Little Lost Raichu

Chapter 15
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Visiting the Swarm

Nica felt like luck had finally started shining down upon her. Who else could say that they were currently perched on a large shape-shifting creature, a leader of a nation no less, with a tiny Princess of Equestria and a tiny version of the princess’s student pressed against her cheeks. More or less doing it while on a mission to end a national crisis. Well, maybe not ending said crisis personally, but playing an itty bitty part in resolving it.

Still, the mission was important and she had friends who were counting on her, and there was a risk she could fail. She needed to help Thorax get along with his brother so they could work together in resolving the problem in the hive. The question was, how?

Nica wrapped the living dolls with her tail and rubbed her chin, thinking deeply with the bronze sky and numerous clouds in the background.

According to Thorax’s stories, his brother has protected him ever since they were very young, yet still bullied him over his weaknesses. It was a mean thing to do, but maybe he wasn’t bullying him for enjoyment. Maybe he thought it was for the best. Nica looked into the memories of her past. When she was a Pichu, she often found enjoyment in messing with her brothers and sisters, and pranking the human girl became a source of amusement. If Thorax’s brother found amusement in bullying him, why did he protect him in the first place? Wouldn’t it be more fun to just sit on the sidelines and watch as others picked on his brother?

“You seems distressed, is there something we can help you with?” Twilight asked, her tiny forehooves supported on the black part of the long tail.

“Why do you ask? She can’t answer us without writing, which is hard to do at such an altitude with all this wind,” Starlight commented, pointing at their tiny manes and tails waving on the wind.

“Let’s just leave her to her thoughts for now, unless you want yet another snuggling/cuddling session,” Starlight suggested.

Twilight bit her bottom lip and her ears drooped, her cheeks blushing. “While I find the experience to be… somewhat pleasant… it’s really embarrassing.”

Starlight shrugged. “Personally, while I enjoyed all the hugs and snuggles, it gets really overwhelming, but I can’t resist her playful nature and say no to those pleading eyes. If we’re going to leave, it’s now or never.”

Both tiny ponies nodded in agreement before the dolls returned back to normal, flapping without resistance in the wind with Raichu’s tail keeping them in place.

My first goal should be… what was his name again? Nevermind... I need to earn Thorax’s brother’s trust. He’s a warrior and is very protective of the hive, but is also very aggressive and bossy about it. Being nice and cute will just annoy him. She closed her eyes, thinking back to her roots. Where she came from, pokemon were always very competitive, fighting each other to become stronger and prove their superiority, but rarely was there malice involved between them. As long as both sides respected each other, by fighting they only deepened their bonds and respect. Beating each other being a friendly sport that both sides enjoy… I can’t deny it, we have a very weird culture. She frowned. But… I don’t want to hurt him…

NIca’s ears drooped. Fighting seemed to be something a changeling warrior would respect, and it was in her nature to battle, but no matter how careful she could be, fighting would still require hurting each other. Was she even capable of fighting?

Closing her eyes again, Nica thought back to the countless fights she’s had as a Pichu. Day after day she’d faced stronger opponents, and only by becoming more skilled and learning from her failures was she able to keep up despite all her disadvantages. In fact, fair fights were such a rarity, that losing fair and square was near impossible. Maybe being in an actual battle will help me learn how to use my powers. There are also new attacks I used as Pichu that I haven’t tried out yet. She took a deep breath. She now had a plan, albeit a plan she didn’t like and a plan where she would need to improvise and hurt someone. Never before had she been so far away from her comfort zone.

“We’re here,” Thorax said, landing slowly on the top of a cliff, the very one where Discord learned about the magical throne that soaked all but changeling magic. Thorax pointed at the large structure ahead of him and asked, “This is my home, so… what do you think of it?”

Nica climbed up Thorax’s neck, peeking out from between his three horns. What she saw looked… odd, as if someone had turned a small mountain into a creepy castle and then cut it in half and covered with flowers and grass.

“Oh, right…” Thorax said before lowering his head and letting off his passenger. In a burst of green flames, he shapeshifted into a Raichu, chuckling at the surprise on Nica’s face as his saddlebags landed next to him. <So, what do you think of my home?>

<Well.. it looks sweet… creepy, but still sweet,> Nica said, not meeting his eyes. <Please, don’t feel offended…>

Thorax rolled his eyes. <And here I thought I was the one always afraid to hurt others feelings. As for the creepy part, this is what’s left from Chrysalis’ rule after her defeat.> He gestured over to the area with his paw. <With the changelings no longer feeding on love, we can finally plant flowers and grass and make this place much more appealing.>

Nica tilted her head to the side. <What do you mean by ‘feeding on love’, and what does it have to do with the flowers and grass? How can there be love in the grass?>

Thorax rubbed the back of his neck. <Well... it’s a bit complicated. In short, we need magic to survive, but in the past we’d steal it from other living creatures and even take bits of it from plants and grass. It just happens that emotions often affects the strength of one's magic. That’s why stealing it from loving creatures was very filling, especially if the affection and love were given to us. That’s why deception became an important part of Chrysalis’ arsenal.>

Nica rubbed the top of her head. She was a creature specialized in fighting and survival, not in thinking. Understanding complicated stuff proved more difficult than she thought. <Can you… repeat that?>

Thorax gave his friend a patient smile. <To make it simple. We were stealing magic from everything. Stealing magic from loving creatures like ponies was most efficient. But ever since I made friends, something in me changed. It’s as if I evolved. I’m never hungry and have enough magic to shapeshift many times with nearly no drawbacks.>

<Evolved?> Nica asked. From what she knew already, Pichu could evolve into Pikachu and next into what she was now. Each evolution made her bigger and most likely affected her power. Yet what Thorax described seemed much more advanced. Resolving an issue of endless hunger and eliminating the need to drain something as important as magic was undoubtedly big.

<Anyway… we shouldn’t delay. I need to accommodate you in my home so we can rest and start working hard tomorrow.> In a burst of green flames, he returned back to normal, picking up the tiny dolls from her friend’s tail and placing them back inside his saddlebag. “Want me to give you a ride, or do you prefer to explore on paw?”

Raichu poked her own chest and jumped forward, falling down the cliff with a soft landing.

Thorax bit his lip, but calmed just as quickly. “Your jumping speciality… I keep forgetting about it.” Using his wings, he slowly descended down the cliff and followed his companion.

Nica’s exploration was interrupted as she sensed an aura coming from… a rock? Curious and confused, she walked on two legs and sniffed the boulder. It smelled like a rock and looked like a rock, but no stone should feel annoyed as this one did. After a closer examination, there didn’t seem to be many cracks. The boulder was no bigger than a pony and was surprisingly smooth. At least more smooth than the other ones.

“Is something wrong?” Thorax asked, landing in front of the boulder before looking at it with narrowed eyes.

“Let me guess, you think it’s not a boulder?” Thorax asked, and she nodded in confirmation. “Do you think someone disguised himself as a rock?” This time Nica nodded at him energetically. With a smug, Thorax poked the stone and said, “You can drop the disguise, Pharynx. You're busted.”

Nica observed the green flames that changed the boulder into a dark bug-like creature. She smiled nervously and rubbed her arm, but not from surprise. If Pharynx was indeed the warrior brother that Thorax told her about, she would need to make a good first impression here and now. The bad news… she didn’t even get an opportunity to practice the attacks she remembered from her dreams.

Raichu looked between both changelings, finding each surprisingly different. Unlike Thorax, his brother had only three colors. Black body, violet back and wings, and something red on his head that reminded her of scales standing up on top of Spike’s head. Upon noticing two big holes in the changeling's legs, Nica took a step back and held a paw to her mouth. Her cheeks turned green.

The challenging growled at her and next glanced up at his taller brother. “Did you warn this thing about my disguise?”

“I didn’t. She was the first one to find out before I even sensed your presence,” Thorax answered. “Her name’s Nica by the way, and she’s a Raichu.” He looked down at his little friend. “Nica, meet Pharynx, he’s my brother I told you about.”

Pharynx lowered his head to her face level. “So you noticed me despite my disguise. You’re one keen-eyed creature, or is it just a disguise? Number and rank, soldier?!”

Thorax shook his foreleg dismissively. “She’s not a changeling, but she can sense emotions. She may even be better at it than we are. Well… maybe...”

“Oh really…” Pharynx said while rubbing his chin, examining the creature from top to bottom. “You beat me at my own game, so I must admit you’re not a worthless piece of meat. What are you anyway?”

“She’s a pet that Twilight and Starlight took under their care. She cheered me up when I was visiting Ponyville and agreed to help me resolve the infights in the pack,” Thorax explained.

“Oh really? And how can this thing help?” Pharynx slammed his forehooves together. His very glare made Nica take a few hesitant steps backward. “What is needed are strict decisions, punishments and the arrests of all traitors.”

Thorax smirked. “Don’t worry about that. Dragon Lord Ember taught me how to be more assertive and gave me some advice.” He stomped and narrowed his eyes. “I’ll show them that my decision is final, and if they refuse to see a reason, I can always turn into a big gorilla!”

Pharynx grinned. “Finally showing some backbone, brother, and here I feared you were completely hopeless.” He pointed at Raichu and asked, “But you still didn’t answer how this thing can help.”

“Then I don’t have time to hear it. I have patrol to finish and other duties afterwards.” Pharynx looked at Raichu and hissed. “As for you, you’re on our territory so behave yourself. You may be under Thorax’s protection, but cause any trouble,” he stomped a small stone next to him, cracking it to pieces, “and I’ll punish you personally.”

“Now hold on a second,” Thorax said, but his brother had already started walking away. After taking a deep breath and mustering his courage, he shouted, “I said stop! That’s an order!”

Nica glanced at Thorax, sensing distress and fear while seeing a face devoid of confidence. It became obvious that he wanted to keep his brother from leaving, but didn’t plan ahead.

She gazed at Pharynx and gulped. Commanding his attention on her own seemed near impossible, and if she wouldn’t do anything here and now, Pharynx would just leave. If she was going to make a move, it was now or never. Any delays would only reduce her chance of success.

Taking a deep breath, Raichu lowered herself to four legs and approached with firm steps, looking at the changeling with narrowed eyes.

Pharynx didn’t move or speak, but his glare and aura was filled with hostility.

Nica pointed at the black changeling and shouted, <I challenge you to a battle! And I won’t take no for an answer!>

“Why is this thing repeating Raichu and Rai? Is this a secret code, or is this creature some kind of moron?”

“H-hey, stop insulting her!” Thorax said with a growing confidence. “This is just how she communicates. I’ll translate.” In a burst of green flames, he turned himself into a Raichu and approached his no longer smaller companion. <So, what is it that you were trying to say?>

Pharynx kept staring at the scene, not daring to move. It was an order after all, and part of him was proud of his brother for finally acting like a proper leader. The other part, however, was annoyed. Every second he wasted here doing nothing would be a second more for potential enemies to sneak into the hive or traitors to plan a rebellion. To make matters worse, his brother was now in the shape of a tiny feeble fluffy critter, an ultimate humiliation for a changeling ruler.

<Not really, and I don’t like this plan, but it seems to be the best way to impress him,> Nica answered.

<Well… if that’s what you think. I suppose with my brother it can’t get any worse.>

Pharynx gritted his teeth. Hearing the same words repeating themselves was like a secret code, as if they were talking behind his back, and it was something he really hated. He could turn into a Raichu himself, but he would rather be tortured for hours than become something so unintimidating.

Thorax shapeshifted back into his real form and cleared his throat. “Sir Pharynx, Lady Nica is challenging you to,” he paused, struggling to get the following words out of his throat, “a d-d-d-duel…”

“A duel?” Pharynx asked before bursting into laughter, struggling to stand still. Only his years of experience and self-discipline prevented him from rolling on the ground. “If that was meant to be a joke, it was a very amusing one. And if it wasn’t… it’s still hilarious.”

Thorax chuckled. “Well… it wasn’t a joke. Lady Nica comes from a distant land, which is somewhere across the ocean. Where she comes from, she’s called a pokemon, and pokemon often combat one another. They fight to prove themselves, improve their abilities and gain each other’s respect.”

“Interesting,” Pharynx said, deciding to give some of his attention to this intriguing culture. In fact, it didn’t even seem all that different to what changelings used to do, as long as they had enough love to spare for combat.

“When I was telling Nica about my past and the problems I face at home, I also told her about you,” Thorax said, struggling to maintain a firm face. None of his emotions were concealed to the senses of a fellow changeling. “Knowing about you from my story, Lady Nica said that you’re a strong, loyal and brave warrior who cares about his hive, and she wants to challenge you to earn your respect in battle. She also hope you’ll impress her in turn.”

Pharynx blinked in confusion, looking between his brother and the fluffy creature. Were they actually serious? While there was much about this ‘Pokemon’ culture he admired, and Nica seemed respectful towards him, how could he take any of it seriously? Narrowing his eyes and staring at Raichu, he asked, “While I wouldn’t mind a battle since I need to keep my skills in shape, and lately finding a sparring partner has become difficult, why should I waste my time and energy on someone so small?” He stomped again, leaving a hole in the ground. “You’re as intimidating as a bunny. I would crush you with ease.”

Nica shook her head, and next stood on the tips of her rear paws while placing her forepaws on her hips. She puffed out her chest, showing nothing but confidence.

Thorax turned into a Raichu again and asked a few quick questions as Nica answered each of them. Turning back into his full might, he continued, “Lady Nica says that where she comes from, the size of a creature is very misleading. Tiny innocent beings possess enough power to bring mighty giants to their knees.”

Raichu poked her chest, forcing a confident smile, but Pharynx sensed fear. Still, it wasn’t a fear of being crushed into a puddle by a larger and more dangerous foe, it was… something else. If this creature wasn’t afraid of him, what was she afraid of?

“Lady Nica also believes that being intimidating isn’t the only option to gain an advantage in battle.” Thorax continued, “If you’ll allow her innocent and... cute appearance,” he gave the critter a dreamy smile,” to fool you, you’ll lose the battle before it even starts.”

Pharynx grinned as his wings buzzed in excitement. “Oh, I see, clever. Making yourself look weak and defenseless to give your enemies a false sense of security, and then strike them with no mercy while their guard is down.” He smiled. “I’ll be sure to remember that.”

Nica and Thorax glanced at each other and smiled sheepishly. This wasn’t what they were going for, but it was still progress… right?

“Alright then, I accept your challenge, but don’t expect me to go easy on you. Hope you’re not just bark and no bite, or else expect lots of broken bones,” Pharynx said while taking a fighting stance. His horn was surrounded by a rich green aura and his wings were ready. If his brother really had changed and was going to bring order back into the hive, he needed to be in top shape to deal with those who would still resist. This fluffy creature would serve as the perfect punching bag.

Little Lost Raichu

by CommanderX5

Chapter 15 - Visiting the Swarm