//------------------------------//
// May you dry your wings, and be ever thankful for dadkings 
// Story: Rain Curfews 
// by NavelColt 
//------------------------------//

"There you are! Calor, what are you doing out here? The whole hive has been looking for you!"

A cobalt changeling gasped in surprise. The rain sliding down his carapace seemed to boil off when adrenaline seized his body with a heated jolt. His cerulean ears twitched to his name, and he shrunk from the stern tone on instinct, tense against the ground like a spooked cat. Though the frigid blades of grass elicited shivers along his belly, the drone held firm, quickly finding himself mumbling over his own words.

"I-I'm sorry, Thorax," the blue changeling stammered, his heart rate outpacing his thoughts. Even the shroud of rainfall could not block Thorax's towering form, an eerie silhouette against the evening's backdrop. "I was just, I-I wanted to collect gorm berries before the rainstorm set in!"

There was a pause. The air filled with the monotonous pattering of rain against grass and earth. Calor's eyes trailed upwards, morbidly curious of the expression waiting for them, but rain consumed his face like a splashing wave and forced him to squint away.

"I didn't mean to worry anyling," the changeling continued, sitting upon his flank and rubbing his eyes with a hoof. "I just thought it'd be nice to have some berries for the nymphs. They get really fussy when they have to sit still for too long. Well, the adults like them too, so, maybe I should just get enough for everyling-"

Interrupted mid-thought, Calor felt warmth envelop his body once again, numbing him to the cold rain. It was an odd, tingling sensation—an embrace of invisible hooves that held him close. He could feel his heart slow, his mind become calm, and from between the raindrops, Thorax's smile found him.

Calor couldn't help but mirror the look. It was love magic that nearly every changeling had come to recognize.

"You're more important than berries, Calor, you know that, right?" Thorax's voice had become soft, jovial, even. "I know how much you like to make everyling happy, but you really need to look after yourself, first. Berries are just treats. They're not a priority right now. We don't need to hunt and gather at all anymore, so we should take advantage of that, don't you think?"

There was an abrupt flash that stung the drone's eyes and instigated a chirp of shock. As he peered around, waiting for his senses to adjust, a brilliant dome of light came into focus. It surrounded the pair, fully illuminating Thorax and his content smile, as well as the small clearing around them. A current of electric energy danced along the dome's surface, evaporating every raindrop that dared to touch it. Reflections were cast upon their bodies, reflections reminiscent of a pool's morphing surface.

Commanding the energy were Thorax's antlers, lit torches of teal magic.

"Come on, let's head back inside," the tall changeling said with encouragement, nodding his head in the direction of the hive. The structure, which stood across a short expanse of rolling fields, was a mere silhouette in the night's shadow, but it gave off a welcoming orange glow from within its walls. No doubt, its occupants had already begun to settle in for the night, gathering in the cozy lower chambers.

"You know, it's true that gorm berries thrive in the rain, but it still takes them a few days to ripen," Thorax broached, turning and walking at a leisurely pace alongside the cerulean drone. "I think you're better off waiting till tomorrow before collecting them, anyway."

"Thorax, it's rained every day for a week," Calor replied aptly. "There are berries in the forests all around the hive, I just never have the opportunity to get to them."

Letting off a nervous chuckle, Thorax rubbed the back of his head. "Well, fair enough, I guess. Sooner or later things will let up, though. Just think of the back stock you guys will have!"

He fished for a smile, but Calor merely cocked a brow in response. "Why don't you just come with me next time, and help me by using your fancy anti-rain bubble? When did you learn to do that, anyway?"

Smitten with fascination, Calor's attention was lost to the swerving arrays of electricity, coiling like snakes along the dome's surface. Thorax's magenta eyes followed.

"Oh, this? This is just a trick that Princess Cadance taught me while I lived in the Crystal Empire," he dismissed. "She invented it to keep germs from spreading, but she helped me adapt it into a magical umbrella. And, to answer your question, the very last thing I want to do is encourage changelings to venture out into rainstorms just because they have a flimsy barrier. Why do you think I started these curfews in the first place?"

A radiant light braving the night's black expanse, the changelings made their way along a curving path leading out of the wood's shallows. As they walked, their hooves pressed against the grass with soft squelches and squeaks, compressing the ground and forming thin puddles for the briefest of moments. Calor found himself entranced by the thin films of water, which seemed to ignite with an orange glow the closer they drew towards the hive.

"Because heavy rainfall can be hazardous for changelings," Calor replied passively, drifting his focus from puddle to puddle. "Also, because you're looking for ways for the hive to become closer. Your agenda hasn't exactly been secret or subtle, you know."

Thorax looked on ahead and beamed, his eyes flickering in sequences of electric blue. "Well, guilty as charged," he chuckled. "I talked with Princess Twilight today, you know. She believes the weather will stabilize in another week or so, once the climate has finished shifting with the sprouting of all this plant life. In the meantime, I want to make the most of things. Our wings are useless in the heavy rain, so I thought we could spend that time together inside. There's nothing quite like being somewhere warm and cozy with those you care about."

Having regained his typical aura, Calor let out a giggle, side-eyeing the taller changeling with a toothy smirk. "I get that you're eager for everyling to be friends, now, but I'm not sure your 'big hive slumber party' idea is gonna work."

Thorax pivoted his focus before quickly glancing away again. "W-well, that's because this is a trial and error process! Of course the first night didn't go over so well. I hadn't planned bedding arrangements, plus it was short notice from how fast the rains set in. I have a plan for tonight to help everyling feel a bit more comfortable. Just wait and see."

The melodic sound of pattering rain soon mixed with the faint echoes of voices as the pair emerged before the hive entrance, bathed in the orange light from within. There, standing quite stolidly against the elements, two drones peered out from the hive's mouth, spotted the newcomers, and gasped.

"...oh, Your Highness, you've returned!" one of them exclaimed with a flare of his wings.

"And you found Calor?" the other asked rhetorically, shrewdly scanning the blue drone up and down. "Is he hurt?"

"No, Calor is fine, you guys," Thorax reassured, stepping forward and garnishing their attention with a raise of his hoof. "In fact, we're both doing great. Can you two quickly round up the other searchers for me? It's really starting to get late now, and I don't want anyling else becoming unaccounted for in this weather. Once you find them, meet us in the nesting chamber. I have an announcement for once everyling is settled."

Firmly planting their hooves upon the loosened earth, both changelings saluted their alpha before enveloping themselves in teal flames. For a moment, the brilliant, lapping fires cast ghoulish shadows across the hive's exterior, dancing about like intangible specters, before dying at the feet of massive brown eagles. With an audible wingbeat, they took off, the force of their weight casting a spray of water which fell flimsily before Thorax's protective sphere.

"Always happy to pick the most showboat-y thing they can think of," Thorax chuckled to himself, turning his attention back to the hive. The warm light from within seemed to all but beckon them, now. Fuzzy halos surrounded the many firefly lanterns lining the entrance hall, and the seemingly endless veil of rain, at last, showed its edge.

"Come on, let's get out of this storm," the bug monarch said softly, acknowledging his company with an affectionate hoof just behind his horn. To this, Calor's bright blue eyes curiously gazed upwards. "I don't know about you, but I'm ready to find somewhere nice and dry to relax."

Together, Thorax and Calor entered the hive, and as the archway passed over them, the gloom of rain and cold was left behind. Thorax dimmed his antlers, and so too did the vibrant dome of magic around them dissipate. As it did, the fragrant smell of the hive's internal flora tickled their nostrils, overtaking their senses in a wave of aroma. The more they moved, the more the structure's naturally insulative properties warmed their shells and elicited content shivers. Even the wind seemed to have been barred passage to the hive's cozy interior.

Calor let off a pleasant sigh. "You know, maybe looking for berries wasn't such a good idea."

Thorax chuckled again, his affectionate gesture now playfully rubbing along the drone's head. "For the first time, we have everything we need, right here. After everything we've been through, I think we've earned the chance just to relax and enjoy that."

As the changelings began to traverse the twisting tunnels of the hive's intestines, an oddly tranquil quiet met them, resonating from every side tunnel and branching hallway. The voices they had heard on the wind from outside had vanished - nothing but the faint pitter-patter of rain along the hive's upper, exposed corridors could be heard. Their eyes curiously probed every dark corner and each crevice of each new room, but not a single bug pony was to be found.

"I'm not sure if this is relaxing or eerie," Calor noted under his breath, his ears twitching every so often to rogue, exterior sounds. Each time the rain picked up its pace, the bug pony scanned along the hive ceiling, half expecting to find water leaking through it. "Is everyling seriously downhive, already?"

Thorax curled his lip, but his sass was lost to the absent-minded drone. "Yeah, to be honest, we're probably the only ones who haven't shown up yet, Calor. I gave the convergence time shortly before realizing you were missing, so they've had plenty of time to get downhive. They're...actually being a lot more efficient about it this time than I thought they'd be. I was sure there'd be at least a dozen stragglers I'd have to round up."

"Well, I mean technically I'm a straggler, and you had to round me up," Calor pointed out with an exposed tongue.

"I don't think you count, you knew when the meeting was, and were just preparing for it," Thorax countered, playfully pointing a hoof in the drone's face. "Even if your priorities were questionable."

Challenging Thorax's hoof by lightly head-butting it away, Calor's pace picked up as his legs bounced with that much more liveliness. He held the taller changeling captive with nothing but his eyes, now lit with contagious energy. "Well, Your Highness, the hive has at least forty-five nymphs between the ages of six months and three years, right now. That's half a hundred potential headaches that won't be getting placated by gorm berries tonight~ But I mean, priorities, of course, I understand."

Thorax's widened eyes lapsed to a sly, scrutinizing look, and he watched the drone bounce around with knowing amusement. "Oh, you're gonna play this game now, huh? Well, I seem to recall someling telling me how much he'd enjoy helping me run hive social activities, looking forward. If you ask me, helping the other adults look after nymphs during communal meetings with nothing but your own hooves sounds like great practice."

Caught entirely off guard, Calor's whimsical display came to an abrupt end. The changeling watched Thorax's smirk pass by him as heat rushed to his cheeks, but as he opened his mouth to respond, his ears perked upright, startled by yet another out of place sound. This time it came from within the cavern itself.

The chamber reverberated with the shrill cry of eagles, drawing Thorax's attention and triggering a yelp of surprise from the cerulean drone. Numbering eight total, they circled the chamber overhead, dodging and weaving through and around stalactites and hanging veils of ivy. Though Calor watched them with nymph-like fascination, a giggle from Thorax stole his attention.

"Alright, alright, you're all very impressive," the monarch projected with a laugh, raising a hoof and motioning it towards the floor. "Is everyling alright? No one got lost or hurt, did they?"

One by one, the formation of eagles rounded the chamber's far side before nosediving for the floor. In flawless succession they burst into open flames, leaving adult drones of varying color to make extravagant touch downs. In no time at all the room had filled with changelings, and the chittering that came with that.

"We're all fine, Papa Thorax," a vibrant green drone replied with audible snark, rolling his eyes as he trotted about the room, erratically flaring his wings from his carapace every so often and sending droplets of water spraying. "You know, asides from the fact that we're all soaked, now. It totally figures he was close enough for you to find, first."

"Hey, don't go thinking of blaming Calor, Cabeza, for all we knew he could have been in real danger," a bumblebee yellow changeling shot, pointing a hoof at the green drone while stretching out her own wings. "You should be thankful he's okay, that we're all okay. We're trained to deal with storms, it's no big deal."

"Did I say I blamed him for anything?", Cabeza retorted, trotting towards the room's exit and leering over his shoulder. "I'm just thankful that everyling is finally inside. Now maybe I can finally relax somewhere warm and go to sleep."

There was a murmur of agreement from among the crowd of newcomers, most of whom began to follow their teammate's lead. Branching from the group was the yellow changeling, accompanied by a blush drone whom Calor had never seen, before. They both smiled brightly to him, and to Thorax, who mirrored them.

"Sorry about that, King Thorax, some of us have been swept up in things all day, and are a little grumpy for it," the yellow changeling offered, catching Thorax's company in her peripheral. "We had a little bit of a scare finding Cloaca - she'd somehow made her way to the Forbidden Jungle's border by the time we found her - but all in all, everyling's fine. I'm glad you and Calor are okay, too."

Thorax beamed more brightly than he had all evening. "Thanks so much, Ceffla, I don't know what I'd do without you guys. Please, go on ahead, you guys have earned a rest. We'll be right behind you."

Giving a pleasant nod, Ceffla and her teammate trotted on their way, still flicking droplets of water from their quivering carapaces every so often. Left to stare after them, Calor and Thorax stood still a moment, listening to the group's faint conversations as they descended to the levels below.

"...there's something I don't get," Calor began, luring in the taller changeling's gaze. "Why is everyling so waterlogged if they've been in a different form? I know water really weighs down our wings, but since when do eagles the size of cattle have an issue? Feathers are water resistant, and not at all fragile."

Thorax adopted a knowing smile, guiding the changeling along as they descended a final corridor. The sounds of bustling activity grew steadily louder, the closer they drew to the massive nesting chamber, below.

"You didn't think I invented the 'hazardous to changeling wings' thing just so I could enforce curfews and get everyling to spend time together, did you?"

"Well, when you put it like that..."

Thorax shook his head, but smiled all the same. "Water doesn't disappear when we turn back to our normals forms," he elaborated. "Our transformation magic may resemble fire, but it's not hot, and it doesn't stop things from sticking to our bodies when we turn back. Water, paint, clumps of wet sand - there are a lot of tricky things we have to look out for when it comes to our wings."

"So then why can't we just stay transformed while it's raining?"

"We can, but the strain catches up with us. At some point we're so coated in water that it affects our speed and mobility, even in a different form. And then once we change back, forget it." Thorax tilted his head, prompting eye contact from the blue drone. "And I haven't even begun to talk about how heavy rain affects our sensitive eyes. There's special training just for being able to deal with bad storms, and even those changelings encounter issues, as you just heard. The Forbidden Jungle isn't just around the corner, you know."

"So it's better to avoid heavy rain altogether, alright, I get it," Calor surmised, conceding defeat and relishing in a long, slow breath. "Luckily for you, everyling is more than happy to be lazy and relax when ordered to, at least while they're comfortable."

"Well, I like to think of it as a firm recommendation," Thorax replied, his thought punctuated by the panning reveal of the nesting chamber. A rush of chatter and curious looks amidst a glistening sea of changelings waited for them, but it only fueled Thorax's smile. "Sure, I worry, and I'll do everything I can to retrieve you, but I'm not about to banish someling for not being here."

Calor smirked to himself, watching his alpha take to the air and begin to traverse his impressive collection of bug ponies. Now left to join the ranks of his hivemates, the blue changeling buzzed his wings and descended to the cave floor below.

"Banish? You'd have a nervous breakdown if someling so much as went on a trip abroad, 'Papa Thorax'."



Grandiose in every measurable aspect, the nesting chamber sprawled the entire length of the hive. Rooted below the surface, and entirely inaccessible from direct paths to the outside, it boasted not only size, but insulation. There was no place warmer or safer - an apt place to be indeed, on a night marked by relentless rain.

But as calm and snug as the hive's interior was, its occupants were another matter altogether.

"Um, everyling?"

Thorax paused, uncertainty etched across his face. The sight before him would cause him panic, if he hadn't become so used to it. Chitter and the sound of buzzing wings freely echoed around the walls, a pollution of noise that stifled even the loudest voice. Colorful bug ponies filled both the ground and air, entirely caught up in their own agendas. They buzzed around, visiting neighbors and playing with nymphs, or forming small groups and losing themselves amidst conversation.

Thorax sighed, lost in the face of the sheer chaos. Though he'd fallen into favor with most of the hive, there was no changing his voice, which lacked both power and projection.

No, those traits had gone elsewhere in his brood clutch.

But then again, maybe he didn't have to shout at all. Maybe there was more than one way to grab a changeling's attention.

Smirking to himself, the alpha changeling ignited his antlers with teal magic once again, harboring a stream of electricity between them like a pair of conduits. As the stream rose, so too did the charge, crackling more wildly with each passing second until it erupted in a flash.

Their big, curious eyes drawn like moths to a flame, bug ponies all around the chamber turned their attention to the extravagant display. Side conversations died and the hissing of wings came to an end as the entire changeling populace gazed in wonder, their leader surrounded in a dome of light. 

His smirk dawning to a grin, Thorax extinguished his spell just as changelings began to approach him. Rampant looks of disappointment quickly flooded the crowd, and from somewhere amidst the sea of blinking eyes, a lone bug pony's voice called out, weak and dejected.

"Lamp?"

"Thanks for coming, everyling," Thorax began, broadcasting his pleasant look around the room. Several adult drones hovered around his antlers, expectantly prodding them with their hooves, but the monarch tolerably ignored them. "I know I'm a bit late, but I just wanted to say how happy I am you all made your way here so quickly, and by yourselves, no less. Having scarcely any stragglers makes this so much less stressful for me and the searchers."

Hundreds of yards back from the front row, a green hoof raised amidst the crowd like a sprouting blade of grass, and Thorax gave a nod.

"Yes, whoever's raising their hoof?"

"Um, Thorax, I understand why we do this, but the rain hasn't stopped for a week, and some of us are getting really antsy about being around everyling else every night. Why can't we just sleep in our bed burrows like normal?"

Multitudes of heads turned like a wave to and from the questioner. Shortly thereafter, murmurs amongst the crowd picked up, and Thorax lifted his own hoof in efforts to regain focus.

"Great question! Let me first just say this, for those who maybe need a recap on the 'why'; these curfews have two purposes. The first one is to make sure everyling is inside the hive during the heavy rain, especially at night. It's for your safety, and it helps us stay warm and dry, something I'm sure everyling prefers."

Another stir of murmuring, as well as general nods of agreement.

"The second," Thorax continued, "is to, yes, encourage us to spend a little more time together. We've never really had occasion to build relationships with each other before. Still, by sharing love instead of taking it, our social capacity has evolved as much as our means of securing food. I hope that most, hopefully all of you will get to know your fellow changelings through these rain curfews, and that will spur you to make some friends!"

Thorax cast out a most wholesome smile, but his reception was mixed at best. Bug ponies began to look at each other, and while some mirrored his smile at the endearing premise, others challenged it by scrunching their faces in disgust.

"But I hate everyling else," came an echoed voice, "they're rude and don't even want to hold a conversation."

Yet another wave of hushed chattering, albeit from different sections of the room.

Not the least bit disheartened, Thorax's beaming smile only grew. "I know it must seem strange for a lot of you, the idea of sharing your feelings, even just talking about your own interests with other changelings. That's okay, though, because making friends is a journey, not a result. It doesn't have to happen right away, and I wouldn't expect it to. For now, just spending a little time together each night, out of the rain is more than enough. If you prefer to sleep alone after the initial curfew, that's fine with me. I won't make anyling do something they're not comfortable with."

Pockets of bickering began to fizzle out the longer Thorax's speech went on, and those same disinterested eyes grew just a bit warmer. But as the group settled down once more, another hoof, orange in color, raised from the front row.

"Okay, but if we do decide to keep doing this hive sleepover thing, I am not cuddling with anyling else," the tangerine changeling spoke up, crossing his hooves vehemently. "I don't care if I get energy and food more quickly from doing it, I'm not getting kicked in the head again. Some changelings jostle around too much in their sleep."

"Well excuse me, princess," a snide voice a few further rows back retorted, "shall I shape shift into a pillow for you, instead? Maybe if you didn't pass out by someling's hooves you wouldn't get your empty head kicked in."

As quickly as it had come, it vanished. Once more the nesting chamber reverberated with the frantic chittering of changelings, and Thorax found his hoof pressed to his temple, the roots of a headache starting to sprout. 

"Guys, guys come on, there's no reason to get upset over accidents," he reasoned, fluttering his wings and hovering in the air for emphasis. "You don't need to touch someling to feel the effects of love magic, but if all you feel is animosity for each other, you definitely won't feel anything."

His efforts were little more than a bee's buzz in a lion's den. The once uniform crowd began to disband and crumble, with changelings standing, hovering or flying from their spots in anger. They fueled the fires of discourse further by taunting their peers from the air, instigating, even baiting for retaliation.

Thorax bit his lip, his heart fluttering faster than his wings. Once again he was faced with an unruly crowd, but something told him his light trick wouldn't work on angry changelings quite as well as distracted ones.

"Guys, if we could just calm down for a moment, I actually had an announcement regarding tonight's curfew! I think it's something that you all will really like, so-"

"Everyone sit down and be quiet! Your leader has something to say!"

Tearing through the air like thunder, the command startled many a changeling. Torn from their bickering, spooked eyes peered to the front of the room, where Thorax mirrored the same shock. All heads turned to find a coal-colored drone hovering just beyond the front row, his lithe body riddled with holes, and his head crowned with a crimson, webbed crest.

Sharp, cold eyes glared through the audience, and like clockwork, changelings landed again among their peers before growing silent.

"...Pharynx?," Thorax breathed, lifting a hoof. His face contorted between surprise and concern, the bug monarch bit his lip once again in a display of stress. "I'm uh, surprised to see you here, Pharynx. I didn't think you were interested in any of this."

The dark drone pivoted his head, casting his brother an equally cold stare. "It's impossible to get any sleep with a mass of bugs causing an uproar, Thorax. I let it slide the first time when you somehow managed to stop it, but I'm out of patience, now."

Pharynx wheeled his attention around, and like repelled magnets, drones careened their bodies as far back as they would go.

Not a single changeling dared to meet his gaze, save his brother, who just couldn't seem to keep it.

"And just to confirm, no, I couldn't care less about your saccharine nonsense," Pharynx continued venomously, disregarding the crowd staring at his back as he began to ascend the chamber, flying for a branching passageway. With a shouldered glare he glanced back, at last settling on Thorax's eye. "But if it interferes with the sleep of changelings elsewhere in the hive, that's detrimental to our health and efficiency."

Visually distressed by the sudden leave, Thorax took a few frantic steps forward. "Pharynx, wait! I get that, and I'm sorry we woke you up, but that's just it, I'm trying to give everyling a space where they can learn how better to-"

"It's cute how you think I'm awake enough for long-winded explanations," Pharynx cut short, landing upon the slanted passageway and shrouding himself in its shade. "I'm going back to sleep, Thorax. Save a full-on invasion, I'd prefer to stay asleep this time, so do us all a favor and keep your charge in check. It is your job, now."

Pharynx vanished from view, leaving the chamber in a chilled silence quite suddenly, and leaving Thorax to give a weak sigh.

"-get along."

Growing more uncomfortable by the second, the entire room suffered in that awkward silence, which began to weigh on the air itself. Now the sole object of attention for hundreds of changelings, Thorax lightly shook his head, all but forcing himself to face the crowd again.

"...I'm sorry about that, everyling," he began, his focus, both in eye contact and composure, clearly distracted. "Not the greatest example of changelings getting along, I admit. As I was saying before, though, there's no point in getting upset over accidents. If something someling did or said upset you, it's better to let them know that, so you can work through it. Sometimes they won't want to talk, but it's important that you at least try. Do you think you guys can try that out, tonight?"

He registered the nodding of heads, but Thorax missed the looks of sympathy sprouting like weeds. His posture sullen, the alpha changeling fell back on his flank, facing his subjects with an absent expression. Despite the obvious attempts to grab his notice, it stayed ignorant of every face, instead opting to examine hooves and the periodic buzzing sets of wings.

But the crowd's persistence did not falter. They watched their king with a newfound investment, and a mass of wings began to buzz softly, seeking to move closer.

By the time Thorax noticed his subjects' movement, something far more startling seized his attention. A burst of heat elicited a shiver, and an all-too-familiar feeling rushed up his shell. When the king's head lifted on reflex, a conglomerate of bug ponies were waiting for him. Surrounding Thorax, they calmly sat themselves upon the floor, observing their alpha with a patient curiosity.

"Don't let Pharynx get to you, Thorax. If he doesn't want to hear you out or engage with the hive that's his problem."

"Yeah, he just doesn't understand how hard you try," a grape drone offered, gently placing a hoof on Thorax's shell. "It might not be easy, but I think what you're trying to do matters. Just look how much happier everyling is, now. I've only yelled at like, three other changelings today, four tops."

"Also, you're still going to talk about your announcement, right? I thought I heard you say you had one for us."

At a loss for words, Thorax found his mouth hanging open, his eyes now scanning one compassionate face after another. The generous heat in his chest had spread, filling him with a profound sense of calm, and an even greater pride. Soon enough it had spread to his face, and to the corners of his eyes, which blurred. 

With a quivering lip Thorax lowered his head once more, hiding the tear traveling down his cheek. The chamber fell silent in response, giving his weak sniffs room to breathe, but these tears he could taste, from how wide his grin had grown.

He really had to wonder just how much there was to teach them.

"R-Right, the announcement," he mumbled at last, taking a breath and making his way to his hooves. Though his eyes still shimmered with a film of water, not a single face showed him disdain for it, and Thorax found his mood climbing swiftly. "I know that during the first few curfews we've had, a lot of changelings were uncomfortable. As warm and protected as this part of the hive is, it's not particularly comfy."

Thorax's gaze shifted to an unassuming lavender drone in the front row, absently chatting with her neighbor. Upon noticing the abrupt silence outside her own voice, the changeling pivoted her head, shrinking in her spot once spotting Thorax's expectant stare.

"Oh, that's my cue!", the changeling hissed to herself, her wings vibrating fiercely. She made her way to a side chamber nearby, whilst Thorax turned his focus back to the audience.

"I really do appreciate everyling's patience with me, with these curfews, and with this rain," he went on, allowing himself to sit back down amongst his welcoming nest of bug ponies. "I wanted to reward that, and to improve the hive's comfort, as well. And so, I talked with Princess Twilight, and she said she'd be happy to put together a donation drive of pillows to give our hive, as a gesture of good will."

A round of shocked gasps infected many a drone, while a few even let out excited chirping sounds. Making the connection, their attention beelined for the chamber passageway their hivemate had gone through, eagerly awaiting her reemergence.

"Now, don't get too excited yet," Thorax chuckled, noting the pounce-ready postures of those changelings nearest the passage. "I only yesterday talked with the princess about this, so we don't have any pillows, yet. That said, I do have something we can try using in the meantime."

A brilliant purple aura entered the chamber, carrying in its glow dozens of deep green leaflets. Each one thrice the size of any adult drone, they gently unfolded in the air, stacking neatly upon each other by Thorax's side. The changelings followed their every movement with rapt attention, second only to Thorax's light show.

"We should have pillows for everyling in a few weeks, with any luck. Until then, I asked Prosoma if she wouldn't mind helping me pick some leaves we could use as bedding."

To demonstrate his point, Thorax's teal aura grasped the topmost leaflet. Rolling it up, he tied a few thickened grass blades around it, before allowing it to rest upon the floor.

"For those who haven't seen these before, they're called coccoloba leaves." Thorax relished in the changelings' nymph-like fascination. He allowed the rolled up leaflet to roll into the open floor, where curious bug ponies immediately began to bat at it. "They come from trees on the edge of our territory. Not only are they massive, they're extremely durable. You can lay on them, or roll them up and use them as pillows. Prosoma is a floral expert, so I referenced her knowledge quite a bit."

Trotting up to her alpha's side, the lavender drone addressed the group with a wave. She cast Thorax a friendly smile, and a dismissive wave of her hoof, before clearing her throat.

"He's so modest. Coccoloba leaves will stay green and sturdy for almost a week after they get pulled from the tree, and I made sure to pull them from weaker branches so the tree will stay healthy. Just don't roughhouse on them, everyling, because they can tear under enough force."

"The leaflets will make things a little more comfortable for us, while also encouraging us to spend a little more time together," Thorax added on, levitating the leaflets and setting them by the initial rolled one. "After all, only three to four adults will fit per leaflet, or three and two nymphs. Each group can have two leaflets, one for bedding and one for a pillow. Come up and grab some, everyling, and maybe use this time to get to know each other before you head to bed."

Eagerly swarming the stack of leaflets, the changelings exhausted the supply in no time at all. Fluttering bug ponies retrieved and carried them away to all corners of the chamber, and as they flew, the titanic foliage drooped over like a curtain, creating the illusion of leaves traveling along a breeze. The nesting chamber soon filled with an abundance of active, yet tame chatter, as groups established and began to settle on their all-natural bed sets.

Watching them with a paternal vigilance, not a single drone was lost to Thorax's attention. Each time a changeling appeared to be lost, so much as stood alone without a group with which to belong, Thorax was there. Like a shepherd guiding his flock, he helped each drone find a group, planting seeds for conversation as he did so.

When all stragglers had been accounted for at last, and all groups around the chamber visibly settled in, the bug monarch returned to the front of the room. The resting nest of bug ponies he had left behind had since grown, with one face in particular prompting his smirk.

"Calor, didn't I leave you with Prosoma's group?"

"Yeah, you did," Calor replied in a carefree tone, watching the large changeling touch down between them all. "But I'd rather be up here. It's stuffy over near the chamber edges, and, well, Prosoma hangs out with a lot of weird changelings."

His remark triggered chitters amongst the group, but Thorax's smirk twisted to a look of concern. "Calor, that's not very nice. And did you even let them know where you went?"

"Well, no, not exactly," the cerulean bug pony replied in a hush, shrunken against the floor under the pressure of his hivemates' sudden stares, and his king's flattened mouth.

"I really think you should have at least let them know where you went. You were sharing the same leaflet, after all, they're probably going to worry and come looking for you."

Little more than a brightly colored paperweight, Calor glanced away, his face partially hidden away amidst his hooves in light of his scolding.

"Don't worry, 'Papa Thorax'," a pink changeling offered, making no attempt to hide her mischievous grin. "Everyling knows that Calor would rather be around you than anyling else, I'm sure Prosoma and the others know exactly where he went and why."

"Xenica!", Calor hissed, the rose in his cheeks nearing a blood orange tint. He sharply prodded her in the side, but it yielded nothing but an exposed tongue.

"Calor, I'm flattered, really," Thorax began, catching his blue drone's attention with a far friendlier look. "But I can't be your only friend, you know. There's so much opportunity here for you to get to know other changelings, by branching out. Promise me it's something you'll at least consider, okay?"

Calor let off a groan, sinking ever further into the floor as giggles mocked him from his sides. "Yeah, sure thing, Thorax."

Thorax gave a satisfied nod. He turned his attention to the open room, drawn by the ongoing, pleasant side conversations all around him. They had grown increasingly warm, and Thorax found himself gently pulled to and fro between each collection of voices, the sounds of laughter and engaged discussion stirring him.

"So, I know these leaves work as pillows and bedding, but what if I want a blanket?"

Thorax blinked, his mind processing the question before his body could react to it. His attention having returned, he found a red drone to Calor's right watching him expectantly.

"Well, they're a bit too rigid to be blankets, I think," the bug monarch replied, laying down against the leaflet. There, surrounded by other relaxing changelings, he could be no more content. "Remember, when we're close to each other, shared love fills us with energy, which feels like warmth. I bet if you just try sleeping next to someling else, you'll be plenty warm, Cercus."

A few heads shifted, and a few more shot the alpha unimpressed looks.

"So...what you're saying is if I wanna be warm I have to cuddle with someling," Cercus remarked flatly.

Thorax sighed.

"You guys, I've been over this, already," he said, patience waning in his tone. "You don't need to touch someling to receive every benefit of sharing love magic. Sure, I might be a bad example—I give out hugs to nymphs and drones who appreciate them. But you can feel love magic from several yards away."

"It's not just about warmth or whatever, though," the red drone countered, rolling to one side as to face Thorax more directly. The other changelings watched them passively, and a few even yawned, the night's depth creeping upon them. "I got to use blankets while on undercover missions in recon, and they're just so nice to hold while you sleep. I want something soft I can have just for me."

Thorax couldn't help but beam. "Why don't you guys take turns turning into blankets for one another, then? Oh! You could even turn into big plushie versions of yourselves! Wouldn't that be fun?"

Another round of vexed expressions challenged his grin.

"...you're just describing cuddling with extra steps, Thorax."

Rolling onto his back, Thorax threw his hooves up over his head in exasperation. Changelings peered down at him with amusement out of every corner of his peripheral, and he met their gazes one by one. "There's nothing wrong with being touchy feely, you guys. I understand it's not for everyling but don't let that keep you from trying it. I think it's completely natural for creatures that consume love, to express it, and it can really help you build connections with others."

Beckoned by their alpha's leisurely posture, and perfectly demonstrating his point, several of the encircling drones shifted themselves, laying beneath Thorax's hooves like fitting puzzle pieces. Once nestled, they closed their eyes and laid their chins upon the soft leaflet, inhaling deeply before letting go.

"Maybe I can look into getting us blankets, too, Cercus," Thorax concluded, acknowledging his new company with a few head pats, and instinctively wrapping his gossamer tail around the body of a drone near his flank. "Just don't expect anything right away, okay? I don't want to take advantage of the princess's generosity."

"Well, I guess I'll just wait until we get blankets donated to us, then," the red drone dismissed, kneading his small corner of leaflet before settling, himself. "Even if it means more leaflet, I'm not much of a cuddlebug. Only thing I want to hug is a blanket. Blankets don't have needs and they don't complain if you squeeze too hard."

Though perhaps unknown at the time, it would be the very last thing spoken among the group. The night had taken its toll, and now every shelled body had finally succumb. As once perky conversations retired to the occasional lone voice, the soothing white noise of rain outside became audible once more.

Sandwiched between three drones, Thorax carefully found his way to his stomach, avoidant of jostling his company too much. Once there, he laid his chin upon that leaf and closed his eyes, allowing the soft breathing of his subjects to lull him towards sleep's embrace. As his consciousness began to fade, he could only let out a sigh, a profound expression of relaxation.

He loved all the changelings, but those who also enjoyed being close held special meaning to him.



Its firefly lanterns dimmed from the night before, the nesting chamber sat as an inky oasis of warmth and quiet. Scattered all about this expanse of low light were the silhouettes of changelings, comfortably curled up around each other on the dozens of coccoloba leaves littering the chamber floor. The faint sound of light rain continued to soothe the otherwise silent space, twitching the occasional ear from outside.

A set of magenta eyes opened, and Thorax lifted his head, allowing his thoughts to clear, and his memory to return to him. Nestled quite tightly around him was his nest of bug ponies, some compact like sleeping cats, while others haphazardly sprawled about, their limbs shooting every which way.

Entranced by their slow breaths and occasional leg spasms, Thorax beamed. He slowly sat himself upright to avoid waking them, and from his raised vantage point, the alpha changeling surveyed what little there was to see. Like an undisturbed crypt, the rest of the room was as still as his company, with not a voice to be heard. No eyes shone through the dark, nor did moving shadows catch his eye. He, and he alone was awake to witness the entire hive resting together.

Thorax let out a shallow yawn. He'd be ecstatic, if he weren't so groggy.

His attention returned to the warmed leaflet beneath his body, and the encircling group of drones. Like a siren's call they beckoned to him, urging him to lay back down and relax, to renter his latest dreams. He hadn't the faintest clue what time of day it was, but part of him wished to keep it that way. He rarely managed to get the changelings to spend time together, and he wanted to make it last.

With sequences of his brother yelling at him running through his mind, Thorax gave in to his laziness, resting his head between two adjacent changelings. Surely Pharynx would have been there to give them a rude awakening if it was late in the afternoon, anyway. What could another hour or two hurt?

The subtle sound of movement tinged his ear, and Thorax felt his heart do a summersault. His body gave a violent twitch in synch, and he was jolted from his slurred thoughts. Deep blue eyes decorated a silhouette off to his left, eyes that watched him keenly. 

Recognizing them at once, Thorax let out a long sigh. "I hope I didn't wake you up, Calor," he whispered.

His big blue orbs blinking, Calor's silhouette shook its' head. "No, I was already awake. I just came back, actually, I had to pee."

Stifling a chuckle, Thorax laid back down, seeking that luxurious state he'd lost. Taking advantage of a hole left by Thorax's side, the cerulean bug pony joined him, gently flicking away pebbles from the leaflet's surface before getting comfortable, as well. Together the changelings looked over the still forms of their sleeping peers.

"Thorax?"

"Hmm?"

"I wanted to say something earlier, but didn't want to around everyling else." Calor looked to him, his eyes melancholic. "I'm just, I'm really sorry your brother doesn't support what you're trying to do."

Thorax turned at the startling change in topic, pausing for a time. When his stare was noticed, he reflexed a smile, invisible as it was. "Oh...well, that's okay. It's not that Pharynx doesn't support me, he's just not on board with our transformation, or the connotations of peace that it brings. He'll warm up to it eventually...I hope."

"You just looked so sad when he left, I felt bad," Calor commented, empathy coating his tone. "You really want to have a better relationship with him, don't you?"

Even in the dark, Thorax's sullen composure was obvious, like a deflation of pressure in the air. His gaze fell to the floor, and he crossed his front hooves as to lay his head upon them.

"If and when Pharynx wants to talk, I'll be here," the bug monarch remarked. "I always have been, and I always will be."

For a time, silence sat between the two. Having found his most comfortable position, Calor stretched himself against the waxy leaflet, pressing against Thorax's sturdy form before letting his muscles relax. He turned his ear to the air and drew breath, the pitter patter of distant rain weighing on his eyes.

From out of the dark, a firm hoof arched across the drone's shell, and he was pulled closer, held secure to Thorax's carapace.

"Don't feel bad, though," Thorax picked up, his voice just behind Calor's ear. "I may not have Pharynx to talk to, but I do have all of you guys. A few weeks ago I couldn't have imagined myself ever finding a friend in our hive, and now here we are, experiencing the magic of love and friendship, together. I feel really blessed, for that."

His face matching his unwound state, Calor laid against the tall changeling's side and surrendered himself. "It turns out I was wrong," he mused, "I guess your big hive sleepover idea was a hit, after all. Maybe getting scolded by your brother in front of everyling was all it needed, Thorax."

Chuckling, Thorax rested his chin upon the cerulean drone's head. His attention drew to the field of resting bodies, now sprinkled with the occasional rising head, and pair of sleepy, colorful eyes. Though no sunlight penetrated to these depths, Thorax could tell that the dawn had come at last.