Epilogue
It was getting on towards sunset now. Twilight sat on the balcony outside of her bedroom, gazing out towards the Everfree Forest. She had bee there for about an hour now, despite Spike’s claims that she was too early. “No such thing!” had been her instant and easy counter, eventually leading to Spike deciding to just come out and join her.
The two sat in companionable silence, only occasionally striking up a small bit of small talk to pass the time. It was nice, just sitting around without having to worry about much. The most pressing concern she had at that moment was making sure she saw whatever it was Spike had told her was due to happen.
With any luck, she wouldn’t have to wait much longer. The sun was inching closer and closer to the horizon with every second. As the time drew near, Twilight began to lose herself in her imagination, trying to speculate about what she might be waiting around for.
“Maybe some kind of meteor shower?” she thought, thinking back on the last time she nad her friends had shared such a view. “Or maybe it’s some Ponyville thing I don’t know about yet? Is something going to come out of the forest?”
Whatever it was, she hoped it would be worth the hassle. As nice as summer was, she’d still rather be inside when the sun went down.
And down it went, finally tucking itself under the blankets of the horizon, its orange glow fading rapidly from view and dipping the world into a state of relative darkness. Twilight focused intently on the forest now, her eyes narrowing as she looked for any sign of Spike’s surprise.
Nothing. There was nothing. She stared out at the forest for several minutes, but there was no sign of anything meaningful coming from those trees. She began to wonder if Spike had been wrong, and was about to ask him about it when, finally, something happened.
It was small, almost imperceptible at first. It rose up from the edge of the forest, a single green star of magic, colored a deep shade of emerald. Her eyes latched onto it, her eyes going wide. A wave of memories a year old washed into her mind, her breath hitching in her throat. “No way… no, it can’t be… can it?”
Up and up it went, flickering and fading into the darkening skies before vanishing altogether. A moment passed. Then another. Twilight slowly rose to her hooves, her muscles tensing with anticipation. “Please go off, please go off, please go off, please go off…”
The sky was suddenly illuminated by an enormous burst of green light, like a giant firework erupting in the heavens. The entirety of Ponyville was bathed in its emerald hue, while a muffled pop echoed for miles around.
Spike raised an eyebrow, squinting into the light. “Huh… that’s not what I was- huh?! Twilight?!”
Twilight wasn’t listening to him. Or anything else, save for the fading echo of the spell in her ears. Without hesitation, she sprang forward and leaped over the railing of the balcony, using her magic to slow her fall. Her hooves met the ground running, sending her into a mad sprint for the edge of the Everfree Forest. All the way, her heart hammered in her chest, her ears folded back, and sparks of hope and fear danced around in her chest in equal measure.
That had been changeling magic just now. She would recognize that putrid hue anywhere. And if there was one changeling, she feared there could very well be more. But she had only ever known of one changeling who knew that spell, and it was her hope that he was still the only one.
She sprinted by several ponies in the streets, all of whom had turned to look up at the fading embers in confusion. A few startled squeaks sounded around her as she tore through the streets. She only spared single-word apologies as she passed them, her mind not even lingering on the ponies she was alarming. She didn’t care about them just now. She had to know if it was him.
She breached the edge of town and came to the bottom of the slope that led up to the Everfree Forest. The flare had come from somewhere around here, she knew it. She looked around frantically, her breath coming in pants from her unprompted and sudden sprint through Ponyville. “Guh… huh… Thorax!” she cried out, her voice echoing in the trees. “Thorax, is that you?!”
A chilly breeze washed over her, stirring the branches in the trees and filling the air with a soft rustling sound. No voice answered her, though. She looked around again, squinting into the darkness. “Thorax?!”
A flicker of blue light caught her attention. Confused, Twilight turned to look and just made out a shape slipping back into the treeline. She stared after it for a second. Had that been him? Why wasn’t he coming to see her? What was going on?
Confused but hopeful, Twilight broke into a gallop after him, dismissing the way her legs burned. “Thorax, where are you?!” she called out, reaching the top of the hill. She came to a sliding stop when she was greeted by the wall of darkness that marked the beginning of the Everfree Forest.
Something moved inside. Twilight’s heart skipped a beat, and she hesitantly lit her horn with magic. “Th… Thorax?”
As her lavender light illuminated the first few yards of forest, her eyes focused on the lone figure sitting in the shadows. His black chitin reflected the glow of her light spell with a gentle shimmer, while his sparkling blue wings fluttered on his back. Two glowing blue spheres of light on his face peeled open, and his jaw fell free to show off a pair of sharp fangs jutting down from his upper lip.
The two locked eyes with each other for several seconds. Slowly, the bug rose to his hooves and took a few tentative steps forward. “...Twilight?” he asked quietly.
Twilight’s heart sang with joy on hearing that voice again, and she almost leaped forward to hug him right away. She held herself back, though, tempering herself as memories of the wedding flashed through her mind. She clamped her jaw shut and frowned. “...Thorax? Is it really you?” she asked carefully. “...Or are you just some other changeling pretending to be him to get at me?”
Thorax hesitated for a moment, a look of hurt flashing across his face. He then smiled and reached a hoof up to hover over his heart. “Of course, it’s me. If it weren’t, how else could I remember the very first time we met?” he asked. “How the very first thing I ever said you, hidden from the rain and the angry Tatzlwurms in that cave in the badlands, was... ‘uh...’”
Twilight’s eyes widened, a wave of nostalgia falling over her as the changeling recounted their first meeting.
Thorax wasn’t done, though. He rose from his sitting position and trotted forward, talking all the way. “How could I forget all the times I came to see you after that? Helping you deal with your stomach rot, or feeding you food I had stolen from the Hive, or how you hugged me after teaching me how to call for your help?”
He came to a stop right in front of her and held his hoof over her heart. Twilight’s heart gave a single beat, and a warmth she had almost forgotten about pulsed through her body. Her eyes widened. “...Thorax…”
Thorax’s smile grew. “...Or how I gave you the greatest gift you ever gave me when we split up?”
Twilight’s eyes began to mist over. It was him. It was really, truly him. A surge of emotion claimed her without warning, and she lunged forward, wrapping her forelegs around her old friend in a shell-crushing embrace. She heard him gasp from the force of it, but he returned the hug nonetheless. She buried her face in his shoulder, making a sound that was somewhere between a joyful laugh and a trembling sob.
“It’s you… it’s r-really you…” she choked out.
Thorax rested his chin on her head, closing his eyes. “Yeah. It’s me… It’s real good to see you again, Twilight,” he whispered to her.
Twilight pulled back, staring imploringly into his eyes. “I’m happy to see you, too… but what are you doing here?” she asked, a needle sowing a thread of nervousness into her mind. “I thought you were supposed to be back at the hive, trying to make things better?”
Thorax’s ears drooped, and he looked away. “Er… y-yeah, see, the thing about that is… ugh,” he sighed and sagged. “I tried, you know? I tried really hard to show them that there was a better way, but… They were never going to listen to me, or follow my example. It was a losing battle right from the start… And after the attack on Canterlot…”
Twilight’s heart dropped. “You… were you there?”
“Uh-huh. I was there. And I saw you fighting back,” Thorax mumbled, his ears drooping, giving him a truly pathetic look. “I’m so, so sorry for what my people did, Twilight. I… I c-cant even… I didn’t want to… I tried to-”
Twilight smiled softly and held a hoof up to Thorax’s lips, silencing him. In the end, there was only one thing she needed to know. “Did you hurt anypony?”
Thorax shook his head, mumbling out a negative through her hoof.
She drew it back. “Then there’s nothing for you to be sorry for… Whatever role you had in that atrocity, I forgive you.”
Thorax stared at her, wide-eyed. He visibly relaxed and leaned into her embrace again, this time resting his face in her shoulder. “I’d never seen anything so awe-inspiring… you and your friends, fighting back the entire swarm like that. It was incredible. If I hadn’t been busy defending myself already, I would have jumped in and joined you… So many times, I wanted to come and warn you, or help you, but I never got the chance… I had to do my part, and I hated every second of it.”
“It’s okay,” Twilight assured him. “It’s alright. We won, in the end. The invasion failed.”
“But there was an invasion,” Thorax rebuked, shaking his head into her shoulder. “We attacked you, and a lot of ponies were hurt. When we were driven back, Chrysalis was furious. The hive practically shook the entire time… and I realized that I didn’t belong in that horrible place anymore.”
Twilight blinked, taken aback by the implication. “Thorax?”
“I ran away, Twilight,” Thorax stated, lifting his head. “I slipped away in the dead of night and ran away from the hive. Pharynx told me to come find you.” smiled and placed his hoof over her heart again. “He wanted me to be happy with you. And more than anything, that’s what he wanted… for me to be safe and happy.”
Twilight placed her own hoof over his, her smile growing. Her heart fluttered in her chest, and she sent a silent thank you to Pharynx, wherever he was out there in the world. “...Well, I’m glad you’re here, Thorax,” she finally said. “I’ve really, really missed you.”
Thorax smiled and shrank down slightly, looking a little sheepish. “Er, y-yeah, I’ve missed you, too. A lot…”
Twilight hummed before standing up and helping Thorax to his hooves. “So, that means you’re here to stay?” she asked hopefully.
Thorax nodded, staring into her eyes. “If you’ll have me, yes,” he replied, equally hopeful.
Twilight’s smile grew, and she tugged on his hoof, guiding him back toward Ponyville. “Come on, then… let’s go, Thorax.”
Thorax paused, staring down at the small town for a few seconds, his wings wavering on his back. They caught Twilight’s eyes, and she couldn’t help but notice that they were different than she remembered them. They weren’t as tattered as they used to be. Small particles were peppered throughout the membranes, glistening within and giving the gossamer appendage a sparkling appearance. It might have been her imagination, but it also seemed like the holes in his legs were a lot smaller than before. And was that a hint of color in his chitin?
Thorax’s lips curled up into a broader smile. “Yeah. That sounds good.”
Twilight’s heart soared with joy at that statement, and she guided Thorax down the slope for Ponyville. She could already see a bunch of ponies gathering at the edge of town, including her friends and Spike. They all looked at her with anxious expressions and tilted heads. When they saw the changeling with her, most of them either tensed up defensively or shrank back in fear.
Except for Spike. He made eye contact with Thorax, then Twilight. He smirked, gave them a thumbs-up, and offered both of them a small nod and smile. Twilight stared at him for a second, and it clicked. Somehow, someway Spike had found Thorax in the forest earlier and had helped arrange this meeting.
She smiled and nodded gratefully at the drake. She would have to take the time to thank him properly for that later. But for now, there were more pressing matters. She came to a stop in front of her friends, Thorax anxiously standing by her side.
Rainbow was the first of her friends to speak. “Uh… Twi? What’s with the bug?”
Twilight didn’t even bat an eye at the slur. She instead turned and gestured happily at Thorax. “Girls, Spike... This is Thorax. He’s a changeling from the Badlands… and he’s my friend.”
Pinkie’s jaw dropped. “He IS?!” she squealed in shock. Already Twilight could see the gears turning in her head.
“Pardon me, dear,” Rarity added, grimacing back from Thorax. “Are you meaning to tell us that you know this garish thing?”
Twilight nodded. “Yes, I do. Back when I got lost in the Badlands a year ago, Thorax is the one who came to my rescue. If it weren’t for him helping me in those early days, I don’t think I would have survived long enough to get home.”
She then reached over and pulled Thorax into a side hug, eliciting an anxious chitter out of him. “And he’s not garish, Rarity!” she protested, shooting the fashionista a pout.
There were a few seconds of silence. The assembled mares looked between themselves in confusion. It was then that Spike stepped forward and took a position on Twilight’s other side. “I can vouch for him,” he said with a big grin. “I bumped into him in the forest earlier, and he saved my life. We talked for a while, and I know he’s a good guy.”
Spike’s testimony seemed to ease tensions a little bit. Applejack hesitated for a second, then tilted her hat back with a small smile. Her eyes focused on Twilight. “Somethin’ tells me y’all never told us the whole story way back then, did ya?” she asked.
“Yeah, uh, that was kinda my fault,” Thorax interjected with an awkward smile. “See, I uh, I kinda asked her to keep me and my people a secret.”
“And I gave him my word that I would,” Twilight acknowledged, giving Applejack a pointed stare. “It didn’t feel right lying to all of you, but I wasn’t about to go back on my last promise to him. He means far too much to me for that.”
“Aaw,” Fluttershy cooed sweetly. “That’s so sweet of you, Twilight.”
A few seconds passed before Applejack’s smile grew. “Well, then, Ah guess it’s time that story came to light, huh?” she asked.
Twilight nodded. “Yeah, it is… but, uh, let’s not do it right here,” she suggested, noticing a few awkward glances they were getting from other ponies. “Let’s take this to the library.”
Applejack nodded along. “Sure thing, Twi. After y’all,” she said, stepping off to one side to clear the way.
Twilight took a deep breath, then turned back to Thorax, her smile growing. “So… ready to go home?” she asked quietly.
“Home?” Thorax echoed in bewilderment. He looked at her before looking ahead at Ponyville. His eyes drifted slowly over the small, humble buildings that made up the old village, taking in every detail, and the faces of the ponies who were staring back at him.
“Yeah, I think so,” he eventually answered.
Satisfied, Twilight nodded and took the lead, pausing just long enough to deposit Spike on her back with her magic before setting off at a slow, leisurely trot. Thorax kept close behind her, the rest of her friends forming a loose circle around them. It was clear they were still anxious, but that was fine. Twilight knew he’d grow on them, given time.
She took a moment to look at Thorax, making eye contact with him. The warmth in her chest returned. A wonderful, all-consuming feeling of peace and serenity that filled her from the bottom of her hooves to the tip of her horn.
And based on the look on Thorax’s face, she knew he was feeling it as well.
“Welcome home, Thorax,” she thought, walking through the streets of Ponyville, side by side with the gentle changeling that had saved her life.
Also LikedSimilarAuthor
- Skijarama · 44k words · 414 5 · 6.3k views
- Skijarama · 208k words · 788 22 · 9.8k views
- CitreneSkys · 52k words · 394 12 · 6.9k views
- Skijarama · 107k words · 629 4 · 6.9k views
- theOwtcast · 54k words · 162 10 · 3.4k views
- theOwtcast · 162k words · 105 11 · 2.6k views
- CitreneSkys · 13k words · 77 0 · 2.1k views
- Azure Notion · 24k words · 712 7 · 7.5k views
Stats
Page generated in 0.034 seconds
Total duration
1,063 users online
2,812,492 hits today, 2,328,677 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Aww, this was very sweet. I'm glad it ended like this.
That was beautiful. Very nice
That was a sweet ending
But I'm kinda hoping we get a sequel from this where Thorax has to start adjusting to Ponyville life and Ponyville adjusting to him
oooooo especially Lyra, after being hypnotized by Chryssi
I look forward to seeing this series continued.
Will Thorax and Twilight finally become a couple? Or is someone else going to catch his eye?
10211377
10226379
I'll save Skijarama some time.
That being said, with how cute the two were together, I want to ship them as well. Skijarama you monster, to have the nerve to write a relationship this good and yet reply with a cannonball with such indifference is just cruel.
I hereby move to request a sequel!
Any aye's?
10226428
Well, there will be another 'Bug in The X' story. My editor and I just got done outlining the first major plot arc earlier today. As for sequels to this one, though, none that I will write or sanction as canon to this story's chain of events.
10226425
If you want to imagine them getting together after the story's ending, then sure, go for it, but it's not something I will b e covering.
10226441
Aww.
Well, at least we're getting another story. Love the series.
By the way.
Nice bee you got there.
Very sweet, perfect ending.
Friendshipping is best shipping
After reading the entire story my feelings can be summed up in one word: Awwwww...
This was just plain heartwarming to read. Pharynx and Thorax's last scene reminds me of the old samurai movies, and nice nod with Spike at the end.
...and it's over
I love the way it turned out, but can we please please pleeeeeease get a sequel? Or at least another Thorax story? We need more of him
10226728
I imagine there will be some story I write in the future where Thorax has a prominent role. He'll at least be relevant for the first chunk of Little Keys. But for the immediate future and the next 3 stories I have planned, Thorax isn't going to be much of a factor, I'm afraid. Sorry.
Too bad this is over but it was a good end.
this is a amazing ending to a awesome story.
grate writing friend.
nice work on the whole story
10226759
AT LEAST FOUR MORE BUG STORIES?! WITH CONTINUITY?! 
And then all the other cherngelerngs decided to be good after a 30 second speech from Thorax and immediately became Skittles Bugs!
Except for Chrysalis, cuz she's Skeletor. I think.
10227356
Only one new bug story. The other two have no connection to any of the Bugs in Strange Places stories. And no, none of these stories have any continuity with each other. They are all independent things.
Up next, The Bug in the Code. Twilight's programming project is derailed when her computer is infested with changelings!
10227564
Nnope.
10227568
Waiter, There's a Changeling in my Soup?
10227800
There will not be a sequel. There will be a spiritual successor, though.
As for all of his stories, a sequel would be nice, but for this one, I think it's fine where it is.
It's been really fun!
Nnnnh!
You know this is just asking for a sequel, if only to cover how Thorax's inclusion affects events in canon (Crystal Empire, MMC, etc.). I can see story potential somewhere along the line!
But if you won't, then I can only hope someone will pick up from where you left off.
Mm-hmm. Of course they are.
You always write the cutest and most lovable of stories. Thanks for sharing such a gem with all of us, it’s a real pleasure to read. Looking forward to your next masterpiece!
An excellent read, thanks for posting it!
Interesting approach
10134238
10135016
GOOD SUGGESTION! Now its as real as MY eldritch mirror friend... whats that? Not real? No I assure you, he is, and once he escapes... wait... whats that friend? Right, right, plans... hahaha, just joking, there's no such thing as an eldritch being... and things can't be put in mirrors... thats crazy ahahahah!... hehehehe.....
10112760
Except Pinkie Pie is charming and would be fun to be around.
(Translation: a five star rating.)
Great story! I really enjoyed it. Reading the next one, for sure.
They got shipped in the end
Read this over the long weekend, nice story.
An AWESOME story dude!
A review your way comes
10110982
Bruh. Either find a nicer way to express your ideas, or write them down on a price of paper. Nobody likes it when you start “plot twist”ing all over the place with terrible plot twists
10325196
Right, okay, so, that's Alondro you just replied to.
Take absolutely nothing he says seriously. He's kind of an enigma. Better for your sanity if you just pretend he does not exist.
What a cute story~
Gosh, sorry it took me so long to get around to finishing this one! Absolutely adored this ending <3
At long last I've finally got done catching up and I have to say this was a very good story. I really liked how it ended and how Twilight and Thorax were reunited again.
Oh wow, this was finally a good Changeling/Thorax AU!
It has everything, pre-reformation changelings, a unicorn Twi, an interesting plot, good action scenes, an editor, it's comfortable 75k words long and a satisfying ending.
Some minor things bugged me like how the journey out of the badlands is very short, how the plan for establishing contact between the hive and Equestria gets seemingly for an ACW tie-in, how Dash very conveniently finds Twi, how their other friends immediately catch up to them when it would have taken a while to cross that distance on hoof, and how uncertain the finale is with Twilight suddenly introducing a random changeling that only Spike can vouch for because he, again, conveniently met him only hours before.
Overall a great read, would definitely recommend
10419401
Heh, I saw those same critiques from a 4chan post, believe it or not, and they are valid criticisms indeed. Nevertheless, I am glad you enjoyed it. :)
10419409
I do believe it because that was me, just thought I'd post here too since I really did like it.
This has been a awesome story, and I love the ending I'm glad you kept it in.
I sincerely hope this gets a sequel at some point. :)
10451291
Not a sequel, per se... But ;)
- MLP: FiM
- Sad
- Slice of Life
Minuette has an imaginary friend that lives in her mirror. Nopony ever talks about it, but she doesn't really hide it, either. The thing is, her imaginary friend is very real. And he's trapped.