“Bu’ Papa Thorax, I don’ wanna go to the nursery…” Apex whimpered, as Thorax carried him into the moss-lined room.
“I know sweetie, but it’s just for a little while, I promise.” Thorax told him, setting him down. “I have to go with Pharynx to check out some suspicious activity out at the edge of our territory, so you need to stay here for a bit. I’ll come get you as soon as I’m back, I promise.”
“O-Okay Papa Thorax…” Apex sighed, and Thorax smiled softly, nuzzling him.
“That’s my brave little hyper sprite.” Thorax kissed his forehead gently. “I’ll see you in a bit, bye sweetie.”
“Bye Papa Thorax…” Apex sighed, watching the alpha changeling leave.
Apex stood up and turned, looking around at the nymphs playing in the nursery. His ears flattened and he backed away. They were being very loud, and he didn’t like that. Apex crept over to a corner of the nursery and laid down in the moss. He noticed a few other nymphs were playing by themselves, but saw the others almost instantly crowd them and pull the lonely nymph into their games. Apex held back a sob, why weren’t they doing that to him?
“Well well well, a little nymph all on his own.” a voice came out from nearby, and Apex looked up.
A nymph with yellow chitin and blue accents was standing above him. Apex felt a little intimidated by the nymph, but smiled at him.
“H-Hi… you wanna play…?”
“Name’s Parquel. And yeah, I want to play. But not with you.”
Apex’s ears flattened against his head. “H-Huh?”
“See, you’re too little. You’re just a weak baby.” the nymph sneered
Apex’s eyes widened. “‘M no’ a baby!”
“Then what’s with that stupid Broken Ponish? Can’t you talk right, baby?”
Apex whimpered, eyes stinging as he struggled not to cry. He backed up, pressing his back to the wall.
“G-Go ‘way… I-I know how t-to figh’...”
“Oh wow, I’m so scared of the weak little nymph.”
Apex’s eyes watered, and he gritted his teeth. The older nymph laughed loudly.
“Aww, is the baby gonna cry?”
Apex whimpered, then took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. He’d show this nymph, he’d roar, just like Uncle Pharynx did. He let the sound build up in his chest, then opened his mouth… and squeaked.
The nymph snickered, then burst out laughing. “You call that tough?! You’re weaker than I thought!”
Apex whimpered and burrowed deeper into the moss, hiding his face. The nymph continued laughing.
“Heheh, aww, is the little baby sensitive?”
“At least he has feelings, unlike you.” a new voice said, but Apex didn’t look up.
“Who are you?”
“Your worst nightmare.”
“Yeah! Now leave him alone! He didn’t do anything to you!” a second voice piped up.
“Or what?”
One of the new voices suddenly darkened. “You’ll be in the bottom of a shallow grave.”
“Ha! You don’t scare me!”
There was silence for a minute, and Apex stayed frozen in place. Then, the bully squeaked out.
“O-Okay, okay, I give! Just let me go!”
“Good.” one of the voices said, and then there was silence again. Until…
“H-Hey, it’s okay, you can come out now.” the second of the two voices said. Apex hesitated, trembling, then cautiously raised his head.
Two unreformed nymphs were standing before him. The first was a bit taller, and had blue eyes, blue fangs, and a blue braid. He was putting a knife away. The second was closer to Apex, looking down at him in concern. This nymph had one of his eyes closed, the open one was a deep, sapphire blue.
“Are you okay?” the sapphire-eyed nymph asked gently.
“M-Mhm, ‘m okay.” Apex murmured, looking up at them.
“That jerk didn’t hurt you?” The one with the braid asked, and Apex shook his head. “Good, glad we got here in time. Name’s Hero, that’s Zenex. Who are you?”
“A-Apex…” Apex whispered, shrinking back into the corner. ‘Zenex’ carefully moved closer.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
Apex nodded, keeping his eyes on the ground. Zenex frowned and reached, lifting the younger nymph’s chin with a hoof.
“Then what’s wrong?”
“I don’ like i’ here…” Apex whispered, eyes pooling over and tears beginning to fall. “No one e’er plays with me, a-an’ they laugh ‘cause I can’ talk righ’. E-E’er since C-Capillarie an’ S-Scorpia w-wen’ up in the sky I don’ have an’one else to play with…”
The two nymphs stared at him for a minute, then both moved forwards and hugged him tightly. Apex sank into their embrace, burying his head in their shoulders.
“Hey, it’s okay, don’t cry.” Hero said soothingly, rubbing his back. “But if you don’t like the nursery why are you in here?”
“H-Ha’e to be…” Apex whispered hoarsely. “P-Papa Thorax h-had to go with Unc- w-with Pharynx o-on pa’rol s-so I haf’a s’ay here…”
“Wait, Papa Thorax? As in, the king?” Zenex asked, and Apex pulled away, nodding and digging a hoof into the moss.
“H-He ‘dopted me ‘c-cause ‘m a-an o-or… orphan…” Apex stammered. Hero rubbed his back gently.
“Me too.” he told him, and Zenex nodded. “But hey, you’ve got someone who cares about you, that’s saying a lot.”
“Yeah, I’m sure Thorax will come get you soon.” Zenex said, and Apex wiped at his eyes. “Until then, do you want to play with us?”
Apex’s eyes widened. “R-Really? I-I can play with you?”
“Of course!” Hero smiled at him. “Zen and I needed another player for our game anyway, it’s not much fun playing tag with only two ‘lings. And if you hadn’t noticed, most nymphs don’t really like how we’re not colorbugs like them.”
Apex smiled. “I don’ care, i-if you don’ care how I talk…”
“Of course not. I think it’s cute.” Zenex told him, and Apex felt his cheeks burn slightly.
“T-Thanks… Z-Zenny…” Apex murmured, and Zenex’s face turned pink.
“Heh, aww, cute.” Hero laughed and rubbed Zenex’s head. “C’mon then Apex, Zenny.”
“H-Herooooo!”
“Heh, what?” Hero chuckled, and Apex smiled slightly, making the nymph look over. “What’s up?”
“Y-You ‘mind me of my… of Pharynx.” Apex corrected himself, knowing Pharynx had asked him not to tell others about his nickname. Hero turned red.
“I-I… well…” Hero reached and booped Apex’s nose, making him squeak. “Tag, you’re it, no touchbacks!” he exclaimed, then promptly ran off.
“Hehehe, hey!” Apex cried, chasing the older nymph. Zenex joined him, giggling. The three raced around a small area of the large nursery, laughing.
Apex soon managed to tag Zenex, and then Zenex went after Hero. The three nymphs laughed and giggled as they worked to evade each other. Eventually, Apex was it again, and he saw a perfect opportunity to get the two older nymphs by surprise. He doubled back when they’d gotten far enough away, and quickly shapeshifted into a small pebble.
“Hey, where’d he go?” Apex fought the urge to giggle as he heard Zenex’s voice come closer. “Hero, time out, Apex disappeared.”
“Aw, come on! He was it!”
“I know, don’t you think that’s odd?”
“Eh, gives us more time… hey, what if we hide?”
“Isn’t that cheating?”
“Hm… make up another rule saying we can hide?”
“I guess… still, I wonder where he went.”
“He’ll turn up Zen-”
“Rahhh!” Apex cried as he shapeshifted back, tackling the two nymphs to the ground. They both squealed as he knocked all three of them into the moss. “Gotcha!”
“Heheh, hey!” Hero protested, as Zenex giggled and looked up at Apex.
Apex giggled, smiling, then looked down at them. Zenex was looking up at him with both eyes, and Apex’s own eyes widened slightly. Only one of Zenex’s eyes was sapphire blue. The other was a shining emerald green. Zenex seemed to register what Apex was staring at and squeaked, covering his green eye with a hoof.
“Zen? What’s wrong?” Hero glanced over, and Zenex scrambled away.
Apex got up and stepped over to the nymph, reaching out for him. Zenex flinched, but Apex merely took the hoof covering Zenex’s eye, and moved it. He then leaned in and gently nosed him.
“H-Huh?” Zenex blinked, opening his green eye instinctively, then flinched. But Apex merely smiled at him softly. “W-What are you doing? A-Aren’t you freaked out?”
“Why would I be? Your eyes ‘re so pre’y!” Apex exclaimed, hugging him. “They’re like gems’ones.”
Zenex turned red again and looked down. “N-No they’re not…”
“Yes they ‘re.” Apex nuzzled him. “They’re beau’iful, Zenny.”
Zenex hesitated, then hugged him, and Apex hugged back. “You really think so?”
“Mhm!”
Zenex’s eyes watered and he began crying tears of joy. He hugged Apex tightly, pulling Hero over as well.
“Hey! Toughbugs don’t hug!” Hero protested
“Can this one? Just for a minute?” Zenex asked, and Hero sighed, nodding.
The three nymphs hugged for a minute longer, then let go. Zenex smiled widely at the two.
“Thank you…”
“‘Course.” Apex smiled at him, then looked down. “H-Hey, ‘re…”
“Hm?”
“...‘Re we friends now…?”
“Of course!” both nymphs cried as one, and Apex gave them a relieved smile.
“We’re definitely friends.” Zenex hugged Apex tightly, and Hero nodded.
“Yeah, you’re one of us now Apex.”
Apex smiled, hugging Zenex back. The three nymphs then heard hoofsteps, and Apex opened his mouth slightly. Ripe mangos.
“Apex?”
“Papa Thorax!” Apex raced over, opening his wings and flying to Thorax, throwing his hooves around the alpha changeling’s neck.
“Hehehe, there you are my little hyper sprite!” Thorax curved a hoof around Apex and cradled him, kissing his forehead gently. “You alright sweetie?”
“Mhm.” Apex snuggled against him. “I made friends!”
“That’s wonderful Apex, who are they?” Thorax asked, smiling at him.
“Hero an’ Zenny!”
Thorax then saw the two unreformed nymphs, and smiled, beckoning them over. They came over, and Apex jumped down, nuzzling them.
“Thank you both for looking after him.” Thorax said, smiling at the two.
“No problem. Maybe next time you need him to be looked after you could take him to one of us instead of the nursery.” Hero suggested, and Thorax smiled.
“I definitely will, it seems like Apex had a lot of fun.” Thorax picked Apex back up. “You two want to come with us?”
“I’m waiting for Hive, he said he’d be here in a bit.” Zenex explained
“And I’m waiting with him.” Hero added
“Alright then, you two have fun.” Thorax smiled at them, and Apex waved before Thorax carried him off.
“Papa Thorax, I can play with them more, righ’?”
“Of course you can Apex.” Thorax smiled at Apex gently, nuzzling him. “Whenever you want.”
“Yay! Where ‘re we goin’?”
“Pharynx’s room. He’s a little banged up, he had to fight back a couple Equestrian thieves. I thought he might want his favorite little nymph to snuggle with him.” Thorax explained.
“Yay! Snuggles with Uncle Pharynx!” Apex smiled and pulled himself out of Thorax’s grip, running to Pharynx’s room and leaping onto the bed. “Uncle Pharynx!”
“Gah! Oh, it’s just you grub.” Pharynx yawned and wrapped a hoof around Apex. “Thorax, did you have to bring him?”
“Well, I did promise to come get him the moment we got back, and the more changelings you snuggle with, the faster your energy will be restored.”
“Fine…” Pharynx sighed, as Thorax laid down next to him.
“Heheh, you want back rubs Phar?”
“What? No!” Pharynx growled, but Thorax had already begun rubbing his back between his shoulderblades. “Thorax… s-stop… it…”
Pharynx relaxed, resting his head on the pillows and pulling Apex closer. Apex giggled and snuggled closer. Pharynx half-lidded his eyes, looking down at Apex.
“You have fun in the nursery, grub?”
“Mhm, I made friends!” Apex snuggled into Pharynx’s chest. “Hero an’ Zenny.”
“Zenex?” Pharynx shifted so he could look up at Thorax, who nodded.
“They seemed to be getting along really well. I may have promised Apex he could spend more time with them soon.”
“Fine by me. That Hero kid though… he seems like a bit of a troublemaker…” Pharynx returned to his original position, half-lidding his eyes again.
“Hero’s fun! We played tag!” Apex protested.
“He didn’t seem that bad Pharynx.”
“Alright alright, fine, I’m overruled.” Pharynx yawned and closed his eyes. “Still…”
“It’ll be fine Pharynx. Why don’t you rest? We’ll be here when you wake up.” Thorax suggested.
“Fine, if it’ll get you to stop talking…” Pharynx’s breathing slowed and deepened, and soon, he was asleep. Apex smiled and cuddled close to him.
“Nigh’ Uncle Pharynx.” Apex said cheerfully, getting a half-awake grunt in return. Thorax giggled softly, still rubbing Pharynx’s back gently.
Apex also yawned, curling up in Pharynx’s hold. He closed his eyes, and felt Thorax kiss his forehead. Apex drifted off to sleep, content in his uncle’s hooves as his papa rested beside them. The little nymph smiled as he slowly fell asleep, thinking about his two new friends. Something told him they’d have plenty of adventures together in the future.