Corrupted life

"Do Do de do do, dum de dum" A lone pony trotted through a dark tunnel, a small glow on his horn and a song in his mouth. Everything was good. His mind slowly wandered as he thought what to do when he made it back to his room. He had already finished his job for the day, feeding the young, and now he was finally granted some free time. He decided to explore, and he couldn’t ever remember coming down this far in the tunnels before. It was definitely darker than most tunnels, and it looked like it hadn’t been used in centuries.

There had been legends about secret stashes of treasure being lost in ponies hast to escape the terrifying beasts that roamed the dark. But he knew it was all just myth.

Clank

The pony paused, turning off his light so as not to be detected. He may not believe the treasures to be true, but there where all possibilities that a group of diamond dogs could have infiltrated the musky hall. He crawled over to the side of the cave, hoping to blend in with it.

"I see you..." A low buzzing voice growled. The pony found courage and brought light back to his horn, ready to face his foe. His wings flared when he saw the creature before him. It had a shell of chitin that was black as night and yet gleamed like metal in the sun. The dagger sharp fangs in its mouth would terrify the most noble of stallions, and the wings on its back where those of an insect, buzzing ever so slightly.

Its horn glowed a brilliant green as it took another step forward with its holed hooves. Its big blue eyes seemed to stare into the pony’s soul and he could feel his emotions being drained.

"Hello Love Giver."

Colgate shook her head back and forth in frustration. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't use any magic. Not only that but she wouldn't have been able to see her hoof if she waved it in Front of her face. All she was aware of was a sort of soft squishy goop under her hooves and the damp air of a cave on her coat and the horrid smell. A gag in her mouth kept her from calling out and frequent push from behind kept her moving forward.  Buzzing noises wrapped around her ears, letting her know that this was no ponies doing. Behind her somewhere The Doctor and Master where prisoners as well.

After they had disappeared from the clearing they had teleported to outside a cave. Trixie had picked them all up in her magic and forced them in. As soon as the three time ponies were in pitch black darkness, they had been dropped to the ground. A flash of bright green fire had come from where Trixie had stood, but Colgate had not been able to tell what she had done. She was about to make a run for it when she felt something cold and hard Giver against her side. She gasped at the touch and cringed back as a buzzing noise surrounded her.

She had tried to called to The Doctor and The Master but couldn’t tell where they where aside from the faint sound of a struggle. Colgate closed her eyes and took a breath before she began to run. She ran as fast as she could and grinned when she saw something in front of her. Was the cave getting lighter? Her run lasted about 5 seconds before the wall made contact with her head. She had been quickly caught again after that and they had started the march through darkness.

"Take the prisoners to the dungeon and order someone to guard them. I will report the capture to the queen." Colgate heard Trixie leave, tensing in fear. She had never seen a dungeon but in story books and it was terrible what happened inside them in the stories. Whould their hosts torture them? Would The Doctor and The Master be put into different cells? What would she do without them?

The group continued to walk and soon an odd, green, glowing substance stuck on the wall was visible. Colgate reached out to touch it, but her hoof was swayed back by a hard object. The further they walked, the more frequent the substance appeared, and soon the hall was filled with it. Only then could Colgate get a good look at her captors.  They where changelings by the look of it with black carapaces and bug wings. The only difference from these and the ones from the attack at Canterlot was that these changelings where bigger and had different colored eyes and hair.

A large changeling with red ominous eyes was currently walking towards the group, pausing next to the changeling in the front.

"Captain report rank, name, and destination." He commanded, his voice giving away an air of boredom to Colgate’s surprise. She hadn't thought that changelings where capable of emotions at all. She had actually pictured them as being somewhat like the cybermen, seeking a life of perfection and emptiness.

"Sergeant Apharius reporting Sir. Destination east wing to place prisoners in dungeon sir." Colgate heard termers of fear in the sergeants voice. Apparently changelings where also capable of fear and intimidation.

"Who placed you under these orders sergeant?" The changeling hesitated a moment before answering, seeming to prepare for something to happen.

"Lady Emerald...sir."

"WHAT!!! How long have you been taken orders from the LADY Emerald!?!?"

"Since this morning sir."

"And what is she having you do, private?"

"I'm a sergeant sir..."

"I SAID, WHAT IS SHE MAKEING YOU DO!!!"

"SHE IS PREPAREING TO TAKE OVER PONYVILLE SIR!" Colgate took a step back from the shouting. It sounded like Ponyville was in for some trouble and here she was trapped before it even started. Also that explained the barrier around Ponyville.

"Now instead of taking orders from the lady you will take orders from me. Place the prisoners in the south wing."

"But sir, if word of this reaches the queen she will have my head!"

"And I care nothing about your head private. See that the order is served and then report to my office to obtain your old badge. Oh and private, see that my brother, the queens son, is given the guard job. He's going to collapse from exhaustion if he keeps that Job in the nursery."

A changeling shoved Colgate forward as they began walking again.

"Shurekin! What brings you to the dark tunnels?"

"Looking for you of course love Giver." The changeling grinned toothily. Love Giver smiled back and fell into step with his changeling friend.

"The captain has given orders for you to guard the new prisoners in the feeding cells. The queen has fears that if you continue in the nursery the younglings will drain you dry." Giver laughed at that. It was completely true, but he had to admit that his job was good compared to what most changelings had. But then again, he wasn’t a changeling.

"I have other duties to perform. The prisoners should make it to the cells soon so I would hurry. Being the queens son does not lift you from your responsibilities of being on time friend." And with that Shurekin was gone.

Giver buzzed his wings slightly and made his way back to the top of the tunnel and began to navigate the main hive, also known as the changeling Capitol. His hoof steps echoed in the empty tunnels he walked. He would meet no other changeling in them, for they were constructed for the purpose of escape in case of emergencies many centuries ago, and now they were unknown except to the eldest and most educated of ponies. The tunnels where empty of all light and not a trace of solid emotion the usually glowed green in the more commonly used tunnels could not be found.

He made it to the last tunnel that crossed into the correct hall through a crack, and slinked forward through the shadows. Solid emotion hung from the walls in green glowing gunk, slightly illuminating the area. Up farther in the hallway he could see the captain, his oldest brother. Giver started to ninja run forward, his hooves falling silently as he came up behind his brother. A gasp came from one of the feeding cells that he passed on his right. The gasp alerted is brother who turned around right as Giver pounced. Giver landed gracefully on top of his brother who was knocked on the ground. Giver smirked as he jumped off of his brother, his head held high. The smirk vanished instantly as he was covered in a green glow.

"You’re going to get it this time!" His brother shouted. Giver was floated back to his brother and held against the floor. The large changeling’s hooves pulled upwards and came down.

"hahahahahahaha SNORT  haha ha No! ha ha No, stop! gasp No! giggle You know I’m ticklish! Get off me you big bully!"

"You need to learn not to mess with changelings older than yourself squirt." Giver was let up finally and rolled away from his brother.

"I’m here to do my duty captain!" Giver saluted to his older brother who rolled his eyes.

"Have fun with that. Just remember not to let them out. I personally don’t care if you interrogate them with your silly pony questions. Just be sure the queen doesn’t catch you." Captain grinned and trotted away, waving back one last time. Giver sighed and looked to the cells. The bars where old and rusted, but magically enchanted to hold any ponies in. There was also a special changeling spell on it that slowly channeled the emotions from the prisoners and into the walls around the cells, which then converted it to solid emotion that sat there until a changeling came and took it away to the store room.

Giver looked into the first cell that contained two stallions, one with brown fur, and one with blue. Both of them where knocked out on the ground. The next cell was empty as usual. The cell after that held two pony unicorns, one of them a blue unicorn mare lying on the ground. The other cell occupant stood over the unconscious one, her face one of shock.

"Hey Trixie, what’s wrong? Do you know this one?" Giver called to the shocked pony. She simply nodded her head, running a hoof through the pony’s mane.

"I think so, but that is not important now. She will just be stuck here like me until the queen takes us."Giver leaned in right next to the bars and looked around suspiciously.

"Just between you and me pony, I heard that the queen was preparing to negotiate terms of peace with Celestia. This battle cut down half our population and our love supply is down to. If the princess is willing to negotiate then you could be out of here in about a month."

He pulled his head back and looked down at the knocked out mare.

“I wouldn’t hold my breath though. Sometimes queen chrysalis can be a bit tenacious when it comes to her pride."

Colgate shuddered slightly and tried to open her eyes but to no avail. They, as well as the rest of her body felt heavy as if her coat was soaked through with water. She could faintly make out two voices near her, one a mare and one a stallion. Remembering her predicament, she assumed one or both of them where changelings. That most likely meant they where guards which meant they were stuck. Trapped. At realization a cold chill ran down her spine. If it hadn’t been for the paralyzing spell put through her whole body she would have begun to twitch in adrenalin. It usually happened on her adventures with The Doctor.

"COLGATE!"

Colgate did her best to become alert, but only managed to cock her ears up. She could suddenly hear the voices clearly and she could instantly tell that the one to call her name was The Doctor. She could hear more voices join in on the shouting as well.

"Stop shouting prisoner.  The sleeping chambers are nearby and if you wake anyone I’m positive that you will regret it!" The speaker was a male, a changeling guard by his tone and words.

" I WONT SHUT UP UNTIL YOU TELL ME WERE MY DAUGHTER IS!!!!!!"Colgate smiled. Had The Doctor just called her his daughter? Of course she knew he was not her birth father despite her developed race, but she had never heard him call her anything of the sorts. It swelled her heart with joy to hear him call her that.

"I know for a fact she is not your daughter." The changeling's voice growled. Colgate noticed that she could move slightly and began to flutter her eyes, and blink away the blurriness.

"D..Doctor. Pease....calm yourself." The Masters voice sounded faint and strained, most likely because he was still under the changelings spell a bit. Colgate’s vision had begun to clear and now she could see a blue hoof next to her head. She was facing away from the guards voice and a mare’s voice broke out right above her, most likely belonging to the mare connected with the blue hoof.

"Brush, I think you should calm yourself also. There’s no reason to get worked up about the others waking. That stallion will get what’s coming to him. I know firsthoof." For some reason the voice sent alarm bells through her mind.

"Shut up pony. And don’t call me Brush! You will show me respect as you do my brother!"The changelings voice growled.

"Pony!!! You would be one to speak!" The mare’s voice shouted back. Colgate tried to turn her head and managed to get a better look at the mare giving out a gasp.

"Trixie!" The one named jumped back from Colgate seemingly startled by the sudden shout. Colgate tried to move away and found herself to be able to stand shakily on her hooves. She stumbled backwards.  A burning shock ran through her body and all of her strength seemed to sap away as cold metal chilled her back, making her jump away from that as well. The cell she was stuck in was small and only contained two small cots and a couple blankets in the left corner. Colgate crouched in the right corner of the cell and watched Trixie cautiously. The mare in question began to calm back down from the startle and looked back at Colgate, seeming to evaluate her. There was a gleam in her eye that Colgate couldn’t quite put a hoof on.

"By time you woke up. We were starting to worry that they had drained you dry." The changeling’s voice reached her ears with dry humor. She looked over to see him and found she had been wrong and the surprise must have shown in her face because their guard chuckled slightly.

"Weren’t expecting a pony to be outside the bars, were you?" Colgate noticed her mouth had dropped open and swiftly closed it.

"W..Who are you?" Colgate managed to whisper. Trixie looked like she was about to answer but a menacing glare from Colgate cut her off.

"And I don’t want to speak to you evil...thing!" Colgate hissed. The mare scowled and Colgate could detect rejection and sorrow pool in her eyes like tears before the mare turned away.

"Don’t be so harsh on her. It’s not like she did anything wrong." Colgate looked out at the guard pony and looked him over. He didn’t seem to be the strongest of ponies, but was certainly not weak. His vibrant orange mane was ruffled up and one of his ears flopped down. His eyes where a breathtaking TARDIS blue color. His coat was a dull brown and almost seemed feathery. Colgate couldn’t help but notice his cutie mark was a heart and a Giver, and thought the heart on it a bit ironic seeing that he lived with changelings.

"Thank you for trying to clear my name Giver, but I deserve it anyway for the deeds I have done before entering this hell hole."

The blue coated mare shuddered slightly and only now could Colgate see the bags of sleepless nights gathered under the older mare’s eyes.

"Nothing wrong?!? She’s going to take over Ponyville! I heard her say it!” Colgate narrowed her question towards the pony guard. He scoffed and rolled his eyes as if the answer to the question had been obvious through the whole ordeal.

"The Trixie that you met was a changeling, my dear sister the lady emerald to be exact. This Trixie, the real Trixie, is not quite so rude. Besides how did you expect her to take over Ponyville on that side of the bars?" The guard chuckled again and looked to the right as an ear splitting sound sliced their eardrums. The guard rushed over to we're The Doctor and Masters cage was and began to shout at them. Colgate simply sighed and calmed down from her crouched position, straightening up. Trixie looked over to her and began to move forward, a hoof held out in greeting. Colgate cautiously shook it with her own.

"I don't believe we have made introductions. I am Trixie Lulamoon." Colgate’s mind raced trying to remember the name from a past memory, but she seemed not to remember.

"I am Colgate." Colgate smiled slightly and sighed on exasperation when the sound of hoof and jaw connecting reached her ear. The Doctors voice was instantly silenced. The guard trotted back in front of our cell and sat down, beginning the long task of watching. He held The Doctors Sonic screwdriver in his mouth.

Giver continued to pace in front of the cells as the day continued. It had been three days since the three new prisoners had entered the feeding cells. The two stallions in the first cell had tried to escape almost five times in the last few days although they had not made it far before they were overcome by changelings. The mares had begun to speak and Giver would usually pass the time listening in on them.

At the moment the stallions were whispering in the corner of their cell, a practice they had started after their last try at escape. The mares where both doing their own things, Trixie laying on the cot and Colgate sitting at the bars of the cell looking down the hallway. He could not help but take a fancy to the mare, for she had star quality. She was brave and bold enough to stand up to his brother when he had given less food to Trixie than herself. The punishment had been no food for any of them.

But of course he new that he could never have a mare, his mother would not permit it unless it was to a changeling mare. Giver stepped over to Colgaste, sitting next to the bars.

“So, Having fun?”

"Yeah. Getting captured by changelings is every mares dream.” She snipped sacasticly before sighing.

“Sorry. I just want to go home. I’m not used to living with changelings like you.”

“ And you would never want to.”Giver sighed,”The changelings are obnoxious, rude, and very biased against ponies.”

“Then why stay?” Clogates question made Giver flinch a bit.

“Imagine,” He began,” That were half dead, unable to survive, but some pony rescued you. Now imagine that they took you with them back to their home, invited you in, and raised you. Everyone else you ever saw hated you. The only one that shows you any respect is the one who saved you, one brother, and one friend. Would you be able to leave those few people that you love?” Giver shook his head. “I cant.”

Giver looked back at Colgate to see that she had scrambled back to the wall of the cell. Giver stiffened and spun around to find his mother standing tall before him. The hall became silent of all, even the stallions whispers. The chill of an emotionless wind threw a snowy chill down Givers back. He quickly bowed low, arising at her gesture.

"Hello Mom. What brings you to the feeding grounds?" Giver inquired. The queen smiled thoughtfully at her adopted son before her gaze again grew cold.

"I am afraid young mister that I must speak with you concerning our new “guestssss”." Chrysalis hissed out the words and glared towards the cells.

"Come." The queen gracefully stepped down the tunnel, closely followed by Giver. They continued through the darkness before slipping through one of the hidden passageway opening to the left, soon coming to a door. Light leaked out from the bottom and began to pour when it was opened fully by the queen. The light was a bright flickering red momentarily bringing Giver before he could make up his surroundings. When he could see he instantly recognized one of his mothers "off rooms” that she used when she wanted to get away from being royalty or in emergencies like a crazy assassin on the loose. The room contained a bed, a small container of solid emotion, a shelf of books, and an assortment of other casual items.

Giver sighed as he watched the crown fall off his mothers head as she collapsed on her bed. He trotted over to her and gently rubbed her back as he usually did when she was stressed.

"Oh child, what am I supposed to do?" Chrysalis relented. “Our hive is dwindling to extinction after the attack and still we have not solved the problem of starvation. We can't survive much longer without a love source." Giver thought it over and raised his hoof to his chin in thought.

“I Thought you were going to sign a peace treaty with the equestrian princesses? Surely their price won't be too high seeing that we didn't harm any ponies during our attack in permanent ways. Besides we have surely paid enough of a ransom with our lives." The queen just shook her head at the suggestion.

“You ponies are too soft. You are probably curious as to why I stole you away from your job." He simply nodded as she continued.

"I have made up my mind on our problem. We will use the prisoners as hostages. Every time the princesses deny us, the prisoners lives will be put in jeopardy. Until they gives us a final food source we will put them in the... noshery." She spit out the last word with pity and remorse. When Giver heard this he gasped and stepped away from her in shock.

"But mother! That would be torture! I wouldn’t wish that feat upon my worst enemies, not even Celestia!" Mother whipped around a burning rage in her eyes.

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK THAT NAME IN MY PRESENCE YOU INSOLENT PONIE!!!!" Her royal voice was torture to my eardrums and my body shook in fear. It felt as though her gaze had turned Giver to ice. Her breath came out in ragged breaths after her outburst and she closed her eyes, turning from him.

"You just don’t understand. Your one of the... the ponies. You wouldn’t... couldn’t... understand." Giver could feel the tears trying to arise in his large eyes. It hurt him when she did this, thinking he was just a soft pony. screw this. He set his jaw straight, clenching his teeth as he usually did to keep from shouting at his mother.

"If that’s all my queen, I will withdraw." Giver turned and walked towards the entrance with his head high, ignoring the burning sensation of her watching him.

"Knock out the prisoners. The guard captain will transport them to the room. You can keep the young mare for yourself."

Giver grunted as a response, trying not to let her notice his inner turmoil.

"Wait!-" The voice of the queen had begun to sound regretful, maybe even defeated. His heart told him to go comfort her, but his mind had begun to harden towards her. He continued out the room, closing the door softly.

Why don’t I leave?

Soon he had reappeared at the harvesting cells. He let his small horn light up with a faint orange glow and closed his eyes. The magic had always felt weird to him. It was as if a barrier was in-between his horn and true magic flow as mother called it, with only enough magic trickling out for a simple spell every once in a while.

Now he directed that magic into three minds being held in the two cells. They could tell what Giver was doing and protests began to rise from the ponies, but he just blocked all noise out as he concentrated on getting the spell right. His magic connected with their mind and he began to warp it into music. It was a spell that mother had taught him that made a magical lullaby in the 'prey's' mind making them fall to sleep. It was natural enough that it didn’t leave any traces of magic use and simple enough that he could use it. One by one he felt their minds slowly slip into slumber and he carefully withdrew from their minds.

"What did you do to them?!?" Giver opened his eyes; fighting back the dizziness that using magic usually brought him. A blue blur sat in the cell, staring at him.

"Calm down p..pony, I..their just sleeping..." he continued to try and shake the dizziness and blurriness in his head out, finally succeeding. He sat down heavily and waited for his brother to get there. Giver’s mind wandered and his face became wet again as he thought about mother. She had never thought him overly high compared to his siblings, and she had constantly used his race against him. He was more changeling than pony, feeling their same feelings, sharing their life, even eating at their table which was very sparse of food.

"Giver." a somber voice came up beside him.

"Mother told me what happened, don’t sweat over it, k?" Givers head snapped up and he jumped in front of his brother who had come up to him.

"Shut Up! THIS IS NONE OF YOUR BUISNESS SO SHUT UP AND STAY OUT OF IT!!!!" His voice cracked and he closed his eyes. He had never shouted at his siblings in rage before unless it was over petty sibling problems like sharing toys. He just curled up on the floor, listening to Captain’s hoof steps and the sound of his magic as he carried the prisoners out of their cells. The sound of Colgate struggling and shouting reached my ears and were muffled at the slam of the cell door closing again.

"Have fun with your pet." The gruff voice of my brother passed, and there was a clank on the floor next to me. I didn’t move. I hated the wetness of tear on my face. Changelings never cried, so why did I? I let out a sob before another one came and soon I was weeping on the floor. I could faintly hear comforting words coming from the prisoner, but I ignored them. She shouldn’t waist her pity on me when she needs it at the moment.

Why not just leave?

After a while the tears stopped coming. I felt depressed and empty, but my sadness was slowly being replaced by hate and anger, and I could feel it. I knew it was bad to be controlled by anger, but when mother had snapped at me, it had hurt. It’s not like that was the first time either. She constantly mistrusted me in important situations, and she always referred to how annoying it was that I had to use the secret tunnels and that I should be more like changelings. Well newsflash, I’m a pony.

Eventually I stood up, tears gone but a scowl set on my face. I was sick and tired of changelings; maybe I should just go be a pony then. I used a small burst of magic, ignoring the dizzy spell it brought me, and unlocked the cell, letting the blue pony out. She just stood there with her mouth open in surprise.

"Well come on pony, let’s get out a here."