//------------------------------// // New Eras are Never Easy, King Thorax // Story: The King of Love Bugs // by NavelColt //------------------------------// Thorax stirred. The scent of firewood and parchment tickled his nose. He could feel the familiar cushion cradling his body, as well as Apex lying beneath his chin. His ears twitched. Steady breathing came from somewhere nearby. It was consistent with the warm coat pressed against his legs. Thorax smiled. Perhaps everypony was still asleep. After all, there was no light bathing him and demanding that he begin his day. No changelings were poking him for attention, nor was there any older brother teasing him for kicks. For now, all was tranquil, and the night (or early morning) was his to enjoy. He started listening more closely. He could make out the sleep-induced noises of his drones, their auras calm and fuzzy—a sure sign of unconsciousness. Beyond that was the hissing of snakes, or maybe the squeaking of mice. No, that couldn't be right. Were they voices? With a jolt, Thorax rose his head and peered past Twilight's form. Blurred silhouettes moving in the dark confirmed his suspicions. He wasn’t the only one conscious. The changelings cuddling with the royal sisters were aloof to the hushed spat taking place mere inches above their heads. "Sister, it is almost eight." "It is. What a fine time to sleep in with our guests." "You'll get no objections from me, but need I remind you of your calling? Starting everypony else's day?" "Oh, but it's such a tiring thing." The outline of Luna's snout twitched. "We literally exchanged the celestial bodies in tandem while cuddling changelings not nine hours ago, and you are a morning pony by literal definition." Celestia giggled. Even in the dark, her smile was quite radiant. "Even princesses deserve a break. How does the old saying go? 'The sun isn't up, so neither am I'?" Luna scoffed. "And they call me the immature one." Celestia hummed. She raised her head, and her mane stretched like a shimmering canopy to cover her snoozing drones from element or harm. "Even if I did want to engage in your cruel scheme to wake them up preemptively, you know the rules as well as I do, Luna. The Solar Cycle Proclamation states that the sun may be expected to rise no earlier than four and no later than eight, depending on the time of year or other complications. We have minutes to spare." Luna huffed in hollow defiance. She then yawned and placed her chin on the back of the nearest changeling she could find. Labrum's shell seemed to slowly vibrate in response. The princess smiled. "Your platform is for an extension of only a few minutes? Ancient magics above and below, why do I even bother? Do as you will, sister. Far be it for me to advise you when we are technically within your realm of day." Before long, she'd fallen back asleep. Celestia's mane adopted all motion in the room for quite some time, an eerie river of dim colors floating in a relative black void. "Ponies will surely understand if I'm distracted by adorable changelings. I'm sure you can relate, Thorax." Thorax's heart skipped a beat. When had the princess noticed him, let alone looked in his direction? He'd been looking at her distant form nearly the entire time. Alicorns really were magical creatures. "I can relate, but trust me, you shouldn't let them get too comfortable," Thorax warned affably. On impulse, he found Apex's small shell with his hoof and stroked it. "Some changelings will sleep all day if given a chance. Twilight saw it for herself when she visited, and Pharynx and I had some arguments about how to deal with it when it first became a problem. Cluster sleep is a bit like eating, sleeping, and having a blanket over you all at the same time. It's addictive if you don't have self-control." Celestia laughed. A few bodies murmured and shifted. "Never have I felt so distraught, not having been born a changeling. Every one of you is just a bundle of warmth now, aren't you?" It was Thorax's turn to laugh, though it was far tamer. "Well, that's really kind of you to say. Not everyling is, but I like to think I've gotten the changelings to care more about others and each other. I do think cluster napping has really made a difference in bringing us together, more than any of our other activities." Suddenly, Celestia’s horn lit, bringing her smile into the light. From beyond the distant horizon, deep orange sunlight washed over the mountaintops and reflected off the peaks of snow. It charged down the slopes and swept along the valleys of Ponyville, and all the way to Canterlot's front gates. "Even after everything you've accomplished, you still sound modest, Thorax. I wonder what it’ll take to show you the impact you've had on your subjects' lives." Thorax inhaled, and the light bathed him at last, warming the breath fresh in his chest. The dawn filtered through the stained glass windows like a kaleidoscope. Changelings continued to stir in their sleep, and their eyelids defiantly clenched to spite the caress of the morning's star. Thorax watched the solar princess with intrigue. With the shadows now banished, he could see that her large wings had been extended to lay across the changelings at her sides. Her head rose to meet his gaze proper, and she offered a wink and a display of dimples. Again, a wave of familiarity tickled the alpha's mind. Swap the monarchs, and it was a mirror image of their first meeting. The occupying hive leader, clustered with several snoozing drones, and the visiting alicorn seeking a closer political relationship. Just how many similarities had there been on this visit already? Thorax observed his own sleeping nymph. Those subtle pats had not roused him, so Thorax grew more daring. He moved around in his cushion as if searching for the cold side, his weight causing the bean bag’s surface to shift. When Apex twisted about in reply, Thorax beamed. He closed his eyes and allowed himself another moment of bliss. Oh, yes. Cluster sleep was addictive, and he was the undisputed leader of ‘Cuddler's Unanonymous’. "Thorax, I have an idea, and I want to relay it to you before I involve Twilight and my sister." "Oh, sure. Go ahead. I'm all ears." His will to ensure Apex's continued rest dwindled dangerously. More hugs were to be had, and the best ones could only be claimed while he was awake. "Your speech at the museum yesterday was truly inspiring." Celestia’s changelings started to move about under her wings and ruffle her layers of feathers. And when some changelings roused, all of them did. Yawns and groans came from all directions, even from Pharynx who audibly mimicked an irritable grizzly. Celestia found amusement in all of them. "Thorax, before you leave this afternoon, I’d love for you to join myself, my sister, and Princess Twilight in addressing the ponies of Canterlot," she explained. She nodded in reply when Thorax's head shot up frantically. "Not so long ago, I addressed Canterlot and told them of our efforts to forge relations with the changelings, now under new leadership. That speech was recorded in transcript and sent to every corner of Equestria. You see where I'm going with this, I assume?" Oh, no. Thorax grimaced. Within moments, changeling heads sprung up to locate him and his broadcasted distress. They crawled out of alicorn wings and pulled themselves up before joining their alpha where he sat. "You want me to give a speech about the changelings and send it across Equestria?" Celestia shook her head. "All I would ask is that you give a brief speech, Thorax. Leave recording and distribution to us." Thorax twitched nervously. Several changelings stood on their back hooves to hug him desperately. "Deep breaths, Thorax," Apidae instructed. "Don't worry. You can totally give a speech to the city ponies!" Calor said. "Yeah, and if you can't, we'll just throw Calor out there, and he can pretend to be you." Calor glared at Xenica, but only for a moment.  "Less preferable, but yeah, I could totally be you, Thorax. I've practiced." "I believe it would be a fitting endnote to these initial efforts of yours to reach out in Equestria, Thorax, as well as a welcoming statement to those nations you've yet to visit," Celestia added reassuringly. "A state-wide address in Equestria will be news for the dragons, the hippogriffs, the yaks, and the griffons. You can make your intentions clear before even stepping hoof in another kingdom. So please allow us to give your voice power, King Thorax." Only now did Twilight enter the waking world. She got to her hooves and found herself surprised to see that everyone but Luna had already gotten up. More surprising was that Thorax looked as if the floor might give way from under him. "Oh, horsefeathers. I slept in and missed out on something important, didn't I?" An hour had passed for Thorax in what felt like a few erratic heartbeats. Shortly after his panic attack, Twilight had offered to fetch them all 'donuts and coffee' from a local shop. During her absence, Princess Celestia had awakened her sister, much to the latter's disapproval, and the group headed out into the picturesque morning. They had been led to a corresponding tower on the castle's grounds. Tall and decorated with a golden cap and outside stairwell, it stood at the royal gardens' edge. The princesses had mentioned that it was a library, and of course, they had a key. From the moment they'd approached the building, however, the alicorns seemed to have a sly look about them that Thorax couldn't place. Was this not their library? Inside was a circular room that overlooked the gardens and castle estates of Canterlot. Two levels of antique bookshelves lined the eastern and western walls, but collections of literature weren't what fascinated the changelings. A massive hourglass sat just by the northern window, which took up the entire wall. The changelings took turns pressing their faces to the glass surface, their cheeks squishing into pancakes and their large eyes magnifying to even bigger sizes. It wasn't until much later, after the changelings had begun to explore some more, that an unfamiliar voice called out in shock. “Whaa! A-are those changelings!? Princess Celestia, what is going on here!?” A young mare, perhaps around Twilight's age, had emerged from some side room, jumping to her back hooves the moment she spotted her strange visitors. The princesses seemed to feign ignorance of her presence, but Thorax could read the cunning behind their smiles. This had all been planned. “I'm sorry that we scared you. Princess Celestia didn't tell us anypony would be here. My name is Thorax. It's a pleasure to meet you! We are changelings, but as you can see, we're pretty different now, so don't worry. We don't feed off the love of others anymore.” “My name is Moondancer. I-I had no idea that changelings could look like this. None of my books ever mentioned anything like it. Would you like to...come in and...sit down?” They gathered in the library’s center, sitting on floor cushions in a sloppy circle. Pleasant conversations of defeated despots, rebuilt hives, and politically advantageous cuddling had hidden the fact that Luna had long since vanished from their get-together. By the time this was noticed, she had returned, and not alone. Trotting up the library steps behind her was a frazzled Twilight—four boxes of donuts and coffee floating in a cloud of pink magic above her head. A touching reunion between Twilight and Moondancer clued Thorax in to the fact that they were old friends. With everyone settled in, the group partook in their delectable breakfast. "She wants you to give a speech to the entire city?" Moondancer repeated, nearly doing a spit take of her cappuccino. She glared at a certain snowy alicorn, who foalishly averted her gaze. "Suddenly, those science reports in school don't seem quite so demanding." Twilight nearly choked on her iced coffee. "I've gotten used to giving speeches to the changelings at home," Thorax elaborated. "I'm just nervous around other creatures, and in a city that already doesn't have the greatest opinion of us. I guess I'm not really over my stage fright yet." "Okay, first of all, the reason you can give speeches so easily at home is no great mystery, Thorax," said Pharynx. "At home, you’re a dork talking to a bunch of reborn dorks. I don't know the intricacies of hippie love magic, but our transformation seriously cooled down tempers in our hive. Even I have more patience for you these days." Pharynx smirked at his brother's flattening brow. "Secondly, your caring about what others think of you continues to be your first mistake. Who cares? Be yourself, and always improve. If anyone can't handle that, or the way you do that, they're not worth your time." "Shound advish," Luna said through a mouthful of donut. "Personal growth is a personal journey. You should not allow others to define it for you. Oh, and Twilight, these are quite tasty, by the way. Clearly, I've made a grave error in never visiting Donut Joe's before." "Perhaps if you ever cared to try new places with me like I always offer." "What was that, sister?" Luna's eyes sharpened. Celestia's sparkled with presumed innocence. "Joe's place has become a tradition in my group of friends," Twilight said. She looked at Moondancer and smiled. "It's a place of reconnection and celebration. My friends from Ponyville and I go there every Grand Galloping Gala, and more recently, it's where my Canterlot friends and I catch up, too." "Wow, you really are the Princess of Friendship, Twilight," Thorax praised. "I mean, I've taught the changelings all I know about friendship, but that's still so little. You have so many friends in all sorts of places, and they're all so different. Spike told me you got your wings when you became a princess. I can see that you’ve definitely earned them." Equestria's youngest princess fluffed her wings and tamed a blush. "Thank you, Thorax, but it's not the number of friends you have," she said sagely. "It's the compassion and effort to show empathy for other ponies, and that’s something that all of us are always learning about. Even after becoming a princess, I've had lessons to learn. Much in the same way that you still have lessons to learn as the changeling's leader." "Or that my sister and I must learn as Equestria's figureheads," Celestia added. "As millennia have gone by, I've found that no amount of time will ever stop you from learning new things. There will always be new faces to meet, new perspectives to see in this world. I believe everyone in this room can relate to that lesson, personally." Silence followed. Thorax let out a humble little sigh. Warmth filled him from within and from without as changelings closed ranks around him, drawn to his rising contentment. He cast a welcoming eye to Pharynx, as did the changelings. Pharynx rolled his own. "Don't give me those puppy eyes," he mumbled. "If you want sap, go tap a tree." Thorax chuckled. "Um, it's 'King Thorax', I take it?" "Just Thorax is fine, Moondancer," he encouraged. "I don't believe in titles that much." Moondancer nodded. "Honestly, I'm not very good with advice. In fact, I'm probably the last pony to ask for advice. That said, it seems like Princess Celestia brought you here for a reason, and I wouldn't want to disappoint my old teacher." As the young mare spoke, Thorax became visibly enraptured. Changelings clung to him all over, and his petulant brother continued to disregard his efforts to incorporate him into the group hug, but none of it could distract him. Just how spoiled was he to receive advice from not just princesses but even random ponies he'd never met before? "I used to struggle a lot with leaving my comfort zones, too," Moondancer continued, adjusting her glasses with her magic. "Twilight helped me come out of my shell, and you know, it was scary at first, just like I knew it would be. But, looking back, I'm glad I did it. I'm happier now than I ever was, now that I'm not holed up in my home...thinking about the opportunities I didn't take, or the things that never were. So my advice? Give that speech a try. Chances are you'll be glad you did." Thorax teared up in his typical fashion and proceeded to gush on the unicorn with thanks and appreciation. Soon after, their conversation was rerouted. Moondancer's sentiment became a gateway to further things they shared in common. "So, you used to be a homebody, too?" "That's an understatement, but yes, and I still am. Sort of. I still enjoy the peace and quiet that comes with being home or at the library. I just go outside with friends more often. What about you?" "Oh, I know what you mean. Being home is really calming, now that the changelings and I get along. And, well, I guess it's more accurate to say I always wanted to be a homebody but wasn't able to until recently. I never felt like I fitted in with the changelings before our transformation. I actually ran away from home, just to try and find somecreature who’d want to be my friend. When everyling back home did transform, we started to consume love magic differently and produce it for ourselves. It became so much easier to make friends." "Huh. I wish ponies came with an easy-fix transformation. That sounds really helpful. I never fitted in, either. I made some friends when I was younger, but...things didn't work out. It took me a while to give it all another chance, but here I am, I guess, complete with a library where I host card games on weekends for friends. I guess it worked out for both of us." Thorax beamed. "Yeah, it seems that way. Making friends sure isn't as easy as they make it out to be, is it?" Moondancer giggled. "No, no, it isn't. But you know, I'm finding it easier to make new ones these days." Even Apex and the more rambunctious changelings in Thorax's troupe had locked away their high spirits in exchange for watching this moment. The sheer warmth and serenity radiating from their alpha was rare and dear. To interrupt would’ve been akin to halting magic; a feat as impossible as it was thoughtless. Meanwhile, from across the friendship circle, Twilight wore a cheeky grin as she probed for Celestia's attention. "You know, Princess Celestia, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you've had some sort of master plan for Thorax all along. I didn't realize you had a plan for me until I’d already become a princess, but ever since then, I've begun to pick up on your patterns. It was pretty sneaky of you, introducing these two." "She takes lessons from the draconequus in being manipulative," Luna jabbed. "If you ask me, they are both getting stale and predictable." "I cannot believe what I'm hearing," Celestia chimed, her smile as bright as her sun. She watched Thorax and Moondancer hit it off flawlessly with fond eyes. "Especially from you, Twilight. Do you mean to tell me that out of all ponies, you doubt the power of friendship? After all those friendship lessons, security threats, and mentoring challenges you solved with the help of your friends? That sounds an awful lot like treason, young lady!" The trio laughed. Luna began to share another thought, but Twilight's focus slipped from her grasp when the high pitches of Apex and the other changelings piped up rather suddenly. She found that Thorax had pivoted to them, drawing them in with his welcoming body language. Or maybe it was those elusive love auras that she couldn't feel. "You guys really think I should?" Thorax asked, an odd smile on his face. "I don't want to be overbearing. This is our first visit back to Canterlot, and we already made an impression at the museum. Maybe we should wait until next time. We could make a speech when we come back to pick up those blankets for everyling, right?" Twilight recognized that smile all too well, and it was infectious. It was a tool found in her own repertoire. It was for when Pinkie sought her help in baking cupcakes with questionable but innocent ingredients, or when a student timidly stepped into her office and asked for her blessings in doing out-of-campus extra credit opportunities.  It was a farce, and the changelings fell for it. Thorax included them in the decision process, but he'd already made up his mind. "Of course you should!" cried Calor. "We came to Canterlot to show everypony that we're friendly now, Thorax. What better way to do that than talk to everypony in the city at once?" "Yeah! The museum was busy, but there's no way everypony in the city was there. Right?" Cimex glanced at Celestia for confirmation. She nodded. "There are a lot of ponies who missed your other speech, Thorax, so you gotta do another one," Xenica reasoned. "If we leave now, there’ll still be a lot of doubt about us. If you address the city, then the rest of Equestria will know how hard we're trying to reach out, too. You have to, Thorax!" Apidae stated. "At this point, I don't care what you do, Thorax. Just make a decision so that we can go home." Brows furrowed by the half-dozen and glared at Pharynx. The beta unapologetically rubbed his snout with a hoof. For a moment, Thorax pretended to fiddle with his leg. He darted a look behind him, to Moondancer, and to his left where the princesses sat. When he looked ahead again, he found a wave of shining faces, waiting with bated breath. Thorax chuckled. Awake or asleep, the changelings would always be a weakness of his. "I can't really opt out after a rally like that, I guess. Okay, I'll do it." There were resounding cheers and hoof stomps. Their mirth inspired the observing Equestrians to laugh alongside them. Celestia broke rank from her fellow princesses. She flared her wings and cleared her throat to get the group’s attention. Her regard fell not on Thorax but the new resident bookworm. "Moondancer, I would first like to apologize for dropping by unannounced this morning and startling you. It was my intention to introduce you to King Thorax, but I truly did not expect you to already be at the library this time of day. It is my fault for not checking in with you beforehoof. I'm reminded why spontaneity is so often the precursor for plans gone awry." Moondancer did not reply verbally. Instead, she nodded graciously and smiled. Celestia returned both. "Secondly, there will be a mandatory, city-wide address exactly three hours from now. It will take place in the castle's southeastern courtyard, where Princess Twilight's coronation took place. Before you reach the courtyard, beseech the nearest guard you can spot to aid you in finding your very own balcony to observe Thorax's address." Moondancer's lofty expression shattered. "B-but, Your Highness, the balconies are for Canterlot aristocrats and special guests." "They are." "But then, why would-" "Moondancer, we’ve hardly spoken since you were a filly, but I was your teacher for quite some time. I still remember how you feel about large crowds. After inconveniencing you this morning, this is the very least I can do. You are welcome to bring along Twinkleshine and your other friends, should you happen to see them this afternoon." Moondancer's mouth opened, but Luna spoke up. "If you are dreading trouble along the way to your balcony, please spare yourself the stress. If anypony, guard or aristocrat, even attempts to give you or any of your friends trouble, they will answer directly to me. I have scolded both already during this visit, and I will do it again if need be." Moondancer felt her hooves melt into the floor. She sniffed, overcome with gratitude. "A-alright then. I'll be sure to, Your Highnesses. Thank you." Celestia nodded. With purpose, she turned to Thorax. The alpha changeling had since reclaimed his youngest attendee atop his head. Celestia fought to retain her political composure as tiny red eyes peered curiously at her from between a set of equally tiny, clasped hooves. "Thorax, I will not ask you to remain at my side, but please don’t wander too far from the castle. I will be in my personal study until then, prepping our speech recorder on what I expect. If you could find me shortly before it is time, I would like to go over the finer points of how things will proceed." "Will do, Your Majesty," Thorax said readily. Apex poked out his tongue between his lips. Celestia felt her heart attack quickly approach. She turned to her sister, who patiently awaited her. "Sister, if you could please rally the guards and have them spread the word of the address, I would be forever grateful." "At once," said Luna. "I will also do a dream-check for those who may be asleep due to napping or night-shift schedules, and warn them." Finally, Celestia turned to Twilight. Though maternal love pulled at her heartstrings, the snowy alicorn held back any tells of a quivering lip. They shared a glance, and as Twilight beamed, so did Celestia. "Princess Twilight, if you’d care to indulge me, I would adore your company as I prepare for the address in the castle. It’s a process I believe you'd find interesting, and one I'd like for you to grow more familiar with." "Of course!" Twilight agreed, her eyes glinting. "I'd love to. May I ask why, though? I'm not sure how many state-wide addresses I'll need to make as a more social-oriented princess." The tip of Celestia's horn flickered as the sun continued its path across the sky. She took in the quiet splendor of her pupil's old library with a sigh, and for a long moment, sat amidst a flurry of memories. Voices in this room were loud and concise, yet ghosts to all but her. Had it really been that long ago when she last set hoof in this room? Are you really sure I can live here, Your Highness? Isn't this your library? Of course, Twilight. I wouldn't offer if I weren't certain. But aren't these your books? Your scrolls? Your artifacts? Consider them yours, now. Study them, learn from them, and share that knowledge. Record all of your findings, Twilight Sparkle, because one day, we'll sit down together, and you will be able to teach me about the wonders of our world. I-I will! Absolutely! Thank you, Princess Celestia! Just watch. I promise I'll be the greatest student you've ever had! ... "...Princess Celestia?" Celestia blinked. She returned to Twilight with a look that glowed. "Oh, no reason, in particular, Twilight," she said. "I just have a feeling the knowledge might one day serve you well."