is Home for the Summer
"There she is! There's my Sugarbug!"
For a moment, time stood still for Ocellus. Her whole world existed within her father's outstretched hooves, and so she went to them eagerly, encouraged by a smile as bright as the sun, and twice as warm.
There were no words to exchange when they embraced. Instead, Ocellus's wings buzzed against her shell, expressing her love in a song. Her father, Carapace, flexed his namesake to do the same, and so the room was filled with melodious chirping.
"...Thank you for escorting her back home, Your Highness. For escorting her to school, too, for that matter. You really didn't need to."
Lost in the scene before him, Thorax was pulled to attention. He turned his head and smiled at the bright teal changeling now addressing him, clumsily bonking his antlers against the entryway in the process.
"Please, Spiracle, just call me 'Thorax'," he said, rubbing his antler. "And it's no trouble at all. I wanted to do it. Ocellus's school enrollment is such an important step for all of us. Besides, what sort of king would I be if I didn't make sure all the changelings get home safely?"
Spiracle's lip quivered. Soon enough, Thorax too was hugged.
"You're so pure, Thorax," came Ocellus, her voice laced with giggling. Carapace had not relented his hold of her, even as she attempted to pry away. "Don't you ever get tired of being everyling's dad?"
Thorax’s face lit up. He opened his mouth to denounce such a silly question, but was interrupted.
"I think you mean 'hive dad'," Carapace chuckled, using his chin to hold the adolescent nymph in place. "I'm right here, you know."
Ocellus ceased her struggle with a sigh and laid against familiar chitin. She supposed the hugs could continue, for now. She was most definitely overdue for them.
"Don't worry, first dad, nothing could ever replace you."
"'First dad'?" Carapace sputtered. "Not even 'main dad' or 'best dad', just 'first dad'? The humiliation..."
The room shared a chuckle. Again Spiracle sought Thorax.
"It's so heartwarming to have you personally look after us, Thorax. Carapace and I have never felt so comfortable raising young changelings, before. All the same, please let us escort Ocellus to school next time. I insist. You have so many responsibilities, already."
Thorax curled his lip. Relenting his mother hen tendencies was a sad and difficult thing, even when relenting them to an actual mother. But, then, he did have quite the daunting list of other changelings that still needed fawning over.
"That sounds more than fair to me," he replied. He cast a glance to Ocellus. "Ocellus was telling me on the way back about parent-teacher conferences being next semester, so her parents being the ones to bring her to school next time would be for the best, anyway. You two should use the opportunity to introduce yourselves to Princess Twilight and her staff. I know they'd love to meet you."
Spiracle shared an enthused gasp with her mate. Ocellus's ears flicked.
"Parent-teacher conferences?" Carapace parroted. His hug broke at last when he found his daughter's face. "What are those? Do we get to go and meet your teachers, Sugarbug? Do they have those every seamstress?"
"'Semester', dad," said Ocellus, not missing a beat, "and yeah, I think Headmare Twilight wants to do them regularly. She said it's an excellent way to engage the student’s families in the learning process."
"We’d love to go,” said Spiracle, turning to Ocellus. “Only hearing about the school through your letters has left so much to the imagination. I’d love to see the princess’s school first-hoof, and I want to meet all of your new friends, too.”
“But, uh, not too quickly,” Carapace muttered meekly, placing a hoof along his daughter’s gossamer head fin. “You just got back. Maybe we can let school wait until next seamstress.”
He grinned unapologetically when Ocellus shook her head.
It was Spiracle’s turn to embrace her daughter for the first time in months. The air itself seemed to tint rose with ethereal love, and Thorax smiled, seeing that he wasn’t alone in expelling shivers from the onset of warmth. He shifted his attention to Carapace.
“I’ll leave you guys be. But first, Carapace, have four shifts a week been okay so far? If it ever feels like too much for you, please let me know. We always have other changelings ready to help look after the nursery hive.”
“Oh, not at all. I like four shifts. Though, I will keep a downgrade in mind while Ocellus is home. Thank you, Thorax.”
“Wait, what?”
Ocellus broke away from her hug lineup. Her father absently rubbed the back of his head.
“Someling has finally found his calling,” said Spiracle, holding a proud little smile. Just her look was enough to make the male blush. “It seems he's not destined for the guard units with Pharynx or staking a claim in one of the new hive hobbies like the other adults. He’s taking a page from Thorax’s book.”
"Wait, book?" Ocellus's voice cracked, daring to hope. "Hold on, are we talking about a physical book or a metaphor?"
She floundered from face to face only to get cheeky smiles. It was Thorax who reached out and rescued her.
”While you were away at school, Ocellus, the nursery hive received an expansion," he explained. "The nymph's old play area was inconvenient because it wasn't connected to the nursery chamber. We had to have two separate teams of changelings look after larvae and eggs, and nymphs. Now, the nursery has a connected chamber for the nymphs to spend time in, and it's much bigger than the old one, too. Because of that, I’ve been looking around for more adult changelings who’d like to be caretakers of the nursery hive. It takes a lot of hooves to keep a play space that size under control.”
Ocellus gave a little gasp. Her hoof found her chin. "And you volunteered, dad?"
Carapace nodded. "I did! I wanted to help Thorax with all the work he's been doing, and, since I've always enjoyed playing with your brother and sister, I figured I'd be at least halfway decent at it. Turns out I really got into it. I enjoy playing with the nymphs and showing them things."
For a moment he paused, looking at his hooves. When he lifted his head again there was something solemn to his smile.
"You know, someday soon, Axilla and Lumbar won't be such little changelings, anymore. I know I'm going to miss spending so much time with them, especially after... after never really having the chance to spend time with you, when you were a nymph. I figured that, in the nursery hive, there's always going to be nymphs looking for adults to play with."
Silence sat on the air, and once again, time froze for Ocellus. Her father showed his teeth, an attempt at a reassuring smile, but it was weak, and it did not match his eyes.
There was pain in his eyes. She knew it, because she'd seen it there before—as a frightened, jet-black nymph, approached by strangers of even stranger colors. As a young adolescent, meeting her birth changelings for the very first time.
Ocellus's eyes and nose stung. She leapt into her father again and the room was drowned in a matted, melancholic aura.
"Dad, I just got home," Ocellus whimpered. "Please don't make me cry already. You know I can't stand seeing you guys upset."
Carapace sighed. His breaths labored in his chest, as if the very air had thickened. He slumped himself to his flank before burying his snout in Ocellus's head fin, properly holding her tight.
"I shouldn't have said anything. I'm sorry, I just-I've been so excited about you coming home. We both have been. We get to see so little of you, and...well, 'first dad' is just a bit excited and needy, I guess. Please don't cry, Sugarbug."
Unable to form the words, Ocellus simply shook her head against her father's chest. The tears continued, unperturbed.
"I was worried something like this would happen," she sobbed. "I'm the one who should be sorry! I should have visited more so we could be a family. I thought about it so many times, but classes are so busy, and I was having so much fun with my new friends, I guess I always forgot. Maybe if I ask Headmare Twilight, she can let me come home more-"
A softer set of hooves hugged her from behind, and Ocellus found herself compressed by love on either side. The more she sniffed and sobbed, the tighter she was held. The further her tears flowed, the louder the calming thrum of her parent's shells became. It lulled her, dulling the anxiety feeding her tears, until eventually, they dried completely.
"Don't apologize, Ocellus," Spiracle cooed. "Nothing is your fault. Attending Princess Twilight's school is a wonderful opportunity, and we are so proud of you for being brave and going. You are smart, genuine, and love everything our world has to show you. You belong there."
Another unsure sniff. "But what about the both of you?"
"I'll let you in on a secret," Carapace began, his voice barely above a whisper. "Even if we had gotten to spend more time with you when you were little, even if you could visit us more often, we would still miss you terribly every moment you're not here. That's what being your birth changelings is all about. We want what is best for you, even when it means it may take you away from us. Seeing you happy? That makes missing you all worthwhile. Don't worry about us."
Ocellus succumbed to her thoughts and the mild headache now behind her eyes. All at once, fatigue had set on her. Slumping into her father, her cheek pancaked against him.
"But I want to spend more time with you, too," she mumbled.
Spiracle and Carapace shared a look and smiled. They glanced to the front of the room, where a very emotionally invested Thorax had only now finished nursing an ugly cry.
"...if two changelings began to take leave more often to see their nymph at school, I wouldn't have a problem with that." Thorax sniffed loudly. "In fact, I can think of all sorts of changelings who'd be willing to cover nursery shifts or meditation practice if need be."
Upon Thorax's interjection, Ocellus lifted her head from her paternal pillow. Little did she know Carapace was waiting for her. Their noses touched, and he smiled when she did.
"...now look what you've done," he snickered, nuzzling his snout against hers. "You've even made hive dad cry. You know how he gets when he's upset."
"Hey, come on, I'm doing better, now," came Thorax, the tremors in his voice unconvincing.
Ocellus giggled, and the heaviness in the air dispersed at once.
"We're always just one letter away, Ocellus," Spiracle assured, gently caressing her daughter's hoof with her own. "And we'd be happy to visit you on occasion, as well."
"As long as you're not afraid of us embarrassing you in front of your friends," Carapace added. He winked. "A lifetime of infiltration taught me that offspring usually find their parents embarrassing in social situations."
"I think I can deal with that," Ocellus replied, beaming up at each of them in tandem. Reassured and still altogether comfortable, she allowed herself to fall back and melt into her mother's undershell. As teal hooves wrapped around her middle and held her in response, Carapace's jaw fell open, and she giggled.
"Wait, where did my hug go?"
"You had plenty, it's my turn," Spiracle remarked playfully. Just under her tone, a deep, soothing thrumming merged with Ocellus's own. "Why don't you go with Thorax and find our other nymphs? Nap time in the nursery should be just about over, and you know Axilla will be upset if you're not there when she wakes up. I'm sure they'd love to see their sister, too, once they're fully awake."
Carapace pouted, but only for the response it got. He stood and stretched his hooves.
"I suppose that's fair," he said, looking to the large changeling still framing their doorway. "Thorax, would you like to go to the nursery hive with me? Maybe Apex is waiting for you, too."
Orange antlers rose to attention.
"Oh, Apex is always waiting for me," Thorax mused, stepping aside to allow the smaller changeling out and into the hall. "His latest habit is to hide from me whenever I'm late to a playdate with him and the other nymphs. He likes to turn the tables by 'wasting' some of my time, as well. Little does he realize that I enjoy the hide and seek."
Thorax gave a farewell nod to the female drones before following Carapace from the room. The corridor echoed with their conversation long after.
"Still as unruly as I remember him being. Does he still pine for your attention whenever you're talking with others in front of him?"
"All the time. He pines for my attention when I'm busy with others, but then when I'm looking to spend time with him while there are others around, he's iffy. I told him, look, if you want my attention around others, expect to get hugged in front of others."
"The worst Spiracle and I get from Lumbar are what she calls 'me-time moods'. When he doesn't get his way he'll sulk in solitude for a while. Beats tantrums, at least."
"Sounds like Pharynx. What about Axilla?"
"An absolute butterfly. Flutters in front of your face and touches your nose when she wants hugs."
"You know, I spend a quarter of my day playing with nymphs, and I'm still jealous. How in Hive's name did you guys end up with three cuddlebugs?"
"...rather modest of him to say, wouldn't you agree, Ocellus? If not for Thorax, none of us would be able to spend time with our nymphs. I wouldn't be able to enjoy moments like this with you."
Ocellus hummed. She could manage little else, wading deeper into the shallows of sleep. Her mother's thrumming had joined forces with the afternoon sun blanketing those parts of her left unhugged.
Surely nothing could budge her, now. Her whole body was weighted with fatigue and comfort.
"Perhaps a short nap, then," Spiracle said softly. "Though, I want to hear all about your classes later on when you're feeling up for it, Ocellus. I can't imagine your letters included everything there is to tell."
Ocellus opened her eyes, her vigor renewed. Naturally, the topic of academia alone held that power. She tilted her head back to meet her mother's knowing smile.
"Oh, we can talk about that now, if you want!"
Spiracle giggled, and as Ocellus began to craft a tale of study sessions, inspiring teachers, and friendship, she hung upon every word, squeezing her adolescent nymph tighter.
There was nowhere else she'd rather be.