Escape From Canterlot

by No one is home

Rating: teen
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Drama, Original Character, Adventure
Length: 2599

A young changeling and a disgraced circus freak search for answers in the aftermath of social upheaval.

The Canterlot Free Hive has been disbanded.

In the aftermath of Chrysalis second invasion, the machinations of the Nopony, and Thorax's ascension as ruler of the new changelings, Celestia has ruled that there is no further need of a refugee hive within the outskirts of her city.

With her pony family scattered, and her hive disbanded, Z-978 is taken in by the Freaks of the Belfry as they flee lower Canterlot , hoping to find acceptance, peace, and freedom in Las Pegasus.

Published 2017-06-09 23:00:10 UTC
Last updated 2017-12-26 17:05:30 UTC

Everypony Who’s Anypony

Everypony Who’s Anypony

Deadlift (a.k.a. Jimmy Jack)

Before the coming of the Pink Step Plague, James Jackson was an orderly at a mental hospital in east Atlanta. As the earth pony Deadlift, he was and his friends were chosen to attempt to breach the barrier between worlds and re-establish contact between Earth and Equestria. Finding themselves in the wrong parallel reality the team joined forces with another former human from their world, Iam Noone as freakshow performers in his traveling changeling carnival.

When Noone’s plans to extract vengeance on Equestria became known, the freaks changed sides, helping the Nopony’s changeling daughter, Diane Pastel to defeat him. But Diane extracted her own revenge, not just against Iam Noone, but every pony and every changeling who worked with him. She carved a bloody path across Canterlot before she was eventually stopped and brought to justice.

Fearing the potential wrath of both the Royal family and the noble houses of Canterlot, the freaks have chosen to flee the city. While the bulk of their number follow the blind goat Tarot Solitaire to Las Pegasus, Deadlift has undertaken a more personal mission. He has chosen to escort Diane Pastel’s older sister on a quest to Baltimare to uncover the fate of their last herd-mate, Carrot Plate.

Z-978 (a.k.a. Switch Shift)

Iam Noone sired thirteen larvae with Chrysalis’ brood Queen Madame Butterfly. When Noone fled the hive with his mate, their offspring were smuggled out separately, using the changeling invasion during the wedding of Princess Cadance as cover. Unfortunately the young nymphs were separated from the group and became caught up in the invasion itself. During the battle, Switch Shift was accidently killed by Pinkie Pie, while wielding Twilight Sparkle as a magic canon.

Years later, wracked with guilt over the unintended consequences of her actions in life, Surprise Mint Pastel, a Pinkie Pie refugee from a collapsed timeline used the instability from Starlight Glimmer’s time spell to attempt to undo her mistakes. She found the young changeling filly she had inadvertently murdered in the timeline ruled by Queen Chrysalis and brought her back into Equestria to be reunited with her sister, Diane.

Taking the name Z-978, the young changeling became one of the first members of the herd of Train Wreck, Discord’s “alicorn” prince. Her relationship with the outcast prince was more that of a little sister than wife, although she did bare him a single offspring, the mutant grub known as Zillia Facehugger Pastel. After the prince disappeared in thin air during a heated trial of both himself and the villainous Iam Noone, Z took refuge in the Canterlot Refugee hive, under the care of it’s matriarch Princess Fast Change.

After Celestia disbanded the hive, Z refused to rejoin the other changelings, now ruled by King Thorax, but instead chose to flee Lower Canterlot in self imposed exile, traveling with Deadlift to Baltimare where she hopes to learn the fate of her last remaining herd sister, Carrot Plate, who has been missing ever since the Nopony’s attack and Queen Chrysalis’ subsequent invasion.

Fast Change

A unicorn student, gifted in shape shifting, Fast Change’s life took a strange turn after a rescue mission into the Hive of Queen Chrysalis. Cornered and out of options, she played a huge gamble of impersonating a changeling queen. The ruse was, perhaps, too much of a success, as she inadvertently led nearly half of the changelings into freedom, establishing the Canterlot Free Hive in Lower Canterlot. She later learned that her transformation was more than skin deep, as she could no longer change back into a unicorn. She was fully and completely a changeling queen (officially granted the title of “Princess” by Princess Celestia).

With the disbanding of the hive Fast Change has moved into the the Castle and Canterlot proper as the official liaison between the crown and the newly reformed Changeling Kingdom, now ruled by King Thorax. Though no longer their ruler she still cares very deeply for her former subjects and bitterly resents the notion that she abandoned them.

Ponyville - Deadlift

Dear Usagi,

You probably won’t get this until you guys are all the way in Las Pegasus. At this rate you’ll have a whole new show running by the time me and Z get out of Ponyville. Honestly, we should have stuck to the plan and just swapped trains at the station. But it seemed disrespectful not to let Z visit Surprise’s grave. I should have known what was going to happen. The damn pink ghost…

I know, she’s not the REAL pink ghost, but I’ll be damned if she ain’t just as damned scary. And there weren’t no way I was ever getting out of Ponyville quietly with her sister and her niece. I tried to explain that we had to avoid royal attention, but YOU try explaining anything to the literal magical embodiment of laughter. Z didn’t help none, “The Princess Twilight is not a stinky face royalty, the Princess Twilight is a friend of the Train Wreck and the Surprise!”

Well that, I can tell you now, was that. There isn’t anything I can say or do that carries more weight than, “Big Sister Pinkie Pie says it’s alright,” or even worse, “Z’s sister Surprise said that Z could trust the Princess Twilight," or even "The Surprise said when she was gone Z-978 should listen to the Twilight and Big Sister Pinkie Pie.” Hell, if I tried to argue there’s a pretty good chance Z might decide she couldn’t trust me. I was only only buddies with “the Train Wreck”, those other two ponies had Surprise herself vouching for ‘em from beyond the grave.

Jesus on a pogo stick, my biggest fear right now is that the Princess of Friendship will send a letter to Canterlot just to prove that we don’t have anything to worry about. Hell maybe we are worried about nothing. But after what happened to Diane...

What she did was fifty shades of wrong, don’t get me wrong, but they literally exiled her to pony-hell. She was just a kid. These royal horses, girl… Maybe her highness is right and Celestia is just the nicest god-horse ever. But she sent Diane to hell. And Surprise’s good friend on the hill who never even came to her funeral never batted an eye. Z don’t like Prince Silver not one little bit. I don’t blame her. We’re headed out tomorrow, one way or the other.

Love,
James “Deadlift” Jackson

P.S.
Train Wreck needs to be kicked in the balls for leaving Z with a kid like he did. I’m just sayin’. I know Z likes to make herself look like she’s an adult changeling, but even if she was… dammit man! She’s clearly not right in the head. I wonder if Celestia even thought about what was going to happen to Z and Facehugger when she shut down the Canterlot hive? Obviously Fast Change couldn’t care less, so long as they let her back in with the “good” royals. It’s a damn shame, everyone in Decanter always thought so well of her.

Unexpected Tidings - The Blind Goat, Usagi, Moonbeam

Unexpected Tidings - The Blind Goat, Usagi, Moonbeam

Salutations,

Deadlift, you haven’t left Ponyville yet. I trust you realize that’s not a question. Nor is it an indictment. You will remain in Ponyville exactly as long as you should, and you shall not leave a moment sooner or later than this. I trust your judgement in this matter exclusively.

My cards have revealed an impending reunion of old friends. The Wayward Squire and the Maiden of Puzzles. I have not seen these particular cards in play since the unfortunate business in Canterlot, they were a rare element of light in that affair. Your young changeling ward, in particular will be happy by this turn of events, I am utterly confident.

Additionally, while you are in Ponyville, you should read a new book.

Sincerely,

Tarotius William Solitaire

-=-=-=-=-

Dearest James,

I haven’t heard from you in days. Goddammit, I hate Equestrian communication. Rrgh, I’d trade my scales for a damned email. We made it to Las Pegasus. It looks like the biggest Chucky Cheese you’ve ever seen. It’s gonna annoy the hell out of you when you get here.

I miss you, James. I understand why you’re doing this… I really do. We owe the Pastels literally everything, and you know I love little Z more than anyone, and there is a real debt there… and I know how you feel about paying debts. But I still miss you.

Just… help that girl find her sister and come back to us… come back to me.

Love,

Allyssa “Usagi” Manuel

-=-=-=-=-

Mom,

Yeah… I’m not running away. So don’t send the guards or nuthin’. I cleaned up as many of your trackers as I could find, so don’t panic when it takes you a few minutes to figure out where I am. I’m… going through some things. That’s all.

I love you, and I’m not running away, but I need to find my own answers. The things that happened in the invasion, well, they happened, alright? And it was rough on me. It was rough all around. I grew up in Decanter, and all of Rock and Miss Shade Fire’s political hooey aside, those were my ponies it happened to. And I trust Princess Luna. Nightmare in the moon, but I can’t explain to you what it’s like for a bat like me to have Princess Luna tell me that she wants to be my granddame… I trust her and I know that whatever happened with Diane that nopony wants to tell me…

I need answers. And I’m not gonna get them sitting up here on the hill. I know I couldn’t have got all your tracking wards, mom. So I’m going to tell you now, I’m going to Ponyville. I asked around the guards who hang out at the Belfry, and they say that freaky-big earth pony was headed there with Diane’s sister on their way to Baltimare. If anypony knows what really happened in the invasion who’ll tell me straight, it’s Z.

I know better than to tell you not to worry, and I know better than to think your not gonna follow me. I disabled the trackers to buy me some space. That’s all I’m asking, mom. Just give me some space and let me find my answers. I love you, and I promise I’ll be as careful as I can.

Love,

Moonbeam Watch

Twists and Turns - Deadlift, Z-978, Moonbeam

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Letters in the Dark - Shadefire, Night Shift, ? ? ?

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Unsettling Events - Deadlift, Newsclip, ???

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

First Intermission: The Return

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Escalation: Debbie, Dead Lift

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Explanations and Conclusions: Twilight Sparkle

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Old Friends - Z-978, Fast Change

Ponyville - Z-978, Fast Change

Fast Change,

What follows is a letter from from Z-978 Pastel. For some reason, she still thinks you care about her, and I honestly don’t have the heart to tell her any different. I’ve transcribed her words as close to exactly as I can. I don’t know if you’re even gonna read any of it, and honestly, I don’t care. Train Wreck always said you were his friend, though, and Z thinks the world of you, so do us the favor of not telling any of your royal fuck buddies where to find us.

Sincerely,

James “Deadlift” Jackson

Dear The Fast Change,

Z-978 rode on a train! She rode on a for real train, and nothing bad happened and the ponies were nice to her, and the Deadlift is looking at Z like she is talking too much. But the Deadlift must keep writing! Keep writing all of Z’s words because she will ask and she will know if the Deadlift is just making it up!

And Z also got to see Big Sister Pinkie Pie and the Princess Twilight Sparkle. Z has missed her Big Sister Pinkie Pie since her family went back to the hive and she is happy the Deadlift said it was alright if Z-978 could stay in the Ponyville for two days. Maybe three days? Yes! Maybe three days! The Deadlift will not shake his head and roll his stupid eyes! He will write the words that Z-978 is saying to the Fast Change! He will write ALL the words, just like Z has said them, or Z-978 will tell her Big Sister Surprise that the Deadlift was a big meany!

Anyway, as Z-978 was telling the Fast Change we are staying in the Ponyville for maybe three days so little Facehugger can ride on her Aunt Pinkie Pie’s head and so Z can talk to the Surprise. It makes Z sad that she can only talk to the surprise at her special rock, and her sister cannot talk back to her. But it is nice to be in the Ponyville again. The Trainwreck always said he would take Z and her Sister Diane back to the Ponyville one day. If Z-978’s Train Wreck were here he would only make Z-978 angry and ruin the mood and Diane would laugh and Z-978 is going to cry now. STOP WRITING STUPID DEADLIFT!

Z-978 is better now. She is sorry she yelled at the Deadlift and she is sorry she broke the Trixie’s tea cup. Z-978 was sad. It is not fair that Z-978’s family did not come back to the Ponyville with her. It is not fair but it is not the Deadlift’s fault and Z should not hit the Deadlift, and no it is not alright, and the Deadlift must stop telling Z-978 that it is alright and he must keep writing her words that she is saying.

The Princess Twilight said that she is friends with the Fast Change, and that Z-978 should tell the Fast Change that she is supposed to come to Ponyville to visit the Twilight. And the Princess Twilight says that the Fast Change should bring the Silver, and that Z should stop making the face that she is making because the Silver is a very nice pony.

It is time to say goodbye now. Z-978 must go to sleep now, she has promised the Sweetie Belle that she will bring Facehugger to visit her tomorrow and then we will stay in the Ponyville one more day after tomorrow. Yes we will! The Deadlift will stop telling lies and keep writing! We will stay one more day and it is a lie to say that we will not!

Love and Snuggly Huggles,

Z Nine Seven Eight Pastel

It's been a while, hasn't it?

It's Fast, if you didn't guess. Things are going interestingly around here. My 'royal buddies' run the gamut from happy to see me to eyeing the angles they can take advantage of the situation. It's never boring. If I thought I could escape from royal life, I was fooling myself. Once you're in, you're stuck. Enjoy being your own thing while you can, it's a great feeling.

Having fun in Ponyville? It sounds like you're having a blast, and that's great! You might have been amused to see the look on Silver's face when I brought up visiting with him. I don't know what scares him about Ponyville, but he looked like he saw a ghost or something, too funny.

Tell your friend to stop saying how I feel, sheesh. Just because I wimped out as changeling princess doesn't mean I stopped liking a single one of you at all, and that goes double for you, you crazy wonderful bug you! You make any new friends? How's life? Keep writing, even if you have to pester a pony until they get writing. Use it as a reason to learn how to do it yourself too. It's a great skill.

Love you,
Fast Change