“Ocellus!” Thorax exclaimed, as Pharynx pressed a hoof to the nymph’s neck, checking her pulse.
“She’s fine, just unconscious.” Pharynx shook his head. “She shouldn’t have run all the way here.”
“Come on, l-let’s get her to bed.” Metamorphosis said shakily, still trying to comprehend what she had said. Chrysalis lying to him about something as important as his family?
“Ooh! Pharynx has the perfect outfit for this!” Thorax exclaimed, and Pharynx turned to glare at him, blushing heavily.
“Thorax!” Pharynx exclaimed, and he blinked innocently. Metamorphosis shook his head to clear it, looking at Pharynx. “W-What?”
“Let’s see it.”
Pharynx blushed harder.
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“It’s official. I hate you both.” Pharynx deadpanned
“Aww, but you look so cute!!” Thorax protested
Pharynx sat down and pouted, crossing his forelegs, which only made him look more adorable. He was wearing a nurse outfit, complete with the little cap on his head that most nurses didn’t even wear.
“I’m going to kill both of you.”
“But you like wearing dresses.”
“Yeah, sure, when I want to, not when you guys force me into them.” Pharynx pressed a hoof to his forehead. “Ocellus is going to laugh her head off when she sees me.”
“No she won’t.” Thorax said, pulling his brother up. “Now come on, do your job, Nurse Pharynx.”
Pharynx groaned and stood up, grabbing a pitcher of water. “Okay, okay, fine.”
Metamorphosis chuckled, he and Thorax watching Pharynx approach Ocellus with the pitcher of water. He leaned over the nymph, then smirked and dumped the pitcher of water over her.
“Eeek!” Ocellus shot up, dripping wet. Pharynx burst out laughing and she glared at him. “Hey! That’s not funn-wait, what are you wearing?”
Pharynx immediately stopped laughing and blushed, using his magic to try and unclasp the back of the outfit so he could take it off. “N-Nothing!”
Ocellus snickered, then began laughing. “A-A nurse outfit?!”
“S-Shut up, they made me do it!” Pharynx jabbed a hoof at Thorax and Metamorphosis.
“Yeah, but you already had the outfit.” Thorax giggled, making his brother turn even redder.
“Anyway, Ocellus…” Metamorphosis stepped forwards. “You came because you had urgent news? A-About me?”
“O-Oh, right.” stifling giggles, Ocellus looked around. “Where’s my bag?”
“Here, along with the book you pulled out of it.” Metamorphosis gave them to her.
“Thank you.” Ocellus took the book and opened it, flipping through the pages. “This is what I wanted to show you, Metamorphosis. Here.”
Ocellus showed him the book, as Thorax and Pharynx came over, Pharynx no longer wearing the nurse outfit. Metamorphosis took the book in his magic, holding it up so he and his sons could read the page.
“Defendant Martial Arts found guilty of treason for… ‘mating with COP’. What’s ‘COP’?” Thorax asked
“Stands for ‘Creature Other than Pony’.” Pharynx supplied, and they all looked at him. “What? I can’t know what it means? I was a general in the Old Hive, of course I knew what a bunch of this stuff stood for.”
“I don’t understand, Ocellus, how did you find this? And how does it connect to me?” Metamorphosis asked
“Headmare Twilight was telling us about the ‘Friendship Trials’ that took place back when Equestria was first formed. I was doing some studying, and I accidentally grabbed this book, which was in the wrong section. But when I found this page… keep reading.”
Pharynx brought the book closer. “Martial Arts, unicorn stallion of twenty nine, charged with mating with a non-pony, a… a changeling.”
They all looked at Ocellus, who nodded for Pharynx to continue. He looked back down at the page.
“After trial, Martial Arts confessed to mating with the changeling, who he called Divinusa, but insisted he was bewitched into loving her. He claims he had no idea what she truly was, and thus had no responsibility over the resulting egg. We have been made aware the mother has been tried by her own kind, and her punishment was execution. The same is to be given to Martial Arts.”
“There’s a photo of him on the next page. Look at it.” Ocellus told them when they looked back at her.
Metamorphosis turned the page, and his eyes instantly widened. The unicorn stallion was tall, around Tempest’s height, with purple-blue eyes, a messy red mane, and a violet purple coat.
“D-Dad, he…” Pharynx trailed off
“He looks just like you!” Thorax exclaimed. “W-Well, not exactly, b-but his coat is the same color as your carapace, and you have the same mane and eye colors…”
“That’s what I thought.” Ocellus said, getting up. “Then, I did some more research, and it turns out there was another trial that occurred around the time this one did. It was recorded because the same courthouse was used.”
“Where?” Metamorphosis asked, and Ocellus pulled out a file, holding it up to him. Pharynx opened it and read aloud.
“Divinusa Brook Thoraxis, charged with mating with a unicorn stallion, knowing the consequences of her actions and under full awareness he was of a kind whom changelings are forbidden to mate with. Divinusa accepts full responsibility for her actions, and as such will be executed on the tenth of the month. Having pleaded for the egg that came as a result of her crimes, it will be placed under the care of her sister, Votum Pharynga Chi, until the nymph has been weaned of nectar.”
“Wait, Pharynga?” Thorax glanced at Pharynx. “And Thoraxis?”
“The name similarities were far too unique to be coincidental.” Ocellus explained. “That’s why I came here. I know there are records of everyling…”
Metamorphosis was already gone, he could hear his sons following him, but ignored it, frantically running to the records room. He ran in, heading for the file drawer where he’d found his son’s records. He opened the drawer and pulled out his son’s files, setting them aside.
“Dad!” Pharynx ran in, Thorax and Ocellus behind him. Ocellus immediately noticed the brother’s files, and picked them up. She then began giggling.
“Ray and May?”
“Shut up, Ocellus Sydney Iris.” Pharynx shot at her, and she fell silent. “Dad, what are you?”
With wavering magic, Metamorphosis then lifted out two new files. He laid them down on the table in the room, and they gathered around. Thorax brought over his and Pharynx’s files, and they opened all of them.
Metamorphosis Chi Brook
Named by: Aunt
Mother: Divinusa Brook Thoraxis
Father: Martial Arts (pony-unicorn)
Raised by: Closest relative-Votum Pharynga Chi
Spouse: Chrysalis Ivy Gossamer
Rank: Royal Advisor/King
Children: Pharynx Ray Elytron and Thorax May Glyder
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Pharynx Ray Elytron
Named by: Mother
Mother: Chrysalis Ivy Gossamer
Father: Metamorphosis Chi Brook
Raised by: Chrysalis Ivy Gossamer
Spouse: N/A
Mentor: Fortuna Arya Larynx
Rank: Prince/Head General
Children: N/A
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Thorax May Glyder
Named by: Mother
Mother: Chrysalis Ivy Gossamer
Father: Metamorphosis Chi Brook
Spouse: N/A
Rank: Prince
Children: N/A
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Votum Pharynga Chi
Mother: N/A
Father: N/A
Spouse: N/A
Rank: Drone
Children: Fortuna Arya Larynx
“Wait, your aunt was Fortuna’s mother?!” Pharynx exclaimed. “But… that would make her my… second-cousin?”
“No wonder she trained you, you were her kin.” Ocellus said “But this actually explains a lot.”
“Does it now?” Pharynx asked. “I mean, other than proving I was right and Thorax always did have some pony in him…”
“Hey!” Thorax exclaimed, which Pharynx ignored.
“This must be the reason Metamorphosis can’t transform.” Ocellus explained. “He’s part pony, a hybrid.”
“Meaning?” Pharynx asked
“Well… if you want an example… say you were still unreformed and you had children with Tempest.” Ocellus ignored Pharynx’s red face. “They would be hybrids, part nymph and part pony foal. So even if you were able to transform, they wouldn’t be able to, because their DNA would be a mix of pony and changeling.”
“But then Thorax and I shouldn’t have been able to transform, we’re dad’s children.”
“But I mated with your mother. She may have originally been a pony, but the Draconequus’ curse changed her DNA. She is the purest changeling of them all.” Metamorphosis reminded Pharynx.
“Which would block out Metamorphosis’ pony DNA.” Ocellus finished.
“This must be the reason most shunned me.” Metamorphosis lifted up his file. “They must have known who I really was. It explained why I never knew Fortuna was my cousin, her aunt must have forbidden her from approaching me, and I wouldn’t have remembered being raised by Fortuna’s mother when I was a baby.”
“That… sort of explains why Fortuna had a mane.” Pharynx said. “Maybe she was also born to a pony father, but her mother managed to conceal it, unlike your mother.”
“I remember that… the Golden General, we called her that when she earned the rank.” Metamorphosis murmured. “But then… Thoraxis and Pharynga…”
“Chrysalis probably knew who Votum and Divunusa were, and decided it would be ironic to name her children after her mate’s mother and aunt.” Pharynx said dryly. “Seems like the type of thing she’d do.”
“I won’t complain about that. Your names are beautiful.” Metamorphosis said. “Yes Pharynx, including your middle names.”
“Damnit… guess that means we can’t change them?”
“Why? Ray and May are funny.” Ocellus said, giggling.
“You just answered your own question kid.”
“What I can’t understand is why Chrysalis would lie to me about what happened to my parents…” Metamorphosis murmured. “We were mates, she could have been honest with me.”
“It was mother, dad. I’d be surprised if even a single word she ever said was actually the truth.” Pharynx said, and Metamorphosis gave him a stern look. “What? It’s true.”
“You’re not wrong, Pharynx, but please try to show a little respect?”
“Why?”
“Because despite the fact she was a horrible leader and even worse mother, she still gave you two life, and that might be the only good thing she ever did.” Metamorphosis replied, silencing his son.
“Dad… are you okay with this…? This new information?” Thorax asked, and Metamorphosis smiled softly.
“Knowing that my heritage was not what Chrysalis claimed it to be is a shock, but it does not change the family I already have. That’s what matters.” Metamorphosis hugged his sons, who hugged back. “I love you boys.”
“Love you too dad.” Pharynx grumbled, while Thorax embraced his father unashamedly.
“We love you too.” Thorax told him happily, and Metamorphosis looked over at Ocellus. She was standing nearby, trying not to look at them.
“Heh, come here Ocellus.” Metamorphosis said, reaching out to her. “You’re family too.”
Ocellus beamed and rushed over, joining the embrace. The four changelings held each other for a while longer, smiling.
End of Act 4