Pride and Joy

by Melody Song

Lost And Found

“Come on Apex, let’s go!” Zenex called from outside, as Apex dug through his toy chest.

“One sec’nd!” Apex shouted back. He then dove into the chest, as the door opened and Zenex and Hero walked in.

“What’s taking so long, Cousin Apex?” Hero asked.

“I can’ find Blizzy!” Apex jumped back out of the toy chest, a kitten dangling from his horn. Zenex grabbed it and hugged it.

“Eclipse!” he said, petting the kitten. Hero looked at the kitten, then the toy box in utter confusion.

“How…?”

Apex whimpered and his ears drooped. “I need Blizzy, he’s no’ an’where!”

“It’s okay ‘Pexy, we’ll help you find him!” Zenex offered happily. “Just let me put Eclipse in my room.”

“R-Really?” Apex asked, blushing as he looked up at Zenex hopefully.

“Yeah! Lil’ Fangs Lost and Finders! Let’s go!” Zenex put Eclipse on his back, leading them out and into his room, so he could put Eclipse down. “So where did you see Blizzard last?”

“Um… I had him w-when Uncle Pharynx an’ I we’e trainin’... then Papa Thorax wan’ed me t’go to the nurs’rey…” Apex said.

“Okay, so let’s check the training ground and then the nursery!” Zenex said eagerly.

“Well, what’re we waiting for! Maybe Papa Pharynx has it!” Hero called out, already gone. Zenex giggled.

“Well, come on ‘Pexy!” Zenex urged, joining Hero. Apex blushed and followed them eagerly.

Soon, they made it out to the sandy hollow where they knew Pharynx took Apex to train.

“Okay, so what now?” Hero asked.

“Look fo’ Blizzy!” Apex cried, running around the hollow.

Zenex and Hero joined him, digging around in the dirt to find the bear. Soon, they were covered in dirt, and Hero was scratching his head.

“Okay, so we found a broken arrow, pieces of old training dummies, and I’m not sure if this is lice or sand in my mane.” Hero said, lifting his back leg and scratching like a dog.

“Let’s hope for sand. Anyway, it’s clear Blizzard’s not here.” Zenex commented. He was building a sandcastle. Apex poked his head out of the top, whimpering. “B-But we’ll find him! Don’t worry ‘Pexy!”

Apex sighed, blushing as he crawled out of the sandcastle, flopping into the sand. “I’s no use…”

“Don’t give up ‘Pexy, we’ll find him.” Zenex nuzzled his friend gently, but the nymph still looked close to tears. “Come on, you said you also stopped by the nursery, so let’s go look around there.”

“B-Bu’ wha’ if we don’ find him…?” Apex asked

“We will!” Zenex kissed his cheek gently, blushing as he rushed off. “Let’s go!”

Apex stared after him, blushing. Hero laughed and gently thumped him on the back. “You got game, Cousin!”

“Huh?”

“Nevermind. C’mon, let’s go catch up with Zenny Boy!” Hero called, running after Zenex, and the younger nymph jumped, running after them just as Pharynx and Hive entered the training area.

“Was that the kids?” Hive asked, and Pharynx blinked.

“Yeah… huh, wonder what they were up to.”

“Whatever it is, dibs not giving them baths!” Hive called, and Pharynx groaned.

“Hive!”

“Sorry dude, self-preservation.” Hive chuckled. “Anyway, are we gonna spar or what?”

“Heh, I’ve been waiting on you!” Pharynx tackled Hive into the sandy hollow, and the two began tussling.

Meanwhile, the three nymphs had run into the nursery, tracking sand and dirt everywhere. They continued searching the nursery without a second thought, scrambling around and upsetting the other nymph’s activities.

“Eep! Hey! Guys!” Viorel shrieked as Hero barged between the purple nymph and his boyfriend.

“Sorry Vio’el!” Apex called, as Zenex picked up a random nymph, searched underneath them, then put them down. “Ha’e you seen Blizzy?”

“Your bear?” Viorel shook his head. “Not recently, sorry.”

Apex whimpered, but Zenex hugged him tightly. “Let’s keep looking!”

“Think buddy, where else did you go the last time you saw Blizzard?” Hero asked, taking a chance to punch Parquel in the face as he attempted to sneak up on them.

“U-Um… the cafe’ria?”

“Cafeteria! Let’s go!” Zenex said, rushing out. Apex and Hero followed him, racing to catch up.

“Wow, Zenny’s really into helping you find your bear, huh?” Hero asked

“‘Cause he know Blizzy is my fa’orite.” Apex said.

“Uh-huh, sure.” Hero chuckled, and Apex blinked in confusion.

The nymph brushed it aside as they raced into the cafeteria, leaving behind a cloud of dust as they searched.

“Aha!” Hero dove out from under a table.

“Did you find him?!” Apex asked, running over.

“Better!” Hero held up a half-eaten cookie. “Free food!”

Zenex facehoofed. “Hero, focus!”

“Your loss!” Hero shoved the cookie into his mouth, smacking his lips. “Delicious!”

“Cousin Hero, Blizzy!” Apex stomped his hoof angrily.

“Oh, right!” Hero jolted up and began searching.

“Is there any other place you went with him?” Zenex asked as they searched under the cafeteria tables.

“The throne room… bu’ if I had him then, Papa Thorax would’e made sure I didn’ leave him…”

“Anywhere else?” Hero suggested, but Apex shook his head no. “Darnit…”

“Well, he’s not here. Let’s check the throne room just to be sure.” Zenex said.

“But! We gotta be sneaky.” Hero put in.

“Why?” Apex asked

“Pex, we’re covered in dirt. If Uncle Thorax even catches a glance of us like this, you know what he’s gonna want to do-”

“Baths!” Zenex and Apex shuddered.

“Exactly! Come on, and lay low!” Hero said, leading them towards the throne room.

They arrived in the throne room at a slower pace than usual. Sneaking around the back of Thorax’s throne, they quickly scanned the vicinity.

“This isn’t working, we need to get closer.” Zenex whispered.

“Around the back of Uncle Thor’s throne, let’s go.” Hero commanded, and the three nymphs crept along on the ground, scanning the throne room as they moved.

Then, they bumped into a cyan hoof, and, dreading what was in front of them, looked up.

“Hello kids.” Pharynx said, smirking down at them. “You boys on a secret mission?”

“Papa Pharynx, shh!” Hero hissed at him, but it was too late. Thorax had trotted over to them, and promptly gasped.

“What happened to you three?! You’re covered in dirt!”

“We’ve been digging through the sandy hollow.” Zenex said, shaking a clump of dirt off his ear.

“Why?!” Thorax exclaimed.

“I-I can’ find Blizzy!” Apex cried, his eyes watering. Zenex hugged him tightly.

“And we told him we’d find it!” Zenex added, Apex snuggling into his chest.

Thorax laughed softly and leaned down to nuzzle the reformed nymph. Apex sniffled and hid in Zenex’s chest, blushing. “Sweetie, what’s wrong?”

“I los’ Blizzy an’ you’e laughing…”

“Oh, Apex, you didn’t lose Blizzard.” Thorax smiled at the nymph. “I asked Kydra to wash him for you; you were dragging him around all day, and he was dirty.”

“Of course.” Hero rolled his eyes. “Thorax had him the whole time.”

“Ky said she’d have him back to you by tonight, do you think you can wait a little longer to get him back?” Thorax asked, and Apex nodded, sniffling. “Good. Now…”

“Uh-oh, run!” Hero whipped around, only to find Pharynx standing in front of him.

“You three need baths, come on!” Thorax cried.

“No!” the three screamed in unison, as Pharynx and Thorax scooped them up, carrying them to Thorax’s room.

“Papa Pharynx, don’t help him!!!” Hero cried, squirming. “I’ve been good! I was trying to help!”

“You still need baths, you’re filthy!” Thorax said as he turned on the water in the tub. Hero, Apex, and Zenex fussed and squirmed as the two adults plopped them into the bathwater.

“No fair.” Hero pouted, puffing his cheeks up and crossing his hooves.

“Oh, stop pouting, it’s just a bath, Thorax even gave you bubbles.” Pharynx said, resting on the side of the tub and chuckling. He then received a stream of water in his face. “Gah!”

“Ooh, soapy.” Hero laughed from where he had just spat water on his papa.

“Hero!”

Thorax laughed at the two and began bathing the three nymphs. But Apex couldn’t help staring at Zenex, becoming lost in his thoughts as he gazed at him. Zenex had continued to help Apex look for Blizzard, even though it had led to a bath. The nymph smiled at Apex, swatting away Thorax’s hoof as he tried to scrub him.

Apex let out a soft sigh, sinking down into the bubbles, paddling over to latch onto Zenex, hugging the nymph and closing his eyes as he felt the unreformed youngling wrap his hooves around him. He wasn’t sure what this new feeling was for Zenex, but he knew it didn’t matter what it was, he was happy.

Life was good.

Author's Note:

Here, this chapter comes before Come Out, Little One, some more buildup of Apex's sexuality.

For those of you who are wondering before I get comments, it's meant to be symbolic, to show how Apex is slowly growing in his affections, even if he's not completely aware of it (though others are)

~Melody Song

Comments

[Late_Night]

better than last one
but this still feels... half-assed somehow
like, not only does it feel kinda rushed, but it also feels like you didn't quite get it right
i get the feeling that this is the best i'm gonna get however, so fuck it
still have the issue of the plot of the other chapter being kinda pointless
like, Apex shoulda know that Thorax is the softiest softy to ever softy, and that he has Pharynx wrapped around his hoof

[Melody Song]

10973931
He's older in that other chapter, older kids feel the need to hide stuff a lot

I tried my best with this chapter, sorry

[Sylvian]

Because I don't want to slog into the honestly horrible mess that the comments of the other chapter are, I'll just comment here.

I don't think there's anything wrong with that other chapter, and Apex being gay or anything.

But, as a fellow writer and someone who went to college to learn how to be a better writer (which I saw you say you're in college and you're doing a creative writing degree or at least you're taking creative writing classes?) I feel like I can point a few things out in a non-asshole way to make this story a little better?

This chapter did feel a little like a filler chapter that didn't really have much point in the over-all story, which isn't a terrible thing for a light hearted slice of life story, sometimes nothing of value is accomplished in the wider picture outside of going on a quest to find your prized stuffed animal. It reminds me a bit of like old children's books I read when I was younger, just good light hearted fun that didn't really effect the over-all world outside of that small group. Outside of that, I can tell you're trying to set up the story-arc potentially for the chapter you published the other day, Apex continuing to be Apex and not really understanding or seeing his own orientation, but I do agree it did feel a little rushed this chapter.

But, that's actually for a pretty easy to identify reason, and one that I've really sorta noticed throughout the entire story; you're not very descriptive. You tend to do a lot of dialogue but not a whole lot of exploring the world itself, so scenes and the changes between them can be a bit sudden and jarring. Like, one moment they're in the forest the next they're in the hive, and there isn't a whole lot of in between narrative and description.

This is honestly something a lot of us writers deal with, the proper level of showing and not telling, the details we have in our mind on how the world looks not always getting to the page or getting to the page in too great an amount. You're on the lower end, I think, since your writing has lacked a lot of the secondary details, the thoughts and body language of characters and what the world around them really looks/feels/sounds like. This reflects in the fact the chapters are, at least for this story, is on average around 1k words? I'm not saying you need to pad the chapters out, but more description wouldn't hurt.

Anyway, uh, I hope you don't look at this and think I'm just another person trying to tell you how to write you story, I'm not. I really do like this story, I've just been where you are before, and figured I'd pass on some of the stuff I've learned and hopefully it helps?

If not, well, keep writing! We need more voices in the world telling stories!

~Sylvian.

[Melody Song]

10973991
Thanks for your comments! Actually I'm a high school junior, the high school's an art school, I'm in the Creative Writing course. I know I need to work on the details and stuff, but this is meant to be a for-fun fic, not something I'm planning to make a real book like NavelColt's King of Love Bugs, so I'm usually not too worried about the details. I am planning to go that route for a future story, so I hope it works

[Martydi]

“We will!” Zenex kissed his cheek gently, blushing as he rushed off. “Let’s go!”

Apex stared after him, blushing. Hero laughed and gently thumped him on the back. “You got game, Cousin!”

That's a large step in the right direction. A few scenes like that sprinkled around the story, plus a bit more focus on Apex's reactions and thoughts about it would help us get to know the character better, and be a lot more interesting to read than the stock scene we complained about last time. Good job.

[Melody Song]

10974348
Glad you like this better

[Ms Colvia Ivy]

10974424
Cute!