//------------------------------//
// Tough Love 
// Story: The Heart of The Queen 
// by Pumpernickel Rye 
//------------------------------//


Tough Love


“What you just heard me read was something I poured my heart and soul into,” boasted Nymph as she set down the latest chapter of her masterpiece. It was hard for her to believe, but she could see the end in sight for her story. Part of her felt sad that this project of passion would soon be over as she, Rarity, and Cadance bonded over it, but she mostly felt ecstatic at the thought of showing the world a truly wondrous tale of romance that would stand the test of time. “I am surprised myself by how great it turned out. It captures drama, romance, danger, fear, and humor all in one chapter. I expect nothing but praise, so let’s hear it!” She turned her eyes to the mirror and crystal ball, but then she saw how Cadance and Rarity were looking at her, causing her to scowl. “What could possibly be wrong with it!?”

“It’s...hard to say. ”Cadance looked away, rubbing one hoof across her notably larger midsection while lying on her bed in the Crystal Empire. “I guess the chapter is a little...on the nose.”

“Beg pardon?”

“Nymph, darling, we love you,” Rarity said reassuringly yet cautiously while sketching another dress design in her boutique, “so you must trust us when we say you need to make some changes.” 

“Changes?” Nymph looked closely into the mirror. “What kind of changes, Rarity?” she questioned with bitter suspicion.

“Several, but there’s one in particular that you have to do something about.” Rarity looked at Cadance in the crystal ball and they seemed to have thought the same thing as the princess gave her a nod. “This new antagonist you wrote needs to go.”

Such critique caused Nymph to gasp in offense. “What’s wrong with her? I nailed her character perfectly and I think she’s the perfect addition to this story!”

“Nymph,” Cadance huffed as she tried to keep her calm, “her name is Madagio. As in Adagio. You wrote her into your story and it is extremely distracting.”

The queen harrumphed and turned the other way. “I’m merely taking influence from the world around me. That’s not a crime.”

“Influence is not the word I would use,” countered Rarity, still scribbling what must of been her fifth dress design since Nymph called her. “Not only did you use her name, but she acts almost entirely like her. I knew who she was the second you told us her name and it was difficult to sit through you reading the rest.”

“Well that’s because you know her,” Nymph argued. “My readers won’t.”

“They will if she becomes a famous singer. May I ask why the sudden need to shove her into the story all of a sudden? I thought Baron Beetleton was already perfect for the story and balancing two big villains might be too much for you to handle,” the unicorn warned.

“That’s what makes her so great! Everypony loves a surprise villain!” Nymph jumped onto her hooves and paced in front of the dresser with stars in her eyes. “Our readers will be caught off guard when they discover that all these nefarious deeds were carried out by the cunning, evil, rebellious, rude, arrogant, thick skulled, ungrateful-”

“And she was written by the projecting Changeling Queen” Cadance interrupted, taking the wind out of Nymph’s sails. “You’re upset with her about something and you’re getting back at her through your book.”

“No! Just you wait! I will have something big planned that will have you see things my way.”

“Nymph…”

“Just give me a few chapters until-”

“NYMPH!” Both Nymph and Rarity were heavily startled by Cadance’s yell with the queen nearly missing the stool when she sat down and the seamstress making a large error in her sketch from dragging the quill too far. “You had a great story going and this is going to ruin it. Do you want a romance novel or will you let your art suffer just to make a petty insult?” Nymph lowered her head as well as her ears. “Well?”

Reluctantly, Nymph picked out the chapter she spent the previous night working so hard on. She looked at her two friends, both waiting for her to get on with it, and closed her eyes. The chapter erupted into flame and what was a world brought to life through words was nothing more than soot. “You’re right. I was getting my emotions getting the better of me. I just need to clear my head and try again.” After letting out a deep sigh,, she smiled at the two mares. “I’m so glad to have you both to keep me from straying from art.”

Rarity had just finished fixing the mistake she made and set it aside to focus on the conversation. “Clearly Adagio must be really bothering you for you to suddenly put her into your story. It’s not like you to hold a grudge or anything of the sort.”

“Is Adagio really that bad?” asked Cadance. “I heard a bit about her from Twilight but I always thought she might have been exaggerating a bit.”

“She is a dreadful beast, Cadance. She loves nothing more than to make innocents suffer.” Nymph stared directly at her and said, “She’s far nastier than what Chrysalis used to be like. Chrysalis did wrong to help her people while Adagio only wishes to serve herself.” The alicorn’s eyes slowly widened and she instinctively kept both hooves over her stomach.

“Sonata is a delight however,” Rarity added in an attempt to ease Cadance’s worry. “I think time away from Adagio is doing her a lot of good and she’s showing this wonderful side of hers. As for Aria, I can’t really say where she falls.”

“I’d say Aria is coming around, but she can still can be quite troublesome.” Nymph eyed the clock on the dresser and realized that a lot more time had passed than she had realized. “Thank you for your help but I really must be going. I need to go meet with Thorax and afterward, I’ll try whip something up tonight for your reading pleasure.” She leaned closer to them with a sultry smirk. “I’ll try to add something spicy to make tomorrow night a bit more fun for you two. Espeically you, Rarity. You need to unwind or the stress will get to you.”

Rarity’s blush was easily visible in her white coat and she brought her hoof up to fan herself. “I-I-I-I look forward to it, but I really must focus on my orders today! Talk to you later!” Rarity’s image vanished from the mirror.

“I’m going to go out into the city with Shining Armor.” Cadance struggled a little to roll over and stand up. “I know they say to keep off my hooves, but I am not sitting around for the next few months. Besides, I need to make sure Shiny doesn’t get too emotional when shopping for baby toys. Sometimes he gets so happy when he thinks about how he’s going to be a father that he cries.”

“If your brave knights act like that, I can only imagine how you’re feeling about your little pony growing inside you,” said Nymph as she stared at Cadance's baby bump with a mix of joy and envy. “To be honest, I already feel like the mother of three spoiled, rowdy children.” Cadance loudly giggled in response while Nymph thought about how Adagio kept teasing that she would do what Nymph wanted although it was clear she had no intention of doing so. “Before you go, could I ask you something?”

“Of course.” Cadance walked up the dresser to put on her crown. “What is it?”

“I would like some advice as to what to do with Adagio. I can’t get her to listen to me no matter what I do. I could show her all the kindness in the world but she would still be rotten to the core. I won’t lie when I say I think about throttling her from time to time, but Celestia would certainly not approve. If I don’t get her to shape up soon, I’m afraid we’ll have no choice but to return her to her prison.”

Nodding, Princess Cadance took a moment to think it over. “Well maybe it’s time you show her tough love.”

“Tough love?” Nymph blinked in surprise. “That doesn’t really sound like your style.”

“Love can come in many forms and it may not always be pleasant. A child that is given unconditional love and allowed to act however they please can become a problematic foal. Twilight told me about Adagio’s upbringing and you can see how that turned out. Think about how Rarity and I told you how we felt about that chapter you wrote. We weren’t trying to be mean. We just wanted to help you.”

“I never thought about it that way. What do you propose I do?”

“You need to be harsh on Adagio. Show her that there are consequences to her actions and that she lives under your and Celestia’s rules. If she does something wrong, give her a fitting punishment to discourage her from doing anymore. Maybe enact restrictions if she keeps up this behavior. However, I must warn you that the absolute most important rule about this is that you do this because you care about her and want her to do better, not out of spite. And sometimes people can take harshness the wrong way and it can make things worse, so be sure to communicate with her carefully. Do you understand?”

“Absolutely,” Nymph answered with a smile and a nod. “Thank you, Cadance. I think this is exactly what I needed.”

“I’m glad I could help. Can’t wait to see what you will write this time.”

“And I hope you have fun with Glist...I mean Shining Armor.”	

“Bye.” The crystal ball powered down and Nymph sat alone in her room.

“Tough love, huh? If this doesn’t work, then I hope Adagio misses being a human.” Nymph shook her head. “I need to stay focused on spending time with Thorax. His future depends on me and I must not fail him! I need to relax and deal with Adagio when I’m in the right mood like Cadance said.” 

After putting on a bit of makeup, Queen Nymph went to go visit her favorite subject. She greeted any staff she came across as usual until she reached Thorax’s room. Strangely, the door was ajar and she could hear him talking. Did he have company? There was one likely answer as to who was with him and it filled her with worry. Peeking inside through the large crack, her fears were confirmed when she saw the three sirens with him.

“After that, my brother was awarded this stone by Queen Nymph herself for his brave efforts! It’s said it’s filled with some ancient latent powers!” Thorax patted his hoof on the hideous stone that was nestled in its wooden box. Why he had not thrown that out yet Nymph couldn’t figure out, but it appeared he found some use for it. “Before I left for Equestria, Pharynx gave this to me in hopes it would keep me safe and act as a reminder of him. Pretty cool, right?” He grinned, but then gulped as the Dazzlings looked from the stone to him. “R-right?”

“It’s a rock,” Aria said boredly.

“I-it only looks like a rock! But like I said, it-”

“I’m not the smartest siren, but I’m not that dumb.” Sonata pointed her hoof at the stone. “That’s just a normal rock.”

“No! It...it…” Adagio put her hoof on his back and slowly shook her head. “I got ripped off. A diamond dog told me it was a fragment of an ancient changeling queen’s throne and that it had special powers. It turned out to be a load of manure that I sunk a ton of money into.” As he hung his head in defeat, Aria and Sonata gathered around to comfort him to the best of their ability.

Nymph decided that now would be a good moment to step in as she could easily brighten his day, so she opened the door and walked in with a big smile on her face. “Hello, Thorax! What are you up to with these girls? Is your charm rubbing off on them?” 

“No!” He quickly closed the box and stepped in front of it. “We were just talking! Talking about...chairs!””

“We were bored,” said Aria, slowing turning to Nymph to show exactly how she felt about the queen’s appearance. “Not much to do other than rehearse.”

“I hope ponies invent television soon,” Adagio complained. “This world may be our home, but it simply lacks good entertainment.”

“There’s plenty of things to do in Canterlot. You just need to go out in find it.” Nymph walked over to Thorax’s side. “For example, Thorax and I will go out for the day to help him prepare for the Grand Galloping Gala. Maybe you girls should think about getting ready soon if you plan on going, but only if you plan on behaving.”

“You’re going on a date with the queen?” Sonata asked with utmost joy. “Wow, Thorax! And to think we almost got married!”

Nymph loudly chuckled. “It’s not a date, Sonata. We’re just I’M SORRY WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY!?”

Thorax grabbed Nymph by the hoof and flew out the open window. “Gotta go, girls!” He took his queen out to Canterlot city and they landed in the middle of the street, where many ponies were surprised by the sudden appearance of the changeling monarch. “Okay! What do we do first? There’s probably a whole lot of things we need to do, right?” He tried to act like nothing happened, but Nymph’s questioning stare quickly wore him down. “It was all a big misunderstanding on her part! I swear!”

This barely answered any of the numerous questions Nymph had, but perhaps it would better to just drop the matter entirely. “I’ll just have to take your word for it.” Realizing that were just standing in the middle of the street with so many eyes watching them, Nymph went ahead first with Thorax catching up. She always did enjoy the sound of hooves trotting on stone and the voices of many around her. The city always felt much more alive than anything going on in the castle both here and in Bugartha. Unlike her home city, Canterlot came with the additional benefits of the gentle sunshine filling the world around her with light and color and the soothing breeze brushing against her face. “Thorax, I’ve thought a lot about what you said the other night about how we may not have much reason to see each other in the future.”

Thorax hastened his pace to get a look at Nymph’s face. “You have?”

“Of course. The good news is that I’ve come up with the perfect solution. We just need to make you an upper class citizen!” Nymph motioned her hoof across their surroundings to show Thorax just exactly what kind of life she had planned for him. “Don’t get too excited yet. Know that this will be no easy feat. It’s a daily struggle to live up to high society’s standards and to always keep a pleasant image, but I plan on preparing you the best I can! You get to live comfortably in Bugartha and we’ll be able to see each other whenever we want to!”

“I like that idea!” Thorax’s wings buzzed fast enough to lift him off the ground. “So what do I have to do?”

“There will be many, many things for you to learn, but we will start with the basics today. Preparing you for the Gala will be a great stepping stone and might be an opportunity for you to make connections. Are you prepared?”

“Yes!”

“Good. I wasn’t planning on taking no as an answer anyway. To start, we must find you the perfect suit. I will paying out of my own pocket, so let’s not spare any expense. It isn’t merely just nice to look nice, but it will tell everypony who you are. You don’t want to make a poor impression on others from a simple glance.” Knowing Canterlot like the back of her hoof, Nymph took him to a store called Under the Sun Fashion. It didn’t exactly carry the style and flare of Rarity’s boutique, but she didn’t want to add one more order to her friend’s growing pile.

Upon entering the store, the blue unicorn mare with a short, curly red mane who owned the store approached them. “Queen Nymph!” She bowed her head. “I am honored to have you come shop here again. Have you come looking for a dress?”

“Not quite. My friend here needs a suit for the Grand Galloping Gala.” From under her cloak, Nymph pulled out a large bag of bits and shook it. “Only the best will do.”

After getting a good look at the queen’s offering, the pony said, “I believe I have exactly what you’re looking for.” She led them to the back of the store where the racks carrying the most expensive outfits were kept. On their way, Nymph looked around the store to see whatever was for sale. Shelves filled with horseshoes, shoes, sunglasses and hats, were all prepared for the coming summer season. Towards the front of the store were several tables covered in a variety of accessories such as earrings. The store’s them of light orange and yellow for the walls and floor did go well with the store’s name would probably pick up much more business soon. “These are the highest quality suits we carry. Please take a look and let me know if I can be of assistance.”

“Thank you.” They entered the stallion’s section and Nymph began shuffling through suits, using her expertise to closely examine each one she saw. “Come on, Thorax. Start looking. This will be the start to a brand new you!”

“On it!” Excitement overtook him and he began browsing. “What are you going to wear, Nymph?”

“For such an important event, I will design my own dress. I think something crafted by my own hoof will hold great significance during this historic event,” she flaunted proudly. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

“I can’t wait to see it.” Thorax searched some more before pulling something out. “How’s this?”

Nymph turned her head to see him holding a black tuxedo. “No, nothing like that. Remember, we want the best.”

“Got it!” 

As Thorax resumed his search, Nymph walked by another section of the store. She wondered if simply a collar and tie would do for her friend. That’s what most stallions wore during formal events, so maybe a simple style would suffice. “Now let’s see. White collar. Red bow tie? Blue? Maybe black? Black for his chitin or blue for his eyes? Decisions, decisions.”

“Nymph! Nymph! I found it! I found the perfect suit for me!” The queen quickly turned around to see what he had chosen. Thorax pulled out a dark green suit that turned light green on the sleeves. The suit’s torso even sparkled from the light of the building. To go with his choice, Thorax also grabbed a large orange top hat to put on his head. “Now this is what I call fancy! I’ll definitely stand out with this!”

Nymph dropped everything she was holding, fighting back her scream of horror that was begging to erupt from her throat. “As a laughing stock! Put those away this instant!” Thorax, surprised by her outburst, quickly returned the items. “Thorax, when you wear a suit to such an important event, you can only wear black or white. Not green and most certainly not green of that color.” 

“Why not? I want to wear something really stylish. You and the girls get to wear pretty dresses, so why can’t I wear something just as nice?”

“That’s just the way things are. The Gala is extremely important, so please take this seriously. We can’t have you look so ridiculous for something so important to the ponies. They may even take it as an insult.” Nymph held out two suits. “So which will it be? Black or white?”	

Thorax looked between his two choices. “That’s all I can wear?” Nymph nodded her head. “White?” 

“I think so too. Black on black is a little much.” She returned the other suit and carefully examined the one she still had. “Now we just need the right one.”

“Are you sure those are my only choices?” He once more held the green suit. “I think I could pull this look off.”

Nymph set everything down with a frustrated huff as she eyed the insult to fashion in her friend’s hoof. “This is not like Pinkie’s parties. This is a formal event to celebrate the founding of this wonderful city. I will not allow you to make a fool of yourself. You have never been to a party like this before and it is up to me to prepare you. That hideous suit is not acceptable and that is final. Am I understood?” 

“Yes, Nymph…” Thorax slowly put back the suit on the clothes rack. 

“Good. Now I have a few choices for you to look through. ” Nymph magically held out twenty suits, causing Thorax to stumble back. “Be sure to inspect each and every one of them closely! It’s important you develop a keen eye for quality!”

Thorax could barely keep track of everything that was all of a sudden presented to him. “Uh...I think you would have a better eye since you know so much about the Gala and fashion, so maybe pick the right one and show me what makes it so great?”

“A wonderful idea! Just sit back and I’ll be finished before you know it!” Nymph went through each suit individually, inspecting even the tiniest details such as the stitching and the buttons, and Thorax went back to the suit he grew fond of, sighing to himself in defeat.



It took nearly an hour before Nymph made her final decision and woke up Thorax, who she found sleeping on a chair by the dressing rooms, so that he could try it on. Satisfied, Nymph made her purchase and since they had been out for so long, she thought that getting lunch would be another way to help mentor her friend. Thorax insisted on taking her to some fast food place that he was fond of, but Nymph put her hoof down and took him somewhere of better quality. They arrived at one of the many higher class restaurants and the queen had chosen to sit outside to enjoy the beautiful day that the pegasi had granted Canterlot. The two changelings were seated at a small table covered in a clean white cloth in the middle of many others and Nymph’s presence already caused many heads to turn. It took a moment for Nymph to get comfortable as the chairs were always too small for her and then browsed the menu for something to satisfy her appetite.

Once they had given to their orders to the waiter, a changeling who gave Thorax a strange look that neither of them had noticed, they were given their tea and hot bread to hold them over before the main course. “I don’t think I will ever tire of Canterlot’s restaurants,” said Nymph as she prepared her bread and tea. “There’s so many kinds of dishes that I have yet to try in Equestria.”

“I like this stuff too, but are you sure you didn’t want to try the pretzel place? I went there with Aria once and it was really good. Trust me when I say you would love it!”

Nymph set her teacup down with a loud clank. “Thorax, why in the world would I go somewhere like that when I can just come somewhere as nice as here? You shouldn’t ruin yourself with such fattening food.” She pointed at the little crown sitting on her head. “I deserve nothing but the best.”

Thorax took a look at everything the other customers were eating. “So you only eat stuff like this?” Nymph nodded proudly. “What about hayburgers or tacos or pizza?”

The last food he mentioned caused a sudden change in Nymph. Her vision slowly turned into a blur and she was becoming deaf to the world around her. She had not noticed either of these things as a powerful desire made itself known, causing her to salivate. Her mind did everything it could to resist the temptation as she remembered the havoc it wrought.

Delicious, cheesy havoc. 

The feeling of saliva dripping down one of her fangs broke Nymph from her trance and she quickly wiped her mouth off with her napkin. “Those are not exactly healthy, Thorax. I hope you don’t usually stuff your face with junk such as those. You must maintain a proper diet or you will pay for it later in life. If I were you, I would start thinking about eating healthier before it’s too late.” Sitting up, she pulled her cloak apart and hung it over the chair to show off her slim frame. “I didn’t get this from eating junk food.” As she predicted, Thorax’s eyes were glued to her marvelous figure and she slowly ran a hoof across herself. “Enjoying the view?”

Thorax gasped and quickly looked in another direction with his cheek turning as green as grass. “That’s a trick question, right?”

Chuckling, Nymph replied, “I suppose it is.” She took a sip of her tea and watched Thorax as he prepared his own drink. When he went to stir the tea, Nymph gasped, created a magic flyswatter, and smacked his hoof. “Thorax, what the name of Equestria are you doing!?”

“I-I didn’t do anything!” he hastily replied while tending to his hurt hoof. “And you didn’t have to hit me!”

“You are using a soup spoon to stir your tea!” Nymph took a quick look around them and she was relieved to see nopony else was watching him. “It’s not proper etiquette to use the incorrect spoon.” She levitated the teaspoon in front of him. “This is a teaspoon. Use it only for your tea.”

Thorax looked at it and then to the soup spoon he was holding. “I didn’t know there was such a big difference,” he said as he took it.

“It’s important to know these differences when among those in high society, Thorax. Anypony can quickly catch mistakes like the one you just made and it can leave them with a poor impression of you. Let me give you a brief lesson.” Nymph produced a magical image of a spoon. “This is a dessert spoon. Study it very carefully. See how it differs from the previous two?”

Thorax’s eyes bounced around the three spoons in front of him before giving her a grin. “Uh huh!”

“Good.” Nymph’s image kept changing as she spoke. “Now these are a salad fork, a serving fork, a cake fork, a sugar spoon, a dinner knife and a steak knife.” 

“Do I really need to know all that?”

“Most certainly.” The glow of her horn died down. “This will take time to learn, so don’t fret over it right now. You will only require to know a small amount for the Gala.”

The waiter returned with their food and Nymph could feel her stomach rumble. Perhaps her need for nourishment was affecting her, but she swore the waiter was giving Thorax unfriendly looks as he served him his lunch. Without being completely certain, Nymph chose to ignore it and instead magically snapped off the claw of the lobster she ordered. A shiver of pleasure washed over as she feasted upon its delicious insides coated in butter. 

While she kept eating, she took a moment to study Thorax and was quite pleased with him. His posture was good, his napkin was in his lap, he held his utensils properly, and he even made sure to take small bites. Clearly his time with her was proving to be a good influence and soon he would make a name for himself in the high society of changelings. Nymph quickly moved her eyes away when Thorax looked up at her. “I wish I could just magically lift up my food like you can.”	

Nymph lightly giggled. “Magic is not simply for convenience such as this, Thorax. It is an important part of me. Besides, levitating objects is very basic compared to what I am fully capable of.”

Hearing this made Thorax stare at Nymph’s horn as it glowed with magic. “What other kind of magic you can do?”

“Not as much as some unicorns can and most certainly nowhere near as much as Twilight, but I am still capable of plenty of spells. You may find this hard to believe, but most of the magic that I was taught was for combat. Being royalty, I must be able to protect myself from any threat to ensure the survival of myself and the kingdom. Celestia herself was kind enough to provide me some training when we were expecting Chrysalis’s return.”

Thorax moved closer, his eyes filled with awe and wonder. “Have you ever been in a fight?”

“Only spars, but I have never partaken in actual combat. With the kingdom safely hidden back then, we were rarely ever found, but it’s wise to be prepared for any event. However, I have done quite a bit of hunting in my lifetime. I used to spend days tracking down elusive game to demonstrate my skills and use traps or shapeshifting to catch them. Nowadays with me being so busy I just go for the kill and come home all in a day. My aim with a bow never misses the mark!” Nymph gave Thorax an inviting smile. “Would you like a demonstration of my aim?”

“Yes!” 

Nymph got up from her seat and take a roll of bread from the basket. She then conjured a large magical bow that turned the heads of all the ponies and changelings around them. “Thorax, throw this as high as you can and I will shoot it down.”

“Okay!” Thorax took the bread out of her magic and hovered next to her. “Here goes!” He threw it and jumped when Nymph released the bow. The green arrow soared into the air and found its mark, breaking the roll into crumbs as it rained down. The ponies clapped for the queen while Thorax was waving his legs around. “That was amazing!”

“You haven’t seen anything yet.” Nymph magically handed him two more rolls and then conjured two arrows. “Let’s put on a real show.”

“Get ready!” Thorax launched both rolls toward the sky and Nymph took aim. A few seconds later, she fired and both targets were destroyed. The spectators eating at the restaurant and passing by on the street applauded even louder as Nymph took a bow. “That was amazing! How did you do that!?”

“Years of practice.” With so many eyes on her, Nymph did not dare to disappoint them and had magically marked each roll of bread that she gave to Thorax to ensure she would never miss. The moment she took her seat Nymph took a huge bite of her lobster. Simply being away from her meal for even a minute was almost too much for her. “You would be amazed how many skills one as old as I am can possess. Since I wasn’t originally trained to be queen, I had to keep myself busy somehow.” 

“What about Celestia? She’s has to be the most talented person alive!”

“Well...she had been very occupied ruling Equestria without Luna. And some talents simply didn’t...develop.” Nymph recalled when she first began teaching Celestia shapeshifting magic. The lesson was broken into two parts with the first being about creating the disguise itself. The second lesson Nymph felt was just as important as the disguise was nearly worthless without being able to play the part.

Nymph has chosen to postpone Celestia’s second lesson indefinitely.

With their lunch finished, they had forgotten about preparing Thorax for the Gala and conversated for quite some time. As usual, Nymph talked about the events of her younger life as Thorax always felt his life was never anywhere near as interesting and given the queen’s age, she easily had a lot more stories to tell. Reliving the memories of when her family was complete gave Nymph a sense of warmth and she was glad that Thorax was with her to listen. 

While recounting a time of her life when she and Chrysalis found and played with a forbidden spell that could bring artificial life from trees, the waiter returned with two small plates that each carried a particularly delicious desert on top. The smell of hot chocolate syrup overwhelmed Nymph’s senses and she felt the inside of her mouth becoming far more moist as she started as the chocolate lava cake presented before her. “I don’t believe we ordered any desert,” she said without being able to pry her eyes away from the new dish.

“It is a gift from us for having the wonderful queen honoring us with her presence,” the waiter replied happily.

Thorax, grinning ear to ear, rubbed his hooves together. “This looks great! I can’t wait to try it!”

“Oh, I am sure you would love a taste.” Something about the way he spoke caught Nymph’s ears. Now she was sure he was being hostile toward Thorax but for what reason she did not know. The waiter placed a large rolled up napkin next to the small dish. “However, before you can eat, there’s just one thing you must do, but I am sure it is not a problem for a ‘friend’ of the Changeling Queen.”

“What’s that?”

The waiter unrolled it, revealing a collection of about twenty different spoons of many shapes and sizes. “You must only eat it with the correct spoon!” Many gasps arose as everyone eating outside of the restaurant watched the scene and not even the hot desert could offset the sudden chill felt by Nymph. “Of course, being a close associate of Queen Nymph, surely you must know which one that is. It is only the most basic of etiquette.”

“Uh...sure I do!” Sweat poured down Thorax’s head as he eyed his many options. Even Nymph felt the pressure as a wrong choice would spread by word of mouth and she would be the subject of gossip for quite some time. The possible rumors arising from Queen Nymph having lunch at an expensive restaurant with a changeling who did not meet its standards left a knot in her stomach. If they were in her kingdom, she would have unleashed Tartarus on this changeling who would dare put her friend in such a position. Here in Equestria, causing a scene would have the media go wild on her and this was something she absolutely could not afford with the Grand Galloping Gala coming. She could only sit there and hope Thorax remembered what she taught him not too long ago.

The longer Thorax sat there guessing, the more intense the scene looked with more citizens coming to watch and their whispers becoming louder. The waiter looked ready to pounce on him with a sick look of pleasure on his face as he watched Thorax struggle. Perhaps he caught Thorax the moment he laid eyes on him and waited to expose him for whatever demented reason he had. All went silent Thorax made a move. When he picked one up of the many spoons, the waiter smacked it out of his hoof and it bounced away with several loud clangs against the stone ground. “That’s the wrong spoon! Unacceptable!” Immediately the voices around them became much louder in volume with shock and disgust. “If you weren’t here with the queen, I would slap you until your cheeks were stripped of chitin!”

“Good heavens!”

“Who let him in here?”	

“Is this who the queen associates herself with? What is the world coming to?”

“Somepony must remedy this before civilization collapses!”

The murmurs were just too much for the both of them. Thorax, feeling very uneasy by everyone looking at him, slowly took another spoon and tried to get a bite of his desert, but the waiter quickly took the plate and slapped his hoof. “No dessert for uncultured roaches!” 

Taking loud, steady breaths was all Nymph could do to not only calm herself, but to also drawn out the many voices. Eventually, ponies one by one exited the scene and at last left them alone. Once everything had returned to the way it was, Thorax spoke up. “I’m sorry! I screwed up!”

Rubbing her temples, Nymph muttered, “No, it’s fine, Thorax. I just need to teach you better next time.” It was clear Thorax had barely paid much attention to her lesson and Nymph knew she was actually angry with him. The desert spoon was something she showed him not too long ago and he told her he understood what it was, but clearly he just said that to satisfy her. Had he actually put in some effort like she wanted, they could have avoided this whole scene. Nymph looked down at her dish but felt no desire to eat any of it. All she wanted was the check so she could leave as fast as possible to hide from all of the judging eyes. 

“Um...are you going to eat that?” With Thorax more concerned with the desert than his queen’s humiliation, she cast a deathly glare at him. Thorax went still as a statue as Nymph slid him her desert and she chose to watch the people passing by on the streets to distract herself.

Queen Nymph was definitely not leaving a tip.



“Say it again!”

“Desert spoon!” 

The green projection made by Nymph’s magic changed. Once they left, Nymph took him straight to her bedroom and had decided to remedy the problem now rather than later. “This?”

“Tablespoon!”

“And this?”

“That’s a sugar spoon!”

“Are you sure?” 

“Yes! Can we please stop? We’ve been doing this for almost an hour!”

“I’m doing this because I care about you, Thorax! I do not want another disaster like that to befall you again!” When she shaped another image, she caught Thorax looking at the floor, seemingly out of energy. Sighing, Nymph undid her magic and laid beside him on the bed. “Please understand that I am doing this in your best interest. I have noticed that you haven’t been entirely focusing on what I’ve been trying to teach you today.”

“Sorry. I-It's just a lot so suddenly.”

“And you need to take it seriously. From now on, I will be applying tough love to my methods to ensure you do not make another critical mistake. I’m not mad at you, Thorax. I just want what’s best for you.” Thorax didn’t respond as Nymph placed the record player on her desk. Celestia was kind enough to lend her a record with music similar to what would be played at the Grand Galloping Gala and it was good for getting her in the mood to write her novel. “Now for our last lesson it will be only the two of us. I will be teaching you how to dance.”

All of a sudden, Thorax’s face lit up with cheer. “I’m pretty good at dancing!”

“Perhaps for Pinkie’s parties, but not for the Grand Galloping Gala.” Nymph placed Thorax on the floor and took a close look at him. “Now since I am much too large for you to dance properly with right now, I will have to change form into somepony smaller.” A sudden sense of curiosity struck her and she stepped closer to Thorax with a faint smile. “Whose form shall I take?”

Thorax seemed delighted with her offer and right as he opened his mouth, he paused and quickly went pale. “How about Rarity?” he requested quietly.

Nymph felt immense relief that he didn’t name any sirens this time. “A good choice.” She immediately turned herself into the unicorn. “Darling.” She let out a laugh as she found using Rarity’s voice to be rather entertaining. “Now we will be learning only one dance for today. I will teach you how to do the Trotz. This something every mare loves, Thorax, so be sure to remember it.”

“I will!”

“We shall see,” Nymph said in a way to tell Thorax she was not very convinced. “First you need to stand up.” Thorax got onto his hindlegs and tried his best to keep still while Nymph had no trouble. “Now you take my hoof.” Rather than comply, Thorax had gone still. Looking closer at him, Nymph wasn’t even sure if he was still breathing. “Thorax!”

“R-right!” He stepped closer to her and took her hoof.

“Finally, place your other hoof around on my side like so.”

Thorax did as he was told and looked around. “Now what?”

Nymph magically turned on the record and orchestral music began playing. “There are two parts for this. There is a leader and a follower. As the gentlecolt, you will play the leader. First, step forward with your left hoof.” 

“Okay.” He put his hoof forward while Nymph moved hers back.

“Now step to the right.” Thorax quickly moved to the side and Nymph forced him back. “Do not be so rough. You do not get rough with delicate mares. Try again.” This time, Thorax moved much slower. “I think you’re getting the hang of this. Now step back with your right hoof. Good. Step to the left. Lastly, put your hooves together.” With the dance completed, Nymph clapped her hooves. “Bravo!”

“I did it! That was so easy!”

“You better be certain you’ve got it because now you’re going to lead me on your own.”

“O-okay.” The sound of Thorax’s gulp told Nymph exactly how this was going to go. “So I put my right hoof forward.”

“Left hoof.”

“R-right!” Thorax’s correctly was so quick that he accidentally kicked Nymph in the shin. “Oh my Celestia! I’m so sorry!”

“I’m alright,” Nymph huffed through clenched fangs as she rubbed her leg. “Please just slow down and do the next step.” 

“Now I go...right?”

“Correct.”

Thorax stood there as he looked at his hooves. “Uh...what next?”

“You step back.” Thorax did as he was told, but Nymph shook her head. “No. Step back with your right hoof.”

“Does it really matter?”

“Of course it matters!” the queen roared. “Now do it right!” Thorax obeyed without question and then stepped to the left. “There. Now do it again.”

They repeated the dance several times and Nymph made sure to sternly correct him for every misstep he made. Once he had finally done it perfectly, Nymph reverted back to her original form. “Well done, Thorax. You’re one step closer to becoming a better changeling. Now don’t get ahead of yourself because this was an easy dance and I’ll be sure to test you on this again to ensure you remember.”

Thorax had trouble keeping up with her for so long and sat on the bed to catch his breath. “Nymph, do I really have to know all these dances? This feels like a lot of work just for one night.”

“If you plan on dancing, absolutely.”

“And if I don’t want to?”	

Nymph laughed. “Well it doesn’t matter if you want to or not. If you wish to become a member of the upper class, you have to learn. You’ve been in Canterlot for quite a while now and surely you’ve seen how the ponies and changelings act. You must adapt and improve yourself if you want to get somewhere in life. This is all to make a better you and dancing is merely one step of many.”

Giving her a slow nod, Thorax looked down at his lap while tapping his hooves together. “S-so...are you going to be dancing at the Gala?” 

“I don’t think I will be able to. I need to spend the night ensuring everything goes accordingly. I may not be able to enjoy the night for myself, but a good queen does whatever it takes for her people. It’s a shame, to be honest. I haven’t had a good dance in years.”

“Who did you usually dance with?”	

“Let’s see.” She sat down next to him. “Whenever it wasn’t with Chrysalis, it would be with knights, nobles, and others of the like. I remember I even danced with an explorer about two hundred years ago. Or was it three hundred? It doesn’t matter. I’m sure you could imagine how many changelings have tried to get just one dance with Chrysalis or myself and when one does, it becomes talk for quite some time. If a changeling can court a princess, who knows what it could lead to?”

“Those changelings must have been really...special to get to dance with you.”

“Of course. I only take the best changelings, Thorax. Mother did just that and look what that has resulted in.” Nymph rolled her head to fling her very long mane around and batted her eyelashes. “And Chrysalis managed to get herself a princess. I hope to be as lucky as her someday. To find a changeling who would be my perfect king.” She sighed happily as she imagined what possible romance awaited her. Whether it would take one year or one hundred, she knew the wait would be worth it in the end. “But enough about dancing. That’s only one small part of the world I live in, so be prepared for the rest.”

“How much are you exactly going to teach me?”

“A great deal, Thorax. We have barely scratched the surface. We still have grooming, tipping, speaking-”

“What do you mean speaking?” questioned the stallion.

“Oh, there’s a lot of things to learn such as how rude it is to interrupt the Changeling Queen.” Thorax nervously gulped. “But mainly I think I should focus on enhancing your vocabulary and fixing that stutter of yours.” 

“I-I-I don’t stutter!” He quickly covered his mouth and spoke in a much quieter voice, “Not all the time.”

“And I’ll have to find someone who can help you get an education. You need to develop skills if you are to afford a healthy living and I’m afraid your old job experience won’t be of much help. Maybe our friends can help train you for a real job.”

“But I do have a job as a writer! I’m still working on my book! Once it’s finished, every changeling will-”

“Thorax, it’s a cute idea, but you have to understand that it won’t keep you afloat forever. And what if it doesn’t work out? What are you going to do for money?” As she expected, Thorax had no answer to give her. “You need to learn how to plan for any problem. I’m not going to sugarcoat this, Thorax. You came to Equestria with almost nothing and look at what happened to you. Are you sure you can figure out what to do with your life?”

“I...I…” Thorax slumped over and nearly fell off the bed. “I don’t know.”

“I’m sorry, but you’re not able. You came all the way to Equestria without a real plan and you barely survived. You got ripped off by a diamond dog, fell into feral state, and terrorized a town. If I have never found you, you would have been living on the streets like the Dazzlings once did or worse.” It appeared this was a lot for Thorax to take in as he didn’t say a word and instead focused on the floor. “There, there.” Nymph gently rubbed the top of his smooth head. “It’s going to be alright. I’m here to help you. I’ll find you the perfect skill set for you to learn and you’ll never have to go hungry ever again! By the time I’m finished improving you, our friends will be amazed by how much you have changed! Aren’t you just excited?” Thorax slid off the bed and went to the door. “Where are you going?”

“I’m just so tired from all the dancing and stuff. I’m gonna go lie down for a while.”

“Alright then. Take care, Thorax. And try to remember everything you learned today!” Thorax exited the room and Nymph took a moment to stretch. Feeling refreshed, she loudly hummed to herself as she hung up her green cloak by her bed and sat down at her desk. The day had not been entirely smooth, but she was content with some of the progress she had made with Thorax. It would be only a matter of time until she transformed him into a changeling that many others would draw inspiration from. Thorax would even be able to gain the respect of Pharynx, something Nymph knew he deeply wanted. It was a shame Thorax wasn’t quite the soldier like this brother was and would not make it as a bodyguard, but she would find something he could thrive as.

As much as she wanted to think about it, there was something else she needed to take care of today and she started by sitting down at her desk and placing the typewriter in front of herself. After rewriting the first few pages of her chapter, Nymph decided to take a quick peek at what the sirens were up to right now. No mention of a plan to take over Equestria yet, but also no mention of Adagio deciding to do things her way either. 

When the image appeared in the crystal ball, she could hear them play pop music on the radio they bought some time ago. The music did put Nymph in a good mood as she typed and she decided to leave the crystal ball on as she worked. She glanced at the crystal ball just for a quick moment to see if they were up to something, but her suspicions were unconfirmed as they and Thorax were just dancing. With the removal of her recently added antagonist, the chapter would be a lot shorter, so if she really powered through this, she could…

Nymph lunged for the crystal ball and almost pressed her face against it.

She hoped she was merely seeing things, but it was clear Thorax was with the sirens. Didn’t he claim to feel tired? What was he doing with them? Worry swelled up within her as she moved the typewriter aside to put the crystal ball down in front of her. 

When the song ended, Adagio turned off the radio and looked at Thorax. “Told you that was better than Nymph’s trash.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right.” Thorax flopped on Adagio’s bed and sighed. “But I really need to practice. Weren’t all the parties you three went to also super fancy? The...ahem...siren parties?”

“Those were a long time ago,” answered Aria. “We also had tails and swam in the water. Not exactly the same thing. Besides, if they were anything like what you described, I don’t think any siren would care about them.”

“I think the Gala sounds super boring,” complained Sonata, sitting across from the changeling with a pillow in her legs. “Why do you even want to go?”

“Because it’s a really important event for us changelings! I have to be there! I need to know how to dance the right way so I can be a part of it!”

“Or, you know, just don’t dance,” suggested Aria. At some point she had taken a magazine out and boredly flipped through the pages. “No one’s putting a crossbow to your head. You can just do whatever. Eat food. Talk. Chill. Hang with us even.”

“It’s not just the dance, Aria. I don’t want to let Nymph down. She spent the whole day trying to help me and I can’t give up so early. She’d be so disappointed. Maybe she was a little angry, but I know she’s just trying to be a good friend.” Suddenly, Adagio burst out laughing. “W-what’s so funny?”

“Thorax, you are just so naive. I’m afraid I have something unpleasant to tell you, but it’s for your own good.” Nymph gripped the edge of her desk. “The truth is Nymph doesn’t care all that much about you. I think I can safely say she even dislikes you.”

“W-what!?” stammered Thorax while Nymph used all of her willpower to hold herself back from warping there right now and igniting the siren. “How can you say that? We’re good friends!”

Adagio sat on the bed next to Thorax, far too close for Nymph’s liking. “You have to face the music, sweetie. Queens don’t just go making friends with the little people like you. She lives up in her snooty, hoity-toity world and looks down on the common folk. It’s only common sense.” Already Thorax was incredibly uncomfortable, refusing to look in her direction and instead staring at the rug. Taking his shoulder, Adagio managed to get his attention. “What did she say about that suit you really liked?”

“She said it looked ridiculous…”

“I was trying to save him from embarrassment!” Nymph cried to no pony.

“And the food you wanted?”

“She couldn’t be seen eating that and that I needed to lose it from my diet…”

“I-I didn’t mean it in a condescending way! He just needs to eat food like that in moderation and take care of himself!”

“And I don’t think I need to tell you about the whole spoon incident. She just left you there to take all that heat.” A sharp pain arose in Nymph’s chest, keeping her from making any sort of argument. “A real friend doesn’t trash talk your lifestyle and force you to change. Even I know that.”

“That doesn’t mean she’s not my friend!” Thorax broke from her grip and jumped to the floor before turning to her with a sudden surge of confidence. “You don’t know Nymph like I do! She’s more than just a queen! She’s a caring soul who wants to do everything she can for those she loves! Maybe she did get a bit mad today, but I’m starting to learn that she’s just like a regular person and gets frustrated too! I used to think queens and princesses were these super amazing beings who could do no wrong, but spending time with her has opened my eyes to just what kind of changeling she truly is! Even if she makes mistakes, she still tries to help her friends and she has done so much for me! No matter how much a problem I may be for her, she stuck with me for the whole day because she cares! Nymph is my friend and that’s that!”

Breathless could not nearly describe how Queen Nymph felt as she stared at Thorax standing tall in the crystal ball. The way he spoke with such conviction and resolve made Nymph’s heart beat with fast and powerful rhythm. Looking upon his take charge expression made the air around her head feel much warmer than it really was. With every word he spoke, a funny yet pleasuring feeling grew in her stomach. To think a changeling like this existed under the timid exterior left Nymph with a powerful desire to dig deeper to uncover what truly lies beneath. Such a thought felt so exciting to the queen and her imagination ran wild coming up with possible outcomes.	

“I guess that’s a good point,” Sonata said with a giggle. “I mean Dagi was tough on us too but now we’re best friends!”

“People aren’t perfect,” said Aria once she discarded the magazine to the side. “Sometimes the people you like can be a pain to deal with. I don’t like her at all, but I really think she cares about you. I mean what kind of queen takes a day off to help one subject? Heck, whoever heard of a queen who gave private dance lessons?”

“Exactly!” Thorax replied with much more vigor. “That proves she’s my friend!” His sudden confidence dropped from Adagio’s constant snickering  and Nymph braced herself for whatever lies she had in store. “W-w-what’s so funny?”

Adagio took a few seconds to catch her breath and then turned to her companions. “Girls, do you remember ‘One Day Royal’?”

“‘One Day Royal!’” the two sirens answered excitedly before cracking up in hysterics.	

Thorax quickly looked at each of them sitting around him, feeling just as uneasy as Nymph did. “What are you talking about?”

“It was a show we always watched in the other world because the mothers were essentially escaped mental patients shoved into a room together with their children,” answered Adagio with a bit of nostalgia in her voice. “Basically there was this contest where kids had to pass these tests to prove they were fancy and all that junk to win the chance to live like a king or queen for a day.”

“That sounds actually really fun,” Thorax said happily although he was clearly nervous.

“No the fun part was watching the mothers lose their minds,” corrected Adagio. “I think that’s the only reason they ever get any ratings. They get really competitive and would start screaming at their kids or even beat up the other mothers. Almost every episode had a brawl and we always took bets on who would start them.”

“W-why would they do those horrible things!?”

“They weren’t exactly good looking or smart, so maybe they were projecting onto their kids.” Adagio casually shrugged. “It never got old watching these crazy women get physical and I think the show caught on and tried to spark a fight whenever they could. Who cares about those dumb kids? Children are annoying.”

“The point is you’re basically a contestant on that show and Nymph is your mom!” Sonata laughed.

Aria loudly sighed and put her hoof over her face. “Oh cod, she’s right. I can’t unsee it now. Nymph is treating you exactly like if you were her kid.”

“S-s-she is not!”

“Thorax!” Sonata shouted while imitating Nymph to the best of her ability. “You can’t wear that! It’s not fancy enough! I would live the rest of my life in shame if anypony saw you like that!”

“Thorax!” Aria followed up, mimicking the changeling queen as well, “Why do you insist on eating disgusting slop? We’ll never win if you can’t eat proper food or pick the right spoon!”

“Thorax!” Adagio laughed, “why can’t you do this simple dance? Your mother won’t love you if you don’t pull this off!”

The sirens were in stitches and Thorax’s face was bright enough to be seen from the Crystal Empire. “Y-you’re wrong!”

“She’s trying to take control of your life right now and I don’t think she will let you have a say in it. Do you think she’s your friend? How many times did she come and visit you before she needed you to keep an eye on us? Just how good of friends were you two before we came here?” Thorax was silent. “Let’s put this friendship of yours to the test.” Adagio slowly strolled over to Thorax. “The next time Nymph has a day off, I want you to take her out to do all the things you want to do. Maybe go somewhere like Ponyville? If she goes along, just count the number of times she protests againsts your ideas or decides to put on a disguise to save face. Since she is such a good friend, she wouldn’t mind any of this, right? The high and mighty Changeling Queen making friends with a changeling who actually spent a ton of money on a useless rock.”

The longer silence dragged on, the harder Nymph gritted her teeth. It stung her almost as much as the truth in their words and she kept thinking about the horrible things she would do to Adagio if she could get away with it. Thorax took her words very serious and buried his face in the mattress. “You’re right! She doesn’t see me like a person at all! She’s just using me!”

Nymph bolted right up from her seat, knocking the chair over and it banged against the floor. “THAT’S NOT TRUE!”

“Face it. You’re not a hero like your idol Spike. You are just another changeling and I’m sure she knows a lot of rich, fancy guys back in her kingdom that beat you in every way. Heck, weren’t you so poor that you starved and became feral?” Thorax’s answer came in the form of a whimper. “She’s the queen, Thorax. They don’t mingle with the little people unless they have something they want. Every changeling wants to be her friend and she will only pick the best of the best. What chance do you have?”

Nymph heard something and somehow felt even worse. “Don’t you dare cry. I hate dealing with crying.” Aria went over to Thorax and pulled his head up, showing all of them his tear stained face. The image was far too painful for Nymph to bare and she did everything she could to look away. “Oh for the love of...fine. Come here.” The changeling slumped over her shoulder, sniffling as Aria patted his back.

Adagio stroked the side of face and Nymph felt a sudden urge to put her hoof in hers. “There, there. We can help you.”

“R-really?” 

“Of course. All you need to do is kick Queen Nymph to the curb and be our manager.”

Thorax raised his head. “Manager?”

“I’m fine with that,” spoke Aria while putting Thorax on the bed and giving a piece of tissue. “He wouldn’t stare stab us in the back and lock us down in some dumb contract like you see in all those movies.”

“You just do all the hard stuff like help us get shows or manage whatever and you will be set for life. You will be so famous that mares will be literally throwing themselves at you. Once we’re free from Celestia and Nymph, we can all make our dreams come true.” Adagio sat way too close to Thorax for Nymph’s comfort as their bodies made contact. “Forget Nymph. Make a future with us and take control of your life. Don’t waste your life chasing an impossible dream.” She lifted his head by his chin. “How about it? Want to step into the word of music?”

“I don’t know!” Thorax scooted about a foot away from her. “This is just so sudden! Maybe I could talk to her and-”

“Thorax,” Adagio interrupt calmly. “Who would say is more your friend right now: Me or Nymph?”

Immediately Nymph picked up the crystal ball as panic erupted within her. She didn’t want to believe Thorax would say Adagio was the better friend, but given how much of her words had wormed their way into his mind, she couldn’t be certain. Just the fact Thorax had to think about his answer made her worry even more. He took a deep breath before answering, “You are.” 

Nymph collapsed onto the floor with a soft thud. This was all wrong. In what reality what Adagio be considered to be a greater friend of any sort compared to her? She curled up with her head in her hooves and brought down the crystal ball to keep watching no matter how much she wanted to stop. 

Reaching over, Adagio put her hoof around Thorax’s shoulder and dragged him back. “Hey, I know this is hard, but you gotta know when to cut your losses. Just be glad you realized it early before she really went crazy on you.”	

“But what about Nymph? What am I supposed to do with her?”

“Just tell her off. Tell her you’re not interested in being her servant anymore. You’re an Equestrian citizen now, so she has no authority over you. You are free to live your life. One without her in it.”

Thorax, still uncertain, looked up at the other two mares. Sonata eagerly nodded her head in excitement while Aria just looked to the side. “I...I need a day to think it over.” Thorax got up from the bed and stumbled to the door. “I’ll see you girls tomorrow.”

“We’ll be here if you need us.” Adagio blew a kiss at Thorax right before he exited the room.

“So do you actually care about him or just want to make a mess?” asked Aria as she gave Adagio a bit of a dirty look. “I’m all for your schemes, but Thorax is kinda off limits in my opinion.”

“Does it matter? Just think of the misery we can feed from Nymph if we can make Thorax hate her! Imagine Nymph’s reaction when she finds out she lost her precious keeper to us! This is just too good to pass up! And the best part is we can play innocent and make Nymph it was all her fault! After everything that insect has put us through, give me one good reason we should pass up this opportunity.”

Aria stared coldly at Adagio for a moment before smirking. “You know what? I’m completely down with this idea.”

“So what do we do, Dagi?” Sonata eagerly asked as she sat right next to her to rest her head on her shoulder. “We don’t have our magic to make Thorax super angry!”

“We don’t need it. We just give to give Thorax enough push tomorrow and he will do the hard part for us.”

“Can he really tell her off?” asked Aria. “He doesn’t exactly have a mean bone in his body.” She suddenly looked at Sonata. “Wait. Do bugs even have bones?” Sonata shrugged at her.

“He just needs proper encouragement and a good teacher.” Adagio smiled at Aria. “Think you’re up to it?”

Aria pounded her hooves together. “Let’s have ourselves a feast tomorrow.” All three sirens broke out laughing and Nymph could not stand anymore, so she turned off the crystal ball. 

What a pathetic sight she was. The Changeling Queen, wielder of ultimate power in the Changeling Kingdom, laid on the floor like a scared grub. For minutes upon minutes she tried so hard to justify her actions in her head. She kept telling herself that she was a tough teacher, that she cared about Thorax enough that she needed him to understand why these things were so important, but no amount of reasoning satisfied her. Thorax already gave her the answer.

Adagio Dazzle was a better friend than she was.

How could she have failed him this terribly? She just wanted to help Thorax improve his life. What was wrong with that? She didn’t mean to offend Thorax by anything she said today, but it was clear she had done so numerous times without realizing it. Being a queen of her age meant she should of been great at reading others so why did she miss all the signs with Thorax? Perhaps she was too used to his timid nature to really pick up on anything wrong. It didn’t really matter in the end as she needed to do something to fix this mess she made. 

It was hard for Nymph to think of what to do with the immense distress caused by Thorax saying out loud that Adagio was better than her. She needed help and knew just exactly who to ask. Weakly getting on her hooves, Nymph pulled her chair up and activated the crystal ball once more. “Chrysalis! Chrysalis, pick up this instant!” She heard hoofsteps as Chrysalis removed the cloth from the crystal ball and took it out of her bedroom drawer. Ever since the Dazzlings returned to Equestria, Chrysalis kept the crystal ball in her room so she would know right away if anything happened.

“Nymph, what’s wrong!?” Chrysalis set the orb of her bed and lied in front of it. “Is there an emergency!?”

“No! I mean yes! I mean...Thorax...he...I think he hates me!”

Panic was set aside by confusion in Chrysalis before she calmed down. “Oh, Nymphie. Tell me exactly what happened.”

“Today I took him out to Canterlot to help prepare him for the Gala,” Nymph answered hastily as panic had taken charge of her mouth. “I helped him shop for a suit, taught him dancing, and even proper table manners, and then he goes and lies that he was happy to learn all this and went back because he was tired.”

“How do you know he lied?”

“Because I saw him tell the Dazzlings he did through the crystal ball! He actually prefers their company over me! He was listening to their music and enjoyed their dancing! He complained to them everything we did today and they agreed with him! They said I was like a television show mother where I-”

“A what?”

“-bullied him into doing what I wanted to win some meaningless contest! And then he…he…” Nymph let out a deep sigh. “He said Adagio was a better friend than I was.” The elder sibling looked as if all the wind was knocked out of her. “I need help, Chrysie. I don’t want to lose him.”

Nodding, Chrysalis placed a pillow under her head and rest her hooves on top. “It’s going to be okay, Nymphie. We’ll figure this out. First, you need to slow down and tell me everything that happened today. I need every detail no matter how uncomfortable they are.”

This time, Nymph spoke more clearly as she went over everything leading up to what she saw in the crystal ball. With her emotions no longer running as wild, reviewing each moment in detail allowed the queen to start seeing things from Thorax’s perspective. The more she spoke, the more she hated herself as it became clearer and clearer just how bad of a job she did in being a friend. Once she finished explaining everything, she slammed her face onto the wooden desk, causing her crown to bounce and roll off onto the carpet. “I just wanted to help him, Chrysalis. Now I’ve damaged our friendship bad enough for him to abandon me in favor of those dreadful sirens.”

“I don’t think Thorax is the kind of changeling to hold onto a grudge, so don’t be scared of losing him.“ Chrysalis rolled onto her back, facing away from the crystal ball. “However, you need to understand exactly where you went wrong. Now don’t take this the wrong way, but this whole idea of yours was horrible to begin with.”

“What do you mean horrible?”

“You see him as something that needs ‘improvement’. To make him ‘better’. The reality is that he’s fine the way he is and you made Thorax think there was something wrong with him.” Chrysalis brought over a picture of their friends in Ponyville. “Look at them. Pinkie’s hyperactive, Rarity is a drama queen, Rainbow Dash I could make a whole list about her, but the point is that they have one thing in common: I wouldn’t change a single thing about them. Thorax is the same.” Chrysalis did a double take of the photo. “Then again Rainbow Dash could use a few tweaks, but my point still stands.”

“I was just trying to help him…”

“By trying to make him into someone who he isn’t,” Chrysalis snapped, making her sister feel even lower. “Thorax is Thorax. You shouldn’t need to change anything about him. So what if he can’t dance for the Gala or be the best dressed? He just wants to go to have a good time and you should allow him that.”

“But what about after? When I inevitably return to Bugartha, what reason will we have to see each other? That’s how I came up with this idea in the first place.” A flare of fury erupted within her when Chrysalis all of a sudden laughed. “What about this is so amusing to you!?”

“You’re the queen. You don’t need a reason.” Reality gave a hard tap to Nymph’s noggin as the obviousness of this solution struck her. “If you really value Thorax as much as you say you do, then you should not feel ashamed if people see you with him. He is your friend and that should be enough.”

With a heavy sigh, Nymph slouched in her seat. “How do I make it up to him?” 

“Hey, don’t look so glum. If Luna can find it in her heart to date me again after what I put her through, then this should be a breeze.” It felt wrong to smirk at Chrysalis’s disastrous Hearts and Hooves Day, but her sister did have a good point. “Just apologize and find a way to make it up to him. If I were you, I would let him choose something for the both of you do and just go along with it. You never know what new experiences he can show you.” Reaching into the table next to her bed, Chrysalis pulled out a little device that Nymph recognized as a Gamecolt. “Luna’s managed to get me addicted to this infernal machine even after I thought about breaking hers so many times.”

“Okay. I’ll try to come up with something tonight and hopefully Thorax hasn’t been completely tainted by that witch. I just need to prove I’m a better friend than Adagio.”

“Just show him that you accept him for who he is and don’t ever try to change him again. That should be enough to win him back.”

“But Chrysalis, what do you think Thorax should do with his life?”

Raising an eyebrow, Chrysalis asked, “You’re asking me? You know him much better than I do.”

“I know, but it’s something that I can’t stop thinking about. He needs to find himself a good profession since I can’t financially support him forever, but he doesn’t exactly have an outstanding resume. I was thinking about convincing him to be a guard like his brother, but maybe he doesn’t have that in him. You agree that he needs help at least with financial stability, don’t you?”

“I do, but I certainly wouldn’t have phrased it the way you had.” Chrysalis looked to be lost in thought for a moment before saying, “Maybe Adagio’s offer isn’t a bad one after all.”

“Beg pardon?” Picking up the crystal ball, Nymph shook it fast enough that the image inside became a total blur. “You’re actually agreeing with Adagio!?”

“I think it’s something he should consider. If you and Celestia can manage to turn those sirens around, then having Thorax work with them would be a great way to keep him afloat. There’s no denying that the Dazzlings are going to be a huge sensation in Equestria and Thorax will be rolling in the bits. They seem to like him and maybe he can keep them straight. He keeps them from causing trouble and they pay him the big bits. It’s a win-win situation.”

Groaning, Nymph put the orb back on the pillow and stared at the floor. She didn’t want to admit it, but Adagio had in fact given Thorax a good opportunity. It should of been her who helped him find his place in life, but she didn’t want things up more than she already had. “If you really think this a good idea, then I’ll allow it if Thorax chooses to do so. Thank you, Chrysalis.”

“Happy to help. Nymph, you may be the queen, but that doesn’t mean you don’t make mistakes. The most you can do is learn from the ones you already made.”

“Oh, I have certainly learned plenty.” Nymph magically retrieved her cloak and quickly put it on. “I need to go and get ready for tomorrow. Wish me luck.” 

“Bye, Nymph. Let me know how it works out.” Chrysalis waved before her image vanished from the crystal ball. Wasting no time, Nymph opened the window and flew out, planning out everything she would do before the next day.

Tomorrow, she would tackle two problems at once.



Sleep did not come easy to Nymph during the night, but Luna’s lavender never failed her yet. Even rest did not rid of all the unease she felt as she kept playing every possible scenario over and over in her head. Checking on Thorax through the crystal ball the next morning, he also appeared to be weighed down by something as he struggled to get out of bed and seemed to be dragging his hooves wherever he went. She wanted to go to him right away and get this over with, but she had to be patient. She had to be sure Adagio failed, whether it be Thorax decline her offer and or Nymph mending their relationship despite the siren’s effort.

After breakfast, Thorax went to visit the Dazzlings with Adagio looking very happy to see him. Having giving it some thought, Thorax had decided to take up Adagio’s offer and this greatly pleased the three mares. After congratulating him for his wise choice, Adagio with the help of Aria helped him plan out how he would tell Nymph exactly how he felt, possibly ending their friendship. Thorax looked uneasy with all of this, but Adagio’s sweet, twisted words always managed to convince him. Even without her magic, Nymph saw her as truly dangerous.

They spent nearly an hour teaching and rehearsing with Thorax and once he was ready, they headed toward her room. With a sigh, Nymph put away her crystal ball and sat at her desk with untouched documents on top.  It was only about two minutes before she could hear voices outside her down. Shortly after, there was a knock that made Nymph feel sick in her stomach. “Come in,” she called with her friendliest voice. The door opened and Thorax stepped in. They stared at each other in silence for a moment, both of them carrying a look of unease and waiting to see what the other would do. Since she heard other voices before he knocked, Nymph was certain the Dazzlings were waiting and listening right outside her door. Eventually, Nymph made the first move. “Good morning, Thorax. How are you today?”

“F-fine. I...no! Nymph! I-I have something I want to say you!” Thorax struggled to get the words out and he was beginning to sweat. While she waited, Nymph quickly caught a glance of Sonata peeking around the corner behind him and she quickly ducked out of sight. They of course we expecting a huge show for them to feast off of, but Nymph knew exactly what to do.

She would let him speak.

“Really? There was something I want to say as well, but why don’t you go first, Thorax?” 

Gulping, Thorax took one step at a time up to her. “I...I don’t think I’m cut out to be a fancy changeling. To be honest, I’d much rather live in Ponyville than in Canterlot. There’s just too many rules and standards that I don’t want to deal with.” He looked into her eyes for just a second before quickly looking elsewhere. “Thanks for trying to help me, but I can’t be the changeling you want me to be. I just want to live life the way I want to. That’s why I came all the way here to Equestria in the first place.”

“I see.” The queen stared at her hooves as she tapped her shoes together. “Well that is unfortunate-” 

“I’m not done.” Nymph locked up. “I...I also want you to know that this isn’t going to work out. Me and you. I’m...I’m...I’m not some bug you get to boss around!” At last the adreneline kicked and Thorax hidden anger came to life. “I hate being an upper class changeling! I don’t want to live a life where everypony around me is watching and judging me like a bunch of creeps! I don’t care about the stupid spoons or fashion or whatever! I don’t even care about the stupid Gala anymore! Yeah, I’m not all fancy or talented or smart, but I’m still a changeling! You’re not my queen anymore so you have no right to tell me how I am supposed to be! If you can’t accept that, then...then we’re through!”

Upon finishing, Thorax was completely out of breath. A lot of time was spent during the previous night preparing for what Thorax could say to her, but Nymph had not expected anything like this. It appeared Thorax had not either as with each pant, he looked more and more horrified by what he had done. If wasn’t breathing so loudly, Nymph was certain she could of heard the sirens cracking up over the whole scene.

“I...had no idea you felt this way. I did not realize I have hurt you so deeply.” Nymph did her best to act surprised and she reached down to pick up the box sitting beside her. “I actually do have my answer right here.” She placed the large box wrapped in bright blue wrapping paper with a green bow on the top right in front of him. 

“A present?” questioned Thorax. Trying not to look behind him, Nymph could almost seeing the sirens poking their heads out to get a look. “You’re just going to buy my forgiveness?”

“I strongly suggest you open it before saying any more. Let it speak for itself.”

Thorax looked up at her, confused yet suspicious, and slowly took the box. After undoing the bow, he tore off the paper and opened the lid. “It’s...it’s…” He pulled the contents of the box out with childlike glee. “It’s the suit I wanted! And the hat! You...got it for me?”	

“Of course, Thorax. I think you will look splendid in it for the Gala.”

“But why? I thought you hated this stuff.”

“It’s not exactly my taste, but it’s for you, not me.” Nymph got up from her seat, walked around her desk, and placed a hoof on Thorax’s shoulder. “I...I had a lot of reflecting to do. I was talking about yesterday with Chrysalis and she helped me realize I was out of line yesterday. She told me I was making you into someone you are not and that my treatment of you was subpar. It pained me a lot to have realized that I have hurt your feelings. Had I known you were this upset about everything, I would have stopped immediately. Take this gift as my sincere apology.”

“Are you sure I can wear this? I thought the Gala-”

“Forget everything I said. It was all garbage. All I want you to do is have a good time. That’s all I want for my precious changelings. Just go as yourself, nothing more. I will defend you to the end from anypony who has a problem with that.” She knelt down before him. “I’m sorry I insulted you. It is not my place to tell you how you should live your life. It was who you are that has brought us together in the first place and I was stupid enough to try to get rid of what makes you special.”

“But I’m not special.” Thorax laid his head on the desk. “You were right about me. I have no idea what I’m doing with my life. Pharynx had everything figured out and made something out of himself and I pretty much became a bum. He would have been so disappointed in me if he ever found out.” He looked her without moving his head. “I really need help, Nymph. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”

She gently lifted up his head and stroked his cheek. “Even if that’s true, I should have never said the things I said yesterday. You’re not a failure, Thorax. You’re just...finding yourself. After all, fate has brought us together, didn’t it? Maybe this was meant to be. Besides, I have my own failures that still haunt me and I have no right to judge you as harshly as I did. However, as your friend, I vow I will do everything in my power to help you choose your own path. Can you forgive this fool?”

Holding out his forelegs, Thorax answered, “How can I say no?”

Relieved beyond belief, Nymph knelt down and tightly embraced him. Opening one eye, she could see Adagio watching them, seething with raw fury. The sight forced Nymph to chuckle and she buried her face into Thorax’s shoulder to hide it. “So why don’t we have a do-over today? You get to decide something for us to do.”

Thorax gasped loudly. “You mean it?” Nymph nodded. “Can we go to the waffle house!?”

“It that is what you desire, then so be.” The queen opened the window and motioned him with her head. “Lead the way.” Thorax flew out the window and Nymph followed after closing the window behind her.

Not long after taking off, Thorax slowed down and turned to her. “Nymph, can I ask you something personal?”

“Anything.”

Immediately Thorax looked to be shy about whatever was on his mind. He failed to make any sort of eye contact, kept rubbing the back of his head, and Nymph could barely hear his nervous laughter. “Is there any reason you like being my friend? I’m not exactly as great as all those other changelings your probably meet every day.”

“Not true, Thorax. You’re very reliable. I can trust you with secrets no other changeling could keep and you’ve been at me side when I needed you.” Nymph flew closer and stroked the underside of his chin. “However, I think what draws me to you the most is just how peculiar you are.”

“P-peculiar?”

“You’ve changed a lot since our first encounter. You keep pulling out these little surprises and I can’t help but wait for the next one. Creating a stampede of lovestruck mares. Making friends with sirens with ease. And today, you came into my room and yelled at me about how much I messed up. Changelings would consider marching tp to their queen and acting as such to be a deathwish and yet you did it.” Thorax’s sudden hyperventilation caused Nymph to giggle. “Oh, don’t worry about it. You should feel proud. Changelings would love to have the courage you possess.”

“What courage!? I feel like I’m going to have a heart attack!”

“I guess it’s the kind that comes and goes.” Nymph gave him a pat on the back to ease his nerves. “Never in my life have I met a changeling like you, Thorax. I am eager to see what else you have in store for me.” As another way to make up to him what she did, the queen gave him a peck on the cheek and flew ahead. She then looked back to catch the immense blush on his face and she felt proud of her work as she found his reaction to be adorable. As Thorax slowly caught up with her, another idea suddenly popped in her head and she chose not to hesitate. “Thorax?”

“Y-yeah?”

“I know this is sudden, but I wish to ask you something. I think it would be a great way for me to attone what I had done and for us to grow closer.” Nymph took both his hooves, surprising him. “Will you be my date for the Grand Galloping Gala?”

Thorax was already struggling to breath and Nymph was glad she was holding onto him as he would have dropped out of the sky. “Me!? B-b-b-but I’m sure there’s many better changelings you could take! The queen should take only the best like you said!”

“You’re right. That’s why I’m asking you.” His breathing became even louder and his entire face was drenched in sweat. It was a good thing they were high above the city as having an audience would have surely made Thorax pass out from the pressure. “So? How about it? Will you be by your queen’s side for that fateful night?”

“Yes! Absolutely!” 

Gleeful of his answer, Nymph pulled him for a powerful hug and twirled around in the air with him. She felt far happier to hear his answer than she had expected, but she was to joyful to think about it too hard. “I am so glad to hear that.” Letting him go, she then said, “Why don’t we discuss how we should spend the Gala over breakfast?” The two changelings flew side by side with each of their heads filled with joyful thoughts of what the Grand Galloping Gala would bring.



The rest of the day went as planned. Thorax took her around the city to do all sorts of things that interested him. Nymph received many odd looks while she was out in Canterlot city, but if Thorax was happy, then she was happy. Some time in the afternoon, they returned to the castle and parted ways. Nymph watched as Thorax returned to the Dazzlings through her crystal ball so he could tell them what happened. Adagio already seemed angry that her plan fell apart but suddenly became livid when he told her that Nymph wanted him to be her date. He tried to explain he was still interested in becoming their manager, but Adagio was far too angry to listen. While Sonata did everything she could to soothe the raging siren, Aria escorted him out of their room for his own safety. After he left, Nymph went to work on any documents or letter sent to her and made sure to have a meeting with the council for any updates within her kingdom.

It was going to be a busy night.

When Luna’s shift came, Nymph chose to stop working for the day and strongly desired a bath to refresh herself, but that could wait until after what she had prepared. Thorax wasn’t the only one she planned on dealing with today. The Dazzlings were all present in their room, so Nymph could proceed with the other plan she devised the night before. Upon completing her teleportation spell, the Changeling Queen stood within the abandoned mines of Canterlot. It was pitch black save for the green glow of her horn and the air was heavy. Nothing about it was pleasant like her underground home, but she would only be here for a moment. 

Around her was an abandoned rail that led to a deep pit nearby and crystals covering some of the stone walls. Abandoned truly felt like the proper word to describe this place. There was no wind or drops of water to give the place ambience. The air felt heavy and Nymph was certain she would suffocate if she lingered here for too long. It was truly cut off from the outside world.

It was perfect.

Approaching one of the large crystals on the wall, Nymph brought up the image of the sirens getting ready for bed. She then channeled her magic and gave them a terrible fright as they were suddenly surrounded by her green flame before appearing right before her. Before any of them could react to her, she fired two bolts of magic at Aria and Sonata before she pinned Adagio to the wall.

Adagio struggled wildly but Nymph’s magical binds were far too powerful for her to break. With Sonata and Aria under her mind control, they would be no help to her. The queen slowly approached Adagio with a face of malice. “Hello, Adagio. I’ve grown tired of waiting for you answer and decided to choose for you.”

“What are you doing!? Let me go!” 

“Since when were you ever the one in control?” When Nymph got close enough, Adagio quickly threw a headbutt, but the changeling stepped back in time. “Careful! I have direct control of their minds! To suddenly break my hold could potentially have side effects.”

Scowling, the siren looked at each of friends standing still with blank expressions on their faces. “So this is your plan? To make us your puppets?”

“If needed, but not in the way you think.” She released Adagio, who fell onto the hard ground. When she got up, Sonata shoved Adagio and tripped her while she stumbled.  “Oh my. Such bad behavior for you girls.”

Brushing the dirt off herself, Adagio’s eyes began to glow as she growled at her. “Nymph, let them go or else!”

“Adagio, Adagio, Adagio. Always rebelling against authority. It wouldn’t be surprising if you and your cohorts decided to go a step further.” Nymph produced a hologram of Princess Celestia in front of her. Before Adagio could say anything, Aria smashed the image with her hooves. “Did you see that? Aria attempted to assault the princess. That would be an unforgivable crime.” Slowly, Adagio began to understand what Nymph was implying and the fear steadily grew on her face. “You’ve been such a bad influence to these two. Would anypony be surprised if they were to suddenly enact a plan of conquering Equestria? It’s a good thing we already know of a place where you could never hurt anypony again.”

“T-Twilight would see through you! She knows Sonata wouldn’t just do that all of a sudden.”

Shrugging, Nymph replied, “Maybe she would.” Her grin was wide enough to expose every sharp tooth in her maw. “Or maybe I can just change the script.”

Sonata suddenly began crying. “Adagio made me do it! I didn’t want to hurt anypony, but she said she would hurt me if I didn’t do it! I don’t want anything to do with her anymore! Let’s just throw her through the portal and never let her come back!”

Fearful, Adagio backed away from Sonata and Nymph as she started to realize just how little power she had over the queen. “Y-you can’t do this!”

“I can. You have refused over and over again to complete your end of the deal and have forced my hoof. If you can’t help the ponies and changelings come together, then I have no need for you! I can have you all sent back to that dimension and no matter how much you scream and beg, no pony will believe you. Haven’t you realized that you have been digging your own grave this whole time? By continuing your rotten attitude, we would have no doubt in our minds were you to suddenly attack.” Nymph took a step back, allowing Sonata and Aria to stand in front of them. “And what about them? How will they feel knowing this was all your fault?”

“Why didn’t you just listen to her?” asked Aria.

“How could you let us down again!?” Sonata cried. “I hate you, Adagio!”

“STOP IT!” Adagio gritted her teeth and huffed with fury. No matter how much she tried to fight back, it was hopeless. Nymph knew she had her beat and finally had Adagio at her mercy. The siren seemed to have realized this too as she slammed her hoof against the ground. “You win.”

“What was that?”

“You win! You beat me! Are you happy now!?”

“No.” She made her puppets stand aside and walked right up to Adagio. “Kneel.”

The Dazzling demonstrated her defiance by spitting on the ground near Nymph’s hoof. “I will not-”

“Kneel.” As if they had a mind of their own, Adagio’s legs bowed. With one hoof, Nymph brought it over the siren’s head and pressed it down to rub in the dirt. Adagio squirmed like mad and Nymph released her after only a few seconds. When Adagio looked up at her, the queen couldn’t help but admire her work. Adagio’s face of broken resolve caked in dirt was the perfect image of what a monster like her deserved. If this girl wanted misery so badly, Nymph would give more than she could handle.

Nymph brought Aria and Sonata to Adagio’s sides before releasing them. Aria appeared to be a bit woozy as she rubbed her head and looked around. “What...what happened?” All three of the gasped when Nymph left a crack in the wall right behind them with her hoof. 

“You three better listen very well as your future depends on it! I will no longer tolerate your disobedience! I will have what I am owed or the deal is off! And if there’s no deal, then no reason to keep you here at all!”

“What!? But what about the friends I made!?” asked Sonata. “I thought that’s what you and Celestia wanted! You can’t just take me away from them!”

“You just aren’t getting it, are you?” Nymph lowered her head down to look each of them dead in the eyes. “You three are parasites. You take and take and take, but what have you given in return? What efforts have you made to atone for your sins? Tell me! Yes, Sonata, you have been given new friends, but did you really earn them?”

“As if you have the right to judge us on a moral high ground!” Aria spat.

“Oh? Are you saying I am immoral? That it’s wrong to bring harmony and friendship between ponies and changelings? Well then. Why don’t you tell me the ways about being a good person? I’m sure I can learn from all the good deeds you have performed. Making people fight for kicks and power. Attacking the peaceful kingdom of Equestria merely because you were fed up with your old lives. Please, Aria. I’m all ears for your compelling argument.” Aria grunted in silent anger. “You don’t care, Aria. You just want to wreak havoc and whenever things go wrong, you act like a victim and blame others for your misfortune.”

“And you can’t see yourself for being a hypocrite!”

“Oh, I am fully aware of what I am doing, but the difference between us is that I am doing it for the benefit of others. You three only work for the benefit of yourselves. Am I wrong?” None of the sirens answered her. “All three of you wouldn’t hesitate to rule Equestria if given the chance and I will not endanger this world. If you wish to not be prisoners once more, than sing those songs as I have asked. Learn to help others instead of yourselves.”

“Yeah, because that’s exactly what you want. For us to make friends and be nice,” Adagio spat sarcastically.	

“No matter what you may think of me, I still care about you girls. Don’t think of this as some sort of punishment. Think of this as tough love. Just imagine what would have happened if I was more like you, Adagio.” Nymph slowly turned her head to the pit and the sirens did the same, completely shaken with the horrible thought and Sonata even starting to cry. “I can just easily throw you three down there and leave. No pony would even find you and I would save myself the headache and ensure Equestria’s safety. And yet, here I am giving you another chance that you probably don’t deserve. You girls can’t get it through your thick skulls just how good you have it with how many chances Celestia and I have given you. Let me be clear that this is your last. Screw this up and we’re done. You will be back in that other world to rot on the streets until the end of your days.”

“We promise to be good!” Sonata cried. “We’ll sing and be nice! Just don’t take us back!”

“I thought as much.” Nymph glanced at Aria. “You?”

“Yes! I’ll do whatever you want!”

“Splendid. And I already have Adagio’s answer.” She slowly turned her head to Adagio with a wicked smile. “Any objections?”

“No…”

“As I thought. Goodnight, Dazzlings.” The sirens vanished in eruptions of fire and Nymph returned to her bedroom. Through the crystal ball she watched the three fiends take a moment to collect themselves from what had just transpired. Sonata was a nervous wreck, sobbing while curled up on her bed. Adagio was too lost in thought and disgrace to do anything about her, so Aria went over to hold Sonata. 

Had Nymph gone too far with them? She didn’t believe so. This was a kindness considering just how many chances she gave them. Celestia banished her own sister to the moon for a thousand years and what Nymph did with them was nothing compared to that. However, perhaps she did let her emotions get to her. It was true Sonata and Aria had made a few strides in their progress, but seeing them team up with Adagio to ruin her friendship with Thorax, to see them laugh over all the whole thing, set her over the edge. She didn’t feel they were as hopeless as Adagio, but their leader clearly influenced them far more than she should. If they could show that they were willing to change their ways and actually help people, Nymph would allow them to stay.

However, no matter what would happen in the future, Nymph vowed that by the end of it all, Adagio would no longer be around to plague this world.