Corrupted Lands

by Nameless Narrator

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!"

Author's Note:

Thank you for reading the first chapter. Feel free to leave comments regarding to what you liked and did not like about both the story and storytelling. Or anything, really.

Comments

[garfan]

you expect us to root for a character who wasn't even strong enough to keep herself sane?

[Nameless Narrator]

6756554 It's about a situation where the only way out is joining the enemy one way or another, otherwise the alicorns would have sorted everything out already (or rather sent Twilight to do it). One's mental endurance has nothing to do with being able to resist or not.

Also: Each chapter is written from a POV of a different character.

[funguy26]

i like it a lot!

[Nameless Narrator]

6764683 Just for that, I like you a lot.

[Anonymous Critic]

6756554
Who ever said anything about rooting? If you've read the original Imbalanced series... well... there was bound to be some times you even came to despise the main character.

It's not about rooting for a character... it never was. It's about the story.

[Anonymous Critic]

Honestly though, Nightshade felt like she was going through more personality changes than... heck... Blazing on a good day. One moment she was a loyal, if kinky and pissed off at her boss, guard. Then she was someone loyal to her new friend, Chilly. Then she broke her promise, and didn't even try to keep Mana Burn from turning... then she became a complete bitch, acting like she owned Ponyville even though she only recently really became a queen...

All in all, I'm just trying to figure her out. Is this intentional, or..?

[Two_Madmans]

9389473

original Imbalanced series... well... there was bound to be some times you even came to despise the main character.

I didn't.