//------------------------------// // Lessons on Shapeshifting // Story: Protective Broodmate // by CitreneSkys //------------------------------// Thorax groaned as Pharynx dragged him into their shared cave. “You know, you don’t have to do this.” “Yeah, I know that,” Pharynx said through bared teeth. The younger changeling’s wing was snagged by fangs, and Thorax winced as his fragile wing was pulled at. “But you can’t expect me to be fine with the transformation performance you did for class. It was pitiful.” “I already got a verbal bashing from the instructor, I don’t need this too-“ Thorax yelped as Pharynx let go of his wing, his teeth graze on the translucent surface. Pharynx hallowed hoof tapped his black chitinous chest. “Oh, I’m not just going to bash your performance,” the discolored changeling said. For a moment, Thorax was confused. “I’m going to teach you.” “What?” Thorax was not sure how to take that. “Why?” Pharynx let a grim smirk form on his face. Compound violet eyes stared in cyan ones with anticipation. “Well, since our first instructors are doing a horrible job, I thought I’d give you tips instead.” The shorter changeling held his other brother’s gaze, a hollow laugh escaped his throat. “Right, and why would you do that?” “I want you to succeed. Unlike everyling else, I want you to help serve the hive. When we are adult drones, you probably going to be executed first, and as much as I hate to admit it, I like having you around.” Thorax eyes widen at that notion, jaw gaping. Pharynx rolled his eyes, shutting his younger broodmate's jaw with a hoof. “Don’t look surprised, you knew that was coming. Heck, I rehearsed that line because I knew it was coming. We all know.” Thorax giggled, his trills filling the cave with playful energy. “I never thought you’d say it.” “Whatever, we are practicing, remember?” Instantly, with a snap, Thorax's mood soured. Sighing, he let the frown fall onto his face. “Fine.” Thorax sweated as he quickly switched back into his normal form. His tongue held out in exhaustion, licking the air for emotions. His hooves and wings were on fire, and the cold bed cave felt hot and sticky. “How....much....longer....?” Thorax panted our every word, looking up towards Pharynx’s eyes. The older nymph glared disapproving. “This a worse, Thorax you can barely hold your rock form for more than thirty seconds, and that’s compared to the time you turned into a ladybug for an hour! Seriously, are you doing the lessons backward or what?” The black changeling rolled his cyan eyes, wiping his forehead with one hoof. “Doing the ladybug was easy.” “It’s supposed to be easy, but the rock formation is the easiest thing to learn, and you are messing that up? It’s no wonder why you are so bad at keeping a pony form.” “Hey-“ “We know I’m right, don’t even try.” Thorax grumbled under his breath, casting a glance to the side. He knew this wasn’t going anywhere. It wasn’t going to be long before Pharynx gives up. A sudden burst of determined energy took the young nymph by surprise. Looking up, Thorax watched his brother's emotions go from an annoyed, dull orange to bright gold and emerald green. Pharynx stomped his hoof on the ground repeatedly, thinking. “Well, I guess we are in for a long night because you are going to practice until the first light of dawn.” “WHAT?!” Pharynx cocked an eye brown, staring at his brother. “It’s moon high, it’ll only be five hours.” “THAT'S NOT ANY BETTER.” Pharynx rolled his bright violet eyes, looking so done with his younger broodmate. “You’ll get at least four hours of sleep, you’ll be fine.” Thorax let out an exhausted whine but obliged. The next five hours were going to be a painful mess. “Uh...just try to shape yourself into a changeling shaped stone?” Thorax wiped the sweat off his forehead, trying (and still failing) at the rock formation for thirty minutes now. “And this is different...how?” “Well, for starters, turning into a changeling shaped rock won’t put that much strain on your body, considering that all you have to do change your body into stone. Also, because you are so much more difficult to teach the basics. How many grubbling steps do we have to take?!” Pharynx clawed his face in stress, clearly having thought twice about teaching Thorax. Thorax hummed, following Pharynx’s instructions. With some concentration, he disappeared in a flash of cyan fire, leaving behind a scary accurate changeling statue in place. Pharynx nodded slightly. “Now hold that for ten minutes.” Thorax subconsciously nodded, staying still for the duration of the time. His wings wanted to fidget, he wanted to just break from the training, but he did as his brother said. He was almost overjoyed when he finished the ten minutes. Pharynx raised his hoof to signal the time was up, and Thorax immediately switched back to his normal form. “Well, that’s one success out of the two hours we have been training,” Pharynx sighed “Wait- two hours?!” Thorax yelped, his eyes widening. They have been training for that long? “Yeah, but apparently Queen Chrysalis took even longer to learn how to do the basics, so I’d say you one-upped the her.” Thorax gave a shy smile. “Well...I guess...” “Alright, quit talking. Try transforming into a tall rock, around your height. Don’t, make it looks like a changeling.” Groaning, Thorax got back to training. The hours were both tedious, straining, and exercising Thorax’s tear ducts. No, seriously, he wanted to cry. “I’d say you made a week's worth of work in a few hours,” the discolored changeling commented, some pride emitting from his words. Well, I guess that’s a payoff. “Only because you are making me,” Thorax sat off in the corner of the room, letting his exhausted temper leaking into his snarl. It wasn’t loud, but it was noticeable. “I’m probably gonna sleep and forget everything in an hour or two.” “You better not.” Stretching his legs, Thorax let out a low groan. “Just tell me what else.” “Defensive form,” Pharynx deadpanned. Thorax blinked, tilting his head to one side. “The what form?” He asked, scratching head with a hoof. Pharynx shrugged. “Defensive form,” his bolder brother reiterated, looking at him expectingly. “‘Big monster form’ if you want to call it that.” “You mean like when you turn into a giant moth-spider?” “Yep.” “Isn’t that only a transformation for only a skilled and determined changeling could use?” Thorax tapped his chin, wanting to turn in for the night. It was early morning by now, maybe around two or three. Every other changeling nymph should be asleep right now. ”I can do it.” “You have one on one training, that isn’t a discipline, with our instructors all the time. I just managed to pull off the basics.” Pharynx frowned, his wings sagging along his weirdly shaped carapace. “I suppose you have a point,” he took a deep breath. “Fine, you can rest. I expect you to do better in class, though.” “Yes!” Thorax cheered quietly, popping his joints one last time. With a light buzz, he floated himself into his little next. It was made of changeling mucus and lined with a soft sheet of moss and other leaves the older drones in the hive have collected. It was cozy and made Thorax feel safe within the brutal walls of the hive. Pharynx watched over his brother as he let the exhaustion taken over. Sleep claimed him for the night. Thorax waited in front of his instructor, fidgeting his wings. Nervous energy was the pooling of the young changeling, he could see the effects take place on every other nymph in the room. His instructor gazed at the nymph with a hard gaze, their emotion barely surfacing. “I must say, you improved a lot today,” they finally said. Thorax let out a sigh of relief. “I’m surprised. “ Thorax laughed quietly, and awkwardly. He trailed his eyes to the floor, waiting for a follow up on that sentence. Instead, his instructor released him, telling the nymph to go sit with the group. Thorax mentally smiled, his anxiety perishing into the abyss. Bouncing over towards the brood, he sat next to the Pharynx. His brother gave him a proud grin, and Thorax couldn’t help but smile back. “I passed,” he whispered, his wings buzzing quietly. Pharynx simply nodded, turning his attention to the rest of the class. Thorax sat there in silence, glad that the instructor was finally off his tail. His energy was pulsing off the walls, finding a newfound strength. Maybe he could do this after all.