“Thorax!” Twilight practically squealed in delight from her place by the mouth of her cave. Thorax smiled at her, touching down a few feet away from her. She was looking surprisingly healthy, all things considered, and the cheerful smile on her face lit a comforting fire in his heart.
“Twilight!” he greeted in response, his own lips pulled back into an enormous grin. He cantered forward to meet her, the two wrapping each other up in a warm, friendly embrace.
The two stayed like that for a few seconds. Twilight pulled back, smiling at him and looking into his eyes. “I was so worried about you! What took you so long?” she asked, looking him over for any signs of damage.
“I’m sorry for the delay,” he said, his smile fading. “Some… bad things happened at the Hive. I had to get through all of that first.”
Twilight’s own smile fell away, and he could taste the cold, bitter flavor of sorrow on the tip of his tongue. Thorax winced guiltily as a few waves of dark blue drifted off of the unicorn in his hooves. A pony as friendly and nice as her should never have a reason to be sad, especially not because of someone as pathetic as him.
“Are you alright?” she eventually asked, placing a hoof on his chest.
Thorax nodded. “I think so, yeah. I’m tired, stiff, and sore, but… but I’m okay,” he said. He looked her over, noticing that his earlier observation wasn’t quite as accurate as he had thought. She had lost a few pounds by the looks of things. In fact… were those her ribs he was seeing in her coat?
Suddenly feeling anxious, Thorax swallowed the lump in his throat. “W-what about you? How have you been holding up?”
Twilight looked down, her stomach audibly gurgling. “I’m… surviving,” she said quietly, her ears drooping. “It’s hard, Thorax. I don’t know how you do it…”
Thorax put on a reassuring smile. “Honestly? Neither do I. But hey, if you’re surviving, then that’s a good thing, right?”
Twilight gave off a quiet hum before standing up and making her way back inside. Thorax followed after her. His eyes were once more drawn to her barrel. The way the light struck her fur from this angle made her skinniness look even worse as if the shadows cast by her ribs were growing darker and more profound.
“So…” Twilight said once they got to the back of the cave, her horn flickering weakly into life. The firepit sparked, a small flame coming into existence. She turned to face him, the flickering firelight illuminating her dull, tired eyes. “I… I hate to ask, but… did you bring the dinner you promised?”
Thorax looked down and sighed. “I… I’m sorry, but no. I couldn’t. The situation at the Hive… it’s complicated.”
Twilight hummed. She slowly sat down in front of the fire. Thorax frowned, noticing how her forelegs seemed to tremble under her weight. “I understand…” she mumbled, closing her eyes. Her stomach gurgled again, louder this time. “I don’t know how you do it, Thorax… I really, really don’t.”
Thorax wilted. She sounded so sad… and so tired. Her voice was low and quiet, each word dragging on far more than he was used to. How much had she been eating? She looked so skinny, almost emaciated.
“H-hey… I’m sure it’ll be okay,” he said with forced optimism. “I can try and pick up some food for you next time I come to visit, o-or I can go get some right now if you’d like. It won’t be a big fancy meal, but, uh…”
Twilight looked down to the point her eyes were hidden by her dirty mane. She gave off a weak, dry sigh. “...I just don’t know how you do it,” she rasped before a hoof flew up to her mouth. Thorax gasped as a series of horrid, dry coughs ravaged her system.
“Twilight?” he asked, his heart starting to hammer against his chest. He stepped closer and placed his hoof on her back.
Bone.
Thorax withdrew his hoof, gasping. His stomach twisted with horror when he realized he could see Twilight’s spine through her back. His breaths started to come faster, each one shaking with unease. Twilight was practically a twig, and he realized now that he hadn’t misunderstood how skinny she had gotten. Her body was slowly shriveling up with every moment that passed.
“T-Twilight?!” he repeated, reaching down and gingerly grasping one of her shoulders. He winced. She felt dry and sticky, like leather left out in the sun too long. “Twilight, what’s going on?! Are you okay?!”
“I just don’t know how to survive out here…” she whispered, looking up at him. Thorax pulled away, his stomach churning with revulsion and shock. Her eyes had gone dull, losing their color alongside the rest of her body. Her cheeks were beginning to sink into her face, allowing him to make out the contours of her skull. “Why…? Why did you take so long?”
Thorax took a step back, his heart hammering against his chest with a ferocity he had never felt before. He was starting to panic, his eyes darting this way and that as he struggled to find a solution. “I… I-I didn’t mean to, I swear!” he pleaded.
Twilight did not seem convinced. She stiffly walked toward him, all but devoid of color and muscle now. Her eyes bored into his, those hollow, empty, dead eyes. They drilled into his very soul, causing him to back away until his hind legs pressed against the cave wall. Twilight continued her slow advance. She spoke again, her voice a whispered rasp that implied she had no moisture left in her. “You abandoned me… you left me all by myself… I thought you were my friend…”
“I am!” he pleaded desperately, pressing himself back against the wall, trying to cower away from her. “Please, I’m sorry!”
Twilight craned her neck down to be in his face. Her rancid breath filled his nostrils, and he had to resist the urge to gag. It was like sniffing at a carcass that had been left in the sun for too long. Fetid and putrid and nauseating.
Twilight slowly blinked, her eyelids sticking together for a moment before coming apart with a sickening smack. “Friends don’t abandon each other…” she mumbled into his ear, filling his heart with stone and his eyes with tears.
And then she crumbled. Thorax’s watched, petrified as Twilight Sparkle turned to dust before his eyes. She dissolved, her body being whisked away by an unfelt breeze. Her remains fell to the floor, becoming indistinguishable from the sand that blanketing the cave entrance.
“T-Twilight…” Thorax choked out, his heart dropping into the bottom of his belly. He reached out, his hooves catching the last few particles of dust that had once been his only friend in the whole world. The friend he had left all on her own. The pony who had trusted him. The pony he abandoned…
“There was never any other way this could end, you know,” the voice of Pharynx said from the mouth of the cave. “If you really thought you could have ever helped her make it out of here, then you really need to open your eyes to the world and wake up.”
Thorax turned to him, tears rolling down his cheeks. “Pharynx… I… I just…”
Pharynx strode into the cave, his hooves deliberately brushing through the stray dust. “You just what? Did you want a friend? You wanted to do something nice for someone?” he guessed. He snarled and slammed his fist into the side of Thorax’s head, sending him sprawling to the floor in a heap. “Wake up, Thorax. That isn’t your lot, and you know it.”
Thorax curled into a ball, covering his head with his hooves. It was no use. He couldn’t keep it in. He began to weep hysterically into the floor, his body ravaged by violent shudders.
Pharynx scoffed over him. “This is your lot. The sniveling, crying, pathetic whelp of the Hive. The disgraceful runt who can’t stand up for himself, who stole from his kin, and who dragged me down with him. How many more times will you screw everything up before I finally run out of patience with you? How long before we all Wake Up to the worthless waste of chitin you are?!”
Thorax cried out when he felt his brother’s hoof tightly forcing itself into his back, between his shoulders. Pinned to the ground, he could do nothing but wail and scream. Pharynx leaned down until his lips were by his ear. “Wake up, Thorax. It’s time to face the truth.”
Thorax finally cracked open an eye and looked up at his brother.
“Wake up.”
“I said wake up, you moron!”
Thwack.
“Gyah!” Thorax yipped when a hard hoof slapped across the back of his head. He sat bolt upright in an instant, his eyes darting frantically around while struggling to calm down his frantic, labored gasps.
He was in one of the many sleeping chambers of the Hive. It was a long, vaguely cockroach shaped room. The lighting was minimal, provided by two small resin lamps that were stuck to the walls in the middle of the chamber. The floor was smooth, although there were the occasional grooves worn into it.
“You were having a nightmare,” Pharynx finally said, drawing Thorax’s attention. The older drone gave him a hard stare. “And you were getting loud…”
Thorax sucked down another lungful of air before looking down at the ground. “I… I’m s-sorry,” he managed to stammer out as he got his breath under control.
“Oh, for the love of…” Pharynx grumbled before smacking Thorax on the shoulder, lighter this time. “Stop apologizing for every little thing. You’re not going to earn any respect back that way.”
After a few moments, Pharynx sighed and hauled Thorax to his hooves, ignoring the younger drone’s protests. “Now come on,” he said simply. “I have work to do, and I can’t leave you alone.”
Thorax gave a shaky nod but didn’t say anything. Pharynx stared at him for several seconds, his expression contorting. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then shook his head and turned to the wall, opening a passage. The two stepped out of the empty sleeping chamber, making their way for the Warrior’s Nest.
Thorax didn’t say anything. The only sound was the grinding of stone and their hooves clopping gently against the rocky floor. Thorax allowed himself to get lost in his thoughts, the constant white noise oddly soothing. His mind went back to his dream, and he couldn’t suppress his shudder. Now more than ever, he was scared for Twilight’s well being. She was getting better at surviving, yes, but there were still so many things she had no clue how to handle, and there was only so much in the way of food where she was.
What if she got sick again? Or what if she ran into another Tatzlwurm? Or a Stonepecker? Or any of the other dangerous animals that called this sun-forsaken landscape their home? Was she mad at him for leaving her like this? Would she understand if he ever saw her again? Would she hate him for being a despicable thief? Or would it be because her so-called-friend had abandoned her when she was counting on him?
“You were mumbling to yourself in your sleep, you know,” Pharynx suddenly spoke up, startling Thorax out of his reverie.
“H-huh?”
Pharynx glanced back at him over his shoulder. “Don’t make me repeat myself. You heard,” he said impatiently before looking ahead again. He slowed his pace to something a little more leisurely and lowered his voice, despite the two being alone in their personal tunnel. “You kept apologizing for something… and you kept going on and on about twilight of all things.”
Thorax’s heart skipped a beat, his blood going cold. “Uh… I d-did?” he asked anxiously.
Pharynx came to a stop and turned to look at him. “Yeah, you did. What were you dreaming about?”
Thorax gaped at Pharynx for several moments, his brain struggling to find an appropriate answer. He could lie and say he didn’t remember, but somehow, he had a feeling Pharynx wouldn’t buy that. He’d need something a little more compelling…
“I… W-well, you see… I…” he began, trying and failing to find the words.
Before he could truly get started, however, a rumbling sound passed through the Hive. Thorax blinked, his ears perking up. “W-what was that?”
Pharynx frowned, looking up. “I’m not sure… come on,” he said, continuing down the tunnel at a brisker pace. Thorax followed along, struggling to match the soldier’s pace set by his brother.
The two emerged into the Warrior’s Nest a few minutes later to find the place was in an uproar. Drones were flying to and fro, shouting to be heard over the chest-rattling buzzing of their wings. There was a palpable tension in the air, and Thorax shrank down. Something was wrong, he could feel it.
“Pharynx, sir!” a drone called out on catching sight of the duo. He came to a landing in front of them and threw a salute.
“Report,” Pharynx ordered. “What’s going on.”
The drone’s eyes fell on Thorax. “S-sir… Protoc-”
“Finish that sentence, and I’ll be taking your horn as a toothpick,” Pharynx cut him off, his purple eyes narrowing dangerously. “Just spill it.”
The drone stiffened but did not offer any further protest. He straightened up and spoke clearly, albeit with notable unease. “A giant Tatzlwurm attacked the Praetors by the main entrance. The entrance took significant damage, and the praetors were both wounded, but they were able to chase off the beast before it could cause any more damage.”
“A Tatzlwurm?!” Thorax echoed in alarm.
“Is it raining?” Pharynx asked.
“Yes, sir, as of about thirty minutes ago. It’s a downpour. The weather scouts are expecting it to last for the whole day, if not longer.”
Pharynx scowled. “Guh. Go figure…” he growled before turning to Thorax. “Sit still and be quiet,” he commanded.
Thorax fell to his haunches and obediently clamped his jaw shut.
Satisfied, Pharynx turned back to the chamber. “Hey! Stop buzzing around and form up!” he shouted, his voice carrying effortlessly over the swarm. In a manner of seconds, the drones were all coming to a landing in front of him, forming up into even rows and standing at attention.
A few seconds passed before Pharynx nodded to himself and spoke up. “Good. Now, I have just been informed that the Hive was attacked a moment ago by a Tatzlwurm, and, that there is currently a downpour taking place outside our walls. You all know what that means. We have work to do.”
“Sir, yes sir!” the drones replied in unison.
“Seeing as we were attacked, I think it’s safe to assume the Tatzlwurm’s are getting bold. Let’s dissuade them. I want drones stationed in the air around the Hive, providing assistance and support to the Queen’s Praetors as needed. Spiracle, Trachea, each of you pick six drones and get to it.
The two named drones threw sharp salutes. “Sir, yes, sir!”
“The rest of you, this will be the same as normal. We are heading out into the wastes to locate any worms getting a little too adventurous in the storm and drive them away from our food. But if this is a downpour, the worms are going to be angrier and more dangerous than normal. I want teams of five instead of three, at a minimum.”
“Sir, yes, sir!”
Pharynx nodded. “Good. Remember to come back to the Hive and swap out for a different squad at a later time. I won’t have any of my warriors dropping due to exhaustion. We’re better than that. Does everyone understand their orders?!”
Once again, the soldiers voiced their understanding, but there was one who lifted his hoof. Pharynx nodded at him. “What?”
The drone lowered his hoof to point at Thorax. “What about you and him, sir?”
Pharynx hesitated. He glanced back at Thorax, his expression conflicted. Thorax stared back at him, a lump forming in his throat. Thorax wasn’t technically supposed to leave the Hive without the queen’s permission, wasn’t he? But Pharynx was expected to lead one of the squads heading out to deal with the situation.
“Go on without me,” he wanted to say. “Find someone you trust to watch me and go. I’ll be okay.”
“Just leave him here,” Someone else’s voice called from somewhere in the crowd in unknowing agreement. “The thief’ll just cause trouble.”
Pharynx’s eyes narrowed. He turned back to the crowd and spread his wings. “No. I will take Thorax with me.”
“Sir, with all due respect,” the drone continued carefully. “He is a thief. A criminal.”
“Yes, he is,” Pharynx answered bluntly. “One who stole from the Hive for several days before making a mistake and getting caught. The queen saw fit to spare him for his skill, and so this is his chance to start making up for his crimes. He will serve as my eyes, ears, and my scout.”
Thorax’s ear twitched. Somewhere in that assembly of drones, he heard Scorpion scoff.
“Wait, are you going out there with him alone?!” another drone asked incredulously.
“Yes, I am,” Pharynx replied. “Is there a point to your question, or are you wasting everyone’s time?”
Thorax’s eyes widened. Going out into the badlands with Pharynx… just the two of them? No one else? If he weren’t still so skinny from when the queen drained him, he might have been excited by the chance.
“Sir…” the drone that had spoken up tried to speak.
“If you have any problems with how I choose to run my swarm, then please…” Pharynx began, lowering his voice to a threatening growl. “By all means. Speak up. I’m all ears…”
A chilling hush fell over the room. Thorax watched as all of the assembled warriors looked at anything other than their commanding officer. In all honestly, it was truly terrifying how much respect Pharynx commanded, even more so when he got angry. Thorax didn’t get to see it often, and this time somehow felt even more serious than every time before it…
His mind briefly wandered back to Pharynx’s expression of loyalty and care not long ago, and his heart warmed up. “He’s protecting me… from them,” he realized after a moment, and a tiny smile appeared on his face.
“No one?” Pharynx asked, feigning disappointment. “A shame… You’re all dismissed!”
There was a moment of silence before the drones began to disperse to follow their orders. Pharynx observed them for a few moments before turning back to Thorax. “Get up. We’re going.”
Thorax complied, standing up. “Pharynx… are you sure about this?” he asked quietly, leaning in so only his brother could hear him.
Pharynx nodded. “If you think I’m leaving you all alone in this hive with this sorry lot, then you really need a wake-up call,” he said coldly. “Now come on. We have work to do.”
Thorax didn’t get to reply. Pharynx snapped out his wings and took to the air, flying up and through a newly formed hole in the wall of the Warrior’s Nest. Thorax stood still for a second before shaking the surprise away and taking off after his brother.
As they went, he couldn’t help but wonder if he would get a chance to contact Twilight out there. With Pharynx breathing down his neck, he probably wouldn’t get to speak with her, but maybe he could leave her a clue…?
“I won’t abandon you,” he thought, his brow hardening as a new sense of resolve came over him. “I won’t abandon my only friend.”