//------------------------------// // Help, // Story: Our New Queen // by Miner //------------------------------// Pharynx had just returned to the hive from his patrol and found Princess Cadence at the entrance wanting to see Thorax. He took her to Thorax, guessing that he must have dropped the ball somewhere during his last date with Twilight. After all, he did come back home earlier than expected. He just hoped that he didn't get dragged into this mess and forced to take over for his brother. He was happy with his position as second in command of the hive. Passing by a window, he noticed that the two changelings in charge of patrolling the area around the hive were sleeping on the job. Wanting to scare the life out of them, He snuck up next to them and nudged one of their hooves until they were awake and smiled as he did. They woke up to see him smiling at them and straightened themselves up, shaking a little as they did. Now usually having someone smiling at you would be a good thing, but this was Pharynx, A.K.A. Captain Bone Crusher, smiling at them, and after he’d just caught them taking a small nap while on duty. They could only imagine what he was going to do to them. "Did our little changelings get a good nap?" Pharynx asked, not breaking his smile, "We wouldn't want our soldiers to get cranky, now would we?" "Ah yes and no sir." "Well, then I’m going to close my eyes and count to three. If you three are still here, I will not be held responsible for what I might do to you," Pharynx threatened as he closed his eyes. Typically any creature would have started running by now, but one of the changelings was confused by Pharynx’s statement, and had to ask, "But sir, there are only two of us." "Two," Pharynx continued. "Yes, there are only two of us." "One.” "RUN!" the other changeling said to his partner before they both ran for the hills. When Pharynx opened his eyes, the only trace of the two guards was a smoke cloud and a dirt trail in the direction they went. Pharynx called out to them. "I will see you two later," He then laughed to himself. 'Thorax was right. Being nicer to the changelings is fun. Hold on.' It was then Pharynx noticed something different about the forest nearby. When he went to investigate, he found a blue wagon he had never seen before. "I am glad you understand Thorax," Cadence said to Thorax as they walked down the halls of the Changeling Hive. "Indeed, it was a bizarre thing to happen," Thorax said to her, "How is Twilight doing?" "She is doing fine. Embarrassed out of her life, but fine." "I can only imagine. So, any idea who would do something like this?" "No idea. The road to love can have so many twists and turns, ups, and downs. It can get very hard sometimes. But don't you worry, I’ll find out who would ruin Twilight's date and make them pay," Cadence said with a fire in her eyes. Thorax noticed this and moved away from her a little, "I thought you ponies were all into the idea of forgiving and making friends, not the destroy my enemies business." Cadence gave Thorax a strange look. "Thorax have you read our history? Whenever we are threatened, we attack. It was Twilight who started making enemies into friends business. These actions taken against Twilight are unacceptable, and as the Princess of Love, I will not stand for THEM!" "Okay, calm down, I was only asking," Thorax said, calming Cadence down for now, "So when is the next date?" "Tomorrow, Thorax," Cadence said as she turned to face him, "This time you two will be meeting in Canterlot Castle." "I thought we were going to keep this dating thing on the down-low. You know so that the newsponies don't catch wind of it and make it into a big deal." "Don't worry Thorax, as far as everypony will be concerned. You were just going to Canterlot to discuss politics with the Princesses or whatever. Twilight just happened to come by to catch up with Celestia at the same time." "I sure hope you know what you’re doing." As they walked down the hall, they did not realize they were being watched from the shadows. Trixie waited until they weren't looking and left the hive. She went there originally to see Thorax and try to get on his good side after his terrible date with Twilight. She wasn't expecting to find Cadence there helping Thorax get back together with Twilight. It's amazing how easy it was to enter the hive without any changelings noticing her with that invisibility spell she learned from Starlight. In any case, she needed to get to Canterlot before Thorax and stop his date with Twilight. She made it back to her wagon and entered it, preparing to start up the engine. It cost her a pretty bit to buy from those two sales ponies, but now she could travel across the land without walking. The wagon did all the work for her. "All Trixie needs to do is to supply it with magic and away she goes," Trixie then started supplying the wagon with magic, but it didn't do anything. She looked around and wondered what was wrong and then tried again. "Trixie said ‘and away she goes," Still nothing. "I said away, I GO!" Nothing. "What is wrong now!?" Trixie lifted the bottom panel of her wagon, leading to the engine, but could only see the ground. "WHAT!?" She stuck her head through the hole and looked around for the metal parts that made the wagon move. And found out that nothing was there. "Trixie has been SABOTAGED!" A voice got her attention. "Oh, was this stuff supposed to be down there, Miss?" Pharynx said a few feet away from the wagon. Trixie looked outside to see him next to a pile of metal and tubes. Pharynx was disguised as another changeling guard. He didn't want to scare off her to quickly. "That’s my bad. I found this wagon all alone out here and found that these things were hot under it and thought it was a potential fire hazard and removed them." Trixie moved next to the pile of metal and was having a mental break down. "But... but... WHY?" "Well I can't have a fire breaking out near the hive, now can I? I’m just doing my job miss. But might I ask what are you doing so close to the changeling hive in the first place?" "Personal reason, sir!" Trixie levitated a book from the wagon and opened it up in front of her, "Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some work to do." Pharynx looked at the cover of the book to see the title 'How to fix any problems with your magic engine ' on the front. Whatever that meant, but for now his job was done. "Right then. I will be on my way." Pharynx said, leaving Trixie to figure out which piece goes where. Once back inside the hive, Pharynx turned back to normal and smiled back in Trixie's direction. And once he turned around, he found himself in front of his brother. "Pharynx, where were you?" Thorax asked. "I was investigating a lone wagon near the hive." "Were the owners nearby?" "She returned shortly after I got there. I even saved her the trouble of having it catch on fire." "It was going to catch on fire?" "Yes, it was. So you could say I saved her wagon." "She must be happy." "You could say that. In fact, she is working on improvements to her wagon as we speak." "Does she need any help?" "No, she has declined any help from our part." "She must be a proud pony, then." "You could say that." Just then, an explosion was heard nearby. Both of them turned to the sound and saw a smoke cloud in the shape of a star rise into the sky before disappearing. "What was that?" Thorax asked. "I’ll look into it."