Easy Access, the Story of Quill

by Graphite Quill

Act. 2 The Forgotten Mare Pt.3

Author's Note:

It's unbelievably difficult for me to write this when I know where things are headed. I planned to have this story end after like 10 chapters but now... This story is headed sooooo far from what I had originally planned and I'm not sure if it's a good thing or not. Anyways, I won't lie, I didn't start writing anything until just a few hours before I posted this. I've been busy actually having a life for once and it's exhausting... However I finally managed to get my brain to crap this nugget out for y'all. It's crap, I know it, but hey it's progression. Peace fellow pones. {T}

-=-=- Graphite -=-=-

Things are definitely not going to plan. I kind of figured my presence would disrupt the timeline anyway but shits going down that I didn't expect from this world. I never noticed in Canterlot but this place is more violent than the show ever was, which is understandable considering the targeted audience is children. It was bad enough when changelings interrupted the end of the Gala to kidnap me, but now Thorax has already shown up. The motherfucker has some dumbass plan to save the ponies while I distract the Queen. Jokes on you jackass, I'm not some clueless scapegoat for you to use as you please. Plausible deniability, I'll distract the Queen while being completely accounted for elsewhere thus eliminating any suspicions being placed on me.

"Oh fuck me." I muttered.

The now familiar voice of Thesa spoke from behind me. "Is that an offer?"

Ignoring the fact that I was alone just seconds ago, I sighed in resignation. "For once, yes."

Apparently unfazed she responds. "Cool. When and where?"

-=-=-=- -=-=-=-

Changeling construction drone teams buzzed around the hive blocking off tunnels and building new ones seemingly at random. The disruptions were happening all over the hive causing chaos and throwing the entire civilization into turmoil. Queen Chrysalis spent most of the day yelling out orders to cease and desist, repairs were under way and she was more enraged than anyling had ever seen. Every construction team told her the same story, they were awoken early for a job, straight from the Queen herself, to completely change the hives tunnel system. She'd never sent any such orders. Following the paperwork back to the original source she found a parchment written in a hoofwriting style she recognized, it even had her personal mark stamped at the bottom of the page.

The enraged queen stormed through the hive headed to a specific room not far from her own. As she got closer to her destination she noticed the guards she passed were getting noticeably more clumsy when they moved out of her way. Reaching her destination she found two of the three imbeciles, that were ordered to watch a certain thorn in her side, unconscious on the floor. Letting her anger dissipate a bit, she started to sense what was going on around her. Massive amounts of lust permeated the air, so much so that the nearby guards were drunk off it. These two being the closest to the source were rendered unconscious from the emotional overload. Chrysalis sneered as she slammed open the doors to Graphite Quills room.

On the bed lay the unmoving body of a very giggly and exhausted changeling, Thesa. Next to her lay the grinning face of one of the most infuriating ponies the Queen had ever met.

"If you came to enjoy the show, you're too late. Unless you're here to join, in whi-" Graphite was cut off as he was picked up by the throat in sickly green magic.

"I'd advise against antagonizing me at the moment, I'm in a rather 'bloody' mood right now." She said angerly dropping him to the floor.

Unfazed he stood and smartly dropped the smug attitude. "What's up with you Chrissy? I've been hearing your screaming from all the way in here. Hell I even heard it over Thesa's moaning."

The Queens eye started to twitch as she held in the rage building inside her. She wanted nothing more than to vaporize the insignificant bug where he stood, but she needed answers first. "You know well why I'm here!" She yelled as she threw the rolled up parchment at the pony. She watched as he picked it up in his magic, which she noted was working today, and read over the document.

"Damn good forgery. Your infiltrators are getting better, this is a damn near exact match for my hoofwriting. Whoever did this has the writing style down but these orders are completely unbelievable, why the hell would you ever order something like this to be done?" Shrugging he tossed the scroll onto the bed. "I sure as hell didn't write this, this has changeling written all over it-"

The Queen screamed in fury as she grabbed him in her magic. "I KNOW YOU DID THIS YOU INSOLENT CUR!" Just as the Changeling Queen was about to tear the pony apart limb from limb, the ground shook beneath her hooves. Alarms could be faintly heard from below, ones she had not heard for a very long time. Her vault had been opened. She dropped Graphite again and disappeared in a flash of green flame.

-=-=-=- -=-=-=-

"The alarms been tripped, we're out of time. Squad 1 make sure the ponies are gone and place any stragglers back into stasis. Squad 2 collapse the tunnel and weave as many illusion spells as you can over the rubble, I don't want to see a single pebble out of place when you're done. Everyling else get back to where you're supposed to be up top, we're done here!" Thorax yelled. He didn't know why they placed him in charge of this rebellious group, but it felt right to him. Not for the power but because he felt he could lead his kind to a better future, one where they could stop harming other creatures and live in peace.

Thorax watched as the last of his group left to mingle with the populace, leaving him and eight others to finish off the clean up duty. The first Squad reported back no lingering ponies left behind and were subsequently sent home. It would be a while before the second squad could finish their work, which would give him plenty of time to think and plan out his next steps. That is of course as long as the Queen didn't show up sooner than expected. He'd found out about Graphite's plan immediately and without needing to be told he added in his own assurances to make sure things went according to the ponies plan. If everything goes well, Sir Quill should be safe. There was a lot of risk, but if the reward meant no creature had to die then it was worth it. Especially since all the risks were being taken by the pony and the 'lings loyal to Chrysalis. He'd underestimated the pony. Graphite Quill came up with a decent plan that could possible nullify the Queens power for a long time.

-=-=- Graphite -=-=-

I'm glad my magic decided to start working again when the shit hit the fan. However it's different.. It feels wrong, somehow. Not that I'm going to let that stop me from getting the hell out of here. I was going to just keep playing the good little prisoner and stay a while longer but with my magic going haywire like this I can't guarantee that I'll ever have another chance to get away from this hell hole. Don't get me wrong I had my fun here, but I miss those damn ponies and their innocent minds. Hanging out with Crux Manta and Thesa has been fun and all but they're more human like than I'd prefer. I can only take so much human-like behavior before it starts to annoy me just like the people back home did.

I left the three stooges back where Chrysalis last saw them, they are loyal to their Queen and I don't want to force them to come with me to the side of the rebellion. Manta is soft enough that he might help the ponies but he's too weak minded to be able to hold up to any questioning. I doubt Thesa gives a shit either way, but Crux is a Chrysalis follower through and through. He only put up with my shit because I'm not as prissy or weak as 'my kind' usually is and I wouldn't take his shit without giving it right back.

Using my magic I follow the tracer spell I placed on Chrysalis, she should be at her vault trying to figure out how the alarm was tripped on the inside while it was still sealed tight. She has my weird ass magic to thank for that. From my room just based off a description of the outside of the vault I placed a spell inside that would trip the alarm one minute after she inevitably barged into my room for answers. I was straight up lying to her of course, I had indeed broke into her room and wrote that document myself. Following the halls leading towards her position I ended up in the Throne room looking at the darkstone throne. Oddly enough my magic isn't being pulled at like it was the first time I was brought here, in fact it seemed the stone was calling out to me. Using magic sight I see a trail of multicolored magic drifting towards me from a marking on the floor. I hesitantly walk up to the symbol and touch it out of instinct, only to be surprised and startled when the floor started to lower like an elevator.

Something felt different down here, I could practically feel the the terror and sadness from all the ponies that had been trapped here. I'd never been here before but I knew this was my way out. After Thorax's poorly worded note and his suggested plan, I had a chat with him about my own plans for escape once my magic had returned. He preferred my plan and waited for the signal to be sent by me once I was able to cast again. Hence the chaotic construction bullshit from earlier. He was supposed to use that time to help as many ponies escape as possible without being caught. Which meant he couldn't wait for me before closing the tunnel, it would risk too many lives. I just hope I made it in time, I need to go with the ponies and protect them. Most of them are weak or injured and as far as I can tell I'm the only 'regular' pony that can sense them when they're in disguise. They'd be fucked on their own out there even if the changelings weren't going to be hunting them down.

The platform touched ground and the smell of decay pervaded my senses. So much death and fear.. I can't help but wonder if this Equestria is even the same one I know so much about. Could all of this have been happening in the background while the show focused on the Elements? My reverie is interrupted by a sound behind me.

"Chitters in the night," I spoke aloud.

"Strike fear in our prey." A voice behind me finished.

A sigh of both relief and defeat left my lips. "You guys really need a new passphrase. It's too damn corny." Turning to look at Thorax I saw him frown, I could have sworn I heard him mutter that he thought it was cool. Fucking dweeb. "Am I too late?"

His serious demeanor returned. "For the main tunnel yes, but I planned for your late arrival. You saved allot of lives today and I couldn't leave you high and dry. I hid an extra tunnel in one of the Queens 'hidden' escape tunnels. It leads to the same tunnel the ponies took."

Ha! Sneaky bastard. "Lead on then." I said. I followed him through the maze of broken cocoons occasionally passing by elderly ponies and even more that were injured or disabled in some way. As heartless as it sounds, it would be pointless to try to save them. They would basically just be dead weight for the ones that are able to travel, plus changelings need food. I can't fault them for what they do, they can't help what they are forced to eat. I can't justify dooming a species just because I don't like what they eat. We could co-exist but neither sides leaders would ever consider it.

My eyes glided past several helpless creatures floating in their pods until one caught my eye. I stopped in my tracks as I locked eyes with a pure black pegasus. She looked terrified but also curious. Thorax noticed my dumfounded gaze but not the wide awake mare that was staring at me through her pod.

Unable to look away, I pointed a hoof at her. "This one is awake."

Finally taking notice of this he just nodded and shrugged. "Subject 34 has always given us trouble, she can power through the sedation magic of the pod by willpower alone. She's a strong one that's been with us for a VERY long time, while not overly productive she has lasted longer in the pod than any other before her."

"How long?" I asked. The mare in question teared up as she curled into a fetal position.

"If I remember correctly she's been a captive at the last three hives before this one, so I'd say she 'should' be around one hundred and eighty by now. Each hive last's about fifty or so years befo-"

I couldn't hear anything he said after I heard how long she'd been a food source. Awake in stasis for almost two hundred years, barely able to move, and in constant fear of your captors returning. Sure she wasn't awake the entire time but still, to be trapped for so long..

I decided then and there, "She's coming with me. Now."

Comments

[Ali della Morte]

Good chapter. I'm glad to see this updated. I'm really curious about his plans for that mare.

[tsaukpaetra]

New sister for Cara let's go!