Brotherly Troubles

by KaylaBlues

The shared secrets

"P-pharynx? How are you here?"

I can't believe my eyes. Why was he out here? Isn't he not allowed to be outside of the hive? "Aren't you supposed to be at the hive?" I asked him.

"Perhaps I should ask you the same thing. I got permission from the queen to find you." He told me steadily. Doubt it... I exhaled dramatically, closing my eyes.

"Is that so...?" I asked him, staring at him with a straight face. "I didn't think that you of all changelings would come to find me." I looked up at the sky still filled with snow, then looked down again with near hopeless eyes and half-smiled. "I thought I was a lost cause, a disappointment to the hive."

"And you still are." He continued, finishing my sentence. He got up flapping his wings. "Now come on, we gotta go." He looked at me straight in the eye. "Unless you'd rather be a traitor stay out here instead.

I stood for a while. No. No way I'm gonna go back there again. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "No." I told Pharynx.

Pharynx glared at me with shock. "What!? After all I've done and sacrificed. You chose to betray the hive?"

I opened my mouth to protest. "No! Of course not." I softened my voice a little. "I wouldn't betray the hive like that."

"Then?" He asked. "Why no?"

"I-" I hesitated. How do I say this... I just feel safer here. No, obviously not. I think being here is what's best. Maybe, but still not the best thing to say. The thing is, I heard you saying that you stole my love? No, not that either.

"I just want to feel what it's like to be outside a little..." I told him. A ridiculous lie. Though, I do actually want to take a refresher and be outside for a little more.

Pharynx stared at me with a weird look. "Really? That's it?"

"Well. Yeah." I said

Pharynx facepalmed himself. "You're in so much trouble..."

I chuckled a little and sighed. "There is no escaping from trouble in the hive..."

It was another long trip back to the hive. We flew across Canterlot and the Crystal Empire. It was pretty quiet on the way back. It felt akward. I looked away for a while to look back at the snowy empire. Hope to see you again, Spike. I thought and smiled.

"You look glad." Pharynx said finally. "What actually happened back at the castle?"

"Oh! The castle. Eh... It was all small stuff. Nothing special." I said. "What about you?" I asked him. I noticed the slight bruises on Pharynx's body. I didn't want to mention it though.

Pharynx was still. He frowned as he didn't want to talk about it. I wouldn't actually mind much, I know everyone doesn't really like to talk about personal stuff.

Pharynx finally broke the silence and said, "You remember Axery and Rythe, don't you?"

"Of course. What about them?" I asked.

"Turns out they do care about your existence after all. They just don't care about your life. Rythe was the one announcing your sudden leave. I had to know. I- " He stopped, and he became even furious. "Well, I didn't wanna believe him and threatened him to tell the truth and he kicked me and said you were a freaking traitor to the hive. Every changeling agreed with him."

"I... I shouldn't have left the hive like that..." I felt tears coming out of my eyes. "I should've just laid back like an outcast.

"You shouldn't have." Pharynx agreed but said. "But still, it's not like you could stay quiet your entire life."

I silently nodded. We stayed quiet as the hive went closer to the eyes.

When we made it back, every changeling was either stunned or mad, or both. Queen Chrysalis turned and walked towards us with fierce-looking eyes.

"Pharynx, you were serious about getting your brother back, aren't you...?" She asked in a wavy tone. "I thought you were just trying to get the job done."

"I am serious about both." He said.

Both, really?

Queen Chrysalis looked surprised. "But you said-"

"Everything I said that time was true, Queen Chrysalis. There's no need for confirmation." He said again.

Queen Chrysalis' eyes grew wider as her mouth frowned even more. "How dare you talk back to your queen like that!?" She closed her eyes and whispered, "I trusted you more than every changeling... I trusted you at obeying orders. I trusted your words. I trusted when you said you were gonna build Thorax up..."

"And I did. You need to trust me on this one too..." I know what he's gonna say next. "I know him better than anyone" But his voice lost him. He clearly doesn't want to admit it.

I don't too... And maybe it's time we both do.

I took a deep breath and asked. "If you'll excuse us, Queen Chrysalis. I want to talk to my brother." I thought about the safe way of saying it. "About something personal. Will you excuse us for a bit?"

I heard several changelings whispering about both me and my brother.

"Wow, Thorax is actually being useful for once." "Pharynx looks kinda beat up if I'm being honest." "What an odd relationship between two changelings. I don't think I want a sibling, ever."

Queen Chrysalis looked back from the crowd and looked at us. "Sure. Get your 'problem' fixed..." She flew away.

I turned to Pharynx with a worried look. "I know you're hiding something from me. There's more to what happened back at the hive, is there...?"

Pharynx chuckled and looked at me sarcastically. "I could say the same thing about you."

"Everyone has secrets. Everyone has limits at telling those secrets. I guess I could say more about what happened. In return, you'll tell me more about your side."

"Fine." Pharynx muttered. "I suppose that's fair enough."

I smiled and started telling more about my experience at the castle. As much as I want to open up, I still felt like there are things better left unsaid for now.

"There was actually a celebration there. A newborn baby. They gathered the entire city to celebrate the birth of the new royal member. They called it a crystalling."

Pharynx looked interested about the crystalling. "No wonder I felt really hungry. The love power was really strong. Tell me more."

I rolled my eyes and said. "But I was there after the crystalling. So I can't really tell much. I also had an urge to feed." I realized that I should be more careful with my words now. "It got my cover blown. I thought that I was gonna get in trouble but the ponies... They were nice." Even though it was Spike who was nice, he just let Pharynx believe it. "They embraced friendship towards me. I felt even more loved than I've been my entire life..." I said.

Pharynx looked at me with shock and slight jealousy. He tilted his head a little. "Glad you had fun, little brother."

"Thanks." I said. "Now you."

Before Pharynx got the chance to open his mouth, two changelings stepped in. "Hate to ruin your reunion, but we just wanna make sure that Pharynx here is actually telling the truth." Axery said, looking at Pharynx. "I'm afraid that we can't trust Pharynx at telling the truth.”

Pharynx's eyes grew wider as his expression grew furious. "This is none of your business! This is between me and Thorax. We have... personal things to talk over..."

"Of course... Siblings always have troubles with each other and they can only count on each other."

I sighed and looked at Pharynx. "You don't have to tell me, Pharynx, I already know..."

All of them looked at me. "What?" They all said in unison.

"I overheard your conversation with Queen Chrysalis."

Pharynx looked defeated. "So I was right... It was my fault you left the hive."

"I just want to let you know, I don't blame you... You were pressured by Queen Chrysalis. No changeling wants to disappoint her."

"You're right about that. No changeling would ever want to disappoint me." Queen Chrysalis appeared from behind. Axery and Rythe anxiously bowed and left. Queen Chrysalis looked at Pharynx. "Especially a changeling that's in charge of changeling patrol." She said with amusement.

Queen Chrysalis looked at me and said. "Also, I can prove that he's actually telling the truth." She looked back at Thorax. "This is your last chance at proving you're the best changeling I've ever had."

Pharynx looked at Queen Chrysalis curiously and raised an eyebrow. "I'm listening..."

Queen Chrysalis smiled and said. "I need you to suck your brother's love. If you refuse to do so, then you'll be demoted of your leading position."

I looked at my brother with stunned and worried eyes.

"Now Pharynx, what's your choice?" Queen Chrysalis asked.