4. A Box-ing Match
A pair of Imperial Guards stood at the bar’s of the mimic’s cell. It had been hours since their shift started, and the silence had grown tiresome. It was not helped by the fact that the mimic, which continued to sit in its inert, chest-y form, was showing a level of motionless silence that put even the best of Equestria’s guards to shame and could give actual statues a run for their money (if they ran or needed money).
Thus, the two of them had started to lapse into idle conversation.
“Hm… what time do you think it is?” asked the first of them. “2, maybe 3 AM?”
“No idea; I left my pocket watch back at the barracks,” the second replied.
“Why’s that?”
“No pockets in the armor.”
“Oh. Right.” He coughed into his foreleg, the sound echoing through the empty crystalline walls of the dungeon. He glanced over his shoulder at the mimic, assuring himself once again that it hadn’t moved.
“Though about getting one of those kinds that you wear on your foreleg. You know, around your pastern?”
“Oh yeah. Amazing stuff they’ve come out with in the last thousand years. So, why haven’t you bought one? Pretty sure they make cheap ones.”
“Eh,” the guard said with a shrug. “You wait long enough in this job, somepony tells you what time it is. Usually when your shift is over.”
A solitary guard strolled down the stairs and into the dungeon. “Your shift’s over,” he said.
“Finally!” the first guard exclaimed.
“Wait, where’s the other one?” the second guard asked.
“It’s just me,” the newcomer said.
“What? It’s supposed to be two of us at all times.”
“Well, the Princess decided that we only needed one. It’s just a stupid box, and it’s not like it can wedge through the bars.”
Just then, the mimic began to growl, hopping backward with a loud clatter.
“Oh, hey, it’s awake,” said the first guard idly.
“And it’s grouchy,” said the second.
“It’s not the only one,” the newcomer quipped. “Look, I don’t ask questions. Orders are that I come down here so you guys can go hit the bunk. But if you two want to stay here, I’ve got no problem going back and getting some shuteye instead…”
“Pfft, buck that!” the first guard said. “Have fun watching the box!”
The second guard gave a shrug and a sloppy salute as he followed his comrade out, leaving the newcomer with the mimic.
Once he was alone, he smirked at the snarling box through the bars.
“All too easy,” he chuckled, tossing his spear aside as his horn lit up and began to charge.
The mimic bounced around, clattering even louder as it searched for some sort of hiding spot in the empty cell, its snarls turning to loud roars.
“Hold still,” the guard said, narrowing his eyes. “It’ll hurt a lot worse if it takes more than one shot.”
Then he heard the sound of someone clearing their throat in the empty hallway and his eyes went wide.
“Twenty four hours, eh?” asked a feminine voice from the empty air.
The guard sniffed the air and made a sour face, the magic in his horn dissipating. He turned his gaze toward an empty patch of air just a few meters away and heaved a sigh. “All right, Starlight Glimmer. Show yourself.”
The air shimmered as Starlight removed her invisibility spell.
“Nice of you to remember my name this time, Pharynx,” Starlight said with a smirk.
The “guard” vanished in a puff of green flame and the dark green changeling stood in his place.
“I actually remembered your name from the start,” Pharynx said. “But pretending to forget it seemed like a good power move. In a situation like this, it’s good to keep your opponents on their hooves.”
“I’m not sure if I’m glad to know you remembered me or annoyed that you think I’m your ‘opponent,’ but either way, why tell me now?” she asked.
“You were smart enough to know I’d try to sneak back in here on my own,” he replied. “I think you’ve earned a small bit of my respect for that. That’s why I’ll ask you to leave and forget that I was here while I finish this monster off by myself. Enjoy your plausible deniability.”
Starlight sighed and shook her head. “Sorry, but I can’t do that.”
“Oh? Did you already tell the princesses you would be down here waiting for me? Are they going to jump out and arrest me for sneaking in?”
“No! I decided to cast an invisibility spell and come down here alone so we could talk one-on-one. As far as the others know, I’m asleep in my room.”
“I appreciate the thought, Starlight Glimmer, but I’m not here to negotiate.” He turned away from her and began charging up his magic once again. “Go back to bed and try to look surprised tomorrow when they find a hole blasted in this mimic.”
Starlight swiftly moved in front of him, blocking his aim as the mimic continued to snarl.
“I’m sorry, Pharynx, but I can’t let you kill it.”
“Oh for the love of the Hive, why do you even care?!” he shouted. “It’s a monster! It would eat you and everyone you love without a second thought! It has no purpose other than being a monster!”
“Ponies used to say the same thing about changelings.” Starlight looked him dead in the eye. “You were supposed to be killed on sight in Equestria.”
“Please. The only thing you ponies can execute is choreography. You couldn’t even kill Thorax. Think about that: Thorax! My brother is a lot of things, but a physical threat is not one.”
Starlight winced. “I was hoping we could talk this out, but if you won’t listen, then—”
“Then what, exactly?!” Pharynx scoffed. “You’ll stop me yourself? You ponies talk tough, but as my brother’s continued survival proves, you don’t have it in you to use force! So stand aside and leave it to someone who can!”
Starlight heaved a sigh. “If that’s really how you feel, then I’m going to have to give you the boot.”
“Pfft! You think you can just throw me out?!”
Then Starlight grinned as her horn lit up. “That’s not what I said.”
There was a flash of magic and a gigantic leather boot appeared directly over Pharynx.
“What the—?!”
The boot came down with a mighty whump as it squished Pharynx under its heel. He lay in a heap, groaning as Starlight polished a hoof on her chest.
“I don’t usually get to use my Visual Pun Spell,” she said, leaning down to address him. “But anyway… we tried using force like you wanted; maybe you feel like using words now?”
Over her shoulder, she swore she heard a noise out of the mimic that sounded like snickering.
Pharynx grunted as he tried to look less like a squashed beetle, but the angry snarl in his throat died when he saw Starlight’s expression (and her hoof which was pointed up at the giant boot that she continued to hold over him).
“...Fine. Let’s talk.”
Starlight smiled. The boot disappeared in a puff of smoke as she helped Pharynx to his chitinous hooves.
“What I don’t understand,” he said, once he’d steadied himself, “is why you actually care. As I said, it’s a monster. Leaving it alive has no benefit for either of our kind. Even if you keep it in captivity, there’s always the chance it could escape and reproduce. How could you rest easy then, knowing that sooner or later some poor creature would end up in its belly?”
Starlight sighed and sank to her haunches, staring at the mimic as it sat passively in its cell. “Honestly, it’s hard to argue with you,” she said. “If I were in your position, I think I might do the same thing you’re trying to do. But the thing about us ponies is that we feel like we’re responsible for everyone and everything in the world… or at least in Equestria. We farm the land, we take care of weather, and we use our magic to shape the world to our will, but from the day we’re old enough to talk, we’re told that ponies are the stewards of the land. To let a species go extinct, let alone cause it to die out, is just unthinkable for us. So to ask Cadance or Twilight or Sunburst to let it happen is going against centuries of pony history.”
Pharynx scoffed as he fixed his eyes on the mimic and sat down as well. “So it comes down to some sort of pony savior complex,” he surmised. “Ridiculous. Sentimental and ridiculous.”
Starlight glanced over at him. “It really is,” she chuckled. “I didn’t understand it myself when I was younger. Instead of looking at possibilities, instead of thinking of what could be, most ponies are too caught up in rules and feelings. They never question if what they assume is ‘good’ is actually worth anything. I decided that I would figure out a better way to be happy on my own and to Tartarus with any preconceived notions other ponies had about what was important.”
“And now you don’t feel that way?” Pharynx asked.
Starlight smirked. “Well… no, I still feel that way a lot of the time,” she said. “But at least now I’m not as quick to dismiss what other ponies figured out a long time ago. And something else I figured out is the value of giving ‘monsters’ a second chance. Twilight gave one to me, Spike gave one to Thorax, and I’m giving one to you.”
“I don’t need your—”
The boot reappeared above Pharynx’s head.
“...Point taken.”
Starlight nodded as the boot disappeared again.
“So… you want to give a ‘second chance’ to this mimic?” he asked.
“I do,” she said. “Pony- or changeling-eating monster or not, it’s still the very last of its kind. If we kill it, then any possible future it might have, any potential there is in letting it live, disappears. Something could be lost from the world, and if it is, then it’s lost forever. I think we should be absolutely certain that it’s the best choice before it’s too late to take it back.”
Pharynx regarded both her and the mimic silently for a few long moments.
“...Why do you really want it killed?” Starlight asked, breaking the silence.
“What? I told you—”
“I know what you said,” Starlight said. “You acted like not killing that mimic would start some sort of international incident between the Hive and Equestria. Or at least the Empire. But unlike everypony else who was there, I know your brother pretty well. And none of this sounds like something he’d want. Does he even know why you’re here right now?”
Pharynx grimaced. “I elected not to tell him.”
Starlight chuckled. “I thought so.”
“By the Queen’s spinnerets, you’re insufferable!” he snapped.
“I get that a lot,” Starlight said. “Well… I mean, not in those words exactly, but still. Anyway, why is killing the mimic really so important to you? Do you really hate them that much?”
“Hate them?” he scoffed. “As far as I knew, the last mimic was hunted down generations before I was even hatched. I can sense mimics by instinct, true, but it’s not like I’d ever seen one. I just grew up hearing the stories about them and learning about the standing edict from Queen Chrysalis that they were to be eliminated when I became head of the Changeling Guard. Other than that, I never even gave them a second thought.
“No, this… this is about my brother.”
“Thorax? What about him?”
Pharynx narrowed his eyes. “Like you said, you know my brother. You know what he’s like. He’s—”
“A huge wuss?”
“A huuuuge wuss, thank you!” Pharynx exclaimed. “I’ve heard of being ‘thin-skinned’ before, but Thorax has an exoskeleton made of paper mache! And that’s another thing I know about because of him and his ‘Arts and Crafts’ initiative! We’re an officially recognized nation on Equestria’s border now, and he cares more about building ugly sculptures out of pulped up paper than he does about establishing diplomatic relations with the massive nation on the Hive’s doorstep! If ponies think we’re just a bunch of candy-colored ‘love bugs’ obsessed with daisy chains and chanting positive mantras in a circle, how will we ever get taken seriously when it matters?!”
Starlight listened to him and rubbed her chin. “I see,” she muttered quietly. “It’s not about the mimic at all… it’s about taking a stand.”
“And being taken seriously!” Pharynx added. “It doesn’t matter if the policy is outdated, we have orders in the Hive that mimics must be destroyed; so if I can get the leaders of Equestria to give in to our demands, that will establish that the Hive is to be taken seriously, and we won’t be ignored when something truly important matters!”
Starlight nodded slowly. “That… actually makes a lot of sense, Pharynx. I think I get it now.”
Pharynx caught his breath after his outburst. “So… you agree that the mimic has to die?”
She was quiet for a moment. She watched as the mimic, its box-like lid slavering and snapping, continued bouncing around its cell as it watched them agitatedly.
Then, after a long sigh, she shook her head. “No,” she replied.
A growl built in Pharynx’s throat.
“Just hear me out!” she said quickly as she got to her hooves. “I admit it: your brother is a huge touchy-feely wimp, and he needs you to make the tough calls for the Hive that he just doesn’t have the guts to make. That’s fair. But give him some credit: he’s got guts. Out of all the changelings, he’s the only one I’ve ever heard of to defy Chrysalis.”
“The only one to do it and live,” Pharynx added. “But fair point. He even surprised me a bit with that.” He smiled, and this time it was without irony. “He knew what would happen to him after leaving the Hive if he ever got caught… he knew what the Queen would do to him, and knew it would be messy and very public. He knew that and still left. Knew that and dared to risk coming back to help his new allies. Then he took over for her and overturned centuries of changeling society. So, fine, he’s got guts sometimes. Your point?”
“First, if he had the guts to stand up to Chrysalis, then why are you so sure that he’d be too afraid to stand up to Equestria or another nation if it was for the Hive’s best interest?” she asked. “And second, don’t you think what you’re doing will make it harder for your brother in the future? How could anypony in Equestria trust the changelings’ word when they make demands without compromising and murder creatures in Equestrian custody?”
Pharynx stared back at her. “All right, fair on both points,” he grumbled. “So, what do we do instead?”
“Well, you gave us 24 hours. We still have plenty of time left until your deadline, so why don’t you sneak back out of here, come back when you said you would, and maybe by then we’ll have an actual solution that doesn’t involve killing the mimic? If so, then the Hive will come off as a good neighbor to Equestria.”
“And if you can’t come up with a better solution?” he asked, raising what might have passed for an eyebrow.
“Well, if we can’t think of something better, then fine, kill it! I’ll even help you take it out myself!”
The mimic snarled again.
“Oh shut up, you!” she snapped, rolling her eyes. “You tried to eat both me and my oldest friend; I’ve got principles, but I never said I liked you.”
The mimic made a sound between a whimper and a grumble.
“Fair enough,” Pharynx said with a tiny smirk. He then turned and began to walk away. “I look forward to hearing your suggestions.” He paused and looked back at the mimic. “Enjoy your stay of execution, monster. For your sake, I hope these ponies can come up with a reason to spare you…”
To be concluded...
Thanks again for all the great comments and engagement I've gotten on this story. It might have taken me a while to write it, but I've been enjoying it, and I hope you all enjoyed this chapter too.
Quick bit of credit, this line...
“You were supposed to be killed on sight in Equestria.”
“Please. The only thing you ponies can execute is choreography. You couldn’t even kill Thorax."
...was a suggestion by the inimitable FanOfMostEverything, a name y'all ought to know around here if you've been here long enough, and who was nice enough to let me use their joke in this story. Thanks, pal! 
See you next time, folks!
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Yep, that's very much Pharynx's thought process. Makes total sense for him, even the nonsense.
Gotta say, really love how this chapter played out. Pahrynx' motivations make sense, and love how Starlight's response to the situation basically boils down to "I think you're right but you're doing it wrong". Also loved that spell.
Why didn’t you reply to my comment?
More than that, he's the only one who both dared to believe the changelings could be better but also the only one who actively sought to try and refusing to accept the alternative, even if it meant going, alone, out into enemy territory on what could've easily been a foolhardy and/or fatal attempt to make peace with those enemies. And he succeeded on all accounts, despite the extremely uphill battle to get there that, as Pharynx points out, others tougher than he couldn't also do.
The hive honestly owes quite a lot to Thorax's bravery. Because he is brave. He just doesn't put it out on display for all to see like one stereotypically expects of a "brave" person. Because, to Thorax, it was never about himself, it was about the others he could help.
That's actually what Pharynx is missing here. One doesn't have to be physically tough, strong, or show force to be a good leader, much less the best leader. It's Thorax's kindness and good heart that's precisely that makes him such a wonderful leader.
Ah, Pharynx. Who else could be so concerned about the changelings’ appearance on the world stage that he very nearly ruined it? Truly Chrysalis’s heir in terms of his ambitions shooting his stated goals in the foot. At least he’s sincere in his concern for the hive.
Also, brilliant showing from Starlight. Having experience on both sides of the moral divide provides a lot of helpful perspective.
Also also, glad my cheeky asides were inspiring enough to include in the story proper.
Looking forward to the conclusion.
11777962
Okay, fine:
It's not tagged "Dark" because it's not "Dark."
Despite the subject matter, it's still a comedy with Prince references and a few gags about changelings basically being bug ponies. The tone itself doesn't warrant a "Dark" tag.
If I was Starlight, I couldn't have resisted using that spell, either.
*suspicion rises*
Sounds like a fitting way to describe a changeling...
To be fair, they are very good at this.
If it makes you feel better, I'm sure Starlight thinks the same about you.
Good chapter!
I enjoyed reading it.
An entertaining story so far, though I worry a little because the discussion here clearly shows that the story's conflict could fizzle out, and nothing since chapter one has matched its intensity...lots of talk of it being a pony-eating monster since, but it's now getting rather hard to see this as an actual problem (no ponies are under threat of being eaten, and none that we know were, and there's seemingly no way for that to happen again) rather than an abstract analytical discussion.
Also, why rated Teen? Unless I missed something, everything so far is very E-rated, tamer even than many shows on Cartoon Network. Are things going to possibly ramp up a bit, or is it just out of caution of talk of genocide?
"Visual Pun Spell"
And if he keeps being a pain, she might give him the bum's rush. (That one materializes a mob of Pony hoboes, which grab you, race to the nearest exit, and then chuck you out.)
11850028
Ha! I'ma have to write that one down.