The Three Warrior Friends

by Duckyworth

A Time To Relax

Author's Note:

Here’s the fourth and final part of my Pharynx, Fizzlepop Berrytwist and Ember fanfiction. Don’t worry, though, because I plan to feature these three in more fanfictions in the future.

I had a lot of fun writing this one and coming up with little headcanons for how these three would interact, and as always, comments are welcome as to how I can improve my writing for future fanfictions in the future. I have a lot more ideas in mind, so it hopefully won’t be long until I start work on another fanfiction.

Hours had passed since Pharynx, Ember and Flizzlepop had begun their assault on their three models that they had created, which now lay in pieces that had been scattered to the four winds, all laid about throughout their training ground.

One of Fizzlepop’s strong kicks had ripped the Storm King plushie clean in half and lay the pieces of stuffing strewn all about, and the rest of what used to be the head was now scorched beyond recognition, courtesy of a well placed bolt from her broken horn. The bottom half had been tossed about a few dozen times and was now laying half buried in the rock face after being headbutted deep in there. Fizzlepop wondered whether her headbutt would leave her with a heavy headache for some time afterwards, but somehow, seeing the last of the Storm King’s merchandise well and truly destroyed made any aches or pains all worth it in the end. At long last, the Storm King’s presence was over.

Pharynx had put a ‘kick me’ sign on his Chrysalis model’s back for a reason. He had kicked it…. A couple of dozen times. In the face. Along with a few magical horn and antler slashes that had cleaved the body in two, and an aerial attack that he used to pick up the model and toss it to the ground. It was as tough as Pharynx’s carapace, but he had managed to eventually break into its hard shell and break through into its core. But this had one down side – now he knew he had to work a bit harder to reinforce the hive. But the upsides, the facts that he knew he could say to his brother that he had paid some attention during those crummy crafting classes of his and that he had new knowledge as how to protect the hive, were all worth it. Plus, he just loved envisioning Chrysalis being the one that he had just snapped in half. The grin he gave while doing so was perhaps a little bit TOO happy…

Dragon scales were indeed very hard to scratch, but somehow, Ember had managed. Tail slaps, blasts from the bloodstone sceptre, fire breath, claw slashes and a couple of kicks into the head were delivered, and upon the two hundredth slash, Ember thought she was seeing things when she finally found a weak spot in the scale body that cracked. Sadly, she wasn’t able to make more than just a crack on the scale, but considering how dragon scales were believed to be unbreakable by some people, she had just proved that naysayers wrong. Even if she had become so frustrated at some point that she considered tossing it off the cliff a few times…..

Silence passed over the mountain, but if you were to ignore the rocks that lay smashed all about, scorch marks, partially destroyed cliff side and debris here and there, you would be forgiven for thinking Pharynx, Fizzlepop and Ember were not there. It was way quiet. So quiet that the birds could be heard in the distance and a few gusts of air sounded off through the hollow rock face.

Interestingly, the three fighting friends had all been preparing for training themselves by attacking models based on some of their worst foes and had thought that would be the highlight of the day…. But surprisingly, little time during that day had been spent doing just that. The rest of the afternoon had been spent with them doing something which they didn’t expect to be doing together for long periods when they had started meeting up only weeks before……

Talking.

About something other than their strength.

Far from the edge of the cliff face and atop the plateau on the middle of the mountaintop, the three friends, their thirst for battle quenched, were now simply laying on their backs, watching the clouds roll by. A moment of peace of quiet was bizarre for them, but to make the battle that much more palatable, some rest and relaxation was necessary for them. But there hadn’t been many times in all their lives where they had times of tranquillity.

Before, they thought of quiet moments as simply time to recuperate and get their energy back for when they would leap back into the fray shortly after. But nowadays, they found it to be just as worthwhile as the battles they were used to taking part in, and were actually enjoying them equally.

‘Haha, so you actually allowed that stage magician to make you be a test dummy for that trick?!‘ Fizzlepop questioned Pharynx, who had just weaved a tale about the time Trixie had visited the changeling kingdom and asked for a volunteer for her sawn-in-half trick. Pharynx was the only one who volunteered – something about the possibility of being chopped in two scared all of the other changelings away from signing up, for some reason.

‘Hey, she was looking for an assistant who could keep a straight face while he’s facing a giant saw being lowered onto him, and I was the only one who was brave enough to give it a go. I swear, some of the nymphs looked like they were about to faint just before the saw went off – but the worst part was probably the part afterwards when she asked me to transform into a stream of cloth to help her with her trick afterwards. When I offered my brother the chance to get to know his friends, that wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.’

Pharynx shook his head – it seemed being an entertainer wasn’t exactly his strong suit, never mind for five tricks in a row. That was something that would have his brother in giggling fits for hours afterwards.

‘Hey, speaking of entertainment shows, I’ll have to invite you two to one of our fiery surfboard shows at some point – we don’t have the shield of that… Fast… Magnum guy around anymore, but I’m sure we could make a better board that could rival that baby! And Rainbow Dash has been working with me to turn it into something of a great spectacle – we even had the Wonderbolts themselves come by and help us set it up!’ Ember chuckled.

While she did wish that she could have been the one to have humiliated Garble in the same way Rainbow Dash and Spike did when they won Flash Magnus’ shield from him about a year and a half before, she loved seeing the look on that loser’s face whenever he attempted to board on the lava now and ended up falling off into the lava every single time – he claimed he was rusty, but Ember knew it was all due to the shield that he was able to even stand a chance against anyone else the first time.

‘I’m game! That Garble sounds like your typical ‘all bark and no bite’ cowardly bully. I’ve beaten up quite a few of those in my time, so I’m sure I could give him a good hiding.’ Pharynx grinned.

‘Haha, alright, Tempest, your turn now - got anything done recently you wanna share about? Spill it, sister!’ Ember lightly nudged Fizzlepop, who simply brushed it off with a smile.

‘Well…I’ve found a little filly in Ponyville that I’ve started talking to whenever I pass by…. She’s a little pegasus without the ability to fly…..‘ Tempest began to reminisce, which immediately caught Pharynx and Ember’s attention. ‘When she started talking to me about her difficulties with flight, I… began to relate to her. Wanting to do anything to be able to fly, becoming desperate whenever anyone would tease you over not being able to do something you’ve dreamed of doing…. And having others around you who helped you to see your true strengths and realising that… even if you can’t live out your dreams the same way as everyone else…. There are other routes you can take, and having others to support you can help you realise strengths you have that you never realised…...‘

Pharynx was about to retort with one of his typical snarky side comments but seeing the serene smile on Fizzlepop’s face as she leaned back onto the ground, he decided to withdraw the comment. He simply nodded, seeing how important the memory was to her. Ember looked back at this, and the two decided to follow suit.

For a minute, they all just sat in silence, together, watching the clouds fly by from above them. Silence is golden? Well… for that moment, they began to appreciate how important simple peace and quiet really could be. They didn’t need to say any words… until Ember had a thought come to her.

‘So, not to get all deep or nothing, but….. anyone notice that we’ve been talking a lot more recently?’ Ember sat up and turned towards her friends.

‘Hmm? What are you talking about?’ Pharynx turned his head slightly towards her. ‘We’ve all clammed up for the past minute!’
They all lightly laughed at Pharynx’s jest.

‘Well, when we first started these little meet ups, we only really spoke a few words at a time to each other and let our claws or hooves do the talking. And now we’re actually speaking to each other in full sentences… Like we’re actually being open with each other…..’ Ember rubbed the back of her head and felt a sniffle coming on as she began to open up her heart yet again.

It was true, though. Talking more intimately about their life affairs outside of their battles was not something that came easy for them, and when they were younger, having simple conversation was alien to them. But here they were, chatting away like any other group of close friends.

Fizzlepop gazed off into the afternoon sky, dreamily watching the clouds as she thought. ‘Before the time I was at that party with Twilight Sparkle, it’s been years since I’ve actually been together with someone watching the sky like this. It’s almost like I’m properly experiencing it for only the SECOND time. Charting a course for a battleship was the only reason why I gazed up at the sky before. Now…. I don’t need a reason to other than….. I like looking stopping to look at the clouds every so often. But now…. The sky seems blue again. And I can dream again.’ Fizzlepop closed her eyes and gave a genuine smile, as she breathed in deeply through her nostrils, and exhaling gently.

Pharynx sat up, slouching forward. ‘I hate to talk sappy… but I think the same. When I was a little grub, I used to think you could just solve all of your problems by beating them into a pulp or yelling at them, but now I think about it…. YELLING at everyone the way I used would probably cause them to snap or something if I didn’t take my brother’s advice every once in a while to tone down and think about their feelings…. I have to give that big ol’ dork credit where credit’s due…. He’s got a good point.‘

‘Heheh, this doesn’t mean we’ll have to start going to your brother’s feelings forums, does it? One wrong word and I’ll probably turn into a walking thunderstorm if I were to go to one of those….’ Fizzlepop smirked.

‘Tsk. Nah! Not in a million years… Let’s not kid ourselves… We may be a BIT more open, but don’t expect me to go spouting any psychoanalytical speeches to making them feel all good and mushy about themselves. There are only a select few saps in the world I’d dare even THINK about spouting all of this sappy rubbish to – and two of those saps are sitting right here. Two of the best, bravest saps I’m glad I’ve ever met.’

‘Heheh, right back at you, buddy.’ Ember playfully rubbed Pharynx on the head, prompting him to slap her on the back in response, releasing another fiery sneeze from the dragon.
‘But there’s someone I have to make another chance to thank for all of this….. I don’t think I’d be here if it wasn’t for them. Especially the Princess….’ Fizzlepop happily sighed.

They knew who it was she was referring to.

Before, these three were alone. Unhappy. Lost in life. Never amounting to anything. But now, they had got their lives back on track and had something to protect. They weren’t just fighting to survive, proving themselves for superfluous causes or losing sight of what was important. They could live again. And it was all because of one special princess and her group of friends who had linked everything together.

The rescue of the changelings from their tyrannical overlord and convincing their new leader he didn’t have to run and hide anymore, which in turn made way to Pharynx learning that there was someone worth using his services to protect. Fizzlepop learning that even if there are those out there that would abandon you out of fear or use you while making promises they didn’t intend to keep, there’s always someone and something worth fighting for. Ember gaining the courage to stand up against those who belittle and demean you and claim your birth right while learning what true inner strength really is with the help of an unlikely hero – a small purple dragon who often felt like the black sheep of the species until he had friends to help his self esteem.

All of those fresh new starts had a catalyst at the centre of it all – the Elements of Harmony, and the Element of Friendship – Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship. They were an influence for them, and their actions paved the way for others to follow in her example and improve their worlds. It was all too easy to forget how important kindness and compassion could be when there were those around who were all too willing to use and corrupt, but the influences of those six and their close friends and family had eventually travelled down a path that had shown them just how important and valuable that could be.

It still wasn’t their strong suit to be sentimental or emotional, but they at least had a better understanding at how important talking out their problems with others and being more diplomatic could be. Ever since they had begun meeting up with each other, they had continued to defrost and let down the barriers around their hearts – opening themselves up and showing that to be a protector of the peace, it didn’t just help to have the physical strength to fight off anyone who would willing do them harm, but to have the emotional strength to empathise with their loved ones too.

After some time had passed, Pharynx gazed up at the colour of the sky. Warm tones of orange and purple had begun to intermingle with the cool blue horizon, as twilight had begun to set in. His ears pricking up, he was slightly shocked. THAT much time had been spent just gazing at the sky shooting the breeze? …….When the defeat of Chrysalis had resulted in the top of the hive being blown off, Pharynx was fuming over the fact the hive was open to the elements, but now he could see the benefits of gazing at the sky.

Slowly rising his head and neck, Pharynx gave off a wide yawn, his sharp fangs glistening in the light, while he stretched his limbs, a few stiff joints cracking.

‘Well… I think it’s time for me to get going, you two. Ocellus wanted me to help her with this school report she’s writing on the history of the changelings…. Hopefully I won’t be roped into just simple spellchecking. Besides, Thorax would go into hysterics if I was out after sunset.‘ Pharynx laughed.

Fizzlepop rose next, shaking the dust off her mane and laughing at Pharynx’s comments. ‘Alright then – I need to head off soon too. To see how this new suit of armour I commissioned is coming along. This one is cool and all… after the Storm King insignia was rubbed off, of course….. but I got some complaints when I showed up to a party in Canterlot wearing it, so…. For obvious reasons, Rarity and Twilight said they were looking for designers for a new suit of armour that would bring about less bad memories.‘

Jerking up quickly, Ember looked as though she had just woken out of a dream, and picking up her helmet, which lay besides her staff, coined in. ‘That time already?! Ah well - I gotta prepare for this diplomatic meeting I got with that Prince Rutherford guy. I… don’t know how much of it would just be composed of talking about stomping on sticks and yaphidyoo, erm, yavidyee, erm…. Oh, forget it! Watchamacallitphone playing, but I gotta get myself all geared up for talking about ‘improving relations’. I think the times I’ve visited Spike SHOULD make me it a bit easier for me, but… eh, we’ll see. Hopefully a war won’t break out….‘

Fizzlepop tapped Ember on the back, with a smile. ‘You’ll be fine! Same time next week, then? Where would you like to meet up next time?’

Ember, after having a think, thought up an idea, ‘Hmm, how about Neighagra Falls? I think we need some swimming practice to try on next – and cannonballing off the cliffs are meant to be pretty fun from what I’ve heard.’

Pharynx shrugged. ‘Ehhh….. Alright, but we’re only doing it to get practice swimming – last time someone offered to take me to water was when the changelings tried to bathe me in their ‘wash time’ ridiculousness. No soap and no towels, okay?‘

Fizzlepop chuckled. ‘Heheh, it’s a promise. But…. Before we go….’ She turned to the remains of the models that they had destroyed earlier on in the afternoon. ‘We…. Are going to clean up that mess, right? If someone finds out we were littering, a certain princess, dragon child and changeling king are not going to be happy with us…‘

Pharynx and Ember gave out a long groan, burying their faces in their hooves/claws.

Comments

[Little_Draco]

Seriously how the fco this ain't being liked? This has so much potential. This could even be like a private ops or special forces team. Silently dealing with threats out of the norm. It's better than most other task force stories I've read because it just features only ponies with an occasional different creature. This could be something grand. Fave and follower!

[Juria]

More please!