. Saturday if I end up being really lazy) and it'll be pretty long. Sorry for the long wait, but I'm hoping I can pick
. During that time, I really wanted to get a lot of stuff done, a little too much honestly. While I didn't get through everything, I went through the most important stuff first.LIFE (But More Importantly, an Update) · 6:52pm Jul 5th, 2017
Life has been pretty weird at the moment. I thought summer break was going to be productive in most aspects, but as it turns out, college kids need jobs if they want to keep a steady flow of cheap ramen noodles and bottled water coming into their homes while they're waiting for the next semester to begin 
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I knew the next chapter of The Harmony Initiative was going to be long. After all, it's basically a terror mission in the making, so why shouldn't the chapter be another long one? Well...that may have been a bit of a mistake on my part. It's more ambitious than other chapters I've already put out, and I've been pretty much writing it on late nights where sleep just keeps eluding me. I got a job recently and although I won't go into the details of it, I tend to get home a little later and more tired than I'd like. I'm still working on the story though!
I've finished close to half of the first part of the next set of chapters (Lackluster progress, I know, but still progress nonetheless). I put a little snippet of a chapter below, just as sorta proof that I'm still trying to get it out . Please forgive any errors or inconsistencies; I found that when I write later in the day, I tend to put my ideas all over the page and change them wherever and whenever I can at random points.
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Loki followed the soldiers alongside his fellow changelings, one blue shelled bug offering to take Needles and prep her for medical examination the moment they found a safe spot. There was five of them in total. As much as he wanted to deny it, the chances of Broadshell being alive seemed minimal at best. If anything, he would have to have found a damn good hiding spot.
Besides Needles, the medic, and himself, a golden shelled changeling followed behind a turquoise one, both of whom watching the military unit march them carefully down the cavernous tunnels that made up their home. The medic at least had the good grace of introducing himself as Elytra and was obviously grateful to the soldiers for his life. Whatever he had seen while Needles and Loki squabbled and hid from the aliens in the hatchery, it was clear these ponies and griffons granted him a new clarity on the value of life itself.
The professional manner in which the unit moved, checking corners and swiftly shuffling down the rocky corridors, was not lost on him. These ponies and griffons were something else. An entirely different combat unit than the Royal Guard or Griffon Army. Loki was unsure if they could truly be trusted. They may have saved lives so far, but they could easily take them with their level of technology. While they shot arcane beams and boasted scatterguns beyond that of a griffon blunderbuss, changeling seclusion may as well have left the entire hive with sticks and stones; still resorting to spears and blades while the rest of the world around them advanced. The soldiers escorting Loki and the others were just a testament to that.
They walked through the halls in silence, the changelings shuddering at every shake and every shot fired in the far off distance. The ceiling of the caverns stretched higher and higher, pillars coming down to support the massive structure.
“Are you the ones that have been fighting the aliens?” Needles’ voice slipped out in the form of a pathetic croak. The leader turned his head a fraction of an inch, eyes still trained down the sights of his gun. “We’ve all heard the reports. Never thought you guys were real.”
“We are.” He said simply. He looked over to the one named Sour Marmalade. She trotted with the energy of a simple mare taking a leisure stroll through a park, seemingly without a care in the world. “Where are we?”
“Judging from the tapestry hangin’ above us,” She spoke, looking up. The indigo gradient to sky blue adorning rough fabrics hung motionless even as another rumble shook The Hive. “We’re approaching Thorax’s court. If there’s a defensive position set up by the changelings it’d be there. If not, we’ll have to get these guys to the hatchery by ourselves. Shouldn’t be too hard, but defending them while searching for the rest of the changelings would be a pain in the--”
“No!” Needles shouted. “I’m not going back down there! You have no idea--”
“We are the most advanced and well armed ponies and griffons you are ever going to see in your entire life,” Sour said confidently. “Whatever’s down there, I’m sure we can handle. You saw Cherry over there smash that bug back there. No offense.”
“I am not going back down there. There has to be another way out.”
“You shut off all the others, your buddy said so himself before he kicked the bucket.”
“Loki.” He turned and looked to her pleading eyes. “We can’t go back. Not after all of that. Do we even know if that emergency tunnel is real?”
“Doesn’t matter.” Aegis said. “Like it or not, that leads to our only safe way out. Thorax never told you?”
The Changelings were silent. Looking at the others, Loki could tell he was not the only one unaware of a tunnel network below the already existing one. Was it supposed to be a secret? Why would King Thorax keep that kind of information to himself? Perhaps he never anticipated the war coming to them in such force. Even then, the idea did not sit right with him.
“I’ll take that as a no.” Cherry snickered earning a stern glare from an armor clad mare, covered with blast padding and pouches along her waist. Her tall, bulky frame lurched heavily with each step, the metal plating of her armor shifting and sliding with such grace, it would have made the very best blacksmiths in The Hive jealous.
“Every minute we waste, changelings are losing their lives.” She voiced, harsh and annoyed. “There’s nothing funny about that.”
“Y-yes ma’am. Sorry.” Cherry resumed keeping watch of the rear line alongside Gilda.
Loki’s ears twitched. He heard buzzing. Not faint like a fly’s, but loud, increasing in volume until the ground shook. Before the grand entrance to Thorax’s court, four heavily armed guards blocked the way, obsidian spears pointed towards Sour Marmalade and her old griffon friend. The black armor each guard donned contrasted from their mostly colorful hides and chitin, granting a faux threatening appearance over their gentle and friendly shells. The leader boasted a helmet which covered his whole head, even managing to hide his horn underneath a black sheath, pointed and painted white at the tip. His blue eyes were barely visible through the tiny slits of the helm from which he growled underneath.
“Halt intruders!” He shouted. The sentinels marched forward, looking at each other before steadying their polearms. “Release our civilians and we may allow you to leave with your lives.”
“Shit move for a bunch o’ bugs wit’ nothing but sticks pointed at probably the most well armed military force from the planet.” The old griffon scoffed, throwing his rifle on his back and lowering himself on all fours. The other griffons followed in his motions and the robotic arms the ponies had equipped lowered their weapons on their own. “But if it means we can come through and be granted an audience with the King himself, I’ll play.”
The guards did not waver, keeping their spears steady while exchanging glances. Darkness and fear wore heavy on the faces of the guards Loki could see. The old griffon’s beak shifted to something resembling a winning smirk. “Well, we’ve complied. Will you let us through? The King will be wanting to meet the soldiers trying to save his people.”
The guards turned to their armor clad captain with uncertainty. His steely cold glare through the visor of his helm was enough to keep them from tucking their tails and running. At least, that is what Loki thought. The brave changeling continued to stare at the soldiers, scanning each of them for what felt like hours.
“You there.” The leader asked, pointing at Loki. Of course it had to be me. “Is it true? Are they here to help us?”
“They’re…” Loki scanned each soldier, from the meek blue unicorn to the grizzled old griffon, unsure of what to make of it. “Well, they did kill a whole lot of the aliens trying to kill us. That’s enough for me to trust them.”
“Very well.” He gestured for the other guards to relax, which they did in an instant. “Any acts of aggression--”
“Will be met with death, blah, blah, blah,” Sour Marmalade trotted between the guards and onto the silk smooth carpet, creased and wrinkled from recent abuse and dusty with grime which descended from the ceiling high above with every rumble. “Heard that last time I got caught here.”
were*
Wow, I like it. Work on it when it is best for you, don't push yourself if you don't have to, this is enough of a teaser to satisfy my crave!
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Thanks for that
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Yeah, I'm trying to pace myself reasonably. I'm getting into the habit of writing down ideas on my phone and then fleshing them out on my free time. Probably better than losing sleep on some nights