//------------------------------// // Bottled Emotions // Story: The Young Warrior: Fortuna's Promise // by Melody Song //------------------------------// Fortuna was sound asleep when she felt something poking her in the shoulder. She yawned and opened her eyes, seeing Thorax blinking up at her, tears in his eyes. Pharynx stood a little ways away from him. “Thorax?” Fortuna sat up, looking at the nymph. “What’s the matter?” “I-I had a bad dream…” Thorax whispered, and Fortuna glanced at Pharynx, who looked over. “He needed my help finding your room.” Pharynx dismissed, and Thorax looked at him. “But you said you wanted to come too-” “S-So you wouldn’t spend half the night wandering aimlessly in circles, yeah, that’s what I said.” Pharynx spoke before his brother could finish. Fortuna smiled softly at the nymphs. “You can sleep with me for the night if you like, Thorax.” Fortuna hardly was able to finish her sentence before Thorax had jumped up and squirmed into the mossy nest to join her. She chuckled, then looked at Pharynx. “I… uh, I’m going back to our room.” Pharynx told her. “No, you’re coming over here and joining us. Let’s go Phary, up.” Fortuna said, patting the space beside Thorax. Pharynx blinked, then sighed and crawled in obediently. “I can sleep by myself, ‘Tuney…” he grumbled, but Fortuna ignored this. She pulled him over, watching the two nymphs to make sure they went to sleep. Thorax fell asleep almost immediately, but Fortuna noticed Pharynx was only pretending. She sighed and lifted Pharynx up, rolling over and laying him between her and the wall of the nest. He squeaked and tried to get up, but she held him down. “Phary, what’s wrong?” “Nothing’s wrong ‘Tuney…” Pharynx looked away from her. “I know that face, Phary, it’s the same one your brother makes.” Fortuna lifted his chin, gazing into his lavender eyes and putting a hoof around his small form. “You know you don’t have to hide things from me, right?” “I… but warriors don’t have nightmares!” Pharynx blurted out, then covered his mouth with a hoof. Fortuna chuckled softly and pulled him close. “Everyone gets nightmares Phary, it’s what happens when we’re stressed, or scared, or sad.” “B-But… you don’t.” Fortuna smiled at him. “I had a nightmare just last week.” “...You’re just saying that so I’ll tell you what mine was.” “I’m not, warriors’ honor.” Fortuna swore, smiling at him gently. “It was about not being able to protect you, or Thorax.” “Wait, really?” Pharynx shifted and looked up at her. “Why?” “Because I love you both.” Fortuna booped his nose with a hoof, and he squeaked, making her giggle. “I care about you, and I don’t want to see you hurting.” Pharynx looked down, biting his bottom lip, then huffed and crossed his hooves. “Still… mother said good warriors don’t have nightmares, and they don’t feel anything because they’re never scared.” “Phary, your mother-” “Don’t tell me she’s wrong. You’ve seen how the other warriors act.” “Because her views have influenced them. She’s the queen, they listen to her opinions. But that doesn’t mean you have to. Phary, everyone has feelings, it’s okay to be scared of nightmares. You saw Thorax.” “It’s okay for him because he’s a wimp.” “He is not a wimp, and it wouldn’t matter if he was the strongest warrior in the Hive-he still has the right to be scared.” Pharynx sighed, then rolled over and looked at the wall. Fortuna thought she was going to have to move him again, but then he spoke. “Mother was beating Thorax again…” Pharynx whispered. Fortuna wrapped her hooves around Pharynx, gently lifting him up and turning him to face her. “Go ahead Phary.” “S-She was doing it in front of me this time, a-and I wanted to tell her to stop, I-I wanted to get angry, to be concerned, b-but I just felt empty… a-and I was standing in a crowd of guards… they weren’t doing anything either… When mother was done, she kicked Thorax out of the way, h-he was barely breathing. She went over to me and said ‘good son, you have learned your first lesson well. A soldier feels nothing, so that w-when they… when they kill, they feel no remorse.’ T-Then she left… and Thorax’s body disappeared…” “Shh, it’s okay.” Fortuna pulled him close. “That’s a terrible dream, Phary. You know why?” “Why…?” Pharynx looked up at her, and she smiled down at him gently. “Because it’s not true. You needn’t bottle up your emotions or pretend to be something you’re not. If you’re constantly pushing down your emotions and who you truly are, you’re only going to end up having it all come bursting out one day.” Pharynx hesitated, then pressed his muzzle into her shoulder. Fortuna rubbed his back with a hoof, murmuring to him. “When we push down our emotions and force ourselves to do too many things without feeling, we lose the chance we have to be a part of the natural, crazy aspects of life.” “W-What do you mean?” Fortuna sighed and lifted a hoof, revealing her lesbian hoofband. “I got this at a pride festival, it was for ponies, but I snuck in, disguised. I was planning to just find a hoofband, but…” “If you say ‘I found love’ I’m gonna hurl.” Fortuna giggled and nuzzled him. “Relax, I didn’t. I did end up staying to listen to some of the speeches, though. I think everyone could tell how excited and eager I was, and because of that, someone asked me if I’d be willing to share my story-” “You revealed yourself-?!” “No! Of course not Phary, who do you take me for?” Fortuna rubbed his head. “You see, I was originally the first one up from the crowd, but I was so nervous, and excited, and happy, that when it was my turn, it just all came spilling out. I started crying and smiling because I was happy to be there, and…” “Did they kick you out?” “No, actually.” Fortuna hugged him. “The other volunteer speakers were on the stage with me, and when they saw how I was reacting, they all immediately rushed at me and gave me the biggest group hug I’d seen or experienced from ponies.” “Wait, really?” Fortuna nodded, wiping her eyes. “They started comforting me, saying it was okay, they were there, they understood me. It was… beautiful, Phary. It was a wonderful, freeing experience, and I know for a fact that if I had hid away my emotions, it would never have happened.” Pharynx’s eyes widened. “All that just because you started crying?” “Not just from crying, Phary. It was the fact that I was able to release all my emotions and not worry about anyone judging me.” Fortuna lifted his chin. “Like you can with me.” Pharynx hesitated, then lunged and grabbed her, hugging her tightly and burying his head in her shoulder. Fortuna wrapped her hooves around him, feeling his smaller body shuddering as he let out a sob. “Shh, it’s okay, Phary. Let it out.” “I-I just d-don’t w-want T-Thorax to get hurt…” Pharynx whimpered, and Fortuna could feel tears falling onto her shoulder as he hugged her. “I-I protect him from the other n-nymphs b-but I-I can’t from mother…” “I know Phary. You leave that part up to me, okay?” Fortuna said, and Pharynx nodded dimly. “It’s okay. Just do whatever you must, I’ll wait until you feel better.” Pharynx continued holding her, burying himself into her embrace and crying hard. Fortuna rubbed his back and whispered to him soothingly as he did. She held him close, until eventually, the room fell back into silence. Finally, Pharynx spoke again. “T-Tuney, I… I’m scared…” “And that’s okay, Phary.” Fortuna nuzzled him, bringing him close and holding him in a cradle position. Pharynx blushed slightly but nestled up against her. “Did it feel good to get it all out?” “Y-Yeah…” Pharynx admitted, and Fortuna nuzzled him. “Just rest for now, Phary. But remember, don’t keep all those emotions bottled up. It’s not good for you or your loved ones, eventually it’s all going to come out, possibly at them.” “Okay ‘Tuney…” Pharynx sighed, closing his eyes. Fortuna smiled softly and hugged him close. Pharynx grasped onto her in his sleep, burying his face in her golden mane, smiling in his sleep now. Fortuna carefully rolled back over, cradling the nymph, so she was once again facing Thorax. He seemed to still be sleeping, having not even stirred since he fell back asleep. Fortuna pulled him closer as well, hugging them both gently. “I meant what I said Phary… you leave protecting your baby brother to me. I promise, I’ll keep him safe.” Fortuna whispered, kissing the two nymphs on the forehead. “I’ll keep you both safe. I promise, until my last breath.”