The Young Warrior: Pharynx's Journey

by Melody Song

Epilogue: What's In A Name

“Pharynx?”

“Yeah Temp?”

Pharynx was laying in his bed, curled up beside his marefriend, Tempest Shadow. He glanced over at her, waiting for her to tell him what she wanted.

“...Would you want kids? Like, in the future?” Tempest asked him, her ears twitching. Pharynx smiled softly at the motion, knowing it meant she was listening.

However, he didn’t respond right away. He stopped and glanced away from her, looking up at the ceiling. He closed his eyes in thought, trying to find the answer to her question.

Then…

“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” the mare that was laying beside Pharynx whispered, cradling a small bundle in her hooves.

Pharynx didn’t know what was going on, but his body seemed to. His lavender eyes were filled with tears of joy as he reached to pull the blanket away from the bundle’s face. He stared at the bundle for a moment, then turned his head and pressed a kiss to the mare’s cheek. He rested his head on hers for a moment, wiping his eyes.

“She’s perfect. Just like you.” he told her, and she blushed and giggled softly, resting her head on his shoulder. Pharynx smiled and kissed the base of her horn… a horn that ended three inches above her forehead, jagged and shattered. “I love you Temp.”

“I love you too Phar.” Tempest nuzzled him gently, and somehow, he knew.

He knew it had been many years since he had joined his brother and apprentice on a life changing journey. The entire Hive was reformed, and his family was happy. He knew, somehow, that his family was growing, as he and his brother had taken mates. Especially now, as both brothers had even more than just loving mates by their sides.

Pharynx only wished someone very special was there to see it. He was left with a bittersweet taste in his mouth, sad that she was not there to witness it for herself, but happy he had fulfilled her dreams. Pharynx didn’t realize he’d sighed softly until he noticed Tempest looking over at him.

“Phar? You okay?” she asked in concern.

“Hm? O-Oh, yeah, I’m fine, just… thinking.” Pharynx said, smiling at her softly.

“Well, what should we name her?”

The two then both looked down at the foal Tempest cradled in her hooves. It was a filly, one that would become unique as she grew, the only unicorn-changeling hybrid. She mostly resembled a pony, with the slender horn of a unicorn, and her mother’s mulberry coat. Her eyes slowly fluttered open to reveal they had pupils, with lavender irises, like her father’s eyes. Pharynx brushed a strand of the filly’s matted and wild mane away from her face, smiling as he saw the streak of cyan buried in the magenta locks.

“Do you have any suggestions?” Tempest asked Pharynx, drawing them back to the matter at hoof.

“Well, she’s the daughter of a beautiful shadow, isn’t she?” Pharynx pulled Tempest close with a soft smile. “So she should have a beautiful shadow in her name.”

“Shadow, hm?” Tempest chuckled. “I like it. What about Shadow… Stalker? Like your pony form’s name?”

“If you think it fits, Temp. I better change my form’s name then, or things might get confusing.”

“You know, I always thought it sounded off… like it wasn’t right for you… maybe change the last part?” Tempest suggested

“Shadow… Striker?”

“No, too obvious… Shadow… Blade. Yeah, Shadow Blade. That sounds nice.” Tempest stated, and Pharynx chuckled.

“Shadow Blade it is then.” Pharynx then leaned down and kissed the filly’s tiny head. The newly christened Shadow Stalker yawned, looking up at her parents. “And your name is Shadow Stalker now, my daughter.”

The filly turned her gaze towards her father, looking up at the changeling, who smiled at her lovingly. His eyes watered as he saw a strange joy sparkling in the tiny filly’s eyes. Only a few days old and already brimming with life… with a spark… a spark he’d only seen in one other creature before...

“Tempest…?”

“Hm?” Tempest hummed in response, still gazing at their baby.

“C-Can her middle name be… can it be Fortuna…?” Pharynx asked softly.

“Fortuna?” Tempest asked, looking at him. “I guess so, Phar. Why that name?”

“She just…” Pharynx stroked his daughter’s mane gently, smiling as the baby giggled. “She reminds me of someone very special to me…”

Tempest smiled and kissed his forehead. “It fits… Shadow Fortuna Stalker it is then.”

“Welcome to the world, my daughter…” Pharynx whispered, closing his eyes and letting a tear fall.

“Pharynx?”

Pharynx’s eyes opened, and everything changed. He was still laying beside Tempest, but there was no foal in her hooves. She nosed him in concern.

“Are you alright? You blanked out for a while.”

“I’m fine.” Pharynx kissed her on the cheek. “I was just… thinking…”

“Okay. So, what do you say?”

Pharynx smiled at her proudly, his eyes watering as he made his decision. “…That I would love for my firstborn to be yours, Tempest Shadow.”

“I’d love that too, bug.” Tempest rested against him, smiling as she curled her tail around his own. “It probably won’t happen for a while though. If that’s okay.”

“It’s perfectly alright, I can wait. Work always comes first, I mean, if we were out of the picture, who would protect the dorky rulers of two nations?” Pharynx replied, smiling, and she smiled back up at him, laughing softly.

“You’ve got a point there.”

“I know I do.”

As Pharynx put his hoof around the mulberry colored mare, he closed his eyes once more, and his future daughter was in Tempest’s hooves again.

“I hope you like what I have planned for that day, ‘Tuney… I love you, mum…” he murmured, just low enough that Tempest wouldn’t be able to hear. He opened his eyes once more, staring up at the ceiling again, an expression of pure happiness as thoughts of what had once been clouded his mind.

For a moment, Pharynx could almost feel his mother’s loving gaze smiling down at him, and his family.

The End

Author's Note:

The final chapter...of this story, at least.

Don't worry, there is in fact going to be a sequel to the sequel. It'll be out soon, keep your eyes open!!

~Melody Song

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