The Three Warrior Friends

by Duckyworth

The Meeting Of The Three Friends

Author's Note:

Here's the first part of my Friendship is Magic fanfiction I'm working on involving the three badass warriors Pharynx, Fizzlepop Berrytwist and Ember. (This story takes place after Season 8 - so there will be references all up to the end of Season 8 in this story. )

Please comment with thoughts on how I'm writing the three characters' interactions.

For some reason, I find it easier to write Chrysalis and Sombra than I do these three - I tried to do some research into the episodes/film these three have featured in have some ideas about how they would interact, but please tell me if you think I'm getting the characterisation alright.

Far from the hustle and bustle of the city life of Manehattan, the royal business of Canterlot, and from the everyday life of Ponyville, the cool mountain air was quiet in the mountain range above the Galloping Gorge.

However, travelling towards the mountain range were three creatures who had secretly been using this section of the mountain as their training ground. They needed a place that fit three important criteria – one - a suitable distance away from inhabited areas so they wouldn’t harm anyone, two - close enough still so that they could receive help if they were to over exert themselves, and three – a suitable array of tough creatures to train against would have to be available. It may not have been the most welcoming place, but the area was just right for these three.

A cyan creature resembling a mixture between a deer and an insect was the first one to arrive at the secret hideaway. A gruff and no-nonsense changeling soldier prince, the creature’s instincts were constantly alert to what was around him, his eyes darting about to observe his surroundings, and his see through wings unfurling themselves and flittering slightly.

Wind speed was normal for this time of day and altitude – no chance of a storm.

The bird song in the distance wasn’t abnormal – no rocs around.

No strange moisture in the air – no rain in the air.

When he was sure that the coast was clear, the soldier relaxed, folded his insect wings back in and walked towards the edge of the cliff overlooking the landscape. Shaking the dust off his front hoof from the quarry eels he had to contend with on the way here, he moved his neck around to relieve the tension.

It was a relief for him to get some peace and quiet to himself. All of those hugs and nuzzles his brother and the other changelings shared so often were a bit much for him – even after his metamorphosis and promising to protect his brother and his kind, he was not the most touchy-feely changeling out there, and found all that affection his brother offered to be rather overwhelming at times. He wasn’t suited for diplomatic discussions or peace talks – that was his brother’s forte. But when it came to organising troops, setting up defences or combat training, he was the bug for the job.

He found these weekly escapes from the feelings forums, bake sales and craft fairs his kingdom had a habit of hosting to be a welcome relief. His ever-benign brother had convinced him that he needed time off for himself every so often, and as such, he had entrusted some of the changelings he had managed to train in charge of assisting his brother in protecting the hive while he was gone. It was still rather alien to him – taking days off from protecting the hive? In the old days, that was never-

‘Stop thinking of the old days! That twisted witch is gone……’ The soldier shook his head to snap himself out of his thoughts. The days suffered under the tyranny of his former queen were over, and even though there were still times when he thought the other changelings were still too soft, it was better than those days when his former queen was feeding him and his kind lies about stealing love from others all for her own selfish desires. And because of her manipulative influence, he almost gave up on his brother. He couldn’t help but feel a little guilt for taking that long to realize that, and he wasn’t even there to protect his brother when his former queen tried to kill him. He suspected that he was sent to the far reaches of Equestria during the changeling invasion for the sole purpose of preventing him from helping his brother….

But now was the time to make up for not being there to properly protect him in the past – training himself so he could protect the hive and pass on his expertise to his fellow changelings.

The soldier prince had found the perfect sparring partners to train with, and just as he began to come out of his thoughts, he sensed something out of his peripheral vision. About ten meters behind him, the stone behind him was cracking from the pressure of someone approaching.

A single pressure point – must be a hoof.

The sound was metallic – a metal shoe.

Some weight behind the movement – the approaching individual was wearing armour.
He knew who the approaching friend of his was – even while facing away towards the horizon, no one could fool him.

‘Trying to sneak up on me, Tempest?’ the changeling gave a sly smile, not even turning his head to look behind him. Behind him on a high rock was a deep purple unicorn with her deep pink mane in a mohawk style, with a broken horn, a deep scratch across her right eye, a black bodysuit and metallic plate armour adorning her body.

‘You know sneak attacks aren’t my style, Pharynx – it takes all of the fun and the effort out of the fight.’ The purple pony jumped down from the rock onto the ground below, her heavy metal shoes making contact with the ground. ‘But you managed to beat me here – good going, soldier!’

‘Come on, Tempest, you think I’m going to stay around in the changeling hive when my sappy little brother starts setting up another one of his inspirational speeches for the changelings to practice sharing love and running tea parties and other rubbish?‘ Pharynx gave a grin, showing off his pearly fangs, as if partially proud of breaking his record. ‘Nooo thank you – that’s my brother’s specialty – he’s got his sunshine, parties and rainbows, and I’ve got scraping my hooves and breaking my horn every week.’

She may have revealed that her real name is Fizzlepop Berrytwist, but the former right hand unicorn of the Storm King was still referred to as Tempest Shadow at times. Back at Songbird Serenade’s concert, she had to muster up some courage to reveal her name to Twilight Sparkle and her friends, as she thought it would be rather embarrassing for such a tough pony like her to have such an eccentric name, but after the Princess of Friendship took it better than she was expecting, she began to call herself ‘Fizzlepop Berrytwist’ again. However…. It would take some time for Pharynx to refer to her by that name, as he and their dragon friend simply collapsed into laughter upon hearing it and preferred the way ‘Tempest Shadow’ sounded. But considering the way a lot of others switched between her names and couldn’t just settle on one, she was used to it by now.

‘Heh – well, not to sound sappy or anything, but I’ve begun seeing what I’ve been missing out on. I used to think parties were a waste of resources and energy, but thanks to Twilight Sparkle, I can see some of their appeal now.’ The armoured unicorn blushed slightly at the memory of that night – after Twilight had saved her life, when anyone else would have simply let her get swept up in that hurricane, the Princess of Friendship continued to help her see what she had been missing out on when she had shut herself out from the world. ‘And plus, whenever I do attend one, it can help me provide security backup for the guards – I tell you, they may be the kindest ponies out there, but they need to learn to cover all of their bases… You would have thought they would improve their guard assignments after….’ Tempest trailed off, wincing at the memory of when she invaded Canterlot.

Pharynx chuckled in agreement, ‘Yeah, and who better to help those dorks with their security than the one who invaded it and petrified three princesses in the first place?’ Pharynx looked at Fizzlepop’s unimpressed expression and raised eyebrow towards this, grinning slightly. ‘Er… no offence.’

Fizzlepop shook her head with a slightly bashful expression on her face. ‘Yeah – sometimes I still wonder whether I should have been given another chance and not just left for dead, but… I made a promise that somehow, I’ll pay them all back for their kindness.‘

Pharynx tilted his head in interest, judging her body language and facial expressions. ‘I take it that’s why you like occasionally popping in and helping their crummy captain of the guard with making sure his guard assignments are adequate?‘

‘Well, that, and my magic can be suitable for two reasons now – subduing any wrongdoers AND aiding in the festivities. I was at this gala a few days ago, and I spotted some weird dogs in armour trying to raid the jewels on display. I sent them flying, AND I heard a round of applause and the crowds thanking for the firework display!‘ Fizzlepop and Pharynx shared a laugh at this. Fizzlepop wondered what happened to those three dogs – last time she saw them they were running away with their slightly burnt tails between their charred legs falling down the Canterlot waterfall. Chances are they wouldn’t be attempting a second robbery anytime soon!

‘Thank Celestia for Twilight and her pupil Starlight’s magic lessons…. I suppose this baby isn’t as bad after all when I’m keeping myself composed.’ Fizzlepop tapped on the broken stump of a horn that she had. She used to dream for nothing but it’s restoration at all costs, but thanks to Twilight, she was more comfortable in the unique magic that she had to offer, and realised that when she wasn’t enraged or stressed, she found it easier to keep her magic controlled. Plus, with some of Rainbow Dash’s comments regarding it lingering in her mind, she agreed that it only made her look cooler.

‘That’s more like it, soldier!’ Pharynx playfully punched Fizzlepop on the shoulder with his hoof, and the purple pony quickly gave him an equally hard nudge back on his – even with the sound of her hard metal shoes hitting his bare shoulder, the changeling prince didn’t even flinch, and merely continued giving a hearty grin.

‘ATTENTION! THE DRAGON LORD HAS ARRIVED!’

A third, loud and booming voice rang out behind Fizzlepop and Pharynx, as a blue dragon in heavy golden armour and carrying a crystalline staff with a red jewel at the end landed on the ground in front of them, both her voice and her heavy wing beats sending wind flying away from her. As she landed, the armour helmet’s maw opened, and an impressive bout of pink flames erupted out into the sky. However, the pony and changeling remained still, unblinking as the wind blew rocked and dust about them and the intense heat erupted out in front of them. As the flames ended, the dragon was beaming with pride…. Which soon melted away into stumped confusion. Even with her helmet covering her face, the dragon’s surprise at her friends’ own LACK of surprise was clear.

‘….that’s it?’ Pharynx looked absolutely unimpressed at the dragon’s entrance as he simply rotated his neck around, a few joints popping into place.

‘You’re slipping, Ember – you’re late.’ Fizzlepop chuckled, simply sweeping her mane backwards, wiping the dust off her shoulders.

‘Well, I HAVE been flying here with my full armour on today – I thought it was time to see how you two how I fare in this! Prepare to see what Dragon Lord Ember can really do!’ Ember took off her helmet, and gave a wide grin as she held it under her arm. Just then, Ember gave out a sudden sneeze, pink flames erupting from her snout and speeding past Pharynx’s head, who looked a bit more surprised than he did before. Ember sniffed and ran her claw under her nostril, remarking, ‘…Allergies.’

‘Heh, so you’re getting more excited for these training sessions, are you, Ember?’
Fizzlepop lightly remarked. Ember claimed that she was ‘allergic to emotions’ a few times in the past, and if that claim held true… it meant that Ember was beginning to enjoy their meetings more and more. As much as she didn’t like admitting it.

And as if on cue, Ember’s face turned as red as a tomato as couldn’t contain her blushes. Clearly embarrassed, the dragon princess couldn’t take it as Fizzlepop and Pharynx both started bursting into laughter at the sight of her losing her composure.

‘Well-well, let me SHOW you how excited I am for it, if it’ll get you to back off!’ Looking around her for a suitable target, she discovered a large pile of boulders just behind her friends, and her mouth curled into a toothy grin, smoke coming out of her maw as she felt her emotions building up. She was never very good at showing her emotions, but she found ways to vent it out….

With a large hissing cough, rush of heat and a loud explosion that could be heard for miles around, Pharynx and Fizzlepop found themselves leaping off their hooves as an even LARGER burst of fire flew past them towards the boulder pile, creating a rush of kinetic energy flying out in all directions. As birds could be heard panicking and flying away in the distance, they stood there staring at the black ashen burn mark that was left on the ground where the boulders used to be…. As well as the entire ledge just behind it – having been blasted to kingdom come.

……………………..now it became ever so clearer why it was necessary to isolate themselves to have their regular catch ups.

Looking back at Ember, her two friends’ mouths were agape, staring at the panting living furnace that had started stretching out her arms and fanning herself with her hands, looking as though she had briefly turned into a living volcano that was now cooling down. ‘Whooo – that felt great! And…. THAT is how excited I am for today, you two.’

As they came down from the rush that they felt from the surge of energy, Pharynx and Fizzlepop looked at each other with smiles on their faces, and then back towards Ember.
‘So, now that you’ve got all of your feelings off your chest, how are things going in the Dragon Lands, Ember?‘ Fizzlepop enquired.

‘Great, Tempest! Ever since Smoulder told me that that Spike kid finally moulted, I’ve been going to see the kid ever so often and helping him with his flying lessons whenever I can. He’s learning fast! It’s only right I pay him back for helping me!‘ Ember beamed, even as she began to sniff again as she felt happy and slightly proud of her friend… and her allergies were flaring up again.

‘Definitely sounds more fun than what my brother’s been doing back at the hive, that’s for sure – he’s been bringing over those friends of his that helped him defeat Chrysalis and they’ve been sharing….. cultural exchanges.’ Pharynx winced and gritted his fangs – memories of being pulled into baking classes against his will by changelings and ponies alike coming back to him. Rainbow coloured cake frosting covering his chitin was NOT a happy memory – unlike his brother, he did NOT have a sweet tooth. ‘But at least they’ve been asking me advice for how to make sure they don’t attract predators or disrupt any patrols while doing so – that’s one positive at least. It’s bad enough without them clogging up the tunnels with their flower arrangements….’ Pharynx rolled his eyes, as he propped up his cheek with his hoof with his tongue poking out.

‘That soft stuff was never your thing, was it, Pharynx?’ Ember laughed.

‘Heh! Next thing you know, my sappy brother’s gonna be adorning their feelers up in pink ribbons and scenting them up with that stuff they call….. erm…… ‘perfoom’!’ Pharynx remarked with a sly smirk, to which Fizzlepop and Ember laughed again.

‘How about your travels, Tempest? How’s your…. Project going?’ Ember questioned Fizzlepop with slight concern, who had rested down on her haunches, and was staring to the horizon in contemplation. Taking a deep breath, she gathered her thoughts.

‘Well…. It hasn’t been easy trying to make up for what I’ve done.’ The scarred and battle weary pony clenched her eyes shut tight, as her calm composure began to drift away, showing her inner concerns bubbling to the surface. ‘I…. visited Mount Aris the other day.’

Pharynx and Ember gasped.

‘But, isn’t that where-?!’ Pharynx questioned.

Fizzlepop nodded solemnly. ‘….Yes…. yes it was. One of the settlements I helped the Storm King take over….. Queen Novo was NOT happy to see me return, and if it wasn’t for Twilight Sparkle being there with me, I don’t think I would have got out of there in one peace. Heh, she sure knows how to play the peacekeeper…. At first, the hippogriffs didn’t believe me when she said that I had helped to defeat the Storm King and saved the lives of the Element bearers….. Just saying ‘sorry’ isn’t going to be enough to help me make up for what I did – sometimes I wonder whether anyone will ever forgive for what I did, even if I did pledge allegiance to protecting Equestria and spreading peace rather than war.’ Fizzlepop’s head fell, and her ears drooped as a pained sigh left her mouth.

‘From what I heard, Twilight had to work hard to redeem herself in the eyes of Novo too – I didn’t press, but I could see the regret in her face when she mentioned she had a rocky start herself with the hippogriffs – even if it was a last resort to save Equestria….. From something I helped with…. Perhaps that’s why I found it slightly easier to apologise and be more open when I’m around her. She is the one who opened up my eyes and helped me stop going down that path, after all.’

Even with their gruff natures, Pharynx and Ember knew that Fizzlepop needed some time to gather her thoughts and tried their hardest to comfort her as her thoughts wandered.

She heard of many individuals that the Princess of Friendship and her companions had helped come back to the light from their paths of darkness. Princess Luna, Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer, Stygian, Chancellor Neighsay and even the chaotic entity Discord were all individuals who had been aided by the magic of friendship. It sounded corny on paper, but sometimes, simply sharing life experiences and relating to others really was what was needed to get their lives back on track. So… why did she still feel doubts about whether her task of being an ambassador of friendship was suited for her - someone who had endangered the lives of so many? Why did she deserve a second chance?

‘I’ve been trying to put it behind me and move on, but I think I’ll be bearing what I did for the rest of my life whenever I see a familiar face. I’ve been to Kludge Town, Mount Aris, Griffonstone and the Crystal Empire – but Ponyville is next. I haven’t been there for a long time, but after what happened… I’m beginning to have second thoughts about whether I should stay away… Even with all the lands in Equestria I’ve been to… why do I still feel these nagging doubts?‘

Pharynx was the one of the two who could relate to trying for make up for past mistakes and mending old wounds, and he approached her slowly, giving Fizzlepop a slight but firm pat on the back. Fizzlepop looked over her shoulder towards the changeling prince – his smile was surprisingly warm, considering how much he said he hated overbearing affection from his brother – but for a friend that he could relate to, he was willing to be uncharacteristically supportive.

‘Hey, Tempest – I’ve been there, you know. Whenever I walk around the hive and see my brother, sometimes I think back to my past as Chrysalis’ right hand bug. It’s not a pleasant feeling, I know – seeing things you used to not think twice about and feeling guilty about all those mistakes you made and how you could have helped but chose not to. Sometimes I think back to when Thorax and I were grubs – bless that sappy little bug’s hide, he was wiser than I was to see right through Chrysalis’ lies when I was happy just to help her drain love as long as it was for ‘the safety of the hive’….

Pharynx closed his eyes in contemplating, wondering about what it could have been like if he had paid more attention to his brother’s cries for help when they were younger. He had tried to toughen his brother up, but that wasn’t the assistance Thorax needed. While he still thought there were times his brother was too nice for his own good, he had grown to respect his charitable nature – it was what was needed to bring the changelings back to prosperity and a peaceful rule, and despite his efforts to make the changelings better at protecting themselves, he knew now that he should have acted sooner rather than later. He, like many other changelings, was taken in by Chrysalis’ lies about protecting the hive, when in reality, she was simply using them for her own selfish ends.

A similar situation that Fizzlepop found herself in when she convinced herself that assisting the Storm King gain power would all work out in the end, as long as it meant getting her horn back.

Pharynx, eyes still shut, spoke again quietly. ‘But…. that’s behind me now… it’s time I won’t be able to get back. I couldn’t help my brother back then… but I’ve decided I won’t let anyone harm him again, and I’ll make good on my promise.‘

Fizzlepop smiled. ‘I suppose you can never control what’s happened in the past, can you? But you can control the future for sure…. You want to protect your brother, and I want to help make sure that the places I endangered won’t be put into trouble again. And I want to make sure we can BOTH make that a reality.’

Ember, who had been standing back while watching Fizzlepop and Pharynx comfort each other, walked towards them, and spoke her own thoughts on the matter. Emotional speeches not being her forte, Ember felt herself struggling slightly to get the words out.

‘I’m…. not as good with words as you two are, but I… also want to pay someone back for helping me ask questions about myself I never did before meeting them. That….. kid Spike and those ponies that were with him made me think about a whole bunch of stuff. I used….. to think that others would just get in your way. ‘Survival of the fittest’ and ‘every dragon for themselves’ has been the dragon way of life for eons, after all….’ Ember’s memories of the Gauntlet of Fire came back to her. How would the contest to become Dragon Lord have gone if those charitable individuals hadn’t been there when she was? It would have gone to someone like GARBLE – Torch be damned….

As she continued her speech, Ember felt her allergies begin to flare up again – but she tried to fight through her emotional turmoil to comfort her friend.

‘They….. were the ones who taught me that I was pretty dumb to think that… And I feel… a… tiny bit of guilt myself for calling them stupid for thinking that. I was… questioning myself more when… Thorax made me realise I was…. Being too hard on my fellow dragon. And if sending one of our own to that School of Friendship to improve relations was one step towards paying them back, training here to be there for when a threat comes towards Equestria is another.’ Ember sneezed loudly, pink fire again coming of her nostrils. Pharynx and Fizzlepop looked back at the blue dragon, chuckling as she sniffed again.

Fizzlepop stood up, her ears raising as she looked at her two friends with happiness, who smiled back. ‘Thank you for helping me get my spirits back up, you two. It really does mean a lot. And you’re right – we’ve all made mistakes in the past – but it’s time for us to pay back their kindness by being there to fight off anyone who could harm them….’

All of a sudden, Pharynx, as if realising himself, faked a gagging fit, which sent the pony and dragon into a fit of laughing. ‘Come on, enough with all of this emotional sappiness…. Talking’s good and all, but I’ll start turning into my goody two hooves brother if I let this mush fill my brain any longer!’

Ember laughed, ‘Yeah, diplomatic stuff isn’t your strong suit, Pharynx…. And I can’t go a long time thinking about feelings…. I’ll end up having to be admitted to a hospital with endless sneezing fits!‘

Fizzlepop grinned, stretching her legs and warming herself up for their scheduled session. ‘Alright, alright – let’s begin then, shall we?’

Comments

[Little_Draco]

How has this story not getting noticed?

[Late_Night]

why are you using apostrophes as quotation marks
that shit's hella disorienting