Apex opened his eyes to find he was lying in a grassy field. A gentle breeze blew around him. Two figures were approaching. He sat up, blinking, then recognized them. Two unreformed changelings.
“Mommy! Daddy!”
“Apex?” the female, Hexia, asked
Apex beamed and ran towards them. The male, Mandible, scooped him up.
“Something’s wrong. You look… different.” Hexia said
“I shared love and transformded!” Apex explained brightly
“Transformed…?” Hexia asked, as Mandible put him down.
“Tha’ ‘xplosion! I’ was e’eryone transforming like Papa Thorax show’d us to!”
“Papa?” Mandible asked
Apex gulped, pulling away and scuffing the grass with a hoof. “I-I’s wha’ e’reyone calls him, now he’s King…”
“The Queen has been overthrown? By her own worthless son?” Mandible asked
“H-He’s no’ wor’less, a-an’ Papa Thorax can show you how t’ transform too!”
Hexia shook her head. “We obey the Queen. And you should too.”
“There isn’ a Queen! She turn’ded to stone!”
“Stone?” Mandible asked, eyes going wide.
“Th-The ponies did i’. Bu’ Uncle Pharynx says i’s a good thing.” Apex explained. He smiled as he looked between them, wanting them to ask him how to transform.
“No… no, this can’t be.” Hexia whispered, then her eyes narrowed. “Wait… ‘Uncle’ Pharynx?”
“M-Mhm…”
“Does everyone call him that?”
“They used to… bu’ he made them s’op…”
“I can’t believe both of Chrysalis’ sons betrayed her.” Mandible muttered
“Bu’ i’s okay!” Apex protested. “E’reyling’s happy now, e’en Uncle Pharynx! We can make our own love, an’ you ‘member Ocellus? The nymph tha’ used to be beaten like me? She’s the smar’es’ an’ best now! She’s like a big sissy t’ me, an’ Papa Thorax’s future royal ‘dvisor!”
“Sister? Papa? Uncle?” Mandible repeated
“Y-Yeah…?”
“There’s clearly more affection in your tone than I’m sure is in other’s voices when they speak of their king.” Hexia sneered
“N-No, m-mommy…”
“I can’t believe this. We sacrifice ourselves for you. We wait all this time for you here, and you go and create a new family?!”
“No! ‘M no’ trying to ‘place you, mommy an’ daddy!”
Hexia and Mandible huffed, turning away. Apex crept forwards.
“Mommy? D-Daddy?”
“No.” Mandible snarled. “You do not call us that. You are not my son. You are some kind of… replacement! But let me make this clear, you are not my son and you will not call us by anything other than our names!”
“B-Bu’ I… ‘m your s-son… y-your nymph…”
Hexia and Mandible began to walk away. Apex tried to chase them, but he never seemed to catch up to them, always falling behind.
“Mommy! Daddy! Wai’ please! I-I jus’…” Apex collapsed in the grass, the gentle breeze blowing around him. “I-I jus’ wan’ you t’ love me… y-your nymph…”
Apex screwed his eyes shut and sobbed. The breeze did not seem gentle now. It blew hard and strong, and he cried harder.
“Mommy… daddy…”
When Apex opened his eyes again, he was lying beside Thorax. He was back in Thorax’s room, cuddled up to the King like always. He reached and pawed at him.
“Papa Thorax…?” Apex whispered hoarsely. “Papa Thorax? Papa-”
“You’d rather call someone else your papa over your own father?” Mandible’s voice asked
Apex hesitated, then nosed Thorax. “Th… Thorax? Thorax…”
Thorax shifted, then grunted and opened his eyes. Apex nuzzled him.
“Apex…?”
“Th-Thorax…” Apex whimpered
Thorax lifted Apex up and held him. “Sweetie…? Why didn’t you call me ‘Papa’?”
Apex hesitated. His bottom lip trembled, then he began crying. Thorax’s eyes widened and he hugged Apex close, cradling him. Apex pushed his hooves against Thorax’s chest, trying to push himself away.
“Apex, honey…” Thorax rocked him gently, and he sniffled. “What’s wrong my little hyper sprite?”
Apex continued sobbing, and Thorax sat up. He leaned against the wall, the pillows he’d lined it with cushioning him. Apex wailed and tried to resist the urge to bury his face in Thorax’s chest and hide. He heard the door open, and a familiar cyan changeling stomped in.
“What is the grub crying about now? I can hear him in my room.”
“Your room is right next to ours, of course you can hear him.” Thorax retorted.
“Well, why is he crying?”
“I-I don’t know. Apex, sweetie…?” Thorax nosed him. “What’s wrong my little hyper sprite?”
“I-don’-they-wan’-me…” Apex stammered, sobbing.
“Grub…?”
“Apex…” Thorax wiped Apex’s tears away, then laid his hoof near Apex’s mouth.
Apex hesitated, sniffling. Then, he reached and wrapped his little forelegs around the offered hoof. He hugged it, nuzzling against the lime green chitin. Thorax smiled and helped Apex guide his hoof to his mouth.
“Here sweetie. I’ll let you suck my hoof for a bit, okay? Then will you be calm enough to tell us?”
Apex whimpered, looking at the hoof. He wanted to have his normal bedtime routine to calm him. Snuggles, maybe a story, then sucking on Thorax’s hoof until he fell asleep. But Mandible’s words stuck in his mind.
“Apex…?”
“Mm-mm.” Apex pushed his hoof away slightly. Thorax’s eyes widened.
“B-But you always…”
Apex whimpered and snuggled into Thorax’s foreleg, crying. Thorax began rubbing his carapace, and he sobbed harder.
“Apex, sweetie, tell me what’s wrong, please?”
“Th-They…” Apex cried harder.
“Here, let me do something.”
Apex felt a new set of hooves lift him up. He looked up to see Pharynx sitting beside Thorax and cradling him. Pharynx reached and gently poked Apex’s belly. He giggled, then covered his mouth.
“Grub, tell us what’s going on.” Pharynx said
Apex hung his head, tears still falling. He glanced up momentarily, and saw Thorax watching him in concern. Apex sobbed, then reached for Thorax. Thorax took him, holding him gently.
“Apex…?”
Apex couldn’t take it. Crying, he cuddled against the bigger changeling, burying his head in Thorax’s chest. Thorax gasped softly and began soothing him.
“Oh, Apex, it’s okay. What’s wrong sweetie?”
Apex sniffled and cuddled close. “P-Papa Thorax…”
“I… Apex, you said Thorax at first… why are you using ‘Papa’ again…?”
“I-I…” Apex sobbed. “Th-They don’ love me…”
“What? Who doesn’t?”
“M-Mommy an’ daddy…”
Thorax blinked. “Apex… your mom and dad are…”
“I saw them.” Apex sniffled “I-In m’ sleep…”
“You saw them?” Pharynx asked
“Th-They w-were there…”
Thorax nuzzled him gently. “What did they say sweetie?”
“Th-They d-didn’ know ‘bout you bein’ king an’ I tol’ them an’… an’ they didn’ like i’. Th-They were mad I-I sai’ she was in stone, an’ tha’ you both ‘trayed her…”
Thorax and Pharynx looked at each other, then back at Apex. He cuddled up to Thorax.
“Th-Then they s-sai’… sai’ I… I…”
“It’s okay sweetie…”
“Th-They sai’ I r‘placed them ju-jus’ cause I call you Papa Thorax an’ Uncle Pharynx. A-An’ I wasn’ their son an’… an’…” Apex trailed off
Thorax held Apex close, cradling him. “Shh, shh. It’s okay my little hyper sprite. It was just a dream.”
“Th-They sai’ they were waitin’ for me.” Apex protested weakly.
“Sometimes dreams seem very real.” Pharynx explained, nuzzling the nymph. “I should know, I’ve had plenty of vivid nightmares. You’re okay. It wasn’t real.”
Apex sniffled and rubbed his eyes. Thorax kissed his forehead gently.
“It’s okay, my little hyper sprite. I know that I haven’t replaced your parents in your heart, and I don’t want to. I just want to be there for you. I just want to be your Papa Thorax.”
Apex nodded, sniffling. Thorax smiled, nuzzling him, and he nuzzled back.
“P-Papa Thorax…”
“Heh, let’s get you back to bed my little hyper sprite.” Thorax said
Pharynx got up so that Thorax could lay down. He smiled and settled Apex in his forelegs. Apex whimpered and grabbed Thorax’s hoof, guiding it to his muzzle. Thorax smiled as Apex gripped it in his tiny hooves and placed the tip in his mouth.
“U-Uncle Pharynx?” Apex asked after a minute
“Yes grub?”
“C-Can you s’ay?”
Pharynx looked at the trembling nymph and sighed.
“Y-Yeah… I can stay…” he said
“Th-Thank you Uncle Pharynx…”
Pharynx sighed but smiled. “No problem grub.”
Pharynx then slipped under the covers, letting Thorax tuck them around him. He grunted slightly as he got comfortable, settling down beside Thorax. He leaned over to Apex, who was still sucking on Thorax’s hoof. Pharynx hesitantly planted a gentle kiss on the nymph’s forehead.
“Heheh…” Apex giggled, yawning as he lost his grip on Thorax’s hoof. “Uncle Pharynx…”
“Yeah yeah…” Pharynx mumbled, curling up to face the nymph.
“Aww, Pharynx.” Thorax cooed
“Whatever…” Pharynx muttered
Apex giggled, then continued sucking on Thorax’s hoof. Thorax smiled and nuzzled him. Apex yawned, eyes closing. Soon, the nymph was asleep. Thorax turned to nuzzle Pharynx affectionately.
“Ugh, Thorax…”
“Goodnight Pharynx. Love you.”
“Yeah yeah, whatever. Goodnight bro.”
Thorax then looked at Apex lovingly. “Goodnight my baby boy.”
Apex smiled in his sleep as Thorax nuzzled him. Thorax then laid his head down, letting his hoof slip from Apex’s mouth. Apex yawned and snuggled against him.
“Mm… Papa Thorax…” he mumbled, smiling as he cuddled against him. The nymph slept peacefully for the rest of the night.