> To Hold and to Cherish
>  by NavelColt
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> See a Bug, Squeeze a Bug
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Get away from Papa Thorax, everyling! The Bug Hugger is coming for us!"

Deep within the arteries of the changeling hive, shrieks of frivolity bounced around the walls of the nursery chamber. To peer inside was an assault on the senses—vibrant nymphs of every color darted this way and that, polluting the air with motion and noise alike. In a mindless frenzy, they orbited a changeling nearly quadruple their size, avoiding his many attempts to reach out and catch them.

Thorax drank in the warm, earthen room. His focus had been spread thin as shell wax, his violet eyes sniping micro changelings for fleeting moments at a time. Only in that window could he effectively seize bug ponies out of the air before losing sight of them again amidst the swarm. And so on to the next target, and then the next, he went, always learning his prey's patterns of movement and always matching their laughs with his own.

"You guys can't keep away forever!" Thorax called in a sing-song voice, sweeping a glance through the cloud of buzzing nymphs. "Who's turn is it to get a hug? Will it be you?"

He pounced mid-air, but a yellow shell slipped through his hooves.

"Or maybe you?"

Another carapace evaded him. A tongue blew a raspberry, and his wings revved to a blur.

"...someling is about to get it. How about you!"

A frantic chirp stung the air, and all bodies froze. Reeling in a seaweed bug pony overhead, Thorax skillfully fluttered upwards in one motion to fasten the small changeling to his chitinous chest.

"Squeeze the bug!" he announced, gently tightening his grip and nuzzling his snout behind an exposed ear. The nymph giggled incessantly.

"Oh no, the Bug Hugger has struck again!" an orange nymph declared, fluttering to the forefront of the horde and pointing a dramatic hoof. "Quick everyling, we have to stop him!"

As a decided hivemind, the cloud of young changelings converged. Two dozen hooves seized Thorax by whatever parts they could grasp. Four bugs decorated his antlers while seven more scattered about his body, all of them pushing and pulling against the monarch's weight with all they had.

Alas, their friend remained ensnared in a snuggle, and Thorax refused to budge. The alpha changeling eyed his excess company with a budding grin.

"Seems like there are a lot of little changelings who want hugs today," he commented, scarcely able to contain the bubbly chuckle in his tone. "I could have sworn I taught you guys how to wait your turn and be patient, but if you all really want one that bad, then fair's fair, I suppose. Next hug coming up in five...four...three..."

Realizing their attempts were futile, the crowd adopted looks of horror. Hooves let go of Thorax at once, and bug ponies scattered, while their once confident, orange-tinted leader shrunk back with a grimace.

"Oh no, we encouraged him!"

"Times up!"

Thorax released his catch and leaped in the same motion, scattering bug ponies in his wake. A few stragglers yelped in fright when swift green hooves brushed their shells.

"RETREAT!"

Chaos resumed its tyranny over the chamber. Several further nymphs nearly fell prey to the alpha changeling's grasp before escaping by the tips of their gossamer tails. When the dust settled, Thorax hovered alone at the center of a room wall to wall with frightened bugs.

"That's four points already, you guys!" Thorax projected, accentuating his grin with crossed hooves. "Less than two minutes to go - who's gonna be the last one, hmm? Whoever volunteers first gets to be my cuddle buddy for cluster nap time!"

The sea of colorful eyes shot disdain, and Thorax's grin grew.

"We won't fall for your tricks, Papa Thorax!"

"Yeah, noling will get caught this time, you'll see!"

"...but I'd kinda like to be Papa Thorax's cuddle buddy."

With as much zealous as any of his young subjects, Thorax twisted a smile and leveled his body, readying to dart. "Here comes the Bug Hugger, looking for a new cuddle friend!" he sang. "Who's it gonna be?~"

Anxious eyes watched him by the dozen, not daring to make the first move. Little bug pony hearts pounded against chitin - the inevitable uncertainty of being the next to fall prey to kingly cuddles was horrifying, albeit exciting.

They could not suffer another hug. They'd lost every round thus far, already.

But just before the spritely monarch could make an aerial pounce, he uttered a gasp and jolted in place. A vibrant red carapace had slammed into his shell from behind, and tiny hooves now clung around his neck.

"Don't worry, everyling, I got him!" the daring drone shouted, grinning proudly from atop his mount. Giving light gasps of his own, he clung for dear life as Thorax began to twist about, mid-air.

"Apex, is that you?" Thorax laughed, doubling over in an attempt to loosen the nymph's grip. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Now you're the one who gets hugged, Papa Thorax!" Apex jeered, unperturbed by his now ragdoll-esque body. "Let's see how you like it!"

Once pressed against the hive walls, the nursery of bug ponies began to emerge again, their wills rekindled. They swarmed in on all sides of the struggling pair until out from the crowd's edge, an orange nymph appeared, again wielding a dramatic hoof.

"Apex distracted him! Get the Bug Hugger, everyling! Bugpile!"

Wincing in shock, Thorax was tackled by a barrage of tiny, winged projectiles. A conglomerate of hooves gripped his legs, torso, and antlers once again, leaving him head to hoof in deviously grinning micro changelings.

"You can't squeeze anyling if you can't use your hooves, Papa Thorax!" a lemon bug said, clinging to Thorax's foreleg.

"And there are only so many seconds left!" a green one piled on, clutching to an antler while lightly hitting it with his hoof.

Climbing his throne, Apex leaned into Thorax's face. An insulting tongue probed the monarch's snout.

"The Bug Hugger shall be defeated once and for all! If time runs out, then we win, Papa Thorax!"

Thorax suffered a contagious giggle. "Okay, who taught you guys how to collaborate and monologue?" He moved his hooves, and bugs happily swung from them. He zeroed in on Apex's still-gloating face, and his look receded to something more playful.

"I bet you're to blame, huh, Apex."

"Nuh-uh," Apex replied, as if it were the only argument he'd ever need.

Thorax cocked a brow. "Mhmm, Pharynx had it right when he called you the 'ring-leader of the nursery hive,' didn't he."

Transfixed by the big changeling's cocky face, Apex adopted a frown.

"We're getting better at 'Squeeze the Bug!' because you play it so much with us," the nymph explained, sitting back on all fours upon Thorax's head. "You can't just say it's all me, Papa Thorax, that's not fair."

Thorax bit his lip, struggling to control a glowing look aching to shine. His little bug pony was so very easy to catch off guard. "Oh, I think it is, Apex. You inspired everyling to gang up on me, and now you're up there, gloating. It was a good attempt, but we do still have a little time left, so..."

A shroud of blue magic enveloped Thorax, and he was gone. Left to fall in the open air, nymphs quickly fluttered themselves aloft, gazing around in shared confusion.

From amidst the shock and awe, a fly perched on the tip of Apex's nose. The little drone's eyes widened as the insect flew again, up and over the back of his head. The sound of dispelled magic tickled his ears, and Apex chirped in surprise. Two forelegs firmly grabbed him from behind, pulling him under a warm, awaiting chin.

"Squeeze the bug!" Thorax exclaimed in a laugh, shifting his locked hooves along the little changeling's stomach chitin. When Apex began to squirm and squeak erratically, Thorax held fast by pinning the bug pony to his cheek. The trapped changeling's wings buzzed violently from his shell, but they only served to demonstrate the futility of his effort.

"Oh no, I got gotted!" Apex yelped, hooves flailing through empty air. "Someling help!"

"Oh, I don't think so, you little pixie," Thorax teased, playfully squeezing the nymph again to extract further giggles. "You're getting your just desserts, and everyling knows it!"

A handful of nymphs ventured to assist, but it was too late. The chance had slipped by them. The chamber of young bugs settled instead to watch their triumphant hero fall to the terrible tickles of the Bug Hugger. Mixtures of amusement and disappointment crossed each face.

"Aww...Apex always gets to be your cuddle buddy for nap time, Papa Thorax!" a purple bug expressed, slumping in mid-air.

"I think Apex lets himself get caught on purpose," another grumbled. "Everyling knows he's just a big cuddlebug that pretends he isn't."

"Am not!" Apex yelled.

"Come on now, guys, everyling who wants a turn to be my nap time buddy will get one eventually," Thorax assured, eyeing the crowd amidst the ongoing spectacle between his hooves. "Apex just gets priority sometimes because he's rambunctious, and I have to keep a close eye on him. Isn't that right, Apex?"

Insult added to injury, Apex fell siege to all manner of nuzzling. The nymph's cheeks endeavored to redden to the shade of his carapace.

"Quit it, Papa Thorax, you're embarrassing me!"

The room echoed with warm chittering, and Thorax basked in the calming aura with a sigh. He scanned the fluttering masses of expectant bug ponies now watching him so keenly. It wasn't the canvas of multicolored eyes he saw, but the rate at which wings hummed and the subtle, sunken postures infecting much of the nursery. He considered the lag in his own wings and the accumulated weight of his eyelids.

He smiled, content. They had done six rounds of 'Squeeze the Bug!', after all. His metamorphosis into a communal stuffed animal was at hoof, and he welcomed it.

"Alright, everyling, nap time," the paternal monarch declared, fluttering to the nursery floor with Apex in hoof and ignoring the onset wave of whines. "I'll stay with you guys as long as I can today, okay? If I'm not here when you wake up, I'll see you all tomorrow around the same time. Now...who wanted to nap with me, again?"

A thicket of hooves pierced the air, and Thorax's soft laugh blessed the room.



Pharynx hated plants. Well, he hated a lot of things, but plants were on the list somewhere. They were smelly and colorful, and they grew everywhere.

Crossing another threshold of blooming lavender, the changeling gagged. His brother had been smitten by some speech the moon princess gave him regarding 'restorative sleep' during his latest visit to the Equestrian Capital. Now the hive was overgrown with the purple weed, especially near the nesting and nursery chambers.

Pharynx coughed. The hive smelled like soap. Maybe when he had less of an aroma headache he'd yell at Thorax about it again. 

The thought brought him a smile.

The beta changeling turned a corner, and the gardens of purple blight came to an end. The brief, sprawling hallway opened to the nursery chamber, which boasted a rare silence. At the end of the hall he could see the resting forms of young changelings, curled up and sleeping together in large pockets.

Amidst the piles, two obscene antlers stabbed the air. Pharynx shook his head.

"Predictable as ever, you sentimental dork."

The beta changeling made his way through the field of snoozing bug ponies. His hooves stretched to reach those few spots of the open floor - a task that grew increasingly difficult the closer he got to Thorax. Upon reaching him, the general stopped, laying an eye across his brother's still form.

Thorax had once joked about how pillows and blankets weren't needed in the hive, and it was easy to see why. Nymphs had pressed up against his body as tight as they could manage and had fallen asleep there. They nestled in headfirst, shamelessly nuzzling against the bigger changeling's carapace whilst their telltale smiles told of their dreams. A few bold ones had even taken to Thorax's head and back, sprawling themselves haphazardly across them.

The co-monarch shifted his violet eyes. And then there was Apex, the scourge of the hive, and his brother's pride and joy. Firmly nestled between Thorax's hooves, the crimson nymph was gently framed by legs and chin, perfectly protected from any harm. His head lazily flopped against one such green barrier, effectively using the older changeling as a makeshift pillow. The aura of love surrounding him was practically lethal, but then, that was hardly a surprise.

Pharynx shuddered. The oversaturation of love magic in the air was nauseating, like a buffet of sweets on a full stomach.

With a restrained hoof, the general prodded his brother awake.

"Thorax, it's time to get up," he muttered, his hushed voice even more gravelly than usual. "Preferably before one of these grubs spots me and gets excited."

Thorax peeled open one bright eye with an accompanied yawn. Upon spotting crimson antlers and tasting the familiar, sour aura, he showed his teeth.

"Pharynx," he whispered, "w-what are you doing here?"

Pharynx scoffed. "You've been dead to the world for two hours, Thorax. Growing grubs might need it, but not you. Changelings keep asking me where you are, something about an art show you're not there to host."

Adrenaline flooded his veins, and Thorax stole himself to hold still for the unconscious bug ponies atop his shell.

"Oh, cocoon slime," the monarch hissed, eliciting a snicker from his brother. "I can't believe I slept that long! Okay, hold on, gimme a sec."

Pharynx took flight, his buzzing wings no louder than a light breeze. He watched his sibling's antlers ignite in teal magic and enwrap the changelings around him. Lazily floating into the air like levitated dolls, the nymphs were moved up and out of the way while Thorax joined his brother. 

"Of course you slept that long," Pharynx murmured suddenly, casting his broodmate a cross look as the nymphs were gently laid back down. "Don't pretend like you don't just go back to sleep when you're cluster napping, Thorax. I've seen you do it. Multiple times."

His antlers extinguishing, Thorax hovered silently above the minefield of sleeping bodies, eyeing the bug ponies fondly. Yawns and chirps sprouted sporadically. Each time the thought of looking away entered his mind, a stray hoof or ear twitched and took him prisoner.

"You should know by now how much it means to me to spend time with them, Pharynx."

"Boy, do I," Pharynx uttered, giving a dry chuckle. "Don't get me wrong, of all the sickeningly saccharine things you do daily, this one doesn't really bother me. You're getting them daily exercise, and they're on a consistent sleep schedule because of it. Great job."

Thorax attempted a smile, but his brow raised on reflex. Here came the catch.

"I just find it funny how much of a nymph you still are, yourself," the co-monarch teased, jabbing lime green chitin. "The leader of the hive, His Royal Dorkbug, spends hours a day reliving his nymphhood in the nursery hive. It's utterly insulting that you got to be the taller one, you know."

Thorax chortled, scrunching his brow. Together the pair turned and began to make their way to the chamber exit.

"Oh, is that what this is about? Are we feeling inadequate lately, Pharynx?"

Pharynx scowled. Before a slandering retort could emerge, his attention shifted along with his eyes. The general vanished in a veil of magic, and Thorax was gifted a red-legged centipede scurrying behind his ear.

A small voice hit those ears before the changeling could even process what happened.

"Papa Thorax, why are you flying?"

His blood ran cold, and Thorax felt his heart invade his throat. Caught red-hooved, he plastered a timid look and turned to the voice at his back. In an instant, his shock melted to warmth, and he fluttered down to meet the only bug awake, the only one unable to sleep without him.

"Oh drat, Apex, I'm so sorry," Thorax began, lowering his altitude to perfectly meet the nymph's tired gaze. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"Where are you going? Is something wrong?"

His throat-lodged heart was squeezed. "No, no, everything is fine. I just woke up and remembered that some of the adult changelings need my help with something, so I gotta leave you guys for now, that's all. The regular nursery changelings will be coming back soon to look after everyling, okay?"

Apex paused for a time, visibly battling his groggy state. Despite it, a sullen lip found its way through. "Oh, okay. You're coming back after, though, right? So we can play again, later? With everyling else?"

The shuddering sensation of a hundred impatient legs tickled the curvature of his ear, and Thorax twitched it in response.

"Even if I don't have time to, today, we definitely can tomorrow," Thorax replied, rubbing an affectionate hoof behind the nymph's horn. "Tell you what though, I'll come find you when I'm done, okay? You can help me with some activities I'm running later on. Sound good?"

Apex's focus fell with his face, but not for long. When Thorax leaned in suddenly, their snouts touched, and a light giggle brought a newfound smile.

"There's my little hyper sprite," Thorax giggled back, nuzzling against the tiny nose. "And don't forget, you're a big nymph now, Apex. You'll be seeing me again in the nesting chamber with the other adults and adolescent nymphs, too. You don't actually expect me to fall asleep tonight without my favorite cuddle buddy, do you?"

Thorax offered a pause, and though fatigue held the little changeling's voice, his contentedness needed no words. His aura was soft, sweet like a ripe mango.

When Thorax made a motion to rise, small hooves sought out his neck, and he was hugged. The monarch's lip quaked, and he entered a battle of willpower all his own. The heat in his chest had spread to his tear ducts, and so love poured forth at the signal of trailing saltwater.

If only he could stay here with them. If only he could play and rest all day like them and forgo responsibility. He'd snuggle Apex and every last one of them endlessly so that they'd never feel vulnerable. He'd invent new games to play every day so that they'd know how much they meant to him.

If only any of this had been possible back when he, too, was a nymph.

"...if you're still tired, try and get back to sleep, okay?" Thorax continued, failing to hide the shake in his voice. He readily returned the embrace and did not let go until prompted to. "Remember, the longer you nap with everyling else, now, the more energy you'll have to play again, later. I'll see you in a little while."

Accepting the request, Apex nodded. His fatigue had won. Cautiously settling down by a few fellow bug ponies, he parted ways with Thorax, leaving the large changeling to finish his journey across the chamber.

Upon rounding the room's entryway, Thorax cast a final glance and let out a labored sigh. A few moments later, the crawling insect curled around his ear leaped off the tip, and his brother's stone face emerged from pillars of flame.

"Remind me to send a drone to fetch your schmaltzy behind, next time," Pharynx remarked. "I feel queasy."

He chose to ignore the resulting side-eye.

"You know, if you actually participated in cluster naps once in a while, you'd acclimate faster to how plentiful love magic is, now."

Pharynx snorted. "Oh, here we go. 'It's your own fault, big brother, you should be cuddling with everyone else and getting used to being a hippie'. Do you hear yourself when you open up your gob or is your schmaltz reflexive?"

The younger changeling simpered. His tears had already been forgotten. 

"All I'm saying is that I know I wouldn't want to feel like I'd just eaten a week's worth of meals every time I walk in on a cluster nap. You really should consider trying at least a few. If you stick to the outskirts of the cuddle pile you can be a loner and get acclimated."

That one got a glare.

"As I said, at least your nonsense is getting the nymphs their exercise," Pharynx mumbled. "And it would appear the nephew couldn't be happier. Thanks to your sap, he has scheduled times to play with you and the rest of his age bracket every day."

Thorax's head spun on the spot.

"'The nephew?'"

Pharynx's headache returned with a vengeance, and the changeling hoofed the base of his horn. The blame for his suffering could only fall to himself, now, and his carelessness of word choice.

"Did you just say-"

"Don't make a scene, Thorax."

"Pharynx, you've never referred to him as anything that affectionate before! That's adorable!"

"I regret everything."

"Ooh, this is the start of it, Pharynx!" Thorax cooed, tapping the tips of his hooves together with a clack. "Today, it's cute nicknames. Before I know it, you'll be asking me if you can engage in hive activities and cluster naps, too!"

"Oh, for Hive's sake, stuff it, Thorax," Pharynx groaned, grappling his brother's attention with another sharp poke to his chitin. "Take your cuddly acclimation theories, and your pungent flowers, and your tallness, and just stuff it."