Glitter Wing dove behind cover. Desperate to conceal herself, she pressed up against the surface as much as she could. Her heart thundered in her ears, blood pumping at a roaring pace. It had gotten all her clutch mates, not a one of them was left! First Lilac, then Roaring Fire... all of them fell one after the other.
Now it was after her.
What was that?! It was getting closer! She could hear the great green beast’s steps as it neared her location. She would have to make a break for it! But which way? Left or right? She steeled herself and bolted left.
Only to smack right into her pursuer.
“Eeeee! Oh no! The horrible Tankosaurus Rex got me! Argh! Ugh, I’m dead.” The changeling nymph cried out as she played dead with enough drama to make Rarity proud.
Tank the tortoise blinked slowly, leaning his head down he nudged his latest ‘kill’.
“Hehehe, and then the Mighty Tankosaurus ruled the world forever!” Lilac giggled as she walked up from the sidelines. “What should we play now?”
The rest of the nymphs on the sidelines came back into their play area eager to start again.
“Ooh ooh! Queen of the Hill!” Jet Star called out.
“More like Queen of the tortoise!” Roaring Fire countered as she charged Tank. Jumping up and fluttering her wings she cleared her siblings and flopped onto their mother’s favored pet. The rest of the nymphs followed in a mad dash to claim dominance. Tank withdrew into his shell to protect himself from their flailing limbs.
A large hollow decorated toy tortoise shell shuffled across the playroom floor until it was right in front of where Tank’s head hid. The small shy face of one of the nymphs, Flitter Free, poked out of the faux shell looking into the reptile’s. “Aww, I’m sorry they’re so rough Tanky. I’ll keep you company so you’re not left out.”
Several more minutes of rough play passed as the young changelings game devolved into plain old wrestling and other little activities. Eventually Bell Curve, their elder blue sister and teacher called them all together with magic words.
“Snack time!” The squeaking cheers of the nymphs blasted in her ears shortly before they all rushed to her. Flitter however stayed behind and shuffled her way with Tank as he moseyed along.
With the snacks already passed along to the other nymphs, Bell Curve turned to see the two shells approaching her. It was especially cute to see Flitter. She had the shell hanging from her neck trying to look like tank, but it was too big for her tiny frame so she ended up dragging the whole back half across the floor.
“And what would you like for your snack today, Flitter?”
“I’m not gonna be a changeling anymore, now I’m a tortoise. So can I have the same stuff Tank gets?”
“Well you’ve got the shell, but I think you have a bit too much blue fur to be a tortoise..”
The little filly scrunched her face at that. Closing her eyes in concentration a small flash of fire crossed her head leaving behind a cartoonish visage of a tortoise.
“Nuh uh. See, Imma tortoise.”
“Hmmm, well okay.” Bell said with a mischievous grin that made Flitter worried. Humoring her tiny sister, she gave her the same fruits and vegetables as Tank. Which Flitter immediately checked for the expected prank.
Moving to the front of the group, Bell picked up one of the books on the shelf by her desk. “Today’s story is ‘The littlest, evilest, crankiest bunny’. Once upon a time in a cottage by the Ever-”
“No! Can we have a story about Tank please?” Granite Chip called from her corner.
“Yeah! Tank story, Tank story!” The little ones said in chorus before they all descended into manic plees for their request.
Bell sighed with a smirk. “Alright alright. Let me think… I’ve got one. This is the story of how Momma Rainbow chose Tank the Tortoise…”
By the end of the story many of the nymphs had fallen asleep. Snuggled together, even the ones clinging to consciousness fell to the siren song of nap time, their bellies full of snacks and love.
Bell Curve smiled warmly at her sisters and draped blankets over them before she began to move about the room organizing things.
Tank meanwhile continued to chew away at his food, seemingly savoring every bite of his apples and lettuce.
“Heh, you know Tank, it wasn’t all that long ago that it was me playing tortoise with you. Time really flies huh?” Tank continued to munch away, though he did seem to have a smile. “We’ll have to show them the funnest game to play with you won’t we?”
Later that day, the children began to stir, the instinct of all young ones to not miss anything, surging inside them. They wandered around the room, playing with toys, drawing, all the things they could think of doing they did.
Bell looked around the room and couldn’t keep the the satisfaction from her face even if she tried. Part of her longed to be that innocent and carefree again. Another part was melancholy that they would lose theirs. But an even larger part couldn’t wait to see what these little ones would become.
Slowly, as they played, their minds were filled with information through the hive mind, guided by Bell Curve. But there were still things they couldn’t learn through the Link alone. They were taught social skills and developed study habits, and all the other things needed to help them become fully realized individuals.
<Okay everyone gather up now!> All the nymphs perked up and rushed over to their big sis. “Very good! Guess what? It’s flying practice time!” All but two of the twenty eight nymphs cheered enthusiastically. “Today we’re going to have help from an expert!” Bell stepped to the side revealing Tank, or as she called him:
”Sky Captain Tank Tora Toiso!!”
A leather fur lined bomber hat framed his face, goggles resting above his eyes, and a petite handlebar mustache drawn above his beak’s confident smirk. A white scarf wrapped around his neck completed the look.
“Ooh ooh! Can we have costumes too?”
“Maybe next time,” Bell said smiling. “The goal today is to catch Tank. I’ll start his propeller and you chase him ok?”
“Aww, is that it? Tank’s so slow we’ll catch him in no time!” Roaring complained.
Bell said nothing, merely starting up Tank’s flight systems. The normally lethargic reptile took off at a speed that none of the nymphs expected. He made a quick lap around the room performing loop-de-loops and rolls. He spun around to face backwards and strafed by the children. Their mother/aunt’s cocky influence was evident without doubt even to them.
“Whenever you’re ready please feel free to start. You just have to try to catch him, but I warn you... No nymph ever has.” Bell said as dramatically as she could.
With that challenge declared, Roaring Fire and the other most confident nymphs launched themselves with the rest following eagerly behind.
In the end, Tank’s record continued unbroken. He smiled, greatly satisfied as the children washed his shell, erasing the collection of scribbles he had gathered through the day. When they were done, Bell carefully applied a stencil and paint on his shell above his head.
“Hey! We just finished cleaning him! Why do you get to draw on him?”
“Oh, it’s just a little tradition. We are done drawing on him, but this one is special.” Bell said finishing applying the mark. “Well everyone, it’s time to say goodbye to Tank for tonight.”
“Noooo!”
“Awwww…”
“But, but we want to play more!”
“Now now, Tank will be back again tomorrow to play with us. Come on now, say goodnight everyone.”
The nymphs all said their mournful goodbyes as Tank took off with his propeller. Buzzing through the halls of Phoenix Roost’s palace he knew exactly where to go. Passing through the rebirthing chambers with their countless carefully arranged cocoons and caretakers, Tank the Tortoise made his way to his mistress.
Bell turned from the door that Tank left through to see her crestfallen charges. “Now don’t be that way, Momma deserves some time with Tank too doesn’t she?” The little ones mumbled their agreements. Bell was especially proud that none of them threw a tantrum this time since they tended to spread rapidly among the nymphs. “By the way, I have some special news for everyone! Tomorrow we will be having a special guest; Lady Rasua Talarn of the Sphinxes will be joining our class for the day! Isn’t that exciting?!”
“Isn’t that the Gryphon lady with the funny face?” Rusty Pinion asked.
“... Maybe we should go over what a Sphinx is…”
Queen Rainbow Dash settled down in her room after a long and exhausting day. As co-ruler of a nation state, she was always busy with at least one thing or another. Even now a small piece of her mind was spread out across the hive touching in on some of her less seen children, checking up on status reports and a few other minor details. Fortunately, as queen, her mind was suited exactly for this function, and the strain was no where near as large as it would be for other queens outside her bloodline. It was still a pain though.
Sometimes she almost wished for the simplicity of her old pony life. Almost. She’d never give this up willingly.
She snuggled into her bedding, two consorts, Storm and Snow flanking her. “So Queen Rainbow, what position would you like to use tonight?” Snow asked, kneading her haunches.
“Mmmmmm right there. How about…” Rainbow thought a moment, then an idea came to her. Her smile growing wide as she voiced her choice, “Triple Perspective?”
Both consorts wings shot open and buzzed at the thought. “Sooo feeling especially kinky tonight huh?” Storm smirked.
Sometimes, like tonight, Rainbow liked to experiment by puppeting her consorts during their activities. The male perspective could be quite... satisfying. And three perspectives at once even more so. The effect of their activities was never lost on the puppeted drones however, and the experience of merely being puppeted was often described to her as being even more exhilerating.
All three of the participants were thoroughly exhausted and very thankful for the speed of the cleaning staff in changing the bedding. With her consorts snuggled up close beside her, Rainbow was about to let herself slip into sleep, when Tank flew in.
“Tank!” she yell-whispered. “There you are! Bell said you were on your way. What, did you get lost or something? Cause that mark there tells me you haven’t lost your speed.” Rainbow praised her beloved pet grabbing him and hugging him tight. “So what’cha think, good batch?”
The tortoise smiled and nodded.
“Aw yeah! I thought so too, but it’s always best when you give your seal of approval.”
Rainbow clutched Tank tight, soon he had drifted to sleep along with the consorts. Rainbow on the other hoof, laid there with her thoughts.
Tank… Thank you. Thank you for sticking by me. After all we’ve been through… When I went off with Twilight to Stripped Gear that first time. When I left on my tour of duty with the Wonderbolts… So many times you waited for me so patiently. And when I came back as giant bug-pony with far too many holes, and no feathers, and a head-spike… You knew who I was, even when I didn’t. I love you Tank, and I wish you could feel that the way I do.
In his sleep, Tank’s beak creased into his craggy smile.
Nevermind… You already know exactly how I feel don’t you? And with that last thought, Rainbow finally slipped into sleep. Absolutely at peace… for now at least.