Life for the Data

Life for the Data – Chapter 4: Army Growing 101

Coronamon sat around a dwindling flame; it flickered under the slightest breeze as the ice cold desert winds were beginning to chill even him. The Changelings had long since fallen asleep, he voted to take guard duty. It wasn’t like he could sleep anyway, there was way too much on his mind for that to be a remote possibility. His mind was asunder, trying to define which world was better. He liked his home; it was odd and came with endless possibilities. But this world… it was different as well, having some pretty crazy stuff, up until so far, and then it started to make sense. He loved his home, his village, but he couldn’t just leave the Changelings to the fate of extinction.

Then came another addition to the already mind boggling equation, Lunamon. She was here as well, he could feel it. He had since formed a kinship with her, a sort of long range locator that allowed him to tell if she was there or not. It was currently a very weak ‘signal’, as he could just feel her conscious on the edge of his mind. She was here, and if he found a way home, he couldn’t just leave her on this world... Could he? Coronamon was no dummy, he knew the stone was able to copy a Digimons ability or attack; perhaps it went farther than that.

There was a chance, just a small one mind you, that she had wished to be here. To be something else, to be somewhere different, but what, where? He shook his head as it began to hurt, he was no dummy, but he was also not a scholar.

He rested on his back an looked to the sky, what little peeked through the thick overhead palm trees was meager, but it still allowed a good view of a massive moon, pocketed by hundreds of tiny raters and markings. He watched it slowly move across the night sky, his mind still trying to comprehend why they were here.

A bushel shook behind him.

Coronamon was on his feet in no time, already igniting his fist, readying himself for combat. He stared at the same spot for a few minutes, then lowered his fist full of flames when he was sure it was safe. As he turned back around, a small tube slowly extended from the bush like a snake preparing to strike, it emitted a landing squarely on Coronamon’s neck. He reached back, but the embedded needle’s poison worked quickly as it sank into his brain in seconds. Coronamon fell to his knees, wondering why the world had decided to become blurry all of a sudden.

More of the stalks gradually revealed themselves, firing off more of the poison tipped darts into the unaware Changelings. Soon, after the final dart met its mark, the culprits moved into the dim firelight. Robed in camouflage such as leaves and sticks, they grabbed each Changeling one by one. One though, simply stood and watched. A wicked smile was masked by the flora he wore, but it showed nonetheless. He lead them onwards, towards their secret desert base.

As the reached a small mound of powder, the leader reached beneath the fake layer of magical sand and unlatched the trap door, large enough to be two ponies wide. Each Changeling, and Digimon, was thrown unceremoniously into the hollow, the bandits in tow.

The leader was last to get in, closing the dry wooden door behind them. Once closed, he gave himself a moment to adjust to the extremely dark tunnel. Once they were though, he smiled. It was that good old dark sandstone tunnel held up with the occasional brace that kept the desert from falling on their heads. He saw a flickering light just ahead, showing him the way. He waved a hoof to follow once they had all picked up a Changeling. He led them down a deep dark, dry tunnel that sloped slightly downwards, pitch dark save for the occasional torch that let them know where the wall was.

After an uneventful journey, they had reached the more solid sandstone of the badlands desert. It opened into a massive chamber which was hung with stone stalactites on its relatively smooth roof. The room itself was large enough to fit the Changeling hive`s main chamber in it twice, have a massive pit in its center that served to deepen the mighty cave. The bandits were unfazed by the sight, save for one near the rear who looked with awe, probably a new guy.

The leader reached a small anti chamber beside the entrance to the pit, shedding his camouflage which had since caused large amounts of sweating. His ragged and soiled once silver mane fell to his neck and blended with his deep black coat. He was an earth pony, but a very strong looking one. A scar adorned a place directly under his jaw where a Sand Stalker had attempted to shave him with its tail. The creature’s kind deed was met with a spear between its body armor and a slow, debilitated death. It tasted good with some coconut and oasis water.

Pale Shadow smiled with the memory, that was his first kill out here, and he was beyond hungry, so he ate without a whim –though he cooked it first. He was found by some of the bandits covered in the animal`s blood and a belly full of meat. They recruited him without a second thought. Stupid bandits, he thought, I was just really hungry was all.

The remaining ponies threw down their captives and began to shed their camouflage likewise. Each threw the sweaty rags on the ground and then hefted their catch onto their backs and continued their march down the spiral ramp that led into the heart of the base. A small throne sat in the very center of the hovel, made of bone and brown carapace. Pale Shadow dreamed of sitting on that throne, the bandits listening to his every order without hesitation or risk being cooked alive and eaten.

An old and scarred horse sat upon the bone throne and looked over the force. His twisted and mangled mouth turned into a smile that would give a dragon a queasy feeling if it was aimed at him.

“So, these are the changelings that you told me about, eh, Pale?” he said, voice as gravely as his appearance, which resembled a common crater site.

Pale Shadow stepped forward, “Yes mighty Blood Moon, I spotted them yesterday with one of the Pegasi guards.” And I also dampened the poisons effects, you old coot.

Blood moon nodded, “Good, now, tell me Pale, where is their Queen?”

Pale blanked, he never said anything about a queen.

“Um, I don’t believe that they came with a Queen oh mighty one.”

Blood Moon smirked deeper, and this time Pale Shadow shuddered like the entire world just froze over.

“Hehehe… Did you think I was dumb? A stupid old stallion who got sent here for looking bad? You imbecile, I knew your type the moment you fell through that hole and into our pit, the moment I heard your hooves. The beat of them, the rhythm, the iron on them. You’re a voyageur that got trapped here long ago, and I see you eying my throne, you want to control us. Use us for whatever you please, perhaps even challenge the Bandit King. Your smart Pale, but your also dumb.”

Pale Shadow smirked ever so slightly; he had under estimated the pit ruler, now he was in for it.

“Maybe, you old baboon, but there is something even YOU missed.”

Blood Moon’s smile was gone in an instant, “And what, oh tiny Equestrian, is that?”

Pale’s head lit for a moment, revealing a hidden horn, “That the Changelings serum was weak, the explosives, and my ability to wake any from a slumber.”

Blood Moon stood, “KILL THEM ALL!!!” he screeched.

But it was too late; the few that Pale had rallied attacked the rest who were still loyal to Blood’s rule over the sand pit. Pale Shadow himself lit his hidden horn and reached out to every Changeling’s mind.

Wake up. he commanded.

Soon, every Changeling was bright eyed and bushy tailed, charging horns and swapping forms. Pale Shadow smiled and ran to the very confused looking new guy.

“It’s all right your majesty; you can drop the disguise now.”

The pony looked at him for a moment, and then lit up in an emerald cloak of flame.

“Good eye Pale Shadow, now, if you would be so kind as to awaken my friend, Coronamon, then we shall be off.”

He nodded, lighting his horn and reaching about the crowd. He found a peculiar lion thing being guarded by a

disguised Changeling. He went into his mind for a moment, and then spoke the magic words.

The small lions eyes fluttered open, the he jumped to his feet, lighting his hands on fire and turning to the nearest bandit. He released both fireballs directly into the unfortunate bandits face, rendering him useless without eyeballs.

“All retreat!” ordered the Queen.

Soon, a column of Changelings, disguised and the like, began to break away from the combat. Coronamon joined the advance in a different direction on one of their backs, acting as a covering fire. They followed Pale Shadow up the ramp, who then lit his horn and triggered the well placed explosives that were embedded in the walls. He calculated that if they kept up this pace, without hindrance or stops, then they would get out with ten seconds to spare.

Too bad that the Pegasi were having no part in a mid-battle escape.

Pale Shadow looked bug eyed at the Pegasi dropping down to take random swipes at the group as they retreated back to the surface. The Changelings kept them a bay, but not before they got in front. A small group of eight burly Pegasi landed in the mouth of the cave, blocking their path.

Pale Shadow furled his brow, “You idiots! If we stop now, then none of us are going to survive!”

One stepped forward, a goofy grin on his face, “Hey man, take it easy, were just all going to die! Ghahahaha!”

Pale noticed the others having the same inappropriate grins, had they been into the poison stock? That would certainly explain the attitudes.

“No matter, quickly, get them out of our way!” yelled Chrysalis.

There was a flurry of magical green blasts, each aimed at the Pegasi that wished only for imminent death. Said druggies moved with surprising speed, though their flight patterns were shaky and disorganized, they still attack from both sides. The Changelings began to move again, the way now clear, even if there was a few skirmishes from the drugged bandits.

Even if the way was clear, Pale was sweating more than usual in the stuffy cave. Those morons chewed up precious time, let’s see here… we have about three seconds to get out…

Pale Shadow flinched for a second, then ran the calculation through his head again, nope, he was right. Darn.  He heard mangled cries from behind, the sound of rocks pounding all who were unfortunate enough to be under them, and the terrible beating of his heart. It was gaining on them, dust licking at their heels.

Pale Shadow picked up his pace; they weren’t going to make it… The something incredible happened, something unexpected. There had long since been a gas pocket beneath the cave, lying in wait for some idiot to trigger it. Just then, one of the explosives primed it, firing off a shock wave of concentrated non-toxic gasses the group’s way. It grabbed a hold of them, throwing them the next forty feet or so up the tunnel.

The Queen was the first to regain her bearings; the cave was still collapsing if the sound of tons of rock and sand falling were any indication of such. She blasted the trap door with a beam of energy, clearing a path for them all.

“Out out out!” she ordered.

The Changelings rose, many shaking their heads from the gaseous tidal wave that had given more than a few headaches. They followed their orders with glee, jumping out of the crumbling pit. The first one out helped the next, who helped the next, and so on. Soon, the entirety of the Changeling race was lying and panting outside of the small hole that was once a mighty cave. It gave off one last thwoomp, burped out a cloud of dust, then settled.

The surrounding area was a pile of bodies and tangled hooves, each struggling to regain their footing. Some stayed down; others cringed over broken wings and carapace. One in particular fussed about the glass that melted into his fur.

Pale Shadow stood and looked to the hole in the ground that had served as his home for some amount of time. It now lay as a massive crater embedded into the sands of the endless desert. He smiled; at least one thing went right. His small victory was soon ended as a wave of magic grabbed him and pulled him towards the queen. He smiled sheepishly as she looked down at him.

“Uh, yes Your Majesty?” he asked.

She brought him closer, “Now, why would a bandit destroy his entire base unless he wasn’t a bandit? You were called Equestrian, you do have pony shoes on, and I can see that your grimed mane is still slightly styled. Who are you really?”

He sighed, looking down, “My name is Star Glow, really, it is. I was a royal guard for Canterlot, first rank, no stars. I was sent here after I dealt with an offender violently, to say the least. After my trial, I was listed among the bandit list and exiled to this desert. I walked for two days having nothing but my armor and a spear, along with a single canteen. I had since drunk away the canteen; I hadn’t eaten anything in the dungeons for two days as well, leaving me starved. When I was attacked by a Sand Stalker, I killed it, and with no other truly viable options, I cooked and ate it…”

Chrysalis nodded, “Obviously, they found you in your starved state and saw something that could kill.”

Star nodded, “Yes, now I never had any intentions of becoming a bandit, I was a guard once you know. But they took me in, showed me where the water and food were, and said that they could use a stallion like me. I started to think different; I had those charges stolen from their cache a long time ago, days after I arrived. I set them as a plan to blow the place up one night, but my mind was slipping. I saw the throne every day, I wanted it. To have free reign over the idiots in the pit. Of course, you happened along one day. I caught one of the pegasus guards charging down into the pit, he said something about black bugs, so I looked into it.

“Aren’t you all a little glad I did? I found out you were Changelings, so I had the poison set to be lower in dose, that way I could wake you all easier. I needed this place gone, so I could have my name back. I hate it here, no way of keeping clean, no real good food, or even some decent clothes. I was stuck in a world of grime, filth. Now, I know you all invaded Canterlot a while back, but, I think that with the amount of lives that were just extinguished, I’ll never have my name back. I had planned to destroy the hovel when we were all above ground. But, recent events have drove me to do otherwise.”

He looked up to the Changeling Queen; eyes a little watery knowing he was never coming home, truly to home.

“I ask of you, Queen Chrysalis, to let me join you. I have a home no more, and a castle to defend gone as well. Perhaps, could you find it in your heart, to take me in like you did the lion?”

Chrysalis looked down at the retired guard, he wanted in? Just like that? Admittedly, this place would be forever safer without the base there and he had saved them, like Coronamon did. She sighed, there was a heroic pattern coming along here, one where the Changelings were all damsels in distress.

She thought about it for a moment longer, the upsides where that he had combat experience, probably had some armor stashed away somewhere, and he had the talent of waking others from their slumber. How did he do that again?

“Very well Star Glow, I suppose we could do with all the help we can get. Grab what you need, we leave within the hour.”

Star Glow smiled as wide as a chasm, “Thank you your majesty, I shall not disappoint!” he then dashed off in a seemably random direction.

Chrysalis shook her head before a Changeling walked up to her, “My Queen, many of us were injured from the explosion, the majority of the wounds are broken wings. We have to travel by foot.”

Chrysalis groaned; this was not exactly how things were supposed to be going.

“Very well, treat as many of the injured as possible, we move while the moon is still high.”

The Changeling nodded, bowing before cantering back into to reforming crowd of Changelings. She felt a presence near her foreleg and looked down to see Coronamon picking shards of glass out of his coat.

“I suddenly have a hatred for the desert.” He said nonchalantly.

She smiled, “Here, let me help.”

Her horn lit up, and began picking shards of fresh glass from his coat. She felt something stir inside her, the feeling that she hadn’t felt in centuries, something she had forgotten she could feel. A warm stirring in her chest, the feeling of a mother to a child. The feeling made her sick, how could she be feeling that just by helping the small, cute little lion with the fresh pieces of glass that he had made by accident from his coat like a nit-picky child… Oh.

She frowned in but the slightest way as she realized she really was acting motherly towards the small creature, no matter what way she put it. As the final glittering gem of burned sand was removed, she smiled again, there, now no more of that.

Star Glow came back as a clanking mass of metal, having retrieved his armor and spear. Chrysalis turned to greet him, lips turning upwards as she saw the rusted version of the classical royal guard armor.

“Good to see your ready, we have some wounds to treat, so sit down, make yourself comfortable.” commented the Queen.

Star hailed a salute, securing his spear into the ground and sitting down upon the gritty desert. He stared straight forward, though his eyes flew around the area searching everything that wasn’t behind him, even the few months he had lived here had made him weary of the desert.

Chrysalis nodded, returning to overseeing the medical operations.

(ஜ۩۞۩ஜ)

Something stirred in the desert, making the sands drift to and fro. A thing arose from the sand, enraged by its rude awakening. Its muddled scales shimmered a handsome brown in the moonlight’s glow. Massive red-orange eyes searched its surroundings; the entire desert shifted with a breeze, two centuries or so underground made it look like he had been dropped off on another planet. A low, grinding growl sounded from its foul maw, it wasn’t a morning guy, this was night, but you get the idea.

(ஜ۩۞۩ஜ)

Something sounded in the distance, something different than the usual growl or howl that emitted from the shifting sands of the Badlands. It sounded like hundreds of tiny pebbles grinding together and being blown away by a hurricane that was destroying a city full of boulders.

Star Glow looked its way, trying to spy whatever had made the sound. He raised a hoof to his forehead, glimpsing at every grain of desert powder. Then something made itself noticeable, a mound of sand being pushed up from underneath, like something was tunneling under it.

He turned to his new Queen, “Your majesty, I believe a swarm of Sand Stalkers is coming to see what the commotion is.”

Chrysalis looked up from the wound she was treating, then spotted Stars pointing hoof and followed it to the mound.

“Everybody, we have trouble, ready your spells for combat!” she ordered.

What few Changelings could stand did so, lining up with their Queen and readying spells.

Coronamon stepped up beside Chrysalis, “What is it Chrysalis, bugs?”

Chrysalis looked out to the dunes, “No, Stalkers are a race of arachnids; they have a tendency to form packs and hunt for any food available in the desert. They have large bladed tails, ten eyes, eight legs and a brown husk, the tails are venom-less, but still large enough to cut a Changeling in half.”

Coronamon shuddered, “Oh, well forget I asked…”

As the mound approached, it became more and more apparent that it wasn’t a pack of Sand Stalkers. The mound was too large, too fast, and not split up by this point.

Then something happened that nearly blew Star over, a fin the size of a parasail erupted from the sand, tall and rigid with lengths of skin in between the bony plates.

“SAND DRAKE! EVERYPONY RUN!” he cried, moving out of formation and bolting into the oasis.

Many of the Changelings joined him, but some stayed with their Queen and Coronamon, their mightiest warriors.

As the dune reached its climax, it exploded. The same earth shaking howl emitted from its maw, showing off rows of jagged bloodied and rotting teeth. It lowered its head, rivaling the size of a cave opening and four glowing fiery orbs looking them over. It glowered at them, not even being kind enough to move its mouth and foul stench do to centuries of rot. Each set of eyes moved separately from the other, looking over the rebelling group, though nearly each was shaking. Nearly.

Then all four eyes rested upon Chrysalis, and it stopped. It moved away its mouth and seemed to smile, however that was possible as its mouth could have been mistaken for sandstone. It then chose to speak, though it was hard to tell what it was saying as it sounded more like a caste falling apart.

“Chrysalis, how good to see you again, my liege. I am very sorry for scaring your people like that; I know how fragile they can be… Anyway, what are you doing at the oasis, which has grown considerably from my time?”

Chrysalis returned the smile, “Your apology is accepted, old friend, but not needed. As for our location, we were headed to Equestria to try and establish a colony there.”

The mighty sand dragon twisted its head, bones creaking from after centuries of misuse.

“That is, more or less, good to hear. Why then, are you yourself going?”

Chrysalis’s smile disintegrated faster than the air in the drakes lungs, “We… we are the last, Kalahari. I am the last.”

Kalahari’s eyes widened to the size of the Changelings, “No… I remember your people like it was yesterday, when you finally said it was my time to rest. You had at least three families, one of which was in Equestria already”

The mighty creature smashed a claw on the ground, “I should have stayed, I should have helped defend you like the others. Your people were once a mighty desert thriving species, now you are to tell me that you are dying?! How, who is responsible!?”

“Please, calm down Kalahari,” she yelled to the raging desert roamer, “if you stayed, you would have simply died with us!”

Her words did nothing to soothe Kalahari, “No, tell me Chrysalis, and I shall help you get vengeance.”

“NO!” she snapped, enraged by the dragons offer, “We need no vengeance, too many have died trying to establish simple contact. What we need is to be quiet about or entrance, get in through the Desert Canyon. We will live as a quiet whisper, as was or species intended to.”

Chrysalis breathed in and out, trying to calm herself, “I know how you feel about my kind, Kalahari, but we need to lay low until we have regained our strength. And if you must know ancient one, the Equestrians are, by extent, responsible for our downfall.” She then looked to the ground, “As am I.”

Kalahari looked solemnly upon his oldest friend, feeling sorrow for her affairs, “Very well Queen, I will not strike an Equestrian on sight, but the smallest remark about you, or our allies, and I will happily turn them to dust.”

Chrysalis looked up to the sand breathing dragon, “What do you mean, an Equestrian, and our allies?”

He smiled again, grinding centuries old bone and marrow, “I mean I am joining you, I can see the green staining the ground, though the battle might be over, you have injured. You would not make it to Equestria without burning alive, so I am going to offer a lift. I will act as a medevac of sorts, and transport those who cannot carry themselves.”

He looked at the stunned Queen with his four eyes, “There is nothing you can do to change my mind, and consider this my re-enlistment to the Changeling army.” he said before moving over to the wounded.

She felt her jaw clicking a few times in disbelief, then stuttered and spoke, “V-Very well, I guess I welcome you back, Kalahari. Everybody, this drake will carry you back to Equestria, we set off as soon as we find Star Glow.”

At the mention of his name, the ex-Equestrian jumped out of the woods, “Here, Your Majesty!”

She glanced his direction before helping another onto Kalahari’s back, “Ah yes, you. Now, onto the Sand Drake’s back will you? We need to leave as soon as possible.”

Kalahari looked at the rusted equine, then snorted, a tunnel of sand coming out with it, “Very well, Equestrian, but don’t blame me if my wing hits you a few times.”

Star waddled up the three story tall beast, smiling sheepishly, “I would never dream of it, um, can I get some help up?”

Kalahari smiled, and before Chrysalis could stop him, he grabbed the guard in his jaws, throwing him up into the air and landing him on his back with an audible ‘whump’.

Star Glow might have groaned a ‘thank you’, but Kalahari didn’t care, being able to do that was reward enough for him.

Once Coronamon was loaded on Chrysalis’ back, she jumped into the desert air, moving forward and giving the go ahead for the rest of the Changelings. They buzzed into the sky, followed by the thunderous sound of Kalahari opening his timeless wings. They were underused, but still large enough to carry the load he now bare and a little more with the distance they had to cover.

He hoisted himself into the air, wings creating a full sized sandstorm in his wake. As soon as he was up, he flew next to Chrysalis, spotting the creature on her back.

“And what is that, a new pet?” he asked laughing.

Chrysalis chuckled, and let Coronamon answer, “I am no pet, thank you very much, I am a part of this colony as any other is. Though I guess I am rather new and temporary, I still don’t like people, or dragons, calling me a pet just because I am small.”

Kalahari grinned, “Ah, so a snack then.” he joked.

Coronamon just rolled his eyes as Kalahari laughed in his deep gravely way.

“I am of course joking, young one, welcome to the family.” he finished, voice about as baritone as measurable.

Coronamon just lay back against the Queen, looking at the twinkling stars. As for Chrysalis herself, she was looking back at the column of sand and slate that they left when Kalahari took off, and remembered why his favorite line was: “Here, have some more!” as their enemies coughed up their lungs.

It was going to be tough to hide the massive ally in the plains area she planned to inhabit, but if anyone could hide something, it was a Changeling. Also, it wouldn't hurt to have a dragon on their side if things got bad, just some army building 101 she knew. But even as they glided through the night air, she could feel this wasn't going to be easy, and it was going to be much harder before it got better. Oh well, they would make it to see another day, the always did, and there was more than one way to do it.