17. Home at Last
Dear Small Pony Book,
Can you feel it? Can you feel that cold, chilling breath across your pages? I most certainly can, for we are back home after weeks away!
Er. That is, I can feel the chill upon my carapace, especially my faceplate.
As you well know, I do not have pages. Nor do I have a cover, unless we count my aforementioned carapace, but it is made of chitin rather than whatever yours is. Cardboard, I think Shining said.
I shall have to ask him after this entry. Such information might be crucial to your prolonged wellbeing.
Truth be told, I didn’t miss the ever-present cold, which never failed to send shivers up and down my carapace, but the Crystal Empire is home. Far more near and dear to my changeling heart than the hive had ever been, no matter how fondly I might look at some of our way for its nice, neat, unthinking order when holding it up against the chaotic free will and individuality of ponies.
Of course, it also meant a return to normalcy after we’d finished unpacking and resettling. Namely, my duties entertaining and watching over my Overlady, Flurry Heart. That, as you might guess, is a most welcome thing.
I was more than ready to return to this. In fact, I even planned out the perfect way to begin our first day of mischief and play and laughter—what better way for her favorite changeling to do so than by sneaking up on the unsuspecting little filly as she babbled and fiddled with her dolls and pouncing her for a tickle session?
She never heard me as I entered her nursery. I crept up, my steps quieter than a mouse sneaking through the an alley full of slumbering cats in search of cheese, with a fanged grin wide enough to split my face as I loomed over her and began to rear up. Ready to give that wicked hiss which never failed to spur a yelp and a squeal before I swept her into my embrace for teasing.
Then Princess Cadence’s melodious voice floated through the air, “Thorax?”
Flurry and I both froze in place. In a moment I imagine must have looked utterly comical to those watching, the young princess hugged her doll to her chest and slowly looked up and back, nearly toppling over as she stretched to meet my gaze. Then she smiled upside down at me and giggled.
“Tora, sneak!” she chirped, kicking her hind hooves and gaily swishing her tail. “Mommy catch sneaky, sneaky Tora!”
That she had, much to my dismay. This was meant to be designated tickle attack and play time with Flurry. Far be it from me to question my hosts or their whims, as they have always looked out for me and considered my wellbeing, mental and physical, to be top priority. Still, that did not mean it didn’t rankle me at times when this cut into my plans.
A thought, which I only now just realized, is rather pony of me, no? Changelings do not question when they are summoned.
At least, not in my old hive.
Princess Cadence must have noticed my disappointment, for she offered a comforting smile. “Would you mind joining Shining and me for lunch? We have something we’d like to discuss with you.”
My heart promptly dropped into my hooves. “Have I done something wrong?” I asked.
“No, of course not.” She shook her head, her smile still in place. “We’ve just been discussing a few things over the last … well, quite a while actually, but we wanted to talk with you about a few things that had been on our mind for quite some time.”
Somehow, impossibly, my heart managed to slip through some crack in my chitinous hooves and take up residence about a hundred lengths beneath ground level. In my experience, such a leading choice of words didn’t mean anything good.
Then again, my experience for rulers prior to Princess Cadence and Shining Armor hadn’t been applicable before, so, logically, I could just about throw it all out the window. But, somehow, my brain won’t work in that nice, neat and orderly fashion it was meant to.
It was working in only the most liberal sense of the word. Functioning with some form of defect in how to adapt. I’d like to think it wasn’t as bad as it had been in previous entries when trouble arose, but I won’t lie and say those memories didn’t flash before my eyes.
In short, the defect was pulling me back into that mindset no matter how new experience should have kept me grounded.
All the same, I swallowed a mouthful of slime and gave a single, solemn nod. “O-Of course,” I stammered, cursing my nerves. Stepping away from Flurry, even as she toppled over and tried to nuzzle my hoof, I approached the Princess of Love with a tremor in my every step. “A-After you, Princess.”
The smile she sent in return came with a tidal wave of love and affection, all for me. I could feel it wash over my form like she was trying to drown my anxiety, the taste of it in the air and mention of lunch nearly had me ready to bow and ask if I might dine on her love right then and there. But, like a good subject, I kept my wish to myself until my host deigned the time appropriate.
A familiar sensation trailed up my back, just along my wing casing.
Princess Cadence’s soft, delicate primaries caressed my carapace as gently as butterfly wings. She wrapped a wing around my back, that same loving embrace, that same gesture which made my heart flutter and fill with warmth as those treacherous thoughts, those flights of fancy flitted through my mind.
I dared allow myself to drift just a bit closer to her as we exited Flurry’s nursery to meet Shining Armor in the sitting room of their lavish suite, until my shoulder brushed against hers.
By the First Mother, how secure I felt under her wing again. And how Shining’s crooked smile at me before he sidled up on her right and nuzzled her cheek as he fell right into step made me feel as though this was all the natural course of things.
Little did I realize, they would so test that security soon enough.
When Princess Cadence mentioned lunch, my thoughts had flitted back to that little note left at the bottom of my last entry.
Yes, I do read those. I don’t always comment on them, because typically they are little bits of advice that I can apply in my daily routine or Shining promising retribution in the form of water balloons—which, as demonstrated, was a very real threat—but I do read each and try to take them to heart. Even if they might seem difficult to put into place. But I digress. I read the note and I recalled the promise of a nice restaurant with fish to eat.
My hosts did not disappoint.
The restaurant was but a short carriage ride away. I could smell delicious food, freshly baked breads and vegetables before we even stepped through the door. With a trilling buzz, I walked under the glowing sign which read Seafoam’s Sea Fare at my hosts’ side.
Together, we entered and were greeted by a pair of young mares maybe a year or two my senior. It had only been quick thinking on my part to change into my Crystal Hoof disguise inside the carriage rather than chance a scene. Whatever oddities might dull those in Ponyville to the shock of a changeling in their midst or make the foals take it as some sort of novelty might not hold true here. And, really, I felt it wise to be a little extra careful here and in Canterlot.
Canterlot, of course, was the capitol. Should I be invited back as part of some event with my hosts, I would need to actually be—well—welcome in the castle. Princesses Celestia and Luna had made clear that I was, but a disguise while out and about to ensure there wouldn’t be a fuss seemed wise.
Think of it this way, Small Pony Book, would you invite someone to your home if you knew they’d make the neighbors run around in a blind panic?
Wait, you don’t have neighbors. I should fix that.
Anyway, I didn’t want to cause trouble for them. That applied double for the Crystal Empire as, of course, it is home.
Who wants to come home to a place they aren’t welcome? Granted, that might mean I’m only welcome depending on how I appear to certain ponies, but, as a changeling, it’s rather expected. In fact, it’s just the way things have always been. That I am welcome in the Crystal Palace as myself rather than Crystal Hoof is nothing short of a blessing granted by my wonderful hosts and all the ponies in the Royal Guard and staff.
And just as was right and good in the world, the young mares didn’t notice anything amiss with my disguise. In fact, one fixed me with a most dazzling smile and fluttered her lashes, her scent of roses and chocolate and sweet, delectable love.
Shining Armor nickered and tugged me along before I could start drooling. “Come on, Casaneighva,” he quipped. “Let’s get you your fish before you get every mare but Cady hanging off your legs.”
I’m not entirely sure why they would be hanging from my legs, Small Pony Book. I certainly hadn’t charmed them, nor did I have any wish to do so. Granted, they did smell lovely and I wouldn’t mind a drink, but I had learned my lesson. Asking came first.
Then feeding.
The mare who gave me that lovely smile stepped around the counter with a swish of her platinum gold tail and turn of her hips that made my gaze trail up and down her form—quite a beautiful one, at that, as good as any changeling disguise—and led us to a secluded table in the very back, through a heavy wooden door. A private room for special guests.
Quite sensible. One never knew when royalty or some other important pony or dignitary might come in to dine, so why not be prepared?
I waited for Princess Cadence and Shining Armor to take their seats nearest one another before taking my own. But as the Princess of Love fixed her husband with a smile and nuzzled his cheek, her right wing, the one she’d wrapped around him, rustled and gave me a glimpse of something off color. Almost the same shade of creamy yellow as that stripe in her mane and tail.
The folder.
That elusive collection of papers and half-words they and Princess Twilight had been so careful to obscure and slide from my attention these last couple weeks. They had brought it to lunch for discussion. For what purpose, I did not yet know. But I had a sneaking suspicion there was something rather big in that folder.
Enough so that I could feel my fangs itch—hidden though they were. I might not be the most cunning of my race, but I knew when someone was scheming.
My hosts were scheming. Frankly, they weren’t so much trying to hide that so much as they were keeping the details close to their chests, so I don’t think I can make too much of a claim that they need to take lessons on keeping secrets.
That didn’t mean I didn’t feel the sudden urge to swallow a mouthful of slime as my rump hit the chair, however. For once, my glands behaved.
But only just.
“I hope you’re hungry,” Shining said, scooting his chair just a little so he could be wrapped in Princess Cadence’s feathery embrace once again. He tapped one of the menus set upon the table. “The gryphon dignitaries always love this place, but the meals are pretty big.”
I won’t pretend I didn’t lick my lips as I took up my own menu and flipped to the fish section. Yes, I would normally have said seafood, but the entire restaurant was for seafood. So, I felt quite right in dividing it up as I did.
The menu seemed happy to back up my logic, for it too had a section for fish and shellfish.
Shellfish. Now there was something I hadn’t tasted since the time the hive raided those gryphon towns out in the northeast—don’t ask, it wasn’t a good time for the poor gryphons. Even if they were delicious. It was there that I developed a taste for scallops.
Not to dwell on the sad fate of those gryphons, but there were some big scallops in that area. And quite sweet, I should note. The gryphons loved to make them in some sort of a soy sauce and then dip them in some creamy substance I just couldn’t name for the life of me. I believe the Queen once told me the name once.
I hope you’ll pardon me for dropping you suddenly. I, er, lapsed, as Shining calls it. You’ll see that as I continue.
While I didn’t quite remember the exact dish I once ate as a gryphon, I did recognize a few spices of some of their fare. Perhaps because of how frequently they hosted gryphon visitors.
Regardless, I decided I would have that and relayed my choice to a rather smartly-dressed (I assume, I don’t understand fashion) stallion with the perplexing title of “waiter.” Meaning, he apparently gets rewarded for waiting.
I don’t get it either. So, naturally, I began the conversation with that question as soon as he left us with our orders. “Why do ponies reward those who wait?” I asked.
My hosts fixed me with quizzical stares. “What?” Princess Cadence asked, her tone tinged with mirth. “What do you mean, Thorax? Who’s waiting?”
“Him.” I pointed off in the direction our waiter had gone. “And the others who are ‘waiters’. They are rewarded for waiting, right? This seems rather odd.”
A smile tugged at her lips. I noticed her feathers twitching, her scent that of amusement and humor. “Thorax, I think you misunderstand his job.”
“His title is waiter, is it not?”
“It is, yes.”
“So, he is one who waits all the time.” I pointed to myself. “I wait often for things, but I am not rewarded with pay unless I ask for love and wait for my request to be granted. Why does he receive pay if what he does is wait and nothing more?”
I must have said something hysterical, Small Pony Book, for Shining Armor burst into a fit of laughter and brought a hoof up to cover his face.
His shoulders shook, his cheeks flushed a brilliant pink as he slapped his thigh with his opposite hoof. “I think you’re taking it a little too literally, buddy!” he said through a smattering of chortles. “Waiters don’t just stand around and wait!”
My brows shot up. This was very new information to me. “Then … why is he called a waiter if he does not wait?”
“He does!”
Small Pony Book, I’m still uncertain if it was me or him, but this explanation just didn’t make a lick of sense. Helplessly, I turned my attention to Princess Cadence and sent her my most pleading look, silently conveying my desire that she take pity on her poor changeling subject.
To my relief, she did. “A waiter or waitress is a pony who waits on patrons in a restaurant, Thorax,” Princess Cadence explained with a sunny smile.
I blinked twice, cocking my head to one side. “But that … is what I just said, is it not? He stands around and waits. And gets paid.”
“Yes, but he’s not just sitting around waiting. He’s waiting on us so he can take care of what we need during our meal. So, he’s performing a service.”
Again, I blinked, slowly tilting my head further and further until it was parallel to my shoulders. Then I continued on until it my neck popped and cracked as I simply shifted the joints about to allow me to rotate upside down.
I would have made it if not for how Shining grimaced and held up a hoof. “Thorax, stop. That’s … look, not when we’re about to eat, buddy,” he said, his cheeks turning a sickly green.
In a series of rapid cracks, I righted my head and bowed. “My apologies. That is not an abnormal way of conveying confusion among my kind.”
“No offense, but it’s rather unnatural to ponies. We can’t do that.”
That made a lot of sense, actually. I hadn’t even accounted for their neck joints when I changed form. Perhaps I should?
“I will avoid doing so in the future, then.” I paused a beat, then amended, “At least not at mealtimes.”
Shining nodded. “Thank you.” Turning his gaze to Princess Cadence, he drew in a deep breath and gave a crooked, almost hesitant smile. “Well, that little detour aside, do you wanna lead off or should I?”
“I don’t mind.” She placed that folder upon the table, trailing a gilded hoof along the edge. “Do you want to start with this or—”
“No, I think that can wait until after we talk about the other thing.”
My head spun, I glanced between them, jerking back and forth as if I were watching a rabbit flit about between the bushes. What were they even talking about? Was I even in this discussion?
I did not feel like it. Honestly, it was like watching my brother go over plans to snatch gryphons, only to realize I hadn’t been paying attention until the part where we fed.
This time, I was quite certain I hadn’t made that error again.
Licking my false, crystalline lips, I spoke up, “I feel as though I am missing some crucial details. What is this and the other thing that we are meant to be discussing? Or is this something I should pretend I don’t hear?”
The latter is quite important when your friends’ business is state business, Small Pony Book. Do keep that in mind.
Princess Cadence shook her head, her smile still in place. “Sorry, Thorax. We’re being a bit silly, I suppose.” With a little ruffle of her feathers, she folded her hooves neatly atop the folder and said, “There are actually a couple things we wanted to talk to you about. The first, well, is something that’s bothered us for a while.”
“Nothing you’ve done,” Shining was quick to add before I could panic, and I very nearly did. “Just … buddy, you understand that we don’t think any less of you for what you write in Small Pony Book, right?”
I was confused as to what you might have to do with this, but I nodded. “Yes, of course. You said as much when you presented it to me and asked that I write my daily thoughts down so we might discuss and learn together.”
“Just making sure. That said, you of course know that we read what you write.” I nodded again. “So … buddy, I’m just going to level with you here …”
Shining Armor frowned. He leaned forward, one of his hooves twitching as he gripped the table’s edge. I could see every muscle in his shoulders tense. “The things you describe about your life as a nymph, how you were treated, just bothers me. Us.” He squeezed his eyes shut. A flash of pain flitted across his face, then was gone and buried beneath a stony grimace. “I worry about you.”
My heart somehow lodged itself in my throat. I could feel my blood run cold in my veins. “Th-That’s unnecessary!” I sputtered. A bead of sweat rolled down my brow. “Ch—We believe in very rigid discipline, like the whole biting and venom punishment!”
To my dismay, my words did not allay their worry.
Instead, Princess Cadence’s ears splayed. She reached across the table to caress my hoof. “Yes,” she said softly, “and that’s not normal. Not in that way, at least.” Sighing, she closed her eyes and drew in a sharp breath. I could see, for a brief instant, the face of the mare who cracked Libulella’s faceplate with a single kick.
I wondered if she might be envisioning the Queen’s face, and how it might look after a few such kicks.
Her grip tightened. “What you describe in your writing isn’t something anyone should suffer, Thorax. There’s a word for that and it isn’t discipline.”
There was?
I couldn’t help but fidget in place. “What word is that?”
“Abuse,” Shining replied simply. He looked me in the eye, his gaze hard, but somehow, inexplicably warm. Like he longed to put himself between my past and me. The Captain of the Guard breathed deep, shaking his head. “Biting, dosing with venom, berating, hitting, promising pain, all of that and whatever else was done to you.”
Abuse.
I knew this word. That … oddly. Something just didn’t …
No I wasn’t.
I shook my head. “No.”
“Yes.” Shining Armor then lit his horn. In a flash of magic, you appeared by his hoof. For the first time since you came into the Crystal Palace, I … I think Shining Armor looked at you like he was angry.
He set his hoof upon you with a resounding thud. “I know it’s not pleasant to think about, buddy. But—”
“I wasn’t.” I shook my head so fast my false mane bristled. “Abuse … Abuse is when a ruler uses their power only to cause misery and benefit themselves—she taught us—”
“Who benefitted from a hive who didn’t question her?” he interrupted. “Who benefits from a hive so afraid they’ll do whatever she says, no matter how horrible?” Here, his eyes showed something else as he glanced between you and me. Only then did I realize it.
Not anger.
Hurt.
For me.
“I … we …” What could I say? As far as I knew, my life had been that of every changeling since the dawn of time, all the way back to the First Mother. “But that’s just …”
“You mention her a lot,” Princess Cadence whispered. “Taking care of your punishments herself. I might not know her as well as you, but Chrysalis didn’t seem like one to bother with just any changelings in her hive. Was that normal?”
I thought I knew fear before, back in the hive. What a joke.That wasn’t fear.
This was.
Something stung the corners of my eyes. Tears. By the First Mother, ponies brought me to tears! She would certainly backhoof me for such weakness!
“Please don’t make me say it,” I begged.
They knew, though. I saw it in their eyes.
Still, Princess Cadence gripped my hoof tight and asked the question I’d so dreaded, “Is she?”
My heart shattered into a thousand pieces. They knew. I hadn’t hid it well enough, I hadn’t done spared them the truth. Every day they looked at me, they weren’t just looking at some fool changeling who struggled to hurt anyone.
I let my head hang. Hot tears ran down my face and splattered upon the crystal floor. My shoulder shook. “Yes,” I whispered, my voice hoarse and strained. Slime filled my mouth, it clung to my very lips as I tried to force myself to speak further. “Yes. Yes, she was. M-My … I’m … I’m …”
Princess Cadence was at my side, wrapping me in a hug before I could finish. “I know. It’s not your fault.”
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“Shhhh. Baby, please don’t be.” She kissed the top of my head, nuzzling into my mane. Envy filled my chest. Hot, corrosive, and poisonous. I wanted this so much. I wanted this sort of mother! I wanted her!
Instead, I got mine. Instead, I was Thorax, Prince of Changelings.
The youngest son of Chrysalis. Or, as she so eloquently put it, her lesser, unworthy son.
Yet, they didn’t scream. They should have. Everything I knew told me they should have, just look what she did to them!
Look what I helped do.
The cool touch of golden horseshoes teased my cheeks as she guided me to look into her eyes. Those deep, soulful purple eyes. “You don’t have to tell anypony else,” Princess Cadence whispered. “I just had a feeling based on how you spoke of her and how often she came up. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“No! You didn’t—I just—”
My face must have betrayed my horror, for she kissed my forehead and asked, “You didn’t want me to see her every day I looked at you?” At my single, sheepish nod, she smiled sadly. “You silly colt, who could ever confuse you for her?”
“That’s probably my fault,” Shining grumbled. I glanced over to find him glaring down at the table. “Sorry. The way I acted the day we met must’ve just driven that home.”
Admittedly? Yes. But who could blame him?
All the same, he looked up to meet my eyes. He set his jaw and tapped your cover. “What you talk about here, how your memories hurt you, isn’t abnormal by any means, Thorax. It’s actually part of why we wanted you to write in Small Pony Book every day to go over how you felt about learning or seeing something new. Or just how you felt about doing things in pony society every day.” Shining paused a beat, then added, “Well, a pony household. Same principle.”
“How is it not?” I muttered quite bitterly. Whether or not they felt it, I truly was pathetic for a changeling. “Mere memories can’t hurt me.”
“They can,” he countered. “And, often times, they do hurt. A lot. You know full well how much Cady and I wrestle with our own memories of what happened that day.”
True enough. That, I could not deny.
It was a thought I didn’t like at all. My mind was meant to be sharp, functioning at its peak in order to best serve my rulers—them.
Instead, it was fragile enough to let those memories of my younger years haunt me so.
Then again, does that imply that I’m insulting my hosts for feeling the same? Their pain, of course, was great. It was pain I knew quite well from watching my hive foster it in many, many places.
Too often had I been a party to it as well.
My hoof trembling, I reached up to hold my aching head. Everything was muddled, tangled into an absolute mess the likes of which I wasn’t sure I could ever unravel. My breaths came in short, ragged gasps. Images, remnants of pain flashed through my mind. The left side of my jaw ached above all else.
She always swung from the right.
“I was abused,” I heard myself murmur, almost disbelieving the words even as I spoke. “For failure.”
Princess Cadence held me tight. The scent of strawberries, chocolate, love and concern filled my senses. “It’s okay, Thorax. It’s not your fault.” Gently, she turned my head so I looked into her eyes again. “You didn’t deserve what happened to you.”
Every word spoken to me over the course of fourteen years screamed otherwise. Yet, the soft voice of this mare, the Princess of Love, seemed to make it all recede enough that I could breathe at last.
Fresh tears streamed down my cheeks like running waterfalls. My eyes stung so, I buried my face in her chest and wept unabashed. “I am unwell,” I whispered shakily. “I am not whole. I am deficient.”
The sound of a chair’s legs screeching against the crystal floor pierced my ears. Shining Armor strode around the table in three quick steps and laid his strong hoof upon my shoulder, bowing to touch his forehead to the top of my head. “Hurt and unwell are two things I know well—those, we can help you heal with time. Deficient?”
I felt him pull me back, out of Princess Cadence’s chest so he could bring himself down to look at me, pathetic a scene though I was.
His eyes were hard and stern, his jaw set. “You,” Shining Armor said gravely, “are not deficient. You are Thorax, a good, helpful changeling who makes my daughter smile and laugh, befriended a dragon and a bunch of ponies, and earned the favor of four princesses. You’re a changeling with a good heart, despite the pain you’ve felt.” Slowly, a smile began to spread across his features. He leaned in and pressed his nose against mine. “That, buddy, I’ll fight you on until it gets through your head. Okay?”
Fourteen years of words to the contrary tried to scream louder. Every strike, every bite, every scorning look and mocking word before the entirety of the hive.
Words uttered by two ponies called weak tools, food and stock for our ascension to the pinnacle of the world, banished them into a chamber far darker than the depths of that cavernous, black castle I was born.
The trembling in my shoulders spread throughout my body. I nodded as best I could, unable to even speak further.
My mouth, honestly, was too full of slime to even try.
There was a flash of cerulean and a pair of sudden popping noises. Princess Cadence offered a small smile. “I think we can leave off the other part of this talk another day. This—” she squeezed me again. Was she trying to see if she could simply hug the past out of me? “—This is enough for today. You’ve been brave enough.”
Brave?
I was brave? For talking and admitting this to them?
I had never been called brave before. Curious.
Again, Shining leaned in, this time touching his forehead to mine. “Yes,” he muttered. “Yes, you have.”
Somehow, I managed to force that mouthful of slime down my throat. “But the folder,” I protested weakly. “And the other thing—”
“Tomorrow. You won’t have to wonder another day, but this is enough.” The Captain of the Guard thumped his forehead against mine. “You don’t have to be brave again until tomorrow. Today, I don’t want you to do anything but enjoy your scallops and relax. Consider that my order as your—” he hesitated for a split second, then finished, “As your guardian.”
Something clicked. I had an order at last.
Scallops and relaxing.
Food and rest to better serve another day. Finally, a return to something I knew.
Finally, the haunting words of fourteen years receded from my ears. In their place, something new.
Something I wanted more than just to feed on the love I felt billowing from my hosts as they released their embrace and returned to their seats so we might resume our meal with little more than idle chatter about what silliness I might get up to next time I saw Spike or what sneaking I might do with Flurry.
That moment between them would have almost been perfect, if only my overlady had been with us too.
It would have almost made us seem like a family.
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Thorax is getting adopted, isn't he.
Some heavy stuff covered here, but thoes last few lines wers very sweet
...god damn...
Wow. Just...wow.
Are you planning to mention Pharynx at some point?
9115089
9115060
I'm picturing Shining and Cadence running off with him to collect the set.
What's this? Feels in a funny and cute slice of life fic...
My heart feels all warm, so I've either had too much bacon, or that was just good.
This is beautiful
/slaps you.
How dare you! How dare you make me feel things! You monster! No one makes me shed my own tears. No one!
In all seriousness I enjoyed this chapter. Very good poignancy on the relationship between Thorax and Chrysalis. Pharaynx can be mentioned or talked about later.
I think I need a flotation device. This chapter was deeper than I expected it to be.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa bby ;v;
I've been suffering TOO MUCH CUTE lately. First finding out my favourite pet site had updated the art for their ribbon items, then this! (the ending bit)
Lovely, and heartbreaking. Bravo to having the perspective on matters in his viewpoint so eloquently put.
I am now envisioning a little "neighborhood" of books set up in Thorax's room.
In all seriousness though, this was a deep chapter, made even deeper by the fact that you don't really go into detail...just imply. Yet with all the emotion you managed to attach with it, that's more than enough for we the readers to get the idea. Well done.
I’m glad that Shining and Cadence have gotten past their speciesm against changelings and have only retained their disdain and hatred for Chrysalis.
just when you think it can't get any better, it does!
I thought I could just read a new chapter of DSPB before sleeping. And then you hit me with feels? Rude, Cara. So rude.
Way to hit us over the head with feels, Carapace. That hurt.
Its nice to have a pleasant surprise after work.
God I love this guy.
Poor Thorax.
Oh dear.
Capital, Thorax.
HAH!
Clever girl.
I love this guy.
He's too pure!
That, sounds incredibly disturbing. But I do like this, Changelings might be ponylike in shape, but their minds and biology are VERY different and rather alien. They can be VERY disturbing when they want. Or even unintentionally.
Indeed, and I get that it's part of how your culture IS but, from a pony or human perspective, it sounds horrifically abusive.
Probably. Cadence may be a being of immense kindness and love but, she's still got Earth Pony strength and her temper is to be feared.
I, think you may have caused Thorax's mind to short circuit.
Oh Jesus...
... I legitimately have nothing clever to say to this.
Probably, but considering your experience with Changelings, I can hardly blame you.
Oh boy...
YES.
I can sometimes hear Brent Spiner as Data voicing Thorax.
HNNG! My heart! My poor heart!
Quality over quantity, besides, this as well worth the wait.
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He better.
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I couldn't put it better than this.
Huh. I can't imagine a seafood restaurant in the Empire gets much fresh stock. At least it's easy to keep everything frozen.
I'm imagining Thorax doing the confused 180 after his metamorphosis, and it's honestly hilarious. Those moose antlers will get everywhere.
And that emotional moment... Wonderfully done on all ends. Excellent work all around.
Thorax!!!
This was amazing, the feelings dude, so many good feelings
-Hugs Thorax- Hush now quiet now, you safe
So.much.feels.
Loved it.
A good ol' chunk of feels to start well the morning!
Oh god do I love this story
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I forsee at least one "Help! I'm stuck!" moment.
How dare you make me sad
I've been off the computer for a few days! Now that I'm back, I think I'll check Fimfic!
*sees unread chapter*
Oh sweet, something updated! Hey, it's Dear Small Pony Book! More adorableness with my favorite changeling--
........I wasn't expecting feels today.
Really though, I'd just been expecting cuteness and fun. I mean, last chapter was a little emotional, but this? Wow....
Hey, we don't mind waiting for quality chapters. And this one is great. Thorax being innocent, feels, overall adorable sweetness.....It's a win.
Ah yes, a reference to Chrysalis's little The Exorcist moment from "To Where and Back Again". You don't see many of those in fanfiction. Thanks for reminding me of that. Changelings are awesome.
Oh my gosh! I love this chapter! I can't wait to see what comes next!
Awesome. Thanks, Cara.
I've loved the slice of life/light hearted/funny chapters so far, but this was a masterpiece! I look forward to more of THIS.
This brought tears to my eyes. Beautiful.
How would Thorax react if Flurry went through a biting phase?
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"Dear Small Pony Book,
Today was most curious, it seems my Overlady has taken to attempting to pierce my carapace. I have informed her that, in fact, she lacks the fangs to do as such but she seems determined to do as such.
Perhaps she has begun seeing me as I saw the scallops I fed upon mere hours earlier. Alas, as always, the inner thoughts of my Overlady deceive me."
Wonderful read. As always. A+ for the willingness to move past innocent fluff and into the recovery from tough issues.
Can't wait to read more of this!
Something that made me feel really cheated was that we never got to see Thorax go all crystally like how the other characters got crystalized by the heart.
Hopefully a Crystal fair happens in this story so we can remedy that lol.
And in all honesty, I hope Thorax never stumbles into the castle basement. I don't want to see the poor guy open the door down there.
Okay, a confused changeling doesn't tilt his head, he turns it upside down ... that is ... wow ... creepy.
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I hope that they would have sealed off Sombra's door.
“No flirting with the fillies for you young man, your not old enough. None of that in my household.”
Just say it Shiny. Your dancing around the word.
Cadence: <deus vults intenisifies>
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Well sometime before and during the early events of "To Where and Back Again" his wings turn shiny and crystallt. So I guess that his version of it. Well besides his Crystal Hoof disguise of course.
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Especially if he's on pony shape, double creepy, looks like he broke his entire neck
Not really resonating with me here, o Small Pony Book.
was the capital. cf. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/capitol
needs space
I hadn’t spared
Honestly don't know if I've ever commented on this story in all the time I've been reading, and binging, and loving these characters' relationships and stories, but this one chapter got me.
This one-
-hit so incredibly close to home, I don't think my heart has ached for Thorax so much. Really, never has a story ever made me cry for a character who hasn't died, until I read this one. Amazing job.
Big oof.
I'm not crying!... Your crying!
Somehow this makes sense. I feel bad for Thorax. No o pony or changeling should have to go through that.
Awww! C’mon Shining, let him have a bit of fun! It’d be hilarious if he turned out to be inadvertently great at it
Then Cadance gives him a big ol’ hug cause as Princess of Love she’s so proud of him and Shiny’s just like: Not sure if proud...or wary!