When Fortune Fell
“Pharynnnx! Get off me you big lump!” Ocellus cried, and Pharynx chuckled. He was currently lying down in the sandy training area, Ocellus pressed underneath him.
“What have we learned, Ocellus?”
“That you’re a jerk?” Ocellus tried, shoving at him but not making much of a difference.
“You need to be able to play to your strengths.” Pharynx replied, then froze.
“Um… Pharynx…?”
----------------------------
“Pharynx, you need to remember to play to your strengths.”
“I know, Tuney, I’m doing that!”
“You’re just shapeshifting, Phary. You have other strengths, learn them and access them.”
---------------------------
“Pharynx!”
Pharynx jumped, realizing Ocellus was no longer under him, standing in front of him instead. “What?”
“What happened? You spaced out for like, ten minutes.”
Pharynx blinked and shook his head. “I’m fine. Just lost my concentration.”
“If you say so.” Ocellus shrugged. “I was wondering if we could take a break? We’ve been out here for three hours.”
“So?” Pharynx stood up, looking down at her. “You realize it won’t kill you, right?”
“But I wanted to read!”
“And I want to teach you how to survive!”
“Books can do that!” Ocellus cried
“So can actually training!”
“You’re just saying that so you don’t have to watch me beat you in chess again.”
-----------------------
“What-how?!”
“Brains, Phary.”
“Hey! I’m smart!”
“Yes, you’re smart, but you need to think strategically. Work smarter, Phary, not harder.”
“This game is stupid.”
“Oh, you’re only saying that because you’re being a sore loser. Come here, let me show you a better strategy.”
-----------------------
“You won’t beat me.” Pharynx said, brushing past her. Ocellus huffed and glared at him.
“I will! But does this mean we can stop training?”
“Fine.” Pharynx rolled his eyes, leading the younger changeling back to the Hive.
“Hey, where’s Thorax? I haven’t seen him all day.” Ocellus remarked as she hurried to catch up with him.
“He’s probably doing his job, for once.” Pharynx replied, gritting his teeth slightly. He knew exactly where Thorax was, and he had better hurry up. Pharynx wasn’t sure how long he could last, but it wouldn’t be much longer.
----------------------
“-Until fortune finally fell my way. Because on this day… two little nymphs dropped into my life... I promise that I will keep you from all strife. I am here for you, my little boys, my darling pride and joys…”
“Tuney, Thorax already fell asleep.”
“I was singing it for you, Phary.”
“S-Shut up… I’m too big for lullabies.”
“Really? You look tired…”
“S-Shut… up…”
-------------------------
“Pharynx, seriously, what’s up? That’s the third time you’ve gotten lost in your own head. It can’t be that empty.” Ocellus said, and Pharynx shook his head.
“I’m fine Ocellus, I just need to clear my head.”
“So you can go look for your marbles?” Ocellus asked slyly, and Pharynx cuffed her over the ear.
“Watch it…” Pharynx warned, sighing. “I’m fine Ocellus, I’m just… not in the game today.”
“Why?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” Pharynx replied, and Ocellus gave him a look. “Leave it alone, Ocellus.”
“Fine…” Ocellus said, though she still eyed him as they walked. “So, to the Hive Library? Or the cafeteria? Or maybe the communal resting chamber?”
“Resting chamber. It’ll be empty.” Pharynx replied.
“Alright then.” Ocellus shrugged.
The two headed to the communal resting chamber, stopping briefly so Ocellus could grab a couple of their favorite books from her room. Pharynx led Ocellus to the chamber, and they laid down in the soft layers of moss. Ocellus immediately immersed herself in her book, but Pharynx hesitated a moment before grabbing his own, a war book. He stared at the pages, closing his eyes as he read the familiar words.
-------------------
“Tuney, can we go over it again, please?”
“Alright, alright. Let’s see… tactic ten thirty five?”
“Ten infiltrators gather thirty important pieces of information within five days for the warriors to make use of.”
“Good. Tactic eight-four-zero?”
“Eight thousand to the front, four hundred to the side, and-”
“Zero left behind!”
--------------------
Pharynx closed his eyes. “Zero left behind…”
“What?” Ocellus asked, glancing up.
“Nothing.”
“No, tell me. Something’s going on, and you know I hate being left in the dark.”
“Ocellus-”
“Tell me.”
“I don’t have to tell you anything-”
“I’m your sister-figure, I have the right to know-!”
“You wouldn’t understand!” Pharynx snarled, standing up and storming out, just as Thorax walked in.
“Pharynx, are you in-here?” he blinked as Pharynx stomped past him.
“About time.” Pharynx muttered as he walked by.
“Thorax?” Ocellus walked over as Pharynx left. “What’s going on with him?”
Thorax sighed and looked after his brother. “He’s just… remembering when… when fortune fell.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Pharynx sighed as he entered the Veteran’s Hall. He followed the dimly lit hall to the farthest room, lit with a single firefly lantern. Pharynx lit up his own antlers and horn with as dim of a red glow as he could muster. He stepped into the center of the room, stopping at a marker and sitting down.
“Hey Tuney.” Pharynx whispered.
The marker said nothing, but Pharynx stared at it intently, as though waiting for it to respond. He stared at the writing until it was bored into his mind. Not that he hadn’t memorized it the many other times he had visited.
Fortuna Arya Larynx
The Golden General
March 4th, 1983 - April 21st, 2005
Pharynx let out a dry sob, touching a hoof to the marker. “Hi… mom…”
He sat in silence for a while, letting tears drip down onto the marker, staining it silver with his pain. Pharynx hunched over the marker, crying silently.
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it…” Pharynx whispered after a moment. “Thorax came first this year… he didn’t get to be here last year so it was only fair… he really missed you… and today seemed like a good day… I-I don’t know if you know, but… today is the day that you… that you first sung us that song…”
Pharynx was only greeted with more silence, and sighed. He rested a hoof on the marker, took a breath, closed his eyes, and began to sing.
“When you look to the stars my little boys
You’ll find that life is strange and vast
Carrying wonders and joys
I’ll help you face each new sun
With eyes clear and true
Unafraid to stare into the unknown…
Because I’ll face it all with you…”
Pharynx felt more tears slip out as he continued.
“Look into the stars my little boys, and stare up at the moon…
No matter how many days pass, I’m always thinking of you…
I’ll help you face each new day, help your hope to thrive…
I promise I won’t go so soon
You won’t have to wait long until I’m here with you…”
Pharynx cried harder, voice becoming lost as he sobbed. A hoof suddenly was set on his shoulder, and a new voice began to sing.
“Everyone else always seemed so far…
I was wishing on a golden star,
Until fortune finally fell my way
Because on this day
Two little nymphs dropped into my life
I promise that I will keep you from all strife
I am here for you my little boys…
My darling pride and joys…”
Pharynx looked up, seeing Thorax standing there, Ocellus behind him. Thorax embraced his brother, who leaned against him, staring at the marker.
“I miss her too, Phar.” Thorax whispered.
“She should have had more time…” Pharynx murmured.
“You two got what she didn’t though.” Ocellus uttered, squirming her way between the two brothers. “You have plenty of time, time to live as she wanted you to, and carry on her legacy.”
Pharynx smiled softly and rubbed her head. “W-When you’re right, you’re right, little sister… I can see her in you, y’know… I see her in you and Apex…”
“She lives on in our hearts, Phar.” Thorax told his brother softly, smiling through tears. “As it should be.”
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Suddenly, the title of this story makes a lot more sense.
10857077
Heh yep! Little reference
However, that's not the only reason the title is "Pride and Joy"
Aww
Makes sense that they’d have a better mother figure than Chrysalis
10857201
Mhm. Even Pharynx had at least some sense of mercy when he was unreformed, so he had to have gotten it from someone
I'm... FEELING!
10857622
Heh...sorry...
I would post the perfect sound for how I am right now. But sadly, it's all download links. No YouTube clips of it, or any postable medium. So, I'm outta luck.
11485669
That's alright!