//------------------------------// // New Hope: Corruption // Story: Corrupted Lands // by Nameless Narrator //------------------------------// The sky grows dim, and the light gradually drains from the naturally gloomy surroundings of the forest. I've left the icy woods nearly half a day ago, and whether it's through my careful and sluggish pace or sheer luck I haven't even heard a single Corrupted. On cue, a branch behind me crunches. Aside from Chilly, of course. I called the white Hunter who saved me from a lifetime of joy, ecstasy, and endless- Chilly saved me from becoming a Corrupted, or a corpse, at the small and utterly insignificant price of becoming only partially a twisted abomination. Nothing to worry about. Se yeah, Chilly, the bluish-white Corrupted. I thought the name was funny, describing a creature who lives in an icy forest, makes the nature around him become covered with rime as he passes, and who has been following me since the attack. Why? No clue. It might just be a trick to find one of the secret entrances leading to Ponyville enclave, but I don't think that is the case. Also, for some weird reason I don't like starving to death up here on the wild surface, so I don't really care enough to try to lose him. Now, if I get back safely then I have several observations to make about the Corrupted which might help us avoid them. I'm getting the feeling that Corrupted are much less equine than we thought. My totally-not-a-wild-guess comes from Chilly disintegrating and "absorbing" the bodies of the killed Hunters. The second part, likely much more important, is that -it's hard to explain- they ARE NOT the bodies we see walking around, they are the LAND we walk on. From the way the ground itself absorbed the fallen Corruptor, and the way Chilly turns the area around him into his forest while he passes, I conclude we have been thinking about them the wrong way all this time. Killing few of the bodies walking around literally means nothing. Perhaps princess Twilight only needs a new perspective on things. One I can bring after peering deeper into the corruption. Or I might be just imagining things. "All clear?" I whisper to the white stallion staying a pony length behind me all the time. "Mrmm..." I think I can sense changes in the tone of his grumbling and stance. He seems vigilant, but not nervous. At first he was on edge when we left his territory, but despite my trying to shoo him away he kept following me. What do you mean I should have tried harder?! I'm not gonna push a guy who kept a large stretch of forest clear of enemies who make alicorns change their diapers! As we pass through the forest, we come to an unexpected obstacle. There is a wide ravine blocking our path. The good thing is that I know Ponyville is near, the bad part is that I misjudged the path my unit and I took through the forest before, and ended up going too far west. Going around would waste two or three more hours, and I don't want to take that path at night. I wasn't taken by the taint, and I sure as hay am not going to be stopped by a hole in the ground now. Flying too high up would end really poorly for me, but a long jump aided a little by my wings can't hurt, right? I steady myself, run towards the edge, jump, spread my wings, fly. The hidden flytrap wines from across the ravine snap around me in an instant, and I get pulled into a web of sticky petals, branches, and tendrils. "Crap!" I hiss. On a brighter note, I got to the other side quickly... I look pleadingly at Chilly running along the other edge of the rift, but I don't dare call out to him. He can't fly to get here, and me yelling would only serve to either scare him away or lure others to me. After a minute of confused walking around, he disappears into the dark wall of trees. Well, he helped me get this far. I think I used up all the luck for my next two reincarnations already, and asking for more would only lead to divine retribution. Sooo... I'm hanging spread-eagle a pony height above ground, legs so tightly entangled in a green mess that I can't move an inch. Can I reach the wines with my mouth? Noooope. Can I somehow bend time and space to reach my saddlebag and pull out any kind of acid strong enough to melt the wines? Only with a rubber neck. Can I make the whole flytrap disappear with the power of friendship and my mind? Not a unicorn. Can I- Stop making up dumb ideas? Apparently not. All I can do is breathe out in defeat. So this is how the flytraps work up close. This one is tiny, only a pony-sized web of green tendrils. Honestly, I would love to see one of the huge ones which can take down an airship. Well, there has been no airship travel in my lifetime, but my mom told me that her mom who died during the times when the threat was still unknown told her stories about giant flying ships lugging around whole loads of timber and ores. Cool as heck, I say! Something smells sweet. "Hmm?" I mumble. A bulb above my head opened and is now emitting a fairly pleasant aroma. No our guidebooks ever mentioned anything of this sort happening. Can I smell it because of my corruption? When I inhale my whole body feels as if there were small bolts of lightning running through it. All my nerves light up with pleasure, and I start dripping from my nethers with no restraint. The scent is there to lure nearby Corrupted to the trapped victim. With nothing to do other than hang there, I let my mind wander. As much as I dislike living in the enclave, it wasn't always like that. When I was a little filly I got spoiled beyond belief by my parents. You know, one of the few remaining pegasi and such. They would always share their rations of sweets with me and tell me stories from the outside. Ponies aren't allowed on the surface before the age of sixteen, and the teachers tell horror stories about how we lost control over the land to scare them from trying. My mom, a pegasus, is a geologist working with the tunnel razing crews and miners. Dad, an earthpony, was a Hex Guard like I am. He passed away after a Corrupted attack on the surface part of the enclave. I still remember how I used to fall asleep on his back during the big Hearth's Warming gathering each year, our weird habit of drinking hot chocolate from one cup with sippy straws, how he growled and chewed my leg... A brief moment of contemplation whether I mistook my father for a dog I never had, and I open my eyes. "Chilly!" I whisper, smiling wide at the Corrupted ripping away the wines binding me, "Wait, how long was I out?" It's still not completely dark, which means he got here in at most an hour. Twilight almighty! Several minutes later, I'm back on the corrupted mushy ground and hug the white creature who grumbles and struggles for a moment, but stops and nuzzles me in the end. I clutch my cramping stomach. As much as I want to get out of here, my legs are shaking and I can barely stand. Time to grab what little food I have left to alleviate the pain. Chilly stares at my saddlebag with hostility, probably still not used to the smell of drying chemicals. He thaws a little when I start chewing on some broken biscuits and hold a hoof with some crumbs up to his nose. Giving them an exploratory lick, he spits everything out. "Hey! Now they're all soggy," I complain, knowing I will eat them anyway. After sucking a Corruptor's tongue like a lollipop, most of my inhibitions towards disgusting stuff are dead and gone. "Mrlmrm!" he sniffs the air. Is something coming? He doesn't seem to be getting ready to fight, just looking for something. After several deep inhales, Chilly runs off while I finish the last of my food off. He comes back soon, carrying two black berries the size of plums in his mouth, and lays them in front of me. They don't smell downright repulsive. Is this what Corrupted eat? I haven't seen any of these around, which could mean that only a small amount is enough to sustain one. Perhaps it won't poison me? Alright, Chilly seems smart enough to understand I'm not a Corrupted, and he still brought this. Hmm... juicy, and tastes like sweet wine. Pretty goo- Spasms wreck my body from the stomach up. My throat bulges with something stuck inside. I need to throw up! The thing definitely wasn't meant to be eaten by ponies. "Blueeeeh!" it finally comes out. I can't close my mouth. "Whah ve ey?" I squint down my muzzle. Three long black tentacles are hanging out of it, "Blrblblb!" Remember the sippy straw! The things slip back inside me. Thankfully, I'm not choking anymore. Running my hooves up and down my windpipe, I notice my neck being a bit thicker than before. Nothing disfiguring, though. "Can I talk? Cool, I can!" I stick my real tongue out. So they have the tentacles AND a normal tongue. The things seemed pretty tough, perhaps they are grabbing appendages. Well, there's going to be enough time to test them out later. Warmth rushes through each muscle of my body. They become more toned and pronounced, and I realize the ground is slightly further away than before. I'm taller. It might be an excellent idea to find a mirror before returning to Ponyville just to see if I still look like a pony. I mean, I like the longer and more slender legs, I definitely like the wider hips and... What did just brush the inner thigh of my hind leg? I crane my head to see. "Ohhhh dear..." Two large and dripping black teats are hanging where little and completely normal nipples used to be. I still don't look like a cow or a female Breeder, but the apple-sized bulges are creeping me out, I must admit. I rub my hind legs against them experimentally. They feel so goooooooood! I need to try them out. Closing my eyes, I spread my mind around the area. I can sense three Hunters, a Protector, and two Breeders, a male and a female one. They will serve me well. The female's submissive mind offers no resistance when I take over. Each nerve lighting up as I get penetrated deeper than my body should allow, ready to accept the seed of the beast thrusting inside me. The other Breeder wrecking me pants and stares blankly nowhere as he just pumps away. Once he is done we can spread and the cycle will continue. Ho ho ho! But a mare is not what I'm looking for. I switch to the next mind nearby. I pound away at the mare under me, shivers running down my spine and gathering in my loins, ready to breed her. I have to spread. The other guy is busy, apparently. Hmm... I want to try it for myself. A nearby Hunter's individuality dissipates as I command him to come to me. Something is growling nearby. I ignore it. What could touch me here with all this power pulsing through my veins? My subjects will come if I call anyway, and I can't sense any Corrupted belonging to other Queen. "On the ground!" I command the Hunter I called. He is a fine specimen, lean, agile, fertile, and well-developed. He is ready to enter me already. Not that he has a choice, I control and own him. I could let him mount me, but that is unworthy of such a lowly servant who is here only for my amusement. Instead, I make him lie down on his back, and straddle him. Ponies, duties, worries and concerns evaporate the second I impale myself on him. "HAH HAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" I can't stop the pure and unbridled joy running through me. Spread! Spread! Spread! Spread! Spread! Gain power and spread! Cover the world! I am going to need more power, so I assimilate the Hunter, melting his body into the natural biomass, absorbing him through my hooves, and partially through the orifice he was enjoying a moment ago. I want MORE! The angry growling returns me back to reality for a second. The white Hunter will be an excellent source of power. "Feed your Queen!" I jump at him, shocked for a second when my direction is reversed along with a crushing blow to my chest. He will serve. As I get back on my legs, he turns to run away, giving me a perfect opportunity to tackle him to the ground. I need something to help me hold him down, though. Long spider legs sprout from my back and dig deep into the mud nearby. To stop him from moving completely, I let my hooves melt and glue his torso to our makeshift bed of leaves. Fool, thinking he could escape his Queen. Too bad I can't just get inside his head and make him do my bidding. Well, this body will shift according to my wish, and that wish is getting the seed of someone so powerful. A long fleshy tube pushes out of my nethers, finds his sheath, and latches onto it. My drool splatters all over his face. Soon he will be mine. "Struggle more, Chilly, I like the lively ones!" I hiss, spreading my saliva all over his muzzle with my new wriggling tongues. He stops struggling when he hears the name, and his eyes wide with horror focus at me. The blue orbs offer me a reflection of myself. A twisted and ferocious grimace cackling madly at the sight of her- its prey. It hits me harder than a sledgehammer. "I'm gonna be siiick..." I groan. I try not to think about all the unnatural appendages currently sticking out of me. My head isn't made to handle those, so as I push myself off of Chilly the spider legs slip out of the ground and the ovipositor or whatever the thing sticking out of my ass is limply drags through the black grass. Chilly walks over to me, razor-sharp talons coming out of his hooves. "I'msorry..." "Grrrrrr!" Right now I don't wish for endless ecstasy, power, seeing my friends at the enclave again, or even watching Lunar get hanged by his balls on the highest branch of the crystal castle. I wish for only one thing - not being the monster I turned into anymore. Warmth and little spikes of pleasure pass through me as Chilly steps on my chest and raises his hoof to cut my head off. The extra legs are gone, and my hindquarters host only orifices again. Thank Twilight! "I'm sorry," I sniffle, tears welling in me at the sight of my impending doom. I was so close to getting to Ponyville, but maybe it's better that I won't. I took control of Corrupted so easily, who knows what I could have done from inside of the enclave, "Let me... at least let me thank you for making me stave it off long enough to get this far." I close my eyes and push myself up a little to nuzzle him. "GRRRRWRR!" Don't stop! At times like this, fear loses all its meaning. "Grrrrr..." Finally, I bury my muzzle into the fur on his neck, spreading snot and tears everywhere. Wait! One important message! What is it, brain? You still have a head! I open my eyes so cautiously as if the movement of my eyelids could make it fall off. Chilly is watching me, quiet growling coming from him, but not making any moves to decapitate me. As I press my hooves against him, he takes a step away and lets me stand up. An idea comes to mind. I was planning to take the second corrupted berry to the enclave for research, but now it's all smooshed inside my bag. Perhaps he'll still take it. I know for sure I'm not touching the damn thing again. I toss the berry on the ground near him. He carefully sniffs it. "I don't know if you're hungry or what, but you gave-" Aaand he just munched it along with some grass... and dirt. "Wow, were you THAT hungry?" I raise an eyebrow. With utmost caution, I recall how my senses felt when I was "out of it". The berries give off a distinct scent, but I can't smell anything of that sort nearby. Are they starving as well? That can't be right. What if it is, though? We were wrong in so many things about Corrupted. Of course, we were right about a lot of the bad stuff concerning them as well. I have to talk to princess Twilight. She needs to know what being a Corrupted feels like. Perhaps, under careful observation, I could tap into the minds of the Ponyville hive and, I don't know, tell them to go away for a while or something. Well, I need HIM to do that, otherwise I'll go all Chrysalis-mode again. Ehm, everypony knows those stories about attempted world domination. Good thing ponies and changelings live together these days. "Will you help me again? You'll get to meet other ponies if you do that," I smile at Chilly who is observing me quietly. He nods. "You understand me?" Nothing. "Hmmm, it's not words. You can't talk. And I can't get inside your head like I could with the others. So what is it?" I focus on the image of the two of us entering a tunnel leading to Ponyville. "Are you coming?" "Mrmmmr," another nod. As we trot through the forest again, I keep humming to myself while trying to work out our communication. Unfortunately, I don't come to any sort of definite answer. The only thing that makes sense is that he can see a little of what I'm thinking about due to me being corrupted. That means there IS a link between us, but why couldn't I get inside him before? Can he close not only his connection to the rest of the Corrupted, but that of others as well? No idea. Still, he is following me, and we are at the hidden entrance already. I pull up the trap door leading into the tunnels and beckon Chilly to come as well. This can go so horribly wrong, but it's only up to me not to make it so. The second door stopping our progress is a slab of steel with a tiny slit opening from the inside. I knock. "Password!" comes from the open slit. "Three three seven nine, pinecones," I answer. "That is an old password which got changed after a member of a scout party got corrupted. Who are you?" "My name is Nightshade, I am a Hex Guard soldier, and I need to talk to princess Twilight. I'm pretty sure I am the lost scout you were talking about. I'm hungry, exhausted, and really pissed off at the guy who ordered the squad to desert me. Can you at least send for somepony I can talk to? Lunar Watch, my commander, should know me really well." "Look, no password, no entry. We don't know what the Corrupted can do, but they can change shape and we aren't letting anypony who doesn't know the code inside." "No," I growl, "you don't know, do you? Then I will show you!" I turn my tail into a tendril which I wrap around Chilly's neck, and mumble: "I need to stay sane for this one. Watch my back one more time, Chilly." Pressing both my front hooves against the metal door, I dig deep into the power inside me. The Corrupted are the land, and Ponyville is a home to many others. My hooves fuse with the steel which gradually turns into black goo and drips on the chiseled stones of the tunnel floor. After mere seconds. all that remains is a thin, slick membrane which a tear through just to see three trembling ponies. "Princess Twilight Sparkle, the closest lunch lady, and commander Lunar Watch of the Nightguard! In that exact order!"