//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: A Plan of Action // Story: A Time to Think // by The Sonic Mage //------------------------------// The smell of tea was strong, and filled the room. It was the kind of sent that brought to mind warm memories and good feelings. It was something that would be needed if Thorax wanted to survive the next few minutes. He had to tell Pharynx what he intended to do. He took a seat across from his brother at the small table, and began to drink. “Feel better now?” Pharynx asked, still being calm and kind. Thorax looked up from his cup. “Yes, I do feel a lot better, but…” Thorax looked off to the side at nothing in particular. “But, what?” Pharynx leaned forward, a bit confused. “I...I still feel bad about yelling at Chrysalis.” Thorax sounded a bit down when he said that. “Yeah, I was wondering about that.” Pharynx said “What do you intended to do with her, anyway?” “Well…,” Thorax hesitated for a moment, “I have an idea...but I don’t think you’ll like it.” “Why do I get the feeling that this is going to make me angry?” Pharynx spoke with a bit of concern in his voice. “Pharynx, just promise me you won’t yell. There’s been enough of that today” the young king pleaded. “Thorax, I-” His resistance was met by Thorax doing his best puppy dog face. It was a face that Pharynx hated because, when coming from his brother, it was almost impossible to deny. Eventually, the stone-faced general caved. “Grr…Oh, alright I’ll try my best. But, no promises.” “Thank you, Pharynx.” Thorax felt a wave of relief wash over him. “Alright, so what’s this plan of yours?” Pharynx stood himself up straight as Thorax walked over to him. Surely this plan wasn’t as bad as he thought, right? “Well, what I want to do is…” Thorax whispered his idea into his brother’s ear…whose eyes practically bulged. >~~~~~~~~~< The Changeling farmer Kick-back was once again distracted by a muffled but loud noise coming from the hive, the fourth time that day. It was honestly starting to get annoying. “I swear, this place gets weirder everyday.” He shook his head and went back to his crops. >~~~~~~~~~~< “You want to do WHAT!!!” Pharynx’s protest added to the repeated instances of shouting that day. “You said you wouldn’t get mad!” Thorax was a tad upset and worried. He was scared that Pharynx would react strongly to this, but still hoped for the opposite. Or at least, a less extreme response. “I said would try my best not to, and that is outside my range of effort.” Pharynx shook his head before looking up again. “I mean, you want to keep her here?” “Yes.” “And you’re not going to tell the Princesses?” “Yes” “Why?! It’s not like they’ll send her to the galowes, of which they have none!” “It’s not the Princesses I’m worried about Pharynx, it’s the people!” Thorax stated “The ponies of Equestria will have a riot. They’ll be up in hoofs, demanding that Chrysalis be seriously punished!” “Would you expect anything less?” Pharynx questioned loudly. “No, but that’s not the point. They would storm the gates of Canterlot Castle.” Thorax said with pleading eyes, wanting so badly for Pharynx to see what he was trying to say. “So they can just keep her a secret! There, problem solved” That could have ended the conversation. But Thorax had more to say. “No one can keep a secret from everyone Pharynx, you know this!” Thorax exclaimed, “Eventually, some guard will have one too many drinks and say one too many things at the bar, or one of the more gossiping servants will be at a hair salon, and if that happens it’s all over. Everypony from The Crystal Empire to Starlight’s old village would know about it a day later!” “Don’t you mean everypony from The Crystal Empire to Appleosa?” Pharynx questioned. “Does it matter? The fact is, it would get out eventually, and definitely sooner that we would like. So no, we are not giving her to the Princesses” declared Thorax. Pharynx put a hoof to his forehead, rubbing it a bit. “Okay, but will you at least tell the Princesses and The Elements of Harmony?” Pharynx proposed. “Are you kidding!” Thorax exclaimed “No disrespect to The Elements, but they are not the best ones to go to with this” “Why?” “Rarity loves to gossip, Twilight would do a number of crazy things, and no offense to Applejack, but I trust her with secrets as far as I can throw her. And that’s not very far.” Thorax took a deep breath as he continued to point out the lack of options, “As for the Princesses, Celestia isn’t an issue, but Luna would probably declare war, and I don’t want to even imagine what Cadence and Shining Armor would do!” That last point was very much valid. Thorax put his hoof down on the table, if to point at a spot on a map. “This land is not about violently destroying anyone that threatens the peace, in order to keep said peace. It’s about communicating, negotiating. It’s about finding a middle ground that everyone can stand on and be happy and at peace.” Pharynx pondered for a second and then asked a serious question. “What else?” He asked in a stern voice. Thorax seemed confused by this. “What do you mean, ‘What else’?” “You’re not a politician, Thorax. It’s why you’re so likable, you tell the truth. There’s more to this than just the political uproar that would be caused. So, I will ask again, what else is there?”  He stared at Thorax expecting the elaboration he knew he was going to get. “*sigh* I-I want Chrysalis to feel welcome. Like we haven’t given up on her, that don’t resent her. I want her to belong because...because I care.” Thorax’s eyes were filled with emotions, hopes, dreams, prayers, “I want to help her. I want to bring her home.” Pharynx looked at his brother, “You realise, what you want to do here is dangerous right?” “Yes.” “And illegal. We could be court-martialed for this.” “Yes, I do.” Pharynx closed his eyes with his head tilted down at the table. He then uttered a single word, “Okay.” “Look, Pharynx I know you don’t like this, but I really just—What?” Pharynx raised his head to meet his brother’s confused gaze, “I said, okay.” Thorax continued to stare, “Why?” Pharynx leaned forward as he held his stern expression, “Let me make something clear. This plan of yours, is stupid.” He said unapologetically, “It’s a stupid, crazy, and basically impossible idea.” Thorax rolled his eyes, “Thanks, that’s really supportive.” “Don’t start sassing me, Thorax.” Pharynx shot back, “Your plan is everything I just said... but,” he continued, “if there is one Changeling I know that can pull off stupid, crazy, and impossible ideas, it’s you Thorax. So if you think you can make this work, well then I’m with you all the way.” Thorax was stunned by his brother’s support, “Y-You mean it?” “Completely.” “I-I’m speechless. I don’t know what to say!” “You don’t need to say anything.” Pharynx reassured. “What you do need to do, is figure out how you’re going to approach this. From how you described it, you gave Chrysalis quite the verbal thrashing” Pharynx reminded. “Yeah, I did didn’t I?” “Indeed. Not the best first step. So what are you going to do about it? Thorax pondered for a moment. As he looked down at his cup of tea, an idea struck him, “I think I’ve got it!”