His head pounded like a drum, but Pharynx still cracked a smirk at the sight of his little brother losing composure. Discord continued to hurtle towards the hive like a projectile, and Thorax wore an ugly grimace as he watched, his magenta eyes wide and inconsolable.
"P-Pharynx, what is Discord doing here?"
"I dunno, you tell me," Pharynx answered flatly. "You're the frolicking pixie who makes friends with literally everyone. Why is the incarnation of chaos here, Thorax?"
Screeching to a halt just outside the hive's foundation, Discord exited his vehicle. The draconequus slammed the driver's door, and the entire car exploded in a veil of steam. Thorax started to hyperventilate.
"I'm not sure," he squeaked. "I didn't invite him if that's what you're inferring!"
"Well, I suggest you figure out why he's here before I treat him as a serious threat to the hive. I don't care what the ponies say his alignments are. I don't trust anything that powerful."
Pharynx wheeled on his hooves, bringing a familiar face to his attention. "Tibia, secure the hive. Standard lockdown procedures. Until further notice, I want all nymphs in the nursery and guard changelings stationed at all key points. And get Tarsus. For Hive's sake, where is he?"
"Tarsus was dealing with a stray salamander that set fire to some of the shrubs on the northern border," said Tibia. "If I don't see him, I’ll go find him."
Tibia's glistening wings buzzed to life, and he flew through a hole in the hive's exterior. A few moments passed before Pharynx wheeled around again, this time leaning into Thorax with an impatient glare.
"What are you still doing here?" Pharynx asked abruptly, nudging Thorax in the side. "Go flex those interpersonal skills and see what he wants. I'm preparing for the worst, but I'm not prodding a beehive preemptively either. Unless things go south, I'm leaving recon to you."
Thorax frowned. "Oh, I see how it is. Throw me to the wolf first to see if it bites, then move in. Aren't older brothers supposed to protect their little brothers from danger, Pharynx?"
Pharynx scoffed as he pushed Thorax along with his head. "Protect you from what? You're not in danger, you idiot."
"But you're putting me in a situation where I could be, when you could deal with it yourself."
"You're better at yammering, and you’re more of an obvious eyesore than I am, so you get to be the decoy. That doesn't mean I won't be nearby with troops, ready to pounce. Besides, this is retribution for making me babysit those hyperactive nymphs last week."
"Hey, I didn't make you do anything." Thorax looked back at him with a grin. "You decided to teach the nymphs all on your own. All I did was point out why spending time with them was important."
Pharynx pushed harder. "Quit arguing and go be a neon chew toy. That disaster is probably trying to get inside."
"Remarkable architecture, don't you agree?"
"Why yes, truly fascinating design. The flora reminds me of dear Fluttershy's cottage."
"Indeed! It's all very fitting, very fairy-like."
"Oh, I do so love fairies. They're effective against dark-types, you know."
"Yes, but who knew the changelings could evolve by destroying a magical stone rather than using it!"
A trio of Discords pursed their lips, nodding to each other in agreement. The furthest Discord spun around a white and red hat and straightened his deep blue jacket. Christened upon it were eight buttons, each the face of a different pony—Celestia, Fluttershy, and Twilight among them.
"Um, hello there, Discord. It's...nice to see you again?"
Three pairs of yellow eyes turned to examine a small convoy exiting the hive. At the forefront of the troop stood Thorax, wearing an awkward smile. A few drones curiously observed the mismatched creatures, standing just behind their king.
"Ah, there's the bug of the hour!" the Discords exclaimed merrily, merging into one form again like a mass of sentient play-doh. A spontaneous red banner with a crudely drawn Thorax sprung up from behind him, and confetti fell from someplace unseen. "You're looking as charmingly over-the-top as ever, I see. How's being a ruler going for you? Do you measure your bug ponies in feet or yards?"
A roll of measuring tape popped into existence, enwrapping the drones like a coiling python. While they chittered in mild annoyance, stamping and tearing at the invasive tape, Thorax shook his head.
"I'm doing well enough, and I guess we measure in yards since we don't have feet," he snarked mildly. "I see you're as over-the-top as ever, yourself, Discord."
Discord gasped. In the blink of an eye, he was by Thorax's side, pressing his snout against the monarch's. "Oh, you've got a bit of cheekiness to you now, don't you? I like you more already, Your Buggyness."
Thorax craned his neck away, raising a hoof in distress. "Uh, well, thanks, I guess. I did get a little help from a friend on becoming more assertive recently."
"How wonderful. Anypony I know?"
"Well, I'm not sure. Do you know Dragon Lord Ember?"
Discord scrunched his face. "Dragon who now?"
"Dragon Lord Ember? The new leader of the dragons?"
Discord crossed his legs and sat upon thin air, stroking a talon through his goatee. "Oh, the tsundere child of Torch, yes? I do believe Fluttershy said something to the effect of the Dragon Lord visiting Ponyville recently. Though I owe a limb to their ancestry, I never did take to the dragons. They tend to be a rather dull bunch—excluding your little friend Spike, of course."
Discord vanished, reappearing in a heartbeat just behind the hiding pack of drones. Without warning, he scooped them up like a collection of dolls and embraced them, smirking when they gave squeaks of discontent. "Nothing like you all, at least not anymore. You're all simply adorable now, and it's all thanks to our little team. Yay us~."
Thorax hid his wince. "If you don't mind me asking, what brought you to the hive today, Discord?"
Discord dropped the struggling pack of changelings in a heap, and his body deflated like a balloon. "A little pegasus told me that Starlight and Trixie came to visit you some time ago. I wasn't invited to that particular reconciliation, so I decided to pay you all a visit myself."
"Oh, well, that's very thoughtful of you," Thorax said in relief. "I'm honored. Frankly, I didn't think you were all that interested in visiting us. I kinda figured once you rescued your friend, Fluttershy, you'd move on."
An air pump materialized and proceeded to inflate Discord's limp form. Once fully pumped, he promptly got up close and rubbed his knuckles between Thorax’s antlers. "Nonsense! We overthrew a grumpy queen and saved the entire cast of protagonists together. We're practically besties."
Meanwhile, Thorax's drones stood off to the side and brushed themselves off of dirt, looking at the scene with uncertainty.
"So what exactly is that thing?" one hissed. "Also, why is it giving Thorax a noogie?"
"His name is Discord, and don't let him fool you; he's crazy powerful," another stated. "He's friends with ponies now, but he used to be a tyrant who ruled over the whole land. From what Chrysalis said, not only was there no love to feed on in those days, there was no way we could take him on either. We'd have been taken over, too, if not for the old throne's power."
"Thank you, Captain Exposition," a third deadpanned. "As for those of us who were actually on guard duty when Chrysalis was usurped, we've already met him. You left out the fact that he's completely nuts. Spend too much time around him and you'll get zany, too."
The first drone sighed. "Today’s going to be a long day. Pharynx is gonna lose his shell the moment this guy so much as coughs up a rabbit."
The trio shared a hollow laugh.
Thorax, now finally recovering from his headache, forced another smile as Discord's beady eyes fell upon him.
"Well, Discord, since you're here, would you like to have a tour of the hive?" he offered. "A lot has changed from the desolate place you saw last time you were here, and I still have to introduce you to my brother."
"Most definitely," Discord replied earnestly, floating through the air as if on a cloud. "I was just telling myself about how fascinating your new home is. I haven't seen the 'forest sprite' look pulled off this well since the wood nymphs of the Griffish Isles. Of course, that was over a millennia ago."
The spirit of chaos touched the ground again. Every movement he made drew the observing drones' total attention, like curious cats. With a raise of his brow, Discord snapped his fingers, and a laser pointer materialized between his paws.
"I'll give you a brief tour of the hive's new additions, then." Thorax gazed up at the towering structure behind them. "Everyling worked really hard to build it into something new that we could all enjoy, and I came up with some fun activities for us to do together. I think you'll really appreciate the theater troupe; they put on entertaining shows!"
The faintest of snickering tickled Thorax's ears. He turned to find his posse shrunken to the ground, their flanks in the air as they took turns pouncing and batting at an elusive red dot. Now and then, they'd strike the ground with their hooves, only to find the dot had escaped again.
"It's getting away, you guys! Get it!"
"Catch it, Cimex! What are you doing!?"
"I don't know! Why am I doing this!? Why is this so fun!?"
"I don't know what I was worried about," Discord said, sending the dot over a rock and watching the drones clamber over each other to follow it. "You seem to be every bit the ferocious hunters you used to be. Way to go, Thorax. Way to show everypony that you don't need some cranky old queen or her drab sense of color coordination to be effective."
Thorax sighed and buried his face in one hoof. "Hey, you guys? Who wants to help me show our guest, Discord, the hive? Maybe we'll have time to stop by the hot springs."
The red dot faded from every changeling's mind, and a slew of bulbous eyes emerged from atop the rock.
"Ooh, that's a good idea. I could use a relaxing soak," one chirped, turning to elicit nods from his peers.
"Yeah, and Pharynx never goes in the hot springs," a second added. "Can't become collateral damage of his tantrum if he's not around!"
Thorax chuckled. "Just wait inside for me, okay? I need to check on something real quick, and then we can all go together."
Discord wore a shameless grin. "You know, a soak does sound nice. So glad I thought of it. Lead the way, my little neon beetlefolk."
A decorative white towel stitched with his own face appeared around Discord's waist. In no time at all, the squad of changelings escorted the chaos spirit towards the hive, chatting his ear off the entire way. Thorax alone remained behind, watching the group step through the hive's morphing doorways and out of sight. He turned to the empty fields behind him.
"I know you're there, Pharynx. If you insist on eavesdropping all the time, you really should come up with new disguises. I've memorized the number of edges on your rock imitation."
For a moment, there was silence. Then, a turquoise flame enveloped a jagged rock a few yards away, and Pharynx's disapproving scowl entered the world once again.
"He's jealous."
"It seems like it, yeah."
"He missed out on you being a dork, me being an outcast and the ponies failing to address a situation properly...and he's somehow jealous."
"It's the principle of the matter, Pharynx. He just wants to be included."
Pharynx rolled his compound eyes. "Right, the entity of mayhem and catastrophe feels left out. How could I be so insensitive?"
The brothers made their way through the hive's exterior, the hot sun giving way to cool shadows across their backs. While Thorax embraced them, tall and calm, Pharynx skulked along, watching the paths ahead like a hawk.
"Things will be just fine, Pharynx, you'll see," Thorax encouraged. "All we have to do is keep Discord entertained for a while. How hard can it be?"
Pharynx shook his head. "Never ask that question, Thorax. Don't tempt the fates. I turn my back for one second, and he'll have the entire hive doing gymnastics. I'm not letting him out of my sight, and you'd better not either. I wouldn't have even offered a tour of the hive in the first place."
Thorax let out a one-note chuckle. "What else should I have offered? He would’ve wanted to see the new hive anyway. Besides, he's not that bad. I'm pretty sure the Discord you're thinking of was reformed quite a while ago. Granted, we may not be close friends, but I know him enough to know his boundaries."
An eyebrow accompanied a head turn. "Do you, though? Because I'm pretty sure he was incapable of using magic on the one occasion you spent any length of time with him."
Thorax's confident look grew sheepish. "Well, touché. Still, though, if Twilight and her friends have accepted him as a citizen of Equestria, he's bound to have improved a lot. I think he deserves the benefit of the doubt. He did help your little brother take on the entire hive to rescue his friends, remember?"
Thorax grinned, fishing for a reaction, but Pharynx merely scoffed. "The little brother I know would’ve hyperventilated under pressure. Let me guess; you were a map while the others did most of the footwork and planning."
Thorax frowned. "I think we're getting off-topic here, but I'll have you know I was way more than a map. I helped Trixie with a diversion and even fooled Chrysalis through a switch out with Starlight. It was a full team effort, Pharynx. Besides, I didn't hyperventilate that much."
The royal changelings reached a central chamber, and a grand ceiling opened up before them, as did a sea of expectant eyes. Within seconds, frantic changelings swarmed them, yammering over each other in an inaudible harmony. While Thorax grimaced in surprise, Pharynx's face grew stern, and he slammed his hoof against the earth, eliciting quiet.
"One at a time, we've been through this before," Pharynx said coolly, giving the guilty-looking crowd a pivoting glance before locking eyes with a particular drone. "Scapus, go."
Scapus, a red-hued adolescent, nodded firmly. "Pharynx, you gotta come see this! There was a really, really weird-looking goat that just walked through here wearing a bath towel. He snapped his claw and all the theatre costumes came to life!"
Thorax refrained from shifting his gaze, dreading the 'I told you so' expression coming off Pharynx in his peripheral.
"Then what happened?" Pharynx followed up, returning his attention to Scapus. "Did you see where he went?"
Scapus showed his teeth, glowing with excitement. "Of course! I heard it compliment Nydra on how well she made the theater outfits, and that's when it brought them to life. Then it said something about 'taking a dip', and he and a bunch of other changelings headed down-hive."
"But where'd the costumes go?" Thorax asked.
"I guess they must’ve felt dirty because they followed the goat thing to the hot springs."
Thorax was pinned to the adjacent wall with a look.
"How about that, Thorax?" Pharynx growled. "The theatre costumes felt dirty and decided they needed a wash in the hot springs. Gee, I wonder where the goat thing could have gotten that idea?"
"Thanks for the help, Scapus," Thorax said suddenly, hurriedly trotting towards the southernmost corridor. "Do us a favor and wait here until Tibia and Tarsus come back. Let them know what's going on too, and tell them where we went, okay?"
Scapus stomped a hoof and nodded. "Oh, sure! You can count on me, Thorax!"
Leaving the eager drone behind, the echoing sounds of running hooves filled the chamber, only growing louder when they entered the far tunnel. Soon enough, a second set of steps joined the first, and Pharynx joined his brother's side, lancing him with further glares.
"This just gets better and better," Pharynx said angrily. "One of our lead guards is still missing, we've already lost the omnipotent creature wearing a bath towel, and now said creature is off somewhere playing pied piper for laundry."
"As I said, it'll be just fine," Thorax mumbled shakily. "You already had the hive put on high alert, so he won't have much of a crowd, no matter where he goes. We'll catch up with him, take him on a brief, quiet tour of the hive, make him feel included, and send him on his way."
"Well, let's hurry and catch up with him before his wacky magic spreads too far. If even a single nymph catches wind that the goofy lord of pranks and nonsense is here, we'll never be rid of him, Thorax. We'll be stuck between an endless circus and a mountain of puppy dog eyes wanting him to stay."
"You think I don't know that?" Thorax hissed, desperately rounding a bend and soaring down another flight of steps. "I'm the one who gets asked constantly what he was like, and told how cool it'd be for him to spend time with us. I was counting on all the nymphs being tucked away in the nursery hive like you ordered when I invited him in."
"Just like how you were counting on him to stand there, obediently waiting for us to catch up?"
"Can we please just focus on finding him? Talking about uncertain outcomes is just going to make you mad and freak me out!"
A sly smirk unearthed from Pharynx's frown. "You know how you're always asking why I'm such a homebody? Why I hate having guests and breaking routines? I give you exhibit A, Thorax. Exhibit A."
As the sun warmed Equestria's lush hills and expanses of forest, two ponies walked a trailing path through them both. A young stallion with a striking orange mane hung on his company's every word, a light purple mare with a cutie mark that glimmered in the sunlight.
"Thanks for coming with me, Sunburst. Normally I wouldn't ask for a favor like this last minute, but Trixie is in Vanhoover doing a magic show tour this week, and Twilight's swamped with paperwork today. I hope the Crystal Empire will survive at least a few hours without you."
Sunburst stifled a laugh. "Oh, not a problem at all. I may have a bit more on my plate than studying and re-studying ancient runes and texts now, but the Crystal Empire is...well, uneventful, especially compared to Canterlot or Ponyville. These days our only major concern is keeping things intact when Flurry Heart has a tantrum."
Starlight shared Sunburst's laughter. "Luckily for you, her parents get to deal with that a little more frequently than you do."
"Exactly. Princess Cadance assured me that things would be fine, at least for the day. Now I can focus on helping you, help King Thorax."
"I had a feeling you'd be keen on revisiting the changeling hive too," Starlight said with a knowing smile. "Studying forms of magic has always been something you love. If you'd like to spend some time chatting with Thorax while we're there today, I don't mind. You know, after we fetch Discord and settle Twilight's worries."
Sunburst sidelined a bemused look. "Oh, certainly! I'd love to spend some time looking around the new hive and see just what King Thorax has accomplished. I still have to meet his brother, as well. I have to be honest, though; changelings aren't the only thing I'm looking forward to with this visit."
Starlight threw up a brow. "Really? What else?"
"Discord!"
"Discord? But, Sunburst, you've already met Discord several times, haven't you?"
"Yes, but I've yet to actually sit down with him before," he explained. "He's elusive and hard to find if you don't know where he's going to be ahead of time. Unlike Thorax, he was more akin to a force of nature than a guest at your graduation dinner. Not once was I able to hold down a conversation with him."
The pair came to a light woods, crunching dried leaves and branches beneath their hooves as they walked. The afternoon sun lazily made its way past the canopies above and cast long, twisting shadows across the ground as it did so. Sunburst looked up through the parting trees, watching the rays of light descend, and he smiled.
"As you said, Starlight, I enjoy studying magic, and of all the magical forces in Equestria, Discord's magic is one of the strongest and strangest. Nobody is really certain just how old he is or where he even came from. Is he truly a spirit, somehow connected to our world's balance of magic, or is he simply a rare, nearly extinct race of creatures long forgotten?"
Starlight held an unblinking stare as the stallion spoke, and together they broke through the forest's line of trees. Far in the distance, crowning the horizon was the changeling hive, bright with foliage and shimmering rock.
"I've never had an occasion to study him before," Sunburst continued. "After all, he was sealed in stone and called a myth by many for most of my life. Anything I could ask him has probably been asked since his release, but I figure while we're here to corral him, I may as well use the opportunity to try and grab a bit of an interview for myself."
"I...guess I've never thought much of him before," Starlight mumbled aloud. "I never heard of him before I met him, and by that point, he’d already reformed. You're right, though. His magic is even more fluid and versatile than anything Twilight or I could do, and we've spent our lives studying magic."
"He's the only known practitioner of chaos magic, which is arguably the most versatile magic known to Equestria. Unicorn magic manipulates the environment and ourselves, but chaos magic warps the fabric of reality itself. With any luck, this little excursion today will be the perfect opportunity for me to learn more about it!"
Starlight found her hooves trotting more hurriedly with each passing second. "One thing at a time, Sunburst. Let's just focus on ensuring Discord doesn't cross any lines first. Twilight was right. The changelings aren't used to experiencing chaos magic in the same way that ponies are, and Discord isn't exactly known for his finesse."
"Oh, of course!" Sunburst stammered, readjusting his glasses. "Corralling Discord is the priority. Although, he is reformed now, Starlight. How much trouble could he possibly get away with these days?"
Starlight scanned the approaching hive, waiting with bated breath for the grand stone peaks to become candy canes or the rich foliage to become sentient. Even as the hive remained quiet and unchanged, somehow she could practically feel the peace in the air being challenged.
"Sunburst, you'd be surprised what Discord can get away with."
"Oho, welcome, changelings, and changelets! Come one, come all, and witness a show unlike anything before seen by changeling eyes! Nymphs to the front, and remember, no pushing or shoving—we're a peaceful colony now."
Thorax felt his heart incessantly ring against his chest, his legs growing numb. Before him was the hive's hot springs chamber, morphed into three times its normal size by Discord's magic. Decorative red sofas, round tables, and dark oak bathtubs littered the expanded space, all occupied by drones of various ages. The entire room wrapped around a central stage, complete with a royal purple curtain and floating spotlights.
"Rest your rears and soak your hooves, my little bug ponies, and hear the tale of the brave and indomitable Captain Wuzz and his triumph over Queen Cheeselegs—the nasty cohort of the evil Squizzard!"
The purple curtains parted, and pieces of cardboard floated out from backstage. Caricatures of Discord and Chrysalis were crudely scribbled upon them. Applause and shouts of glee rang from the chamber as the cutouts began to act out a duel by continuously bumping into each other.
Detached from the commotion and standing at the far end of the room, Thorax looked on with a twitching eye and agape mouth, while Pharynx ground a hoof across his face.
"Well, that answers where the costumes went," Pharynx grumbled.
"B-but I don't understand. How did he get-the nymphs were-I thought you-"
"Looks like the whole hive is here too. So much for a 'quiet tour of the hive'. So much for a lockdown, either, for that matter. Welcome to Tartarus, Thorax. Population: us."
"Ah, hold onto your shells, everyling. Our esteemed leaders have graced our little show with their presence! Let's all give them a warm welcome! Perhaps someling would like to help them to their seats?"
A pair of spotlights sniped the brothers, and all eyes turned to see. Before Thorax or Pharynx could even blink, half a dozen nymphs eagerly flew from their seats, beelining towards them with huge smiles. While Thorax grimaced in surprise, waiting for his imminent tackle, Pharynx's sour look pierced through the numbers and connected with Discord's cunning smirk from across the room.
"Yeah. I definitely preferred it when we were evil and didn't get visitors."