//------------------------------// // A Fiery Solution // Story: The Young Warrior: Thorax's Hope // by Melody Song //------------------------------// “Papa Thorax!” “Thorax!” The shouts from his son and brother made Thorax jump up from his throne in alarm, worried something else had gone wrong. Ocellus, Apex, Zenith, and Pharynx ran in, Apex in the lead. “W-What’s wrong? Did something happen?” Thorax asked them nervously. “A good thing happened!” Ocellus exclaimed, bringing a heavy looking book out of her bag. “A book?” “We found a way to keep everyone awake!” Ocellus explained, and Thorax’s eyes went wide. “And the answer’s in here!” “R-Really? T-There’s a way to warm everyone up?” “Mhm! An’ i’ migh’ wake up the hiberna’ing ones too!” Apex added, as Ocellus opened the book. “That’s great! So what is it?” Thorax asked “It’s called a Love Fire, or Amoris Igne.” Ocellus explained, turning the book to face Thorax. “According to the book, an unreformed changeling can create a small 'love fire' that will keep them warm. However, we’re reformed now, so we have a bigger love reserve than they did, meaning that if there’s enough of us, we might be able to create one big enough to warm the whole Hive!” “Really?! How do we do it?” Thorax asked eagerly. “We just need to concentrate all our love reserves on a single ‘focus point’. The book says the ancient changelings’ focus points were usually thinking ‘warm myself’ or thinking of the jar they kept the fire in. But we’re trying to warm the whole Hive, so we should make it a fireplace or something.” Ocellus replied Thorax glanced at Pharynx, who gave him a steady look. “Well?” “I’ve seen the book for myself.” Pharynx said, expression impassive as he nodded. “It seems like it could work.” “Then let’s do it.” “Okay. Let’s build up the makings of a fireplace, and go from there.” Ocellus said, levitating the book over and setting it at the base of Thorax’s throne. “First let’s clear out some of this snow.” Pharynx suggested, using his magic to shove some aside as he spoke. Thorax nodded in agreement, and together the group began making space for a fire. --------------------------------- “Alright, I think that’s everything we need.” Ocellus said, as Pharynx set rocks around the fireplace circle they’d made. Once he was finished, Apex and Zenith stacked some wood they’d gathered in the middle of the stones. “Good, because I’m getting–” Zenith broke off, yawning. “Sleepy…” “I’ will be okay ‘Nithy, jus’ don’ go to sleep.” Apex said, wrapping his hooves around the golden nymph. “We should probably bring the hibernating changelings over to try and see if the fire will wake them up when we get it started.” Thorax said. “Alright, let’s go.” Pharynx instantly began leading the way, before pausing as he noticed only Thorax was following. “You three coming?” “I-I think I’ll stay here and watch the fireplace in case it starts to snow again.” Zenith told them through a yawn as Ocellus and Apex joined the brothers. “Okay ‘Nithy, if you’re sure…” Apex trotted back to kiss Zenith on the cheek before catching back up with his father and uncle. Thorax couldn’t help smiling as they made their way to the nests where they’d put all the sleeping changelings. He was confident this would work, it had to. Besides, if Pharynx was certain this would be their best option, it was worth trying. “Alright, this is everyling that’s hibernating.” Thorax said as they reached the nests, doing a quick head count. “Grab as many as you can carry.” Pharynx ordered, using his magic to lift three changelings and lay them across his back. Thorax was able to carry five of the sleeping changelings as he was bigger, and together Ocellus and Apex could carry one each, a third one levitating behind them in their combined magic. With the three that could Pharynx hold, it only took a couple trips to move all of the sleeping lings. Luckily not many had succumbed to hibernation yet, and they entered the throne room with the last of them not long after. “Alright, now let’s lay them around the fireplace and–” “‘Nithy!” Apex screeched, and Ocellus yelped as he dropped his end of the changelings they were carrying, her magic struggling to hold up the sleeping changelings by herself. Pharynx quickly took his place with a flare of magic, though his eyes were on his apprentice. Thorax scrambled to follow behind as well. Apex ran over to the stone circle, seeing Zenith curled up on the ground beside it, asleep. The nymph whimpered as he pulled Zenith into his hooves. Thorax, Pharynx, and Ocellus reached them, set the changelings they carried gently down on the ground, and moved to check on Apex. “‘Nithy, wake up, wake up…” Apex whimpered, shaking him. “Wake up…” “He will once we start the Love Fire, Apex.” Ocellus assured him softly. “Though we might not have enough love to do it without Zenith.” Pharynx murmured, just loud enough for Thorax to hear, and promptly bite his lip nervously. He took a breath to steady himself, then spoke. “We have to try, for Apex.” He said, looking down at his distressed son. “For Zenith, for Hunter, for everyone who’s asleep or whose loved ones are asleep. They deserve to spend the winter together, so we have to be willing to try… even if it means this winter, it won’t work.” “Alright, alright, spare me the friendship speech, Thorax.” Pharynx said, rolling his eyes. “You guys lived among ponies for months, I figured you’d be used to this by now, Pharynx.” Ocellus remarked, and he shot her a glare. “Point is, let’s do it.” Pharynx said, then looked at Thorax. “You sure you’ll be okay if it doesn’t work?” Thorax took a breath, then let it out with a sigh. “Not really. I don’t want to give up on what could have been a perfect winter, and a new start for our kind. But if this doesn’t work… I’m willing to sacrifice our plans, a-and…” “And what?” Pharynx prompted. “...Ocellus?” “The hibernation spell is in the book.” Ocellus told him, and he closed his eyes. “If it doesn’t work… I’ll cast the spell… as the alpha, it’ll work best if I do it…” Thorax said, and Pharynx nodded. “I’m… proud of you, Thorax.” Pharynx admitted, and Thorax could taste his sincerity. “I know this can’t be easy.” “It’s not…” Thorax sighed, looking away from his family. “But I’m willing to do it… for the good of the Hive. We just won’t have Hearth’s Warming this year.” Pharynx nodded solemnly, and Ocellus stepped closer in comfort. Apex laid Zenith by the fireplace and joined them, hugging his father tightly. Thorax lifted him up, kissing his forehead. “It’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make, but we’ll never know if I have to or not if we don’t try.” Thorax reminded them. “Right.” Ocellus levitated the book over, reading the page with the instructions. “Let’s begin.”