Living Mark of Courage

by Moowell

64

Caretaker 1, Log entry 64.

Day 1: A new convert, henceforth dubbed 64, came to me two days ago from Ponyville, courtesy of Captain 8. Female, appears to have been little more than a filly upon conversion due to her size. Her wings and horn are small, even by a hatchling's standard, leading me to believe she was an Earth Pony. Her left foreleg is thick and nearly solid, but perforated with several small holes. Physically, nothing else of note. Her behavior is similar to the other converts, animalistic and reminiscent of the Everfree beasts, but she appears to be intelligent. She may even be trainable if given the proper motivation. I shall look into this matter.

Day 2: It's clear that 64 doesn't trust me. Whenever I approach, she bares her fangs and hisses violently. Since her arrival, our only interaction is when I set her rationed love crystal in front of her. She usually waits until I leave the area before draining it completely. She prefers to keep to herself during free-time, sometimes even choosing to stay near her chain and simply watch the others.

Day 3: 31 attacked 64 today. 31 is the largest convert under my care and has long considered himself what ecologists would term the 'alpha male', usually spending his time strutting around to gain attention from the females and respect from the males. On the other hoof, 64 has proven herself to be quiet and indifferent to them, choosing to lie down alone and let them do as they please. So when 31 strutted in front of her, she just ignored him and continued to lie down. He took offense and attacked her before I could separate them. Fortunately, 31 somehow managed to get himself caught in 64's leg chain before he could do any serious harm.

Day 5: I don't believe 64 fully trusts me yet, but I may finally be winning her over. When I approached this morning, she didn't hiss at me like usual. Instead, she regarded me with indifference like she does with the other converts. Progress!

Day 6: Due to the growing love shortage, the Queen has ordered the cessation of all conversions. I fear I will be reprimanded in the near future, because I let my emotions get the better of me and stuck the messengers to the wall with goo upon hearing the news. I'm not sure whether to be upset that I won't be feeling any new presences or happy that our hive won't collapse... No, I shouldn't dwell on such things. I have 64 charges to care for.

Day 8: It has been one decade since the arrival of my first convert. To commemorate, I decided to give them all an extra ration of love. Several of them were so excited that they nearly broke their chains trying to get to the second crystal. Thankfully, not all of them are as aggressive as 31. A few, like 64, remained calm and accepted my gift gently, thank the Queen.

Day 11: I woke during the night due to the sound of a wind instrument, similar to a set of pipes. Shortly afterward, there was a scream and a bright green flash of light. When I rushed out to see who was there, 64 was bleeding from her chained leg but no one else was there. I applied medical spit to her wounds, and that calmed her down. It troubles me that someone can slip through the Hive so easily undetected. If I catch the intruder who hurt my converts...

Day 12: Success! I don't know if she's finally beginning to trust me, or if she just likes me better for healing her yesterday, but today 64 accepted the love crystal directly from my hoof! Perhaps she will let me stay and observe her more closely from now on. Tomorrow, I will remove her leg chains.

Day 14: Someone attacked the Hive! Based on the few mental connections I can receive from inside this cavern, the assailant was lupine in nature and incredibly powerful. It attacked several of the Convert Caverns lined along the western stretch of the Hive. This may sound callous later, but I'm glad it wasn't here; there was another outburst from the converts today. Strangely enough, this one was caused by the usually calm 64. She seemed frantic to escape, like something was hunting her. What's worse is she's somehow learned to spit! Her skill is clearly sub-par, but she nearly hit me with a ball of goo during all the confusion. I will have to be constantly on guard. If she catches me unaware, or if she manages to teach the other converts, I don't know if I will be able to contain them safely.

Day 17: It has been several days since the outburst, and everything seems to have returned to normal. It doesn't look like the others have learned any new tricks since then, but I will remain watchful. My only concern is that 64 has returned to her former seclusion. It may take some time before she trusts me or the others again.

Day 18: Last night, I awoke to the sound of a wind instrument, the same instrument of which I have previously logged. There were no attacks this time, but I will again spend several nights in vigil to determine the source. Hopefully this time will prove more fruitful.

Day 19: The Queen has put out a notice informing all changelings that healthy drones have been found dead inside the Hive. It is possible that the intruder from last week never left the area. In fact, that is more likely to be the case than a second infiltrator managing to breach the Hive undetected. She has advised every changeling to be especially watchful for anything that might be suspicious. The mysterious instrument has been reported to the proper authorities. With the close proximity of its music to the attack and the disappearances, I cannot help but think they are somehow connected.

Day 22: 31 has never liked 64 after their first incident, but recently he has been growing more openly hostile toward her. I was forced to charge him in order to separate them today. It is only a matter of time before he starts another conflict. I may need to re-install the leg chains to keep the peace.

Day 24: 31 attacked 64 again today, and I must say I am surprised at the result. I never expected 64 to be a capable fighter. She's always been so quiet and non-confrontational, but today she displayed combat ability worthy of a CSF trainee. Is it possible that she learned to charge and spit from me? Tomorrow, I will take her aside and see if she is capable of learning other techniques.

Day 25: Not only is 64 capable, she is gifted. She isn't a particularly powerful fighter, but the way she uses the techniques she knows is nothing short of astounding, especially for a convert. She has the ability to spit, charge, transform, and though her wings aren't powerful enough for true flight, she can hover for a short distance. This unexpected display of ability has piqued my interest greatly. I believe that with some training, she would be on par with junior CSF.

*****

"You really are ssomething, 64. You know that?" CT1 said, watching as 64 sucked her rationed crystal dry. "I've never sseen a convert sso... sstable." The convert cocked her head to the side and stared at her. "SSee, that'ss what I'm talking about: little thingss like the way you cock your head. It'ss like you undersstand what I'm ssaying, or maybe it'ss a ssort of feral curioussity. Maybe both. Either way, I've never sseen a convert sso closse to reality, mentally sspeaking. You're even intelligent enough to be trainable, unlike the otherss. By the Queen, I could sspend hours jusst--" A bell rang from her chamber, a room connected to the convert's cavern be a small entry at the side, and she sighed. "Well, I could if I didn't have my dutiess. I will be back, sso don't go anywhere, okay?"

CT1 went into her room. Just inside, a large panel filled with dials, switches and buttons stretched out beneath the window. In the center of the panel was a small screen with several buttons on the right and a dial surrounded by a circle of indicating lights on the left. One of those light, labeled 'QC', was flashing as the buzzer continued to sound. The buzzer shut off once she turned the dial toward the flashing light and pushed the top-most button next to the screen.

"Queen'ss Chamber, Convert'ss Cavern 0, Caretaker 1 sspeaking."

There was an audible chuckle as Queen Chrysalis' image appeared on the screen. "Still so formal, even after leaving the CSF?"

"The military never truly leavess the changeling, my Queen, but I doubt you ussed thiss method of communication perssonally for ssomething sso trivial."

The queen nodded. "As you know, our love rations are stretched thin. I have even had to slow my laying rate to avoid over-population. Therefore, I want you and your subordinates to remove all converts in your care."

CT1's jaw dropped to the floor. "My Queen! Thesse convertss are changelingss jusst as much as any other drone! They have a right to live!"

Chrysalis fixed CT1 with a steely glare through the screen. "Did you not tell me when you first started that you would not allow yourself to become attached? That you knew this order may come? I gave you years to create fruitful changelings from these converts, and not a single useful member of the changeling empire has come from them. I have been lenient and allowed you to continue your project as a reward for your prior service, but now our resources are spread too thinly. Our love reserve has never been stretched like this but once before, while I was still a young Queen. We as a race reached the point where our only options were war or starvation. We chose war, and we survived, but we suffered greatly for it. I refuse to allow my changelings to be forced into that position again, and mindless converts that absorb love which could be given to able-minded changelings do not help the situation!"

CT1 wanted to refute the Queen, but she knew she had neither the authority nor the means to argue. The Queen was making a valid decision for her Hive based on past experience. CT1 sighed. "As you wissh, my Queen."

"Good. As you know, I have already contacted the Captains and ordered them to cease conversions. Inform your subordinates that all converts must be removed by the end of the hour. I will be sending a Squad of Soldiers to ensure the task is complete at that time."

"My Queen, may I make a requesst?"

"What request?"

"There iss one convert that I have become rather fond of. I would like to keep her under my perssonal care." The Queen would understand. Just one convert of the thousands that had come through CT1's care and been distributed between her and her and Caretakers. Thousands of converted changelings was one thing, but just one shouldn't be a problem.

"No."

CT1 paused. "My Queen, I would ssplit my love ration, sso there will be no need to use exxtra ressourccess on her."

"I already said no. If I allow you to keep one, then how could I not extend the other Caretakers the same favor? There are at least twenty of you now in the Capitol alone caring for converts who aren't capable of being fruitful members of the changeling empire."

"But my Queen, there'ss ssomething different about thiss one!" CT1 protested. "64 sshowss ssignss of individual intelligencce and sseemss to have have mild undersstanding. I have only had cusstody of her for four week'ss time, but sshe'ss proven to be highly trainable. She could become a fruitful member of the changeling empire!"

"The decision is final, Caretaker 1. There will be a Squad in your cavern in one hour's time to double check your removal efforts." Several moments of tense silence passed.

"...As you wissh, my Queen." As the panel screen flicked off, CT1 sat back on her haunches. She had to admit, her job had become little more than caring for the infirmed, and she knew that someday this would happen if she couldn't help bring the converts into society, but to happen so soon after finding a convert with actual potential was somewhat saddening. She sighed then pressed the bottom-most button next to the screen. "From QC: Project terminated. Remove all convertss. One hour. SSoldier-enforcced."

Upon completing her message, she walked outside and began chaining each and every convert back to the wall. When she was finished, she went back into her room and over to the far right side of her panel. Beneath a clear dome sat a large button marked with a changeling skull. Just as she raised the dome and prepared to press the button, a faint yet familiar tone reached her ears. It was the mysterious pipes that she had heard in the past several weeks, and it was coming from inside the Convert's Cavern! She rushed to the door in an attempt to catch the brave, if foolish, intruder.

What she saw, however, brought her fury to a halt. 64 was blowing across the holes in her left leg, similar to how a pan-pipe is played. The sound was similar in quality too, and there was a definite rhythm and purpose to each note. She, a convert, was making music, and the whole cavern resonated with her song.

A drop of water spattered against the ground, catching 64's attention. CT1 looked down to see another drop fall from her face and strike the floor. 64's head was low and wearing a frown when she looked back up. She realized the convert must've thought she was sad and quickly wiped away her tears.

"You really are ssomething sspecial," she said with a smile she couldn't hold back. A moment later, the caretaker was behind the convert and unshackling her leg. "Don't worry, 64. I won't let anyth--" A bestial, paralyzingly powerful howl interrupted CT1 as it reverberated throughout the Hive. CT1 turned her head toward the entrance just in time to see a large wolf with a long orange ridge running down its back slowly come into view. "By the Queen..."

"Which one is Epona?" the beast growled with an angry snarl.

"64, go to my officce..." CT1 said calmly without looking back. "I don't know who your Epona wass, but if sshe came to me, then sshe iss not the wolf you remember. I'm truly ssorry for your losss." ["Intruder! Wolf, Convert Cavern 0!"]

"She's not a wolf. She's a converted Earth Pony who was stolen from Ponyville almost a month ago, and she's a very dear friend of mine." CT1 steeled herself, resisting the urge to look at the office. The beast was after 64! "I can see you struggling against yourself. You know where she is, and you aren't telling me!"

The beast lunged at her with teeth bared. She leapt upward and flew out of reach of those dangerous fangs. "I do know of a convert matching that desscription, but I can't jusst let you take her." A slight buzzing noise came from the hall leading to the entrance of the cavern. The wolf turned her head back toward the entrance and growled as a swarm of Soldiers began to enter the space. "You sshouldn't have come here, wolf." In a moment, the wolf was completely surrounded by trained military drones.

The wolf crouched low while the ridge on its back rose up and began to wave as though it were a flag blown by the wind. From her aerial vantage point, CT1 could see a thin sphere ripple away from it and connect with every Soldier around it, leaving an almost imperceptible trace of magic behind. Then, like a blitz, it suddenly attacked. CT1 watched in awe as the wolf shot through the drones, biting and slashing with her claws every drone within the sphere faster than their reflexes could save them. I just a few short seconds, all the Soldiers were limp on the floor.

It looked back up at CT1. "Now..." it growled. "Tell me where Epona is."

"I told you before, wolf," CT1 said calmly. "The pony you knew iss gone. Now leave my demesness before you regret coming here." She began charging her horn.

"Don't lie to me, drone! I heard her song." The wolf crouched down and cast out its sphere again extending it so it reached CT1. "I will not leave without her."

"Then try and take her from me!"

The two charged each other like streaks of fury, CT1 surrounded by a green flame as she hurtled toward the ground and the wolf with fangs bared as she pounced with magic-enhanced speed and precision. The wolf flashed its teeth at the CT1 as it passed by, but the flame acted as a minor shield and deflected the attempt. The instant the wolf's head turned away, CT1 shot out her hoof and punched the wolf's neck just above the shoulder. While she landed in a crater a moment later, the wolf landed in a paralyzed heap. "It'ss over."

When they next wave of Soldiers arrived, they found the bodies of fallen drones strewn all over the floor and CT1 with her fangs sunk in the back of a small pony's neck. "By the Queen, what happened here?"

"Take thiss intruder to the CCellss. It iss the one ressponssible for the attackss." CT1 walked back to her office as the Soldier took custody of the mind-controlled pony and led her away. "I'm back, 64. I musst say, you really are ssomeone sspecial for that wolf-pony to... 64?" CT1 looked around. No one else was in the office. "Oh no... 64!" She sprinted back out, hoping to find the little convert among the others or at least within the cavern.

64 was gone.

Comments

[zZ Sky Ninja Zz]

Ruh oh, stuffs going down, hopefully apple- epona changes back to normal

[Telly Vision]

Epona's number is 64, the OoT was on the Nintendo 64 game.

Coincidence? I think not!