//------------------------------// // The Path Least Traveled // Story: The Young Warrior // by Melody Song //------------------------------// “And you’re absolutely sure I’ll get my powers back after we destroy this throne?” “Yes, as far as I know.” Pharynx told Discord “Well, that’s reassuring.” Discord remarked sarcastically. Pharynx just rolled his eyes at the being before returning to muttering to himself. “Can’t believe we haven’t run into any patrols. Did Chrysalis just select an incompetent drone to be the next general or did she pick no one?” “How are we even going to destroy the throne once we find it?” Trixie asked, turning to Starlight. “I… don’t know.” Starlight admitted “That’s reassuring.” Trixie said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Pharynx groaned and trotted faster to avoid hearing them. Thorax joined him, Apex riding on his head. “I don’t suppose you packed any throne-destroying tools along with these useless sideshow props, did you?” they could hear Discord rummaging around in what was presumably Trixie’s bag. “Asks the Lord of Chaos who can’t go for a walk without whining non-stop! You were the one who made this stuff appear!” “Yes, but when the throne is destroyed, I’ll be able to rip the very fabric of reality to save our friends, while you’ll remain a self-absorbed, below-average illusionist.” “Self-absorbed?! Why you-” “Cut it out!” Starlight’s voice interjected. “Are they trying to get us caught?” Pharynx hissed, glancing around. “If I could just remember which side tunnel…” Thorax bit his lip. “It all looks the same…” “Papa Thorax, ‘re we los’?” “Of course we aren’t, sweetie. We’ll find the way to the throne room.” Thorax assured him, though he didn’t seem convinced. “-And the three of us are good as useless! At least Thorax and Pharynx seem to know where we’re going!” Starlight sighed as she came up behind them with the others. “Starlight, th-this may be a bad time, but-” “We’re lost.” Pharynx bluntly interjected over his brother. “Oh great.” Trixie dropped onto her haunches. “We might as well just sit here and wait for the changelings to come and suck up all our love. H-How often does your kind get hungry?” Pharynx and Thorax glanced at each other. “I honestly don’t remember the last time I was starving.” “Me either, not since I made friends with Spike.” “Bu’ Papa Thorax, I though’ changelin’s ‘re a’ways hungry.” Apex said, looking at the brothers. “Well, that’s just fantast-” “But none of you are hungry at all now?” Starlight cut Trixie off. “I guess once we made a few friends in the castle and let go of our past, we just didn’t feel the need to feed anymore.” Thorax said. “Is that when your wings changed?” Starlight asked, and Thorax looked at his shimmering wings. “Yeah, I think so.” Discord rolled his eyes and strolled up to an opening. “While I’d love to sit around chit-chatting about feeding and not feeding, I HAVE A FLUTTERSHY TO SAVE!” Discord’s voice echoed around the cavern, and everyone else flinched. Though not from the sound. “Could you please lower your voice?” Trixie hissed “You’re going to get us all captured!” “You keep saying that, but aside from our buddies here, I haven’t seen a single changeling since we got in here.” Pharynx pricked his ears, holding up a hoof for silence. A buzzing noise could be heard in the distance. “Changeling patrol. We have to move.” Pharynx whispered urgently. “O-Oh no…” Thorax began breathing heavily. “For the hivemother’s sake…” Pharynx muttered. He grabbed Thorax by the shoulder and pulled him down. The others ducked down beside them. Apex pressed against Pharynx. “This seems like one of those times we need a plan.” Discord said “What kind of plan?! We have no magic and it’s not like my illusions are gonna save us!” Trixie hissed “Your illusions, that’s it! Do you have any smoke bombs?” Starlight whispered excitedly. “Are you kidding?” Trixie responded with a smirk. ----------------------------------------- The changelings entered the area where the group was hiding, looking around frantically. Then, there was a flash of smoke. “Looking for somepony?!” Trixie called with a haughty smirk. The changeling swarm flew towards her, but before they could grab her, she was gone in a puff of smoke. “Is that the best you’ve got?” Another smoke puff showed she had reappeared on a different ledge. Quicker then they could fly, she was gone again. “You’ll have to try harder than that!” she called yet again. As the changeling patrol buzzed around in confusion, Starlight and Discord watched from their tunnel. Discord shrugged. “Not exactly ‘great and powerful’ but effective.” he admitted, as they saw two changelings split off from the group as they left in confusion. “Eh, I’ll take it.” Trixie said, popping up nearby. Just as three more Trixies appeared. “Klutzy…” Starlight began. “Draconequus.” all four said together, three of them transforming back into Pharynx, Thorax, and Apex. “Ugh, I really think we need a new code word.” Discord muttered. “Did I do good Avunculus-Pharynx?” Apex asked, looking up at the older changeling. Pharynx blushed but nodded. “Yes, you did very well, Apex-discipulus.” “I dunno, whichever one of you was doing the first me kind of gave off a bit too smug of a look.” Trixie remarked, staring at them. “That was me.” Pharynx said, smirking the exact same way he’d done in her form. “Those guards have become soft since I’ve been gone, usually Tibius-eques and Fema-equea are more competent than this.” “Either way, it was a good plan.” Thorax said cheerfully. “Except we still don’t know where we’re going.” Trixie pointed out “Nu-uh!” Apex trotted over to the edge of the tunnel. “Looki’, the pa’rol’s gone.” “And?” Discord questioned. “Wait a minute… Apex, are you talking about how two of them didn’t go with the group?” “Well of course they didn’t.” Pharynx trotted closer to observe the area where they had just fooled the patrol. “With an intruder in the Hive, they went to warn the queen.” “Then we can just follow them!” Starlight realized “Yeah! Good thinking Starlight.” Thorax said, and she gave an embarrassed laugh. With that, they made their way down to the side tunnel the two changelings from the patrol had used.