Corruption

Sunset desperately tried activating her horn, but it wouldn’t light up and she was running on fumes. Every Changeling surrounding the unicorn growled with hunger and they were all ready to feast on her bones. Then she got to struggling out of her chains while the Changelings moved closer to Sunset.

“Yes, my dear. Struggle. Watching you squirm like this fills me with joy while my children suck away your marrow as they trim away at your sinew.”

As Sunset struggled to escape, she suddenly noticed her horn glow. Only it wasn’t glowing with her usual blue tint. Instead, it was glowing with a black aura surrounding it. Suddenly, the headaches returned and Sunset began screaming in agony once again. However, the aura surrounding her horn triggered a blast which killed half the population of the Hive. Sunset’s headache subsided for now and now that she was free from her bonds, she proceeded to make a quick exit. But when Queen Chrysalis, King Thorax, and Pharynx woke up from their brief unconsciousness. Seeing what has become of their hive, Chrysalis, Thorax, and Pharynx clicked their mandibles and roared in anger as half the swarm proceeded to chase after the unicorn.

“KILL HER!!!!” Queen Chrysalis roared as she proceeded to chase after Sunset in a frenzied state.

Hearing her antenna signals, the remaining Changelings immediately chased after Sunset while she proceeded to run across the Hive to search for an exit. But it wouldn’t take long for Chrysalis to burst out of a wall as she hissed and growled at the unicorn.

“I see you, Sunset Shimmer!” the Changeling Queen growled as she spotted the defenseless unicorn.

Thorax and Pharynx transformed into their hideous bug forms before giving chase. Sunset fired at some stalagmites to throw them off a bit while she continued running, but Chrysalis’s protective shell prevented the falling stalagmites from piercing her body. And it wouldn’t just stop there. The Hive suddenly started collapsing a bit during their brief little skirmish and Sunset had no time to waste.

"RAUUUGHHHH!!!!!!! SUNSET!!!!!" Chrysalis roared as she frantically chased Sunset.

Terrified out of her own mind and feeling no desire to be the Changeling Queen’s dinner, Sunset continued to run as she fired at more stalactites above her. But as she kept moving, she could hear the cackling from her demonic persona in her head. However, Sunset kept her face forward and continued to run.

“Nuh uh uh, Sunset~!” Thorax taunted as he got closer.

Sunset turned around and before she knew it, she was intercepted by the Changeling King and his brother before she could escape. Pharynx grabbed the unicorn and slammed her into a wall. They proceeded to bite into her skin as she desperately tried to push them off her. But it was all fruitless when Queen Chrysalis cornered her.

“It’s dinner time~!” the maniacal Changeling Queen said as she pulled her head back.

But before Chrysalis could bite Sunset’s torso off, the brave unicorn fired a stalactite above her and it fell on her, killing the Changeling Queen in the process. Thorax, Pharynx, and the rest of the Hive looked at the sight of their now-deceased queen and let out mournful hisses as half of the colony proceeded to carry her corpse away. Enraged by what Sunset pulled against them, Thorax shouted,

“I WILL WEAR YOUR SKIN LIKE A ROBE!!!!”

“YOUR INTESTINES WILL BE MY SCARF!!!!” Pharynx screamed as well.

But before they could inflict any form of damage on Sunset, the dreaded Malwhorff crashed through a wall and roared as the Changelings started to panic.

"MALWHORFF!!!!" one of the Changelings screamed as the dreaded creature charged in.

Using the creature's timing to her advantage, Sunset proceeded to make a swift exit out of the Hive while Thorax and Pharynx as well as the other Changelings were too distracted in fending off the monster.

. . .

She got away from the Hive as far as she could, but Sunset had a much more pressing matter now. The Elements of Harmony were now gone and she was pressed for time now more than ever. Without her communication device, there was no way she could contact the Crystal Empire. And even if she returned, it would have already been too late. But before she could think on this dilemma any further, Sunset heard rapid wing-flapping from a close distance.

"SUNSET!!!!!!" a voice screamed out.

Sunset, quickly making out Thorax’s voice, made another run for it while he proceeded to chase after her. However, the two Changeling brothers caught up to the defenseless unicorn and held her against a tree. Upon getting a closer look, their bodies were covered in scars and their faces looked like they ripped apart. Furious and fuming with hate, Thorax yells,

“YOUR AGONY HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN!!!!”

But before they could maul Sunset, the Malwhorff caught up to the two Changelings and grabbed them. They tried breaking free from its grasp, but they were soon overpowered and eaten alive by the creature before turning its attention to the unicorn. Like before, Sunset made no attempt to reason with the creature and just ran away like her hooves were on fire.

. . .

After a whole hour of running had passed, Sunset stopped to take a breather. Spotting a cave on her left, she ran inside to take refuge from the monsters that continued to ravage Equestria of life. But now that she was safe for the time being, she took the time to reflect on everything that had happened to her so far; her means of communication to the Crystal Empire were now gone, Tempest and Grubber were captured and placed in Celestia-knows-where, the Crystal Empire is set in stone to be invaded next, and to add insult to injury… the Elements of Harmony were now gone. Sunset felt nothing but failure well up within her body and there was nothing she could do to reverse her mistake. If she hadn’t decided to infiltrate Canterlot, then none of this would have happened to her. It was a fatal decision that nearly cost Sunset her life and an incredibly tragic one at that. Now that she has lost everything, Sunset felt nothing but resignation and weariness as she decided to rest in the cave she chose to hide in while the monsters continued to destroy Equestria.