For the longest time, Thorax was completely baffled that this simple pink earth pony had pulled a whole twenty percent of a party out of her mane.
'Who... is this mare?'
But then the world caught up to him as what she said finally computed in his mind. He had expected needing to shake hooves with a tentacled vortex, he had expected a binding oath, he had even expected to sign his name in blood. The last thing he expected was simply drinking punch out of a bowl.
Not that the punch bowl was all that ordinary or inviting.
While the cups and table were just ordinary disposable plastic cups and a foldout table, the bowl was a sight to behold; both elegant yet terrifying. Jet black curved protrusions ribbed the frame, ending in points as a lime green transparent membrane arched inward between them, giving the bowl a lopsided look. The liquid within was a red color and so clear that you could see the bottom of the bowl.
But yet Thorax was captivated by the sight.
"Thorax, darling," Rarity's gentle voice snapped him out of his trance, looking as she approached his left and put a hoof on his shoulder. "Is everything okay?"
"We understand if you are nervous, partner," said Applejack, approaching Thorax's right. "This will be a big change."
"Oh, we are no stranger to change. Changelings, remember," replied Thorax, Rarity and Applejack kinda embarrassed for walking into that one. "I'm just... a little underwhelmed. I was expecting this to be more complicated than simply drinking punch."
"Oh, believe me, this is anything but simple punch," explained Twilight, "This elixir was brewed by Hermaeus Mora himself, and does it contain magical ingredients leveled out in portions that no mortal can comprehend, it even contains a small portion of his essence."
"HUH?" gasped Thorax, slightly worried. "You mean this stuff...?"
"Yes indeedy," said Pinkie, grinning ear to ear as if what was being explained wasn't creepy at all. "This magic potion contains a small portion of old Hermmy's soul."
"And when it becomes part of you, Hermaeus Mora will be able to adapt your bodies into something that can survive independently," explained Fluttershy with a compassionate tone.
Thorax was immediately perturbed.
This was beginning to sound like a bad idea. Doing this would mean ingesting a piece of the creature that killed their queen, and while there was no love lost between them as far as Thorax was concerned, it was an unsettling concept. Not to mention, completely disgusting.
"Isn't there another option?" asked Thorax shakily, casting a single eyed stare at the bowl. "Maybe something Equestrian...?
"I am sorry, Thorax," Celestia interrupted gently. "Nothing from Equestria can help."
"My sister speaks the truth," added Luna, "What would be required to help is simply not available to us. Even the Elements of Harmony would be useless."
That actually should have been obvious before. Twilight and her friends had on said magic jewelry, and it wasn't until now that Thorax noticed them. Though he did not know why they had them, they had not used them in the fight a few minutes ago, they would have used them to help the changelings instead of offer this foreboding liquid, Thorax was sure. Though, now that he thought about it, why hadn't they used them to...
"Oh, come on you," Thorax suddenly found himself airborne, Rainbow having seized him around the middle and was carrying him to the table. "Don't go getting cold hooves," she smirked at herself as she looked at the hole riddled things. "They would probably fall off."
"Wait, but...!" Rainbow deposited Thorax so close to the bowl, his terrified reflection stared up at him from the transparent red fluid. "You know that the only alternative is death, so mare up. Or stallion, whatever. Twilight put you in charge of your hive after Hermaeus Mora knocked Chrysalis on her tail, so it's up to you to be strong and take the plunge for your people."
Rainbow spoke like a drill sergeant, her words reawakening Thorax to the severity of the situation. He needed to be strong for his people. They needed to see him doing this, even now they were watching, looking to him for guidance like they had been for the last three years, until Pharynx opened his big mouth and baited them with the presence of the Equestrian princesses.
They needed to see him proving this was legitimate.
Not that it made the task any easier, the point made clear when Rainbow returned to her friends. When she took off, she passed over the sun (and the moon) and her shadow cast over the bowl and, for the briefest of moments, Thorax saw long black tendrils wiggling through the liquid in the bowl like leeches. It was gone the moment Rainbow's shadow let the light shine fully, and the liquid was once again a light red.
But it proved what Twilight said was true, and it made Thorax that much more nervous.
But he surely didn't have a choice, for at that moment the adrenaline from all the excitement awhile ago wore off and his hunger slammed into him like a falling piano. His whole midsection erupted in fire and he almost collapsed over the table, but caught himself just in time, cringing with one eye open. Suddenly it mattered not how revolting the stuff in the bowl looked.
If it meant he would be rid of this hunger, it could be overripe spinach for all it mattered.
Not fast enough, Thorax grabbed a cup in his green magic, plunged it into the bowl, and downed it, the liquid carrying the taste of red wine down his throat.
---
"Kinda harsh there, Rainbow," said Applejack, giving said pegasus an arched eyebrow. "We kinda need them to gently coast the changeling into this."
"Nopony said it had to be subtle, AJ," said Rainbow, "And look at these guys. At this point, hesitation might get them killed."
They all agreed with that, after three years, who knows how much longer the changelings would hold out.
"Uh guys?" inquired Pinkie, grabbing her company's attention. "He just took a drink."
Looking forward with eagerness, the ponies observed the changeling standing a few feet ahead, who was looking himself over, a cup floating next to him in his magic. Nothing seemed to happen, Thorax giving them all a confused shrug. They were expecting some grand transformation, but did the elixir only change a changeling on the insi...
The cup in Thorax's magic suddenly crumpled as his eyes went wide.
He doubled over, falling on his side, the ponies and Spike watching with both fascination and slight worry as Thorax began to change right before their eyes. The holes in his hooves sealed, becoming unblemished appendages of flawless black chitin that gleamed like polished onix. His horn elongated, becoming a glistening black lance that curved at the tip, looking elegant yet deadly, then the beetle shell beneath his wings receded into his body, leaving polished black chitin.
His tail also became longer, extending out in a black rope that resembled one of Hermaeus Mora's tendrils.
Thorax then began to make noises of discomfort and the reason why was obvious. His body was growing in size, his legs becoming at least three times longer, his body growing in equal proportion. His wings shimmered like rays of sunlight, changing in size and shape, and when they were visible again, Thorax now supported a pair of scaled wings of gigantic size, colored and shaped like the wings of a swallow-tail butterfly.
Oh, they were so beautiful, shimmering black with swirling yellow and blue, Fluttershy squeeing at the sight.
That was when the tranquil mood was broken. Thorax's moaning started sounding slurry and obscured, and when they looked, they were greeted with a grotesque sight. Ropes of gleaming black flesh were connecting Thorax's upper and lower lips together, straining as if to pull them closed.
When they managed to seal the lips together the seam of Thorax's mouth vanished, leaving only nostrils and an elongated muzzle.
Then Thorax unfurled from his fetal position and lay on his back, gasping through his nostrils and exposing the blinking eye of Hermaeus Mora that was situated on his chest, the Draconian Madstone shining above it.
They all watched with horrified fascination as Thorax regained enough composure to stand, his new height on par with Celestia. He felt the new length of his horn, his eyes wide in wonder and horror. Looked to his tail and gave it a few test twitches, until something else seemed to grab his attention.
He brought a hoof up and waved it in front of his chest, the large eye blinking involuntarily.
"Amazing," Thorax's voice sounded whispy and had an echoing quality, seemingly resonating from his entire being. "I... I can see out of my chest!"
"Dude, that's creepy," said Spike as he looked at the blinking eye.
“Oh how marvelous," said Rarity, her and the others surrounding the reborn changeling. "Darling, making an appearance like this look fabulous is a fashionista's greatest challenge, but you pull it off effortlessly."
"I ain't one to care about color, but you look awesome," said Rainbow, tapping Thorax's horn with a hoof, only to shout in pain and shake said hoof. "Super sharp, got it."
"We need to mark today," said a thrilled Pinkie as she ran in a circle around Thorax. "Such a transformation, you have to have been reborn. TODAY IS YOUR NEW BIRTHDAY."
"Boy howdy," said Applejack excitedly, grabbing Thorax's tail to examine it. "Now ya got your own built in lasso."
Thorax sent her an uncomfortable look and she put the tail down with a nervous grin.
"Oh, how beautiful" said Fluttershy, eyes tearing up as she looked at the iridescent wings. "My butterfly friends would be so jealous."
"I was expecting a lot but not this," said Shining Armour, his seriousness slightly diminishing. "He actually doesn't look half bad."
"Would you like me to dye my coat black, dear?" joked Cadance, Shining showing her a look of shock and dread.
"Quite the transformation, huh sis?" inquired Luna to Celestia.
"Indeed," agreed Celestia with equal parts fascination and unease. "Hermaeus Mora... his power must be great.
It was time for Twilight to say something, but she hadn't praise to voice.
"Thorax?" inquired Twilight, walking up and looking up into his lime green eyes. "How do you feel? Is everything okay?"
Thorax brought up a hoof to his mouth(or where his mouth used to be) and felt the flawless skin, no trace of lips or teeth remaining. Anypony else would have been freaked out by the loss, but after all the pain and suffering he had endured, even such a loss would be tolerable. If only that were so.
The hunger still burned in his soul like an uncontrolled forest fire.
"It didn't work," Thorax echoed in despair. "The hunger... it’s still..."
A flash of purple magic interrupted the distraught changeling, a book floating in Twilight's magic appearing before him.
The book was a plain red, and most people would have been put off by the word 'algebra' stamped on the cover. But Thorax looked at it like a foal would their birthday cake, and the look in his eyes told them that if he still had a mouth, he would be drooling. Spike wasn't the only surprised to see someone where a look like that who wasn't Twilight.
Speaking of Twilight, said unicorn had to dive out of the way as the much larger than her now changeling pounced on the book like a wolf for meat.
They all watched as he ripped the pages open, his eyes glued to the paper as the book levitated in his green magic. He turned the pages within his magic, slowly at first, but as the seconds rolled by his turning got faster, complicated equations and numbers dancing in his pupiless eyes. By the time he reached the end, the pages were moving so fast the book had started smoking.
'Drip
A single tear landed in the dry dust beneath Thorax.
'Drip 'Drip 'Drip
'Drip 'Drip 'Drip
'Drip 'Drip 'Drip
Followed by several others.
"It's gone," the echoing quality of his voice only added to the emotional euphoria experience Thorax was having. "THE HUNGER IS GONE!"
He flapped his new wings to get airborne, turning to face his fellow changelings.
"Do you hear that, my changeling brethren!" Thorax half shouted, in too much of an emotional state to shout fully. "The elixir works...The elixir works, my hunger is gone! The Equestrians came through for us. We no longer have to..."
The rest of his words were drowned out when the changelings stampeded towards the bowl on the table, surrounding the whole thing and knocking Pinkie's cups everywhere.
"Told you the cups were pointless," said Pinkie to Rarity, watching as the cups were carried towards the distant trench on the wind.
"Hey, I believe in having tact wherever you go," rebutted Rarity win a smug huff.
After a few minutes of fussing and dog piling, the changelings finally backed away from the table, which was seemingly completely undisturbed, despite the brutal treatment.
And same as Thorax, they began to transform, growing whip like tails, losing the beetle shell and holes in their legs, sprouting swallowtail wings, and having their mouths disappear. The difference was that they all grew long tendrils from their muzzles, dangling like beards. They also didn't have eyes on their chests.
As with Thorax, they all still supported looks of deep hunger.
"Fret not, y'all," said Applejack, turning to the Princesses, "We know what ya need."
All three alicorns nodded in approval, lighting their horns. In a flash, a book shelf materialized before all. The changelings pounced on it with such force that it was knocked over, Celestia having to rip the books from the falling end. But they too, were swarmed by changelings.
"Ah say," said Applejack, tilting her head. "School colts and fillies could learn a thing or two from these guys."
"Mmhmm," said Pinkie.
"You said it," agreed Rarity.
"I don't know how to thank you for this," they all turned to see Thorax approach, his gait so much more graceful with his new height. "If you hadn't..."
His gratitude was cut off when he seemed to notice something in the distance, and when Twilight and the others looked they could only face hoof (or claw).
Pharynx lay a short distance away, unchanged and still a normal changeling, watching the others gorge themselves on literature. His scowl was menacing, but the tears flowing from his eyes lessened its bite. And it was even more unsettling for Thorax.
He had never seen people cry before.
"Pharynx?" said Thorax calmly, his new form allowing him to tower over the other changeling as he approached cautiously. "I know you didn't want this, but..."
"Kill me," the whisper was barely audible, but had an arctic air to it. "Just kill me."
Thorax jumped back as if struck, but a strength blossomed in his eyes, so new to his character that it almost illuminated out his shiny chitin. "No."
"You were going to," snapped Pharynx, much to the tall changelings surprise. "Did you really believe I didn't notice that rock aimed at my head?"
"That was different," said Thorax strongly, something inside boosting his confidence and the little meek he had always been vanished for good. "I felt that it was you or the hive, and don't think I would not have regretted it."
"Than regret it," snapped Pharynx, looking to the reading changelings with disgust. "I will never become like them.
---
"This is getting tiresome," said Twilight, all her friends nodding in agreement.
"What is his problem?" commented Pinkie, blowing her poofy mane in annoyance. "I have met all types of party poopers in my day, but this guy takes the cake."
"And all the candles too," added Spike, rolling up a non-existent sleeve. "I have half a mind to..."
A sensation that they were slowly getting used to erupted in them again, the ponies' Cutie Marks acting up again.
"Oh no!" gasped Luna worriedly.
"What on Earth is he going to do now?" asked Celestia, almost on the verge of fear.
"Don't panic," said Spike reassuringly, "He isn't as aggravated this time."
That seemed to be enough to calm the royals, but something was about to happen.
"PHARYNX!" shouted Applejack, Thorax and Pharynx giving her their attention, though Pharynx scowled at her. "PARTNER, YOU ARE MAKING HERMAEUS MORA KINDA ANGRY!"
"WHAT?!" Screamed Thorax in terror.
"Good," said Pharynx with a submissive tone, "Maybe he will finish what you can't."
"PHARYNX, please..." started Thorax, but was interrupted by the arrival of Twilight.
"Pharynx, you don't understand," said Twilight, her tone panicky. "Hermaeus Mora wants all remaining changelings under his command, including you."
"NEVER!" hissed Pharynx, not even bothering to stand. "I serve no one but our queen, least of all the murdering demon who took her from us."
"Like I said, you don't understand," said Twilight, her pupils shrinking and sweat forming on her head. "You can't just say no to a Daedric Prince..."
But it would seem like Hermaeus Mora was through waiting.
Multiple whirlpools materialized around Pharynx, multiple tendrils wrapping up his limbs and hoisting him into the air.
"Pharynx!" said Thorax as he watched a tendril wrap around Pharynx's mouth.
"Come on, get back," Twilight teleported herself and Thorax back to the group were she and all her friends had to restrain him with a pony pile.
"Let me go!" huffed the tall changeling under the ponies. "I can't let him die!"
"He won't, partner," said Applejack, restraining Thorax around the middle. "Hermaeus Mora isn't going to let any more of your kind die."
"Yeah, he wants all of you," explained Pinkie from atop Thorax's head. "But I can say that he can be a little pushy."
It became clear what she was talking about when another tendril extruded from one of the portals, and they all saw Pharynx face it with an accepting look on his bound muzzle. But the appendage didn't attack him. No, it pick up a plastic cup from the ground.
Pharynx suddenly became afraid and renewed his struggling once the tendril dipped the cup in the punch bowl (whose contents had not been depleted, despite all who drank from it already) and began extending to him.
"NO!" screamed Pharynx as a tendril began forcing his jaw apart. "I will not..."
And the cup emptied its red liquid into his mouth before it was sealed shut by a tentacle, the other changelings who were now watching could not help but feel a slight glee at the one who had refused to help them get force fed like a baby.
But Pharynx wasn't giving up without a fight. His cheeks bulged as he refused to swallow the elixir. Twilight watched from the pile on Thorax as little tendrils extended, cringing in revolution and pity as the stuck themselves up Pharynx's nostrils with a crunch.
But he still wouldn't swallow, his face turning blue from lack of air.
"GGGGGRRRRRAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
The growl of aggravation echoed through the Badlands, one of Hermaeus Mora's tendrils striking out and whipping across Pharynx's flank. It did the trick. The sharp pain was enough for Pharynx to swallow involuntarily.
And to say his transformation was different would be an understatement.
A sheen of rippling air surrounded Pharynx while he twitched and moaned on the ground, making it appear as if they were looking at his reflection in a body of water that was being hounded by wind and rain. Parts sprouted on him as he squirmed, his form growing longer as time crawled by. The sight would be intolerable to someone with a weak constitution.
As well as the result.
Fluttershy let out a bloodcurdling scream and went as stiff as a statue.
The conglomeration of insect parts before them was a truely gruesome sight to behold.