//------------------------------// // What to Do? // Story: The Young Warrior: Thorax's Hope // by Melody Song //------------------------------// “Thorax.” Pharynx strode up to his brother, who was in the throne room, watching Apex build a snow fort. Since there was no roof there anymore, snow had settled into the open area. “Pharynx? Is something wrong?” “Yes. Hibernation.” Pharynx said, making Apex look up. Thorax flinched. “W-What about it?” “Thorax, I know you’re not blind. The nymphs are getting tired more easily and some adult drones have been sleeping in much later. There’s no getting around it.” “I… I need to take a walk.” Thorax said in response, getting up and striding out of the throne room. Pharynx followed him, clearly not backing down. “Phar, not now.” “Yes now.” Pharynx retorted, sticking close by his brother’s side. “Avoiding the inevitable won’t make it go away, you know.” “I’m not trying to avoid it, I just… I don’t know what to do.” Thorax said, wings twitching nervously, threatening to unfold from his carapace. “I can’t just give up on this winter, if I do then I’ll be telling the changelings that we still haven’t moved past hibernating through the season…” “I know you want everyone to experience winter, Thorax, but I just don’t see how it’s possible. It’s not just a part of our past, it’s part of our biology.” Pharynx told him solemnly. “Without love-” “I know, Pharynx, you’ve been saying it for days now!” Thorax snapped at his brother, eyes going wide as he realized what he did, covering his mouth with a hoof. “I-I didn’t-” “Don’t try to tell me you didn’t mean it, we both know that’s not true.” Pharynx told him stoically, his gaze softening to sympathy. “I know I’ve been bugging you about it, but I just don’t see another way out of it unless you want another winter where…” he trailed off. “What? Another winter where what?” Pharynx took a breath and closed his eyes. “Fortuna told me a story about our hibernation – to explain why we do it. Before you ask, she probably didn’t tell you because she figured you wouldn’t enjoy it.” Thorax allowed Pharynx to lead him to a small alcove to sit in before continuing his thought. “There was a winter when the changelings thought there were enough love reserves that Chrysalis wouldn’t need to send them into hibernation, so she didn’t, and they managed to stay awake for about half of the winter.” “I-It sounds like there’s a ‘but’ coming…” Pharynx sighed. “...Over half of the changelings didn’t make it. They froze to death, and it was only Chrysalis putting the remaining changelings into a forced hibernation that saved them. That’s why hibernation is so vital to us. Without it, half of the population died.” Thorax stared at him in silence for a moment, then sighed. “I understand what you’re saying, Pharynx, but there has to be another way…” “I think this time, there really isn’t.” Thorax opened his mouth to object again, when a sudden shriek caught their attention. Eyes widening in alarm, the brothers bolted off in the source of the noise. They found Zenith in a nearby hall, standing over something on the ground, looking terrified. “Hunty!” “Oh no, Hunter!” Thorax raced over and knelt down by the red colored reformed changeling. “T-Thorax, he just fell over!” Zenith whimpered, tugging on the alpha’s hoof desperately. Pharynx joined the two and pressed a hoof to Hunter’s neck, feeling his pulse. After a moment, he stepped back, giving a heavy sigh before looking over at Zenith. “He’s still alive.” Pharynx said in a neutral tone. “It seems like he entered a sleep stasis.” “Hunty…” Zenith moved forwards to hug Hunter tightly, burying his head in his motionless brother’s shoulder. Thorax looked at Pharynx, who glanced back up at him. “Don’t even say it…” Thorax sighed. Pharynx glanced at Hunter and Zenith, then back at him. “What did I tell you?” He mouthed. Thorax didn’t have the mental strength to argue. ------------------------------------ “‘M worried ‘bout Papa Thorax.” Apex said The deputy nymph was sitting with Ocellus and Zenith in the library, one of the warmest places in the Hive now that the cold had set in. Apex had a hoof wrapped around Zenith, who cuddled into his side, sniffling and wiping at the tears streaming down his face. “I-I’m worried about Hunty…” Zenith whimpered, and Apex kissed his forehead gently. “He’ll be okay ‘Nithy.” Apex assured him, glancing at Ocellus. “Papa Thorax is really upse’. He wan’s us to be able to s’ay up the whole win’er. Bu’ now tha’ the cold’s coming…” “I know. Hunter’s not the only one that was affected, many other lings were too.” Ocellus told them, sighing. “We’re probably going to have to hibernate, even if Thorax doesn’t like it… it is too bad though, I really wanted to go visit Smolder…” “There’s go’a be a way to keep us ‘wake.” Apex said. “If there is, I don’t know of one.” Ocellus sighed, resting her head on the table they sat at. “The only information I was able to dig up on the hibernation was that we’ve always done it and the one year we didn’t there was a big drop in population.” “S’ill, wha’ books did you find? Maybe you missed somethin’.” Apex insisted. Ocellus sighed and pulled a thick book out of her bags, setting it on the table. The cover read Winter Traditions. Ocellus made sure they could all get a good view, before opening it to around the middle of the book. “Right here. I went straight to this chapter since it was the only one marked ‘hibernation’.” Apex pulled the book closer and immediately used his magic to flip back to the table of contents. He trailed his hoof down the page, reading the chapter titles slowly. He then stopped and looked up at Ocellus. “Jus’ here. The’es a chap’er called Sur’i’al.” “Survival? But– wait…” Ocellus took the book back and flipped through it, finding the named chapter. “What the – how did I not see this?” “Let me see!” Zenith zipped over and gently nudged Ocellus out of the way, reading aloud from the book. “Long ago, the changelings did not hibernate through the winters, as the spell for hibernation had not yet been discovered. While this caused a great deal of loss, some changelings were able to create… Love Fires?” Apex’s eyes widened and he raced over, squeezing between Zenith and Ocellus. “Wha’ ‘re Love Fi’es?” “Love Fires… here!” Ocellus said, pointing to a footnote at the bottom of the page. “Love Fires: small fires of love produced by a changeling concentrating their magic on the love and drawing it out of themselves. Created by ancestor Ignus-equea, a great warrior known for her cunning and ingenuity in battle.” With the new information, Zenith continued reading from the paragraph. “-Some changelings were able to create Love Fires to carry with them in jars. The Love Fires were able to keep the changeling warm, so long as their love reserves did not run out. It would only warm a single changeling, but for every single changeling that lived, the Hive would survive another day.” “Tha’s i’!” Apex pointed at the book. “Tha’s how we sa’e e’eryone an’ s’op the hiberna’ion!” “What?” the other two asked in confusion. “The Love Fi’es only kep’ one changelin’ warm, ‘cause they were unrefo’med. Their love reser’es were a’ways near’y emp’y! Bu’ if a refo’med changeling tried to make a Love Fi’e…” “Apex, you’re a genius!” Ocellus exclaimed, standing up. “Our love reserves are full all the time now! I bet if we all worked together, we could make a giant Love Fire that will be able to keep everyone warm!” “A-And maybe then Hunty and the others will wake up!” Zenith added. “Yeah!” Apex agreed. Zenith pulled him close and kissed him on the cheek. “Ocellus was right, you are a genius, ‘Pexy.” The nymph whispered, and Apex blushed hard. “C-Come on, le’s go show Uncle Pharynx.” Apex said quickly, and the other two nodded. Ocellus grabbed the book and they rushed out of the room, heading for wherever the Prince-General may be.