The bustling commotion within Canterlot Castle's hallways came to an abrupt end. A true paradise of coziness unfolded itself before the changelings, and they released a collective gasp of awe. A circular room marked with bean bags and a thick, decorative rug floor brought the distinct scent of parchment. Slender tables topped with candlelight lamps and a few books were strategically placed throughout. Several bookcases did their best to touch the ceiling, their shelves neat and proper.
Tall, stained glass windows of opaque whites and blues provided a breathtaking view of the city below. A fireplace provided warmth and light, not quite as large as the one downstairs but far more lavish.
"This is the lounge," Luna declared. "Without a doubt, it is one of my favorite rooms."
Celestia cleared her throat.
"Sorry, one of our favorite rooms. We spend more time here than any other room in the castle—even our own bedrooms."
"Our bedrooms are rather dull by comparison, actually," Celestia giggled, stepping aside to let the changelings get a closer look. "Legislation drafting, late night or early morning reading, answering letters from beloved pupils-"
Celestia paused. When Twilight's cheeks flushed, she shared an insider smile with her sister.
"-All of these things and more are done here." Her horn illuminated and closed the doors. "As soon as you mentioned staying the night, Thorax, this was the first thing I thought of."
"We have several guest rooms that are by no means lacking in charm," Luna added. "I mentioned these rooms upfront at dinner but, at the time, didn't realize the same thing my sister had. The guest rooms are scattered throughout the castle and would thus not serve our purposes. In regards to this cluster sleep, this is the very best option Canterlot Castle has."
"Besides, we love to show off this room," Celestia said giddily. "Most visiting diplomats only entertain our tours for so long before losing interest. But to changelings, a lounge is-"
"An absolute wonderland. Let's move in right now, Thorax," Calor breathed, squishing himself into a cherry bean bag and thrumming in pure bliss. "I'm never leaving, and you can't make me."
"Have to admit, this is the first time I've felt jealous of pony things since we went through that garden," Xenica said, flopping into the folds of a lilac bean bag and effectively camouflaging herself. It pulled her onto her back, where she uselessly curled her hooves up to her chest and sighed. "Thorax, why are we settling for rocks and plants at home, again?"
"Because we're all-natural."
"Because you're hippies."
Thorax and Pharynx looked at each other. One smiled. The other frowned.
"Quick, I require hugs!" Apidae outstretched her hooves from her spot on a teal cushion. Cimex and Calor dive-bombed her in perfect sync within moments, their impact dislodging both Apidae from her seat, and her seat from the floor. A brief tumble among several bean bags pulled them together like a gravitational well, covering the chirping drones from view and creating the illusion of wrestling furniture.
"Come on, Thorax," Twilight encouraged, selecting herself an appropriate raspberry bean bag. She motioned to a lime green one just across from her. "Not even my library has bean bags like these. I can't remember the last time I sat in one."
Curiously optimistic, Thorax made his way through the plushy minefield. Once he reached his pre-selected seat, he plopped himself into it and wriggled, seeking that perfect posture. Only upon finding it did he return his hosts' smile.
"Wow, these are really neat," Thorax admitted. Little did he realize that his commitment to one location was a declaration of war for his changelings. Calor and Cimex began to stalk their alpha from out of sight with their snouts to the floor, leaving a giggling, amused Apidae behind. "It's almost like you guys set all this up ahead of time."
"I can see why you would think that," Luna said, casting her sister a skeptical side-eye. "Ironically enough, this setup is how the lounge has been for a while now. Dear sister has taken to collecting bean bags and other cushions. Because this is where we spend much of our time, this room is where her collection lives."
"I always used to think that they were charming but rather impractical due to the 'beans' going flat over time." Celestia’s magic enveloped a rather sad, decrepit bag from afar. It deflated briefly before violently inflating to a full and healthy size. "But then one day, in my free time, I discovered a quick transportation spell. It allows me to stockpile bean bag filler in an unused closet and swap out beans as I need. Our staff readily recycles the old ones."
Luna leaned over to the nearest ear to whisper, which in this case, happened to be Twilight. "She didn't discover anything. Starswirl showed her how to do it."
Twilight fought to contain her snort.
"I never claimed to have invented the spell, Luna, but I did discover which closet was close enough to use for instant retrieval. We had to move a lot of supplies to the second-floor corridor. I'm very grateful for our staff humoring my silly little side projects."
"Ah yes, the press will be calling you 'Princess Broom Closet' in no time," Luna quipped, offering her most shameless smirk. It grew when Twilight collapsed in a series of snort-dotted laughs. "She who has bested a thousand bean bags."
The onset chittering and laughs stopped at the sudden and frantic chirps of distressed changelings. Quicker than anyone else, Thorax stood and wheeled in place with eyes wide as plates.
"Nope. No good, Thorax. You'd have been done already."
Thorax blinked. Cimex and Calor had been firmly pressed into the patterned rug just inches from him, pinned beneath a dark red bean bag. Strategically weighted down atop it was Pharynx. The beta only had eyes for Thorax, ignoring the squirmy protests of his drones.
"You're already a big, unsightly target as it is, Thorax. Don't make the enemy's job easier by being aloof, too."
Thorax chuckled in relief. "Does everything need to be a training exercise with you?"
"Yup."
"Noling here has any desire to be in the guard units, Pharynx."
"Fate and chance don't care if you're in the armed forces. Only if you're trained in self-defense and survival."
"But we're peaceful now."
"Wild beasts don't care about your politics, Thorax. How many times am I going to have to cite the maulwurf?"
"Okay, fine. But right now? Can't you at least try to relax like the rest of us?"
Cimex desperately clutched at the open rug, seeking to pull himself free. Pharynx swiftly pushed the bean bag down into his face and muffled him.
"I am relaxing. The boys are helping me."
Thorax eyed his struggling drones. He simpered. "It looks like you're being a bully, to me."
"They were asking for it. I was protecting your behind, like usual. You're welcome, by the way."
A vivid flash of light stretched across the floor. Following a respite of confusion, two flies buzzed out from beneath the cushion. Briefly, they orbited around Pharynx's antlers before beelining for the crowded safe space between Thorax and his royal hosts. Pharynx sneered.
"Oh, okay. We think we're taking the coward's way out of this, do we?"
In a twist of the old fable, the prince became a frog in a display of teal flames. He hopped onto Thorax's head and lashed his tongue out like a whip, trailing the flies every which way they buzzed. When the spasming tongue slapped Thorax in the head more than once, his lip flattened.
"Yeah, sure, guys. I'll just be here, I guess, actually trying to spend time with our hosts."
The princesses were already beside themselves, wiping away laugh-induced tears, but the show wasn't over yet. Red orbs slowly rose over the curve of Thorax's head, revealing an impish smile. They watched the frog with razor-sharp focus.
"Calor and Cimex are my friends, Uncle Pharynx! I won't let you hurt them!"
The blue-tinted frog was tackled, and it lamented its fate with a grave croak. Apex fell into a waiting cobalt seat with his prey, and from there, rolled onto the rug with it. Unable to get its bearings and transform again while being so roughly handled by excitable, nymphish hooves, the frog could do little else but flail and scan for opportunities to escape, every so often glaring at Thorax for merely sitting there.
Even Thorax had now cracked a smile. He heard the subtle buzzing of Cimex and Calor as they landed on his ear tip, and he regarded them with a gentle twitch. He then eyed the princesses, who were finally controlling their laughter.
"Is life at the hive always this lively?" Celestia asked.
Thorax exaggerated an exhausted look, then replaced it with a sheepish one. The remaining drones who'd managed to steer clear of the tumultuous antics converged by their alpha, pushing their bean bags right up to his and plopping upon them.
"More or less. Usually, I have nursery changelings to assist me with nymphs throughout the day. Can't say the same about ever getting help with Pharynx."
A loud croak protested.
"Do you decide who the nursery changelings are?" Luna inquired, adopting a more comfortable position upon her personal bean bag. A deep blue one, emblazoned with her cutie mark.
Thorax shook his head, and the flies resituated themselves. "Nope. Almost all positions in the hive go on a volunteer basis, now. Pharynx has a sterner process for joining the guard units, but that's it. Nursery changelings tend to either be cuddlebugs like us or birther changelings who really enjoy the process of raising nymphs."
"Birther changelings?"
Thorax floundered. "Oh, sorry. I mean 'parents'. There are a lot of terms in Equestria that don't carry over well, and old habits stick."
"Nymphs are looked after by their birther changelings, but also by the greater hive community," Apidae explained, sandwiching herself against her alpha's underbelly. "Especially when they’re larvae and pre-adolescent nymphs. That's what the nursery hive and the nursery changelings are for. Birther changelings can leave their young there if they need to, or just when they need a break, and other responsible adults will take turns helping to look after them for a while."
"A community-driven daycare center," Celestia mused. "How fascinating and lovely. I believe your extensive notes touched upon this at one point, Twilight, if I'm not mistaken."
"You are most certainly not," Twilight replied, smiling proudly.
"Alright, gnat, time to buzz off!"
Pharynx's gruffness pierced the conversation like a pebble in still water. He returned to his normal form, standing in the midst of everyone and towering over the feeble crimson nymph laid at his hooves. He promptly grabbed the tiny drone in his magic, regarded him for a moment while he giggled, and lightly discarded him into a bean bag.
Pharynx then turned to his original runaways, who also had reverted to their original forms. Their reflective, wide eyes poked out from behind Thorax. Pharynx growled.
"Step aside, Thorax."
"No, Pharynx, I don't think I will."
"Come again?"
"We're supposed to be calming down for the night." Thorax’s magic pulled Apex's cushion to him. "You're not helping. You wanted to stay, so stay, but please quit it with the roughhousing. Don't worry. I expect the same from them too."
Tension sat in the air as magenta fought with deep violet for dominance. But this battle had already been won, and they both knew it. Chasing the bratlings would do more harm than good and needlessly expend energy.
"Fine," Pharynx relented, obtaining his own seat with a jerky motion of red magic. His frown curled into something sinister as he laid down in it, not once taking his stare off the perpetrators. "Remember why we're all here together in one room, though, Thorax. You can't possibly keep everyone to yourself. Not tonight. Who are the princesses going to cuddle with? At least a few of the drones need to come over here so that everyone is included."
Ears wilted in terror from behind Thorax. The alpha hummed.
"Well, you're definitely right about that," he said, aloof to the frantic head-shaking at his sides. "Come to think of it, what happened to everyling calling dibs on specific princesses earlier? It was Cimex who wanted to be with Princess Luna, right? And Calor and Apidae with Princess Celestia? Come on guys, now's your chance!"
Apidae was the first to stand from her spot. The whole room fell to silence as she fearlessly traversed the gap between the bean bags and Pharynx. Eerily, the beta's attention didn't flicker towards her once. She was allowed to the other side, where she offered Celestia a much-welcomed hug around her neck.
Pharynx's grin seemed to be chiseled from stone. Apidae was inconsequential. He waited patiently for the blue and green drones he sought to pass by.
"B-but Thorax, I've decided that I want to cuddle with you, instead!" Calor hugged Thorax's barrel adamantly. He got a resounding round of adoring coos from his hosts, but a less than accepting chuckle from Thorax.
"We always cuddle, Calor. Like, every night in the nesting chamber." Thorax plucked the changeling off with magic. "I don't get it. You and Cimex were so thrilled earlier. Don't tell me you're going to disappoint the princesses, now. Look how comfy those bean bags look."
He guided their attention to the princesses and their friendly, waving hooves. It was a cruel thing. All the fresh love their hearts could ever crave...just beyond the black wolf of the hive, still eyeing them like sheep. Cimex joined Calor in the shared misery, and the pair got to their hooves.
"Let's do it for the princess ponies, Calor."
"Yeah."
"They need hugs."
"Yeah!"
"And we are the most elite of Thorax's cuddlebugs. We will only settle for the highest quality of cluster sleep buddies!"
"Yeah!!"
"Are you ready, Calor!?"
"...no, let's stay here!"
Pharynx's teeth showed in a subtle chortle. Thorax planted his face in his hoof.
Timidly, the pair made their way beyond the safety of Thorax's reach. Time itself seemed to slow, and their hooves shook, screaming for them to stop. Pharynx seemed to crouch and sink into his red cushion even deeper as they drew nearer, like a panther readying to pounce.
But then, as fast as he could blink, the drones vanished. Remnants of gold and blue magic dissipated where they had just been. Pharynx spun about to find them. The elder alicorns had already embraced them on the other side of the lounge.
He'd been given the old bait n' switch.
"Oh, I simply could not wait!" Luna exclaimed, batting her eye so quickly in a wink that it went unnoticed by all but her held changeling. "Could you, sister?"
"Not another step," said Celestia, her tone exaggerated and obvious. Being far taller than both Calor and Apidae, she engulfed them both with her hug, her mane obscuring them from view. "Could you imagine having to wait for them to come over here?"
"Do not speak such heresy out loud." Luna slid a white-grey bean bag up to her own and offered it to Cimex. The drone flopped to his side and thrummed, gripping her flowing tail as a galactic blanket. "We have waited long enough. We were promised a cuddle date, and we shall receive such."
Thorax watched Pharynx intently. He could swear steam was coming off his brother's head.
"You doing okay, Pharynx?"
"I was cheated."
"You were what?"
Pharynx scoffed. He exhaled, and like that, his interest in the escaped drones faded away. Instead, he switched to his brother.
"Thorax, I swear, if someone yelled 'fire', you'd be the last one to figure out why everyone was running."
Thorax frowned. Moreso, it was an attempt. He mostly just looked petulant and cute.
"Are your insults just aimless today, or am I missing a pattern here?"
"Nevermind," Pharynx muttered. He collapsed into his bean bag, appearing defeated. "I'm going to take your earlier advice and quit while I'm ahead. My shiny new hippie senses are telling me that the sap is about to begin, so I'll be going to sleep now. Wake me at your own peril."
The not-frown flipped, and Thorax showed sly teeth. "But Pharynx, you can't sleep alone in a cluster sleep session. You sure you don't wanna pull your bean bag over here with me? I've gotten pretty good at shifting cuddle positions without waking my buddy up-"
"-at your own peril, Thorax." Pharynx gave his brother a literal cold shoulder by shifting to his other side. "You got your hug. Don't push it."
Thorax sat still for a time. Once he was certain that his brother had fallen asleep, he lowered his head and whispered to Apex.
"You should definitely go sleep on Uncle Pharynx's head tonight, Apex."
"Ooh, that sounds like fun!"
Pharynx's ear twitched, and Thorax scrambled to cover the nymph's mouth.
"But you have to be quiet, okay?"
"Mkay," Apex said through a lime hoof. He was gently lifted, not by magic, but by two green hooves around his midsection. When Thorax lightly fluttered his wings to take to the air and deliver the rambunctious package to his brother's noggin, familiar giggling drew both his and Apex's attention.
Watching them was the only princess so far without a cuddlebug to distract her, though she seemed unbothered by this fact. All around her were all the friends she needed: piles of notes, scrolls, and tomes of magic. For Thorax, it was a sight of nostalgia. He returned her smile on impulse.
"I could watch you guys all night," Twilight whispered. Her eyes turned to her fellow princesses, who had since been pulled into a parallel universe of warmth and comfort. Amidst Thorax's confrontations with his brother, the remaining changelings had joined them, creating a tight nest of bodies and bean bags. Celestia, in her exuberance and warmth, had drawn in Calor, Apidae, and Xenica. Luna, in her calm reservation, had attracted Labrum, Clypeus, and Cimex. Celestia laid upright like a hen, while Luna laid on her side like a cat. Each was plastered flank to mane with changelings, already asleep with content little smiles.
"I will never, ever cease to be amazed by how much the changelings have changed. Thorax, your species is incredible. I hope you know that."
With Pharynx self-subdued, Apex effectively contained on Pharynx's head, and the drones demonstrating cluster sleep with the resident nobility, Thorax found himself pleasantly sighing in a room almost void of sound. He acknowledged his friend with a nod.
"I don't think 'thank you' quite has the same effect anymore," he said. "But I'm glad you think so, Twilight. I certainly do. We've come so far."
"Quite far." Twilight agreed. "But it wasn't that long ago that you and I shared a heart-to-heart outside the hive and talked about your future in Equestria, Thorax. I still remember how scared and unsure you were. Just look at you now."
Thorax deflected her gaze bashfully. He now faced the window and could see that it had started to rain.
"You've become close personal allies with the Crystal Empire. You've successfully enrolled dozens of nymphs in my school of friendship. And now you're here, in the crown of Equestria, making it known that the changelings can be friends, not enemies. And to think you've done all this within several months. I think that's impressive."
Thorax chuckled nervously. Technically, he’d procrastinated a good amount of those months, but maybe this wasn't the time to challenge his successes.
"You make it sound like I did any of that by myself. You, the other princesses, even Discord have helped me a lot. When Discord has to help you do something, you know you're in trouble."
Twilight wouldn't have that. "Funnily enough, it was Discord who provided me with the key I needed to figure out who I am as a princess, and ultimately allowed me to defeat Tirek. Again, with the help of my friends."
Her brow raised with her smirk. Thorax's hoof retreated to his head.
"Thorax, sometimes we need help when we first start. It doesn't mean you're incapable of doing things yourself. It means starting is hard, and until you get the grasp of your new role and yourself, it's okay to rely on others a bit."
The soft pattering of rain outside had joined the crackling of the fire inside. It was a harmonious lullaby that weighted the eyes and slowed the thoughts of the only two that remained awake. Thorax gave in and laid down in his cushiony seat. When Twilight did the same, she yawned.
"Besides, after today, I'd say you're past the point of needing our help any further. After Canterlot, I imagine you've got other cities to visit, other allies and friends to make."
Thorax nodded. "I'll admit, being here today has made political visits seem a lot less scary. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are as accommodating as can be. I'm really happy we all got a moment to spend time together like this, too. I know the changelings couldn't be happier. I can feel it, literally."
They turned in sync when a peripheral anomaly of suspected cuteness occurred. Clypeus had left Labrum's loosening grasp and slid the curvature of Luna's flank, running into Cimex at an awkward angle. The latter, still clutching Luna's tail for himself, unconsciously huffed in displeasure. His rear legs kicked the air.
"So was what you told your brother true?" asked Twilight.
Thorax blinked. "Was what true?"
"You said that he couldn't sleep alone in a cluster session. Is that true? Do changelings who prefer isolated sleep need to sleep elsewhere?"
Thorax started to smile. He had an idea of where this was heading.
"Well, no. I don't stop anyling from sleeping near us if they want. It's just that, by definition, if you're not sleeping alone, you're cluster sleeping, so those who aren't cuddlebugs usually keep their distance automatically. Since Pharynx is stuck here with us, I thought I'd tease him about it."
"So I see. Well, with any luck, maybe he'll find that he enjoys them. Exposure therapy can do wonders for anxiety."
Thorax's knowing look had peaked. He wasn't the most astute changeling, but he did know what anxiety looked like. Twilight's eyes were scanning everywhere except his direction.
"I sure hope you're right. Being able to cuddle with my brother would make my whole year. For now, though, I'm just happy that he lets me hug him, and lets Apex anywhere near him while asleep."
Twilight finally looked at him, but only for a moment. He raised a hoof to keep her eye contact.
"You know, I can think of someone else who might find they enjoy cluster sleep if they give it a try, too. Someone, or maybe somepony who opted not to last time, perhaps?"
With her co-princesses demonstrating how to effectively cuddle multiple changelings just yards away, the Element of Magic supposed she could probably handle just the one. She smiled, giving a short nod.
Twilight watched as Thorax summoned yet another seat from someplace behind him and placed it closeby. When she reached it, she kneaded it with a hoof for a few moments, until finally, she let herself slump into its folds. At the touch of a spreading, shimmering wing across her back, she inhaled deeply and relaxed.
She thought about speaking or apologizing for being so awkward, but she didn't. Entire conversations flowed through her mind, each less likely to occur than the one before it, but none of them materialized. Before long, such thoughts no longer commanded her stress, and she allowed the flickering light of the fire to lull her.
In the fire's glow, one crimson shell glowed brighter than any other.
"Tell me more about Apex."
Thorax didn't reply, but Twilight could feel his neck move.
"While I was visiting, you only ever referred to him as 'someling you had to check up on'. I've seen your relationship, but I don't know the backstory."
"Well, he's special to me," Thorax said simply. He hugged the nymph just out of reach with his eyes. "Apex was the first changeling I ever truly connected with. Consoling him when he was scared about our sudden transformation was my first real act as the new changeling leader. We took to each other right away, and it's been like that ever since."
"Do you know his birther changelings?" Twilight asked. "I remember you mentioned that most of the nymphs were not from Chrysalis. That one threw me off, to be honest. I was so sure you all followed a colony dynamic."
"Yeah." The long-distance hug had become more desperate. "I don't know who his birther changelings are, and noling else does either. When Chrysalis was removed, her militia training practices went with her. I made sure of it. It meant nymphs were no longer raised separately from their bir-er, parents, as the next generation of hive warriors. There was a huge meeting of all the changelings in the hive just outside the nursery chambers, where parents could identify their nymphs. There was so much emotion, Twilight. I cried all day."
A moment passed. His fresh tears glinted in the firelight. Twilight offered an empathetic look.
"Apex was all alone. He was the only nymph that wasn't claimed. And of course, he also had no idea who his parents were—most nymphs didn't. I knew right then and there that I'd look after him. I'd already connected with him, so it wasn't even a debate."
Again, Twilight glanced at that fiery shell. If that was all true, then it left a rather daunting question, one that she'd surely revisit the next day when her mind wasn't quite so fuzzy.
"That was very selfless of you, Thorax. I'm glad you both got to have a happy ending." A rush of maternal love bounded forth, and she sought her friend's eye. "And you know, I don't think Pharynx would notice if you decided to share him. I certainly don't mind."
She winked. Thorax froze briefly in thought. She was right. He pined for the small, snoozing nymph, but did he risk waking him up and invoking his brother's wrath? Did he risk Apex making noise upon waking up? Did he risk waking everyone else after they'd just finished getting comfortable?
Thorax bit his lip. It was so simple. Of course he did. Everyone else had gotten to cuddle a changeling, so it was naturally his turn to cuddle his changeling.
Decisive teal magic crept around Apex's form. His body sagged in its grip. Even though he floated through space ever so slowly, he stirred and twitched his eyelids. By the time they fluttered open, he'd already found himself in an awaiting embrace.
"...Papa Thorax?"
Thorax hummed.
"What's going on? Is it daytime already?"
Thorax chuckled. "No, it's not daytime yet. Far from it, in fact. Listen, I need your help with something, Apex."
"Me?"
Thorax beamed. Fatigue weighed on the nymph, but he still looked up at him with such focus.
"Princess Twilight and I can't fall asleep," Thorax lied. "We were hoping you could help us."
Apex furrowed his brow with what little energy he had.
"But how can I help? I'm just a nymph, Papa Thorax. You and the princess ponies are the ones with all the powers. Can't the purple princess put you to sleep?"
"I'm afraid I don't know any spells like that, Apex," Twilight cooed. She moved closer to the two, aligning her body so that together with Thorax, a nest had been created. Henceforth, the cuddle was complete.
Apex was besieged by the softest nuzzle ever conceived. When he looked up again, Thorax had curled up. The nymph was left a held treasure, untouchable in a pile of heat and safety.
"You're already helping, Apex," Thorax whispered. Their eyes were inches apart, reflected in each other. "You can't have a cluster sleep with just one changeling, right?"
Thorax closed his eyes, and Apex blinked his own. He wasn't entirely sure what was going on. The adults were likely just being strange again.
Apex pressed himself deeper into the collaborative hug, and when his motion stopped, all motion did. He didn't care if the adults were strange. They could be silly if they wanted. Right now, they were tired and going back to sleep, and so he would too. Adults were excellent blankets, and Papa Thorax gave the best hugs.