The Young Warrior

by Melody Song

Worlds Collide

“I-I don’t believe it… Pharynx!” Thorax raced for his brother and hugged him. “Pharynx…”

Pharynx shoved his brother off of him, glaring at the younger changeling. As Pharynx pushed Thorax back, the younger Prince got a chance to look at his brother. Pharynx looked almost the same as he’d looked when he first led the troops away to Ponyville. A few more scars were visible on his face and legs, but his powerful muscles still rippled as he stalked forwards, moving within a foot of the two. He wore his battle armor, and a crossbow was slung across his back, along with a saddlebag that most likely held supplies. Thorax stared at him, wondering just how long they'd been followed by the General.

“Alright, alright, I get it, you missed me.” Pharynx snapped harshly, tearing Thorax from his thoughts. “Now, what the heck are you two doing out here?! Don't you know how dangerous the Everfree Forest is?!”

Thorax gulped. “Well, uh, yes, but... we kind of... may have... left the Hive…?”

“You did what?! Thorax, I told you-”

“Phar, I’m really sorry, but I just wasn’t happy there… and Apex wanted to come.”

Pharynx groaned and facehoofed. “Thorax…”

“Y-You won’ tell an’one, will you Pharynx?” Apex asked in a small voice as he sat up and trotted over to the adults.

“Grub, you’re extremely malnourished, get over here.” Pharynx's expression softened as he spotted the weak nymph. The General quickly reached and scooped Apex up, his horn glowing as he siphoned a bit of his stored love into the nymph.

“Thank you Pharynx… I haven’t been able to feed him properly…” Thorax looked away. "Or myself..."

“Don’t think you’re getting away that easy.” Pharynx snapped at him, setting Apex back down. “I put you in charge of ensuring Apex-discipulus received training while I was gone and instead you took him from the safety of the Hive the instant I was gone. Nymphs are supposed to be kept safe in the Hive, not in the middle of a dangerous forest.”

“What good is a safe home if we’re constantly just being trained to be sent away from it?” Thorax shot back. “I know you claim to love the Hive, Phar, but have you ever once sworn your loyalty to it outside of ceremonial words? When you left, you promised me you’d come back. You said you would because of me, and because of Apex. You promised you would because we needed you. But you never said anything about coming back for mother's sake. And she’s the reason you’re out here, in a 'dangerous forest' where you could die, just for a fight against ponies who weren't even our enemies until she provoked them.”

Pharynx fell silent. “I… I just…”

“I know you want to protect everyone, Pharynx…” Thorax moved closer to his brother, and the General didn't move to back up. “But you out of all of us should know you can’t protect everyone. Especially not the ones you don’t love.”

Pharynx hesitated, then reached out and put a hoof on Thorax’s. He stared down at the ground as he spoke, his eyes glistening with the strain of fighting back against tears.

“I… I do love you, Thorax… I just… you know that I’ve devoted my life to defending the Hive… you can’t just ask me to turn my back on that…”

“Then don’t.” Thorax nuzzled him. “You love the Hive because the Hive is a part of me and Apex. You don't just love the Hive, you love us. Protecting and defending us is protecting the legacy of the Hive.”

Pharynx stayed silent, letting his brother speak as he thought.

“Let’s face it, I doubt many of us will return from these battles. After all the warriors are out of commission, apprentices will go next, then worker and nursery drones, then younglings, and then what? The Queen herself, probably. If you followed her then you'd fall too. But if you went with us, at least you’d have a chance to help one of the next generation and your fellow Prince. To have a chance to restart the Hive once all this fighting makes it fall.”

Pharynx sighed, then looked up at him. “Well… my exact words were ‘I promise I’ll come back to you’… didn’t say where exactly I’d return to you.... I suppose this counts.”

Thorax beamed and hugged him. “Thank you Phar…”

“No problem Tho-” Pharynx’s ears pricked, suddenly, and he turned around, his fangs bared. Thorax picked up Apex as he too, saw what was behind them.

Ocellus-discipula was standing behind them. Her delicate frame was stiffened in shock and her eyes had gone wide. A basket of green herbs was held aloft in her green magic, showing them why she was there. Pharynx’s eyes widened and he stepped forwards.

“Ocellus-discipula, what did you see?”

Ocellus-discipula hesitated, then spoke. “Leave now and I will pretend I have seen nothing. I wish you luck, Pharynx-dominus.”

The nymph then bowed her head respectfully and left them. Pharynx sighed, turning back to the others and removing his armor, letting it clatter onto the ground. The weight of the metal now removed, he stretched slightly before trotting closer to the nymph and his brother.

“Well, you heard her, let’s get going.” Pharynx said

“Where ‘re we goin’?” Apex asked, settling himself on Pharynx’s back.

“I figure if we make tracks for the north we can blend in with the ponies of an Empire that’s rumored to have sprung up almost a year ago. We can claim to be subjects, they’re probably still trying to gather a consensus so it’ll be easy to make up identities.”

“A-Alright…” Thorax looked over “Are you sure we can make it that far?”

“I know we will. It just might take us some time to get that far without using the trains and other pony transportation."

"How long...?"

"Probably around nine months, but we'll make it.”

“N-Nine months?”

“I’ll protect you, don’t worry.” Pharynx assured him

“An’ I’ll ‘tect us too!” Apex joined in

“That’s right, we need to continue your training, Apex-discipulus.”

“Yes! I’ll make you proud Pharynx, sir!”

“I know you will.”