//------------------------------//
// Chapter 26: Like Tree Rings.... 
// Story: Of Men and Insects 
// by VeganSpyro97 
//------------------------------//

Celestia sipped her tea as Raven read her most recent report on the current state of Equestria’s alliance with the kingdom of Thicket. The relationship between the two kingdoms had never been all that stable, thanks to King Aspen’s limited temper. Whenever the Deer King thought the best interests of his people were being overlooked or ignored, he was very quick to jump from calm, cool and collected, to screaming in outrage at the drop of a bit.
Thankfully, it seemed that things were going well for now.
“Announcing Princess Twilight, the Element bearers, and Emissary Bronze Ryder.” The royal announcer cried, as the group in question entered through the main door. Celestia smiled, seeing the gauntlet on the Changeling’s foreleg. She recognized it for what it was, and silently thanked whatever gods may be listening for the success of both her sister and her student.
The seven approached, each giving rather more familiar greetings than most ponies addressed her with. She gave hers in response, before starting to explain the situation.
“Thank you all for coming.” She bowed her head in thanks, and continued. “I have been contacted by King Thorax, who has requested Starlight, Twilight, Allan and a miss Trixie Lulamoon to help.”
The changeling looked a little confused at that. “What? Why has he asked for us?”
“In his latest correspondance with me, Thorax informed me of a situation in the Hive regarding several Changelings who did not wish to accept the new way of doing things. He was able to persuade them to give it a chance, but one in particular is still giving him trouble. Thorax thinks your unique perspectives and knowledge might help to convince this Changeling to give this new life a go.”
Allan put a hoof to his chin. “Well...I would like a chance to go back to the hive. I still need to thank King Thorax in person for helping me back at the start. Sure.”
“And while we’re there, I can get more notes on the Hive!” Twilight crowed happily.
“I won’t pass up an opportunity to see my friend.” Starlight chimed in.
“This’ll be fun!”Twilight chittered.
As the group turned to leave, Celestia called out again. “Actually, Thorax specifically asked for Allan, Twilight and Starlight, but I called the rest of you here for a favour of a more personal kind” The immortal ruler of Equestria tapped her hooves together with a sheepish grin. “…..I was hoping we could have a little get together, relax and catch up….”
“You don’t wanna do paperwork.” Dash surmised, mouth twisting into a smirk.
Celestia’s scarlet cheeks spoke volumes.

************************


“Oh, this’ll be fun, you said!” Starlight complained as she, Allan, and Twilight hung upside down in some sort of net that had been set up as a trap on the border of the Badlands. “We’ll go talk to Thorax and hang out, you said!”
Allan snarled as he squirmed, attempting to maneuver his way around the inside of the net so that he could get to the net mesh. “Well, for starters, that’s a load of old bollocks! I never said we’d “hang out” with Thorax! Twilight was the one who said it’d be fun!” Allan paused between sentences to use his fangs to start biting through the rough hewn hemp. “I said we were gonna go help him, and that I thought Celestia was right about how you would be able to add another point of view! if we knew were the buck she ran off to, Trixie would be here too, but we don’t, so there. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m trying to bite through this rope.”
“No you aren’t.” A gravelly voice answered. “You’re a prisoner, and you’re going to behave.”
Three pairs of eyes all turned to the source, a pitch black changeling with red fins and deep purple wing cases. He was standing a few feet away, staring at them as they hung in the net.
Twilight shrugged through the ropes, a quill scribbling notes back and forth on a notepad. “Sure, we’ll just let you take us to the hive. It’s where we were going anyway.”
The changeling flinched. “No one goes to the hive without the permission of the reigning monarch!”
“Ugh, forget this.” Starlight snapped, teleporting out of the net with a snap of magic.
The changeling leapt at her, hissing, only for Twilight to stop him in his tracks with a spell of her own. “Look, we’re going to the hive, you want to take us to the hive. Why not save yourself the trouble of “capturing us” and just let us come back with you. You can keep an eye on us, and we get where we’re going. Sound good?”
The changeling sighed loudly, before relenting. “Fine. But any funny business, and I’ll kill you on the spot.”
“Fair enough.” Allan agreed. With a few quick bites, he chewed through enough of the rope to set himself and Twilight loose, while the changeling eyed Starlight warily. “Lead on then, Macduff.” Three pairs of eyes turned to him in confusion before he shrugged. “It’s an old expression from home.”
While Starlight and Twilight were content with the answer, the Changeling remained confused.
“Uh... never mind.” Allan sighed loudly. “Come on then. Lets not delay this any longer than necessary. T’is awfully rude to keep one’s host waiting, after all.”
Without further interruptions,the group, including their hostile chaperone, traveled on through the badlands, towards the spire they knew to be the Changeling Hive. The closer they got, the stranger the landscape became. Not for how abnormally barren it was, as it had always been before, but for how…..lush and overgrown it was. Plants were springing up from previously uninhabitable soil, a collection of vibrant ferns, flowers, trees and bushes that obscured increasingly more of their surroundings as time went on.  Twilight made certain to acquire several samples of local flora for later study, quickly stuffing them into sample bags when their host was not looking. Flowers, leaves, and even whole plants were squirreled away into her bags.
The hive entrance was far more welcoming than it had been previously, the deep, nauseous greens having brightened to more natural, gentler tones, resembling the greens of some maple trees in spring. It also helped that the dark stone tower that it served as entrance to was now sprouting a healthy assortment of bright flowers and long, drooping vines that added to the more welcoming look.
The Changeling did not seem too happy though. He viewed it all with a grimace of discomfort and disapproval.
While Allan had no problems with the cheerier atmosphere, he did have a problem with something else.
Since their  arrival, Allan had yet to see a single guard, save their new acquaintance.
The hive interior was similarly full of plants, and it was only now that Changelings were clearly seen. The moment they noticed Allan, the hive mind exploded with excited chatter, and the group was essentially mobbed right up to the throne room.
Allan made sure to greet as many as possible, taking note that Coxix was not currently in the hive, which was a bummer, since he still hadn’t thanked him for learning the Equish language, something that had been a very early lesson  he had needed to learn. There were certain phrases that just didn’t translate, like the phrase: “Angrier than a frost-bitten Tatzleworm with a hernia.”
Since there was no such thing as a Tatzleworm on Earth, Coxix had kindly explained what Tatzleworms were, how they reacted to the cold, and how a hernia would only make the situation worse. And that was a simple to understand phrase. Coxix had been among the most frequent commenters and teachers during his learning curve, going above and beyond to help Allan when he needed it.
Not that Allan, Starlight, Twilight, or their guide had much time to do anything, as they were deposited in the throne room only a few minutes after they entered the hive, despite the constantly moving and changing structural features.
King Thorax stood up on his wide, wooden throne that looked perhaps a little too much like an uprooted tree stump.
“Allan! Twilight! Starlight!” He leapt off of his throne, wings buzzing noisily for a moment before he bounded over to them, sweeping them up into a hug when he reached them. “It is soooo good to see you!”

**********************


“To be honest, it was a little awkward, since the last time I had actually been in the hive, he had been a little….out of sorts, to say the least. Our relationship had greatly improved, but this was the first time I had actually come back to the hive, and as such, the first real interaction I had had with Thorax outside of the hive mind. 
So yeah. Awkward. What do you even do when a King gives you a hug? Do you return it? Stand still and accept it? I have no bucking idea.”


*********************


“Sorry Trixie isn’t here, but we haven’t found out where she went yet.”
“That’s okay Starlight.” Thorax smiled. “It’s not your fault.”
“Yeah, it’s mine.” Allan muttered, earning a disapproving look from Twilight.
The Princess shook her head before referring back to her fellow royal. “So, you’re having problems with a changeling?”
“Yes.” Thorax admitted, looking guiltily at the changeling who had ambushed them. “You’ve already met Pharynx.”
Allan turned his stare to Pharynx, taking a good look at him. He was glaring daggers at the king, his posture defiant, with legs open wide and head held high. His unique, violet eyes bristled with aggressiveness, and they were narrowed to slits.
“So you couldn’t deal with me yourself, and immediately called for them?” Pharynx sneered. “Some mighty King you are.”
“Cut it out, Pharynx. We’re not nymphs anymore.”
Pharynx’s teeth audibly ground together. “You coulda fooled me.”
“Pharynx, please! Can’t we just get along?”
“And what? Sit in circles discussing feelings? Plant flowers all over the place and spit upon everything that made us great?!”
“We were bullies and liars!” Thorax thundered, eyes flashing as he stomped his hoof in anger.
“We were the greatest warriors this side of the great dunes!” Pharynx countered.
Allan and Starlight leapt between them a mere moment later, pushing them firmly away from one another. “I think things are a bit too heated for any talk involving both of you at once, so how about we separate you two, talk things out and see exactly what’s wrong?” Twilight suggested quickly. “How does that sound?”
The two of them glared at each other for a few more seconds before each following a pony, Pharynx following Allan outside, and Thorax following Starlight into a different room, while Twilight remained in the throne room, essentially agreeing to be mediator.



*****************************


“So…..” Starlight started. “What exactly is it that Pharynx did that made you ask for us?”
Thorax sighed, sitting down at a table carved of solidified emotion gel. His larger frame was not entirely suited to the seat he sat down on, but it had obviously been made with smaller proportions in mind. The King’s neck hung almost limply, eyes closed and horns pointing up to the ceiling.
“It…...It was little things at first. Just, saying a few things about what he didn’t think was right, or being a bit too forceful with others.” The King explained, making a few motions with his hoof. “But….then, a little while ago, he and a group of others used magic to separate their section of the hive mind off to everyone else, so we had to talk to them in person. I was eventually able to talk the others down, and they opened the hive mind back up….except Pharynx. He’s shut everyone out, and is becoming more and more…..confrontational. He talks over and over about how we used to be strong, how we were better off before, back when we were feared. He punched holes in the walls to make the hive look more like it used to, and rips up plants everywhere he goes. He’s rude to everyone he talks to, and doesn’t listen to anything I say.” The King grimaced. “I’m worried what he might do if he keeps going.”
Starlight frowned. “Well, surely you can just kick him out of the hive, right? If he’s getting too disruptive, I mean?”
“Creator’s above, no!” Thorax responded, vigorously shaking his head. “I couldn’t do that to him!”
Starlight leant back in her chair, keeping herself balanced with a single hoof. “Why not?”
Thorax’s head sank again, low to the table. “Because he’s my brother.”

*************************


Allan followed Pharynx with all the patience he could muster, all the while wondering if this was how annoyed Thorax had felt dealing with him on his first night in Equestria. Pharynx was shouldering through the underbrush of the new growth forest ahead while muttering angrily. The black shelled changeling was reeking of anger and disgust, to the point that it was almost tangible, a thick, viscous soup of negativity that slowed Allan's steps.
It tasted foul.
Pharynx did not slow until he emerged from the undergrowth into a large clearing. Hearing the plants part again behind him, Pharynx turned, glaring daggers at Allan.
“Still following me, chrome dome?” He snarled.
“Yes.”
Pharynx grimaced, before turning back to the center of the clearing, which was dominated by a large shelf of rock that stuck up out of the ground, bits of dirt clinging to the rock higher up on its slope where the stone had been exposed after years of geologic shifting and limited rainfall packing down the dirt. It was mottled red, like most desert formations always seem to be.
Allan watched as Pharynx quickly and effortlessly flew up on top, starting a futile attempt at some kind of observation. The reason for his attempts futility was due to the thick expanse of head height foliage in every direction, limiting visibility in all directions, save upwards, to little more than a meter or two past the brushline. Pharynx was very quick to give up his attempt, opting instead to lie down and rest.
Alan's dragonfly-esque wings clumsily carried him up to join the dark shelled Changeling. In comparison to Pharynx, Alan's haphazard flying looked dangerous, but he was far better than he had been.
“Unless you want me to bite you, I suggest you leave me alone.” Pharynx growled, as Alan's hooves touched down.
Allan merely shrugged. “Eh, up to you. Pretty sure I’ll give you indigestion, but go right ahead, if you feel like it.”
Pharynx’s fangs closed over Alan's foreleg a moment later, but he almost instantly gagged and let go. “Creators above! What is that taste?!” Pharynx choked as he tried to scrape off his tongue.
“Polish. I kinda like how my shell shines, so I polish it to stop it getting dull. Plus, I look better. More presentable.”
Pharynx stared at Allan before snarling. “You’re just like them.”
“Yeah, in some ways.” Allan stared back at the hive for a moment, eyes distant. “In others, no, not at all.” Allan twisted his head around to regard his current sitting buddy. “You know about how I came here, right? I’m sure Thorax told everyone, didn’t he?”
“No, I wasn’t listening to him.”
“Oh, well, that just makes this more awkward than it needs to be.” Allan sighed, before launching into a very short version of his tale. “I wasn’t born a changeling. I was born as a human, on a planet called Earth.”
“Yeah, right.”
“It’s true. I come from an entirely different world. I had to leave behind everything. My home, my stuff, my friends….my family.” Pharynx flinched at the word. “I get it. I do. Better than anyone. Change is difficult to accept, but I didn’t have a choice. It was accept what had happened or live a life of misery. Right now, you have an opportunity here to help guide the change in the right direction. So tell me why you’ve been acting all aggressive.”
Pharynx stared at him.
“I just want to help.”
The stare remained fixed on him for several long minutes before Pharynx finally relented.
“They’ve been frustrating me.” Pharynx  admitted. Shuffling his hooves a little and staring at the ground beneath him, he continued. “There were ten of us, originally, trying to keep up the security of the hive, just like when Queen Chrysalis was in charge. We patrolled. We scouted out the new woodlands. We kept the monsters away.” The dark shelled Changeling frowned deeply. “But then Thorax came and convinced them to stop. He convinced them we didn’t need to have warriors anymore, since we’re now supposed to be in league with the ponies. He made the give up their beliefs, give up who they were. And now they all look like….that.”
“Sounds bad...” Allan conceded.
“It’s worse.” Came the terse reply. “Those monsters? They’re getting bolder, coming closer. We’ll have big, bad, mean sons of a lazabout larvae knocking on the Hives door before the week’s out at this rate. There’s one Maulwurf in particular…..”


**************************

Allan and Pharynx trotted into the meeting room from one side, whilst Thorax and Starlight came in from the other,the two pairs impatient to get started. Twilight sat in the middle, as mediator.
“So, I guess we should do this properly.” Twilight said, squirreling away her numerous notes on the Hive and the Changelings. “I, Princess Twilight of Equestria, hereby agree to act as a mediator between King Thorax and his brother, Pharynx to settle their differences and restore their relationship.”
“As King of the Hive, I accept Equestria’s aid in mediating this dispute….even though it’s technically a matter of internal security.” Thorax completed the official greetings. “May our mediations begin.”
Starlight stood up. “Can I begin?”
“Certainly.” Twilight nodded.
“Thank you, Twilight” Starlight said, politely. “Thorax explained to me that Pharynx has displayed openly aggressive behaviour towards him, and other members of the Hive. He has gone so far as to physically damage the Hive structure itself, attempting to recreate it’s previous appearance. He has offered little in the way of explanation for these actions.”
“Hmm….” Twilight furrowed her brow. “I take it that Pharynx has explained his point of view to you, Allan?”
“Yes, he has.” Allan stood up as Starlight returned to her seat. “Pharynx explained to me that Thorax has disbanded the Hive’s guard force, under the impression that it is no longer needed, due to their peaceful status.”
“Thorax did tell me why he reached this decision. He believed that showing the world how committed the Hive  is to peace will help to dissuade the fears of the other races. Disbanding the guard was meant as a sign of trust.” Starlight recited as Thorax nodded beside her. Pharynx shook his head, ready to spit back a retort. Allan quickly spoke over him.
“Be that as it may, Pharynx’s reasoning also included other concerns, particularly in regards to monster attacks.”
“Monster attacks? But the Hive hasn’t been attacked in years!” Thorax protested.
“Because we had a guard force to stop them from getting close!” Pharynx returned, raising a hoof to slam onto the table. Thorax was half out of his own seat in an attempt to stop Pharynx. Both were quickly shut down.
“Enough!” Allan and Twilight both yelled. Twilight shook her head at Thorax and Pharynx before she followed up the outburst. “We’re doing this civilly, remember?”
The two brothers were guided back to their seats, allowing the meeting to continue. That done, Allan resumed.
“Pharynx raised the point that the renewed environment is full of food sources and potential  hiding places. With the abundance of food, all kinds of creatures will be drawn here, including dangerous ones, like Maulwurfs, or Hydra. Without a proper guard force, the Hive could very easily experience an attack, perhaps even an infestation.”
Thorax blinked, owlishly. “I….I didn’t consider that….”
“Twilight, from what I understand, Pharynx attempted to explain this to Thorax and others, but was repeatedly told he was still being too aggressive. This lead to his frustration, his recent behaviour, and his exclusion by others.” Allan explained. “My recommendation would be to reinstate the guard. It’s disbanding is the cause of all of this.”
Twilight turned to Starlight.
Starlight nodded. “I agree with him. We need to fix the problem in order to fix the symptoms.”
Twilight nodded, too, turning to face Thorax. “Do you accept these recommendations?”
Thorax hung his head. “I do.”
“As for your relationship, I recommend the two of you actually try to talk to one another, not yell. You both need to be open and honest with each other.  If you have problems, talk to each other. Discuss the issue. With inside voices.” Twilight beamed happily as the brothers exchanged looks.
Thorax was quiet for quite some time, as was Pharynx.
“Well!” Allan cleared his throat loudly. “I guess with that done, we should go.”
Twilight and Starlight caught on immediately. “Yeah, we’ve been cooped up in here for far too long already! Let’s go get some fresher air, Starlight!”
“Right behind you, Princess!”


********************************


“I think that was a good start.” Allan replied to Twilight’s question with relative confidence. “They’re at least going to give each other a chance now.”
“And that’s the best we can do without forcing anything on them.” Starlight added. “They need to work this out themselves, or it’s just us doing everything instead.”
Twilight hummed in agreement. “Well, even still, I wish we could make sure everything does work out. If they can’t work through this, then there won’t be anything we can do except force a resolution.”
“Somehow, I don’t think that will be an issue.” Allan grinned.
The three friends trotted outside, looking for a place to relax. They wouldn’t find it.
A scream erupted from the undergrowth as six young Changelings charged out of the undergrowth opposite the Hive entrance, followed by an enormous, star nosed monster with huge, buck teeth, tiny, furious eyes, and enormous claws.
All three reacted instantly, crouching down into attack positions while the Changelings around them quickly ushered the children inside.
Allan lead the first rush, sword sliding out of his ever present gauntlet in a blur, whilst Starlight charged to the left, firing a concussive blast of energy from her horn. Twilight went right, shooting flames from horn that caught on the Maulwurfs hide.
Allan attempted to end the battle quickly, stabbing ahead with his sword so that it’s enchantment could do its work. The blade met fur….and stopped.
“Huh?” Alan's eyes flicked down to the point of the sword, which was just touching fur, but felt as though it were up against a brick wall. The distraction proved costly.
The Maulwurfs massive claw slammed into him, sending him flying into the nearest wall of the Hive, leaving a deep indentation that looked just like him.
The Maulwurf rolled over, putting out the flames on its coat and putting it squarely in front of Twilight, who turned, readied her rear legs, and bucked with all the power she could muster. Being an Alicorn, that was a lot, and the Maulwurf roared in surprise, tumbling over as the impact unbalanced it.
Starlight seized the moment, jumping on top of the Maulwurfs chest, and firing a multitude of concussive blasts into its face in rapid succession. When she finished, her triumphant expression turned into a startled whinny as the Maulwurf, who was not unconscious as anything else would have been, turned it’s sunken eyes on her and slapped her aside with the force of a rock slide.
Twilight caught her friend with her telekinesis, lowered her gently down, and quickly evaluated what she had seen. Allans enchanted blade had been stopped, Starlight’s magic had been ineffective, as had her own. Only her strength had effected it. Conclusion: they needed more fighters.
Starlight groaned from behind where Twilight stood, and Allan fell painfully to the floor some distance away, having managed to pull himself free from the rock face of the Hive. Neither were in ay shape to fight this thing, and she wouldn’t be enough on her own. But she’d have to try.
Twilight teleported behind the Maulwurf and bucked it again, drawing it’s attention away from her friends as she started leading it away from the Hive. Every time it swung it’s claws, she teleported just a short distance away, enough to keep herself from being hit. She returned a few punches were she could, but even with Alicorn strength, she was barely able to phase it.
Fifty meters from the hive, the Maulwurf surprised her by swinging twice in rapid succession, catching her off guard right after emerging from teleport. The blow connected solidly with her front leg as she tried to jump away, sending her pinwheeling across the floor and kicking up clouds of dust.
Shakily, she attempted to stand. She felt her front leg buckle under her weight.
The Maulwurf loomed over her, mouth open wide and ready to devour her, and she felt fear lance through her heart. Was this it?
The answer surprised both her and the Maulwurf as a massive form grabbed onto the thing from behind and pulled it away from her.
The insect was enormous, far beyond what she knew a natural insect could reach, thanks to the limitations of their respiratory system. It had six, armoured legs, a segmented purple and black body, and a multitude of simple eyes that lacked pupils. Its great wings flickered as they rapidly buzzed up and down, keeping their owner in the air. The creature let out a screech at the Maulwurf, before lifting it into the air and biting down hard on its preys shoulder. The Maulwurf roared and kicked at the creature, setting itself free, only to fall and land- hard.
Another beast appeared then, a massive serpent that appeared like lightning to rapidly encircle the Maulwurf, squeezing it in its coiled embrace.  Its scales glittered like diamonds, all emerald and purple, with intense, violet eyes that bored holes into Maulwurf.
Behind this great monster came the Changelings, charging together as the Maulwurf managed to throw the snake off of itself. The smaller, more agile Changelings ran underneath the Maulwurf, which turned around to swipe at them, only to receive a vicious tackle from the flying insect creature from before. The serpent lunged in too, wrapping around the Maulwurf legs to stop it from kicking the insect away again. The other changelings backed away, allowing the two monsters to lift the Maulwurf into the sky, before soaring away from the Hive and into the distance.
When they reached a nearby river, a flash of light consumed the snake and bug, letting the Maulwurf drop into the water below, where it was swept far downstream, never to be seen by the Hive again.
Twilight managed to breath a sigh of relief before the Changelings carried her off to the hospital.

**************************


Twilight thanked her nurse yet again for the care and treatment she and her friends had received, before settling back into her pillows with content. Sometimes, even being hurt was a nice break from her responsibilities…..though she could do without the fractured cannon bone in her leg. It hurt quite a lot.
A knock on the makeshift door to the room she was in drew her out of her little train of thought.
“Come in.” She called.
Thorax poked his head in a moment later, his large horns wedging the door open wide. “Hi, Twilight. How are you doing?”
“I’ve been better, and I’ve been worse.” She answered, feeling very aware of the silvery lines hiding under her facial fur. “Thanks for your nurses though. They’ve been a great help.”
“Most of them were nurses out in Equestria, so a lot of what they know was taught by your medical schools. They all love what they do, so I think they see this as an opportunity to show their gratitude.”
Twilight laughed. “I know I’m glad Princess Celestia taught me, so I definitely understand why they’d see it that way…..so…..about the Maulwurf...?”
“It’ll be fine. Pharynx and I dropped it in the river. He already knows it can swim, so it’ll just swim itself to shore further downstream.” Thorax looked slightly guilty as he considered the possible implications. “Hopefully nowhere where it’ll cause trouble.”
“It should be fine.” Twilight said, hurriedly. “That river leads to the continent’s south coast. As far as I know, there’s not really much down there.”
Thorax let out a nervous laugh. “Yeah, that you know of.”
“Thorax, relax. It’ll be fine, you’ll see.”
Thorax didn’t look entirely convinced, but he smiled politely and started to back out of the doorway. “Thanks for your help, Twilight. I’ll let you know how me and Pharynx get on.”


*************************


“Why did you stay?”
“What?” Pharynx looked up at Allan in surprise. He’d come in to the medical wing to check up on the bronze shelled Changeling, only to be asked the question the moment he opened the door.
“The Hive was ignoring you, endangering themselves and you. You didn’t have to stay. You could have left. Spared yourself the trouble.”
Pharynx stared at Allan incredulously. This was the same person who had talked about missing his own family just hours before? “I couldn’t do that!”
“Why not?”
“Because they’re my family!”
“Not all families are worth risking your life for.” Allan said, coldly.
“This one is!” Pharynx roared.
“Really? You didn’t seem to think too highly of them when I first got here.”
“Family being foolish doesn’t make them stop being family!”
“So be honest with me, then.” Allan snapped. “Why did you stay?”
“Because I love my family!” Pharynx thundered.
Allan stared into Pharynx’s eyes for some time, before a smile broke out across his face. His horn glowed for a moment, as he pulled out an old microphone, a wireless one that had been left in the Hive by Discord several months previously. It had been hooked up to small but powerful speakers that Starlight, Trixie and Thorax had hidden around the entrance to the Throne room, the very same room that was now filled with the entire population of the Hive. Allan's smile became a grin.
“That’s all we needed to hear.”
Pharynx felt his heart beat wildly as he realized what had just happened. And when he heard the joyful cheers echoing through the halls, he felt it burst with joy. That joy rippled through his body, touching every nerve, every synapse, and every ligament, from his snout to the very tip of his tail. And it felt amazing.
“Welcome to the club, big guy.” Allan said with a grin. His magic pulled a mirror out of a drawer nearby, presenting it to Pharynx.
The older Changeling looked at the mirror uncertainly, not sure if he wanted to look. Then he did anyway.
Pharynx stared at his reflection for a moment, at the new, yet familiar face reflected in the shiny glass. Not black, but deep, cyan blue chitin, blue-violet eyes, a muted red chest and horns, and a deeper purple elytra covering his wings where they hadn’t been before.
“I….I don’t understand? I didn’t give up being who I am! Why did I change like the others did if I didn’t give up on my belief in strength?”
Allan just laughed. “Silly bug, that’s not how it works! It’s never been about giving up who you are.” Allan chuckled happily from his bed. “I thought I was giving up who I was when I first came here, but I learned better.” He blinked away a tear, the words he was speaking finally being completely and wholly accepted as the truth, deep in his heart. “It’s not giving up who or what you are. It’s about becoming something more.”


***********************


“You seem…..heightened, Allan.” Luna commented, staring at Allan as he gave one of the best games of chess she had played in years. He regarded the pieces with careful consideration, before moving his bishop to intercept her rook, stopping her from checkmating him...three moves ahead. Luna moved her Queen against Alan's bishop, who simply placed it close to his own Queen, so that taking his bishop would result in her Queen’s capture if she tried. While he was not winning, he was holding his own and doing nearly as much damage to her side of the board as she was to his. They both had lost about half of their pawns, and Luna had captured his Kingside knight, and Queenside rook. Allan had taken both of her bishops, but hadn’t managed to trap her Queen just yet.
“I’m just….. I guess I kinda had some...lingering doubts. I decided to stay here, even though it might hurt my family, but….now, I think I can turn this into something wonderful. My family on Earth, and my family here. We can bridge the divide between us.” Allan moved one of his pawns two spaces forward from its starting point. There was an energy exuding from him now, not confidence, but a sense of quiet, introspective comprehension. “I don’t have to choose between them at all, or leave who I was behind. I’ll just…..” Allan looked up, a sparkle in his eyes. “....change.”
“And that’s a good thing?” Luna asked, leading Allan into further elaboration.
“Done right? Buck yes. We all change, every minute, every hour, every day, and with every lesson. And that’s good. As the world and life changes around us, we gotta keep moving, keep changing, staying the same person but becoming a new version of it each day. As long as we don’t forget all the people we used to be....” Allan beamed with pride. “I will always remember when Allan was me.”
“A spirited speech, my student.” Luna said, eyes narrowed and a predatory smirk sliding into place. “But I’m afraid that’s checkmate.’
Allan looked down at the board, where his King was now trapped up against his own forces and Luna’s skillfully manipulated Queen. “Ah, nuts.”

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