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Reaching the Apex

Thorax smiled as he looked around the throne room. Newly reformed changelings were hovering around, talking with each other. Then, Thorax noticed that many tunnels were blocked off.

“Sillia?” Thorax asked, and a nearby ice blue female looked over.

“Yes King Thorax?”

“What’s happened to the side tunnels?”

“They must have collapsed when the explosion of love happened.”

“Oh, I see…” Thorax looked around. “Gather some changelings and start uncovering the tunnels, we need to get to the changelings at the lower levels and make sure no one’s been trap-” he suddenly broke off, ears twitching.

“Your majesty…?” Sillia asked

Thorax raised a hoof, looking around. He had been alerted by the noise of crying. Then, he found the source. A small, unreformed changeling was curled up by the edge of the room. He was only a nymph.

“Oh my…” Sillia whispered.

Thorax went over to the nymph and touched his head gently with a hoof. The nymph looked up at him with big, round, blue eyes. He was the same as all the nymphs, small, hole-infested stubby legs, black chitin, and dark blue carapace. Thorax smiled at him softly.

“Hey little guy. I’m Thorax. Who are you?” Thorax asked gently.

“A-Apex.” the nymph whispered

“Where are your parents Apex?”

“Th-They push’d me ou’ of the tunn’l ‘cause i’ was crumbling. Why ‘re you all colorful?” he asked.

The nymph startled Thorax slightly with his broken Ponish. Usually nymphs could talk properly at the age he seemed to be.

“You mean the tunnel to the nursery is blocked?!” a blue changeling named Tibius asked.

“Oh no! The nymphs! The eggs!” a pink shaded one named Fema cried frantically.

“Come on!” Sillia urged, leading the others past Thorax and Apex, starting to dig past the rubble.

Thorax charged up his antlers and lifted Apex out of the way, carrying the small nymph to the center of the collapsed throne room.

“How old are you little one?” Thorax asked, taking the nymph into his hoof, cradling him like he had seen Cadence do to Flurry.

“F-Five…” Apex whispered, cuddling against his hoof. Thorax smiled softly at him. He was only five, of course his Ponish wouldn’t be perfect yet.

“Apex, I’m going to teach you something while we wait for them to free your parents.” Thorax sat down and set the small changeling on the ground in front of him. “It’s called sharing love.”

“How d’you do tha’?” Apex asked.

“It’s hard to explain. But it can save you from ever feeling hungry again. You want that, right? To not have to feed?”

“Yeah.” Apex agreed.

“You just need to give some of your love, give it freely. You can do that, right?” Thorax asked him. Apex nodded and closed his eyes.

After a minute or so, nothing happened. Thorax cocked his head.

“What-? Why is it not working for you?” Thorax mumbled, the nymph didn’t hear him.

“Th-Thorax?” He felt little hooves wrapping around his leg. “You tas‘e upse’.”

Thorax nodded. No point in hiding it. Apex could taste his feelings, even though he was still just a little nymph.

“I-I am, a little. I-I’m still not even exactly sure how this transformation works, we haven’t tried it with a nymph, and…” Thorax trailed off as he felt Apex nuzzling him. He smiled at the feel of the nymph's nuzzles.

“I-I don’ care if I don’ tran’form. As long as you…you take care o’ me.” Apex said softly.

Thorax smiled softly and lifted Apex up to nuzzle him back. “Of course I will Apex.”

Suddenly, a pink light wrapped around Apex, and he was lifted up. Thorax smiled, though he was still unsure how the transformation happened. Apex came out of his cocoon a small, reformed changeling. He had the same lime green chitin as Thorax, but with red wings, tail, carapace, and bright ruby red eyes. He bounced a little in excitement and Thorax picked him up in his hooves, hugging the small nymph. Apex giggled and nuzzled up to him.

“I did i’!”

“Heheh, yes you did! Good job Apex.” Thorax kissed the nymph’s forehead gently. “I guess you just needed someling to share your love with.”

“We’ve uncovered the tunnel! King Thorax, should we get to the nymphs?” a yellow changeling named Cornicle shouted the question over to Thorax, poking his head out of the tunnel.

“Yes, try to reform as many as you can. They’ll need someling to share love with.” Thorax called to him.

“Y-You’re a King?” Apex asked, and Thorax nodded. Apex reached for his muzzle and smiled, booping him on the nose. “I thin’ you’re a dad. Can I call you Papa Thorax ‘stead?”

“Of course you can.” Thorax chuckled, smiling at the nymph, and Apex laughed, cuddling up to him.

Thorax couldn’t help smiling. This little nymph was just so spunky and sweet. Also a little bold, to ask his King if he could call him ‘papa’. Apex snuggled into his chest, and Thorax held him close. The love coming off the King and nymph was overpowering to those around them.

“King Thorax!” Fema called frantically. Thorax stood, allowing Apex to climb onto his head.

“What is it, Fema?” he asked, coming over to her, Apex shifting to balance properly on his head.

“Um… could Apex stay with Cornicle for a minute?” Fema asked, and Thorax, while confused, nodded. He lifted the nymph and set him at Cornicle’s side.

“Now, what is it?” Thorax asked

Fema wordlessly led Thorax down the tunnel. A crowd of other changelings were huddled in a loose circle. Thorax towered over them and his eyes widened as he saw it. Two unreformed changelings were lying there. They were pinned under the rubble, and Thorax could see there was no hope. They were gone.

“It’s Hexia and Mandible. The tunnel must have collapsed completely after they pushed Apex out of the way. They’re his parents.” Fema told him softly.

Sillia moved closer. “I just checked on the nymphs King Thorax. I’m afraid… many of the eggs have been crushed, a-and a few of the nymphs. Though most of the older nymphs are merely injured, and a few eggs survived.”

“Oh no…” Thorax turned to Tibius. “Tibius, gather some changelings and carry the bodies of Hexia, Mandible, and the nymphs outside the hive. Give them a proper burial, and then come back. The rest of you do what you can for the remaining nymphs and eggs.” he instructed.

“And Apex?” Sillia asked

“He… He should know, but let me talk with him first-what is it?” Thorax asked

Fema and the other changelings he hadn’t been addressing had lowered their gaze and were staring at something behind their king. Thorax looked down to see Apex standing there, Cornicle running up to them.

“S-So sorry your majesty, he got away when I wasn’t looking.” Cornicle apologized.

“Wha’s e’eryling doin’-” Apex managed to squeeze past the crowd and saw the two.

“King Thorax-” Tibius began.

“It’s too late now…” Thorax whispered, looking up at them. “Half of you go rescue the nymphs and eggs, the other half wait in the throne room. I’ll handle this.” Thorax commanded. The changelings nodded, turning and leaving.

“M-Mommy? D-Daddy?” Apex croaked, and Thorax reached with his hoof, drawing him close against him.

“I’m sorry Apex. We didn’t mean for you to see, I was going to tell you mysel-”

“Mommy!” Apex screamed, and Thorax lifted the nymph. “Daddy!”

“Apex, calm down, i-it’s okay…” Thorax stammered, unsure how to help the nymph.

“M-Mommy… Daddy.” Apex turned and cried into Thorax.

Thorax held the young nymph close in comfort. Thorax ran his hoof gently along Apex’s back, soothing him.

“It’s okay Apex, I’m here. I’m so sorry.” Thorax said, wiping the tears from the nymph’s eyes as he looked up.

“I-I was gonna show them m’ new wings.” Apex whispered

“You can show me.” Thorax suggested.

Thorax smiled half-heartedly at the nymph. Apex didn’t care that Thorax had already seen them. He spread them open and they fluttered. Thorax smiled softly and nuzzled the nymph.

“Come on Apex, let’s take you back to the throne room.”

“Wha’ ‘bout mommy an’ daddy?”

“I know I'm not your parents, but I’m here.” Thorax soothed. “Come on Apex. Let’s go.”

The sooner the nymph got away from the tragic sight, the sooner he’d calm down. It would also help if there were other changelings around to share love with him.

“O-Okay Papa Thorax.” Apex finally said.

Apex clambered onto Thorax, returning to his perch on the monarch’s head. Thorax carried him out of the passage, hearing the small nymph still stifling sobs. Thorax sighed, knowing how hard it must be for the nymph to lose two creatures so important to him when he was so young.

“Your majesty, we heard what happened-” Sillia began, rushing up to him. She then noticed Apex on his head and broke off.

“He’s very upset.” Thorax explained. “I need you all to help me, he needs love and comfort.”

Thorax levitated Apex off his head and onto the ground. Sillia, Cornicle, and Fema, who had been in the group that returned to the throne room, surrounded Apex alongside Thorax. Together they shared some of their love with him, until he began to calm down.

“What now?” Fema asked, eyes shining with sympathy. “Poor thing...”

“I’ll take him to the other bedding areas. Carry on with the original plan for the…” Thorax glanced at Apex, who was still a little shaken.

“Yes sir.” Fema responded, understanding.

Thorax carried Apex to the adult changeling’s nesting chambers and settled him in a nest. The young nymph fell asleep instantly. Thorax sighed and put his hoof by the nymph, rubbing his head gently in comfort.

“Poor thing. Don’t worry little one. I’ll stay with you. For as long as you need.” Thorax thought as he gazed at the sleeping nymph.

Author's Note:

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Pride and Joy

~Melody Song

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