"EQ Game Mini Quest- The Things ones finds at Night"
By klimino (https://pastebin.com/u/klimino)

URL: https://pastebin.com/i365j3Q7
Created on: Monday 15th of May 2017 07:38:43 AM CDT
Retrieved on: Sunday 25 of October 2020 03:45:49 AM UTC


Griff had gone for a late night stroll, as he often did when he needed to think, Torch held out and above as he walked along the walls interior, simply enjoying the silence of the night. 

It was then he stopped, His eye catching sight of something on the ground. 

Leaning down to inspect, he found a pair of prints, firmly into the slightly moits ground. Looking up at the walls above, he raised an eyebrow, curious as to the situation. These werent Pony prints, at least, if they were they were from a pony that needed serious medical attention. 

Hooves werent supposed to have indented into the side like that afterall.... Griff looked around, but saw no signs of...anyone, the night late into its cradle, even the guard rotations being bare bones by this time. 

"Hrm..." he grumbled, looking in the direction the imprints hinted at whoever had jumped into the settlement went.

Quick sits by the put out fire, it having become his spot to relax after a day's work. He hadn't lit it tonight, as it was particularly warm.
 Blinking, he spots Griff wandering about with a torch, and inspecting something on the ground. He sees him look in a different direction, and his ears perk in interest.
 Not wanting to surprise the griffon, before getting too close he calls out.
 "Hey, Griff! Watcha doing out here at this time of night?" 
He continues walking towards him, the bright light killing his night vision a bit. 


Griff Twitched a bit at his name being yelled out, having not expected to meet any others our here really. Staring at the tracks one last time, he gets up, heading over to Quick, face stern as he scanned the area.

“Ah just like going fer walks some nights, clears ones head, ya know?” He raises an eyebrow, pointing at Quick with a small smirk.

“And yah? Ye seem tah be out these hours often yerself.”

Quick gives a little nod, looking around but not able to find the thing Griff was looking at. 

"Yeah, I just seem to have radically different sleeping hours. Dunno what's causing it, but eh.. it works at least."

 He points over at the fire. "Want to sit down, have a chat?" 


“Hah, ah can understand, sometimes sleep just comes at ahn odd time....”Griff looks down, then back out at the darkness, before smiling at Quick. “Up fer ah walk instead?”


Quick shrugs. "Sure, whatever's comfortable. Not a good night for a fire, anyway." He looks over at where Griff was staring. "Well, you lead the way." 

Griff nodded, leading the way down where he had been looking. He seemed a bit on edge, but also seemed to be trying to ignore his own feeling of apprehension. 

“So....yah always hang out alone? Ah dont think have seen ya round wit that usual groups.” Griff asked, holding his torch high a moment as he looks at Quick.

Quick notices that Griff seems a little jumpy, but leaves him alone about it for now. 

"No, I don't usually want to be alone, but.. usually no-one's awake when I am." He sighs. "My body seems to have forced a different schedule, so I can only work and then hope people are still awake at this sort of hour." 

The unicorn's bright colors are highlighted in the torchlight, the effeminate stallion blinking and looking back at Griff with a somewhat troubled expression. 



Griff nodded slowly, looking out at the darkness encompassing the Town. “Ah understand...Used tah run ah pretty damn painful job back home, never had time fer any folks during tha day, ahn they never had time fer me at night...” He patted Quick on the back, giving him a slight smile. “Things'll get better fer ya im sure.

Griff, suddenly, turns down a bit of an alley stopping to lean down and inspect something. 
“Hrn....Oi, Quick, ya think you could help meh wit this?” He says, pointing at the ground.

There laied a set of what may have been back hooves, embedded deep in the ground from something putting all their weight on them. Considering the piles of barrels and containers next to them, it was an easy guess what the pony might've been trying to climb onto.

However, closer inspection would leave one a bit confused. Hooves weren't supposed to have sudden round cuts into the side of them like that.

“Ah think somethins....off bout these tracks, ahn...ah feel like its obvious, but ah cant put mah tongue on what it is....”


Quick keeps looking around, nodding as he listens to Griff. He nods in understanding, blinking some as he's patted. 
"Uh, right.. I don't know. My schedule isn't changing, I don't think.." 

He furrows his brow, looking at Griff and poking his head down the alley he suddenly turned into. 
"What's the problem, hmm?" He looks down at where the torch light is shining, his eyes widening as he sees the containers, tracks and shape. 

"I don't understand.. are those hooves? They look.. well, I can't tell what they are. But whatever came through here definitely wasn't a pony."


Griff nodded, scratching his chin. “Ah found similar by the wall, as if somethin had jumped down from it....” He looks up, Following the Containers, before pointing. 

“there ah think?” he says, pointing at an open window into one of the Mill Store Houses.

He Stretches, before Clambering up onto the first Barrel, turning and giving Quik a smile. “yah got any mountain goat blood in ya? Time Tah show it off.”

Quick looks at the pile uncertainly, shaking his head. "I, uh.. I don't think I'm going to be able to get up there." 

He sighs. "Look, I may be good at walking and running now, but hooves aren't great for climbing." He frowns. "Is there another way in?"

Griff scratches his chin, then points back out the alley. 
“Wait by tha front door, ahll be just one moment.”

With that the clambered on inside, disappearing into the dark building.
Little sound could be heard, before the creaking of the front door was heard from out front.
“C'mon now, Quickly! Ah think ah found somethin else interestin!”

Quick wanders over to the front door, calling out "Be careful in there!" 
He blinks, shuffling around.. before perking his ears as the door opens. 

"Hmm? Watcha got in there?" He trots inside through the door, interested in what Griff might have found. 



Griff, Holding up his torch, points at one of the piles of Wooden planks, cut and ready for use from the Mill.

On it, was a Muddy Hoof print or tow, leading up and over it, just as mildly disfigured at the others.

But what caught Their attention, was a bit up, there was...droplet, marks of something, that seemed...familiar, but blue.

“Blood....” Griff said, looking around the silent Storehouse. “But ah dont know what has blue blood and has hooves, do ya?”

Griff sniffs, climbing up the Woodpile a bit and wiping at the droplets. “Not completely fresh but not too old either ah reckon. Somethins running from somethin else ah think ,and it aint us its runnin from...not yet anyways...”


Quick watches as Griff looks around the warehouse, wincing as he sees the blood.
 "Yeah, I don't know.. whatever's been here, it's hurt. Don't know if it was too severe though, seeing as there's not much of it." 


He continues to look around with Griff, spotting a few more tracks here and there.
 "You're right about that last part, anyway. We have no idea what it is, and what it's running from. But I suppose if it's dangerous you're going to want to off it, huh?" 

Griff shrugs, hopping back down. “Ah dont want either o these things hurtin anyone, so ah'll do what ah think I gotta....”

He looks around, before pointing. “This way.” 

As they move through the darkness, Griff looks back at Quick, chuckling. “Looks like yer day job might roll over to tha night now, eh?”


Quick shrugs, looking away as he hears that first line from Griff. "Oh, uh.. I suppose. Gives me something to do at least."

 He follows into the darkness with the griffon, keeping an eye out and breathing a little more unsteady-he's never been fond of the dark. 



Griff Looks around silently, Letting his sense absorb what information they can as he takes in the dusty room.

He suddenly holds out a Claw to motion for Quick to stop, before motioning for him to get down by pointing at said ground.

He leans back, whispering. “Ah think....somethings up in that side room ovah thar...” He says, pointing.


Quick holds back a gasp, pressing his fluffy chest against the ground and getting dust all over it. "Right, and what do you plan to do about it?" He whispers. 

At this point the stallion's breathing and heartrate have increased significantly, the sensitive trap not used to more dangerous scenarios. 
Meanwhile, Quick tries to get a better look at the side room, to see what could potentially be stalking them. 


As Quick and Griff Approach a small Window looking into the room, they spot it, barely in the dim light, as Griff had left his torch back, stuck into the best place he could find to hold it.

What was inside, would catch them both by surprise. A Changeling it looked to be, though this one with extremely Deep blue Mane and Tail, sat curled up in a makeshift bed. Quick would notice it had tried, poorly, to patch and bandage a wound in its side, each breath it gave out as it snored seeming to make the wound ooze a bit, a it twitched in pain with each breath.

“Well ill be damned...” Griff says, scratching his chin again as he narrowed his eyes.



Quick looks around, entering the room. 
"I can't-" 
His breath catches, his eyes widening as he sees what's on the makeshift bed at the end of the room-a changeling. 
A goddamn changeling.
 As soon as he notices the poor thing is injured, he creeps up towards the bug without making a sound. 
"Griff, come on! We've got to help her.. him..? It." He whispers, growing closer. 



Griff curses, rushing in and putting a hand over Quicks mouth as he holds him still, watching the thing Twitch but stay asleep.

He leans down, whispering to Quick. 
“Fine, we'll help it, but scare it awake and cause a ruckus and with wounds like that it'lll end poorly for tha bastard even if ah dont lay ah finger on it.....” Griff narrow his eyes, then blushes and looks away as he lets go of Quick.

“Ahn ah think its ah female....”


Quick nodnods, quite close to the changeling. "Right, right. How do you suppose we go about it, then?* 
He looks closer at the bug, taking note of its features. "Female..? I don't see.." He shakes his head. "Nevermind, I don't really want to find out myself." 

"So, how about we see about waking it up calmly, and then taking care of those nasty wounds?" 



Griff Frowns, looking around the room, but nothing really popped out as useful. “Ah guess....ah'll.....Hold it down maybe?” He shrugs, sitting down next to Quick as he watches the Changeling Twitch in her sleep.

“Shes...quite different then tha ones in tha show. Hairs blue ahn her horns more straight.  Wait....” Griff narrows his eyes. 

“Hair....only Chrysalis had Hair in tha show...does this mean....”


Quick nods, sighing. "I suppose that's the only real way to go about it. I'll wake her up, you just keep her from hurting herself." 
Quick studies the changeling, noticing she is much different from other drones. "She seems.. like.. wait, is she.. a princess?" He blinks at that revelation, the potential importance of this changeling locking out his interest and adoration for the time being.
 "We've got to get her all healed up. Alright, you keep her from moving. Quickly, now." 



Griff sighs, but nods, quickly getting behind her and putting down pressure on her legs.

Instantly, shes awake, and squirming, Griff quickly Wrapping her up as tight as he can. Luckily she was weak, incredibly weak, so it was disturbingly easy.

“Whoa whoa lil missus! WE dont mean yah any harm, calm yer fuckin self, Quick eres ah Medic...Nurse...Doctor...He kno-OW!”

Griff grits his break as hes headbutted, but keeps hold of the Changeling. 
“OH yer just a lil fuckead arent yah...?”

Finally she calms down, though whether simply out of energy or consciously who knows?
She stares at Quick, her eyes trying their best to intimidate him, to keep some form of dignity about herself. 

Finally, she speaks. “Ill die before you can hand me over to Equestria, Humans....”

Griff rolls his eyes.
“Fuck that, the Equestrians aint no friend o mine. Glad tah see ya been spyin on us enough tah know what we are though, really makes ah case fer ya, ya know?”





Quick watches the whole scene with concern and a side of amusement, wincing and his heart twisting a bit as he sees how weak the changeling is. He can't help but hold back a snort when Griff gets headbutted, though. 

He sighs in relief, seeing the changeling has calmed down. However, when the changeling stares at him, the poor stallion actually recoils and steps back, successfully intimidated. "Uh, right.. I'm a d-doctor, I can help you w-with those wounds.." He looks suddenly uncertain. "That is, if you're n-not going to attack me.. we won't hoof y-you over to the Equestrians, don't worry." 




After a few moments of silence, the Changeling scoffs, but goes more limp. Carefully, hoping he was reading the body language right, Griff lets go, mostly, of her, letting her lay back down.

Thankfully, she just makes a little sound of annoyance and looks off into the darkness.

“Well, if you're going to do something about this wound, do it quickly!” she demands, Griff having to fight the urge to slap her, but nods to Quick, to let him know he was ready to intervene if necessary. 



Quick shakes a bit, honestly now frightened of the bug somewhat. He reaches into his saddlebags with his magic, pulling out some medical supplies. 
He decides to disinfect the wound first, and pulls out some hydrogen peroxide. 
"Now, m-miss, just stay still. This'll only hurt for a second.." With impressive precision, he pours some of the stinging liquid onto a cloth and rubs it gently into the wound, making sure he doesn't press too hard or get the fluid where it doesn't need to be. 
After making sure the changeling has calmed down from that pain, he signals for her to sit up so he can dress the wound properly. 



She obeys, though gives him a look that did not have a hint of kindness to it. “Be quick Pony.”

Griff sighs, before asking her “Where ya get that wound anyhow?” 

It was then she smiled wickedly, looking at Griff. “Now, why would I EVER tell you that? Putting a face, a name to something, lessens ones fear of it.”

She leans towards him a bit, sniffing the air. “And you, Griffon, are very much afraid of what it could be.”

Griff, leaning away from her a bit as she sniffed him, raised an eye brow, shoeing her back with his Claws. 

“Ahm Sensible enough tah think it might be a problem if that what ya mean.”

She chuckles, before nearly falling over from the pain it causes, frowning deeply as she hisses. 

“Y-Yes...Well.... It  is your fear I need, not your Sensibilities...” she says quietly, more to herself then them. 


Quick tries to keep the changeling still as they converse, wincing and looking a little down at that unkind look. He presses gauze against the nasty gash, then wraps a bandage to hold it in place all around her mid section. Finally, he secures it in place and sighs. "Right, now that's done.. just try not to move too much, and the wound will heal. Feel free to use the bandages I've left to change the wounds, if I'm not around to do it. Doesn't seem like you really want us around, anyway." He looks over at Griff. "What do you want to do with her? Leave, take her somewhere to get help or rest?"


She Narrows her eyes. “I dont need you-” Griff slaps his hand over his mouth, putting up a 'shush' symbol.

Suddenly, they hears some voices. 

“...Birchfoot?”
“Yeah VineStick?”
“Why the FUCK is there a lit torch stuck hap haphazardly into a barrel full of SAWDUST?!”
“....i dont know....”

Griff frowns, whispering.
“Shit, that was sawdust? Were lucky this place didnt burn down, oops...”

He quickly looks around, and spotting a window, points.
“Lets be quick, they find her and we wont be able to stop what happens next. Ill lift you both up and out, you first Quick.”

Without waiting, he picks up Quick, lifting her up to the window.

Quick blinkblinks as he's lifted up to the window, taking hold and scrambling out. Luckily, he doesn't break or knock anything and is outside without a hassle.

Without Hesitation, Griff lifts the Changeling up, pushing her out the window
“Quick, catch!” he says from his own perch half out the window, as he tries to lower her but cant get her all the way to the ground.

Quick eeps, cowering but making himself an optimal landing pad for the changeling. He almost cries out in pain, the changeling and her hard chitin landing on his soft back with a thud. "Ghh..!"

Griff, using his wings, lands next to the them, helping Quick up as the Changeling grumbles.
Quickly, she, well, changes, looking now like a simple Unicorn Mare, albeit a slightly tall one.

“Well, now what you imbeciles?” She demands.

Griff Stares her down, but this only results in her staring back, the two trying to kill eachother with looks one might say.

“...Ah dunno, might look....bad, if ah let you stay aht mah place....Quicks, however...” he says, turnign to the Pony.

Quick winces, his back aching as Griff helps him up. He looks at the changeling, now genuinely fearful and just wanting to make sure she's not angry or dangerous. "I can let you stay, if y-you need further treatment." He sighs. "With those wounds, you're not going anywhere for a while. You should at least stay at my home and let me take care of you, at least until you're able to run and fly properly again." 

She frowns. 
“And why, would you even be so willing to help me?” 

“Information and ah hardly have ah reason to cooperate with tha Equestrians. Yer hardly a threat to tha town like this, means tha only option is tha throw ya outside or help ya stay outta their sights.” Griffs says shrugging.

She raises an eyebrow. “What information could I possibly have that would interest you.”

Griff smiles. “Stick round and we can discuss that later. Folks be wakin up soon, all ya need tah know is, yah can trust me til ya give me ah reason tah not trust YOU.”

She narrows her eyes, but then nearly falling over, grumbles as the two catch her.

“...well....I couldnt refuse your offers even if I wished. Dying would do me no good.” She hisses out.

Griff nods, motioning for Quick to lead the way. “lets hurry, fore someone asks why were nto bee-lining fer tha Infirmary.”


Quick nodnods hastily, letting the two talk and starting to walk off towards his house. "Oh, uh.. may I have your name, changeling? I'd like it if maybe.. we could perhaps be a bit more polite than using titles like that.."
 "Oh, and if you need anything, don't be afraid to ask." He stays silent the rest of the trip, his heart beating quickly as he struggles to comprehend what's going on. 

The Changeling frawns, saying silent a moment, before speaking up.
“...Princess Popillia , but this form usually goes by Heart Divine.” She says sternly.

Griff stifles a chuckle, getting a look from the Princess. 
“...what? Those are...lovely names, fer sure.”

"...Quick Fix." The unicorn replies quietly. Soon enough, they arrive at his home. Quick pushes the front door open, holding it for the changeling.
 "Here we are. I have a spare room, but there's no bed, so you can just take mine. I'll sleep on the couch.." He says, trying to be kind, "Where are you going to go, Griff?"

Popillia just holds her head up, striding into the house, though is quick to lose her regal demeanor as she crawls into the bed.

Griff looks around, frowning. As the Changeling gets out of earshot and into the house though, he says.
“Ah got some things to do, this....changes things. Dont worry, wont send a brigade after her or anythin, but this DOES need investigating, figure out during my mornin hunts ah good a place to start as any.”

He looks past Quick into the house, before taking out some paper and writing down his address, and handing him the paper.

“If she causes any trouble or ya need anythin, dont hesitate tah ask fer me. IF ya cant find me ask any Griffon wearin Gator Leather, hell basically anyone wearin some. Were a pretty close knit group, theyll find me for ya.”

Quick sighs at Popilla's actions, hoping that she'll warm up to him eventually. He shakes his head, looking back at Griff. "Yeah, this is certainly.. unexpected. We need to find out what she's doing here, why a princess would be this far out." Quick takes the paper, stowing it in his saddlebags. "I'll be sure to ask for you, if need be. I certainly can't take care of the bug alone." 

Griff nods, and taking one last look into the house, turns. “ah'll catch up with ya later, tell ya if ah find anything out. Take care, an watch the hell outta her!” he says back as he runs off.