fed eggs so large even her strong neck would distend, to become just an incubator for more Corrupted and make the Queen's hive the strongest, largest, and not having to fear anything.

The last spark of uncertainty in the Queen's scent forcing her will unto others wakes Spring up. Perhaps the Queen is scared of the voice as well?

The barely avoided loss of will and individuality makes Spring take a more careful approach. Sneaking through the hordes of Corrupted ignoring her, she gets close enough to the Queen to hear her making noises at-

Spring squeaks quietly, grinning from ear to ear.

-a bunch of sparkly ponies in the shiny shells from before. There are two ponies on the other side of the barrier making noises at the Queen as well.

One is the tall, winged and horned, pink mare with multicolored mane that sparkles in the weak sunlight like some of the ponies. Spring can feel the warmth coming off her in waves even this far away., and her sharp eyes can make out a small picture of a sparkly heart decorated with gold ornaments on her rump.

The other one is a white, blue-maned, muscular stallion with a horn bearing a scar across his face and one milky-white eye. He is smaller than the mare, and he is not even close to being as well-built as the Protectors. However, the thin, dark blue beard outlining his muzzle make all three of Spring's tongues hang out. His toned behind adorned with the mark of a sea-blue shield only serves to deepen her desire.

Spring perks hear ears. Perhaps she can decipher the noises the Queen is making according to the feelings she bears.

"You must be the Queen of this place, and, from the scent lingering on both of you, the stallion is your recent mate," the Queen examines the leading duo, ignoring the dozens of armed ponies around them, "We have forced your barrier to shrink during the past week, and we can break it completely soon. However, I wish only to understand what you lesser creatures are, and if you can be of any use. Let us in to observe, and we will return those of you we captured, untainted and unharmed. Your stallion might even learn a trick or two about pleasing real mares like us."

The pink mare gags, and the white stallion has only one reply:

"I have a bad history with queens trying to get close to me. So, how about you burn in Tartarus for all eternity instead?"

We Are the Land: Mrrr... (Lonely Hunter)

Nightshade walks through Ponyville, accompanied by the farmers still queezy from the events with the bandits. Her pony form is gone, replaced by black, sleek body of a Corrupted toned to perfection. She wants the stallions to look at her with fear and barely contained lust. She wants mares to be jealous as well as drooling on the inside at the idea of her growing a second set of genitals and putting them to good use. She wants to let every single being in her vicinity know that the ultimate power, beauty, and desirability is walking by.

And she knows that is exactly what is happening. Even the terrified farmers surrounded from all sides by Hunters are watching her. She can smell the stallions' arousal as their eyes are glued to every hypnotic movement of her behind, and not only that of stallions. Nightshade is on top of the world. Sadly, from up high she cannot see the worried white Hunter prowling by her side and wondering about what has happened to the amicable pegasus mare he saved not even two months ago. When the rescued farmers trot down the enclave tunnels, Nightshade leads chilly through Ponyville to where the past Queen's seat of power was.

It is a simple circular park, not more than an area of grass with several trees surrounded by buildings in various state of ruin and reconstruction.

"This place will do," Nightshade smiles and focuses the power she has been denying until now. Tree after black tree sprout from the soft ground, encircling the entire park and leaving only one entrance, "Now, my little Chilly. Let us celebrate our successful mission."

The white Hunter turns his head in confusion when Nightshade pushes him down on the shimmering black grass, and whines uncertainly.

"Don't worry," she bites down on his neck hard enough to make him yelp but not enough to draw blood, "Just do what I say and we'll both enjoy this. I've wanted this for SO loooong."

The little voice inside Nightshade's head telling her that her Chilly needs caring approach rather than forceful is brutally silenced by the intoxicating power she feels flowing through her veins.

"Now, I know you want this. I have seen the inside of your head. You haven't mated with any pony or Corrupted while by my side. It is time to finally cut loose," she bends her back, presenting her dripping marehood to him, "MOUNT ME!"

The order is a mental command as well as a scream, and Chilly's body moves on its own. Not for long, though.

"You just needs a little persuasion," she channels her inner Breeder, releasing pheromones made to drive him crazy while beating with her mind against his defenses. Ignoring the complete chaos of his psyche interwoven only with sheer horror, she breaks his will and takes direct control over his body, "Just a few thrusts, and then you will catch on quickly. I know you want me."

Like a rubber band tested bayond its limits, something snaps between them, and Chilly collapses on the grass, breathing heavily, looking up at her with teary eyes, and trying to push himself away. The sorry sight makes Nightshade burn with molten fury.

"SO THIS IS IT? YOU DON'T TRUST ME! TWILIGHT DOESN'T TRUST ME! NOPONY TRUSTS ME! ALL OF YOU LOOK AT ME AS IF I WAS A MONSTER!" she kicks the cowering Hunter so hard he hits the trees on the other side of the circle, and growls, "Well, I don't need you. I don't need any of you. I survived. You are better off now than you were when living in your frozen cage. My hive is getting more and more powerful, and so are Twilight's ponies. I will make the bitch eat her words when I rise as the protector against forces that make her stain her purple behind. If you can't even satisfy me when I want- no NEED IT, then you can go rot in Tartarus, coward! Useless, limp dicked, whiny coward!" she howls, calling for Corrupted to come to her, "I can choose the best of the best to make me cry in pleasure! What use do I have for... you? I thought you would want this because I meant something for you, but now I know better!"

A big, muscular Protector comes through the gap in the trees, loins at attention and about as much free will as a potato dropping from a cliff. His nostrils flare, and he immediately jumps at Nightshade, mounting her without hesitation. She laughs triumphantly, screaming more into the air than at Chilly.

"You see?! This is WHAT YOU COULD HAVE HAD, WHAT I WANTED TO GIVE YOU! I DON'T WANT YOU! YOU ARE NOTHING!"

And she is right. By the time her angry yelling punctuated by loud moans and heavy breathing subsides, the white Hunter has already crawled away, whining and whimpering with every step.

He is not necessary anymore. He has fulfilled his duty and allowed ponies to recover at least a tiny bit of their domain. It is time for him to hide away until he is needed again. Nopony wants him.

He feels cold, so freezing cold, so... alone.

The biting wind of approaching winter coming from the north answers the ice growing inside him and leads his way. When Nightshade regains her senses, she gallops through the enclave to the frozen room Chilly had taken for himself after their first arrival, but there is nothing there. No berries, no glassy trees, just a simple guest room with clean sheets covering an unused bed.

The Ponyville Queen panics now, sending her mind as far as she can, forcing Hunters to find any trace of him, and scanning their senses and memories. However, the simple Corrupted cannot find anything, and the link between the Queen and her favourite Hunter is long gone. With the dying remains of the equinity inside her making her recall everything she had gone through, Nightshade lies down on the grass of her new "throne room" and buries her head into her talons, mumbling:

"What have I done?"

Days and nights pass as the white Hunter travels without a direction, driven only by the lowering temperatures. The frost feels fitting, and he leaves glassy hoofsteps behind him, sapping the grass and other vegetation of life. He does not look at the sky, light and darkness being the same to his excellent eyes, and thus he does not count how much time has passed since he has left Ponyville. Cold and exhausted, he keeps on walking.

Chilly stops looking at the ground only when the cold eases up slightly, curious what caused the change. A wooden cabin is stading nearby, flickering orange glow coming through the window. He senses only a single being inside, weak, fragile, and non-threatening - a pony. However, as he reaches the forest clearing where the cabin sits, he notices hair-thin reflections of moonlight in the grass. A curious examination of one reveals it to be a wire leading to a strange contraption resembling a heavy hanging spike hidden in the leaves of a nearby tree. Taking several steps back, Chilly focuses his mind, and a crystalline blade of grass grows underneath the wire, sending the sharpened log right through where an unfortunate victim would set the trap off.

He shrugs. All he has to do is be careful, and then he can finally be a little warmer. The cold beckons him, but a little hidden voice tells him that he has to seek warmth, otherwise the frozen rain drenching his coat would eventually take him away. Chilly wouldn't really mind.

Stepping over holes with spikes covered by leaves and branches, avoiding more tripwires and strange clicking things smelling of gunpowder and sulfur, the white Hunter reaches the cabin's door, locked door. The pony inside has not moved, and he has no desire to change that, so he allows one of his hooves to melt and presses it into the keyhole. The biomass flows through every crevice of the lock, moving any movable pieces, filling and exploring. The key inside falls out, the mechanism clicks, and Chilly creeps inside. The place is warm, well-isolated from the wet cold outside, and after he shuts the door behind him even the cold air stops its intrusion. He doesn't make a sound and, prowling on his softened hooves until he reaches the happily crackling fireplace, shoves his muzzle as close to it as he can, and curls up into a tight little ball...

...much to the complete confusion of an earthpony mare sitting on the bed and grasping a large, spiked club in her hooves, mouth agape.

The sound of something hard hitting wood wakes Chilly up. He moves his legs to stretch and touches something heavy, which makes him freeze and look around, fully awake. He is surrounded by a dome made of sharp wires, and behind it there are sawtoothed pieces of metal like the ones ponies in Ponyville used against Corrupted. He also knows stepping onto those can make them snap even a Protector's bone. Granted, they are mostly only an inconveniece from a long-term perspective, but still.

A red-maned brown mare is pressing her back against the cabin door which are shaking with impact after impact. Luckily, Chilly is not stupid, and instead of flailing like an animal or wild Corrupted would do, he simply picks the weights on one side of the razor wire net up, and lifts them over his head. Jumping over the circle of bear traps is just a formality, and he is free.

"Oh for Cadence's sake! Are you serious? What did I do to come upon the only smart Corrupted in recorded history? OOF!" the mare curses and shakes with another blow to the door. As Chilly walks towards her, she mumbles quickly, "Hey, if you want somepony to eat, there's a bunch of assholes right behind this door. Ponies, chewy."

"Mrmmmr?" Chilly grumbles, tilting his head.

"Okay, come oooon," she grins, "I know you want to jump at me. Just give me enough warning to open this door... in... TIME! HA!"

She jumps away from the door when Chilly takes his next step, and the door shoots open. Unfortunately for her plan to confront whoever is behind the door with a wild Hunter, he doesn't jump. An earthpony with clear signs of Corruption and a battering ram hanging on a harness around his neck barges in.

"Got you, little mare! Time to join our- WHATTHECRAP?!"

He dies two seconds later after Chilly charges him head on and, completely on accident, pushes him into one of the now uncovered holes with spikes.

"She's got a Corrupted with her!" another pony yells, "Burn them both!"

Thrown bottles of oil break against the cabin walls and immediately catch on fire. The mare curses, runs back inside, and returns with her spiked club held firmly in her mouth. An explosive bottle hits Chilly who screeches and rolls on the ground.

"Good, now get the chick! We could use some fresh meat-" spikes of ice break the ground underneath him and pierce his skull. The thick icicle drags the body upwards, making it just a macabre decoration.

"Grwrrr!" Chilly snarls, snow white coat glittering with teal rime. Several more firebombs hit him but merely hiss out into vapor. The bandits, in utter disbelief that their attacks aren't working, flee, leaving broken branches and the smoldering cabin the only trace of their presence.

"Dammit!" the mare curses again at the sight of the fire spreading along the wall, "Whare did I put the bucket?" she tries to get inside, but the the doorway bursts into flames.

Chilly watches the panicking mare beating the fire with leafy branches to douse it, but the oil simply spreads onto her makeshift dousing implement. He likes this place, it is warm and sheltered from rain. Plus, the mare does not seem to mind him too much, and he can sense no organized Corrupted anywhere nearby. Thus, he decides to mark this territory as his.

The ground around him freezes over, ice spreading further and further, turning the moldy black trees into a glassy white forest. Grass and bushes crunch as rime takes them, and the wooden logs of the front facade of the cabin creak when they freeze over, ending the reign of fire instantly.

The mare stares, paralyzed, at her cabin partially turned into Hearth's Warming decoration and at the frozen forest everywhere the eye can see. In the middle of it stands Chilly, wobbling unsteadily on his legs after such expenditure of power. The smaller mare walks over, picking her club again and gripping it in her mouth.

"What the-?!" she jumps away when Chilly's muzzle softly touches hers.

"Mrrmr?" he tilts his head. When he gets no answer from the lightly blushing mare, he limps back into the cabin, closing the broken door as tightly as possible. It is not as warm as it was before, so he crawls even closer to the fireplace and lets his mind wander through his new forest. A minute later he is poked by a long spear held by the mare.

"You don't look like the others, I wonder why..."

"Mmmmrmmm..." he just grumbles, one eye open to observe her putting away all the previously armed bear traps.

"Thanks, by the way, for messing with my traps and letting the bastards in."

"Mmrm."

"You look like you can understand me, but you have no clue, right?"

"Mrmm."

"Thought so. Meh, I'd still prefer to have you around rather than them. You are just animals, but they chose to live out here just so that they didn't have to live under the Empire's law. This way they can abduct ponies and either hold them for ransom, use them as slaves, or as bait to draw Corrupted away from their hideout," she continues to examine if any damage was done to the inside of the cabin. Luckily, no thrown explosive hit a window.

"Mrrwrm!" Chilly senses hoofsteps from outside.

"THAT'S FOR CONSORTING WITH ONE OF THEM, BITCH!" an angry voice is followed by a window shattering and an inferno of flames. The explosion throws Chilly into the fireplace, confusing him more than anything, but the sickening crunch of the mare hitting a sturdy wardrobe makes him recover almost instantly. He roars, ready to hunt the bandit down.

"Argh!" the mare groans, coughing blood, as her coat is singed by the rapidly spreading fire. She cannot see much through the smoke, until a sharp stab of pain nearly makes her pass out. A moment later she is back outside in the fresh air, enveloped by tentacles holding her tight on Chilly's back.

"My... stuff..." she coughs again, wrecked by pain of doubtlessly broken ribs and at least one leg, "Okay... screw stuff..."

"Mrmrm?" Chilly whines, looking from side to side for something, anything to help with the bone of one of the mare's front legs peeking through skin and coat. She is too hurt for him to heal without turning her completely into a Corrupted, but with seconds ticking it seems to be the only option.

"Crystal... Empire..." she mumbles, her eyes closing on their own.

"MMRMRM?!" he whines again, this time louder. The mare's healthy, well - only badly bruised and burned, front leg points in a direction.

"That... way..."

Her broken leg freezes over as Chilly drains power from his recently transformed environment, turning his hind legs into clawed paws and his coat into almost liquid substance. He needs anything that could help him move fast and without irritating the mare's wounds. Slowly accelerating, he eventually becomes no more than a white blur jumping and galloping through the forest. Half a day's worth of dangerous trip for a pony becomes less than an hour, and with the still breathing mare on his back, Chilly starts beating against the pink barrier in the middle of tundra.

A bunch of armored ponies arrive soon after, horns glowing, spears ready.

"MMRMMMRM!" Chilly turns his side to them to show them the mare on his back, and unwraps his tentacles from her.

"Is that a pony?" one of the guards asks, "What is this, a Corrupted rescue service?"

"Grrrwr!"

"Okay, this is some serious bullshit. This does NOT happen. It has to be a trick."

"Trick or not," a unicorn mare in the back wearing a white cap with horn peeking through objects, "if she is a pony then the shield will let her in."

"That thing looks powerful, taking a step outside is beyond stupid."

"Oh hey, a stallion with no balls," the mare comments sarcastically, "Glad the Crystal Guard gets better and better with each year," she pushes past the stallion and through the pink shield. Giving Chilly a careful look, she says, "For some reason you are here with her. Now, let me take her and don't make me cum my horn off, please."

Blue aura envelops the mare on Chilly's back, and she freezes under the effect of a stasis spell. The medic levitates the mare with her through the shield much to the shocked looks of the other guards. Everypony leaves, and Chilly is left alone yet again, this time without ice flowing through his veins.

The remains of the burned cabin make him growl to himself. His senses flow through the frozen soil of his new territory, locking on the heat of underhooves, sound and tremors of hoofsteps, and anything else he can find. Five minutes of standing with talons stabbed deep into the ground later, Chilly knows exactly where the bandits are. A replica of an ancient full plate armor made of ice envelops him, and a nearly forgotten saying rings through his mind: "A pony is a wolf to other ponies."

A memory surfaces. He is not supposed to protect, but to hunt down those who have fallen into darkness.

The bandits have no chance. The whirlwind of freezing magic, tentacles, razor-sharp talons, teeth firm enough to bite through chainmail, and excellent, although just a little rusty, combat training are simply too much to handle. He may have found the bandits with the intent to drive them out of his territory, but after seeing a female Breeder beaten up and transformed into an abomination of orifices able to service at least ten ponies at once, he cut loose.

He knows the fall of these ponies happened most likely due to the Breeder, confusing them with her scent, but there was no ill intent in it whereas their abuse...

The more he thinks about it the less he regrets the mess of organs and limbs strewn everywhere around. He made sure no one escaped, but he feels sick.

A second mind taps into his, relieving his pressure and anger a little. The Breeder, once again a small mare with wide hips, hanging teats, and inviting fragrance wiggles her behind in front of his face. She senses his distress and tries to help in the only way she knows how. Chilly, however, has no interest, especially after a quick memory of Nightshade trying to rape him flickers through his mind. With his territory clear, he simply lies down to finally have a rest.

"Mrmmr?" he looks up as the Breeder drapes over him like a short blanket and licks his ear.

Perhaps just needing somepony close is more of an instinct than mating is.

We Are the Land: Shainee poneez!

The negotiation between the ponies and the Breeder Queen ends with the ponies leaving and the Queen standing outside the bright, pink barrier. Hidden behind a house a fair distance away, Spring stops eavesdropping and gathers the courage to talk to the other Queen. She needs to be persuaded not to break the shield and corrupt every pony inside.

"Greetings," Spring sends a mental message to the Queen and feels her surprise, as if she had no idea Spring was ever there.

The Queen glares, examines, and her forces surround Spring who is quickly getting the idea that this might have been a poor choice.

"You look like a Queen, yet you have no hive or mind. What are you, a fake?"

Spring has no answer. She was born hours ago and since she got no real explanation from the voice she doesn't know what the Queen means. Her feeding the little colt gave her a look inside his mind, and that knowledge is slowly being processed, but is still far from understood. Perhaps the other Queen just doesn't know ponies are terrified of her.

"I am like you, and I want to ask you to stop your attack. The fragile creatures are afraid of you and pose only a minor threat."

The Queen gives her an amused stare and answers simply:

"No."

Spring doesn't understand. Is the Queen blind to the facts?

"Transforming them will not give you anything. You have enough land and subjects, and you can make more as needed. You can learn from them how to make those surface caves so that we don't get rained on and frozen. They are soft, warm, and colourful."

"And mouthwatering," the Queen approaches Spring, "It feels so good, so right to devour and transform one of them, to have them give in to their desires as they worship and please you. If you can't feel that burning need to deliciously taint them then you must be a defect. A weak one to be disassembled and reabsorbed."

Spring feels the Queen's will flow through the soil around and can dodge the tentacles breaking the ground and trying to grab her. The Queen screeches, and Spring knows the hunt is on. Narrowly avoiding the slashes from the Hunters around her, Spring bolts away from the laughing Queen, followed by a pack of feral Corrupted.

They are much faster than she is, but not even the Queen's will inside them can force them not to play with her a little, giving her precious seconds to adapt. The Hunters' talons on front legs allow them to maneuver better and run faster with torn grass shooting from their legs. Muscular behinds and overall strength of their hind legs give them much greater jumping capabilities. Spring can mimic the first one easily, but the latter contradicts her Breeder genes, and her wide hips tighten only a little. For the same reason she cannot transform her body into a super lean frame like they possess. Still, while she is not faster than her pursuers, the speed difference drops significantly as she transforms.

Spring cannot be like them, but she can be herself. The Breeder Queen's will is reinforced via close contact and pheromones, and the further the Hunters get away from their Queen, the stronger effect Spring's released scent is going to have on them. She just needs to survive long enough.

A pony-made surface cave -a house, her growing mind brings up the term- is nearby, one of the many scattered all around. There are too many empty holes for her plan to work, she needs an enclosed space. A small storage shed with no windows is in the distance, door barely hanging on its hinges. She needs to buy time, the Hunters are swiping at her from all sides and the blood flowing from the wounds is starting to exhaust her.

She buries her legs into the ground and stops on the spot. The Hunter behind her rams straight to her hindquarters, getting an unhealthy dose of Spring's controlling scent. The Queen's control over him breaks instantly when touched by Breeder's juices.

"I need seconds," her will flows through the Hunter who immediately jumps at another one and bites its neck. The survival instinct of the Hunters overrides the Queen's order to hunt Spring down, and all of them converge on the greater percieved threat - one of them. Spring whines in horror as they rip her Hunter to pieces, but in the meantime she manages to get into the shed and close the door.

Breathing heavily, she knows this is not a hiding place, nor a defendable one. She lies down and focuses on what makes her tick - the ecstatic pleasure when she breastfed the colt and when the Hunter's open muzzle licked her marehood, spelling the end of its free will. Her juices splatter the floor in seconds as rubs herself with her tail, making it thicker and ramming it into herself over and over.

One of the Hunters bashes the door open, ripping it off its hinges. He turns docile and his mouth drops, walking like a puppet towards Spring. All the others suffer the same fate as they barge one after the other into the shed. In this small space, her scent is overwhelming, and within moments the twelve Hunters are under her absolute control. Spring knows the Queen will send more as soon as she finds out the first group failed. However, the Queen apparently could not sense her, and a Breeder Queen has more tricks up her sexy sleeve.

The concrete floor of the shed turns into mossy ground, and wines shoot from it, growing through the mix of wood and stone the building is made of. With this many Corrupted around, Spring's influence changes the land into her territory. She tries to stop it, but this is what she is. The Hunters, now peaceful, lie down on the moss and rest. This wouldn't do, though. Spring needs to be devious.

If the Queen can sense others but not her, then she cannot allow the land or the Hunters to reveal her. As she uses her body more, her understanding of herself grows further. A Breeder Queen does not have land and a hive, she IS the land and the hive. Spring takes a deep breath and focuses.

The moss turns back to concrete, the wines retract, and the Hunters melt into the ground, absorbed along with everything else into Spring's body. She feels the minds inside her, the exact unique shapes of bodies belonging to each one, and their simple thoughts. She is their world, and she can recreate them as she pleases.

What to do now, though? Where Spring has twelve Hunters, the other Queen has legions inside her. She has no idea. However, she is protected from the other Queen's senses as long as she does not get too close. It is time to observe and learn.

For two days Spring wanders around the pink bubble, rummages through empty houses, and examines everything she finds. The information drained from the colt's mind shines light on numerous finds, making her admire the wondrous creations of ponies, but there are far too many things she cannot identify. For two days the Queen's hive beats against the protective barrier, making cracks spread further and further through it until...

...the white, blue-maned unicorn arrives at the edge of the barrier again, this time only with soldiers. It takes a while, but the Queen arrives to meet him. Spring, having kept out of Queen's sight but not so far she herself couldn't observe, hides behind a nearby Protector completely ignoring her.

"You want to get inside..." the unicorn simply says.

"Indeed."

"If we let you, and ONLY you inside, will you stop breaking our shield?" he asks, audible defeat in his voice.

"Of course. Am I correct in assuming the barrier exists not only to keep us out, but for some other purpose as well?"

"Yes."

"I expect you to enlighten me during my... visit."

"As long as you do not endanger us, we are willing to answer any and all questions you might have and show you anything you want. You are the first sentient Corrupted we have ever met."

"Excellent," the Queen smiles in satisfaction. Her Corrupted stop damaging the barrier and retreat into the distance, disappearing from sight, "I merely wish to sate my curiosity, and possibly sate some of YOUR needs as well."

"I am not touching you with a spear covered by a block of concrete," the unicorn says coldly, "I know pretty well what would happen to me if I did."

"Awww, am I that scary?" she chuckles, pressing her hooves against the barrier, making it pulsate rapidly.

"Yes," is a straightforward answer which seems to surprise the Queen.

"I see. Well, let me show you I am not THAT terrifying," a tree grows next to her in mere seconds, dropping thick coccoons from its branches. They pop, and ponies fall out of them, drenched in black liquid, "Here are all your patrols sent to stop me, as per my promise," more and more trees grow, letting out armored ponies.

The unicorn orders his soldiers to pass the barrier and help the ponies inside. Since the shield does nothing to stop them, they assume no corruption is present.

"I-Is there a chance we could reclaim the edge of our Empire you took from us in past weeks?" the unicorn asks carefully, not wanting to push his unexpected luck.

"I am sure we can work something out if you do not mind our company. Perhaps if you are useful in growing my territory, I can return a part of yours."

There are no more Corrupted in sight, only the Queen talking carelessly to the group.

"Alright, I will let you inside, but you have to be escorted by our soldiers at all times."

"I am sure to enjoy their company."

"That didn't sound sinister at all..." the unicorn mutters, and his horn flickers, "Well, come in."

"Mee-steak!" Spring squeaks far away, sorting through noises she barely understands, "Haiv insaid!"

There is no way she can stop it from happening, however, so as the Queen is halfway through the barrier, Spring gallops towards the closes point of the bubble, and jumps through. The shield shifting once again with a flash of the unicorn's horn solidifies and cuts one Spring's hind leg off mid-jump. With a pained hiss, she regrows it.

She is inside and EVERYTHING IS ALL SPARKLY AND BRIGHT!

Now, she knows ponies would be scared of her, so she adjusts her shape a little, shrinking and peeking from behind a house at several ponies walking nearby. She can't adjust the color, but dark green looks fine. Four hooves seem to be the norm, and her tail has to be bushy, not a whipping tentacle one. There is no way she can sparkle like some of the ponies, but there are others who don't as well. From a distance she might just pass for one of them. With a satisfied smile, she sneaks through shadowy alleys, drinking in the smells and sights the endless sparkling streets offer.

A lingering worry of meeting the other Queen on accident makes her sort through the noises she learned to use and their meaning. Alley after alley, she peeks out and into the windows of shops, houses, and many many more buildings which don't smell in any particular way or which are not identified by any fragment of memory she absorbed from Weed Sickle. She does not linger too long anywhere, though. Ponies looking her way gasp from time to time, making her dart back into the shadows and hide between dumpsters and bags smelling of rotten food and other leftovers. Spring sniffs and tastes everything she finds lying around, but not many things seem edible or useful.

"Here you are!" says a forceful voice, and something bumps into the metal dumpster Spring is sitting in after spending a little too much time around a deliciously sweet-smelling shop with various poofy and multicoloured treats. Her mind sorts through what little she knows and brings up the term - pastries, "Come out!"

The unlucky crystal pegasus guard who spotted Spring sneaking around believed he caught either one of the homeless ponies who lost their belongings during the shrinking of the protective barrier due to Corrupted attacks or a thief. He chokes on his saliva when a dark green head pops out of the dumpster, watching him with utmost curiosity, completely black eyes with beastly yellow orbs in the middle blinking.

He jumps backwards, twirls a spear in his front hooves, and assumes a combat stance, the butt of the weapon propped against his hind hoof and the tip aiming at the dumpster.

Spring has no clue what the pony is doing. To her, he is about as dangerous as a rock on the ground - she might accidentally stub her hoof, but that's about the extent of it. With no real threat presented, she succumbs to her curiosity and shows what she believes to be a friendly smile.

The guard nearly soils his armor when presented with mouth full of sharp teeth able to bite through all his protection.

"Hello, shiny pony!" the completely obvious Corrupted mare says.

He drops his spear.

"Wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-?" he fumbles for the spear, accidentally kicking it further away from him.

"Wuwuwuwuwuwuwu?" Spring imitates the noise her head can't translate. A moment of watching the panicking guard later, she finally gets the answer - 'who'. The pony was asking her name and repeated it because it took her too long to understand. She can't blow her cover now! "Spring," she points at her head and jumps out of the dumpster.

The guard watches the Corrupted quite unsuccessfully pretending to be a pony jump with one big leap out of a metal container two ponies tall and land without making a noise. He finally manages to pick the spear up and aim it at Spring again.

"I thought you were supposed to be escorted by the prince himself. The entire Empire was alerted to your visit."

Spring crunches the presented information really hard. She understands the common words and the meaning, but the connections are giving her issues. So does the result.

"Bad Queen!" she waves her hooves, "Eat ponies!"

"What?" the guard shakes his head, "You?"

"No! Bad Queen!" Spring looks for a solution, stomping her hooves over and over, "Mate blue white pony. Eat pink horn wing pony!"

"Wait... you mean you are NOT the visit the announcement spoke of?"

"Sneak through."

"And you aren't trying to trick me into lowering my guard so you can eat me..."

Tentacles break the crystalline ground underneath the guard, binding him in place. Spring walks towards him struggling and grunting in vain. She leans down, licks his face, and makes the tendrils retract back underground.

"You no food, you shiny. You bad Queen food."

The guard stands back up, looking at the dents in his armor easily squashed by the tentacles.

"So, you seem to understand me, even if you have to think about it, but you can't speak properly."

"Yes," Spring nods.

"So... why are YOU here?"

"Colors. Shiny. Smells. Movement," Spring sits down and waves her hooves around. She can't explain how all the overwhelming everything of this place makes her feel, but it is much better than the land outside livened up only by whistling wind, "Ponies!"

The guard can't help smiling a little at the foal-like wonder of the young Queen. Sadly, the moment fades instantly.

"You said the other Queen wants to attack us. How? She is alone, and the prince said she wanted to get to know us."

"No true. I know. Hive here," Spring shakes her head.

"How?" the guard repeats, "the barrier stops all Corrupted unless it is changed by the prince or princess."

"Breeder Queen. She hive. She land," Spring takes a deep breath, and the ground around her turns to black soil with grass quickly growing out of it. The entire alley turns dark, and finally the absorbed Hunters grow from it as well, surrounding the paralyzed guard. Several seconds later, the Hunters are gone again and the alley transform back.

"Th-That wasn't an illusion, right? They were really here. Can she do it as well?" the guard's eyes go wide as he realizes the implications, "How many Corrupted does she have with her?"

Numbers...

"Many."

"We need to warn the prince!"

"Secret. She attack prince. She attack me. Good ears."

"Hmmm... HAH! Got an idea. Stay here and hide!" the guard runs out of the alley, blowing a whistle sharply. He returns several minutes later. Rolling his eyes after seeing nothing and nopony, he bangs at the dumpster again.

"Hello!" Spring's head pokes out again, chewing on a piece of rotting carrot.

"You can come out. I sent a patrol to warn the prince and gave them instructions to do it covertly. If the other Queen is anything like you then she won't know our customs enough to see through it. The army should be moving in less than hour. What should I do with you for now?"

"Breed?" Spring shrugs. It's a tried and tested idea, after all.

The guard recoils. While Spring, and Corrupted mares in general, definitely outshines most ponies, the creepiness factor for him still hits eleven out of ten even with everything telling him that this one might be different.

"No, thanks. Got a marefriend already, and getting it on with one of you isn't really healthy."

Spring sniffs the air.

"Sweet."

"Right, you were lurking under the windows. Are you hungry?"

That is one thing Spring is certain about. She might not be physically hampered by it, but she could definitely go for something to eat. She nods, all three tongues licking her muzzle. The guard recoils.

"Yeeeeeah. I'd keep those things hidden. We don't want ponies throwing stuff at you... too soon. Stick to just one."

The tongues retract.

"Good. Now come with me and DO NOT, under literally any circumstances unless you are about to die, do anything more than looking. Wait for me to tell you what to do and don't make me regret not setting fire to you."

"Curious," Spring nods.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go..."

"LESGO!" Spring jumps enthusiastically.

"Oh dear," the guard steps out of the alley, dreading the immediate future, and leads the Corrupted Queen into the bakery.

"Hey, miss-"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" is the reaction of a chubby yellow mare at the counter jumping behind it with the speed her corpulent figure should not allow.

"Miss Glitterdust, I implore you to stop -OUCH!- stop screaming and -OWWW!- throwing things at me!"

"Th-th-th-th-th-" the mare points her shaking hoof at Spring watching her with utter fascination.

"Dudududududu-" the Queen joins in.

"Stop it!" the guard facehoofs, fighting off a growing headache, "Both of you, please," he dodges a pie thrown at him which smacks Spring straight in the face, "Well, great. Now we both die. Good job, Glitterdust..."

*NOM NOM NOM!*

Spring's jaw is hanging so wide open she resembles a passable Nightmare Night costume. Luckily, the sharp teeth and three tentacles are busy chewing and gobbling down the thrown pie.

"Umm..." Glitterdust stops going berserk and watches Spring licking the floor in search for lost crumbs. When it is done both mares look at the guard, waiting for something, "What is going on, Mirage?"

"Well, that was what I was trying to tell you at first, Glitter," the guard finally gets a word in, "It's a tad complicated, but you know the announcement a while ago?"

Glitterdust nods.

"This is, ehm, another visitor, yeah, wanting to see out beautiful Empire. Right..." Mirage doesn't look as if he could persuade even himself that it is true.

"Now tell me the one about the red trotting hood," the mare gives him a skeptic stare, "HEY!" she turns to Spring sniffing a cake at the window, tentacle tongues poking it carefully, "You gotta pay for it first!"

"Pay?" Spring tilts her head.

"I hate life, I hate life, I hate life, I hate life," Mirage reaches for a money pouch hidden under his wing, "Glitter, how much is that cake?"

"Twenty-five bits, the entire thing. So... about the pie she-"

"DON'T even go there!" Mirage raises his hoof, making the mare chuckle.

"So... what's the real story? You caught one of the horny ones outside and want sexy times later?"

"I am in a happy relationship, Glitter," Mirage rolls his eyes, "No, this one seems to have snuck inside while the one visiting the prince was let in. She says the other one is evil and wants to apparently fuck and eat prince Shining if I understood her correctly."

"Hey, we need to warn-"

"Already taken care of. I'm not THAT stupid. The army should be moving soon, they take these warnings seriously. Now, though, it looks like I have to show this one around because letting her wander through the Empire on her own sounds REALLY dumb. It's mostly because I don't want to fill any more forms regarding corrupted or killed ponies than for her sake, but who knows..."

"So..."

"I caught her sniffing around and peeking into your windows. She seems to enjoy pastry."

They look at drooling Spring making a small puddle on the floor in front of the cake.

"You can eat it now, he paid for it," Glitter nods towards the cake. Spring looks at Mirage.

"Go for it. Just don't make too much mess- oh for Cadance's sake..."

Spring raises a sticky head from the pile of cake on the floor.

"Owww, I can't bill you for the cleanup, Mirage," Glitter grins, watching Spring lick the floor clean.

The Crystal Guard's eye twitches in sync with his mouth. He has no idea how much worse his day is going to get.

We Are the Land: Iceborn King

The white Hunter is conflicted.

On one hoof, Chilly knows Corrupted have to be driven out of his territory in order not to endanger a wandering pony. On the other, however, he saw how beneficial cooperation between the two races can be if the Corrupted are under a strong rule. Granted, Nightshade's sanity was a thing to be questioned, but now that means little.

The main reason for his confusion, as he wanders his new home up in the cold north, is the Breeder mare he saved from the bandits following him ever since. He was in this situation once, lonely, forgotten, with his mind drifting away, and he was saved by a lucky encounter with Nightshade. He doesn't want that to happen again. The awakening of his slumbering mind in Ponyville via contact with more and more ponies made him different.

He is not like Corrupted, wild beasts needing strong will to rule over them. He is not like ponies, fragile creatures with unlimited potential. He is much like Mana Burn, a strong warrior tainted by the dark influence behind the Corrupted, but forcefully ripped away from it. However, where Mana Burn is an accidental success story, Chilly knows he is much more. His "owner" made him into much more, wanted him to be more than those experiments before him and those following.

He recalls Bastion with a hint of jealousy and sadness. Where Bastion marginally succeeded in returning to Canterlot and bringing their "owner's" research back, Chilly failed and lost himself for decades. Seeing Bastion, Luna, and Twilight Sparkle again brought back memories. Not many, granted, but those strong and important ones.

Especially the one about a glorious white alicorn he admired, adored, worshipped, and loved. The ruler of the sun, leader of the Golden Legion, an immortal princess, and underneath it all a simple mare who shouldered the future of her land without complaint. He was one of the endless line of lovers princess Celestia had through her life, he knew it at the time. He knew he was just a little dot in her eternal existence which would be eventually forgotten. Yet, his princess spent her time with him as if he was the one lover she would grow old with.

He knew it wasn't an act. When Celestia loved, she loved with all her heart and soul. Which was one reason she couldn't bring herself to allow "Chilly" to join her and the Legion in the final days. Bastion was sent to escort the seriously wounded and deliver the research while he was... spared. The second reason was a lot more calculated. Celestia's lover became the most successful experiment between the transformed soldiers, one who kept majority of his essence through the transformation, one who stayed himself. A pony with strong self can gather followers and turn them to his cause.

Frostbite, a unicorn battlemage volunteer became the first artificially created Corrupted leader. Upon the experiment's success, Celestia transformed herself to become the Queen of the tainted Golden Legion. Had he not survived, she would have never used the rituals the second time. His mission was to be a safeguard against Celestia's failure, to create a hive which would help ponies deal with the undefeated threat.

A century later he succeeded. Not in the way his princess wanted, but he did.

However, one big however, it all now hangs on Nightshade not falling to pieces, which is something he has trouble believing. He understands, though. After all, he could not defeat the crushing loneliness and the taint gnawing at him for years. Who was he to expect it from somepony without his ingrained loyalty and self-control? He had the experience for a long time, and now he has the recovering mind to make use of it again. The white Hunter comes to a simple conclusion - solitude is the reason making the mind deteriorate. Ponies, and apparently Corrupted, need contact with one another to prevent becoming... animals.

Which is why he simply sighs when the Breeder mare starts chewing his rump and demanding attention. Expecting to see a gaping and dripping marehood, Chilly dismisses the resurfacing memories and turns around.

His ribs crack as a devastating blow sends him crashing into the trunk of a nearby icy tree. He growls, quickly forming talons and glistening armor of rime. He must have been pretty deep in thought not to have noticed a Protector approaching him.

The enemy looks like a massively oversized unicorn, all in oily black, with wild, yellow eyes. Most Corrupted give the appearance of imaginary chiseled pony god statues, but this one radiates real power. Still, attacking another Corrupted in his territory is foolish. After being tossed around by giant hooves with tentacled fetlocks grabbing him before each throw, Chilly is forced to reconsider his first impression. So far, he could regenerate most of the damage quickly enough, and he knows he will win in a contest of stamina, but as he rolls away from a stomp ready to easily crush his skull he knows he might not have the time. Anyway, stamina-based fights between Corrupted could take days.

The Corrupted is simple, however, no matter how insanely strong his Protector form makes him. Chilly is agile, fast, and makes the enemy's legs freeze over and over in order to slow him. Dark blood stains the ground and trees everywhere the eye can see, especially the eye of the Breeder hidden behind a tree. She does not feel threatened, she just does not want to get in the way. After all, neither of the others care to harm her, she is not powerful enough to be eaten, and mating with a strong specimen is only a pleasure.

The Protector loses balance as Chilly slides underneath him and cuts two of his legs off with his talons. A quick kick upwards topples the black unicorn, and in a flash the white Hunter is sitting on his chest, ready to slice his head off. The Protector's legs reform shortly after, but he doesn't make a move, only stares firmly at Chilly and accepts his death.

Death which never comes.

With his mind cut off from the Corrupted hive mind, Chilly can mentally sense and reach out only to others who are in the vicinity. The Breeder wants a strong mate. The Protector is famished and wants a territory. A Corrupted this strong even without nourishment could prove too much for Chilly to handle, but he decides to take a risk. A tiny bonsai tree grows next to the Protector's head with a single glimmering berry hanging from its branches.

Chilly senses confusion from both the Protector and the Breeder, and gives the former a weak mental nudge. A tentacle tongue shoots out from the Protector's mouth like a frog catching a fly, ripping the berry off. A hesitant moment later, Chilly is grabbed from behind by the Protector's prehensile tail and carefully put down while the Corrupted stands back up. He shakes his head. Something was much different when the white Hunter was sitting on him, something inside him was... calmer.

He looks at Chilly and opens his mind to him when the wordless rage and hatred return after the Hunter is not so close.

The white Hunter understands. He beckons the Breeder to approach him as well. With two minds so different and yet so alike in front of him, he easily knows where to touch and what to do. The enslaving presence he once felt is overwhelming, but he is the shield, and he can break it. Both Corrupted's eyes glaze over as their wills snap and reform, but when Chilly is done with them they breathe a sigh of relief. There is something new, however, now. They don't have any overarching sense of purpose, only their basic instincts. Thankfully, there is a leader who can tell them what to do. A leader who might even show them how to think for themselves. A leader whose mark they gladly accept. Thin white veins stain the blackness of the two Corrupted's hooves and reach halfway up their legs. Their King's territory is theirs as well, and they can freely decide whether to leave or to make it their own. With no way to communicate it, their bodies did it for them already.

A new thought forms, new order, a new distinction - The Corrupted and the Separated.

And that's it. No fanfare, no bright light, nothing.

The Protector leaves, patrolling borders of the crystalline woods, and the Breeder follows him just for the change of pace. Chilly feels their essence meshing with his own in the icy ground of his home. It changes him, and he changes them.

The King of the frozen forest awakens.

Perhaps he should give the others names as well? No, all in due time.

Over days, Chilly's territory grows along with his and his two companions' power. It is now far too spread for him to feel his Protector with his mind, but he has other senses. The glazed ground cracks and trembles in the far distance with multiple muffled hoofsteps, alerting Chilly to Corrupted visitors. No doubt the others would sense the intrusion as well and come to intercept. Well, the Protector will, the Breeder might just observe out of curiosity.

As he gallops through the white forest, Chilly smiles. The Separated are inherently inquisitive about everything, like foals who have nigh-indestructible bodies but undeveloped minds. That means whatever is keeping the Corrupted bloodthirsty and feral has a reason to suppress their true nature. Of course, they are primitive and stupid compared to ponies, but millenia of evolution would give that advantage to a species. Plus, some might turn out to really be bloodthirsty and conquering. That, though, is not an important worry now.

Chilly's mad rush bringing him miles away in minutes ends with him analyzing the situation in a fraction of a second and crashing into a Corrupted Hunter at such speed the impact leaves the enemy splattered all over a thick and tall tree. The white King shakes his head, slightly stunned and disoriented. There are over a dozen feral Hunters currently fighting Chilly's Protector, and their coordination betrays that their alpha male used to be a pony with military training.

Teeth, claws, and talons leave deep marks on the Protector's body, and even he has hard time dealing with smaller and weaker Corrupted who nonetheless never overextend during their attacks and give him little opportunity to counter. With Chilly joining the fight, the pace drastically changes. He connects his mind with the Protector's letting him tap into what little he can understand from Chilly's combat experience. The two start fighting back to back and all of a sudden the enemy numbers mean nothing.

One by one, the Hunters fall. When only six remain their alpha's howl signals retreat. Chilly's Protector keels over to rest and let his deep wounds close. The King himself, however, means to make this encounter an example to every Corrupted able to sense it.

No one gets away.

Straps of flesh and pools of blood of the intruders are absorbed by the forest, and Chilly feels something new - an overflow of resources and power. He himself is in top shape even after healing his and the Protector's wounds, the woods produce enough food for the three to last, and there is still enough biomass to work with. Should he allow more Separated to enter the world?

More Separated would mean the need for more territory to feed them. More territory would mean safe havens for ponies and starved Corrupted alike. It would be a tall order, but if he can keep on top of the spread and turn Corrupted into Separated or biomass, he just might finally fulfill the order princess Celestia gave him in the fullest. Chilly knows his limits, though, and as such is aware that he cannot simply let his territory grow forever. He has to find a strategic piece of land which would help ponies recover their diminished domain. Perhaps a strip of land connecting the purple barrier-

He shakes his head, long-forgotten memories resurfacing.

-the lost Crystal Empire and the recovering Canterlot would be a good start. In the name of princess Celestia and her legacy of protecting ponykind, the conquest begins.

Solitary days and nights pass. To Chilly's surprise, there is much less fighting than expected.

The growth of the pale forest is visible from the city of Canterlot high up on the mountainside. Before bothering princess Luna, the captain of the Nightguard sends out a three-pony patrol to investigate.

"Gotta admit, sir, no matter how creepy this place feels compared to the oily black mushroom land we've grown to know and, ehm, love, it is kinda pretty," the newest addition to Canterlot forces, an earthpony barely of age to join, whispers a comment.

"Definitely a nice change of pace. Reminds me of winter. Speaking of winter, this is going to be the first one we can spend on the surface. I'm already booking a trip to Ponyville," the second guard, a thestral mare, nods, poking the strange vegetation with curiosity.

"Quiet, both of you!" hisses a second batpony, their sinewy and broad commander, "This isn't a sightseeing trip. Our short range scrying spells and previous reports said this white stuff is spreading from the north extremely fast. It's taking over the corrupted land, granted, but I for one am not too keen on meeting whatever is taking out the biggest threat to pony existence in recorded history."

"But what if we-" the earthpony opens his mouth.

"Fuck," the guardsmare adds her two bits to the situation.

"I'm flattered, really, but not here. What if we are the first to come into contact with possible hope for ponykind?" the earthpony validates all the rumors about his race being more endowed in the physical department rather than mental.

"Shut up or I'll break your legs!" the commander growls, "Literally here and now. Nopony will send me to a trial. At least THEY will have something to play with while we run."

The earthpony's grin freezes much like everything in this part of the woods as he finally realizes what caught his squadmates off guard. They are surrounded by Corrupted who must have moved while the soldiers were talking, masking their hoofsteps. A black head peeking from a bush here, a stern stare from behind a tree there. A Protector, several Hunters, and something white prowling in the untamed grass. They are outnumbered, definitely outmatched, but not yet under attack.

"How about we back off while we still can? Quietly, carefully, and-" the batpony mare suggests.

"Fast?" the earthpony gets the idea.

"Quick learner, I like that in a guard," the leader allows himself a smirk, "Don't turn your backs to them, just walk away. Hunters love chasing stuff, and a Protector might not attack us if we get the heck away from its territory."

"Who are you praying to?" asks the earthpony the mare mumbling to herself.

"Any deity listening, kid."

They are followed, but not attacked, all the way out of the white forest.

The report about the expedition cut short soon reaches Twilight Sparkle back in Ponyville. Being the purple and smart princess she is, she knows whom to ask for help. Sadly, Nightshade has refused all invitations to a meeting ever since the incident with rogue Hex Guards. The occasional visits from Mana Burn did shed a little light on the Ponyville hive situation, but there was nothing Twilight could do to remedy the situation. Any attempt at reaching Nightshade at her secluded glade ended with her being "politely escorted" out of the core of the Corrupted hive.

Now, though, she has a bargaining chip, one possibly valuable enough to completely turn the situation around. Having previously asked Mana Burn to talk to Nightshade, she is allowed entry into the wide circle of twisted black trees which constitutes the Queen's "throne room". Twilight suppresses a gasp at the sight of the Queen. The equine form of Nightshade has been replaced with one more used to prowling and leaping. Tight, gleaming black musculature looking more like dragon scales has replaced a standard coat, all four legs have become equipped with sharp, flexible claws, and her tail lenghtened into a thick prehensile appendage. Quite obviously, the instincts of the Corrupted Protector Queen looked for a fitting body, and with enough power she could achieve it. The alicorn-sized mesh of dragon and a pony lazily stands up and looks Twilight eye to eye.

"What do you want?" at least the voice hasn't changed, but neither did the animosity in it.

Twilight knows that mentioning anything other than her business would result in her being kicked out, possibly literally.

"I need your help," she says simply, "There is something approaching Canterlot-"

"So you want monsters to fight monsters, am I right?" Nightshade frowns, "So that you don't lose any more of your precious ponies."

What hurts Twilight the most is how content Nightshade is with what happened to her. It means the princess failed to save one of her beloved subjects.

"No. Do you mind if I come closer?" Twilight asks. Nightshade simply shrugs. Her eyes go wide when Twilight wraps her hooves and wings around her, "I am so sorry, Nightshade. For sending you out there, for you being left for dead, for you having to fight every second to stay a pony, for not being there when you needed me, and for making you lose the fight. I am sorry for everything."

Nightshade pushes her away and stares, deadpan. Then she turns away.

"Wh-Why are you- Why are you asking me? Can't your guards deal with it? It's not like I can send my hive to war somewhere."

"Because the corrupted biome spreading from the north strongly resembles the one where you met Chilly."

The coming silence grows longer and longer until Nightshade breaks it.

"My Corrupted will keep doing what they have been taught to do ever since I took control unless you do something stupid, Twilight. Keep them fed and happy, you don't understand what they really are. They were not made to live and prosper, but to destroy and be forgotten. Give them the first, and you will not live to see the second."

"What did you find out?" Twilight asks, suspicion growing in her.

"Take care of them while I'm gone," Nightshade continues, not faltering, "I'll leave Mana Burn here to tell you if there's something wrong with them."

"Nightshade!"

"I might not want to return."

"But you have to-" Twilight stops herself. Asking Nightshade to forget her own needs and do what was necessary was what led to this mess in the first place. With just a little more trust, she will find a way to solve this in the best way possible. Twilight shakes her head, "Nevermind. Good luck, Queen."

Nightshade smiles, and melts into the ground. Seconds later she reforms at the northern edge of Ponyville territory. She COULD, of course, take the short route through the Ponyville-Canterlot tunnel equipped with magic portals, but she decides to observe the surface in case Twilight's patrol missed something important.

By the end of the day, she enters the icy glazed forest north of Canterlot.

She spreads her mind as far as she can, sensing weak traces of "something", but no Corrupted. She smiles to herself. That is all she needs to know.

Her victorious attitude lasts only until she physically hears multitude of hoofsteps galloping her way. A Protector, and a pack of Hunters don't even pause at the sight of her and attack. The Hunters' claws barely scratch her toned and scaly body, but the Protector's blows are vicious. Dodging and weaving, she impales Hunter after Hunter with her tail and steals their essence within the span of the blow. The ones wounded and drained enough retreat, and she is not allowed to pursue by the Protector.

He fights like a Corrupted with a hint of soldier training. Nightshade, the Protector Queen, fights like a trained soldier with all the physical capabilities of the most powerful Corrupted. They exchange blows, but there is only one eventual outcome. Claws on her front leg grow sharper as she wraps them around the Protector's neck and...

...in utter disbelief stares at the see-through ice stalagmite running through her neck, her blood trickling down its length.

A swipe of her leg later it breaks, and the wound in her neck closes. Time stands still, and her mind races.

Nightshade's final decision is to slowly back away from the Protector lying on his back under her.

"...ait...eid..." a weak and wheezy voice says behind her.

"Chilly?"

He is taller than she remembers, as tall as she is. Hair-thin sculpture of ancient Royal Guard armor made from ice covers his body, and he simply watches her, waiting. There is only one thing on Nightshade's mind, however.

She presses her muzzle into the dusting of snow all around, opens her mind, and closes her eyes.

"I will be your Breeder, your Protector, your Queen, or anything you want. Take revenge on me if you feel like it. Just don't leave me again, please. I don't want to be alone."

The white King ponders and wonders. However, before he can resolve the conflict within him for good, a Hunter comes running from the north. Its panicking mind floods Chilly's with images of thousands of Corrupted wrecking buildings made from shiny multicolored crystals and twisting terrified ponies. The Corrupted numbers are unprecedented, and there are only dozens of his Separated, many of which are not in any shape to leave the territory.

He takes Nightshade's neck into his mouth and pulls her up from her position of complete submission. As she awaits his answer, he bows to her like an equal, and speaks in language broken by decades of silence and transformed vocal chords:

"Help..."

We Are the Land: Escape

"Again?" Mirage rolls his eyes as Spring presses her muzzle against a window of yet another bakery. Globs of drool flow down the glass, corroding small holes in the windowsil, "Fine," he sighs, jingling his ever lighter bag of bits. At the rate his money is dwindling, he finds the eventual attack of the 'bad Queen' more and more appealing.

It's not that Spring WANTS him to buy stuff per se, but the joy with which she admires any shiny bauble or an item of food would make a statue crack a smile. They've been walking around for over an hour, and Spring's facination was drawn mostly to colours and scents.

"Don't come crying to me when you get fat and unattractive," he grins to himself.

"Fat bad?" Spring tilts her head, focuses, and her torso shifts towards more muscular and thinner one.

"I don't even know where to start," Mirage shakes his head, "Come on, let's hope the proprietor doesn't throw stuff at us this time," he opens the bakery door, "Greetings, sir, could you please be an exception and NOT throw your hoof-made stock at me?"

A pie whizzes past his head and is caught by Spring's tongues and devoured mid-air.

"Me thank," she licks her muzzle and beams at the baker. These ponies are so nice, they keep giving her tasty things over and over!

"Ummm," the baker offers the usual confused reacion Mirage is used to by now.

"I'm NOT paying for that one."

"So...?" the baker is completely stumped. So are the four customers who one by one peek out from behind the counter where they hastily jumped after Spring's entrance.

"One piece of whatever your special product is. I don't even care what it is, just tell me how much, give it to her, and we'll be going."

"Do... THEY actually eat our food?" the baker leans under the counter for a paper bag.

"My money pouch says they definitely do," Mirage scowls.

"Tasty," Spring sniffs the air, "Smell everything."

"Yeah yeah," the Crystal Guard nods, counting the requested bits.

"Here it is, my special eclair," the baker smiles to match Spring's excited face. She sniffs the bag, examines it from all sides, sniffs it again, and frowns, "What's wrong?" the baker asks in utter disbelief. His renowned creation has been REFUSED!

"No smell," Spring explains, "No taste," she starts erratically walking through the bakery, taking in whiffs of scents. She ends up entering what is likely the kitchen.

"Don't look at me," Mirage shrugs at the baker's questioning glance, "We've been to at least ten other food places and she's never done this. Perhaps she's just full? You know, like a foal who feels sick but can't stop eating because they have no self-control and everything tastes good."

"That was an unexpectedly precise description," the baker grins knowingly, "Are you a father?"

"My marefriend and I are working on it."

"Is that her-"

"NO, I have a normal one! Why does everypony keep asking that?"

Spring walks out of the kitchen, holding a small cloth bag in her mouth.

"What is it, flour?" Mirage pokes it.

"No, vanilla powder," the baker rubs his muzzle, "I think I know what she wants. Give me a second."

He takes Spring's bag, much to her disappointment. Mirage, half expecting her to eat the baker on the spot, breathes in relief. A moment later he returns, holding a table cloth decorated with red and white squares. He ties it around Spring's neck and her eyes go wide. Three tongues dart out and start licking the baker all over.

"No-brbfh-calm dow-brbrbr-I have a wife-mrmmfm!"

Mirage smacks Spring in the back of her head. Her tentacles hesitantly release the stallion.

"I think she likes you," he gives the baker a sadistic grin as Spring keeps looking from the cloth to the baker.

"Uh," the released, heavily breathing and blushing pony huffs, "Whoah, now I understand why some young ponies run away into the wilderness to get some action with one of them," he gathers himself under the gazes of the other customers, "Well, ehm, I think you were right, young guard. Your 'entusiastic' friend here isn't hungry, she just likes the scents. The magical cloth I gave her is usually used to show samples of sauces and spices to potential customers without having to lug jars around. Each square holds a different flavor and scent for up to several days."

"So, how much?"

"Free of charge. I have to save the reputation of my failed eclair somehow. You know, it's specifically designed so that you can taste it only once you bite into it, like an explosion."

"Great," Mirage smiles, this time without any happiness in it, "Now, if I were you I would close the shop and barricade yourself at home for few days because stuff's gonna hit the fan soon. I'm not sure why there isn't anypony running around already and warning ponies, but they should be."

The customers follow Spring and Mirage out and rush off to their respective homes.

"Well, saves me some bits," the guard gives a sad glance to the money pouch now hanging around his neck.

"Bit money," Spring mumbles.

"Yeah, you need to do something useful to get coins and exchange them for stuff you want."

"Work..." she could get all the shiny stuff if she had enough of the yellow 'bits'. All she needs to do is to help ponies somehow then, "Where help?"

"What?"

"Work help where?"

Mirage stares. Then he gets the dumbest idea any pony ever had including those asking 'Why did this pineapple give me a wedding ring?'. But hey, this day has sucked for him enough, why shouldn't he let the curse spread around a little? He recalls an elderly lady berating him when he was looking for a job.

"I can take you to the employment office. You are SUUUURE to find something to do there."

Thank stars Corrupted have no notion of sarcasm.

The tall, steel grey building at the end of their journey welcomes them about as heartily as expected. Ponies gasp and run away, guards surround them until greeted with Mirage's badge and explanation, and the crystal pegasus himself looks at the calling number above the office door. There are dozens of ponies in the waiting room due to the loss of a part of the Empire in past weeks, and he finds the lowest issued number between slips of paper thrown on the ground by hastily evacuating ponies.

"Now," he shows it to Spring, "When this number appears above the door, you go in and ask the lady for a job, understand?"

"Yes."

"Eeeeexcellent," Mirage sits down, awaiting the inevitable heart attack of the old crone who once told him he would never make it as a guard and should 'go make money as a Corrupted bait so that real ponies can do their job'.

Spring goes inside.

Silence.

Spring comes out five minutes later, holding a form in her mouth.

"An application for Cloudsdale weather service," Mirage reads in utter disbelief, eye twitching.

"Nice lady," Spring chimes.

"Blrlblrlg!" Mirage foams at the mouth and kicks the door to the office open, "I HATE YOU!" he yells at the grey-maned mare behind the table.

"The department of complaints is three doors to the left," she says matter-of-factly without giving him a glance, "Also, I wasn't thinking you would take the 'Corrupted bait' career seriously. Well done anyway, mister Mirage."

Painful murder is the clear wish in Mirage's expression. He yells:

"Spring! Come here and eat her!"

"No. Nice pony. Gave job paper."

"Hmm, still about as successful with mares as before," the office lady rings a bell and the calling number changes, "Now, please leave. I have a job to do, and I intend to do it well. Have fun in Cloudsdale."

"You... youuuuuuuu!" he glares, ponting at her with shaking hoof.

"If you have any business with me then please go outside and take a number."

The door slams shut with hatred burning like a thousand suns.

"If the other Queen actually attacks the Empire, I'm joining her."

The grumbling and harrassed guard accompanied by the young Queen set out again, each one in a distinctly different mood.

A giant cloud hovers over the nothern part of the Empire, rainbow coloured streams flowing from its sides into hungry mouths of wide sewers grates in the industrial complex underneath. The city of Cloudsdale, home to the most remaining pegasi and its weather-based architecture is only accessible through tall spires bearing wide spiral starcases, flight, or long shafts with elevators reaching up to the visitors' entrance. Mirage, deciding to take the 'on hoof' route to save some money, steps off the crystal platform onto the cloud bedding of the city itself.

"Whzlbz-aah!" Spring, following him, falls through the cloud without any resistance. Only her tail stabbed in the crystal floor like a harpoon keeps her from dropping all the way. She pulls herself back up and pokes the beginning of Cloudsdale street with distrust, eyes darting from Mirage back to the cloud fluff, "No walk."

"Uhh, yeah. Pegasi can walk on clouds due to their hollow bones. We are pretty light."

"Come," she waves Mirage back, "Lick."

The pegasus returns with curiosity and immediately chokes as Spring shoves her tentacle tongues down his throat. They retract before his face can go blue from the lack of air. Licking her lips, the Queen's body shifts, becoming thinner, leaner, and more fragile. Few seconds of focus later, she steps on the cloud again with utmost care. It wobbles underneath her, but holds.

"Wooow. I must... wow, just wow," Mirage stares, "This is really bad, honestly. Cool, but super bad."

"Me bad?"

"Nonono, not you. Come on," he nods. Spring follows as they walk through the new world completely unknown to her, "Cloudsdale folk believe the Corrupted can't get up there no matter what, that they would just drop to their death from the sky. Stay close to me, this might come as a rather devastating shock. At least it did to me, and I'm from the Empire, not Cloudsdale. I'm sort of used to pissing myself at the idea of your kind getting through the barrier. Let's hope these guys took prince Shining Armor's broadcast seriously."

The Cloudsdale pegasi, none sparkly and shiny like Mirage, rush off whenever they spot Spring. She doesn't have much time to be bothered, as the longer she stays up here, the worse she feels. It is all for the shiny coins. Once she has the coins, she can go back down to the real world. A formation of pegasi clad in blue and gold passes above them.

"You know, when I was young I wanted to be a Wonderbolt. The mares are HOT! Never got even past the preliminary exams though."

"Da Wunderplots?" Spring asks, unable to find a meaningful explanation in her stolen memories.

"Exactly," she gets none, though.

The flying squad circles through the sky and lands, surrounding them.

"What is IT doing here? Shouldn't the royal couple be accompanying the 'guest'?" an obviously annoyed mare scowls at Mirage.

"Look, SHE is another guest, not such high-profile one, and, believe it or not, she is here to get a job with the weather service."

"You're kidding," she gives him a stare so deadpan it could kill a wok.

"Actually, I am. It started as a joke that backfired horribly. Can you just tell her off so we can go back down? I can't, it would be like kicking a puppy that can fuck you, eat your corpse, and then transform it into a copy of itself."

"You... serious...?" the leader coughs, unable to comprehend what's going on.

"Just, I don't know. Tell her to move a cloud or something."

"I... I don't even," she finally gathers her wits and stands tall, "You!" she barks at Spring.

"Hello!"

"AAH! It can talk?!"

"Focus, mare!" Mirage facehoofs.

"Right, right. Can you actually fly?" she flaps her wings, jumps up, and hovers in the air.

Spring tries to imitate her. Growing wings is easy, flapping them as well, but as soon as she reaches about two-pony height and stays there for few seconds her entire world turns around, complete confusion overtakes her, and she falls back down on the cloud.

"Sick..."

"The weather service is required to move clouds all over the sky," the mare follows Mirage's script, "If you can't fly, you can't join. Simple."

Getting up on legs wobbling like noodles, Spring summons her ground tentacles. Up here she has no land to nourish them, nothing solid she could feel underneath, no real world. The tendrils reach up towards the closest small cloud hanging above, and stop just inches below it, swinging wildly in an attempt to shove it away.

Various members of the Wonderbolt squad chuckle and cover their mouths at the pathetic attempt.

"Sorry," the leader uncharacteristically pats Spring's head, "I know how it feels. Why do you need a job anyway?"

"Bits," Spring offers the mare a sniff of her food cloth scarf thingy, "Nice smell buy."

"You know," the mare turns to the rest of the squad who are blushing ar giggling, "That's way too adorable to be healthy for my heart. You, Crystal Guard, get her off the streets! You can thank me later."

"I just might," he breathes a sigh of relief, although Spring's drooped ears and a little pout put a damper on the mood, "Come on, I'll buy you something nice back down."

And he does. A sparkly brass bracelet decorated with colourful glass resembling gems. It might have cost him only few bits, due to being a cheap fake. but to Spring's open eyes it's treasure. She's also happy to be back on the real streets, not only thanks to not feeling sick anymore, but also to all the colours being back, not all white like in the clouds.

"Sure wish my marefriend was this easy to please," he grumbles, "but noooo, she needs a real diamond so she can feel pretty. Pff, if she needed a diamond to be pretty I wouldn't have asked her out in the first place."

Spring understands close to nothing from Mirage's monologue aside from him being unhappy, so she licks his face. Ponies seem to like that when she doesn't overdo it.

"You happy now!" she concludes as Mirage wipes strings of black drool off his face.

"Yeah, yeah."

"HEY, MOM, THAT'S HER! THAT'S HER!" they hear yelling, and an excited foal rushes past Mirage and hugs Spring's leg.

"Well that's a new reaction," the guard mumbles, blinking at the sight of a foal jumping around the Corupted Queen as if on a trampoline, "Who are you?"

"My name is Ripe Soil," an earthpony mare followed by a positively huge stallion introduces herself politely, "and this is my husband Ready Plow."

Tears streak from Mirage's eyes as he bites the inside of his mouth not to start laughing.

"You," he snorts, "Ehm, you are from the overtaken part of the Empire, right?"

"Exactly, we lost our farm some time ago and got cut off from our colt during the escape. We thought we would never see him again," she looks at the ground, "But after few days he returned, saying a Corrupted mare named Spring brought him to the barrier safely. We thought it was the prince's visitor so we were on the way to give her our thanks."

"Uh, yeah. Business first, miss Ripe, ehm, Soil," Mirage can't help glancing at the mare's wide hips and her menacing husband, "Spring here believes prince's visitor is evil and is plotting to threaten the Empire. If I were you I would hole up for few days with a good stock of supplies."

They look at Spring jumping around like a rodeo pony with the little colt on her back.

"One more minute?" Ready Plow asks with unexpected gentleness.

"Yeah," Mirage smiles.

Thick, black veins start cutting through the crystal streets of the Empire.

"Aaand, here it comes. Hope the army had enough time to prepare," Mirage twirls his spear, "If anything happens, hide behind me. Let's get you home and have the soldiers and the royals deal with this."

"Ok-ok-okay," Ripe Soil looks around and presses her side against Plow's, "Weed Sickle, come here!"

"Yes, mom!" he jumps off Spring's back and onto his mother's.

Corrupted Hunters form from the semi-liquid veins, large shapes of ponies crossed with lions immediately aiming towards the nearest prey, in this case - Mirage. One's charge is stopped as he impales himself mid-jump on Mirage's spear. His completely undisturbed attack ends with a swing of his paw hitting Mirage's head and knocking his helmet off, and him off his hooves.

"Hey, big guy!" Ripe Soil waves her hips at the Hunter, breaking his focus for a second. A second Ready Plow uses to buck up with both his hind legs and slam them into the Corrupted's muzzle. Three more finally materialize, surrounding the group.

Spring is not a Protector. She has fought only once, and that was in blind instinctive panic. When she sees Mirage and the huge hunk of a stallion called 'Redeeplou' or something under attack, she jumps at one of the Hunters, hooves flailing, to get his attention. Her attacks is accompanied by a simple wish for the others to be safe.

Growls and snarls come from all around, and the Hunter Spring jumped on is torn to pieces by hungry mouths absorbing the dying Corrupted's essence. Twelve Hunters wearing what seems to be a poor replica of Mirage's Crystal Guard armor are standing around, crushing the other Corrupted erupting from the spreading darkness in the ground.

"What are those?" Mirage jumps up on his legs while Plow shoves his wife and son behind him, "And why are they helping?"

"Mine!" Spring beams.

"Uhh..." the crystal pegasus looks into the distance where the spire of the Imperial palace looms on the horizon. Dozens, hundreds, possibly more black shapes are closing in. The only thing even barely slowing them down are the unlucky ponies too slow to get out of the way being toyed with.

"Close your eyes, honey," Ripe Soil tells Weed Sickle.

"RUN!" Mirage screams. He doesn't have a plan other than to get the hay away from the incoming tide. The army must have screwed something up, maybe they didn't have enough time, maybe they didn't consider the warning he sent to be serious enough... or maybe it didn't matter at all.

After initial reluctance and confusion, a pair Spring's Hunters take each of the ponies on their backs, and flee as fast as they can. Outrunning other Corrupted does not seem to be the problem. However, the darkness of the other Queen's influence taking the Empire's streets over spreads faster, and soon the group has to avoid more Corrupted being born straight from the shadows all around.

"How is this possible?" Mirage, balancing on the Hunters' backs is looking around, "Spring!"

"Much power. Infinite," she answers. That's all she can gather from the situation. The pressure of the Queen's power grows drastically without slowing down in the slightest. The Corrupted, however, feel strange - incomplete. The Queen somehow got hold of nigh-endless amount of energy, but has no need for a real hive anymore. The Corrupted around are just hollow husks, extensions of Queen's will without any of their own. Something catches her attention before she can formulate a coherent answer, "Pink shield where go?"

The barrier signalling safety for everypony, the thing every Imperial citizen learned to instinctively ignore faded right in front of their eyes almost without being noticed. It dawns on all of them - the darkness is spreading too fast, and the shield that could have at least kept Corrupted INSIDE while ponies evacuated is gone.

There is nowhere to run.

During the mad dash, Mirage was navigating the group south, as running north behind the barrier would only lead to them freezing to death and starving in some blizzard. That led them towards the escape route which could in the worst case mean they would avoid that and go south. With Spring's protection they might find a safe place somewhere in the woods. Now, though, the plan is gone.

"Spring, can you fight?" Mirage asks, jumping down from the Hunters' backs.

"Bad plan," she shakes her head, "Too many."

"You ate some of them and got stronger before, didn't you?"

Spring ponders the idea for a second, then a Huntress walks over to Mirage and kisses him, not stopping despite his struggling.

"What's going on?" Plow barks at her.

"Memory take combat training," she explains and redirects the flow of knowledge gained from the Huntress to the others. She can analyze it later, now the warriors need to grow and gain reflexes and muscle memory which is not theirs. Every single Hunter and Huntress summons a black spear and assume a defensive position. Mirage, allowed to breathe again, just stares in shock. Spring yells at him to be heard over the growling of the approaching horde, "LEAD!"

She can understand, she can relay orders.

Mirage barks few defensive pointers and the first of hundreds of Corrupted are speared and slashed to bits by sharp tentacles Spring's Hunters are using in a surprising combination of pony and Corrupted combat strategy. Spring's hooves, melded with the crystal streets, pulsate as the biomass of the fallen is absorbed by her and rearranged for good use.

She nourishes her small group, but she needs more subjects to even slow the attackers who seem to be coming indefinitely. There is no way for her to create different personalities or detailed minds in the chaos, so she clones some of her hive's members with the overflow of stolen energy. Out of sheer desperation, she uses what DNA she stole via contact with Mirage to create his Corrupted copy.

"Uh, hi," the Crystal Guard jumps away from his black doppleganger. It doesn't talk, only grows a spear from his leg and joins the defenders. As Spring focuses, the ring of her hive expands, allowing Mirage to only watch in case an enemy breaks through and attacks the ponies or Spring and yell relevant orders.

Spring reaches her limit. At the moment, more than twenty of her Hunters is beyond her reach, so she focuses solely on keeping the excess energy flowing into them to keep them healthy.

The enemy tide seems to finally understand that breaking through is out of the realm of possibility, and back off into a swarming circle, leaving empty space around the defenders.

"Okay, are they trying to starve us? That seems to be the logical next step," Mirage recalls his lessons of military strategy.

"No," Spring shakes.

No, the street trembles.

*Thud*

*Thud*

*Thud*

A building-sized bull-like Corrupted, all bulging muscle and armor walks down the long street, absorbing the lesser Corrupted he squashes.

The mindless horde only takes it, as they have no self-preservation instinct or will. Their only role is to not allow the defenders to escape, and to feed the stomping colossus.

"What the fuuuu-?" Mirage's mouth is closed mid-word by Soil's hoof.

"Foals present."

*Thud*

"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWRG!"

the colossus roars, cracking glass in all the windows around.

Temperature suddenly drops so much Mirage can see his breath crystallizing in the air.

The horde's attention turns towards something else as an explosion near the titan clears a wide circle from the Corrupted.

All Mirage can see are two dots, one black and one white, staring the gigantic creature down.

"I gotta try making this when I get back to Ponyville," the black one whistles in admiration.

"Abomination..." the white one snarls.

Sunrise In Manehattan: Twilight's entry IV

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Sunrise In Manehattan: Dreamlings' fate

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Sunrise In Manehattan: The real enemy?

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Sunrise In Manehattan: Predators

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Sunrise In Manehattan: Reminiscing

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Sunrise In Manehattan: Transmission

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Sunrise In Manehattan - End: Negotiations

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

The Origin: Twilight's entry V

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

The Origin: Departure

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

The Origin: Connection

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

The Origin: On the road

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

The Origin: Golden Legion

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

The Origin - End: Free Will

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Epilogue: Bound Tome's visitor

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

New Hope: Twilight's entry I

I've never expected to be put into a ruling position. After all, the immortal sisters Celestia and Luna have led our country for longer than even history books can recount. It has not been even two centuries since I was crowned the princess of Friendship, a fancy name for a head diplomat in training, and yet I'm here, trying to save what little remains of pony races from extinction.

It started nearly a hundred years ago.

First, we lost contact with smaller villages on the western border of Equestria. Our caravans bearing disaster relief got lost one by one without a single pony being seen ever again. Scrying magic showed nothing more than empty landscape and towns without life, not ruined, only looking as if all ponies simply got up and left. When Vanhoover and Las Pegasus went dark, princess Celestia and the elite members of Royal Guard went to investigate. Only a single one of them returned to Canterlot, exhausted and barely conscious. After a failed questioning, he was left alone to recuperate.

The information he brought was disturbing.

Princess Celestia's batallion of Royal Guards had been attacked by equine creatures of unnatural resilience and tenacity. At first, the isolated encounters had not been overly threatening, and the soldiers pressed onwards, looking for the base of these "Corrupted", as the princess named them. The further the assault force marched, the more their surroundings changed from normal Equestrian countryside to the new biome they associated with these strange new "ponies". As far as we know, there is no single "look" of the corrupted areas, but they are easily discernable by the surroundings being darker than usual, the colours of nature dimmer, and there is a lingering unnatural stillness in the air. From our long-term observation we have deduced that particular groups of Corrupted make their territory look in a specific way, from tundra or grassland to frozen wasteland.

But I digress. Forgive my curiosity, because while these creatures are deadly, they are also extremely fascinating.

As princess Celestia's soldiers marched through White Tail Woods, the Corrupted attacks became more frequent, the attackers more numerous, and the creatures themselves tougher. The final day the pony force split into two - one small group staying behind to take care of the wounded, and the main unit pressing on to secure a new area where those recovering could be moved to. The surviving guard had been on the morning watch the night before, so he was resting before having to move the encampment.

When he woke up, he wasn't alone.

Surrounded by his colleagues tainted by this new evil, the resting wounded being twisted into more and more Corrupted, he was "allowed" to go. He had no idea what happened or how the corruption hit the entire Royal Guard force over several hours, but he had to bring the first even barely clear news about the lost land. We had no way to verify the survivor's words at the time, as our scrying showed only empty land tainted by corruption. That was when we learned our observation magic was useless.

Over the next hundred years we lost... pretty much everything.

As mentioned before, Vanhoover and Las Pegasus were the first two major cities to be taken. The Crystal Empire went dark next, due to our train tracks no longer being safe from attacks. Air travel went down in one fell swoop. While increased security allowed our trains to the eastern coast to run for several more years, as soon as the Corrupted twisted the land they occupied any aerial transport became impossible. The Corrupted cannot fly, no matter their size or shape, but the land itself forms large tendrils able to reach the sky at shocking speed and pull even fastest pegasi down. Airships have no chance. Eventually, Canterlot and Ponyville became the last two pony cities we could defend. In the end, even Canterlot city fell, leaving only the castle free from corruption due to ancient protective spells. Why did we decide to let our ancient seat of power fall instead of a semi-rural town?

Simple answer - land.

With all our trade routes gone, Canterlot had no way of feeding its inhabitants. We turned Ponyville into a fortress for years, but ponies don't heal as fast as Corrupted, and certainly not breed as fast. We would have gone extinct long time ago if it weren't for a group of farmers coming up with an idea for growing mushrooms and several kinds of vegetables underground using artificial light. These days, we control only a small area around my old castle made by the Tree of Harmony. Thankfully, while the Tree still responded to our magic the castle grew roots spreading far enough that we could hollow them out and make room for the thousand or so ponies who remain. Along with the secret route to Canterlot castle and its two hundred inhabitants under the leadership of princess Luna, that's all what's left of the equine races. At least those we know of.

- an excerpt from princess Twilight Sparkle's notes on the Era of corruption.

New Hope: Forest expedition

"How is it, Nightshade?" a dark grey, blue-maned batpony named Lunar Watch asks me quietly.

"Clear and calm, sir!" I answer in hushed tones as well.

"Are you sure?"

Aaaand here it comes. Yes, it is getting dark. Yes, this damn corrupted forest would be dim even in the light of the day. And yes, pegasi like me don't have the same nighttime capabilities like thestrals, but he really shouldn't make it THAT obvious he doesn't think I should be here.

Also, yes, he is a plothole.

It takes all my self-control to not hiss at him. In the end, however, he is my boss, and this is an extremely important mission, so I just nod.

"Nothing has moved in the past ten minutes. This place seems to be as clear as the briefing stated."

"Let's hope that's the case. I could use a bit more to eat for lunch."

I don't have to be a unicorn to read the wishful thinking of everypony around. There is at least one thing all of us can agree on - the rationing system in Ponyville enclave sucks.

I wish I was a changeling. You bang a guy, and you are fed for the day. But noooo! I have to be a damn pegasus in an age where flying outside is forbidden. I wonder how out ancestors before the corruption felt, soaring through the endless sky, wings burning when fighting their way through a storm.

Oh well, these days it's either walk on hoof or get a healthy dose of those freaking wine flytraps.

I shouldn't have thought about food, as my stomach quickly reminds me. Scouting parties like we are don't go outside well-supplied. The protocol says that it is too wasteful and risky. Shows how much the upper brass trusts us. Okay, the chances of us getting here were pretty slim, but with how important this area is they should have given us a bit more food, equipment... ponies.

There is only five of us. On the other hoof, considering how much every pony is needed back in the enclave five is a lot of resources to spend on exploration. Usually, this is done by sole trappers or hunters, not soldiers. So yeah, here's me, Nightshade -a lovely and completely awesome grey pegasus mare with flowing silvery mane I take good care of, thank you for asking, who is an exotic piece of plot because most of the pegasi are dead. Yes, that is not cynicism, that is simple observation- then there is the bosshole -heh, a new nickname to share!- Lunar, and three other soldiers I don't know personally, one unicorn mare and two earthpony stallions.

Considering how much unicorns fear going outside with the threat of horn rot wherever you look, I think the girl has bigger balls than either of the earthponies.

Horn rot, nasty stuff. I remember an anatomy lesson from basic training where they showed us the progress of the infection, bleh. Unicorn and alicorn magic works well against Corrupted, but if they get close enough to spread it to you, then it's either a bye bye to the piece of bone that makes you special, or the quick spread of corruption twisting you over few days into one of... them.

Don't get wet, don't get wet! They can smell it.

I've got a little... kink, let's say. I would never act on it, I'm not crazy, but the tentacles and unnatural members of the Corrupted. Phew, even the earthponies can only dream of those shapes and sizes. If I ever met a male Breeder, alone, and without the threat of being transformed, I would be on my belly with ass sticking up in no time, panting like a bitch in heat.

Damn! Calm yourself, girl! Deep breaths! In and out. Much better. Think of the mission!

I got carried away a little. Thankfully, nopony -and mostly no Corrupted- noticed.

"This place is weird," I hear a whisper of the other mare in the group, "Not that I mind, it's not as dark as everywhere else."

She's right. Let me explain.

The Corrupted own the surface around Ponyville, and from what I heard the entire... Equestria, was it? That's what the history books up in the castle call the land we live under, right? So, several weeks ago a scout returned with the news that he had found an area free of Corrupted near the enclave. In light of that information the unicorn mages performed a survey of the land and came to the conclusion that it is fertile, and that with the help of chemistry -my little talent and the reason for me being included on this trip- it should be possible to use it to grow crops quickly and with minimal exposure to the Corrupted. We are here to check this part of the forest for threats, assess its suitability for farming on site, and set up a little device which would serve as a beacon for our mining parties razing underground tunnels leading here from Ponyville.

I must admit the scout was correct. This area looks completely different from the mushroomy, swamp-like ground of the Corrupted I know from Ponyville. It's much colder, for one, crispy cold, only without the wind. So much nicer...

Don't judge me! I love winter. How the white snow hides all the dark tracks of the corruption, how the fresh air stings your nose after the stillness and warmth of the underground... I love taking outside shifts in winter, no matter the danger. It's pretty weird feeling like that in the middle of spring, but hey, such is life in the zone.

So yeah, the trees here feel, for lack of a better word, fragile. The entire place is still only a part of a bigger forest, but the leaves shifted from dark green to light blue when we entered, as if covered with thick rime. Frozen woods would be a pretty accurate term, if it accounted for no water actually involved. We left Ponyville in the morning, and after a day of careful sneaking we are already here. If this place is really as good as the spell showed then the tunnels leading here should be finished in mere two or three weeks, and then MORE FOOD FOR EVERYPONY, YAY!

Speaking of which...

"We should assess the soil first, sir," I say, rummaging through my backpack, "In case we have to leave quickly."

"Alright," Lunar whispers and makes several gestures to the other ponies who quietly spread out.

The guard pattern is clear. Nopony goes out of sight of the others, and all make as little noise as possible. Corrupted may be vastly stronger, faster, and tougher than ponies, but that does not mean they PREFER direct confrontation.

In the middle of a square of ponies, I spread a blanket and put several vials full of chemicals on it. First, I have to scoop a bit of soil, scratch off what little tree bark I can, and grab some leaves for analysis. The chemicals bubble when I test each sample one by one, and...

...tyadaa! The carefully crafted acids melt away some parts of the soil, but what remains tells me that farming here would definitely be a fantastic idea. The less great result is that it seems that the entire biome is connected so much that cutting down some trees to make space for farmland would lower the soil's usefulness drastically. I wave at the others to come back.

"So?" Lunar asks.

"The area is fertile enough to support our style of quick farming, but the projected amount will be lower. All in all, if the farmers think of a good spread of crops to plant here WITHOUT touching the natural flora then this place will become our biggest source of surface crops," I report. I might be a part of the Hex Guard, but my flower and vial cutie mark isn't just for show.

"Excellent," he smacks his lips, doubtlessly thinking of how much more food he's gonna get. I can't blame him, my mouth is watering as well, "Pack your stuff, let's finish the patrol and then we can go back home. This place gives me the creeps."

When we go back to sneaking through crunchy, frozen -and at the same time not- grass, I only pray that the rumors about us being alone here are true. Not so much for our safety, we are well-trained and equipped enough to deal with one or two Corrupted, definitely of the lower class, but mostly I pray for the land to be free due to the rumbling of my stomach. We, as soldiers, get to eat a little more than the civillians so that we can keep our strength up through training, but that does not mean it is anywhere close to comfortable.

Darkness falls, and the final part of our mission is at hoof - setting up a fake camp which is easy to find, and observe whether there are any Corrupted who are purely nocturnal. According to our gathered information they have no set sleep cycle, and rest only after their hunting for food or mate is done. Gathering food, to be precise. They seem to be herbivores, although some have been seen transforming wounded ponies into some sort of black mush and then eating them. But hey, the ponies were plants at the time... I think.

I'd much rather be filled with their- nevermind.

I COULD try to find a lone Drone or a female Breeder to satisfy my urges, but the town of Ponyville, not the castle enclave, is home to a pretty deadly hive, and if I even tried to approach one I would have the entire town on my ass, literally in most cases. Out here... I mean, there are ponies who are partially corrupted, those bitten and wounded, or those who got out of breeding attempts. Most succumb to the wild desire as the corruption progresses and have to be killed, but those who don't submit lead normal lives, only sometimes a little more active on the sex front.

Why is the horizontal waltz so important?

The creatures are in tune with their instincts, and what those boil down to is eating and mating. While eating is set mostly by the body, and the partially corrupted ponies still need only a certain amount of food, breeding is a different cup of body fluids. We have very strict laws regarding foals due to our limited supply of food, but nopony really cares how we make this miserable existence bearable. Strangely enough, the corruption does not spread from the partially infected. The general rule is that the more powerful the Corrupted is, the faster and irresistible his spread of corruption is. Drones and female Breeders are the weakest Corrupted we know of, and they are mostly passive, some even friendly, well, not outright hostile. I'm not into mares, but a Breeder's big, hanging teats, and wet-

Nevermind, this place is getting to me.

Hey, the guys even managed to make a small campfire while I stood on watch! Too bad it's only for the fake camp... with real tents. Our night will be spent by patrolling and sleeping in a sleeping bag on the ground some distance away.

Morning comes mere two and a half eternities later. Nights are unbearably long with nerves like guitar strings and eyes peeled for any signs of movement. Thankfully, Lunar Watch is hopped on coffee and nocturnal to boot, so he takes the brunt of the shift himself. He might be a racist bastard, but he's a good Nightguard.

My turn to watch is accompanied by sun slowly rising behind low-hanging silver clouds. I munch on some pressed hay biscuits which only serve to tell me how hungry I really are, but at least I have something to do while watching the clearing with the fake camp. The surroundings light up with the day taking hold, and the others wake up as well.

"Not even a fallen leaf, sir." I report the result of my vigilance.

"Good job, for a pegasus," the batpony didn't leave out a jab, "Let's make sure it's really clear, pack up, and go home. The high-ups can grab more supplies and come here themselves if they want a long-term observation set up. Nightshade, plant the guiding device! Fortress, you and Sturdy Gate clear the camp! High Wish, hide all trails we had a vantage point here."

"Yes, sir!" we salute and go about our business.

Before we head off, I need to answer the call of nature. As much as I like my privacy, I don't dare venture too far away.

I loud sniff nearby almost makes me let it out right here an now.

"Shi-!"

A leg swipes at me, but if there is one thing smaller ponies have an advantage over the Corrupted in it is agility. The few pony lengths to the clearing should be easy. A second and third body on each of my sides prove otherwise. The time for secrecy is over.

"RUN!" I yell as I jump over a clump of branches in front of me and gallop through the clearing, "HUNTERS!"

Lunar turns towards me just as something wraps around my hind leg and I plant my muzzle to the grass. A hoof followed by a heavy body steps on my back and all movement I have left is turning my head. Four sets of hooves surround me, I look up to a black mouth full of sharp teeth, and a long tongue which crawls inside my ear. The long muzzles, lean bodies, and size similar to an expansive earthpony tell me that the Hunter guess was right. Five Corrupted against three ponies is a done deal, but if my mates can distract them long enough for me to get some chemicals from my saddlebag I have several firebombs which even the Corrupted don't like.

"RETREAT!" I hear Lunar's voice, "The mission comes first!"

"What?" I twist and struggle without result under my captor, "LUNAR, COME BACK YOU STINKING FLYING RAT!-"

The hoof holding me pushes my head into the ground.

A mouth grabs me by the neck and rolls me over. I have a clear sight of the Hunter above me and the three other Hunters around. Perhaps the last one is chasing Lunar and might bite his ballsack off, the worthless coward! I don't care what the protocol says! How could they just leave me he-

The hunter growls, and I freeze.

"So, what now, monster?" I say defiantly. Not that he understands a thing, but it makes me feel better about my impending future.

Three long and slick tentacles slip out of the sheath between his hind legs. Turning my head away just grants me a good look on the others. A heavily breathing mouth licks my muzzle again.

Hmmm... he doesn't actually smell bad. Sweat, fresh grass, desire. Taking a deep breath of his bestial scent is all my body needs to answer his lust.

I guess I'll get everything I secretly wanted and a lot more on top.

New Hope - End: The black tide

The surface part of Ponyville enclave where we grow crops impossible to cultivate underground spans a circle about fifty pony lengths in radius with the crystal tree castle in its center. It's not much, but with magic-enhanced farming we can make sure all ponies have more to eat than mushrooms every day. The area is surrounded by a thick wall with several small entrances scattered on the circumference.

Soldiers are rushing around, forming ranks or taking positions on the turrets along the ramparts equipped with the remains of griffon projectile weaponry repurposed to be used by somepony without talons. The last of farmers taking care of the surface crops pass me, my "subjects", and Twilight as we run out of the underground entrance.

Knowledge trots over, unable to stop the look of horror at the sight of partially-transformed Mana Burn, and salutes.

"What's going on?" asks Twilight, "Red alert hasn't been called for years."

"Well, your Highness, it seems we made somepony out there really mad. Corrupted are massing just outside our firing range, organized and in ranks."

"Organized?"

For some reason, Twilight flashes me a look. Does she think this was some long con of mine to control Ponyville?

I try to touch the minds of several Corrupted outside, but I'm swatted away with far too much force to be just a warning.

"Somepony is controlling them," I nod, "I can't get inside their heads."

"Then the Ponyville Queen has finally decided to make her move. I wonder what forced her hoof."

I whistle innocently. Thankfully, nopony notices. So, the Ponyville hive is attacking as one, likely because I brought attention to us by snooping around the heads of the Corrupted around.

Well, it's not as if we can negotiate with them.

"Chilly, Mana Burn, you Huntress thingy as well, go down to the enclave and grab what little berries we managed to grow," I order, "Eat up and come kick some righteous flank."

My command is absolute to them, and they rush off.

"Didn't you say eating them almost made you lose it completely?" Twilight grabs me and makes me face her.

"Yes, but I can't cut myself off of the collective mind of the Corrupted. They can, and Chilly has been eating the berries forever. He won't fail."

"What about the wild Hunter mare?"

"If she becomes an issue, they will kill her. She doesn't have the power to resist them. Speaking of issues," I turn when a creaking noise from one of the small entrances pierces the air, "I think we have more pressing matters at hoof, your Highness."

The metal door gets punched inside along with bits of the masonry around. A gargantuan Protector rushes through, shrugging off bolts of magic and gunfire. With him serving as a riot shield, Corrupted flow from the shattered entrance.

Some get felled by firebombs, but each incendiary or acidic charge robs us of precious farming soil. When the Corrupted get too close for us to use explosives and corrosives safely, our soldiers engage in losing fight against the black tide. Twilight takes to the air, leaving deep, scorched scars of magic wherever her horn aims. Without any flytraps inside the walls, she can use the aerial advantage effectively. Unfortunately, even alicorn stamina and power can't prevail against enemies this tough.

Granted, the Corrupted are dying, flesh liquifying and leaving only puddles of black staining the ground, but more and more are coming.

I spot a mare grabbed by Hunter's talons and thrown to a Corruptor behind him. The wriggling mass of the non-pony absorbs the mare and locks around her like a tight bodysuit. Her wriggling stops in seconds. A strong Protector mare's mouth tentacles grasp a soldier fighting her, slam him on the ground, and then she presses her muzzle against his behind. His eyes roll back and his tongue lulls out, not resisting the mare in the slightest anymore.

Time to see how much I really changed.

PONYVILLE IS MINE!

An impact inside my head makes me choke on my saliva. My vision is swimming, and I can barely move my legs.

No, it is mine! Did you really think you could touch my property and get away with it?

Those are not words, just feelings of pure rage at my transgression, but my head is making me understand clearly.

I will make you the lowest of the low, you will be sucking off drones for food, and I will laugh while transforming the other of you lesser beings into Breeders. Then nothing will stop me!

The last feeling makes me snap back into reality.

The attacking Queen is afraid. Not of us, not at all, but of something else. Something from the west.

I use the closing link between us, and assault her mind.

Corrupted, some looking similar to Chilly, wearing remains of plate armors. A mix of ponies, half-dragons, and even changelings, each one decorated by a golden relic here and there. Some have several strands of golden mane, some of the dragonponies' scales are of the same colour. Every single of the hundreds of Corrupted bears a golden symbol somewhere.

DISAPPEAR!

Another mental blow strikes me, and the link breaks.

The fight changed into a giant orgy while I was occupied with the Queen. The defending ponies have no space where to form ranks and are being pushed with very little effort by the organized Corrupted. The captured and hurt ones are now being ruthlessly tained by Corrupted taking turns using them as enjoyment.

Twilight evaporates another chunk of the Corrupted force, and I feel the rage in the air again.

Alicorn, you will become a part of me!

Several Corrupted turn into goo instantly, and from them a new one forms. A tall mare with a crown ornament on her head. Summoning tendrils out of the remaining puddle, she pulls Twilight struggling to stay in the air by furious flapping of wings down to herself, and licks her horn playfully.

You like this part of yourself, don't you? It will serve better as a part of me.

"She doesn't understand you, you moron!" I can't help myself.

Another mental blow makes me kneel, throwing up on the ground underneath me.

Wheee! Drain bamage and percussion- concussion.

A blur passes my vision. Then another one, and another.

The Corrupted howl and scream.

I shake my head. Huh?

Ponies are fighting back and winning?

Three minds flash on my mental map.

Chilly jumps up the titanic Protector and buries his claws, teeth, tentacles, and many more growing appendages into his neck, heaves, and rips through the neck as thick as his torso.

A knight in full plate armor holding a greatsword wrapped in his tentacle tail cleaves through smaller Corrupted with ease, causing panic and making the Queen retreat from his assault.

"DON'T TOUCH MY QUEENS, TAINTED FILTH!" screams transformed Mana Burn, not relenting his assault and giving Twilight time to get up.

The yet-unnamed Huntress is by his side, dodging and weaving blows whenever she can and taking focus off him.

Awww, young love- lust- probably both.

I sense the panic in the Queen's head. Panic I can use.

"Chilly, cover me!" I push myself forward and run towards the enemy Queen.

Dodging another swing from Mana Burn, she can't get out of my way in time. Tackling her, I spawn tentacles out of my belly and pierce her body and the ground beneath.

I wonder how it would feel to consume a Queen.

Then I try to do so.

Protected by ponies, my three-Corrupted hive, and Twilight, I make the Queen's body melt, and suck it inside me through my hooves.

Some-

My Corrupted are still fighting the pon- lesser creatures.

I shake my head again. Chilly senses the pressure inside me, but I shoo him away. I have to do this on my own to prove my right to take control of the others.

Consume, adapt, spread.

Assimilate the lesser breeds, grow!

Devour, gain resources, and-

"STOP FIGHTING!" both my corrupted self and the little part still remaining a pony scream together.

The mental pressure of my command makes all Corrupted aside from Chilly and Mana Burn stumble back. The half-twisted ponies, both mares and stallions, previously mated with by Corrupted not on the front line crawl towards their masters, licking their legs and begging for being filled or having something to fill again. My head lights up with so many minds I can barely find my own, but here they all are, all of the Ponyville hive under my command. Some want ponies to play with, most are hungrier than we used to be in the enclave, and quite a lot simply do not want to be here. It is shocking how little of the Corrupted want to break the enclave's defenders.

The soldiers are enjoying a break in the unwinnable fight.

"Kill the monsters while they're weak!" a voice yells out, snowballing into an avalanche of screams and charging ponies.

Who said that?

I laugh like a complete maniac. Somepony up there must love me to allow me to survive my forest trial, return home, and bring Lunar Watch ordering his squad to kill my subjects straight to me. Pointing at the batpony, I grin, careful to show all my teeth.

"Chilly, kill!"

Just bring him to me, but make it painful.

"LEAVE MY SUBJECTS ALONE!" I scream after the white Hunter leaves my side. The ponies don't stop attacking the confused Corrupted, struggling between my command and their survival instincts.

When it doesn't help, I take all the breath I can and yell at the top of my lungs:

"They have been kinder to me than your bats and other idiotic cowards after my return, and you're just slaughtering them when they run? THEN THEY WILL NOT RUN!""

"Wait, no..." I hear a weak voice nearby. It's Twilight, realization that I'm not on her side anymore growing in her.

"You can stop this," I comment, not trying too hard to make her hear.

She does hear me, however. Before I can order the Corrupted to fight back again, Twilight's horn bursts out with blinding light, and all ponies stop moving.

All but one, the one dragged by his neck by Chilly towards me.

"You..." I growl at Lunar Watch thrown to my hooves.

"Grwrrrr!" Chilly joins me.

"Princess Twilight," I kick the batpony struggling to get up, "As the new Queen of the Ponyville hive, I would like to give you a chance to surrender."

"What?" the alicorn takes a step back, "Nightshade, you can't be serious! I'm not letting my ponies get hurt!"

"Twilight," I deliberately leave out her title, "I will not repeat this, so listen carefully. We will take all the partially corrupted ponies still on the battlefield, you will immediately cease all hostilities towards us, and you will not touch a single Corrupted from my hive unless provoked, from Drone to Protectors."

"Of course no-"

I raise my hoof.

"In return, my hive will leave the enclave alone. We will also allow you movement all around Ponyville town without fear of being attacked or captured and transformed. You will gain the entire city and the farmland around for the enclave."

"We could... return to the surface?"

"There would be other details to sort out regarding the land we need to exist and you need to grow real food, but this is the main gist of it."

"Is all that in your power?" Twilight whispers in disbelief.

"They are mine," I wave my hoof, encircling all the Corrupted standing around, "and they will obey my rules much more firmly than your ponies will obey yours."

"I wish to speak to the partially corrupted ponies, and let the ones who want to return to the enclave."

A quick survey of the minds nearby gives me a definite answer.

"There are none, not a single pony who is in the shape to think for themselves. Do you understand, Twilight? This is why you lose ponies day after day while we grow stronger. If it helps, I can solemnly promise there isn't a single pony who would right now prefer to return to you rather than have all their holes filled by me. This fight is over, Twilight. Ponyville is mine. It's just up to you to tell me if you want part of it as well."

"Send your minions away first."

"Of course."

The Corrupted start leaving the enclave via the hole in the wall they poured though mere minutes ago.

"Do you really mean it?" she leans towards me.

"Every word," I sit down, exhausted, "Look, Twilight, I could make you lose your horn right here and now. I could make Mana Burn strike you down and turn you into a Corrupted while your soldiers watch. You cannot win unless you cooperate with me, but if you win... just imagine what you could get," I stomp the ground, "Ponyville fortress was lost sixty years ago. I wasn't even born half of that time ago. I can't ensure your complete safety out here, but I can make your territory better protected than no amount of your effort could manage. What's more, I can help THEM," I look at the last of the Corrupted leaving the enclave area.

"Help them?"

"Twilight, they are starving as well. They just can't die easily, and one berry can sustain them for months if they don't fight or hunt too much. They are locked in constant hunger, lust, and confusion. I can't do it for every one of them, my head hurts with all their needy voices already. Whatever created them made a poor job of it, its main purpose was just to make something which spreads quickly, irresistibly, and devours everything. They were not made to become a civilization like ponies. We can change that... to an extent."

"Then why were they made, and by whom?"

I shake my head.

"I don't know. The Queen's memories and feelings point to something far to the west, but I don't know anything else."

"I still can't believe it. This way we will have enough surface food for everypony. We could even lift some of the population control laws. If you can keep the other Corrupted away we could even have a real city again," she starts crying, "After nearly a century... I was starting to lose hope..."

"Oh, one last thing, Twi- your Highness."

"Hmm?" she sniffs.

"While I can't see Lunar hanged for desertion, how about you 'suggest' to princess Luna to make him do something... interesting as a punishment for nearly ruining possible peace with Ponyville hive and the enclave?"

She looks at the batpony too scared to move under Chilly's watchful eye.

"Consider it done!"

We Are the Land - End: Crystal Heart

We Are the Land: Crystal Heart

"Not to take away from the spectacle, but that was pretty cool," Mirage gasps as a giant icicle forms on the ground near the titan and shoots its neck clean through. The wound closes instantly without slowing the damn thing in the slightest, but Mirage is impressed nonetheless.

He shakes his head. The moment of safety as the horde's focus is shifted elsewhere can't last long. All Corrupted around are only watching the giant swipe at the white pony-shaped dot in the distance responsible for summoning and shooting more and more icicles into various spots on its body. Mirage doesn't need any further proof that the Corrupted around are less than golems completely controlled by something the attention of which is currently occupied by the titan's fight.

"We should get away," he whispers, unwilling to break the careful peace.

"Yessss-" Spring's head spins and she keels over, caught in the last second by Mirage. Him being smaller than the Queen doesn't help. The transfer and balance of power between her hive was exhausting even for her. How the enemy Queen can muster thousands upon thousands of new, although incomplete, Corrupted is beyond her.

"C'mere!" Ready Plow, much more expansive than Mirage, and still smaller than Spring, slings her over his back. Spring's tail lenghtens to allow her constant contact with the ground being transformed into the other Queen's territory.

The colossus' stomp razes nearby buildings. Everything is quiet for few seconds, then a distant, high-pitched 'WHEEEE!' comes as the black pony comes swinging on long ropes wrapped around its tower-thick neck.

"What now, what now, what now?" Mirage bits his lips. They can't fight their way out. There is too little of them, and while the horde isn't moving, they literally cannot push through the mass of bodies.

Or can they?

"You," he taps on the side of one of Spring's Hunters and flinches as he comes face to face with an open jaw full of sharp teeth, "You can grow weapons, can you make a tower shield?"

It just keeps staring.

"Spring?" Mirage turns around only to see the young Queen hanging limply on Plow's back, "Crap..."

How do they communicate with ponies? Spring was relaying every order, but Corrupted can push those through to her as well. She must be conscious, only possibly unable to control her physical body, so he has to find a way to get his request to her.

"This is gonna suck," he finds the Huntress previously absorbing his combat experience, takes her head in his hooves, and gives her a french kiss so deep both earthponies with them blush while focusing on several things from his military history training. He wakes up a minute later on his back, gasping for breath and futilely trying to push the mare's heavy body off himself. In response to his resistance, she finally gives up and assumes her position in the defensive circle, giving him lusty glances and licking her mouth. Mirage stands back up, wondering if his experiment worked.

It did.

The circle of Corrupted turns to a square, each defender growing the requested tower shield stuck to various parts of its body. The shields interlock, forming a perfect wall of steel -well, Corrupted biomass- followed by the already used spears sticking out in the front. The famous turtle formation, although admittedly lacking the vital top part, starts inching forward towards the titan, stabbing the enemy Corrupted without mercy.

Mirage ponders if the lack of cover from above is going to hurt them, but since Corrupted don't seem to be using projectile weapons or be able to fly, he shrugs it off. He thought about moving AWAY from the fight, but decided against it. Their only hope lies with the idiots brave enough to take the titan head on.

"It's not like it would stop the freaking giant's stomp anyway."

"-"

"Spring?" Mirage leans closer to the semi-conscious Queen.

"Not alone."

The turtle moves, the Corrupted stab, and the horde yields.

"What?"

"Not only me, bad Queen, ponies. More."

Mirage's head turns so fast his neck cracks. An armored Hunter from the front line FLIES into the air and lands way away amidst the horde which immediately swarms around him like ants around a dropped candy, with about the same result.

A unicorn-shaped Protector towering above the Hunters moves for the second swing. Mirage jumps to the empty spot in the formation, and faces the new enemy, spear at the ready. He knows he's going to become a splatter of gore when the next blow comes, but if the Corrupted break the line then they all die.

"Hold formation!" he orders when he hears the shifting of Spring's Hunters around, "Yeah, asshole? These guys are MY unit!" he growls.

He is SHOVED back with ease. Not punched, kicked, or thrown, just shoved as if he is nothing, and he notices something strange on the leg pressed against him. It is decorated with thin white veins coming from its hoof up. Light colors are something never seen among Corrupted.

"Ooooooooooooooooout of the waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!"

The black figure completing its swing after its ropes were torn from the titan's skin smashes the crystal street nearby, rolling and cursing.

"Now you've pissed me off!"

The barrage of ice shards assaults the colossus again. From this close, the Crystal Guard can see a white 'pony' with blue hint to his coat summoning more and more projectiles.

"Uh..." Mirage very smart. Mirage know what to say. Mirage not surprised at all, "Uhhh..." his second attempt doesn't end better.

The creature rolling from the deep scar of shattered crystal is a Corrupted mare, cracking her neck and shoulders.

"Chilly!" she yells at the white one, "Cover me for a second, got guests here!"

She is up and in front of Mirage before he can react. He stares at the mare larger than he is, with definite erotic subtext of her entire lean body Corrupted achieve so easily. He stares at the black draconic scales surely responsible for her not being a smear all over the street. He stares at her watching Spring behind him with fangs bared.

Still, she can talk and is apparently an enemy of Mirage's enemy, which has to count for something.

"I-" he starts.

"Nope, this one's too weak. Never met a Breeder Queen yet, though. It seems Ponyville isn't the only place cooperating with us."

"Ponyville?" Mirage raises an eyebrow.

"Later!" she looks around as the giant roars again, "Got any idea what all this is about?"

"Well, I-who are you-"

She looks at Crystal Guard armor.

"Report! Now!" she barks with absolute authority of a commander used to being obeyed.

"Private Mirage, ma'am! I met Spring today before all this started. She warned me there was another Queen trying to destroy the Empire, ma'am. I informed the army, but this happened anyway, ma'am!" Mirage salutes, his training taking over completely, "I wasn't aware Corrupted were more than evil scourge before today, ma'am! The horde is coming from the direction of the Imperial palace, ma'am!"

"Alrighty then!" she pats his back, "The Separated, the Corrupted with white legs, are your friends. Help them push through. We're going after the source," shadow blots the sky, "SCATTER!"

Nopony needs more orders when a gigantic hoof wrecks the street where they stood a moment ago.

The horde, seeing the defensive formation break, charges and breaks against groups of the strange Corrupted now protecting Spring's little hive. Without the need to push through the enemy, they join the Separated in the fight. Mirage is useless in a combat of these proportions, but he can still yell out commands and spot who needs help.

First, they need to stay away from the fight with the titan.

"Spring, the Separated either belong to the mare or to the wizard. Can you, I don't know, tell them we need to move. Like with your mind?"

Spring tries, and her weary mind touches the other Queen currently hacking away with her claws at a giant leg. She is immediately overwhelmed by a sharp and focused will which takes her over and leaves her with a message which she relays to the letter.

"Chilly and the Separated can understand you," comes from Spring's mouth.

"Oh, okay," Mirage takes a deep breath, pointing north to where the tip of the palace pierces the horizon, "RETREAT! GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

Thanks to the power of the Separated who cleave their way through the assorted enemies, the outer ring of the defenders pushes through the ever-replenishing horde.

"NO!" a shocked screech comes from the white mage. Everypony turn their head to see the black Queen misjudge her swing through the air and fall straight into the giants mouth.

"Crap, MOVE MOVE MOVE!" Mirage stabs his spear blindly at a Corrupted getting through the temporarily frozen defenders.

Some of the Separated melt into the ground, and Chilly roars in unbridled rage.

It starts snowing.

No.

Frozen water floats through the air swirling aroung the titan like a tornado of sharp edges.

It roars again, but this time there is no challenge in it, only pure agony. Blood gushes from its mouth, turning streets and houses dark red, chunks of flesh and oily hair splatter around like gory meteors. The blender of ice doesn't stop, but the titan's regeneration fueled by more and more enemy Corrupted being dissolved and used as nutrition is too much.

Breathing heavily and spitting blood, Chilly's assault ends with the titan standing...

...and healing rapidly in front of their eyes.

It gurgles, blood gushing from its mouth again. The thick neck is cut open from the inside, several tentacles shoot out and hook to the edges of the wound. More and more tentacles pierce the titan's skin and lodge themselves there like harpoons.

They all heave at once.

The neck collapses inside itself, the tentacles turn to blades and spin.

With another dark shower, the enormous head splits off the body and crushes the facade of a nearby house. The Protector Queen jumps out of the neckhole of the beast keeling over, tendrils retracting into her body. She lands and trots towards the stunned defenders, both Corrupted and ponies.

"When we're back in Ponyville, I'm making my own titan. Better, with blackjack and hookers," she grins.

"Ngh ngh ngh ngh ngh ngh-" Mirage whines when she passes him, hips swaying.

"Name's Nightshade, Queen of the Ponyville hive. Good job helping Chilly with leading the guys. Here's your reward."

"Wha-?" Mirage's open mouth is immediately filled by a tentacle shooting from Nightshade's nethers and filling him with tastes and scents making his head spin. He gulps down a glob of spicy liquid and gasps for breath as his brain lights on fire. The desire to immediately submit to his Queen is quenched by Spring's pained groan from behind.

"Hmm, just shrugs it off," Nightshade flashes him a dirty smile, "I can make you feel this good any time you want, pretty face."

"HAPPILY ALMOST ENGAGED!" Mirage facehoofs, mentally scolding his younger self screaming at him that this is all he used to want several years ago.

"Stop..." comes a raspy growl from the white Separated named Chilly, "No time..."

Nightshade's attitude completely changes, giving Mirage a clear clue that while the black Queen can do what she wants and mess around, it ends when the white King speaks. He also feels it is not forced, but a state of affairs chosen by Nightshade of hew own free will.

"Let's go!" Nightshade orders, jokes and teasing long forgotten, "The horde will be back soon."

The Separated, Corrupted, and ponies trot north as fast as they can, knowing the enemy Queen will recover and drown them in her mindless golems soon again.

With streets empty aside from half-twisted ponies, the combined forces rush north towards the palace. They know they should help those who might not have fallen to the corruption completely, but they also know that stopping the source of the horde's recovery is more important. Street after street, they can't allow themselves to stop and assist even a single drooling and mumbling pony lying around. The helplessness makes Mirage bite his lips, but he knows better than to endanger everything.

They come upon a metal barricade blocking the street with armored ponies watching their approach, sporadically reporting their progress back to somepony. Clanking of weapons, screaming and yelling is coming from further away, likely from the other side of the barricaded area. The palace square would be easily visible if the barricade wasn't in the way. The upper floors of the palace, and the thick black tentacles squirming up its crystal walls are easy to see and definitely don't fill Mirage with determination.

A pink mushroom cloud accompanies an explosion coming from palace plazza.

How to break the ice between the survivor group and the Crystal Guards behind the barricades?

Mirage walks up on three legs, holding his badge up for everypony to see.

"Private Mirage. Seventh division of the east Guard. Got three survivors with me as well as some, ehm, guests."

Hushed whispers come from behind the barricade. A weary but firm voice is heard barking orders, and a blue-maned unicorn head wearing a decorated helmet peeks out.

"Your Highness," Mirage plants his face into the crystal street.

"Attention!" the white unicorn orders and takes his helmet off, revealing a rugged and handsome face of a middle-aged soldier. His firm stare envelops the entire group and he sctatches his thin blue beard, "Report!" his voice is just as commanding as Nightshade's was.

"I sent the warning about the prepared attack," Mirage says and the unicorn nods, "It came from her," he points behind him to Spring lying on Plow's back, watching the speakers. She slides off her comfortable back bed, and takes few shaky steps towards the barricade.

"...hello," she gives the ponies a weak smile. Mirage pats her side with his wing and continues.

"She jumped through the barrier when the other Queen was let in. I stayed with her because I couldn't let her just run around the Empire. She seems to be a Queen like the enemy one, but, well, on our side. I also think she's new to this job or something. Her little group protected us when the attack came but then the horde transformed into this huge bull that would have wrecked us if it weren't for the others," Mirage nods towards Nightshade and Chilly.

"Yes, yes," the Protector Queen steps forwards, "enough of this. I doubt we have the time to recap all that's happened now. Who are you and what's going on, soldier?"

Mirage, the farmer family, the soldiers, and even the unicorn himself stares in shock. He raises his hoof and the angry mumbling of the surrounding ponies stops.

"My name is Shining Armor. Prince Shining Armor. Well, Emperor Shining Armor would be technically correct, but I prefer the old title. And who might you be, miss Corrupted Queen?"

Nightshade grins, blinks several times, then looks at Shining Armor quizzically.

"I recall something from my history lessons. Shining Armor, THAT Shining Armor? Twilight Sparkle's brother Shining Armor, or just a family name?"

"Yes. Now, as you said, we have little time. Introduce yourself, now!" Shining says, rock solid.

"Nightshade, Queen of the Ponyville hive. I must admit, Twilight left out what a hunk you were."

"Ponyville hive? You speak as if my sister was alive..."

Nightshade gives him a sly grin.

"Can we talk AFTER we wreck the Queen kicking your ass? And yes, Twilight Sparkle leads the remnants of ponies living in a small town called Ponyville. She, Chrysalis, the queen of changelings, and princess Luna are alive and thanks to me, mostly, reclaiming small parts of land. My friend Chilly here," she nuzzles the white Separated when he comes closer, "has managed to secure a strip of land between this place and Canterlot, and I am sure his hive will allow for a friendly visit, but first... you know what to do."

"Let them in!" Shining commands.

"But sir, it can be another-" says a soldier next to him.

"And? We are LOSING, in case you haven't noticed."

The group walks through a stretch of the barricade shoved aside. Nightshade looks Shining up and down.

"Looking pretty good for your age. Two hundred something?"

"Being married to the alicorn of Love has its advantages. I am by no means unaging or immortal, but I'm reaping the benefits of my teenage self's charm."

"I can see that," she licks her lips.

"Don't even think about it. My wife can be EXTREMELY jealous."

A pink beam of energy comes from a window of a building overlooking the barricade, aiming somewhere north.

The pony encampment is a stretch of a wide street walled off on both sides. One way in is the entrance through which the group came, and the other is sectioned off with much stronger barricade leading to what must be the palace plazza.

"So, about the army, your Highness?" Mirage, propping Spring up, asks.

"Just call me sir, private," Shining sighs, "Our forces walled the Crystal Heart plazza off. We were ready thanks to your warning. The bad part came when the black stuff just spread through the streets behind us and everywhere else. Some Corrupted tried materializing here, but Cadence's and Flurry's magic melted them on the spot. The enemy Queen eventually got the message and just moved her forces around. There are tens of camps like this blocking the streets, but it's pretty much pointless. The Corrupted can move anywhere they want."

"No Corrupted," Spring says, woice weak but recovering, "No real. Things. Long legs."

"Uhh, yeah," Mirage coughs, "From what I gathered these are not Corrupted, just basically golems doing whatever the Queen wants them to. They have no will or self-preservation instinct. As Spring said, they are more things than living creatures. When we, well - Nightshade and Chilly, were fighting the titan the horde just stood there mostly as if the Queen couldn't handle all the commands."

"Titan?" Shining raises an eyebrow, "Ohhhh, that might explain the break we've been having for past half an hour."

"She perfect body. No perfect mind," Spring says, "She perfect how?"

"Oh dear," the prince takes a deep breath, "It must have something to do with the Crystal Heart. She, what's the best expression, absorbed it?"

"Can we have a look?" Nightshade asks, "Is there a vantage point or something?"

"No," Shining shakes his head, "Any command post we tried to erect was immediately torn down by tentacles. Flurry and Caddy fly up from time to time and hide in the upper floors," he points to the buildings on the sides of the street.

"Hmm, why didn't the Queen just make her pawns appear there and drop down on you?"

"No offense," Shining gives Spring and Nightshade a meaningful look, "but she's not very smart. If she was we wouldn't be here anymore."

"Good," Nightshade looks up the nearest building's wall. Tentacles sprout from her back, impale themselves in the wall, and shoot up with her in tow. She climbs into the nearest broken window. From up there, she gets a good look all over the Crystal Heart plazza.

The glamorous conflux of streets, the circle plazza in the center of the Empire is all covered in black pulsating mass of tubes and tentacles. Bulges which must be wombs pump out fake Corrupted after Corrupted the waves of whom break against the pony barricades surrounding the abomination. Tendrils spread through everything they can reach - buildings, palace, the tall and thin spire in the center of the plazza. Why the Queen hasn't just rammed the barricades open with her numerous new limbs is beyond Nightshade, but one would do good not to question their luck.

"A Breeder Queen," Nightshade mumbles, "If she has an enormous source of power to control then her instincts must have taken over, at least for now, and she is doing what Breeders do best - just pumping out Corrupted after Corrupted. Can't even form them properly, but can give them whatever shape she pleases. If she gets enough time to get used to it, THEN she'll start thinking again and wipe this place clean."

She jumps out of the broken window back to the camp, street cracking under the impact.

"Could you please not do that?" Shining rolls his eyes, "The repairs are going to cost us a fortune already."

"A good way to keep those from the fallen parts of the Empire busy, sir," Mirage grins and withers under Shining's murderous glare.

"Alright, with us here, we can launch a counterattack," Nightshade commands, "Got any mortars and explosives?"

"Only magic," Shining sighs, "We had Wonderbolt squads pelt the thing with napalm. It shot out a huge net what dragged THEM into the still burning flames and... laughed. There are several unicorns forming tactical spells, but they are beyond exhausted, so its mostly up to Cadance and Flurry Heart who recover faster to use magical artillery."

"Up for a suicide mission, emperor?" Nightshade bares her fangs.

Shining closes his eyes.

"I suppose so," he bites his lip, "We can't evacuate anypony. We can't outlast 'it'. We have little to no reinforcements to wait for. All we can do is go out with a bang."

"All of you heard it!" Nightshade laughs triumphantly, "I get to bang your emperor if we get out of this."

"Heh," Shining smiles. It's lacking hope, but the silliness is something.

"You, vegetable!" she turns to Spring, "Give me your hive. We're gonna need everypony we can get," the twenty armed and armored Hunters stand at attention, earning respectful glances from the Crystal Guards, "Chilly, you got my back?"

"Until the end..."

"Prince, tell all of your soldiers surrounding the damn blob to wait until Chilly and I go in, then aim everything you've got at it."

"Yes," Shining salutes and Nightshade requites the gesture.

In less than two minutes, all the forces are ready.

"Ready, Chilly?" Nightshade stands behind the barricade, soldiers in ranks behind her. The white King nods, and snow comes falling from the sky, "Hammertime!"

The attacking Corrupted are crushed by the heavy steel barricades as those shoot out into the plazza. Dozens are but black smears in mere second, but the hundreds more, if they even can feel fear, are preoccupied with the Protector Queen charging straight ahead. The center of the plazza, the thin overgrown spire, is where the 'brain' of the enemy Queen must be. Like a bowling ball, Nightshade breaks through the horde, but eventually stops and has to fend for herself. She is not alone, though. The half-real Corrupted break like glass when touched by Chilly moving around the battlefield like a shadow.

Mirage waves at Weed Sickle's family to follow him into the rubble of a nearby broken house. Spring wobbles there as well.

"Look, I'm a Crystal Guard so I have to go, but you don't. If by some miracle we win then you won't be among the casualties. If we lose, then... you know. Two more civilians mean nothing here. So stay here, and if you see an opening then run the hay as far as you can."

Ripe Soil and Ready Plow nod.

Spring, however, stares at the battle.

"No work. Much power," she bites her lip.

"HA! FOCUS!" she throws her forelegs to the sky, "Where eyes? She can no sense me. No Nightshade. No Chilly. No their hive. She need eyes. They occupy eyes. We sneak," Spring points towards the center of the black mass.

Mirage squints after the outstretched hoof. Something bright and shiny pokes out of what might, if only he got closer to look, be the front half of a distended Corrupted mare's body. That means the entire black mess gooping and tentacling over the Crystal Heart plazza is the enemy Queen's... lower half.

"Can she sense me?" Mirage asks.

"Yes. You weak, no important. No fear."

Spring can still barely walk. If one or two of the Corrupted look her way she can't fight.

"I'm coming with you."

"You help move, fight?"

"I'll do what I can. My emperor himself, plus his wife and daughter are out there. Granted, he is an excellent fighter and they are alicorns, but I couldn't live with myself if I just stayed here. Let's go."

"You weak, fragile. Drink," Spring sits down, spreads her legs, and kneads her pillowy teats.

"That's gonna turn me into one of you."

"Drink."

Mirage breathes in and out, lowers his mouth to her, and suckles a long, black nipple. Ripe Soil and Plow look at Weed Sickle who seems to be much more interested in the live battlefield. The crystal pegasus can feel the taint burning through his body, but continues to gulp down the black syrup as if his life depended on it, which it actually might.

He is stopped by Spring. The reflective body of all crystal ponies is lost for him, grey and dim, but the fire flowing through his veins is burning away all the exhaustion of the day. He can fight, he can make a difference, and he will.

For the Crystal Empire! For princess Cadence's super MILF body! For Flurry Heart's still MILF but less so body! For his Emperor! For his-!

His internal pep talk stops as he realizes there is an overwhelming chance his marefirend is no longer alive, or a pony.

For her anyway, because she was the one to give him a chance when no other mare did.

"Let's go, Spring," he presses his side against the bigger mare.

"Lesgo..." she mumbles.

The sneak by the edge of the plazza, inching away to be on the opposite side from Nightshade and Chilly. It takes time, and while Mirage feels as if he could pick Spring up and just run towards the center figure, they move slowly not to be the slightest threat.

Eventually, they walk up from behind to a torso, front legs, and a bright blue crystal fused together, with head watching intently the black and white figures cleaving deep scars into the black biomass and Corrupted. Spring raises her hoof, a long spike slides out of it, and stabs the torso clean through.

The mutated Queen howls, thrashing around in agony as the Crystal Heart inside her pulses with unbridled power her hurt mind can't control anymore. Spring stabs again...

...through the Queen and through the Heart.

Her eyes light up. She is soaring on surges of power, able to feel every single Corrupted in the Empire and far beyond, and immediately understands she cannot ride this high for too long. She does not need to, though, she only needs enough to break the other Queen's control.

The semi-real Corrupted wriggle and shatter mid-strike as Spring uses the power of the Heart to burn the Queen's will away and absorb her experience and power. She takes and takes, much more than her body should handle, but she grows. Thousands of Corrupted minds form within her, all those the other Queen tried to create at first and gave up on after failing. With all this power she could make an entire civilization, but... what would be the point of a copy?

The best time of her life was when she explored things for herself with Mirage by her side.

She raises her hoof, looks at the cheap, shiny bracelet, and smiles.

All around, shaking survivors are holding weapons aimed at her. The Queen is gone, the Corrupted are gone, all their mass absorbed by her. There is only Spring, brimming with power beyond Nightshade and Chilly's wildest dreams, holding the chipped Crystal Heart in tentacles sprouting from the clean crystal street.

She looks at her chest where the power seems surging the strongest. A hoof-sized, glowing piece chipped off of the Heart is embedded there.

Spring looks at the held crystal, raises her hoof, and strikes it.

"NO!" Shining Armor and two pink alicorns by his sides yell.

A tiny chip break off of the Heart again. Spring picks it up and presents it to Mirage.

"The diamond your marefriend wanted."

She turns away from the stumped semi-corrupted pegasus about to cry liquid joy to Shining Armor and his family.

"The Queen is gone, and her hive is mine. We will help you recover everything you have lost due to her," Spring bows, her red and white 'scent scarf' flapping around, "I can feel and understand your fear, but I would like to, if you don't mind, become your guest as 'she' should have."

Shining Armor steps up and takes Spring's hoof to his.

"Welcome to the Crystal Empire, Queen Spring. Sorry if it's a bit of a mess at the moment."