The Byroad of Bugs and Bedlam - Part 2
Pharynx scowled. Tiny hooves hugged his carapace and propelled him forward while gleaming lights and a clamor of voices smothered his senses. By his side, Thorax shared a similar predicament. The king's floppy ears strained to a fold as fluttering nymphs yelled into them like reverse megaphones. Everywhere they looked, the brothers found frenzies of fervor, stemming from the draconequus at the center of the room, who enthralled his audience with an array of tricks.
"What did I tell you, Thorax?" Pharynx snarled, a dangerous twitch dancing around his eyelid. "We lost track of him for a whole two minutes and look what happened."
Pharynx jabbed his hoof, and Thorax followed it. Discord was now morphing changelings into perfect spheres and juggling them on stage, their elated expressions still visible on the flying orbs of green, blue and yellow. At the peak of their ascents, some drones fell from the controlled circle and reverted their forms, striking various poses in lavish outfits upon landing. On top of that, the reflective black capes they wore were complete with popped collars and tiny magician hats, some of which sprouted pigeons upon being lifted from their heads; all of which were further products of Discord’s magic.
"Okay, maybe this is a bit much," Thorax winced. One of the nymphs still playing about his body frantically grasped for his snout upon sliding off an antler. Thorax now spoke with a pinched nose. "Look, I'll talk to him, Pharynx. He's not familiar with changeling protocols. I'll let him know, and we'll get everyling to calm down."
A vulpine smile spread across Pharynx's face. "Oh no. This is a matter of hive security now, Thorax. I'll deal with it. If he thinks he can stroll into this hive and mess with our young without so much as a word of permission, he's in for a rude awakening. He can take his sob story of exclusion elsewhere because I don't entertain naiveté."
Thorax opened his mouth, but his tongue felt tied. Pharynx wasted no time in crossing the threshold, the cloud of buzzing nymphs around him scattering as if the prince's temper had ignited his carapace itself. He marched between the tables, causing heads to turn and adopt worried, anxious looks as he went. Soon enough, the entire crowd had dulled to a silence, Discord's merry laughter now isolated.
An arrow headed for a bullseye, Thorax thought. Though the arrow probably would’ve been more merciful.
"Show's canceled!" Pharynx shouted coldly, flying onto the stage. Those few changelings who braved eye contact squeaked at the hard glare waiting for them. "All performers may leave, except the director. Interested parties have questions for him."
A few final drones fell to the glossy wooden floor with a bounce, and after sprouting their legs again, scampered out of sight. Tension rose as dozens of eyes watched the confrontation brewing, but worst of all was Thorax, standing on three legs of jelly and nervously chewing the end of the fourth.
"'The show must be canceled'?" Discord repeated in a high tone, spinning his elongated head around like a giraffe and ogling the stern changeling before him. "Oh my, that's not how the saying goes at all."
Pharynx matched Discord's grin with an unyielding scowl, and an aged white eyebrow hiked the spirit's face. Floating off the ground, he twirled his goatee between two claws, eyeing the newcomer up and down.
"Well, now, I guess there's no mistaking a head rack like that one, is there?" Discord pricked a finger on the tip of Pharynx's antler while dressed in a golden tiara and pink ball gown. "You must be the big brother I've heard so much about. A pleasure for you to make my acquaintance. Now, what do I owe the dissatisfaction, Your Buggyness? Was it the distinct lack of staff giving out refreshments to everyling?"
Discord shot a look towards a half-dozen Discords playing chess backstage. Upon spotting their superior self, they haphazardly gathered up their game and fled, leaving a trail of knights, rooks, and pawns strewn about in their wake. Sighing, Discord turned to give a reassuring pat on Pharynx's carapace.
"I do apologize. It's so very hard to find good help these days."
Pharynx's mouth drew flat.
"Are you always this exasperating, or only when visiting your 'friends'?" he asked callously. Hooves covered mouths in shock throughout the crowd. "Actually, don't answer that. You've managed to overstay your welcome and tread on my patience in a matter of minutes, so we've gone far past the point of my caring."
Discord raised his paw, most likely to elaborate a point, but the loud crackling of electricity blocked his chance. Pharynx's antlers had burst to life; two conductors of a storm that illuminated his darkened chitin.
"Let me make this real simple for you. You may, for the most part, have my brother's trust, but you don't have mine. No one alters this hive's structure without our permission, and absolutely no one touches this hive's nymphs without our permission. If you'd like to reminisce with my brother, I recommend you do so outside the hive. Otherwise, you can take your leave now."
Silence rang in the air. Everything was motionless, except for Discord. The spirit's canine glinted. A challenge had been issued. Authority had been thrust upon him, and there was no turning back.
"My my, aren't you a perky one?" Discord hummed, promptly crossing his arms and legs as he continued to bob up and down in the air. "Grounded, authoritative, and viciously assertive. Why, you're like the lawful good version of Cheeselegs herself, aren't you? Let me guess, you're the bad cop of this dynamic duo."
A navy blue police hat and black nightstick with a wrist sling flashed into existence, hanging from the peak of Pharynx's antlers. On cue, the changeling's demeanor worsened even further. Digging a hoof against polished wood, Pharynx seized the objects from his head in an aura of magic and tossed them aside. His furious energy threatened to escape his antlers' containment, but it didn’t stop Discord from roasting a marshmallow over them like an open flame.
"You've got a lot of arrogance, draconequus," Pharynx said venomously. "And that's coming from Chrysalis's former right hoof."
Discord laid a single paw against his lips, gleefully squeezing his roasted marshmallow between two claws. "More than even Her ex-Royal Majesty? Look at me, beating other villains in things even after being reformed. Why, Your Buggyness, I'm flattered."
"It wasn't a compliment. I've grown to hate arrogance."
Discord snickered, circling the feisty changeling overhead. "Oh, but hate is such a strong word. Tell me, Sir Spoil Sport, what's so wrong with your little bug ponies having fun, anyway? Don't tell me you also mirror your old queen's habit of taking the fun out of everything. That'd be such a tragedy."
Discord's grey fur lit up with the blaze of Pharynx's magic, and their snouts fell inches from touching. However, the ensuing battle was interrupted by a soft buzz of wings. Flying over the crowd's heads, a single changeling made his way to the stage, where he promptly joined the heated pair.
"Pharynx, please stop this." Thorax demanded his brother's gaze but was ignored. "This isn't how to handle this. I understand you're worried about everyling's safety, but this is too much. Noling was even hurt. We shouldn't treat our guest like this when he hasn't done anything to warrant it."
Pharynx sharply turned his head, glaring at the taller changeling. "'Nothing to warrant it'? You can't be serious, Thorax. My job is to deal with things before they become issues, before someling gets hurt. I'm not here to blindly accept everything as it comes and then clean up the aftermath." The beta changeling locked eyes with Discord again. "It's called a preemptive measure. We all know what he's capable of, and clearly, he has no regard for rules. We don't need something like that in the hive."
Thorax's downtrodden ears hugged his head, and his eyes stared at the ground. However, just out of his peripheral, something caught his attention. Discord's beady eyes were not aimed at Pharynx, but rather they bypassed him completely, choosing to watch Thorax closely instead. It wasn't amusement, or even smugness that his expression held, but a hint of curiosity, as if he were patiently waiting for something. Thorax found himself staring back, and with a rising fire in his belly, he found himself raising his voice, focusing on his older brother once more.
"Pharynx, I'm sorry, but I'm not okay with this."
Again Pharynx turned, his harsh look changing into an incredulous one. "You're not 'okay' with it?"
His tone rang with condescension, but Thorax nodded through it. "This isn't fair to our guest. We shouldn't be offering ultimatums, and we certainly shouldn't be doing it in front of everyling."
Pharynx scoffed. "All I'm doing is confronting your 'friend' and making him aware of the policies he's in the process of breaking, Thorax. I’m making it clear that his behavior isn't tolerated here!"
"And you have to do that at horn point? After stepping in front of everyling and abruptly shutting down what many of them simply saw as a good time? Just look at them, Pharynx. You're making them uncomfortable. Do you really think this was the best approach for dealing with the situation?"
Pharynx scanned the crowd of observing drones. The bulbous eyes peering back reflected anxiety, even fright in the younger changelings. The prince's face clenched, and his rigid composure waned under the mounting pressure. When it finally became too much, he let out a short sigh, and his magic dissipated into thin air.
"Alright, fine. I'll humor you," Pharynx muttered, reeling in his temper. "Say I back down for now; what exactly do you suggest, Thorax? Where would you have us go from here?"
Breathing a little sigh of relief, Thorax looked up again. Discord's beady eyes still watched him and were now accompanied by the smallest of smiles.
"There's always a middle ground, Pharynx," Thorax stated, braving a hoof on his brother's back. "I promised Discord a tour of the hive, and so that's what I'll give him, but only if he promises to respect our wishes from here on out by toning down his magic in exchange. I'm sure he'd be okay with a compromise. Right, Discord?"
"Why, of course," Discord chipped in, placing a paw over his chest and giving an exaggerated bow. "If training the little ones to be capable magicians upsets His Royal Blueberry Bug that much, then I shall humbly accept the terms of a truce. I am a reformed draconequus, after all. Class is my middle name."
Discord adorned a mustache, monocle, and ironed blue suit, then sat at an oak desk to file a few papers and place a golden plaque that read 'Mr. Discord 'Class' Draconequus'. The crowd breathed life into the chamber with a new round of chittering.
Some tension, however, remained. Pharynx gave his brother a hard look that pinned him to his spot, a look that repelled any chance of direct eye contact. For a long moment, the two sat in their own bubble of awkward silence, Pharynx still as a statue, and Thorax fidgeting his hooves.
"I'm sorry, Pharynx," Thorax said at last, meeting only the bottom sliver of his brother's eyes. "I didn't mean to call you out like that. I just couldn't watch you two continue to fight. Everyling was getting really antsy, and so was I. I just thought-"
A blue hoof promptly planted itself over his muzzle, and Thorax twitched in surprise.
"Stop apologizing, Thorax. You just stood up for yourself really well, don't ruin it."
"..."
"Look, I don't trust him as far as I can toss a stone, and suffice it to say, I don't like him at all. If it were up to me I'd have blasted him off his rocket car the moment he got within range of the hive."
The hoof retracted, but Thorax remained silent. His brother's face was contorted, several emotions fighting for dominance. He wanted to say something, anything, but like earlier, his tongue had tied. He could count the number of times Pharynx had opened up to him on two hooves, and he couldn't miss out on a third.
"But this is your hive too, and I do trust you," Pharynx continued, his voice growing steadily more solemn. "Well, I trust you enough to know that you're right, anyway. You've clearly got a better grasp of the situation than I do, so I'll just stay out of it unless you need me. Honestly, I'm still getting used to the fact that you're even capable of resolving things like this yourself, these days."
"Pharynx, I-"
"Go give him his tour, Thorax, and come find me when you're done. I'm going to regroup with everyone and see if I can't get anything productive out of them after this visual sugar rush."
Pharynx took his leave, calling out to the crowd before Thorax could even respond. Soon enough, the beta changeling was obscured from view by a moving wall of glittery wings and shiny shells, haphazardly making its way out of the chamber. Thorax found himself blankly staring after them, even after they were gone.
"Hmm. I dare say that's the kindest thing I've heard him say since I arrived."
Thorax could see Discord's serpentine body coil up to a standstill, and as it did, the various seats, hot tubs, and stage below evaporated from existence.
"Discord, why were you so ready to follow my suggestion just now, when you ignored my request to stay in the entry chamber earlier?" Thorax broached. "Did you...know how Pharynx would react? Were you hoping that I'd confront him?"
Discord absently twisted around his claw, examining his wrist. Eventually, he cocked a brow at Thorax with a blatant smirk.
"Did I, the reformed spirit of chaos and disharmony, intentionally create a circumstance in which the king of the changelings was able to show his protective big brother how capable he's become by standing up to him? Why, Thorax, I haven't the foggiest idea what you're talking about. I simply wanted to parade around some laundry and teach pre-adolescent bug ponies how to conjure pigeons."
Through his giggle, Thorax could feel a warmth filling his carapace, and he looked at the ground and smiled. "Well, thank you for 'not' helping out, Discord. You 'inadvertently' helped me show Pharynx something I've wanted to show him for a while, and I really appreciate that."
"You're most unwelcome," Discord said with a satisfied nod. "Any side effects resulting from Total ChaosTM are purely coincidental, and shall not be held responsible by Draconequus Chaos Inc. or any of its affiliates."
The king and spirit shared a mutual laugh, and then made their way out of the chamber. They ascended through the winding tunnels of the hive, passing changelings on their way. Every so often, Discord would alternate from walking along the ceiling to fluttering along with his tiny wings, getting a chuckle from Thorax every time.
"So, Discord, you've seen the hot springs and the entry hive. Would you like to begin with the throne room, perhaps? Or maybe I can show you the nursery hive? Oh, or I can show you our lookout towers. They have an amazing view of the surrounding area."
"Surprise me, Thorax," Discord suggested, rubbing his hands together excitedly. "I'm nothing if easy to entertain. Besides, I'm just along for the ride; whatever the changeling hive can dish up, I'm sure I'll enjoy-"
A sudden quake in his tail cut him off, and Discord came to a stop. Thorax stopped too and looked back, blinking in confusion.
"Um, is everything okay, Discord?"
A sly look crept up Discord's face. "Everything is peaches and cream, my buggy liege. Let's just say that my chaos sense is tingling. It would appear you have even more guests to entertain today."
Starlight shook her hoof, flinging a lone bug tickling her into the surrounding grass. With steadily shortening patience, she continued to watch Sunburst trot around the changeling hive's exterior, drinking in the lush habitat like a colt in a candy store. He’d often make some manner of high-pitched noise and scribble something on a half-crumbled notepad before darting to a new location and repeating the process.
"You know, Sunburst, you're actually starting to scare me," Starlight commented. "All you need at this point is a purple wig and maybe a balloon full of helium, and then I could start planning school schedules and events with you in Twilight's office and not even know the difference."
"This is simply incredible, Starlight!" Sunburst exclaimed, not acknowledging her in the slightest. "It's not just diversity—the flora here is thriving! This is on the level of Canterlot's royal greenhouse, but it's completely wild, and I assume relatively untouched even by the changelings! It must be a result of their new magic. Oh, Celestia, who could have guessed I'd find such discoveries before even getting to talk to King Thorax or Discord!"
Starlight's vacant expression persisted, save for a brow slowly climbing her forehead. "We could even build you a paper-mâché Spike and a set of wings, too. Nopony would suspect a thing. Actually...that could probably work. Sunburst, how do you feel about being a substitute on call?"
"Um, can I help you?"
Emerging from a morphing hole in the wall was a bright yellow drone, keeping a safe distance from the strange pair of ponies. Relieved at the advancement of their little mission, Starlight's smile shone brightly as she walked over to the drone and extended a hoof.
"Why hello there, my name is Starlight Glimmer," she said pleasantly. She then pointed a hoof at the stallion. "And this is my friend, Sunburst. Princess Twilight Sparkle sent us from Ponyville. She was concerned that Discord might be planning to drop in on the hive unexpectedly today, and so we were sent to assist if needed."
The yellow drone returned the smile and extended his own hoof, nodding at the stallion as well. "You must mean the goat chimera. Yeah, he came by not too long ago and gave everyling a bit of a scare, but from what I last saw, everyling was really enjoying his magic show downhive, save Pharynx. I just got back, myself. Oh, I'm Tibia, by the way. It's nice to meet you."
At the mention of Pharynx's name, Starlight's anxiety triggered a grimace. "Do you know where Discord is now, Tibia? Or Thorax and Pharynx, for that matter?"
Tibia gave a modest head tilt and placed a hoof to his chin. "Well, I just saw Pharynx head out with a squad of changelings to the southern border forest. I think he said something about ‘rippeleon chase training’."
"There are rippeleons here!?" Sunburst shouted from behind Starlight. Starlight rolled her eyes.
"As for Thorax, I know he must still be in the hive, but I have no idea where," Tibia continued. "The goat chimera wanted to have a tour of the whole hive so they could be anywhere right now. I've kinda been stuck down here on guard duty since returning, so I don't really know much else. Sorry."
"No, it's fine," Starlight sighed. "I suppose the best we can do is head inside and take a look around, then. If that's okay with you, Tibia. My friend and I would really like to track down the 'goat chimera' as quickly as possible so that we can report back to Princess Twilight."
"Oh, sure." Tibia nodded towards the hive's base. "Any friend of the princess is a friend of ours. Thorax has told us guard changelings that ponies are always welcome. I can bring you inside, but I'm afraid I can't guide you around. I have to stay at my post. Maybe I can grab another changeling to help you out."
"That won't be necessary, Tibia. I can take care of our guests from here."
Tibia went rigid, with the voice of his superior swimming in his ear. Spinning around, he found that Thorax stood just behind him, alongside Discord. Thorax gave his subordinate a disarming smile, while Discord shot a devious look at the ponies assailing him with matching frowns.
"Why if it isn't the celebrated friendship graduate and her astute escort," Discord said, swirling a hand and conjuring an iced beverage from the ether. He sat upon his own tail and took a loud sip of his drink from a pink bendy straw. "Let me guess: Twilight simply had kittens when she found out I only told you about my little surprise visit today?"
Starlight’s eyes furrowed. "Well, as usual, it seems you've orchestrated everything from the start, Discord. Let me guess: you knew that Twilight would send me to corral you? I bet you even knew that I prefer not to travel alone and would bring a friend along."
Discord tapped the ends of his paws and claws together, using his tail to toss the now empty glass aside, where it evaporated upon hitting a rock. "Credit where credit is due. Mind you, not everything went according to plan. For example, even after all that setup I went through to get Team Save Equestria back together again—after you failed to, I should add—you went and brought the wrong friend, Starlight."
Discord put his head in his claw and feigned a sorrowful look, but Starlight was having none of it. "Is it my fault Trixie was busy this week? No, it's not. Also, I had planned on organizing a get-together sometime after this whole fiasco, but if this is how you're going to act, running off to inconvenience others at the drop of a hat, maybe I won't, after all."
"Hey, come on guys," Thorax interjected, raising a hoof. "Let's calm down for a second, okay? Look, Discord isn't being an inconvenience. I was just about to give him a tour of the hive, actually. Why don't you guys join us? Even if Trixie isn't here today, Sunburst is, and both Starlight and I are already friends with him. Maybe you can be too, Discord. There's no reason we can't all have a good time, right?"
Sunburst grinned shamelessly at this notion.
Discord opened one red eye from his crossed-armed tantrum. Upon spotting Thorax looking up at him with big, hopeful eyes, he couldn't help but grin too. Like a striking constrictor, he seized the fully grown changeling and lifted him off the ground in an abrasive embrace. "Oh, good ol' Thorax, always such a voice of reason. Very well then, I suppose Team Save Equestria + Sunburst is an acceptable alternative for our group tour this evening."
"T-thanks for giving it a try, Discord," Thorax wheezed out, forcing a meek smile.
As tempers cooled and smiles were salvaged, Starlight chuckled and helped Thorax out of his predicament by levitating him out of Discord's grasp. Once he caught his breath, Thorax rallied the group with a nod and headed back through the large archway. He briefly turned to the yellow drone still standing at attention.
"Hey, Tibia?"
"Uh, yes, Thorax?"
Thorax placed a gentle hoof on the drone's side. "When Pharynx comes back in, can you please send a changeling to come find me and let me know? I think he has a few things he really wants to talk with me about today, and I want to get to that as soon as possible."
"Oh, sure thing! I'll send Nepidae. She's on duty with me in an hour, and she's quick as lightning."
Thorax beamed. "Thanks, Tibia, you're doing a great job. Be sure to take a break when you get a chance, alright?"
"I, uh," Tibia stammered, a potent blush assaulting his cheeks. Starlight and Discord wore adoring faces at the obvious display of emotion, while Sunburst shared Thorax's radiant look. "O-of course, Thorax! I'll be sure to take a nectar break in a little bit."
With a satisfying show of his pearly teeth, Thorax rejoined the group and spearheaded them through the entry chamber. Soon enough, Sunburst's voice broke the calm.
"So, Mister Discord—do you mind if I call you 'Mister' Discord? I wanted to ask you a little about yourself while I had the chance. You see, I study ancient forms of magic and runic powers, and I've always been fascinated by chaos magic. Being the sole practitioner of the art, what can you tell me about it? How does it work? Do you focus your energy through your thoughts or your emotions? Also, would you say chaos magic is classified as unique spells or more as an all-encompassing power you simply utilize by the situation? Oh, I have so many questions! It's such an honor to meet you, sir!"
Though she held her hooves as steady as she could, Apidae watched them tremble under the weight of her fatigue. Slumping to the ground, her muscles relaxed, and she embraced the cushion of grass with a content sigh. The light pants of her fellow changelings sounded from all directions, and upon sitting up, she saw that many of them had sprawled themselves throughout the clearing. Past them all, Pharynx's dark figure sat on an unassuming boulder, facing away from the lot of them.
"That was pretty good, you guys," he said, flat but still harboring a hint of pride. "Seven minutes. We kept up with it for seven minutes. That's fifteen seconds longer than the other day and a full forty-five seconds longer than last week. Rest up for a bit, and we'll try some resilience training while disguised as inanimate objects; then we can head home."
Apidae let a breath rush through her burning lungs, soothing her from the inside out. She got to her hooves and ventured past the fallen, lazy forms of her fellow changelings to join the prince by his side. Once there, she flopped onto her flank. The beta changeling's face did not budge.
"What do you want, Apidae?"
"Not a want, per se," Apidae responded. "I just wanted to ask what's bothering you."
"Nothing. I'm fine."
"Okay. Counterpoint. You don't look fine."
Pharynx curled his lip, but his face still didn't budge. "Is that really anyone's business but my own, Apidae?"
The yellow changeling giggled, undeterred. "Well, of course not, but that doesn't mean we don't care about you, Pharynx. I can't speak for everyling, but when I see my prince looking like someling messed up his bedhive, I want to help, even if all I can do is listen."
Pharynx said nothing, opting instead to shift his violet eyes away. Apidae's smile only grew.
"I never asked for specifics, you know. I'll even settle for vague grunts if it'll help any."
Pharynx let out a cross between a growl and a hiss. At last, his head pivoted, and he scanned the clearing behind him. Though a few changelings had since gotten up and begun chatting among themselves, they remained, for the most part, far out of earshot from his perch.
"Does it have to do with Thorax?"
Pharynx's ear twitched, and Apidae's sly look knew no bounds.
"It's always about Thorax." Pharynx slumped his belly on the rock. Unfortunately for him, his empathetic drone was persistent. She circled the boulder until she stood just in front of him, then plopped back down again. "You're not going to leave me be, are you?"
Apidae shook her head, and again, Pharynx growled. When he did speak, his voice was just above a whisper.
"Thorax stood up to me earlier. Actually stood up to me. And he did a pretty good job of it. I should be proud, and I am proud; it's what I've been trying to drill into his head for years. All the same, I've felt...pensive ever since. I've lost my energy, my focus, even my excitement for chasing down rippeleons. I don't know what's going on, but I know it must be from what happened today."
Pharynx braved a glance and found Apidae beaming back at him. Taken aback, Pharynx rose from his spot, attempting to hide his onset blush with a show of his teeth. "What? What's that look for?"
Apidae tilted her head. "You know, you're an excellent big brother, Pharynx."
The floodgates fell apart, and Pharynx's cheeks flushed to a rose tint. "What are you talking about? Do you know what's going on, Apidae? If you know something, spill it. You've all been dealing with this 'feeling emotions' tripe a lot longer than I have."
Apidae was now laughing loud enough for ears to perk throughout the clearing.
"I don't think it's my place to tell you, Pharynx," she said with a wink. "But tell Thorax exactly what you just told me. Not only will you feel better, but he'll know exactly what you're feeling too."
With a blatant roll of his eyes, Pharynx leaped off his perch and brushed stray dirt from his legs. "Thanks for the wisdom, but I already planned on that much, Apidae. Furthermore, I'd be lying if I said I was optimistic. Knowing Thorax, he'll just gush at the first word of me feeling any emotions."
The changeling signaled his squad with a stern point of his hoof, and they quickly assembled into formation. With Apidae by his side, Pharynx took to the air, inspiring his changelings to do the same. Soon, the afternoon sky filled with a flurry of iridescent wings as the group made their way deeper into the forest.
"By the way, what happened to 'inanimate objects' training?" Apidae asked.
"I decided I don't like this area," Pharynx grumbled.
"I wouldn't count on it, I think Discord's trying to test you."
"But, why? I thought we were friends!"
"Well it's kinda what he does, even to ponies and dragons he cares about."
~A Matter of Principals
After a long time coming, here is the next installment. 
I couldn't be happier to finally have this chapter done. Also, more apologies for more delays. Life, work, trying to get started with school again, it's all just very time-consuming. 
I have brought good news as well, though. 
A new commission artwork is in the works for later this August, which will be in the form of an author's note on the next chapter or in a blog, whichever comes first. 
So keep an eye out for diabeetus!
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Awww....Pharynx is starting to come out of his shell. About time!
You are welcome to try to stop him.
Oh boy...
That, sounds fair.
He has a point.
With you it could very well be both.
Probably. As they say, all according to keikaku. (editor's note: Keikaku means plan)
Whatever you say, you big sundried tomato. (Tsundere)
The sad thing is, few people probably WOULD notice if Spike were replaced with a cardboard double.
Also, glad this adorable story is still going!
This is truly how Discord does things
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Great, now I'm visualizing Pharynx actually taking off his carapace. In a slow and sexy manner. WHYYYYYYY???!!!
9100180
Sorry.
9100180
Happy Birthday, Mister Discord...
And then you wake from the nightmare, glad it was just a strange, strange dream.
9143983
Ok sorry for bothering you .
I thought you wrote discord well
...The heck is a rippeleon?
9543505
Not skimming, were you? 
It was explained in a previous chapter.
9543521
Hah, yeah, apparently there were two chapters I didn't read, there's a weird glitch where if you read 2% of a chapter it counts as completely read, so... I regret nothing!
You did Discord perfectly here, I was chuckling during the whole chapter (couldn't laugh out loud because my parents are asleep).
Why am I not surprised that discord knows that starlight and sunburst are here lol
Wow discord I really don't know if that was your plan all this time but at least it worked out and sunburst is so excited to meet with thorax and discord and it looks like Pharynx is starting to come out of is shell about his feelings
Love it when Discord is pulling a Q and plays the teacher. Hes Anti hero / hidden support role is why i love Discord as a character.
Great chapter
One of these days I'm gonna use that TM in something... might even be something with Discord also.
Very nice chapter. Nice to see Pharynx opening up, even if it's just a tiny bit.