Sunrise In Manehattan - End: Negotiations
I've been in Manehattan for a month, and the city is a marvel I could never even imagine. Giant buildings that are understandably called skyscrapers block the view of the sky. Neither ponies nor griffons generally have their own houses, they live in something called apartment complexes where they have their rented suites. At least that is similar to the life in the underground enclave. Being this close to each other, one would expect the Manehattenites to know their neighbours like family, but the opposite is the case. There is little to no sense of togetherness in this city. Everypon- everyone is trying to climb the social ladder, and they have no time for casual acquaintances. They have only few friends and their family to rely on in case of trouble.
What I could sense during my walks through the city every time was all-consuming fear, the fear that if you open to somepony else they will use you for their own benefit and then throw you away. Ironically, that made my disguise nearly meaningless. Outside of shopping districts, nopony dared make eye-contact with somepony as big as I am. Not even the griffon guards roaming everywhere bothered me unless I got closer to some important-looking building. I got the feeling that the griffon talons wrapped around the metropolis squeezed not only ponies, but most griffons attempting to just live in peace as well. That might mean the racial issue is more forced by the ruling griffons than a natural thing.
My hippogriff disguise confused the hell out of some shopkeepers, though. As it turns out, ponies DO have harder time than griffons in reaching public insitutions. They must go through separate entryways, much more guarded, some shops don't sell their wares to "lesser races", and guards take the griffon's side in every street conflict. That was only the tip of the iceberg. Since Manehattan spans the area of about the size of Ponyville AND the entirety of its farmland as well, travel time becomes an issue for both ponies and griffons. Longer trips are done via the use of carts pulled by exclusively earthponies.
I wasn't allowed too deep into the gated communities of griffon leaders, but the Order of the Silver Sun mansion and its surrounding gardens gave me a good idea how the other areas looked. The slums, however, were a... different story. I felt at home and was revolted at the same time. Ponies there definitely knew each other, especially because they would freeze to death now in winter if alone. Huddled groups wrapped in rags surrounded burning barrels. Moans and groaning came from dark alleys bearing cardboard signs with... price tags. Amidst all that, griffons roamed, looking for fresh meat. Sometimes literally.
I saw a mare sell her little colt to a griffon who had just completed a "transaction", was bringing several dripping bags from the door leading to a butcher shop, and didn't want to carry it all by himself. There were few empty-eyed ponies hesitantly waiting by the store entrance as well, and their desperate faces made me sure they were not customers. The mother explained how the few gold coins exchanging owners would help her get through the winter to the colt and how if he was nice to his "new owner" he would never have to starve again. The chilling part was how okay both the parent and the foal were with it. Not everything was that terrible, though. Throughout the city there were pony shops and businesses with signs offering specifically ponies a chance to do an odd job or simple errand here and there for few bits. That also meant there was a way for a pony to make it in the city and earn a respectable living. Those and other sights shifted my opinion and showed me that there was at least a tiny sense of community despite it having to be disguised or downright hidden.
It's strange how at home I feel now that I'm out of the city again with Cromach for practice. The silent landscape of white forests and knee-high snow might not be where I belong, but the peace and quiet is cleansing. The northern small pack of Corrupted we fought last time learned to respect and not attack us after the second time, so we set our sights west in hope of finding a group to fight with. The winter is making it a little difficult since it seems that Corrupted prefer spending time resting rather than fighting and hunting.
That means that for several days in a row we will be returning without a proper combat.
"It's been three hours and still nothing," Cromach stands on his hind paws, stretches, and drops back to all fours, "I didn't know Corrupted hibernated."
"Neither did I. It's my first winter as one. I don't feel any different, though. Perhaps it's just a matter of having nothing to do rather than having to conserve energy. They might all be vigorously humping in a cave somewhere."
"I thought you could sense other Corrupted far away."
"I could sense every single Corrupted or tainted mind in Ponyville because I am a part of the territory there. It's not a hive mind as such, no telepathy. It is... we are all one and many at the same time through the soil itself. This place belongs to somepony else and I won't be able to sense them unless they are close, let's say half an hour of walking away."
"Oh well," he shrugs, "Fresh air never hurt anypony. Let's go back."
A bunch of little black dots in the corner of my eye catch my attention. A cluster of corrupted berries is hanging high up in a nearby tree. My tentacles can't reach that far, and I hear Cromach chuckle as the three flail wildly upwards from my gaping maw.
"Can't you climb up there?" he asks.
"Nah, Corrupted are terrible with heights for some reason. Can you, ehm, help?" I scratch my head and look up, pointing at the berries.
"Sure, what are those things?"
"The best source of power a Corrupted can find. They only crystallize when the corruption within a territory is strong enough. A small group of Corrupted can only make few over the course of months. We can farm fake ones in Ponyville that aren't as good, but Corrupted like them anyway. Better than staying hungry."
"So you protect ponies for food?"
"I AM a pony," I tap my head, "at least here. And yes, Corrupted first appreciated the food, but there's more to it these days."
Cromach spreads his wings.
"Sure wish I could fly there, but this'll have to do."
He jumps up, claws on hind legs and talons on his front ones cutting deep into the tree bark. Using his wings for boost, he is able to quickly climb up, get the berries, and return on the ground. I chow one down and feel the rush of immense power coursing through my body. All exhaustion, every hurt associated with not being in my territory flows away instantly.
Note to self - all we have to do to have our Corrupted move around is find a way to keep the berries from dissipating on a longer trip.
"Oooooh yeaaah..." I shiver from the tips of my ears to my tail.
"You look much more presentable now," Cromach gives me a wicked grin, "How about we, in light of us not finding any suitable subjects, make us a more interesting practice."
"No," I shake my head, "I honestly prefer not risking getting critically wounded right after finally recovering due to a stroke fo luck. And without your weapon, I doubt it would be fair the other way."
"Well," Cromach strips his weapon harness along with his saddlebag, "I'm up for a challenge."
"I'm serious. You can't fight a Corrupted like me straight up. Especially not after I've just eaten."
"All I'm hearing are excuses," he smiles, sticking his tongue out. His eyes are carefully measuring me up and down, though.
"Alright then," I transform the claws on my front legs into hooves not to kill the griffon, "Hope you have a good masseuse at the Order, because you're gonna feel this one."
After getting tripped up and thrown into a tree I reconsider my threat. Cromach is exceedingly strong even for a griffon. That's not the issue, though. I've never been trained in hoof-to-hoof combat considering it's no use against Corrupted. He, however, is tossing me around like a ragdoll. On top of that, his punches and kicks actually hurt. My skin, able to deflect a glancing blow from a blade or a bullet, feels every hit he lands on me.
The reverse is true as well, though, and the sparring ends the usual way for a Corrupted fighting against a non-Corrupted. Breathing heavily and sweating, Cromach is unable to land any critical blows or restrict my movement for long enough to take me out. I can easily see how he can take on an untrained Corrupted in an unarmed fight, though. After wriggling in the snow under my hoof, he sighs and stops.
"Still not good enough."
"Don't worry about that. I don't think any normal Corrupted could stand against you."
"I usually don't face 'normal' foes, Mana Burn."
"You hurt, anyway," I rub my bruised body, "Weapon or not."
"It's the same as with my axe. Divine power answers to wish or intent. My intent was to hurt you. Simple as that. Sadly, I just don't have the stamina."
"That's strange. If your body is pure divine power, then shouldn't you ignore basically any wounds or fatigue?"
"Divine power answers to my desire to be a griffon, Mana Burn, a living being. Despite some apparent bonuses concerning age, strength, and endurance I am only a griffon."
"Oh."
I help him get up.
"Let's go back," Cromach leans against me, "I think I'm done."
"I should be on my way back to Ponyville," I shake my head, "This boost of energy will not last long so I've got to use it while I can. The remaining berries will dissipate in few hours."
"Then I'll write a message to Twilight Sparkle detailing things in Manehattan. I know your observations weren't the most positive, but I think she needs to hear a more informed opinion. You can grab some of our supplies for the road and leave in the evening. Night doesn't matter to you Corrupted, right?"
"Not really, no."
Just as we turn back towards the city, an overwhelming pressure assaults my mind.
"Nnngh!" I clutch my head.
"What's going on?" Cromach looks around, axe ready.
"I... I... this power... Corrupted... insanely strong..." I keel over, gurgling through blinding headache.
The searing pain of needles hammered inside my brain grows and grows...
...until I pass out.
Clashing of steel against steel wakes me up. I'm dizzy and my eyes are blurry, but the headache is gone. Gone and replaced by the absolute sense of rightness.
"What did you do?!" hisses a new threatening voice brimming with murderous intent.
Steel against steel. Groaning and heavy breathing.
I jump up.
I'm home? How did I get home? Everything is telling me I'm back at Ponyville.
No, I'm still in the same forest. Why do I feel, no - KNOW I'm home?
I'm not alone in my head anymore. The second mind inside me, the one really in control of my body, is burning with fury. Enraged beyond the boiling point by seeing me... with a griffon... collapsed and twitching on the ground...
My eyes shoot wide as everything suddenly makes sense.
My home isn't Ponyville anymore.
My home is where my Queen is.
"Nightshade?" I jump up only to see the familiar scaly form of the Protector Queen jumping around Cromach barely able to defend himself with his axe and grunting under every blow of Nightshade's claws against his weapon's handle, "STOP!"
Nightshade freezes mid-swipe, melts, and reforms from the ground behind Cromach.
"Why were you on the ground, incapacitated?" she asks and Cromach rolls away instinctively when he realizes she's behind him.
"YOU did that, not him. How?" I shake my head, surprised at seeing her here, "I just felt your presence and it knocked me out. What's going on?"
"Owwww, is my mere presence too much for the little Hex Guard?" a slick grin forms on her muzzle.
"Well, not anymore, but what the hay?"
"Heh heh heh," she flashes her mouth full of sharp teeth, and out of nowhere I can feel dozens of Corrupted surround us from all sides. Protectors, Hunters, Drones, Breeders, all materialize from the ground. I recognize most of the shapes of their minds. Nightshade's eyes roll back in the expression of utter extasy, "I learned this little trick from Spring. On top of being super useful it feel so damn goooooood."
"How many?" I ask, stunned. I thought Breeder Queen was the only one able to bring her hive with her.
"Only about a hundred," I feel her familiar hold wrap over my mind, "And yes, a Breeder Queen can absorb a lot more than I can."
"So, did my message get to Ponyville or...?"
"Or did I just force a bunch of Corrupted to leave their home just to blindly look for you? My dear Mana Burn, how about a bit of both? Speaking of your message, who is your hunky griffon 'friend' here?" Nightshade rubs herself all over Cromach still grasping his axe firmly. She whispers into his ear, "Wanna take a walk on the Corrupted side?"
He flips her over and raises from the ground in his front legs. I get the feeling he knows Nightshade is toying with him and is used to this approach from somewhere. When he feels the threat is gone he returns to his semi-carefree self.
"Are you into two centuries old griffons, miss?"
Old my ass.
"I'm into anything that can make me scream," Nightshade breathes wetly against Cromach's beak, and when he opens it in surprise her tongues quickly kiss him deep down his throat.
"MMHMHBHF!" the griffon's eyes bulge.
"Don't read too much into it. It's like a greeting to her," I wave my hoof, "She's taken anyway."
Cromach just drops her in the snow, gasping for breath.
"Owww, come on! I was having fun," Nightshade stands back up and whines, "and before you ask, Mana, Chilly is currently leading both the Separated and the Ponyville hive. I came with more... delicate company."
"Delicate?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.
"Is that my cue?" a voice I love beyond all reason makes me smile from ear to ear and my eyes tear up.
"Mom?"
Invisibility spell fading, princess Twilight Sparkle walks from the shadows and wraps her wings around me in a tight hug.
"I'm glad you're okay, Mana."
I return the embrace in its fullest.
"That's not all," Twilight smiles and continues. Her horn lights up as she shoots a flare in the air.
Several minutes of cracking snow later, I see the familiar purple armors of the Hex Guard break through the forest.
"All clear, Twi?" one of the Hex Guards, a tall white pegasus mare, asks candidly much to my surprise.
"Yeah, you can drop the disguise."
Green flames envelop some of the Hex Guards as they transform back into black chitinous shapes. I bow before the mare talking to my mother when her shapeshited form drops and she turns back to queen Chrysalis.
"Black Ops, Hex Guard, and the Ponyville hive, all looking for me?" my head spins.
"I would uproot the entire enclave to look for you," Twilight doesn't stop smiling, "but no, we are here to 'negotiate' with Manehattan officials. Chrysalis' changelings have been in the city for a week already, scouting out the situation and looking for you. I was getting worried when they failed to find even your faintest trace."
"Good to know our defenses stopped even Chrysalis' infiltrators," Cromach chuckles and salutes Twilight and Chrysalis, "Greetings to both of you, if you even remember me."
Chrysalis thinks for a moment, but Twilight looks at the ground, biting her lip. The changeling queen starts laughing a storm.
"The thing in the ballroom?" Cromach pouts, "I still get nightmares from time to time."
"Come on, your face was adorable," Chrysalis' laughter dies down, "Of course I remember, Cromach. You and many, many others."
"Yeah, how could we forget..." Twilight looks crestfallen.
"We need to talk, princess, eventually," Cromach's voice turns serious.
"Yes, we do."
The atmosphere freezes. Cromach breaks the ice in the end.
"So, what are you trying to do with this small army?"
"Just state our business," Chrysalis answers instead of Twilight, "at first."
"If that was a hidden threat then I have to remind you that the griffon garrison consists of about a hundred thousand soldiers. Not to mention armed civilians. I doubt the forceful approach is going to work."
"Leave that to us," Twilight says sternly, "I am the princess of Friendship and the head diplomat of Equestria. I'll find a way."
Nightshade licks my ear and whispers:
"The way is meeeeee."
"There is a fleet of ships and submarines anchored in the city harbor," Cromach shakes his head, "We're talking about lead, rockets, and reinforcements able to come from the Empire within a day. Even if you could break through the main gate the city is too big to take with only a hundred or two soldiers."
"Don't worry about that," Nightshade licks her lips, "just make sure those who are neutral or on our side don't resist. My hive is already big enough as it stands."
Cromach blinks, finally realizing that Nightshade isn't here just to provide safe passage for Twilight and Chrysalis.
"The city ponies won't-"
"We will announce our arrival in two days, Cromach," Twilight ends the discussion, "I don't know how much influence you hold in Manehattan after all these years, but I ask you to use all resources you've got to make sure there is as little unnecessary resistance as possible."
"Your Highness, what about the negotiations?"
"I will give the griffons one chance to surrender Manehattan and talk," Twilight's voice is like steel, "If they don't... do you know why the area around Manehattan is clear of Corrupted? It's so that I can use magic freely without having to worry about horn rot."
I've never seen the alicorn of Magic use her power to the fullest, nopony has. In every fight with Corrupted she had to limit herself to a normal unicorn, but if there is nothing to stop her...
"Mana Burn!" Cromach barks, "You must come with me. Certain community leaders will need to hear your testimony if we're to prevent bloodshed."
Looking at my mother's determined face and Nightshade's excited grin, I believe the judgement has already been decided.
"Do you think it's gonna work?" I ask Cromach after two days of carefully presenting myself and my case in front of trustworthy ponies, "I mean, some of them clearly would do anything to end this oppression, but I'll be shocked if our effort, or at least the rumors your Order members spread, goes unnoticed by the griffons."
"I still believe Twilight has a peaceful solution in mind. I haven't talked to her in ages, but she's always been a peace-loving pony."
"With how little of us is left, she's like an angry lioness whenever a pony is in danger."
"We just have to hope. We did everything I could come up with on such short notice. From what I gathered most ponies have no idea what to expect anyway, but all they have to do is stay put."
"Yes. Let's hope that panic doesn't blind them completely."
Somepony knocks on the door of Cromach's office.
"Come in!" he answers and reaises an eyebrow when a white-robed Order member enters. A second later the door shuts itself and thick steel bars cover it. Cromach stands up and grabs his axe, "You are not one of mine."
"Good eyes," the guard grins, salutes me, and in a veil of green fire turns to a changeling, "I'll have to report this to my queen. Infiltrator Shimmer, her majesty's Black Ops. I'm here with a message. Princess Twilight Sparkle hopes your warning mission worked out because the show's about to start. You better get a good view for this one."
We rush through the halls outside and onto the observatory on the roof. The gated communities of nobility aren't surrounded by skyscrapers, allowing a clear view of the sky above.
The sky which rumbles with the sound of a thunderstorm ripping the world apart and goes completely dark. The awakening city of Manehattan finds itself rolled back to midnight.
Giant floating head of Twilight Sparkle looks down on the city from the sky, and speaks for the whole city to hear:
"Citizens of Manehattan, my faithful subjects. My name is princess Twilight Sparkle. Most of you have never heard my name. Those who have believe I'm just a legend. I am not. All of you, griffons and ponies, are living on the land of the ancient kingdom of Equestria the laws of which declare you equal and free to pursue your happiness. No conqueror, no self-declared tyrant masquerading as a saviour has the right to change that. You may not believe me, nor you might believe in yourself being able to change the state of things. However, let this be a clear message to anyone who hurts my little ponies."
At the main gateway of Manehattan, the monstrosity of steel, wood, and concrete surrounded by watchtowers full of armed griffons, just outside the range of machine guns the air wobbles. Squad after squad, Hex Guards and changelings are revealed as the mass invisibility spell fades.
The griffons don't look impressed at the numbers. Their eyes are locked on the purple alicorn standing in front with horn glowing so bright it looks like a hole into another universe. Wind swirls around the incoming ponies, and the smell of ozone permeates the air.
"This is my one and only warning, griffons. Surrender Manehattan, leave, and we will negotiate at the table."
Nothing.
The whole city is locked in shocked silence. Ponies and griffons in the streets are looking up at the sky.
"As you wish."
Unicorns in Twilights small army shiver from the sheer power the alicorn draws into herself. They, of course, know the theory of tactical spells, the high numbers of mages required to pull off even the smallest of long-range magical strikes. Their mouths collectively drop as the water in the Manehattan harbor starts bubbling and boiling.
Ships float high up in the air, the surface of the water breaks with submarines, titanic shells of steel, being ripped out of the sea. With tortured creaking of reinforced hulls, the vessels bend, dent, and break in the air, sending panicking griffons flying from the tears. Methodically, every member of the griffon fleet shatters, leaving the entire Imperial presence just floating debris.
Twilight's horn blinks out, and the wreckage of the griffon fleet drops back into the ocean.
The griffons manning the killzone at the main gate tremble, but their talons on the weapon triggers remain steady.
The projection of Twilight in the sky opens its mouth again:
"If that what you choose, then this is all I ask of you, Manehattenites. Ponies and even griffons, if you wish to stay safe and see a brighter tomorrow, do not resist. This place is your ancestral home, and I will make sure none of you ever wear chains again."
Twilight is pushed away from the projection, and the citizens of Manehattan collectively gasp as Nightshade's black, Corrupted face looks down on them.
"If you stay put and don't cause trouble for ponies or my Corrupted, you have my word you will be unharmed. However, if you do," she licks her lips and snaps her sharp teeth, "I promise I'll take care of you as of my own."
The projection fades and daytime returns. The griffons at the gate don't respond.
Twilight shakes her head.
"So I guess it comes to this. Nightshade?"
The Protector Queen's predatory eyes glow, followed by faint shimmer coursing through her flexible scales. With a wide smile, she steps right into the killzone.
The hailstorm of bullets sparking against her armor doesn't even slow her as she walks towards the main gate, presses her front leg against it, and pushes. Chuckling to herself at the panicked screams of soldiers as the titanic barrier creaks against its chains and hinges, she raises her other front hoof.
The gate opens, to the utter horror of griffons at the turrets. Nightshade mumbles to herself:
"Idiots. Perhaps you should have paid less attention to me and more to Chryssie's changelings already in your ranks."
Black biomass taints the streets of Manehattan, and Nightshade's Corrupted rush towards the wide open guard posts.
A crowd of terrified ponies gathers in one of many Manehattan squares. The griffon police force is outnumbered tens to one, but the chains of habit inside ponies are still keeping the civilians at bay.
"Go home," the police spokesgriffon yells into a megaphone, "Disperse!" he raises a pistol and shoots into the air, "Any pony remaining here after I count to ten will be charged with assaulting an officer."
"You hear that, worms?" a middle-aged female griffon escorted by two guards and about fifteen ponies with shock collars on their necks, "Move or it's the whip for you."
She presses a switch in her pocket and the collared ponies collapse on the cobblestones.
"Now get up and GO!"
Her guards kick the ponies taking too long to get back to their hooves.
Something clanks against the guard's helmet. The pebble thrown by a young stallion only disorients the griffon, but the police officer notices and shoots. The stallion in his late teens keels over accompanied by whimpering of the crowd.
"It's just a leg. He'll get a prosthesis and live his life again, which is much more than a pony deserv-"
Those words tip the scales, and the crowd goes berserk.
"PROTECT ME, SLAVES!" the griffon noble slams her talons onto the shock switch again, not realizing she's only crippling her 'protection', "Get up or I'll sell you for parts, you worthless-"
A growl nearby her makes her freeze and turn her head. The preoccupied griffon guards come to the conclusion that their employer is screwed, and take to the sky. A male Corrupted Breeder is strutting towards her, his heavy balls and dripping, erect penis captivating her eyes.
More and more Corrupted break through the cowering crowd, but her attention is only on the Breeder. A single whiff of his musk makes her eyes roll back and understand what her core as a mare really needs. She presses her head against the cobblestones and raises her behind. She learns quickly what being used like a thing feels like, and she loves it.
The shot stallion bleeding out nearby is being ineffectively taken care of by his friend, but hooves pushed into the wound can't stop the flow of blood. His friend is pushed away by a Huntress who runs her tongues along the leg shot through. The stallion's leg grows black and his fur oily, but the bleeding stops. His friend stares at his tainted form in horror, but when the Huntress leaves they both look for cover.
The fight in Manehattan rages on. Corrupted numbers grow with every fallen enemy, and unresisting ponies cower in hope they will be left alone.
Twilight Sparkle and queen Chrysalis teleport through besieged Manehattan whenever they see Nightshade's mushroomy taint marking the cleared streets. Their goal is the griffon fortress in the center of the city. What awaits them, however, is a chilling sight.
The largest square in Manehattan is filled with hundreds of sitting and crying ponies. They are surrounded by soldiers, ready to shoot. As menacing as the fortress in the background manned by armed griffons at every gun station, Twilight has eyes only for the terrified ponies.
"One more step or a flicker of magic, and we will execute them one by one," a griffon wearing a golden insignia of the mayor of Manehattan speaks through a megaphone from a balcony high up on the fortress wall. When Twilight nods, he gives he a smug grin, "Now, I don't care who you think you are, but ponies are too useful of a resource to be let go. The Imperial army will be here in few hours, and no amount of the Corrupted things you allied with will help you. Now, alicorns are almost unique, so we are giving you a choice. You will come with us for research, and no unnecessary pony gets hurt. If you don't... well, let's demonstrate."
The griffon waves his talons. A single soldier puts his rifle to the head of a sitting pony who whimpers and buries his muzzle into his hooves.
Click.
Twilight walks calmly through the motionless square. There is no sound, no movement, no thought from anywhere other than her. Time magic is the peak of wizardry, and not even she is the best at it, but she is good enough to completely lock out an area this big. She rearranges the soldier's front legs holding the rifle with the speeding bullet still in the barrel to aim at his own head.
With few seconds of the time stop spell left, she looks around and knows what is going to happen as soon as the spell ends. Her eyes glow red, and black mist swirls around her as well as around each of the guarding griffons.
Over the centuries, Twilight has not lost a single bit of her compassion, respect, and love...
...but she has grown very, VERY protective of what little remained.
The spell ends.
The city officials stare in horror as the soldier's head explodes in a shower of gore. They are completely paralyzed as all other soldiers in the square put a gun to their head as well, pronounce loudly and clearly-
"For Equestria!"
- and pull the trigger.
The ponies turn their heads in disbelief, but huddle closer together when Corrupted start streaming to the square from all surrounding streets. Thousands upon thousands of Corrupted, mostly griffons.
Even Twilight stares at the masses able to wipe the city clean along with her, no matter her alicorn powers or the presence of Chrysalis by her side. All those overwhelming numbers of half-beasts kept in check by a single mind - Nightshade.
The Protector Queen arrives shortly after.
"Cool, I can make my own Titan out of all these," she gives the Corrupted legions a sideways glance, "It should be able to rip their little fortress in half."
"No," Twilight's strict voice stops her. Her horn flashes, and she say in a voice reaching to the griffons on the fortress balcony, "Lay down your arms, and we can negotiate your surrender."
The griffons argue, several punches are exchanged, and all of them return inside.
"Now can I eat them?" Nightshade rolls her eyes.
"Just wait," is Twilight's simple answer.
Not even two minutes later, the flag of the Griffon Empire flying proudly on the tallest spire of Manehattan is lowered and the fortress gate opens.
A griffon police squad holding their own in a corner store jump when their walkie-talkies spring to life at once.
"This is general Blackfeather transmitting on all frequencies. Lay down your arms. I repeat, lay down your arms and report to the fortress immediately. Any forces resisting after this command will be considered on their own. Over."
"That has to be a trick."
In their moment of shock, the barricaded door is broken by a towering Protector snarling at the group. They immediately raise their arms, fully knowing the futility of it. One of them drops his gun, sits on his haunches, and raises his talons.
The Protector walks inside, back tentacles quivering in the air.
Other policegriffons follow the first one's example.
Sniffing the air carefully, the Protector turns away and leaves.
"How about we walk back to the fortress so that no pissed off ponies rip us in half?"
"The streets are swarming with those things."
"To be honest, I'd rather take my chances with the Corrupted."
Wary of every shadow and movement, they walk through street after street. They are not alone. Griffons and ponies cowering in booths and news stands join them for safety. There is quite the small crowd walking through streets, completely ignored by prowling Hunters, when they reach the griffon fortress.
High up, a new flag is flapping in the wind.
A square of cloth showing a simple landscape. In the sky, there is a dark blue alicorn and a white alicorn dancing around the sun and the moon. In the foreground of the land itself stands a purple alicorn and a changeling queen shaking hooves. But in the background there are tiny black silhouettes tainting pieces of soil around them.
Twilight chuckles at Nightshade as they look down from the balcony at the returning soldiers and police forces.
"I'm surprised you didn't want your likeness on the flag as well."
Nightshade answers with a grin.
"Did you forget, Twilight? I am the land you live on."
"A chill ran down my spine as you said that."
"Heh. Plus, I made sure the tiny Corrupted on the hill left from your tail looks just like me. You can't see it from down here, though."
Twilight sighs.
"I owe you a lot, don't I?"
"Yeah, but you're paying it back in fun."
"How many?"
Nightshade frowns.
"Around four thousand ponies, some killed by griffons and some transformed by my hive. Thirty thousand or so griffons transformed or dead in riots."
"It's going to be more..." Twilight looks down at the growing mass of Manehattenites unsure what to do.
"Mhm. The griffons will come for the city, there is not enough supplies to last through winter, and I doubt you can relocate this many ponies and griffons without losses. This was the easy part."
"I prefer thinking about the good in all this. No more slavery, no more oppression, and I can sink the griffon fleet again after a good night's sleep. That should make them more open to negotiations."
"And what's the next step? Equestria is growing, but peace and habitable land are still far away."
"I know where you're going with this. Once we sort this out, we're going to the Barrier to see what's behind this and find out what happened to princess Celestia."
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When is the next chapter going to be?
7145422 Really can't say at this point. Depends on if I'm completely screwed or not, or at least the degree of screwership. I should know in about two-three weeks.
7146591 ok and I also meaning to ask you something?
7146605 Ask anything you want.
7146634 what will happen if all mane six are turn into corrupted queens?
7146644 Considering 5 of them are dead, probably nothing.
If they were alive, they could form a really cool heavy metal band.
7146700 ok but what it they are alive in beginning of the corrupted invasion as they go with twilight instead princess celesta and her army.
Heavy metal band?
7146735 In the timeline I made for this story the mane 6 were about hundred and twenty years old (super dead) when Celestia left for the sacrifical site in White Tail. Remember, this takes place two hundred years after Imbalanced storyline (which end some 2 years after current events in the series). Aside from Twilight, the mane 6 likely died long before the corruption spread (I didn't think that far into their stories because I avoid writing canon characters as much as I can).
If they were somehow alive due to longevity granted by the Elements or something, they could have done stuff - helped evacuate Canterlot or such. Someone else can explore that idea.
7147240 ok what if the corrupted come early and beginning a making small hives before starting invasion.
And what about mane six into heavy metal band have to do with this?
7148436 I suppose that's possible. As I said, I didn't really consider what happened to the mane6 aside from Twi. Even if they were still alive at this point, tainted and stuff, I'm not planning to put them into the final chapter.
7149100 how about making a another version of corrupted lands with mane six, and you still not tell me why they form into heavy metal band has to do with them into corrupted queens?
7149118 Different version of CL definitely not, but maybe a prequel or something. Still, I'm not planning to do it, and as I said - I avoid writing canon characters as much as I can.
As for the metal band - mane 6 as Corrupted, basically indestructible, eating or mating with anything that comes their way, and having long, oily hair... sounds pretty metal to me.
I suck at jokes, apparently.
7149273 ok but do they look like as corrupted?
7149280 What they might look like as Corrupted Queens? Hmmm...
Flutters - a Breeder Queen if ever there was one. Since most Corrupted fade to shades of black eventually she would likely keep the pink eyes, lose her wings, and gain the usual Breeder characteristics of big butt/teats. She would definitely keep the caring personality and her hive would be passive rather than hostile.
RD - a super skinny Hunter Queen with long, taloned limbs, and whip-like prehensile tail she would use to balance herself during blindingly fast runs and long jumps. She couldn't fly, of course. She would keep her mane, only faded to various shades of grey. Her long, sharp teeth would spell death to anyone entering her teritory, as she would have grown sadistically playful.
AJ - A towering Protector Queen larger than any of the others, her black skin turned to dragon scales tinted with bronze for maximum protection, and her natural colouring. She would never use claws or talons, but would easily crush her opposition using only hooves. She would keep her green eyes, and her mane/tail would turn into light grey hair. She might even keep her thick hind legs and big Breeder-grade butt, because applebutt is super butt. She would end up extremely territorial but fairly benevolent.
Pinkie - A quick, playful Hunter Queen with pink gleam to her new black body. She would look the most like her normal self, but prefer a prehensile, grabby tail, and all grabby appendages, probably claws the most, rather than a normal one just to be mobile and have the utility. She would experiment with her new body, though, and change her shape as much as possible to keep her unpredictability. Also, her mane would be only of grabby tentacles rather than hair. Her territory would be fairly safe to visit, but her pranks might still be dangerous.
Rarity - a Corruptor Queen who would retain the ability to change colour as well as shape Her coat would be of grey, long, oily, but gleaming hair. Her mane would keep the original colour, but lose the curls. She would change her body to the most perfect pony shape her twisted memory could remember - sleek, but with attractive features of toned barrel, wide hips, and even teats. She would have no interest in ponies entering her territory other than well-built stallions, but would spread her influence in order to find more ponies and Corrupted. However, if someone attacked her hive, they would be tortured, mated with furiously, enslaved, and devoured.
Twilight (if transformed) - a dark purple Corruptor Queen retaining her alicorn shape as a sign of power despite there being no need for it. She would use the most of Corruptor ability to shape themselves and the reality around them (tentacles everywhere). The only one of Mane 6 who would quickly turn to conquest and total domination. As her power and desire to attain biological perfection grew, she would willingly create various hybrids of captured ponies and different Corrupted. She would eventually be the only one able to overcome the inability to fly and survive passing through salt water, and would corrupt the entire world. And yet, she would suppress most of the sexual drive of her Corrupted side in favor of the doomsday crazy scientist side.
Is that enough of an answer, or am I still missing the point?
7149326 what happens when six them fuse into one?
7149352 No idea.
7149367 how about fuse them together into a super queen of all corrupted. and do they still kind theirs minds or not?
7149326 doomsday crazy scientist side?
wow still loving it.
Wait, aren't they in some pocket dimensionial clone of the mansion? How are they able to see outside if they aren't really in Manehattan?
7147240
Well, the elements may have helped, then considering it is a fact that ponies close to alicorns are granted extremely long lives. Shining armor, and the paladins are two of the better examples of this.
And, well... they were close to Twilight... ya know... an alicorn.
Even without, (considering that Shining is still alive), coupling that with whatever the elements may have done to help with their lifespan, well... them having have simply died of old age makes absolutely no sense.
You have no idea...
7146700
I'm vote for Fluttershy as singer.
Oh, aaand, if I was you, I probably will make them alive. It desn't make sence why Celestia's paladins can live ~100 years, and closest friends of alicorn princess/users of Harmony's power don't.
7149273
I'm more curious, who will be what kind of Corrupted. RD is Protector, I think. Fluttershy... Breeder? Others... I have no idea.
Oh, and yes.
AWAKEN! AWAKEN! AWAKEN! AWAKEN! TAKE THE LAND THAT MUST BE TAKEN!
7149326
definitely what I meant, especially with how much she cares about others.
7149352
The Corrupted Titan
But I think that actually will not happen, just one of them devore others, probably Twilight
7149400
I don't think they will keep their mind. Well, not so much, especially after what NA posted.
9394335
EXACTLY!
7149326
interesting.