• Published 24th Oct 2020
  • 3,787 Views, 600 Comments

Pride and Joy - Melody Song



When Thorax finds a young orphaned nymph, his life changes in a way he never expected. But he couldn't be happier.

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Expectations...

After dinner, Cadence and Thorax decided the foals needed to be bathed, as neither Apex nor Flurry had agreed to having one the night before. The two found use of a bathtub thanks to a rather irate Twilight, who was still upset about being left to deal with the foals’ mess. Pharynx, Tempest, and Shining, not needing to be told twice, made themselves scarce. They stayed out of the purple alicorn’s way while the two more parental of the group dealt with the foals.

“Here we go.” Cadence said, lifting Flurry into the warm water after filling the tub.

“I don’ wan’ a bath Papa Thorax.” Apex protested, Pound and Pumpkin hiding nearby.

“I know Apex, but you need to be clean.” Thorax lifted him over to the tub as well.

“Come along now you two, no dawdling.” Cadence added, beckoning with her wing to the twins.

“We usually get toys to play with in the tub…” Pumpkin murmured.

Pound pushed her into the water, giggling before she yanked him in with her magic. The twins began splashing water at each other. While they had their water fight, Thorax and Cadence bathed their respective children, before tackling the twins together.

After baths, the foals returned, fresh and clean, to the library. Twilight had cleaned up, leaving behind only the fort for the foals in case they wanted to use it come morning. Apex, having been planning this moment, dragged Thorax to the chair they had seen earlier, the stack of books beside it untouched during their games.

“Please Papa Thorax?” Apex asked, pouting.

“Alright, I’ll read to you for a bit, okay?” Thorax consented, lying on the chair the same way he usually sprawled on his throne.

The foals all cheered, clambering up and adopting different perches on him. Pumpkin curled up by his side, leaning her head against him. Pound lay on his back, while Flurry took up the space between his forelegs. Apex selected his usual place on Thorax’s head.

Pumpkin and Flurry lifted up a book together in their magic, and Thorax smiled as he took it from them. He opened it and began to read aloud to the foals cuddled up around him. The other adults found him this way, and while some (Pharynx and Tempest) treated it with supposed indifference, the rest of them allowed their hearts to melt at the saccharine sight.

After a story, the foals trudged reluctantly to their sleeping bags. They laid down, settling in for what was supposedly a good night’s sleep. Flurry and Apex were kissed goodnight by their parents, and Twilight nuzzled Pound and Pumpkin.

“Alright, goodnight kids.” Twilight said as they headed out “The others will be in guest rooms and I’ll be in my room. Tempest will be patrolling the corridor, so if you get lost looking for the bathroom or for one of us, she’ll be able to help. Okay?”

“Yes Twilight.” they all choroused, Flurry adding an “auntie” to her response.

“Alright. Have a good night.” Twilight said, smiling before she left the room, closing the door behind her.

The group decided to wait a while before going out to explore, just to ensure the grownups really had all gone to bed.

Eventually, Pound stood up, Flurry and Apex following his lead. Pound looked at them, seeing only two outlines of pony shapes, and frowned.

“Where’s Pumpkin?”

The other two foals turned to look with him, Flurry lighting up her horn so they could see. The young unicorn was still laying in the sleeping bag. She had fallen asleep. Pound rolled his eyes and trotted to his sister, nudging her in the side. Pumpkin stirred and yawned, rubbing her eyes.

“Whazzit?”

“Come on Pumpkin, we gots to get up. Remember? Exploring.”

“Oh, right, ‘sploring.” Pumpkin yawned, then flopped back down.

“Pumpkin, we don’ ha’e time for this.” Apex whispered, his ruby red, pupiless eyes glowing in the dark room. “We go’a ge’ up now, a’fore we miss ou’ chance. Come on. Ponyville Crew, s’ick together, friends fore’er. ‘Member?”

“Right, right.” Pumpkin heaved herself up, sighing. “Okay, where to first?”

Pound led them to the door, and Flurry and Pumpkin concentrated their magic to open the large doors. Pound looked down the halls, thinking.

“That way.” he finally decided, pointing to the left.

The foals crept out of the library, Flurry and Pumpkin keeping their horns lit so they could see what was in front of them.

After traveling for a bit, they saw another light. This one was electric blue, and flickering. Hoofsteps sounded.

“It’s Tempest!” Flurry whispered

“Oh no, we’re gonna get caught!” Pumpkin whimpered

The hoofsteps got closer, and the foals huddled together.

“What’s gonna happen?” Flurry asked in a low voice.

The hoofsteps stopped. Tempest had heard them.

“Oh no…” Pound moaned, and the hoofsteps started up again.

“Shh!” Apex hissed. “I have an idea, you guys ge’ in tha’ room!” he pointed to the doors to the right of them in the hallway.

Flurry, Pumpkin, and Pound carefully cracked open the door and slipped inside. They peeked out at Apex as he surrounded himself in green flames. When he emerged, the foals gaped at him. Where Apex had stood, Thorax did now. And just in time, too.

“Thorax?” Tempest stopped in front of them. Apex managed an awkward smile and nodded.

“Y-Yeah, it’s me Tempest.” he said, mimicking Thorax’s voice perfectly.

“I thought I heard voices, what are you doing out here?”

“O-Oh, I was just getting some water, Un-Pharynx heard me too, you probably heard us talking.”

“Okay…” Tempest said, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, I’ll be going then.” He said nervously, taking a few steps.

“Thorax, hold on.” Tempest said, and the foals all froze. Then, she smiled. “The kitchen is down that hallway.” she gestured to it.

“Oh, r-right…” Apex gulped, hoping he hadn’t given them away. “My bad…”

“It’s okay, I still get mixed up on occasion myself.” Tempest gave him one last smile before leaving.

As Tempest rounded the corner and her hoofsteps faded, the foals all sighed. In another flash of green flames, Apex was by their side again, smiling.

“Tol’ ya I had an idea.” he said

“How’d you get his voice so perfect?” Pumpkin asked

“I hea’d Papa Thorax talkin’ a bajillion times.” Apex waved a hoof dismissively. “An’ once you know wha’ they soun’ like, you can copy someone’s voice.”

“Great job Apex.” Pound said, patting his shoulder. “Now c’mon, let’s go.”

The group explored for a while longer. After hearing from Tempest where the kitchen was, they decided to sneak down to raid it.

“Come on, just a bit further and we’ll have all the cookies we can eat!” Pound cried triumphantly.

“We’re coming, we’re coming.” Pumpkin said, yawning. “You sure we can’t just go back to bed?”

“Pumpkin, we’re nearly there!” Pound protested

“All we know is Tempest said the kitchen was this way, we dunno where it is ‘xactly…”

“But we’ll find it.” Pound insisted.

As the twins continued arguing, Pumpkin wanting to go back to bed, Flurry and Apex looked at each other. They shrugged and were about to continue walking when a slightly cracked door caught their eyes. The two wandered closer to it, noticing the ethereal blue light that was shining from it.

“Pumpkin, Pound, shush an’ come see.” Apex hissed, drawing the foals’ attention.

“What’s it coming from?” Pumpkin asked, trotting up beside them as Pound flew down to them.

“Let’s find out.” Flurry pushed open the door, and they looked around the room.

It was small, with a desk pushed up against the left wall and a bookshelf against the right, a circular wooden table in the center of the room. The bookshelf was stacked high with books, the table and desk were overflowing with papers. Flurry lifted up some and began trying to sound out the words.

“Magic… thawmic… freqencies… and their… re-re… relations… to… cross-space-ial de-mansions.”

“I don’ think you sai’ i’ righ’.” Apex said, leaning over her shoulder. “Papa Thorax sai’ the ‘u’ sound changes a lo’…”

“It don’t matter, what’s it mean?” Pound asked

“There’s lots more, look at this one.” Pumpkin was standing on the chair by the desk, reared up on her back legs to see onto the desk. She lifted up a paper and read it aloud. “Th-Th… Theories… of possible… alter-alter… alt’nate… di-mansions… across the… uni-uni… university?”

“Wha’s all this s’uff doin’ in here?” Apex asked, to no one in particular.

“Maybe it has to do with that thing.” Pumpkin pointed behind them, and they turned.

A large mirror was resting in front of the wall, space behind it where wires came out and attached to it. The frame had a stand at the top, with a book in it. The mirror was swirling slightly with blue and purple. Flurry went over to it and poked it with a hoof. The surface seemed to ripple and she stepped back in surprise.

Pound and Apex flew up to the book and read the title while Pumpkin and Flurry batted at the mirror.

“Mr Lemon-cello’s Lib’ary…” Apex said

“There’s more books over here.” Pound called, going to a stack of them and picking them up, reading the titles. “The Myster… Mysteri… Mysterious… Beni-Ben… Benedict Soci… Socie… Society… A Night Divi-ded… Sher… Sherlo’k Holm… Holmes...”

“You think they all go in here?” Pumpkin asked

“Auntie Twily is always inventing stuff, maybe this is one of them.” Flurry suggested

“It’s a magic mirror!” Pumpkin cried “Like in the fairy tales!”

“Auntie Twily invented a magic mirror?” Flurry breathed, in awe.

“Pretty stupid looking magic mirror.” Pound grumbled

“Hm, yeah… I wonder what these wires are for…” Pumpkin lifted one in her magic and tugged it curiously.

Apex and Pound flew around the back and Apex snorted.

“This isn’ no magic mi’or thingy.” he said “I’ says righ’ here on the back, made in Reina.”

“Then why are there swirly magic bits and why’s it got those wire things?” Pumpkin protested

“Let’s see…” Flurry yanked at the wires.

Pound and Apex began moving around behind the mirror, knocking the mirror a bit. Pumpkin grabbed a wire, getting it wound around her leg as she trotted around to the front of the mirror. She stuck her muzzle in it, giggling as it rippled.

Pumpkin backed away to get a better look at the ripples, just as Apex hung onto the top of the mirror, lifting up the book in his magic and opening it, before tossing it aside. The mirror’s surface then became regular glass.

The wire around Pumpkin’s leg tightened and tripped her, making her fall with a soft yelp. The mirror tilted forwards due to the weight on it and the tug at the wire. Apex yelped as well, taking off, his little wings buzzing as he hovered beside Pound.

The mirror began to fall, and Flurry leapt up.

“Pumpkin!”

“Ahh!” Pumpkin curled up into a ball, as Apex and Pound flew down to them.

“I’ll ge’ her, you ge’ Flur’y!” Apex called, reaching and attempting to scoop up Pumpkin.

Pound landed and grabbed Flurry’s hoof, pulling her over to the desk and nuzzling her.

“You okay?”

“Y-Yes…” Flurry said shakily, then her eyes widened. “Where’re Pumpkin and Apex?!”

Pumpkin was struggling to get away, whimpering. Apex was tugging on her forelegs, while she kicked her back legs. She was trying to free her leg, which was still tangled in the wire. The more Pumpkin and Apex yanked at the wire, the more it rocked the mirror.

“Apex! Pumpkin! No!”

Flurry lit up her horn and surrounded Apex and Pumpkin in her yellow magic. She yanked them over, ignoring the pained shriek from Pumpkin as the wire scratched her hoof. Flurry set them by her as the final tug sent the mirror falling down. Flurry threw up a giant yellow bubble around all four of the foals, who screamed as the mirror fell and the shards flew everywhere.

A few shards bounced against the bubble, but others created holes in it, Flurry was too scared to make it very strong. Apex yelped as a shard nicked his cheek, making a jagged cut, and the frightened nymph began crying. Pound nosed a still whimpering Pumpkin, while Flurry also sobbed in terror.