//------------------------------// // The Rabbit on One Hoof... // Story: Two Nymphs, One Pony // by CitreneSkys //------------------------------// Pharynx sighed. He was not enjoying it here.  Sure, the winged mare was nice and all, but the new environment was jarring. It was way too bright, had none of the constant buzzing that he had gotten used to, and there was no danger to fight against. Well, the last thing was a relief. He didn’t have to protect Thorax from being harassed or potentially stabbed by another changeling, harsh weather, or Timberwolves, so it should be fine. However, the nymph was getting antsy. He needed to stretch his legs out; he needed to do something; he needed to stop sitting on the couch and curling into a cushion. His ear twitched as Thorax called out to him. “I’m going to see what Fluttershy’s doing, I’ll be back soon!”  “Fine...” Pharynx sighed, turning onto his belly scutes. His little brother smiled at him, before clicking the door closed. ...leaving the colorful changeling with nothing to do but wait. ”At least the hive let us spar!” ”No, don’t think about that place,” he hissed to himself. He shuddered, shaking his head. Looking around the brightly lit room, he hopped off the couch. Chitinous hooves landed on the hard wooden floor, making loud clicking sounds against the floorboards. He pretended he didn’t see the ferrets or the birds looking at him. Their beady eyes weren’t watching him, no! They were totally not judging. Rummaging around under the couch, he took out a hidden stash of paper he had found the day before. It was similar to the parchment the hive had, which he had doodled on when he got bored. ”There was a piece of graphite around here somewhere,” he thought, searching the living room. It wasn’t long before he found a long piece of writing graphite on the floor. He never did understand why there was wood or metal or...whatever the pink thing was, on it. Seemed like a waste of resources. Levitating it with violet magic, he drew a small circle in the center of the page. Within a few minutes, Pharynx began to sketch out a fairly detailed Timberwolf, trying to remember what it looked like from memory. “Did it have twelve or thirteen teeth?” he wondered out loud, trying to rack his brain. Both seemed to look out of place, but he really couldn’t remember. Thump Thump Pharynx nearly jumped out of his chitin as he turned his head. Fluttershy’s...pet? Pet, was looking at him with a glare. The nymph hissed, trying to scare it away. He was surprised when the bunny spat at him. Wiping away the spit, he took a defensive stance. He was offended when he realized the rabbit was laughing at him. His ears flattened against his head. The rabbit picked up the piece of paper he had drawn on, inspecting it as if it was on a museum wall. Then, as if nothing shamed this rabbit, he began to tear up the paper, making sure that Pharynx saw. He was speechless. Never in his life did he think he would get mad at a rabbit. Changelings? Sure. Fluttershy? Maybe.  But a rabbit? Over a piece of paper?! He admitted, he was getting a little worked up. Taking a deep breath, he gathered the rest of his paper and placed it back under the couch. The colorful changeling tried to ignore the white bunny as much as he could, taking it when the rabbit started to kick him. Fluttershy would probably throw them out if he attacked her so beloved pet.  So he tanked it. After all, he’d survived worse. It wasn’t like one rabbit could do much harm. Even if he was a total jerk. Pharynx trotted back over to the couch, the couch that he had now claimed. It was where he sat all day, it was his now. Buzzing his violet wings, he floated himself onto a cushion. He did like that it was soft, much softer than any nest he’d ever had. He would have loved to curl up into the corner and forget he existed, but a certain scratching noise wouldn’t let him. The rabbit was still trying to get at him.  With an annoyed glare, he pushed all the cushions towards the edge of the couch. Pulling the large, red blanket from the table, he draped it over his body, barricading himself. He closed his eyes, wishing for the rabbit to go away. To be done with him. To leave. He gasped when he felt someone stomp on his wings. Hissing, he threw off the blanket, glaring at the rabbit. The white bunny stuck his tongue out, yammering in his rabbit talk...like he was taunting him. ”What do you want?!” Pharynx hissed in his head, growling with bared teeth. His patience was running thin, and it wasn’t high to begin with. The little string in his mind holding him together was close to snapping, and he was about to murder this rabbit. The small bunny didn’t seem fazed, hopping off the couch. Pharynx sighed as he laid his head down again before he felt the sharp end of the graphite kicked at his head. Wincing, he touched his forehead. There might be a scrape up there, but it wasn’t bleeding. With a growl, he leaped at the rabbit, tackling it to the ground. He hissed as he felt the rabbit’s claws rake his cheek, a warm trickle of red dripping down his chitin. With his front incisors, he grabbed the rabbit by the scruff and flung him against the wall. He honestly didn’t care when it cried out in pain. That was when the door creaked.  “Pharynx! We’re ba—“ Thorax stopped, looking at the scene in front of him. Just behind the cyan changeling stood the winged mare, who was just as perplexed. All they saw was Pharynx and the rabbit, and the rabbit was cowering against the wall. The colorful changeling was paused mid-hiss. ”Cocoon slime!” “What is going on?” Fluttershy’s voice was stern, stepping forth. ”I’m screwed.”