Mornings are Never Easy, Twilight Sparkle
Side Story Tie-in: To Love as His Own
"Atop Chrysalis's decimated hive, King Thorax confronts his former peers. When their discussions are interrupted by a confused and scared changeling nymph, Thorax demonstrates the power of sharing love between changelings."
Twilight Sparkle clenched her eyes. She was awake. This was a problem because it brought the awareness of light pressing against her eyelids. With a groan, she moved and stretched, her muscles as groggy and stiff as her mind.
Next, she braved the light attempting to greet her. She immediately regretted it. Shapes and colors blurred in the wake of gleaming stars lining the walls. Those cocoon lamps must've had a daylight setting.
Twilight groaned again. She owed Rarity an apology. Bringing your own furniture with you on trips had plenty of merit. Why did she think a few loose papers would adequately cushion stone?
"Thorax, why would you do this to us!?"
Well, at least her ears were working.
"Yeah, you said you liked spending time with us!"
She opened one eye this time, the one nearest the ground and furthest from the light. Soon enough, the shapes and colors began to paint the hive around her, and memories of the previous day rushed back to her.
Twilight opened her remaining eye and raised her head off the floor. The drama playing out before her had now become clearer.
"Do you not love us anymore, Thorax?"
"Please, Thorax? Just a few more minutes!"
"Have we not been good cuddlebugs?"
Thorax suffered his drone's theatrics with skepticism. The changelings tightly clung to his hooves, assaulting him with pleading eyes, but it was a futile display. He met each face of desperation with a wizened smirk.
"You can stop the act, you guys," he said calmly, patting a hoof along one of their gripped legs. "I'll admit, it was kinda cute the first few times, but now it's become a morning routine. You're just looking for an excuse to laze around all day, and you know it."
The changelings took on wounded looks. One drone put a hoof to his chest and gasped dramatically.
"Besides, even if I did want to humor you guys, I can't sleep in today. Princess Twilight offered to come with me to the Crystal Empire so we can have an audience with Princess Cadance. I want to introduce our kind to the crystal ponies so that we can become allies."
Twilight arched her back and stood up. She noticed that the nesting chamber was now largely empty, with only a hoofful of changelings still around from the night before.
She turned towards the front of the chamber, where Thorax sat with a trio of drones who seemed to be trying their best to hold him down. His subtly playful demeanor was all the context Twilight could ever need.
A mustard changeling buried his face in lime chitin. "I'd much rather stay here than make friends with crystal ponies."
A second claimed Thorax's leg in a bear hug. "Yeah, isn't the Crystal Empire in the frozen north? I'm all good on freezing my wings off."
Thorax made an effort to stand. More than once, he nearly tripped and fell on his face, tugging to get his last hoof free from the vise-like grip of his former peers.
The moment their goal fell from reach, the changelings pathetically flopped onto their backs in a last-ditch attempt to overwhelm their sentimental king. But all that awaited them was that same seasoned, nigh-taunting smirk.
"Give it up, you guys. He's on to us."
"You mean we actually have to find stuff to do now?" Like a flipped switch, the drone stood and brushed his carapace of dust. "This is lame. It worked great the first few times."
"You guys oversell it. You gotta be more subtle. Don't make cute faces, just pretend to stay asleep," another chided. "If it's his call to wake us up, then he'll delay it longer."
"Have a great day, guys. I have faith in you!" said Thorax encouragingly. The drones grumbled and yawned in reply as they disappeared down a morphing side corridor.
"Well, that was rather huffy."
Thorax's floppy ears twitched. Before he could turn around proper, Twilight had joined him, a levitating hairbrush working through her bed mane.
"Good morning, Twilight. Don't mind them. It's just a whole thing they do."
Twilight cocked an eyebrow.
"Don't you think that was just a tad manipulative?" she asked as she put away her brush. Thorax motioned his head towards the chamber's exit. Twilight followed.
"Well, maybe a little bit, but that's not exactly abnormal for changelings. You have to remember that while we may have changed form and started sharing instead of taking, old habits still die hard. Most of the changelings weren't like me, Twilight."
"How do you mean?"
"Having a disposition for being honest," Thorax mused, smiling at a couple of passing drones. "Every changeling is different. Some changelings like the idea of communal energy restoration, while others think it's frivolous and degrading."
"And others use it as an excuse to be lazy," Twilight surmised. She could so easily conjure her journals, add a quick note in the margins regarding social response to cluster napping, but...no. Today was about Thorax. She'd just have to fight the urges.
Celestia help her.
"Yeah, there are lazy changelings who try to use it as an excuse to sleep all the time." Thorax rounded a bend in the corridor. "There are also changelings who get jealous when their friends share love magic with other changelings they don't know. And though I'm doing my best to curb it, there's still some bullying going on towards changelings who enjoy communal resting."
"Who knew something so simple could spark so many problems. I can't say I'm surprised, though. Even close friends have trouble seeing eye to eye from time to time, and the changelings have entirely altered their perspectives on all sorts of things. It's no wonder there are some hiccups."
"Seeing eye to eye has always been a problem for changelings, but I think we're making progress. Part of why I enjoy resting with them is because it's the one time I can really get changelings to spend time together. I know a lot of them only participate to benefit themselves right now, but I know that'll change over time. After all, if taking naps with your hivemates doesn't improve your sociability, nothing will."
Thorax offered a laugh, and Twilight gave back a weak grin. As she watched him, she noted the spark in his eye and the genuine weight behind his smile. Bless his heart. She could scarcely name another soul in Equestria quite as genuine.
"Yesterday, when you were playing 'Ogres and Oublietes' with Spike and the other changelings, I noticed something," Twilight said. "The other changelings were quarreling when we arrived, but as soon as you sat down with them, things changed, dramatically so. It was like your presence itself was able to influence their mood positively. Have you noticed anything like that before?"
Thorax giggled again. He kissed the ground with his gaze as if it were an old friend.
"I've thought about it a few times, yes. When I spend time with changelings who accept me as the hive leader and share their love magic with me, they're influenced by my magic in return. It becomes easier for them to befriend each other around me because of it."
"As the alpha, your love magic must be pretty potent." Twilight's thoughts raced, scrambling to remember every detail of the conversation for later recording. Even the chance of a sullen lip or fallen eye from her friend upon caving to her note-taking was a risk she would not take.
Today was about Thorax and his needs. The next note topic of Changelings and Changed Forms would have to wait.
Eventually, after a grueling, maze-like trip through the hive's inner tunnels, the pair passed through an apparent recreational space, where one question Twilight had been harboring was swiftly answered. Spike was among a small group of drones, apparently deep into a game of tag. Their mutual laughter reverberated off the stone walls as they bounded around, chasing down one another like excitable foals. Warmth filled the alicorn's face.
It was, however, short-lived. With a loud thud, Spike was relentlessly face-planted by a changeling from behind.
The one responsible cackled. "I got him! Bug pile! Bug pile!"
An alarming amount of drones fell limply from the air, ruthlessly piling onto the first. Only one tiny claw was visible from underneath the pile of chittering chitin, wiggling weakly.
Twilight winced. Maybe it wasn't tag, after all.
"Honey, can you please give the guards their duties for today when you're able?"
"Yes, dear."
"Oh, and can you please let Sunburst know we'll be requiring his assistance with Flurry Heart this afternoon during the meeting?"
"Of course, dear."
"Speaking of, I'm going to go check on her. Can you meet me in the main hall in half an hour?"
"Absolutely, dear."
"I love you, Shining Armor."
"I love you, too."
Shining Armor listened to the echoes of his wife's hooves leave their bedroom. When the silence surrounded him once more, he was overcome with contentment, and a choice. It would be the toughest choice he'd ever faced in all his years serving as a guard pony. It was also a choice he did battle with every morning.
Five more minutes, or no?
The longer he remained unsure, the more the room's silence speared him like Cadance's disapproval. The white stallion stretched out his hindquarters with a guttural groan, his rear-end rising from underneath a deep lavender blanket. Though they had both suffered from lack of sleep due to unnamed baby alicorns, he had weathered it the worst. At least Cadance had always been an early-riser.
Shining Armor emerged from the comfiest bed in Equestria with a stammer in his step and rubbed the crust from his eyes.
"Guards...Sunburst...Twiley...Thorax..."
Shining repeated his mandated chores to himself quietly as made his way down the hall. His mane was a disaster, his eyes were sunken, and his posture was lethargic; he was hardly an authoritative sight to behold. Furthermore, he was so lost in his own mind fog that he failed to notice a brown-coated guard pony only feet away.
"Prince Captain Shining Armor! Good morning, sir!" the guard barked, saluting his captain and prince with gusto. "How are you this fine morning?"
"Been better—I mean, never better," Shining stammered. "Hey, you haven't happened to see my wife leave Flurry Heart's room, have you?"
"The princess? I don't believe so, sir. I saw her walk that way and have not seen her since."
"Must still be with Flurry. Guess I'll go find the squads and give them their orders."
"What was that, sir?"
"Oh, nothing. . . Hey, actually, can you please inform squad's three and four to do castle rounds today? I'm going to have squads six and seven patrol the borders. There's a lot of commotion today, gotta switch things up."
The guard pony blinked. Shining Armor sauntered by, and a curious gaze followed his flank right out of the corridor.
"But, Prince Captain Shining Armor, there are only six squads in the Crystal Empire!"
"Before we head off for the Crystal Empire, Twilight, there's one more thing I have to do. You could call it a morning routine of my own. I hope that's okay."
"Of course! Work at your own pace, Thorax. I'm merely here to assist in whatever ways I can. What's this last thing?"
She couldn't see it then, but she could picture a toothy smile from his tone.
"Oh, you'll see soon enough. There's someling I have to check up on. He's usually up around this time."
The royal pair ascended a steepened passage, one much narrower than what they'd encountered thus far. Twilight bowed her head as she followed Thorax's lead, tinges of claustrophobia tickling the corners of her mind.
But grim hypotheticals were soon lost to the growing sound of sprightly laughter and a sporadic chirping, echoing from the end of the hall. The familiar pitch of children's voices played in her ears, and far lovelier pictures now filled her head.
"Thorax," she breathed. "Are those-"
"Hang on. We're almost there."
As Thorax exited her path, the sun's familiar warmth hugged Twilight's being, and she emerged from the passage with a cautious squint. When tiny, vibrant shells passed by, she gulped air, and her eyes widened despite the onset of painful tears.
A large chamber fitted with rows of carved windows filled her view, decorated with stone pillars that ran from floor to ceiling. In every corner and from every angle buzzed tiny changelings, with the occasional adult mixed among them. Radiant beams of light from the windows bathed them for the briefest of moments, rendering them iridescent and drawing inspiration for flight paths that frequented such spots. The bugs raced around the open space, chasing, leaping, and playing with each other in an endless cycle of glee.
Twilight's legs became jelly. Well, that was that. Starlight would have to become a princess in her stead because she was never going home.
"I was only able to show you the old nesting chamber yesterday," Thorax stated, his attention seized by devilish nymphs now lightly tugging against his antlers. "At the time of our tour, it was nap time for the hive's young, and I didn't want to risk waking anyling up. Meet the hive's youngest generation!"
Thorax was spouting words, or at least he may have been. Big-eyed, buggy cherubs had long since claimed Twilight's heart and soul.
"They're absolutely precious!" she cooed, extending a hoof to try and coax the nymphs closer. When two of them curiously fluttered over, Twilight squealed.
"Oh, that yellow one is Mandi." Thorax turned to address the bumblebee nymph with a silky voice. "Mandi, this is Princess Twilight. She's a pony visiting us from Equestria. Did you know she really likes hugs? Would you like to give her one?"
Twilight's heart stopped. Her eccentric expression reflected off Mandi's emerald eyes, and so she endeavored to reign it back into something less desperate. The fourth Equestrian princess should at least pretend her future didn't depend on the affections of a changeling nymph.
But oh, it did.
Mandi's curious glance bloomed, and two hooves curled about Twilight's neck. The alicorn's fresh tears ran free. No help was needed from the morning sun.
"Oh, just call me Aunty Twiley, sweetie," Twilight implored, gingerly wrapping one hoof around the small changeling's back. She turned to Thorax, who had resorted to more devious methods of obtaining snuggles from the nymphs assailing his antlers. Seized by teal magic, the young bugs involuntarily took turns having their snouts pressed to the monarch's and nuzzled.
"If it's okay for me to ask, whose are they?" Twilight inquired, scarcely able to bring herself to interrupt the scene. "They're not all...Chrysalis's by chance, are they?"
"Oh, no. That's a common misconception, actually." Thorax released his captured bugs to the ongoing frivolity filling the room. "Even in the case of a queen, a hive leader doesn't actually lay all the eggs. The leader just has the authority to watch over and raise them how they see fit. At least, that's what Chrysalis did. Changelings are only part insect—we actually mate and lay eggs in pairs like many creatures do. Having spent so much time around ponies, I thought it best to let nymphs be raised by their birth changelings, now, as well as the community at large."
Only by the magic of Mandi's embrace was Twilight's will held together, now. A magenta spark danced about her horn tip, and the books in her saddlebags fidgeted impatiently. At the rate changeling lore was being dropped, her addiction would need addressing sooner rather than later.
She opened her mouth, but a far spunkier voice than hers graced the air.
"Papa Thorax! Where have you been!? I've waited for you all morning!"
Twilight saw a crimson-shelled nymph bolt along the ground, beelining for Thorax. His miniature ears were pressed tight against his head as he charged, building up both speed and his impish smirk.
Without a second thought, Thorax sat back on his haunches, casting the bug torpedo a beaming smile Twilight had not yet seen from him. The inevitable tackle knocked Thorax clear over, and two more laughs joined the room's choir.
"You've been waiting for me?" Thorax's voice had lightened, softer than clouds. His front hooves securely pinned the nymph to his chest. "Now why would you go and do something like that?"
"Um, you promised we'd play a bit every morning, Papa Thorax," the nymph criticized, squirreling against his restraints with limited success. "But you didn't even look for me when you came in."
Thorax was met with a pout. He grinned.
"I was distracted. Maybe if you had been at the ready to poke and prod at me like those other nymphs were, you'd have gotten nose kisses, too."
The nymph revealed his tongue. "I don't want nose kisses, Papa Thorax, I wanna play! And lemme go! I don't want your hugs, either!"
Thorax's grin grew insatiable. "Hmm, that's something a nymph who wants nose kisses and hugs would say."
"No, they wouldn't! I mean, no, I don't! I don't want your hugs right now, Papa Thorax! Lemme go; I wanna run!"
"Alright, let me think it over." Thorax scrunched his eyebrows, and lightly bobbed his head to and fro for a moment. Finally, a snout pressed against the nymph's.
"No can do. You're getting hugs."
Thorax playfully smothered the captured nymph, curling his body and rocking in place. Whines of protest saturated the air.
Somewhere a few yards away, Twilight proceeded on with her heart attack. Her lip was now on its' second minute of being self-bit. But it would be fine. Starlight was a capable pony. She'd make an excellent replacement princess.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Twilight," Thorax reached out suddenly, eyeing the mare with newfound energy. "This is Apex. He's one of the hive's youngest adult nymphs, or rather, 'preadolescents' is what I think Shining Armor said ponies call that age range. Apex, this is Princess Twilight. She's from Equestria and has been here visiting."
With their introduction properly staged, Thorax got to his hooves and levitated the young changeling to a comfortable seat between his antlers, who then stared at the alicorn for a moment.
Twilight beamed. "Hel-"
"Hi, princess pony! I'm Apex. Your wings are really cool!" Gripping hold of Thorax's antler, the micro changeling leaned around his horn to get a better look. "Why do you have a picture on your butt? Do all ponies have butt pictures or only princess ponies?"
Thorax was ripped from his lackadaisical thoughts. With an onset grimace, he raised a hoof, seeking to get the mannerless drone under control. Unfortunately for him, his assaulting appendage was little more than an invitation to play.
"Quite rambunctious, isn't he?" Twilight said sweetly, giggling as Apex playfully punched and fought back Thorax's hoof. Thorax's eyes widened, and his mouth silently worded 'you have no idea'.
"Can you blow things up with your horn like Papa Thorax can?" Apex carried on, having successfully wrestled down the hoof. "What do ponies eat? Do they eat love? Another changeling told me they eat rocks, but I think he was lying to me."
Thorax looked beside himself, but Twilight's face lit the already glimmering room.
"You are just too adorable, Apex. I know I certainly don't eat rocks, but I have a close friend who eats rock candy, and her family has a rock soup recipe. The world is full of fascinating things. Even I learn new things every day."
Satisfied with her answer, Apex nodded enthusiastically. Thorax put a hoof to his face.
"If you don't mind me asking, how old are you, Apex?"
"I'm five months old!"
Twilight stared back in sheer bafflement.
"Five...months?"
"He's five months old since he was a larva," Thorax clarified, his eyes rolling upwards to glance at the perched drone. "Changelings mature rapidly from larvae into our adult forms, and then the aging process slows down. From now on, he'll just molt annually until he's the size of a typical adult."
A spark in Twilight's eyes had spread to her horn, and a magenta storm of writings, parchment, quills, and ink emerged at last.
"I'm gonna need you to tell me everything."
"I'm sorry."
"..."
"Honey, I apologize. I should have taken a cold shower or something before trying to get things done."
"..."
"Cadance, please don't give me that look. I know you're disappointed."
A group of guards off in the corner did their best to contain their snickering as, for the second time this week, Princess Cadance stared her husband into submission. The stallion rubbed the back of his head, having moved right past sheepish expressions and now assuming a defeated posture.
"I'm just messing with you at this point," Cadance said at last, breaking her frown with a giggle. Shining rolled his eyes, only to be caught off guard by a hoof under his chin.
"I know you're not a morning person, Shining Armor, but there are still mornings where you're way too out of it to get anything done. You've got to let me know when you're exhausted so that I can help. We're a team, and I love you."
Shining glowed.
"I love you too. And, you're absolutely right. I guess I've been trying to power through it a bit too often, lately." He wrapped one foreleg around her outstretched hoof and rested his forehead against hers. "I promise I'll do better to let you know in the future."
The two royal ponies shared a long, quiet moment, and sealed it with a warm kiss.
Shining Armor turned his attention back to the guards, who had since regained their composure. Putting forth a more commanding presence, he began a steady pace down the line.
"In a matter of hours, we'll be receiving a visit from not only my sister, Princess Twilight, but also her guest and ours: newly-crowned King Thorax of the Changeling Kingdom." Shining made eye contact with each guard as he passed them. "This is a major opportunity for not just the Crystal Empire, but Equestria as a whole. The changelings are no longer hostile. They are no longer lead by the tyrant, Chrysalis. They are now led by Thorax, who we've come to know as a compassionate changeling and a citizen of the Crystal Empire."
Cadance watched her husband take charge with a content smile. For what he lacked in alertness at times, he more than made up for with leadership and passion. She could see the respect and admiration the guards harbored for him in their eyes.
"King Thorax has honored the request of Equestria's princesses to forge an alliance together. Today, I want our empire to shine like it never has before. As the first of Equestria's major populaces to make contact with the newly-formed Changeling Kingdom, it is now our duty to treat Thorax and his subjects with the same respect we give all our friends and foreign neighbors."
"I want squads one, three, and four on the borders. I want squads two and five stationed in the castle. Lastly, I want squad six at the train station, awaiting our guests' arrival. I'm not sure if they'll be coming in by train, but I want it covered in case they do. If you encounter any problems, send a squad member to report to me. If you encounter our guests, make it your highest priority to escort them here safely. Dismissed!"
The assembly saluted and quickly dispersed into groups, galloping out in different directions.
As the room became quiet once more, Cadance lit her horn and gently rose the shimmering mobile bed of her young foal into the air. Still fast asleep, Flurry Heart sucked on her front hoof, blissfully unaware of what transpired around her.
Together, the trio left the castle lobby and stepped out into the grand sun of the afternoon.
"You know, come to think of it, I think it might be your fault I was so tired today," Shining said with a wide smile, causing his wife to raise an eyebrow.
"Oh? And how's that, exactly?" Cadance asked skeptically, Flurry Heart ever so subtly bobbing up and down next to her, wrapped in her turquoise aura.
"Princess Luna came to you in a dream last night, didn't she? And then you proceeded to wake me up and tell me about it. So technically, it's your fault I was so tired this morning."
Cadance playfully bumped her hoof against Shining's side.
"Well, I would say that'd be aunt Luna's fault then, technically. But if I know Twilight, it was her idea to ask Princess Luna to deliver the message to me at nearly one in the morning, so you can blame your sister for that."
"Now that you mention it, that does sound like Twily. . . But you can't ask me to lay blame on my visiting sister, can you?"
"Well, you certainly can't blame me for getting excited about Twilight visiting us and needing to let you know, can you?"
"No, I suppose I can't," Shining admitted with a hearty chuckle, looking up towards the sky and its herd of clouds. "Today's going to be an interesting visit. Seeing Thorax again will be great, too."
"He's always been so warm and kind. I'm sure he's already become a wonderful leader," Cadance added. "I can't wait to see where the day takes us."
As ponies around the Crystal Empire carried on with their morning, the crystal princess and her husband made their way to the east district. There was one thing left to do before the summit. Somepony, or rather some wizard, still had to be talked into foal-sitting.
"Oh please Papa Thorax, can I go!?"
"Apex, I don't know if it's such a-"
"I really want to see what a crystal pony looks like! Do they eat crystals, or do they live in them? That'd be so cool!"
"Apex, really, I don't think-"
"I'll stay on your head the whole time, promise! And I won't break everything, only some things!"
Exhaustion crept on Thorax just from observing the tiny drone zip around the chamber. Every so often, Apex would return to the big changeling like a boomerang to pitch yet another reason for why he should go before continuing his quest, utterly ignoring Thorax's many attempts at reasoning. It grew increasingly more difficult to say no to such an endearing ball of energy.
"Twilight, what do you think?" Thorax asked with a turn of his head.
Twilight, who had been pressed flat to the ground recording changeling aging information, shot up her head like a startled chicken.
"Oh, absolutely!" she exclaimed, only half-listening as she scribbled away. "The Crystal Empire is completely safe. The changelings will be fine."
"Well, I think bringing Apex would be great," Spike added. Having survived 'bug pile' intact, he now laid upside-down in Thorax's throne. "More diversity would make more sense for bringing a party to the empire, right? Plus, I think a little changeling like Apex would be a great way to woo the crystal ponies."
"Spike, are you suggesting we deliberately manipulate the crystal ponies into our favor by using cute things like changeling nymphs to win them over?" Twilight asked, gathering her now updated notes into her bottomless saddlebags and darting a smirk.
Spike upped the ante with an even cruder smirk. "Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying."
"Well, I suppose he'll be fine," Thorax muttered aloud, more so warming himself up to the idea than anything. "I do want to bring along one of my lead guards, though. I'll feel a little better knowing one of them can keep an eye on him, in case the princess would like a private discussion."
Thorax turned to face the open space. His chest inflated with air.
"Tarsus! Tibia!"
The monarch's voice echoed the walls like thunder, penetrating through the many zig-zagging holes of the hive. Within moments, the blue and green drones in question came flying into the chamber from opposite directions.
"Reporting in, Thorax!" Tibia said joyfully.
"What may we do for you, Your Highness?" Tarsus added, calm and collected.
"Hey, guys. Princess Twilight and I are leaving for the Crystal Empire shortly. I'd like one of you to come with us as part of the visiting party. I need the other one to stay here and look after the hive for me."
Tarsus and Tibia exchanged glances. With nothing but a head tilt, the tour fiasco from the previous day was remembered. The changelings bumped their hooves together in silent agreement.
"I'll go with you, Thorax," said Tibia, fluttering his wings and hovering at Thorax's eye level. "Tarsus is better at regimented duties, and I'm pretty good at first impressions."
"Fine by me. I'll stay here where it's warm. You know, where it's not the frozen north," Tarsus muttered, giving a mocking glance towards Tibia, who gave him a fresh tongue in return.
Thorax nodded. "Thanks, Tibia. And Tarsus, if anything goes wrong, I want you to send a pair of relay drones to the Crystal Empire immediately."
"Well, of course. I'll let the rest of the hive know what's going on. Best that we remain alert and ready for lock-down until you return."
"We're all set over here, Thorax!"
Thorax glanced behind him where a squad of changelings was finishing their preparations for departure. Each flared their wings and checked themselves for any abnormalities in the gossamer. When none were found, they put on contagious grins that signaled their king that they were ready and eager.
Thorax caught the eye of each drone. Apex and Tibia aside, that was a total of eight changelings. A decent amount, but not an intimidating one.
"All set, Your Highness?" Twilight asked, her saddlebags full and Spike secure on her back. Thorax nodded in reply.
"Yeah, I think we are."
Thorax took to the air, and the rest of his group did the same. As an envoy, they departed, emerging from the hive and into the open arms of a truly breathtaking afternoon.
"You know, I haven't been this excited in a long time."
I've done it. I've fallen into using descriptors like 'someling' and 'everyling'. 
Someone stop me.
Despite how Thorax is a gigantic cinnamon roll who'd love nothing more than to cuddle every one of his subjects all at once, all day long and for the rest of recorded time, I take sadistic amusement in having the changelings moderately terrified whenever he puts on a serious tone. PTSD from tyrannical leadership is real. 
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God, I can already just picture Silver Quill raising his "DOOM Flag."
t05.deviantart.net/IYBRn831G0BW3GzqGSM0wMqaKw8=/fit-in/700x350/filters:fixed_height(100,100):origin()/pre01/f5b1/th/pre/i/2017/031/5/0/doom_flag__copyright_silver_quill__by_darthdemolsis-daxe8sm.png
Looking forward to the visit to the Crystal Empire - I wonder how Flurry Heart will react to the new Thorax.
7912072
Let's just hope for Thorax's sake that Flurry and Apex don't join forces on him.
More Changeling adorableness ensues.
But there ARE canonical ponies that eat rocks! (Pinkie and family)
Apex is adorable. He feels like a blend of all the CMC rolled into one changeling, with the energy of all three combined. It's a wonderfully sweet combination that'll likely end in disaster, silly antics, and maybe tree sap.
7913226
This is very true, but knowing Twilight she wants an example of an entire race of, or at the very least an organized village of ponies who all eat rocks, rather than 'I Do Anything/Everything I Want Literally Always' Pinkie Pie and her family.
And I'm glad you like him!
The levels of Thorax and Apex paternal cuteness will ensue tenfold in coming chapters. Prepare your heart for diabeetus and your teeth for cavities. 
None shall survive.
7935642
Looks like you're on chapter three. Keep reading!
Not bad. This chapter needs some breaks in it, though, to show when the scene is transitioning to the Empire and back.
Something like this ==== or what I use, this /\/\/\/\
The flow is a bit confusing without them.
7937792 It's not that there aren't breaks, it's that they can sometimes be hard to see.
I insert horizontal rulers like so
I've done this since chapter one, they're in the latest chapter too. I do however find them rather soft, they could definitely be thicker.
General announcement, next chapter is approaching this weekend. :)
7937911 You do? I haven't seen them at all, honestly...
7937944 I assure you they're there, I can see them on the published story.
They're inserted via the site's toolbar so maybe the code is malfunctioning in your browser or something. 
Not sure!
7938129 Odd... *shrugs* Well, it's a minor nitpick. I'll just figure things out and continue enjoying the story as I have been. It's amazing how a color change can help turn evil bugs into cuddly bugs.
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Who's to say a lot of them were evil to start with, is the real question at the end of the day. Desperate and raised to know no other way to survive or way to act than what Chrysalis molded them to be, sure, but I think the finale demonstrated that a lot of changelings just knew no better way before Thorax found one. 
Not to rant on too long, but I've got a headcanon going that in ancient times, changelings were always this vibrant form. At some point, Chrysalis came to power, and in her insatiable desire for power and conquest, twisted the changelings into the vampire-esque creatures we knew till now. Finally a new destined king was born who inherently sought the changeling's true nature. :)
Not sure I'll get into this with this story, S7 is just around the corner, and I don't want to set too much lore up just to end up needing an Alternate Universe tag.
At any rate, glad you're enjoying it. It's just an excuse to write fluff and promote the new designs in a positive light really, but I like writing it.
7938264 Well you're safe since there's still absolutely no backstory for changelings whatsoever.
I'm sticking with they were once the Flutterponies and used vile magic or a wish from a certain disharmonious chimera for revenge when the 3 pony tribes abandoned them to the Windigos when they fled their original land.
It's a much more epic and integrated plot-line with the rest of the world-building. And it explains Chrysalis' single-minded obsession.
I can see this be accepted as part of the actual show
mmm. that's a mood
I know the date in the year is old and season 8 is not out yet until 2018 but in the later chapters is ocellus would make her appearances anytime soon?
Oh my twilight I know this is the most adorable thing you have a seen your entire life but you gotta get ahold of yourself
Another changeling told me they eat rocks, but I think he was lying to me."
Well I won't say hes wrong Because pinkie pies family does 😅
OK they're on the way to the crystal Empire but I got a say in this chapter I just love how twilight is freaking out about how cute and adorable the little changeling are And how much information about them And you got admit thorax is such a nice guy That's why i like him so him so much This should be very interesting visit
Yes
Cuddlebug pile ♡
Dawww... 5 Months old and already capturing Equestria Princess hearts. Chrysalis would be so proud
Twilight knownlage addiction is PRICELESS
Awesome chapter
Very well done.
OH MY GOD Apex, you can't just go asking princesses if they're the only ponies that have pictures on their butts!
My God, I love Apex. I cannot WAIT to see what he gets up to in the Crystal Empire. I bet he and Flurry are gonna break more than just some things.
Um, your editor seems to have missed the first quotation mark here...
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Google Docs is rather dull in its editing process. That was likely created from my editor accidentally crossing out one character too far when crossing out a sentence during the editing, and I missed that when proofreading the text after accepting changes. Not the first time it's happened, probably won't be the last. I've been keeping an eye out, and will be going through everything again once the document is finished.
Despite how Thorax is a gigantic cinnamon roll who'd love nothing more than to cuddle every one of his subjects all at once, all day long and for the rest of recorded time, I take sadistic amusement in having the changelings moderately terrified whenever he puts on a serious tone.
PTSD from tyrannical leadership is real.
You got that right.
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I did enjoy depicting it. It's cute and realistic all at once, I think.
I played around with this concept even less subtly in later chapters.