Thorax glanced at Apex as he carried him through Ponyville. The nymph was looking around eagerly.
“How come we’re mee’in’ Flurry here t’day?”
“Cadence took her to visit her aunt, and I was hoping to talk with Ocellus.” Thorax explained, smiling at the nymph. “And Cadence told me there’s a couple foals here that you two can play with.”
“Really?!” Apex squirmed eagerly. Thorax chuckled, setting Apex on his back.
“Careful sweetie, I don’t want to drop you.”
“Bu’ who’re the foals?”
“I’m sure you’ll meet them soon, don’t worry.” Thorax assured him. “I’m not sure what their names are, but Cadence told me that one of Twilight’s friends foalsits for them often, and they’re very well behaved.”
“Does tha’ mean I go’a be well-be’aved?” Apex asked, pouting slightly. Thorax laughed, smiling as he neared the Castle of Friendship.
“Who said you weren’t already?”
“Uncle Pharynx sai’ I wasn’ be’avin, bu’ maybe i’ was ‘cause I kept chasin’ bu’erflies ‘stead of doin’ wha’ he sai’ to.”
“Heh, you know Pharynx, Apex. He’s very serious about training. You’re right, he probably just said that because he was frustrated. Don’t worry, I’ll talk to him.” Thorax told the nymph, stopping outside the Castle of Friendship.
“‘Re we there, Papa Thorax?”
“Mhm.” Thorax smiled and set Apex down, leading him up the stairs. Thorax knocked on the huge doors, and they opened in a magenta glow.
“Thorax! It’s nice to see you!” Twilight Sparkle greeted him, and Apex squeaked, hiding underneath Thorax.
“Hey Twilight. I’m here to talk with Ocellus like I mentioned in my letter.” Thorax said, and the mare smiled.
“Of course, she’s with her friends in the school library, I can take you there if you want.”
“Okay, but first, is Cadence here? She mentioned she and Flurry were visiting.” Thorax looked around.
“Right, sorry, Tempest isn’t here today and Starlight’s caught up with her guidance counselor duties. I’m a bit lost without those two to keep me on track.” Twilight laughed softly. “Cadence is here, yes, she’s with Flurry Heart and the Cake Twins.”
“Alright.”
“Yes, they’re in the living room of the castle. Why do you ask?” Twilight asked curiously.
“Heh, well…” Thorax looked down and nudged Apex out from under him. “Heheh, it’s okay sweetie. You can come out.”
Apex stepped away from Thorax, pawing at the floor shyly. Twilight gasped and was at his eye level in an instant.
“Aww! He’s adorable! Hi there cutie, I’m Twilight!”
Apex looked up at her, his tail wagging slightly. “H-Hi… ‘m Apex.”
“Heh, aren’t you just the sweetest thing.” Twilight nuzzled him, then stood up. “I take it you wanted to let him play with Flurry?”
“If that’s okay, they really hit it off when I brought him and my brother to the Crystal Empire.”
“Oh, Cadence mentioned that. Though she seemed more entertained discussing how Shining got into a sparring match with your brother.”
Thorax chuckled nervously. Twilight smiled and glanced at Apex.
“I’d be happy to take you two over to Cadence to drop Apex off before we get Ocellus.”
“That sounds good.” Thorax responded, scooping Apex up.
“Heh, well, come on.” Twilight led them down the hall, taking them to another door.
“So, you said Tempest wasn’t here? Does she work for you?”
“Heh, sort of. She’s my personal guard, and we’re working to get her registered as an official guard. Starlight likes to call her the ‘Friendship Guard’.”
“She did seem like a good guard, Pharynx didn’t tell me, but it seemed like when she visited the Hive to pass on your message, they got into a fight. Considering Pharynx actually let her enter the Hive, he must’ve been impressed by her.”
“Tempest did mention a changeling gave her trouble on the way in, something about not trusting her and a… giant bug form?”
“Yes, that would be Pharynx.” Thorax sighed, shaking his head. “I’ll have to talk with him about that…”
“Don’t worry about it, Thorax, Tempest said she actually enjoyed the challenge.” Twilight giggled, as Thorax picked Apex up. “I wonder if it had anything to do with where she went today…”
As Thorax smiled at the implications, Twilight opened another door, trotting in.
“Cadence, Flurry, look who’s here!”
Apex pricked his ears, hearing Flurry babbling. He giggled and leapt out of Thorax’s hold, running past Twilight.
“Flurry!”
“A’ex!”
Apex stopped short when he saw the two foals his friend was sitting between. One of them was an orange unicorn filly with bright blue eyes, another was a creamy white pegasus colt with a swept back brown mane and brown eyes. The two foals stood up and trotted over to him curiously.
“Heh, Apex, this is Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake, they’re twins.” Cadence said, gesturing first to the colt and then the filly, smiling at him kindly. “Don’t worry, they just want to be friends.”
“H-Hi…” Apex said as they approached him. The filly, Pumpkin, examined him for a minute, then smiled and held out a plushie of a butterfly.
“Play?” she asked
“Okay!” Apex took the butterfly, following the two foals over to Flurry. “Hi Flurry.”
“Hi-Hi!” Flurry greeted, pushing a hot air balloon toy over to him. “Play flyin’.”
“Flying? Okay.” Apex sat down, the twins joining him.
“Heh, I’ll be back soon Apex, okay?” Thorax called from the doorway.
“Okay Papa Thorax!” Apex called back, smiling at him. Thorax smiled, turning with Twilight to leave. Apex then turned back to the foals.
“I’m going to go get us something to eat, I’ll be back in a minute Flurry, be good.” Cadence nuzzled her daughter before leaving the room.
Once Cadence was gone, Pumpkin set her toy down.
“She’s gone.” Pumpkin spoke.
“Yay!” her brother buzzed his wings and took off. “So now what do we do?”
“Wai’ wha’?” Apex stood up, looking around. “I though’ you couldn’ talk well.”
“We can, we just didn’t want to talk ‘bout the game we were gonna play in front’a the grownups.” Pumpkin explained
“Oh.” Apex looked around. “So Flurry can talk too?”
“Mhm! Hi Apex!” Flurry said, smiling and holding up her stuffed snail. “Whammy says hi too. It’s ‘causea you I can talk bet’er.”
“Heheh, hi Whammy.” Apex poked the snail in greeting. “So can we play?”
“Mhm!” Pumpkin bounced up and down. “Let’s play princesses an’ dragons!”
“Nu-uh!” Pound argued. “You always wanna play that!”
“But now we got another boy so we can do it better!”
“Do I get a sword?”
“Mhm!” Flurry levitated over a stick from a toy chest. “I saved’ed it from last time.”
“Can I have a sword too?” Apex asked hopefully.
“Uh-huh!” Flurry ran over to the treasure chest, digging out a plastic flute. “Will this work?”
“Okay!” Apex reached for it, but Pumpkin grabbed his hoof in her magic, stopping him.
“No, I want it!”
“Okay… ooh, drumsticks!” Flurry pulled out the long wooden sticks. “Here Apex.”
“Thanks!” Apex took it and looked around. “So whas’ the game called?”
“Anarchy!” all three called, then began whacking their ‘weapons’ together.
Apex gasped, then giggled and joined in. Pound knocked Flurry’s weapon away, but she scooped it up in her magic and took off. Pound followed, wings buzzing. Apex opened his own fragile wings and followed them, then looked at Pumpkin.
The filly closed her eyes, surrounding herself in a blue aura. Apex gasped as she lifted herself off the ground, giggling. She then began fighting. Pound thrust his stick at her, and she dodged, but he quickly knocked her sword away.
“No! Not the sparkl’y flute!” Pumpkin dove after it, and Pound rolled his eyes.
“She’s kinda scatterbrain’ed.” Pound murmured to Apex.
“Oh.”
Pumpkin picked up the flute, then twirled it and began playing it. It emitted a strangely nice sound. Apex stopped, watching, until Pound clashed his stick against Apex’s.
“Come on!”
“Righ’!” Apex turned and began fighting again. Pound rushed at him, pinning him to the wall.
“And so tale told of a nymph called Apex! He was felled by the knight because Pound is… uh… what rhymes with Apex?”
“Wha’ are you doing?” Flurry questioned, landing.
“Being the bard! We sing about wha’ happens!”
“Then sing ‘bout how I slay mighty Apex!” Pound said
“Nu-uh!” Apex grinned. “Time to show Uncle Pharynx I was lis’enin.”
Apex shoved his ‘sword’ up against Pound’s, forcing him backwards. Pound grunted, and flew forwards again. Apex pushed his back legs against the wall, leaping from the wall and twisting to come around behind the pegasus colt. He then swiped his ‘sword’ and knocked Pound’s away.
“I win!”
“Yay! Good job Apex!” Flurry cheered, while Pumpkin made a happy trill on the flute.
“I want a rematch!” Pound demanded
“Okay!” Apex said eagerly, picking up the ‘sword’ again.
The foals began playing again, Pumpkin sitting down and playing the flute in time with their ‘sword fighting’. They laughed and giggled happily, not even noticing when Cadence, and eventually Twilight and Thorax, returned. The three adults simply sat down to watch the game, happy the four had become friends.
Eventually, the four kids grew tired, which was when the adults made themselves known. Cadence scooped up Flurry Heart, and Twilight picked up the twins. Thorax then carefully lifted up Apex.
“Heh, did you have fun Apex?” Thorax whispered to the sleepy nymph.
“Mhm…” Apex yawned and cuddled into him.
Thorax chuckled and held him up slightly so he could say goodbye to the foals. Apex smiled and nuzzled each of them.
“We should play more.” Pumpkin whispered
“If we do, we need a cool name.” Pound added
“Well… we can on’y see each o’er when Flurry an’ me come to Pon’ville…” Apex murmured
“Ponyville… Group?” Pumpkin asked
“Nu-uh. Ponyville… Crew.” Pound retorted
“Stick together.” Flurry said, holding out a hoof. Apex, Pound, and Pumpkin laid their hooves on top of hers.
“Friends forever.” they all said, then giggled.
“Heh, alright, now I think it’s time all of you went down for naps.” Cadence told the foals.
“And it’s time for us to head home.” Thorax agreed, nuzzling Apex, who yawned. “Heh, you want me to carry you, sweetie?”
“M-Mhm…” Apex rubbed his eyes, snuggling into Thorax’s chest.
Thorax smiled and nuzzled him, carrying him out. Apex yawned, hearing Thorax whisper goodbyes to Cadence and Twilight, then heading out of the castle.
“Papa Thorax…?”
“Yes my little hyper sprite?”
“Can we come back soon…?”
“Heh, of course we can sweetie.” Thorax kissed his forehead. “Go ahead and sleep for now. We can snuggle when we’re back home.”
“Okay…” Apex sighed, closing his eyes and nestling close.
Thorax chuckled, smiling. The little nymph smiled in his sleep, feeling Thorax’s hoof securely around him. It had been a great day.