//------------------------------//
// S7 E19: To Change a Changeling (What If?) 
// Story: My Little Pony Friendship is Magic What If?: Volume 6 
// by SuperPinkBrony12 
//------------------------------//

In a poof of light turquoise magic, two unicorns appeared on the outskirts of the new changeling hive. Compared to their previous visit, it looked so much nicer (not to mention more friendly and welcoming). And the landscape surrounding it was now filled with lush plant life and vegetation.

"Ah, here we are," Starlight happily declared, looking across to Trixie. "It's a good thing I learned the location of this place from the last time Thorax visited. Otherwise, I'd swear we were in the wrong place. Everything's so bright and beautiful now."

Trixie nodded. "Amazing what a new leader can do for the surrounding environment. And this time, there's no annoying spirit of chaos to ruin the mood," Then the magician changed the subject. "I really wish you'd have let me try the teleportation spell, Starlight. Trixie's been practicing every day since you started teaching her magic. She can even teleport small distances, when she's not hauling her wagon."

"You're getting better at short range teleportation, that much is true," Starlight agreed, as she and Trixie trotted down the path leading towards the changeling hive. "But your long distance teleportation still needs a lot of work."

Trixie couldn't help but whine a little. "It's just not fair! You and Twilight make it look so easy! Why can't The Great and Powerful Trixie pull it off?! I try and I try, but I always miss the mark!"

"We make it look easy because we've gotten skilled at it," Starlight explained to Trixie. "Trust me. When I first started out, I'd teleport myself all over the place, but never where I wanted to. In time, if you keep practicing and never give up, you'll get the hang of it. Then you won't even need me to teleport you into the black box every time you pull off that Moonshot Manticore Mouthdive."

"Well, Trixie has to keep the audience entertained somehow," Trixie commented. "And you know a magician must always attract a crowd. Such is in our calling."

"I just hope Thorax doesn't mind the two of us stopping by for a surprise visit," Starlight paused in her walking, putting a hoof to her chin. "Last time I saw him, he mentioned that he was dealing with some changelings that still hadn't gotten used to him being their leader. I wonder if the new changelings are more welcoming towards ponies."

Trixie smiled. "What's not to like about us? We helped them overthrow that nasty Queen Chrysalis, and now look at how far they've come in such a short amount of time. I'd say they owe us a great debt of thanks. Why, any changeling should be glad to see us."

But no sooner had Trixie spoken those words, when a black skinned changeling with dark blue eyes appeared. He looked like he hadn't undergone the transformation that had been enveloped the other changelings! In fact, he looked quite terrifying! Terrifying enough to frighten Trixie when he let out a hiss!

"S-stay away from me, monster!" Trixie nervously shouted, struggling to no avail to keep from shaking. "T-The Great and Powerful Trixie is not a force to be trifled with!"

Starlight opted to step forward, hoping to ease any tensions. "Please, we come in peace," She insisted to the changeling. "We don't want any trouble."

"Too bad," The changeling angrily hissed. "You're both intruders in my eyes! And there's only one thing to do with intruders like you!"

Before either Starlight or Trixie had a chance to properly react, they found themselves enveloped in a huge sack with the opening tied shut! Try as they might, they couldn't escape!

"Let us out of here this instant!" Starlight firmly demanded! "You can't do this to us! What would Thorax have to say?!"

"You fools! Where do you think I'm taking you?!" The changeling remarked. "I'd love nothing more than to dispose of you both here and now, but it's not my place to decide how to deal with intruders! You'd best hope King Thorax has mercy on the both of you, because you'll get none from me."



Starlight and Trixie immediately tried to force their way out of the sack they were in, to no avail. It took a moment for Starlight to even consider lighting up her horn.

But before the unicorn had even a chance to think of teleporting, the sack was opened and both mares came tumbling out!

"Thorax, I found these stragglers lurking near the hive!" The changeling reported in a rather rude tone. "What shall we do with them?! Shall we throw them in the dungeon and interrogate them? Or trap them in cocoons and make copies of them?"

Thorax rose from his throne and shook his head. "That won't be necessary, Pharynx. I know these two quite well," He then greeted in a friendly tone. "Hey Starlight, hey Trixie. What an unexpected but pleasant surprise. It's not often I get visitors."

"Trixie can most certainly see why," Trixie remarked with a slight humph. "If this is your idea of gratitude, it's not funny."

Thorax only sighed. "It wasn't my idea. Pharynx was the one who captured you, and he did it against my orders I might add."

"Who's Pharynx?" Starlight asked.

"Me! Who else could it possibly be?!" The changeling from before growled! "And for your information, I so happen to be head of security around here, and Thorax's elder brother!"

"Thorax has a brother?!" Starlight and Trixie collectively gasped!

"Yeah, Pharynx is my elder broodmate," Thorax explained with a smile, a smile that lasted for but a second before he hung his head. "He used to be head of patrol. But now we're peaceful and there's no need to patrol. And unlike the other renegade changelings who didn't wanna change, I can't get him to accept love and friendship. He says he doesn't want to change."

Pharynx scoffed. "Of course you'd say that, oh brother of mine. You make me out to be the bad guy, when I'm the only one around here who cares a hooting holler about keeping the hive safe! In the old days, I would've already feasted on these intruders' love."

"Well, that's why they're called 'the old days', brother," Thorax scolded. "We don't do that anymore and you know it! We've worked to change our reputation, and look at all the good things we have in life now because of it!"

"And what good is it if we can't even defend ourselves?!" Pharynx angrily remarked. "I swear, we may have been hatched from the same egg group, but we share nothing in common! You won't even let me paint the new changelings black."

"Because they don't like it, Pharynx! How would you like to be painted bright green and yellow?!" Thorax threatened. "You'd be horrified!"

Pharynx hissed again. "And an easy target for anyone looking to take down the hive. Some of our own can't even fly anymore because of the transformation, and they didn't even get a say in the matter!" Then he buzzed his wings and added. "I'm not going to stay here to be insulted. I know when I'm not wanted. I don't even know why you keep me around, brother."

Once Pharynx had left, Thorax approached Starlight and Trixie and told them. "I'm really sorry about the welcoming committee. I assure you, Pharynx isn't usually this grumpy."

Trixie rolled her eyes. "Somehow I doubt that very much."

"I actually kind of agree with Trixie on this one, and I know I'm not one to talk about such things," Starlight commented quite glumly. "If it weren't for you both having the same eye shape, I'd never believe you two were at all related. Why do you keep him around? It sounds like he'd do just fine on his own."

"You'd have me banish my own brother just for disagreeing with me?!" Thorax gasped, his eyes widening. "NEVER! I'd sooner relinquish the throne than do that! I'm not like Chrysalis, she tolerated no defiance. Even Pharynx knows that."

"A pity he can't seem to share that compassion with others," Trixie remarked. "I'll have you know, getting kidnapped is not Trixie's idea of a fun time."

But Thorax replied in a somewhat mornful tone. "The thing is, like it or not, Pharynx is the only one among us with any military experience. We're a peaceful race now, but even peace lovers have to know how to defend themselves. Ember taught me that," Then he shook his head. "Oh, silly me. Here I am, blathering on about personal matters you two don't even care with. And I'm not even asking why you came here in the first place."

"Well, we hoped to surprise you," Starlight confessed and then sheepishly added. "So uh... surprise, I guess?"

Thorax's sorrowful demeanor slowly morphed into a more upbeat one as he smiled brightly. "Oh, you girls didn't have to do that. But all the same, it's nice to see old friends again. How about I show you the rest of the hive? There's so much I wanna tell you about!"





Thorax traveled around the hive, happily showing off all the new sights and sounds to his visitors. "There've been a lot of changes since you were here last," The king explained. "I'm trying to start some new activities since the only things we did before were hunt and patrol," He pointed a hoof to various attractions as he went on, including a small stage for performance arts, a huge table housing all sorts of food, and a smaller table involving changelings working with paper and glue. "There's classic theatre, swing dancing, a once-a-week potluck lunch. Ooh! And who can change shape and organize craft time?" Transforming into a flamingo, he proudly boasted! "This guy!"

Starlight and Trixie's eyes were all a glow with amazement! The hive had undergone an unbelievable transformation in their absence. To think that it hadn't even been a year yet, and all this progress had been made!

"Wow, Thorax!" Starlight exclaimed. "You arranged for all of this yourself?"

Thorax nodded. "It took quite a lot to pull off, at first most of the changelings were skeptical. But once they gave it a shot, they were all wondering how they ever survived without it."

"Why didn't you tell me you'd set up a stage, Thorax?!" Trixie commented. "The Great and Powerful Trixie would be more than happy to perform for the changelings, all you need to do is ask. Trixie can gladly make room in her schedule, now that she's taking a break from touring Equestria."

Thorax laughed. "We'd be honored to have you perform, Trixie. Spike's told me quite the interesting stories about some of your magic acts."

"He didn't happen to disclose my secrets, did he? I specifically told him not to." Trixie remarked.

Thorax winked. "Your secrets are safe, I didn't pry," But then he added in a more worried tone of voice. "If only you'd come at a better time. Right now, I don't know if we can really afford to keep doing all these things."

"Why? Everything seems perfectly fine to me." Starlight commented to Thorax.

"I'm afraid we're currently dealing with a maulwurf problem," Thorax confessed. "I didn't want to say anything earlier, because so far it hasn't actually come near the hive. But it's been sighted not too far from here, and even Pharynx is getting worried about it. The best we've been able to do is keep the maulwurf at bay, by setting up plants for it to munch on."

"And that's why you keep Pharynx around?" Trixie questioned. "Why not just write to Princess Twilight for help?"

Thorax shook his head. "That maulwurf may not seem like much of a threat, but it's completely immune to magic. Nothing seems to hurt it, and you almost never see it coming til it's too late," He gulped as he added. "I shudder to think what would happen if it got a hold of either of you. And to make matters worse, Pharynx seems intent on using this issue to defy my authority. I keep telling him to be gentle on the new recruits and not interrupt our activities, but he never listens. I'm starting to fear he may try to take on the maulwurf all by himself, just to prove he's a better leader."

Starlight looked across to Trixie upon hearing this. Trixie immediately knew what Starlight was implying, the two had their own non-verbal communications system that they'd developed. "Uh-uh," The magician protested. "We're way out of our league here, Starlight."

Starlight's response was to laugh. "Ha! Come now, Trixie, have a little faith in the both of us. We know a thing or two about what it's like to be outsiders. Maybe we could talk to Pharynx in a way that Thorax can't."

"And since when did we become qualified to play family therapists?" Trixie remarked. "Have you forgotten what happened the last time someone left us to our own devices?"

"That was more my fault than yours, I should've told you what was going on from the start," Starlight apologized. "Besides, think about all we've accomplished together. Compared to perfecting a new magic trick, rescuing our friends with just a few magic props at our disposal, and hunting for a missing table map, resolving a family dispute will be easy."

"Do you really think you can help? It's okay if you can't," Thorax spoke up. "I could try to have a more sincere talk with Pharynx, maybe even try some of the more extreme tips Ember gave me."

But Trixie spoke up. "Well, Starlight hasn't exactly steered Trixie wrong before. And it's not like this is the first time we've had to solve a problem on our own. It may take a while, but I guarantee you we can do it. I think."

"Well, if you're sure," Thorax commented, a tiny hint of skepticism reflected in his voice. "I have to head outside. You sure Pharynx can change?"

"Absolutely! We got this!" Starlight winked. And she and Trixie waved as Thorax flew off with a buzz of his wings.

But when the two mares turned back to Pharynx, they found him angrily grunting and tearing up empty space. "The hive was better with holes," He muttered. "Whenever we didn't get lost that is."

Trixie gave a nervous smile as she whispered to Starlight. "Yeah... we totally got this. Right, Starlight?" She nervously chuckled.

"I... I think so." Starlight chuckled back.





Reluctantly, Starlight and Trixie approached Pharynx, hoping they'd be able to reach out to him in a way that only they could. A task that seemed like it was going to be quite difficult given the nature of who they were talking to.

Pharynx saw the two ponies approaching from afar, and turned his head. "Why are you idiots here? Can't you see I'm having a great time on my own?" He sarcastically remarked. "Or have you come to rub it in about how nice it is if I just cooperate and be what everyone wants me to be?"

"I can see he's going to be difficult," Trixie whispered to Starlight. "Still think it was a good idea to tell Thorax we'd help?"

Starlight nodded her head. "Absolutely. Now come on, we can't let him intimidate us like this," She then approached the lone changeling and clearing her throat she called out to him. "Hey, uh.... Pharynx, was it?"

Pharynx hissed. "Leave me alone! I want nothing to do with you ponies! Especially when you're gonna tell me how to do my job!"

"Would you just listen for a few seconds?!" Starlight groaned. "We're trying to help you out here."

"Do I look like I actually want your help?" Pharynx rudely remarked. "I know what you're about to say. Thorax put you up to this."

"Actually he didn't, we 'volunteered'. Or rather, Starlight did and I'm along for the ride," Trixie confessed. "Please. Can't you just hear us out really quick? What do you think you're going to gain from this 'Tough Guy' 'Go It Alone' attitude?"

Pharynx just turned his head. "I wouldn't expect you two to understand, no one ever does. I'm a soldier by nature, and there's no room for soldiers like me in this new hive," A depressed sigh escaped his lips as he added. "Sometimes I wonder why I stay in this stinking place. Even my own brother doesn't have a use for me, he just keeps me around 'cause he feels sorry for me."

"Well you know what, Pharynx?" Starlight asked with a smile.

"No, and I don't really care. But you're going to tell me anyway, aren't you?" Pharynx rudely commented.

Starlight nodded, keeping up her smile. "Trixie and I, we're a lot like you. We were once outcasts as well, looked down on by everyone else."

"Starlight!" Trixie whined.

"Just play along," Starlight whispered to her friend and then turned back to Pharynx as she continued. "Trixie was a down on her luck magician who couldn't catch a break, and she even briefly turned to darkness out of desperation. And I used to run a town where everypony was the same, right down to their cutie marks. But you know what happened in both our cases? We changed, and now we've made amends with our past misdeeds. I am, or at least I was a student to Princess Twilight. And Trixie has settled for the title of second best when it comes to magic."

"Hey, I resent that!" Trixie snapped. "Trixie may be second best at ordinary magic, but she is second to nopony when it comes to stage magic! Even Princess Twilight admits it!"

Starlight coughed into a hoof, changing the subject before things got too far off track. "Anyway... the thing is, we've both made changes for the better, even when no one thought we could. Surely, you can do the same."

But to Starlight and Trixie's surprise, Pharynx coldly commented. "Congratulations, you're both losers!" Both unicorns recoiled in shock at the statement, they had not expected such a bitter remark. "Stop acting like you know me, because you don't!" The changeling went on, his eyes narrowing in anger. "You probably even think you have me pegged, that I'm just some sore loser changeling who wants to go back to how everything was before we changed. Well, you're wrong!"

"Could've fooled me." Starlight muttered under her breath.

Pharynx shook his head. "I should've known, no one else understands me, why should you two be the same?"

"But if you're not opposed to the changes, why do you seem to resent them so much?" Trixie questioned Pharynx. "It makes no sense."

Pharynx sighed. "It's because we're total pushovers now, whereas before we were feared. We had an army, and we could defend ourselves against anyone who'd dare try to stop us. Now, we can't even so much as defeat a maulwurf."

"Uh not for nothing, Pharynx, but you do know why you used to be fear, right?" Trixie asked, shuddering a bit at the thought.

Pharynx nodded. "Despite what you're both thinking, I didn't like Chrysalis as our leader. Starving us of love to make us loyal to her was bad enough. But refusing to listen to any changeling but herself was even worse," He then confessed. "If I'd have been able to have my way with her, the attack on Canterlot never would've been conducted. Especially not in such a sloppy manner. But Chrysalis just told me I was but a soldier and not fit to question her judgement. I was glad when word reached my ears that she'd been overthrown."

"You sure don't show it now, Pharynx. You even said it yourself, your brother is the only reason you're still around," Starlight commented. Then she suggested. "Why can't you lighten up and be happy? You don't have to be a soldier anymore, you can lead a new life, a better one at that."

"I don't recall asking for your opinion!" Pharynx rudely hissed. "I appreciate what you're trying to do, but it's not going to work. I know where I'm not wanted, and it's clear there's no room for me in this new, peaceful hive. The other changelings don't trust me at all, and I suspect it's only a matter of time until they kick me out behind Thorax's back. So if I were you two losers, I wouldn't concern yourselves with my own well being. It's clear that I don't belong here." And with that, he buzzed his wings and flew off somewhere.

With Pharynx gone, Starlight and Trixie were left in the center of the hive. Wondering to themselves just what had gone wrong.

"What now, Starlight?" Trixie asked her friend, hoping for some kind of reassurance.

Starlight paused and hesitated, unsure of what to say. "I'm... not really sure. But it looks like we might have made things worse instead of better."

"Thorax will probably have to hear about this, whenever he gets back that is," Trixie nervously commented with a gulp. "He's not gonna be happy when he finds out."

"Well what I wanna know is, why does Thorax keep sticking up for his brother?" Starlight wondered aloud. "The two hardly seem to have a close bond. In fact, it seems like Pharynx and Thorax are as different as can be. And if Thorax keeps defending his brother, the other changelings are gonna start questioning his leadership."

Trixie nervously added. "I guess we'll have to have a talk with Thorax about all of this. And to think, this all started just because we wanted to surprise a friend."





When Thorax returned a short time later and returned to his throne, he was most surprised to see Starlight and Trixie already there, waiting for them. "Hey girls, why the long faces?"

Starlight and Trixie sighed, and exchanged glances of nervousness. But neither one said a word, they each wanted the other to speak up first.

"It's about Pharynx isn't it?" Thorax guessed, to which both Starlight and Trixie nodded. "Oh no. Don't tell me your talk didn't go well?"

"Well, in Trixie's defense, the Great and Powerful Trixie is not a miracle worker," Trixie finally forced out. "Family therapist is far outside her calling."

Starlight opted for a slightly more positive tone. "It's not that we didn't try, Thorax. But it seems like Pharynx is dead set on not wanting to change, no matter what. He seems to think he's an outcast in his own hive."

Thorax unhappily sighed, shifting his head to rest it on a hoof. "That Pharynx, why does he have to be so stubborn? Why can't he ever let down his tough guy nature every once in a while?" He unhappily remarked. "I'm starting to think maybe I was wrong to take pity on him. I thought I was doing him a favor, letting him keep his old position and train our army. But it seems like it just made him even more unhappy than he already was."

"He didn't seem intent on going back to the way things were, at least not completely," Starlight commented with a nervous laugh. "But what I don't get is, why are you cutting him so much slack? Even he wonders why you've taken pity on him, and I'm starting to wonder just how you two could be related when you're so different."

"You really wanna know?" Thorax asked with a sigh, and both Trixie and Starlight nodded. "Well, I guess I can tell you the story. It all stems back to when we were younger, just little changelings." And the king started to flash back to that time, in particular he was recalling an occasion in which his older brother had defended him from some bullies.





A younger Thorax was happily playing with miniature dolls, the only toys he'd been able to hold onto. And so play he did, playing to his heart's content without a care in the world. It was the closest he could ever come to happiness.

The other changelings didn't think Thorax such was a happy sight though. In fact, a trio of older changelings saw a chance to bully and belittle him. They walked right up to little Thorax, and sinisterly they laughed and teased. "Oh, look at little Thorax playing with his dollies." Before one of them snatched them up, holding them out of reach.

"Hey, give those back!" Thorax protested to the bullies, jumping up to try and grab at his dolls. But to no avail!

"What's wrong?" The other two changelings taunted. "Don't you wanna have playmates?"

"Not the likes of you! Give me back my dolls already! Come on!" Thorax pleaded! "Why are you picking on me? I never did anything to you, did I?"

The changelings just laughed, cackling with glee. "You're an easy target, Thorax. You gotta learn to act like a proper changeling," They all added quite sternly. "And proper changelings don't have time for childish distractions. They growl and hiss, and feed on love. That's what we do, that's what our queen commands. And those who don't follow Chrysalis' orders, leave the hive!"

"But I don't wanna leave the hive!" Thorax whined, tears starting to form in his eyes. "And I don't wanna growl and hiss! Please, just give me back my dolls and let me be! Don't you have somewhere else you need to be?"

"Oh we do," Laughed the changeling who was still holding the dolls out of Thorax's reach. "But we've got a couple of minutes to spend tormenting you. And no way are we gonna miss out on our favorite pass time."

Thorax shut his eyes, trying in vain to hold back the tears that were now flowing freely down his face. Why did every single changeling he met have to be so mean to him? What was wrong with being different?

All of a sudden however, the laughs, chortles, and giggles coming from the bullies came to a halt. From out of the blue a voice of fury cried out quite sternly. "Leave my brother alone!"

The voice alone was enough to make the changelings stop dead in their tracks. Against their better judgement, they chose to turn towards the location in which they'd last heard the voice. A mistake on their part, for the sight that greeted their eyes, filled their very souls with terror! A massive bugbear stood before them, the creature letting out a roar so powerful and terrifying it could fill even the bravest of souls with fear!

The bullies didn't bother to stick around after that. They turned around and ran off deep into the hive, screaming at the top of their lungs! One of them even dropped the dolls he'd previously been holding. They landed on the ground in front of Thorax, unharmed.

Thorax himself wasn't frightened or intimidated by the bugbear, he just smiled as he approached it and pet it. "Thanks, big brother." He said with a goofy grin plastered firmly on his face. By now, his tears had dried up.

Pharynx transformed back to his original changeling state in a flash of sickely, lime-green magic. "No one takes away my brother's dolls but me," He insisted. "If any changeling is going to tell you to stop with the games, it's going to be me and me alone."

"Big brother, can't you afford to lighten up every now and then?" Thorax cheerfully commented. "You're always so serious."

Pharynx remarked with a humph. "It's because I have to, it's how we changelings survive. You may not get it yet, brother of mine. But someday you'll understand that there's no time for childish games when our very survival is at stake," Then he added. "Be lucky I even bothered to hold onto those dolls for you, instead of destroying them like Queen Chrysalis insisted I do."

"I don't like her, she's not very nice," Thorax commented, sticking out his tongue. "She stinks, and I mean that literally. When's the last time she ever took a shower?"

Pharynx couldn't help but suppress a slight giggle at his brother's childish remark. "I don't like her anymore than you do, Thorax. But I also know it's not wise to mouth off where she might overhear. Like her or not, she is our queen, our mother. She hatched us and cared for us, and we owe her our lives. That means, what she says goes."

"But isn't there a better way to survive? One that doesn't involve stealing love from other creatures?" Thorax questioned. "It seems like we're always hungry for more love."

Pharynx only shook his head. "It's in our very nature to feed on love, Thorax. It's how we've always been. Chrysalis does what she must to look out for us, and we must do the same for her," With a sigh, he added. "Putting your personal feelings about our queen aside, you could stand to grow a backbone. I can't spend all my time being your guardian."

"B-but your my big brother, Pharynx!" Thorax whined. "You're supposed to protect me!"

"I have to do nothing of the sort. I just don't like other changelings thinking my brother is such a weakling," Pharynx sternly lectured to his younger brother. "But the only way those bullies are gonna stop pestering you, is if you fight back against them. They shove you, you shove back. Scare 'em off, like I do and make 'em regret that they ever tried to pick on you. That's the only way you defeat bullies."

Thorax protested. "I can't do that. I'm not a fighter like you are, Pharynx."

"Then at least start acting like one," Pharynx insisted. "One of these days I'm not gonna be there for you. And if you depend on me to bail you out all the time, you're going to get into real trouble. Now come along, I'm going to be late for my patrols. And it's time you learned how to patrol like a changeling as well, Chrysalis says you're old enough."





"Wow, that was... sweet... I think." Trixie commented.

Starlight nervously added. "I've heard about 'tough love' before, but that sounds like the toughest of tough love."

"But he had a point, as much as it may pain me to admit it," Thorax sighed. "Pharynx protected me so much when I was younger. It's in his nature to defend others. I just wish I could get him to understand that doesn't mean putting on a tough guy act all the time and lashing out at others."

"That's putting it mildly," Trixie remarked. "He even called us losers just because we tried to help him."

Thorax rose slowly from his throne, frowning a bit. "Guess I'll have to have another talk with him. Between this and the maulwurf, I'm staring to see why they say: 'Heavy is the head that wears the crown.'" And the changeling king departed without another word.

"What are we supposed to do now, Starlight?" Trixie pondered aloud to her friend. "This is usually the part where one of us comes up with a brilliant idea that magically solves all our problems, and then we have a laugh or two and share what we learned today."

The unicorn mare with a grayish-purple coat, however, didn't answer right away. She was deep in thought, trying to piece together a solution to the problem that presented itself. She thought, and thought, and thought some more. But nothing came to her, prompting her to let out a groan of frustration. "Ugh! I've got nothing! I'm drawing a complete blank! If only there was some way we could magically compel those two to put aside their differences and work together!" Then she frowned. "But I gave up on that kind of stuff after that doozy of a spell combination."

"Then perhaps it's time for a different sort of magic," Trixie suggested with a wink. "If traditional unicorn magic isn't the solution, maybe a bit of stage magic is."

Starlight arched an eyebrow. "What are you suggesting, Trixie? You don't exactly have the best track record for 'bright ideas. And don't you remember what happened the last time stage magic got involved in our friendship?"

The magician just smiled and patted Starlight on the back. "Oh, but this time shall be different. Allow Trixie to explain."

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Starlight thought to herself. "It seems like every time Trixie and I are together, one of us suggests something that gets us both into trouble."

"It's simple," Trixie explained. "With some of my props and some clever acting, we can set up a threat greater than the maulwurf. Something that's so great a threat, that Thorax and Pharynx will have no choice but to work together to defeat it?"

"And you think that'll help restore their brother bond?" Starlight questioned.

Trixie nodded. "Why wouldn't it work? Now all we need is to come up with a convincing monster name."





"I sure hope Trixie knows what she's doing." Starlight wondered aloud to herself, as she teleported away from the hive a few moments later. She returned shortly, with several of Trixie's magic props (including several smoke bombs) and a huge, purple tarp.

Taking great care not to be spotted, the mare lugged the props and tarp in her magic to the very doorstep of the hive, all the while keeping a look out for any sigh of the maulwurf.

But when at last Starlight reached the entrance of the hive undetected, Trixie had bad news for her friend. "Pharynx is gone!" She cried.

"What?! Gone?! What do you mean, gone?!" Starlight gasped, the surprise causing her to lose her focus and her magic to fade.

"I looked all over the hive for him and can't find him anywhere," Trixie explained. "Either he's really good at hiding, or something else has happened."

"Then what are we supposed to do with all these things?" Starlight wondered. "We were supposed to stage an Ursa Major attack."

Trixie put up a hoof to silence Starlight. "Shh, don't let any of the changelings overhear. This has to be a surprise, or it won't work," She then whispered. "We'll store the supplies out of sight somewhere and come back for them after we find Pharynx."

"How about that bush over there? No one would ever think to look in there." Starlight suggested. She didn't even wait for a response, she quickly tossed all the magic supplies and the tarp into the bush (though Trixie decided to hold onto a few smoke bombs).

No sooner had the unicorn done so, when a lime green coated changeling appeared and clearing his throat declared. "Thorax is holding an emergency meeting! Everyone's to attend, changeling or non-changeling!"

"Oh no! What else could be wrong?!" Starlight thought to herself, as she and Trixie were whisked away to see Thorax for the second time that day!

All the changelings stood in a line, as Thorax was looking them over and pacing nervously back and forth. "My fellow subjects!" He spoke in a booming tone of voice that barely masked how nervous he was. "I regret to be the bearer of bad news, but Pharynx has gone missing!"

A few changelings gasped, but most reacted with indifference. As far as they were concerned, Pharynx was little more than an annoyance.

"Effective immediately," Thorax continued. "The entire hive is under a mandatory quarantine! No one comes and no one goes until we find Pharynx, or a clue to his location! Is that clear?!"

"But you'll never find him!" Trixie protested, speaking up. "The Great and Powerful Trixie already searched the whole hive from top to bottom and found nothing! It's like he's disappeared into thin air!"

Thorax shook his head. "I know Pharynx, and I know he wouldn't just up and leave without telling anyone where he was going. There must be some place in the hive where he's either hiding out, or hid a note of some kind. I won't rest until I find either one!"

"But where would he go if not the hive?" Starlight pondered, before she gasped as an awful thought struck her! "Wait a minute! Could it be?!"

"Could what?" Trixie asked.

Thorax chimed in. "What is it, you know where my brother might be?"

Starlight gulped. "It's just a hunch, but when Trixie and I talked to him earlier, he mentioned something about being a soldier by nature. And that he felt he didn't belong here," She began to trail off as she added. "It's a very slim possibility but..."

Thorax gasped in alarm, his eyes widening to the size of dinner plates! "...You think he went after the maulwurf all by himself?! Is he crazy?! He's going to get himself killed!"

The other changelings all exchanged various glances of concern, but none bothered to say a word.

Starlight immediately stepped forward and stood beside Thorax, as she called out to the changelings. "I know you've all had your differences with him, but Pharynx is still one of your own. Think of this as your chance to be better changelings than him, to show him that even though you're a peaceful race, you still know how to fight."

"But we don't have an army! Against the maulwurf we'll be sitting ducks!" A forest green coated changeling protested!

"Not if we come up with a plan!" Starlight encouraged. "Besides, Thorax, Trixie, and I will be right there alongside you."

Now it was Trixie's turn to gasp! "Starlight, what are you doing?! The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn't want to be a maulwurf snack!"

"You really don't have to do this," Thorax insisted. "The maulwurf isn't interested in any of you, Pharynx is out there because of me. I didn't try to help him or stand up for him like he did for me. But now it's time I finally payed back that outstanding debt! And I'll do with or without the help of my hive! Now who's with me?!"





"So, what exactly is the plan, Starlight?" Trixie nervously asked, as she, Starlight, Thorax, and the changelings all set off to find Pharynx (hopefully the maulwurf hadn't gotten to him yet). "You do have a plan, right?"

Starlight gulped, the mare hesitating to answer. "Uh, I'm working on one."

"You don't have a plan?!" Trixie exclaimed with fright!

"Who's had time to think of one in this situation?!" Starlight retorted. "I'm doing the best I can!"

Trixie struggled to keep her teeth from chattering. "Great," She sarcastically remarked. "We're winging it again. Just how do we keep getting into these situations?"

"We'll have time to worry about that later, Trixie!" Starlight retorted.

Suddenly, Thorax's eyes detected a very familiar outline! "Is that who I think it is?!" He exclaimed and rushed forward without a second thought!

Sure enough, there was Pharynx. And it was now that Trixie and Starlight got a good look at a maulwurf. What they saw, was enough to make them instantly understand just why such a creature was feared.

The maulwurf looked not unlike a gigantic mole, but it had razor sharp fangs, sharp claws, and it constantly seemed to burrow its way under ground only to pop back up again. Every time it did so, the ground beneath it shook and crumbled!

Pharynx was indeed fighting the fearsome creature, but he seemed to be making no real impact. Whenever he got close, the maulwurf would swipe at him with one of its paws, forcing the changeling to duck! And even when he was lucky enough to get off a hit, the maulwurf shrugged it off as if it were no big deal.

True to his nature though, Pharynx kept on fighting, all the while refusing to show any fear. "Whoa!" He shouted, as he barely ducked under yet another paw swipe from his opponent. He quickly recovered though, and taunted. "I-I mean, is that all you've got?! I can still go for more! So come on, tall, dark, and ugly! You're not getting past me, not in a million years!"

"Pharynx!" Thorax shouted, hoping to be heard above the commotion! Buzzing his wings, he flew towards his older brother!

"Thorax?!" Pharynx remarked, as he landed a blow against the maulwurf, then flew down towards his brother. "What are you doing here?! I had everything under control, and I didn't ask for your help!"

"Well it looks like you sure need it," Thorax commented. "What do you think you're trying to prove, taking on the maulwurf all alone like this?"

Pharynx shook his head. "I'm not trying to take it on to satisfy my own ego, I'm trying to drive it away from the hive for good. No one else had the capacity to make such a sacrifice, and let's face it, the hive doesn't want me anymore."

"Doesn't mean we don't need you, brother," Thorax explained. "You're the only one with any military experience, the only one who knows what it's like to hunt and patrol."

"Exactly why I don't belong in the new hive. They love peace, they don't love me," Pharynx glumly remarked. "I don't know why you stick up for me, brother."

"Because you did it for me when no one else thought I belonged," Thorax firmly replied. "I couldn't call myself a good brother if I wasn't willing to do the same. I know you feel like you have to put on a brave face and act tough all the time, but you can open up your heart without being soft."

Just then, the maulwurf roared, bearing its teeth before the changelings! "Uh, now's probably not the best time for a heart to heart!" Starlight protested. "We've gotta stop that thing!"

"Then it looks like it's time for a hasty retreat, courtesy of the Great and Powerful Trixie!" Trixie cried out! And rushing forward, she threw down a smoke bomb just before the maulwurf was about to bring down its sharp claws! Taking full advantage of the confusion, Trixie managed to light up her horn! In a flash of pale, light grayish-magenta, the magician teleported herself, Starlight, and the changeling brothers to safety!

Starlight was (needless to say) impressed with such a feat! "Trixie... you... you teleported?!"

Trixie nodded, panting heavily. "Friends don't let friends become maulwurf chow! But I can't do it again, that was all that Trixie had!"

Starlight shot off a blast of her own magic, hoping to at least stun the maulwurf. But the maulwurf shrugged it off as if nothing had happened. "It really can resist magic!" She exclaimed with fright! "What are we supposed to do now?!"

Fortunately, the answer soon presented itself, as dozens of changelings in different colors swarmed all around the maulwurf! They effortlessly dodged the swinging paws and claws, ramming the massive beast as hard as they could.

"That's not going to work. That maulwurf is darn near invincible!" Pharynx groaned. "I mean it! I threw everything I had at it, but nothing phased it."

"It's gotta have a weak spot though, every creature does!" Starlight insisted quite frantically. "If only there was some way to find out that weak spot was!"

Just then, one of the changelings happened to fly out of the way of the maulwurf's paw, causing the monster to hit itself on the head with it. That appeared to have an effect, the maulwurf stumbled back, briefly stunned.

"Of course! The head!" Thorax realized at once! And then a grin formed on his face as he turned to Pharynx. "Hey, brother. Remember that game you used to play with me? The one I always said I hated?"

"What are you talking abou-oh!" Pharynx exclaimed, realization striking him in the face not unlike how the maulwurf had struck himself. "You really think that'll work?"

Thorax grinned. "Oh it will! Ready, brother of mine?!"

Pharynx nodded and chuckled. "This is gonna be sweet!" To Starlight, Trixie, and the other changelings he then called. "Stand back, everyone! My brother and I will handle this!"





And indeed they did. Thorax and Pharynx flew back and forth, attracting the maulwurf's attention (and his claws). But whenever it tried to swipe at one (or even sometimes both) of them, they would fly up towards the creature's head. And each time the maulwurf would clunk itself and stumble back.

All the while, the brothers taunted the creature with chants of. "Why are you hitting yourself?! Why are you hitting yourself?! Why are you hitting yourself?!" Over and over again.

At last, with one final blow to the head, the gigantic mole like creature lost its balance. It stumbled briefly, then fell to the ground with a loud thud! Several changelings surrounded it and carried it off, as Thorax and Pharynx landed to a chorus of cheers and whistles!

Pharynx wiped the sweat from his brows. "Whew. Well, I don't think that maulwurf will be coming back anytime soon," Then he turned to face his brother. "Thanks for not giving up on me, even when I was ready to give up on myself."

"That's what brothers do," Thorax nodded. "You stood up for me when I was an outcast, it was only natural I did the same," Then he asked. "Does this mean you finally accept love into your life, instead of trying to feed on it?"

"I... guess I do," Pharynx commented. "But to tell you the truth, I always did love the hive. That's part of why I attacked the maulwurf, I didn't want any of you peace lovers getting hurt." Immediately after saying that, a huge glowing ball of energy surrounded the changeling, prompting several gasps from the changelings! 

But Starlight and Trixie just smiled, they'd seen this before and they knew what was happening. Pharynx was finally transforming.

When the process faded after a few minutes, Pharynx emerged looking noticeably different. He still had his black coat and purple eyes (though both were of lighter shades than they'd been before), but now he had light purple on his ears, two red horns on the top of his head, a red collar similar to Thorax's, red and purple butterfly wings, and red on his back with a light purple undersection. "Whoa! This is... different!" He commented. "At least I'm not some sickly bright green color though."

"Pharynx!" Thorax scolded.

"What?" Pharynx remarked. "It looks good on other changelings, but not on me. At least the new wings look cool though."

Thorax nodded and smiled. "They sure do, and I hope you'll continue to serve as the head of the changeling hive's military. This maulwurf incident has made it clear we need some form of defense, even if we're a peaceful race now."

Pharynx smiled back, hugging his brother. "You didn't even have to ask, I'll gladly serve you oh brother of mine."

Starlight and Trixie observed the hug between brothers, the both of them smiling happily. "You know something, Trixie?" Starlight commented. "We actually make a pretty good team, despite how often we seem to get into trouble."

Trixie nodded, before a thought struck her. "You think we'll have to tell Twilight about this?"

"Probably," Starlight said with a sigh. "Better if she hears it from us rather than from Thorax."

"And we probably should go pick up all those... 'supplies'," Trixie coughed into a hoof. "Wouldn't want the changelings to get the wrong idea."

"What? Oh yeah, yeah, of course," Starlight nervously laughed. "Almost forgot," Then she looked at her magician friend and said to her. "It was nice to see you again after so long. Would you maybe consider moving to Ponyville, at least for a little while? It could be your home away from home so to speak."

"Trixie shall... consider it. Ponyville does seem to be a fairly welcoming town," Trixie commented. "Whenever there's not some crazy event going on that is."

"Excellent!" Starlight smiled. "And you living in Ponyville means it'll be much easier to work on your magic lessons. I must say, you're getting to be a fast learner."

Trixie shook her head. "Short range teleportation was one thing, but long distance teleportation is another. Trixie's still got a long way to go to master that. And that is something she's okay with. She has... made her peace with being second best in traditional magic."

Starlight winked. "But like you said to Pharynx, you're second to none when it comes to stage magic."

Trixie nodded and boasted. "Of course. When it comes to the performing arts of magic, there is none more great and powerful than Trixie herself!"