Homecoming
Twilight took a swig of water from one of her stone bottles, quenching her thirst as well as she was able. She may have been out of the badlands now, but the environment was still hot and dry, threatening her with dehydration if she didn’t drink regularly. The hot summer sun bearing down on her didn’t help matters, sapping her already waning strength and matting down her fur with a thick layer of sweat to replace the rainwater.
It had been about a day since she and Thorax had parted ways. Despite stopping for a rest after the sun had set, her muscles burned with exhaustion, threatening to give out on her at any time. She dragged her hooves through the dry, yellow grass, struggling to lift her eyes from the ground. She managed to look up every so often to look at the sun and make sure she was going in the right direction. Straight north.
While the serrated nature of the badlands had been a nightmare to navigate, at least there had been clearly distinguishable landmarks there. In this savannah south of Dodge Junction, it was basically just grass and the occasional acacia tree. Not that she was complaining about that, though. It meant she finally had a bountiful supply of food to keep her strength up.
But with no landmarks, her only guide was the sun. But if she veered too far off track, it was quite likely she’d march right past Dodge Junction without even seeing it. She gave off a quiet snort at the idea. “Oh, that’d just be wonderful,” she thought to herself. “I came all this way, and I overshoot my target. Rainbow and Spike would never let me live that down…”
She crested a hill and came to a stop to catch her breath. There was a lone acacia tree jutting up from it, providing her a degree of shelter from the harsh glare of the sun. She took another swig of water, downing that particular bottle and casting it aside. She gave off a weary sigh and stared ahead at the grasslands before her. Just grass and trees as far as the eye could see…
“It’ll probably be another day before I spot anything familiar,” she thought with a disgruntled snort. “If I start listing off to one side when traveling, I need to make sure it’s to the west. That way, I can stumble on the railroad and follow it east to the Junction. Then I can hitch a ride home, and this will be all over…”
As she sat there, contemplating her plan of action and going over just what she would tell her friends when she met back up with them, something on the horizon caught her eye. Curious, Twilight leaned forward and squinted. Something was moving through the sky. It was fast, incredibly so, and it looked oddly familiar. She just couldn’t put her hoof on what it was…
Until it darted hard to the left, leaving a rainbow-colored trail in its wake.
Her eyes flew wide open, a gasp tearing past her lips. “Rainbow Dash!” she exclaimed, forcing herself to her hooves. She stumbled forward, but her exhausted legs saw fit to give out, sending her falling back to the ground in a heap. She grunted and swore under her breath while looking up at the distant prisms again. “I need to let her know I’m here!”
Groaning with effort, twilight called upon the last dregs of her magic. Her horn lit up with an arcane glow, a small sphere gathering on the tip. Then, with a cry, she fired the bolt off into the sky. It went up and up, a tiny red spark against the blue heavens, then faded entirely from view. A few seconds later, her flare exploded out with a muffled pop.
Almost immediately, the distant rainbow blur stopped moving. There was a beat of nothing before it appeared again. It only took Twilight a moment to realize it was heading her way incredibly quickly. Her heart sang with joy, and she forced herself up to her haunches. Her lips split open into an eager grin, and she waved her forelegs frantically in the air. “Ahaha! Rainbow Dash! HEY!” she called out, throwing her voice as far as possible.
The pegasus drew closer, pivoting for her directly. Twilight’s grin widened as details began to come into focus. Feathery wings, piercing, dark pink eyes, cyan fur, and a distractingly colorful mane and tail.
“Twilight!” Rainbow shouted, her voice echoing into her ears even from this far away.
Twilight blinked. Rainbow wasn’t slowing down.
“Oh, no-”
Rainbow slammed into Twilight with enough force to knock the air from the unicorn’s lungs. She gasped as she was thrown onto her back, the colorful pegasus clinging onto her so tight she couldn’t breathe.
“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, you’re alright!” Rainbow stammered out in relief. She pulled back and glared angrily at Twilight. “What the hay, Twilight?! We were all worried sick about you! Why didn’t you write back?!”
Twilight sucked in a few lungfuls of air before smiling at Rainbow. “Heh. Good to see you, too…” she said weakly.
Rainbow’s anger quickly melted away, replaced entirely with relief. She managed a weak smile before hauling Twilight to her hooves. “Sorry. That wasn’t cool of me…”
“It’s okay,” Twilight dismissed the apology, leaning against Rainbow’s side to keep herself standing. “It’s kind of a long story… where are the others?”
As if on cue, the voice of a certain dragon pierced through the air. “Twilight!”
Twilight looked up, and there was Spike, running ahead of the others. They were all there. Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie, each and every one of them smiling with relief at seeing their friend safe and sound.
Spike ran into Twilight’s waiting hooves, knocking her back to her haunches as he buried his face into her chest fur. “Oh my gosh, Twilight! I was so worried about you!” he babbled, starting to cry tears of joy into her coat. “W-we heard you were dead, and I s-sent you that letter, and y-you never wrote back, a-and, a-and…’
“I’m sorry,” Twilight apologized, wrapping him up in an affectionate hug. “I’m so sorry I scared you, Spike. I didn’t mean to, I swear…”
“Oh my goodness, you’re so skinny!” Fluttershy exclaimed, her eyes affixed to Twilight’s visible ribs as everypony else huddled around her and Spike in a large group hug. “Have you been eating at all?!”
“Where I can,” Twilight replied weakly. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words caught in her throat, silenced by a very large and unattractive yawn.
Applejack chuckled. “Heh. Looks like y’all could use some sleep there, sugarcube,” she said, patting Twilight on the back.
‘And a bath,” Rarity added. “All of that dirt and sand. And…” she leaned in closer, balking at the remnants of Twilight’s injuries. “Is that dried blood?!”
“Girls, really, I’m okay,” Twilight tried to assure them. “I’m just tired… and I really wanna go home.”
Pinkie hummed happily, nuzzling into Twilight’s mane. “I’ll make you a super-duper extra-special ‘welcome home’ cake when we get back!” she promised. “And then, when you’re up to it, an even more super-duper extra-special welcome home party to celebrate!”
Twilight laughed, hauling herself back to a standing position with Rainbow’s help. With the last of her magic, she deposited Spike on her back. “That sounds good, Pinkie Pie… but right now, let’s go home.”
There were no disagreements to be had with that plan, and without missing a beat, they set off for the north, heading for Dodge Junction. As they went, Twilight was assaulted on all sides by questions. Rainbow wanted to know how she had gotten hurt and survived, no doubt hoping for some awesome story about an epic battle with a horrific monster, while Fluttershy was more concerned about looking after her health, though she did ask about the local wildlife from time to time as well.
Twilight told them what she could. But she never once mentioned Thorax. She made sure to keep her promise to him and kept his existence, and the existence of his people, a complete and total secret from her friends. It didn’t feel right to lie to them about it, especially to Applejack, but she wasn’t going to go back on her word to Thorax’s last request from her.
Every time she had to omit him, however, the same thought crossed her mind…
“I hope he’ll be okay...”
The stone wall in front of Thorax split open with a spine-tingling scrape, revealing the throne room of Queen Chrysalis on the other side. Elite changeling guards lined the walls, staring down at him with raised eyebrows and disdain. He did his best not to react to them, however. He held his head high and focused on the scene in front of him.
Two green cocoons rested at the base of Chrysalis’ throne, where Pharynx and an elite guard stood over them with scorn and resentment. Chrysalis reclined in her throne, looking down on them with boredom and disgust. She glanced past them at Thorax as he entered, and her lips peeled back into a fang-filled grin. “Oh? Thorax, you have returned,” she called out to him.
All eyes that hadn’t noticed him up until now focused on him. Pharynx locked gazes with him, and the relief in the elder drone’s purple eyes was clearly visible to Thorax, even if invisible to all others. Thorax flashed him a small smile before stepping forward and dipping into a low, low bow. “Yes, your highness. I came back as quickly as I could once my injuries were healed enough for me to move.”
The royal guards in the room glanced amongst themselves with surprise but did not speak.
Chrysalis’ grin grew. “Is that so? Yet again, Thorax, I am impressed by you. Not for your cunning this time, but by your raw resilience. To survive the wounds these two disgraces inflicted upon you, as well as the fury of the Tatzlwurms among such an intense rainstorm?” she said, rising from her throne and jumping down.
Her hooves slammed into the stone between the squirming cocoons, eliciting terrified squeaks from their occupants. She strode towards Thorax, an almost mothering look on her face. “As infuriating as your passivity is, you are clearly far more capable than we have all been giving you credit for… you are clearly cut from a different cloth than the rest of my drones.”
Thorax kept his head down. “T-thank you, my queen,” he said nervously, remembering the last time she had drawn so close to him.
She chuckled quietly under her breath and placed her hoof on the back of his head. “You truly are a fascinating one, aren’t you? I have clearly been far too harsh on you thus far,” she said, spinning on her hooves. “I cannot, however, say the same of these two.”
Thorax’s cringed, a chill running down his spine at the venom in his queen’s words. He heard Scorpion and Mandible’s desperate cries, muffled by the resin covering their mouths, as Chrysalis drew near. “These two grubs took it upon themselves to defy my will, to try and execute you when I had already passed my judgment. Their actions can only be described as treason, and there can be no place for traitors in my hive!”
The thrum of her magic filled the air. Thorax screwed his eyes shut, shuddering fearfully as Scorpion and mandible screamed in agony through their gags. He could hear their cocoons peeling away, and he could sense the love being forcefully torn out of their bodies. His heart twisted in his chest as the familiar crunch of contracting chitin filled his ears.
Finally, it ended, and two whimpering bodies were dropped back to the floor with hollow thumps. Chrysalis turned back to Thorax, holding her head high. “Rise, Thorax.”
He did as instructed without hesitation, standing up before his queen and staring directly ahead. She marched up to stand over him, looking down with a stern frown. “You were wronged by these two, and I aim to ensure it never happens again. They tried to kill you when I spared you. But it must never be forgotten why they tried to end you. You stole from the Hive, Thorax, and that crime is unacceptable. I trust you understand this?”
Thorax nodded. “Yes, my queen. I understand…”
Chrysalis hummed before her horn lit up. “Very well. Never forget it,” she commanded before pink light flowed from her horn and into his chest. Thorax’s eyes widened as he felt an influx of love, stolen from Scorpion and Mandible, pouring into his being. Within moments, he was fully restored to where he had been before he had been caught stealing. Chrysalis cut the flow and stepped back.
“As recompense for their attempt on your life, I have restored your former strength. However, all of your other punishments shall remain in effect until I declare otherwise. Your rations are to remain halved, and you are still not to leave the Hive alone. Do I make myself clear?”
He bowed his head without hesitation. “Yes, my queen, perfectly.”
“Good,” Chrysalis purred. She turned back to Scorpion and Mandible, her horn glowing once more. “Now, to dispose of these scoundrels…”
Thorax’s heart skipped a beat in his chest. He lifted his head, taking a step forward before he could stop himself. “W-wait!” he called out, unable to prevent it.
The entire room fell silent, all eyes staring at him in disbelief. Pharynx’s wings wavered on his back, his eyes darting between Chrysalis and Thorax in disbelief and rapidly mounting dread.
Slowly, Chrysalis turned back to Thorax, an impatient glare on her face. “...Wait?” she echoed quietly. “Is there something else you wish to say, Thorax?”
Thorax swallowed heavily, nodding towards Mandible and Scorpion. “I… If I may, your highness, I… I humbly request you to s-spare them, too,” he managed to stammer out, lowering his head respectfully.
“And why would I do that?” Chrysalis asked. “Why would you even want that? They tried to kill you, defying my judgment in the process. They committed treason. They are to be eliminated.”
“I know, but… if they die, then they can never make up for their mistakes,” Thorax tried, scuffing his hoof along the ground. “And… for as stupid and arrogant as they are… they are good at their jobs. Besides…”
He risked a look up into Chrysalis’ eyes, though he made sure he was submissive. “...You spared me, didn’t you?”
Chrysalis eyed him critically for several moments before turning back to Scorpion and Mandible. “Very well… but if they step out of line one more time, their lives will be forfeit. I will hear no objections.”
Thorax bowed again. “Of course not. Thank you, your majesty.”
She hummed before turning back to Pharynx. “You are no longer needed, Pharynx. Take your brother for a medical examination. I will not have such a promising drone go without proper care.”
Pharynx threw a sharp salute. “At once, your highness!” he replied before turning and marching over for his brother.
Chrysalis glanced at Thorax over her shoulder. “Get well soon, Thorax… I have a feeling I will have need of your skills in the days to come.”
Thorax nodded and bowed one last time before allowing himself to be escorted out of the throne room by Pharynx.
The moment the wall closed behind them, Pharynx clipped him behind the ear. “You moron!” he snarled.
“Ow!” Thorax protested, rubbing at his head. “What was that for?!”
“For darn near squandering any goodwill you had garnered with the queen!” Pharynx shot back. He sighed and shook his head. “Ugh. Asking for those two nimrods to be spared… you really are too gentle for your own good, aren’t you?”
Thorax smiled at him. “Would you rather it be any other way?”
Pharynx did not answer. He simply grabbed Thorax by the hoof and tugged him along for the healing chambers. Thorax followed along without protest, managing a tiny laugh.
It wasn’t until they were halfway there, alone in an empty corridor, that Pahrynx stopped and turned back to him. “So… she’s gone?” he asked in a low whisper.
Thorax hesitated, his ears drooping at the reminder of Twilight. “Yeah… yeah, she’s gone.”
“Good,” Pharynx replied, allowing Thorax a brief glimpse of a small smile. “That's one less thing to put you in danger.”
Thorax rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I love you, too.”
“Keep talking, tough guy,” Pharynx snarked, yanking him along again. “See how long my patience lasts.”
Once again, Thorax laughed.
A few seconds later, Pharynx looked around to ensure they were alone. And then he laughed too.
Fun fact: This whole chapter was actually improvised, and not part of my original outline. As it is, the chapter where Twilight gets chased by the worm and then got rescued by Thorax was originally supposed to be two, but it kinda got mushed together into one. Figured I'd slip this in here to wrap up the character arcs for the main cast before we get to the finale.
Fun Fact 2: The part where Chrysalis gave some of the love she drained from Scorpion and Mandible was actually inspired by this comment: 
So, thanks to that commenter for giving me the idea.
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Nice work
good job. Now for the sequel to come out.
10210589
There won't be a sequel. We have one more chapter and an epilogue, and that will be that for this storyline.
Yaaayy! Twilight got tackled to the ground by her friends, which is kinda bad because of her current malnourished state. Lastly, Thorax and Pharynx are the best bros in the show.
Geeze, Rainbow Crash, that was incredibly rude and downright dangerous! Crashing into somepony who is healthy and well is quite different to doing the same to a fatigued and damaged pony. You're lucky she wasn't killed! As-is, Twilight is in need of hospitalization or at least careful nursing, and smashing the dickens out of her will not help! Sometimes you just want to bap somepony...
Looks like Thorax will be providing some Yang to Chrissy's Yin, maybe quite literally.
Keep going! ;)
Heh, I'm just wondering whether the Canterlot Wedding will be touched upon in this story.
Maybe the epilogue will be one of those "and in the years after" types or maybe not.
this is a grate chapter there is so much going on between the lines in the background of the story.
How did I know Thorax was going to ask Chrysalis to spare these two?
we need more Thorax and Pharynx!
Looking forward to the remainder of the story, but why does it have to be so short?
10210704
I think I see you around quite often. Absolutely no rudeness intended, but please, it's spelled "great", not "grate".
10210786
but i like using the word grate this is just a grate word to have around and it makes grate cannon fodder to kill trolls.
10210791
*dies even more inside*
But, uh, um...
*soul withers away*
It grates at me.
10210795
Well, all's well that ends well, at least for the time being.
I am curious as to why the rest of the Mane 6 already happened to be in the vicinity of Dodge Junction in time for Twilight to return. I mean, it's not hard to speculate--they were probably there to search for any signs of Twilight still being alive or any other possibility she could be rescued through--but the chapter here doesn't list a reason and I'm admittedly curious, and I'd figure Twilight would wonder about that herself. I was actually surprised that wasn't one of the first things she asked when they all met up again.
How were the rest of her friends keeping up with Rainbow? They were like, half a minute behind her.
Bizarrely speedy ground-bound horses aside, this was a great ending point for the story! Thank you.
Now Scorpion and Mandible owe their lives to Thorax. That's going to be humiliating once they regain consciousness. In a way, it's actually an even worse punishment than a straight-up execution would've been.
10210930
Rainbow must have flown 583 thousand laps to Ponyville and back while waiting for them to walk further
10210962
What I want to see is their reaction to Skittlebug King, assuming they live long enough
Points frantically with a hoof you see that!? She shared love! Skittlebug time!
10210722
Not quite. Got another 2 chapters to go. THEN it will be over.
10211341
... wait... 
... its not over... 
10210750
fancy seeing you here!
10211378
I've been here for a while
10211389 let's try that again...
(In sarcastic, over acting, smooth Markiplier voice)
Oh, hello, didn't see you there, how have you been?
Chrysalis plans to use Thorax for EVIL PURPOSES!!
Mainly the invasion.. but also for tearing the tags off all the mattresses in Ponyville!
10216159
That is an awesome image
So far this was a pretty sweet moment Twilight Parts having finally reunite with her friends and back home to Equestria she felt like it's been forever she has been here and she's so glad to be home but unfortunately thorax still have to be reminded that he was a thief but it looks like Queen Chrysalis was impressed of his action not only taking care of the worm surviving out there with his injury but at least the other two changeling learned a lesson and maybe they can back off and once again this was a pretty sweet moment between two brothers but unfortunately things will not go too well because we're heading for season 2 finale the Royal Canterlot Wedding oh boy
She hummed before turning back to Pharynx. “You are no longer needed, Pharynx. Take your brother for a medical examination. I will not have such a promising drone go without proper care.”
You have the comma and period in reversed places. It should be "You are no longer needed. Pharynx, Tale your brother for a medical examination.
A nice, and oddly wholesome ending to Thorax`s story.
Good work.