Peace at Last Side Stories: the Trials and Tribulations of King Thorax

by Prince_Staghorn

Rating: teen
Tags: Thorax, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Romance, Changelings, Original Character, Spike, Comedy, Other
Length: 10465

"My subjects, I am Thorax, king of the... um... okay, first act as king- what are we called now?"

Immediately following the occurrence now referred to as "the Metamorphosis", Thorax is now king of an entirely new race... and he only has a small idea of what to do.

This covers the many obstacles King Thorax must now face with his new position- establishing an economy, setting up defenses against the creatures and tribes of the Badlands, and figuring out exactly how his species works now.

It's a lot of pressure, honestly.

(rated Teen because adult themes are discussed)

Published 2016-10-23 00:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2016-10-23 00:40:02 UTC

Prologue: The History of Thorax, Pre-Metamorphosis

Queen Sylph Thorax Roachanov had 5 daughters: Vespa, Chrysalis, Danauria, Sarissa, and Amanita.

The result of a one-night stand between Sylph and a Doppelganger stallion, Vespa was the oldest, being older than her sister Chrysalis by one year. She set off to start her own kingdom in Equus prior to Chrysalis' coronation, wishing to work for her right to rule as opposed to having it handed to her.

200-odd years passed, and 18 years before the Canterlot Invasion, Vespa found a spy in her kingdom- a Worker Caste Parasitic Beebra^ mare by the name of Infiltrator F00198.

Vespa imprisoned her, but over the course of a few weeks, she and the mare (Who dubbed herself "Tulip") formed a strange relationship which later turned into some kind of love... And after several successive matings, Tulip made the transition into a "Pseudo-Queen" and laid several hundred heavily fertilized eggs.

The resulting young, naturally, would be hybrids, part Beebra and part Changeling. Of course, since Tulip was the one impregnated, they would hatch from eggs and go through a "grubling" stage.

This is where Thorax came from.

It was by sheer luck that Thorax and his siblings looked like pure changelings after their initial molts, and also luck that they gained their grandfather's ability to mimic inanimate objects.

However, it was unlucky that both of his moms shared similar personalities, and from Tulip's culture he picked up the habit of only ever referring to either of them as "queen" instead of "mom".

When he was 18, he and a few of his siblings were sent to aid in Chrysalis' attempt to invade Canterlot.

Following this failed invasion attempt, fearing the punishment he imagined he would receive upon returning a failure- as well as simply tiring of both of his mothers' usual "stealing love" method- he fled.

He had a minor idea of the things which his cousin Staghorn did following the invasion, but rather than return home, he sought a life of solitude in the north, as his hybrid nature left him with a constant hunger for love, which he only ever managed to curb instead of satisfy, gleaning what he could off of the Crystal Pygmy Sheep tribes and the changelings of the Crystal Kingdom, lying under where the Crystal Empire once stood and now stands again.

He saw as the Crystal Empire appeared again, and kept an eye on this new wonder which glittered in the sunlight.

Then came the Crystalling. He saw Chrysalis arriving and hid, still harboring some fear of the irrational, maniac queen she had been during the Invasion, even if she was supposedly better now... and afterwards, he felt a small buzzing in his skull.

Tulip was attempting to call him back. Chrysalis' family had been threatened, and Vespa was gathering her soldiers and sending those who could not fight away, as Chrysalis had commanded.

In a few days, Vespa's kingdom was abandoned and empty, as was the outpost of Changeling Keep near Ponyville.

From the view of the ponies, it was all very suspicious, and as their absence continued, the Equestrians and Crystal Ponies became more restless.

This admittedly well-founded paranoia was only increased when Princess Twilight Sparkle, while looking through her reference section, found a scroll she had never seen before- a scroll which detailed the Fall of the country of Timbucktu^^, until then something which had been unknown to practically everyone.

After reading the secret Chrysalis had kept for 200 years and telling it to the princesses, her friends, and her brother, paranoia only increased, though Shining Armor felt like he was proven right concerning his thoughts on the queen.

Thorax, meanwhile, had let his guard slip at the wrong time. Soon, the Crystal Empire was on full alert, fearing another invasion attempt. Thorax hid as best he could, now unable to come out and feed... and that was when he met Spike.

Thorax became a member of the Crystal Empire. Word of this passed from the Crystal Kingdom's Queen to various other changeling kingdoms throughout Equestria by both Message Raptor and Telebeetle, and eventually word reached Vespa and Chrysalis- Vespa's believed to be dead son was alive and well.

However, all was not well in Chrysalis' mind. Some hex had been placed upon her, and following the short-lived war campaign that had kept her away from Equestria, she was filled with thoughts of conquest once again.

She captured and replaced not only the Princesses, but also the Element Bearers and Spike for good measure. Many of her subjects were discreetly called back to Neighpon by both her sister Danauria and her son Staghorn, but the hybrid brood of Vespa remained, refusing to disobey their current queen.

Chrysalis set her base of operations in the magic fortress of Thromnambular's Hold, in the Badlands. Protected by a throne carved of pure Thromnambulite (named after its discoverer) which drained all non-changeling magic, she was safe from retaliation, even that of the Spirit of Chaos, Discord.

However, a small band consisting of Starlight Glimmer, Bellatrix Lulamoon, Discord Q. Mytzlplik the Nyarlathotep, and Thorax himself set out to defeat Chrysalis, entering the shifting stone fortress and advancing to its very heart... which was located at the top of the tallest spire, confusingly enough.

That was when the event now called "the Metamorphosis" occurred.

Thorax's demented aunt held him in her magic, draining his love, but with encouragement from Starlight, he gave it all to Chrysalis of his own free will... and that was the catalyst that set off an unseen reaction.

Thorax stood as tall as an alicorn, his fur vibrant hues of green, gold, azure, and violet. His holes were gone, and his head graced with two branching antlers in addition to his single curved horn.

His siblings saw this and attempted the same. They did not change in size, and lacked the antlers of their brother, but now shone in many vibrant hues, their legs whole.

Chrysalis fled, and Thorax established himself as king of his siblings... a new race with untold potential...

Author's Note

^Explained in detail here.

^^See Tales of Old: the Sacking of Timbucktu

Titles

Three Hours After Metamorphosis

In the Badlands, atop the ancient magic fortress, Thorax watched as the ponies, dragon, and Draconequus left. Once they were out of sight, he turned to his transformed subjects.

They all looked at him expectantly. They may have more or less been changelings before the... whatever it was, but they were still half Beebra, so they needed a strong leader to tell them what they should do, or at least felt like they did.

Well, now was as good a time to try a kingly speech as any. He cleared his throat before speaking.

"My subjects, I am Thorax, king of the... um... okay, first act as king- what are we called now?"

This caused a lot of murmuring, and ideas began spouting out at random.

"What about changelings?" suggested one.

"We can't be called that, look at us! If I'm still a changeling, then Princess Twilight's a Diamond Dog!" protested another.

The suggestions became more frequent, as did the arguments, and some were outright ridiculous.

"Rainbowlings!"

"Maylings!"

"Staglings!"

"Maybuglings!"

"Morphlings!"

"Hivelings!"

"Scylings!"

"How about something that DOESN'T end in 'ling'!?!"

"Buggies!"

"Fairy Ponies!"

"Aos Sí!"

"Sheevra!"

"Morph Ponies!"

"Copy Ponies!"

"Can we even change shape anymore!?!"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it!"

"Love Bugs!"

"Hugglebeebs!"

"Galadays!"

"Wouldn't it be 'Galadies'?"

"I don't know!"

Things were starting to get steadily worse, and Thorax was close to panicking when a voice called out.

"Hey! Why don't we vote on it?"

Everything was quiet, and Thorax quickly took advantage of the lull in the argument.

"That's a perfect idea," he began. "We'll set up a ballot with everyone's choice- except for the 'changelings' suggestion, sorry Kyle- and put it to a vote. You can only vote once, and you can't vote for your own suggestion. Any objections?"

The previously squabbling horde looked around, and seeing no raised hooves and hearing no protests, they cheered.

Thorax sighed in relief. Crisis averted.

Absolvement

7 Weeks After Metamorphosis

It had been seven weeks, and the newly dubbed Aos Sí had settled into a more or less normal routine. All of them, Thorax included, took shifts to repair the top of the castle. Some were also working on attempting to set up basic farms, seeing what the poor soil could possibly produce.

Thorax smiled as he looked across his new kingdom. Admittedly, the edge of the Badlands was beautiful in its own way. The sun shone down on the plains, illuminating the rock outcroppings in the distance, and birds sung in the bordering forest. He inhaled and let out a contented sigh.

"Nice place."

Thorax turned to look at the speaker.

As tall as Thorax himself, with a short turquoise mane, emerald eyes with slit pupils, covered in dark fur, with holes riddling his legs, stood a royal changeling stallion, a calm smile on his face.

Thorax kept his tone neutral when he spoke.

"Stag. It's good to see you."

The prince scratched behind his head, grinning sheepishly. "I'm glad to hear you say that... It's been a bit... difficult for me lately. You know, what with the whole... you know..."

"The invasion, led by your mother. Listen, Stag, why are you here?"

Stag was silent for a few moments. When he spoke, he was calm and composed.

"Thorax, I don't know the entire reason mom did what she did, but I can tell you she was not in her right mind. She was under some curse or something..."

Thorax rolled his eyes. "How convenient. She invades a country, kidnaps its rulers, and nearly kills one of her own nephews, but it's okay because 'she was cursed', am I right?"

The changeling's eyes narrowed, but then closed. Taking a deep breath, he continued.

"Thorax. You're smart. Think for a second- my mom leaves Equestria under admittedly mysterious and suspicious circumstances. I admit she... sorry, WE, because I should have done it too... should have informed the princesses. If I may continue, though, paranoia naturally happened, right? And a scroll talking about one of mom's biggest secrets in full detail just HAPPENS to appear where a certain alicorn could just stumble across it. Doesn't that seem a little suspicious?"

Thorax thought it over.

"I suppose... but why also go to the trouble of cursing Chrysalis?"

"Because," said Stag, "a scroll and paranoia aren't enough to break an alliance."

Thorax was silent. "You've lost me, Stag."

Stag paced as he spoke. "Think about it. Equestria, and the Crystal Empire by extension, contains a total of four alicorn princesses..."

"Five," Thorax corrected.

"Four ADULT alicorn princesses," Stag continued, "as well as a massive magical artifact in the form of the Elements and that weird 'Rainbow Power' thing. Neighpon, meanwhile, has a massive army and a load of good connections with other countries. If these two became firm, long-standing allies, it could cause a problem for some."

Thorax contemplated this.

"Even if that is true, then Chrysalis..."

"Turned herself in a week after the invasion," said Stag. "after she was fixed, of course, thankfully Pop-pop's^ an expert on those things. She's saying she'll stay in prison for two years. And she wanted me to send an apology on her behalf. The problem being that I won't be able to get close to Canterlot without help from you."

Thorax scrutinized his cousin. Stag wasn't much of a liar, and he tended to have his heart in the right place. The fact he arrived alone without any guards added some believable elements to his story, as did the fact that the invasion was sort of out of behavior for Chrysalis compared to how she had been acting before she left.

Thorax came to a decision.

"I'll send word to the princesses, but you'll stay here until they arrive."

To his surprise, Staghorn smiled.

"Spoken like a good ruler. I understand. I might not be telling the truth. Mom could have sent me to do something more sinister, so rather than fully trusting me, you're keeping me where you can keep a close eye on me rather than sending me away where I could do any harm. You're giving me the benefit of a doubt, but still being properly cautious."

Thorax was quiet. Stag smiled before continuing.

"Thanks for at least giving me that much. If you want, I can help with a few things... I don't know, rebuilding and such? I want to make it up to you all..."

The Aos Sí king allowed a small smile to appear on his lips.

"Well, if you insist. C'mon, I'll show you around."

Stag smiled and followed his cousin into the castle.

"By the way," Stag said suddenly, "it's six."

"Huh?"

"There are six alicorn princesses in Equestria. Everyone just keeps forgetting Twilight's adopted daughter for some reason... oh, you never met her, did you? I'll explain later."

Author's Note

^Thromnambular

Fortification

Eight Weeks After Metamorphosis

The thing about the Badlands is that they can be unforgiving on the best of days.

Located over most of southern Equus, the Badlands cover the southernmost portion of Equestria and the southeast portion of Concordia. the most fertile regions of the Badlands are mostly found within the country of Mexicolt, but most of it is barren rock and desert.

Cacti and other desert plants are in abundance here, but what is truly unique is the wildlife. Just as Concordia has a dinosaur-dominated ecology, the Badlands are dominated by giant arthropods.

Here, creatures such as Bloatflies (giant flies), Stingwings (giant scorpion flies), and Bloodbugs (giant mosquitoes) prey on unwary travelers from above, Dust Devils (giant ant lions) build conical pits into which their prey falls into their waiting jaws, Piranha Bugs (giant whirligig beetles) and Mirelurks (large relatives of the horseshoe crab) roam the rivers, and fearsome predators such as the Ragodes (giant windscorpion) and Deathfluff (giant jumping spider) ambush stragglers.

Non-arthropod fauna makes its home here as well. Migrating herds of Stonebacks, flightless, armadillo-like dragons, stampede across the dust plains in a constant search for food, the blind Fanged Mulies- carnivorous descendants of the Mule Deer- stalk the rock spires, and a few hardy dinosaur species roam to and fro.

Thorax and the rest of the Aos Sí were comparatively lucky, as their kingdom lay literally on the edge of the Badlands, away from where the fiercer fauna roamed. Nonetheless, a kingdom needed protection not only from these beasts, but also from invading outsiders.

Thorax had called a meeting with two members of royalty to discuss this very thing.

It had been a full week since Stag had arrived on his cousin's doorstep. Word had been sent to the Princesses, and Twilight had come as their representative. The two had talked and debated, and after 5 days they had agreed that the alliance between Neighpon and Equestria should continue. The changeling prince promised that he would make sure his mother would be kept under wraps for an acceptable period of time, but warned that a curse of the caliber of that which had possessed her had a way of lingering, and a relapse on the part of the caster of the curse could cause her to try something again, not of her own volition.

With this in mind, Twilight agreed to the terms and conditions, and would send word to the Princesses to make an announcement across Equestria and the Crystal Empire- changelings were still okay.

Now, one week later, they found themselves together again in the newly rebuilt throne room with Thorax discussing the defense of a nation. And once again, the argument was heated.

"All I'm saying," Stag continued, "Is that rebuilding that throne would make an acceptable defense against other nations."

"And all I'M saying," Twilight countered, "Is that it drains all non-changeling magic! If it's rebuilt, will Thorax and his subjects even be able to use their own magic in its boundaries?"

Stag paused. "That's... actually a good question. Thorax?"

Thorax thought about it.

"Well," he began, "On one hoof, we may have basically been changelings when the shield was up, but the fact is that we're Aos Sí now. On the other, we don't know how much our magic differs from changeling magic. During the Metamorphosis, we used the Love Blast to destroy the throne and defeat your mother, but the throne itself didn't seem to notice that attack..."

Twilight put a hoof to her chin and thought on something.

"Stag," she finally said. "How diverse is the changeling family tree overall? I mean in terms of species and closely related species."

Stag quickly did the math in his head.

"Well, counting the Changelings themselves there are 13 in the 'main' group, 21 in the Sylvian group, 2 in the Halfling group, 3 in the Tiefling group, and 4 in the Siren group. Counting the Aos Sí, that's 44 species altogether."

"Well," Twilight continued, "what if the black rock..."

"Thromnambulite," Stag interrupted.

"What if the Thromnambulite only cancels out magic that isn't similar to changeling magic? Say, for example, an elf of any kind. Would they be able to use magic within the barrier?"

"Hmm... I'm not sure, honestly. I think Pop-pop mentioned a Glamourling noble who used magic around a piece of Thromnambulite with no problem, but the Glamourlings are closer to changelings genetically than elves..."

Here Thorax interrupted. "But the Aos Sí are directly descended from changelings. If the throne was unable or unwilling to see our offensive magic as 'non-changeling', then logically it wouldn't have a problem with more mundane magic, right?"

"Well, we'll need to do some tests first," admitted Stag. "But theoretically..."

"You two are forgetting one thing," Twilight interrupted. "Whether or not Thorax can do magic, that still leaves the fact that ponies can't do magic if that stone's active!"

"...That is true," Stag admitted.

But Thorax was still thinking.

"What if we somehow found a way to turn the shield on and off at will?"

Silence fell on the chamber for several minutes.

"The magic is... feasible," Twilight finally stated. "However, you'd need a Paracelsus-Level Alchemist to change the properties of a stone like that, or a very skilled geomancer."

"But it can be done?"

"Yes," answered Twilight. "Or at least it can in theoretical terms."

Here Stag interjected.

"We can discuss the ins and outs of magical defense at a later time. An easier task for the moment is more mundane defenses. Guards, patrols, warriors..."

Thorax smiled. This solution was far easier than the question of the anti-magic barrier.

"Well the simplest way to fix that will simply be to find those of my subjects who were in the guard prior to the Metamorphosis and simply give them their old jobs. Of course some sort of training program would be needed to teach new recruits, and we're a little understaffed at the minute..."

Stag smiled. "I can think of one way to lighten the load on the guards."

"Oh?" asked Twilight. "And that would be...?"

Stag stood and walked to a window overlooking the vast landscape of the Badlands.

"Nature," he began, "has given many gifts to the creatures that dwell in the wild. And harnessing those natural weapons is an ancient practice. Historically, hives of bees and wasps were catapulted over city walls, and many countries employ larger and more spectacular beasts for warfare. There are few sights more intimidating than a dinosaur bedecked in Concordian armor, to name a nearby example."

"Not to be rude," Thorax interrupted, "but how does that affect me and my kingdom?"

"Simple, dear cousin," Stag answered.

"In the Badlands there exists a creature large enough to carry off an adult alicorn, a beast which preys on creatures many times larger and smaller than itself, ruthlessly attacking and carrying them off to eat, a monster... which only eats arthropods, and has no interest whatsoever in attacking anything that isn't a giant bug."

"I speak, naturally, of the Skyreaper, the massive robber flies which are found here in the Badlands, guardian angels of travelers in the wastes. Over time, they have learned that soft-bodied prey like ponies attract things like giant spiders and wasps, and they will follow the wanderers, swooping in and attacking many would-be predators and inadvertently saving the lives of those travelling through the deserts. It would be a simple matter of either convincing a few to come here, or else hatching them and letting them grow to adulthood. Then, the Skyreapers take care of the bugs, while the warriors of the Aos Sí deal with creatures such as Stonebacks and blackhorns."

Again, silence permeated the chamber.

"I'm... impressed," Twilight finally said. "Not only does that provide a viable defense for a country lacking a good number of guards, but it also eliminates the need for large forces to be sent to deal with wildlife, since the Skyreapers can simply carry the attackers away to a safe distance. Thorax?"

The king was looking out the window.

"My scouts will need help finding and identifying Skyreaper eggs. Aditionally, another thought occurs to me. What if we used Dust Devils as well? The sand pits made by the larvae are ingenious traps, and if placed in the right spots, they could provide an adequate ground defense."

Stag grinned. "You're a genius! Twilight, what do you think?"

Twilight was also smiling. "I think we've at least temporarily solved the problem of defense."

"I'm glad to hear it," replied Thorax, a small smile on his face. Things were going increasingly well, and he hoped he could keep doing this whole 'king' thing correctly.

Commerce

Fourteen Weeks After Metamorphosis

Things were not well in the kingdom of Sídhe, as the Aos Sí had taken to calling their land.

It was true, the integration of the Skyreapers and Dust Devils into the kingdom's defenses had cut back on the threat of rampant wildlife, and the Sluagh Sídhe- the name picked for the royal guard- was now well established, but one important factor had arisen.

The farms were not promising. The soil was proving to be detrimental to the crops, and what sprouts had appeared were malnourished. The Aos Sí had hoped they could be self-sufficient by autumn, but it appeared as though they would have to continue to rely on their neighbors, the Equestrians.

Thorax was not blind to the other problem this represented. No crops meant no exports, and thus no income to provide for his subjects. True, they were surviving by the good grace of the princesses, aided by the very repentant Emperor-in-Stead of Neighpon^, but the king could not help but feel that by this point they... well, he and his subjects were being freeloaders. They needed to give something back... the problem being they had no crops to trade, and no money to spend besides what Stag had referred to as a "starter fund"- supposedly enough bits to tide the kingdom over until they got a proper economy going.

With the crops seemingly failing, however, things were not as bright as they had been before, and Thorax had been awake for days wracking his brain, attempting to find a solution.

What could we offer in exchange for food, or at the very least some bits?

He continued thinking as he walked down the shifting hallways to the medical ward. He paused to exude some of the love he had stored, feeding those injured by either wild beasts or simple accident, giving simple, caring words, and then left again, when suddenly a thought emerged.

Love...

In spite of the announcement by the princesses explaining the Changeling's pardon, there was still some mistrust brewing on the part of the ponies, and changelings across Equestria were gleaning what they could from residual love in the air.

One thing Thorax and the other Aos Sí knew about their new biology and magic ability was that they could not only store and produce love, but could also somehow make it more potent, meaning it took less to actually fill them. It was simply another effect of the Metamorphosis.

I wonder...

As he passed the entrance to the throne room, he stopped to speak with the mare sitting at the desk near the door.

"Psyche, i'm going to need to cancel my appointments today. I have something I need to experiment on."

"Consider it done, sir. Does that mean I can take the day off?"

Thorax smiled apologetically. "I wish it did, but you need to inform anyone who shows up that I'm preoccupied. I'm sorry."

Psyche sighed. "It was worth a shot. Good luck on whatever you're doing."

Thorax nodded his thanks, and continued onward.

***

This was the seventh attempt. Thorax concentrated, willing the love to pour out in a small, steady stream and into the bottle in front of him. He had successfully attempted it the previous three tries, but had fumbled on the first three bottles, a blast of love accidentally shattering the first one.

The concentrated emotion went in with ease, and the bottle was corked. Three bottles full of a glowing whitish pink liquid now stood on the table.

Thorax smiled. This was perfect! These could be sold across Equestria, not only to feed changelings, but also as potion ingredients and as simple flavoring for baking^^.

It wasn't perfect yet, however. This was super concentrated love, and he was now wondering if it was possible for him to exude a more diluted form, or varying levels of potency.

This might take a while...

***

Fifteen Weeks After Metamorphosis

287 miles northeast of the kingdom of Sídhe

Queen Vespa was depressed. And, as usual, this meant she was drinking.

From her position nearby, Tulip looked at the changeling with her expressionless blue eyes, wings buzzing slightly, a slime-coated green egg passing out of the beebra's distended grey and yellow-striped abdomen. Vespa sighed.

"So, are you going to eat this one too?"

The beebra's tone was neutral. "Probably. Not that you really care at all."

"Let me be honest with you about something," Vespa replied. "I'm not sure how I feel about you anymore."

"I can tell you that there's enough love left for me to keep me from going hungry," Tulip countered, another egg passing out of her body.

Vespa was about to make another remark when her daughter entered.

Sketchy was in all respects a smaller, more stoutly built version of Vespa, differing only in the fact she had a blue mane and tail (both messy no matter how well she brushed them), as well as sapphire eyes. Vespa composed herself.

"Yes, Sketchy?"

The teenage changeling grinned.

"Thorax is here!"

Vespa fell out of her throne. "WHAT!?!"

Tulip blinked slowly, mildly surprised, but then simply lowered her head back onto a cushion, an eighth egg passing out of her. One grubling was as good as another, even if this particular one had abandoned what she thought of as her hive and his queen (meaning herself).

Vespa gathered herself up, grumbling. "Alright, show Mr. Big Shot in. Maybe he's finally going to apologize for abandoning his mother. And by that I mean me, since Queen Fatass here doesn't seem to get the whole 'mom' thing."

Sketchy hurried out, leaving the two alone again. Tulip closed her eyes, calmly breathing as yet another egg freed itself before replying.

"You can complain all you want, I'm just going to keep telling you my species is different and has a different standard of childcare."

"Meaning as many can die as they want, you'll just make more."

The beebra scratched an itch with one of her six legs. "Our son's outside the door."

Vespa turned.

"Thorax. You look... different."

Thorax attempted to hide his nervousness. "A lot has happened since I last saw you, Queen Vespa."

"Would it kill you to call me 'mom'?" Vespa muttered under her breath. "Alright, what brings you here?"

Thorax presented several unlabeled bottles, the liquids inside ranging from pale pink to a glowing white-pink. The scent was unmistakable, and even Tulip reacted, her eyes shooting open, head snapped up, instantly focused on the Aos Sí king.

Vespa was stammering. "Is... is that...?"

"Pure love," Thorax replied. "Turns out we can produce love of varying concentrations. At least, me and the rest of the Aos Sí- that's what we call ourselves now- can. We're willing to trade with you and other changeling kingdoms, given the... difficulty changelings are having lately."

Vespa's mind went into overdrive. This actually solved two problems for her.

"I agree. And in addition to what we'll pay, I'll also give you your newest siblings when we trade," she replied, pointing at where Tulip was seated. "There's the first 20."

Thorax was silent. "Um, that's not really..."

"If you don't take them," Vespa interrupted, "she'll end up eating them."

Thorax's reply was instantaneous.

"Deal! Don't even consider it a trade, just send them when you can!"

Vespa smiled. "You and Sketchy were always my favorites. You may have hatched from an egg, and she might have been the result of me just getting too drunk to care about anything one night, but you're both the smartest out of all of my children."

"Our children," Tulip interrupted, still focused on the bottles.

"Sketchy's only yours by unofficial marriage!" Vespa screeched, before turning back to Thorax and smiling. "Thank you for bringing these, and just for visiting."

Thorax gave a small nod. "I'll give you these, and take the eggs and bits now."

"Excellent," Vespa replied. "I hope we see you again soon."

Several minutes later, eggs and gold in tow, Thorax left the castle of his mothers, slightly more nervous than when he had arrived

Okay, the trade went well, and hopefully my emissaries made it to the other kingdoms and succeeded... but what am I supposed to do with these eggs!?!

Author's Note

^Staghorn got a temporary position until such time as his mother was fit to re-take her authority.

^^Sometimes "made with love" is more than just an expression.

Populaces

Three Months After Metamorphosis

Thorax smiled as he surveyed the grublings inside the nursery chamber. There were about 100 of the little piebald babies wriggling around, being fed by their nursemaids, and play fighting. In another chamber, their unhatched siblings were being carefully incubated and monitored, and a school was currently being constructed for when the grublings became old enough to need it.

Thorax and his subjects were fully aware that these were their own younger brothers and sisters, and it was possible the grublings likewise knew that the adults caring for them were their older siblings, but the interactions between the babies and their nursemaids were nonetheless like that of a mother and her foal.

In time, the grublings would make many successive molts, but only time would tell whether they would emerge from their last molt as what were now termed "false changelings" or as Aos Sí.

The more Thorax thought about it, the more one fact became apparent... even though he was the leader of a new race, said race actually had little idea of what it could do. The ability to store love, concentrate it, and exude it from their bodies was a well-known fact, as was the fact that they had gone through a grubling phase, followed by a phase that was similar in appearance to a normal changeling, and finally culminating in the "latent adult" phase that was the Aos Sí, a metamorphosis triggered by using their unique love magic for the first time.

However, all the Aos Sí in existence were descended directly from a mating between a Parasitic Beebra mare and a changeling mare, meaning literally every member of the Aos Sí population were siblings. This meant there was no way of knowing how their kind reproduced. Did Aos Sí lay eggs like Beebras, or did they give live birth like changelings? Would a mating between an Aos Sí and another equine produce a foal? Would the race even breed true if given the opportunity?

The problem was that changelings were scarce in Boardor, and Tulip was literally the only Beebra found outside that country, which was in far-off Stirrope, either an ocean or two continents away (depending on if you went by sea or crossed the northern continent of Mustikk), so the two species had little chance to interbreed, and if Tulip died and no other such hybrid mating occurred before or after then...

Extinction. That was all that would mean. The Aos Sí would be reduced to an interesting passage in history and biology.

It was terrifying to contemplate. The thought of the extinction of a sapient race was not something to be tossed aside, and Thorax knew he had to fix this... but he'd need a lot of help.

Of course, another alternative was that they would hybridize with ponies and changelings, eventually phasing themselves out of existence, save for the occasional throwback who was born an Aos Sí as opposed to their parents' races.

The third alternative was the least likely to happen, and it was, if possible, worse than extinction. There was a marginally small chance inbreeding would occur, and that... well, Thorax didn't want to think about that.

No, the best chance would be to somehow monitor across the globe, looking for any news of beings resembling the Aos Sí, and getting in touch with them.

He had spoken to Staghorn and Twilight both roughly a month ago about these concerns, and both had gotten excited, calling their collective efforts "Operation Lovebug". Twilight seemed to want to simply monitor the situation, eagerly looking over what news came in. Stag, however, seemed to want to take a more direct approach, talking about convincing beebra hives and changeling kingdoms to make alliances and seeing where things went from there.

Besides reproduction, there was also the fact Thorax looked so much different than the other Aos Sí, none of which had his stature or antlers. Twilight had posited the idea that it was a hormonal change. Thorax was in charge, so his body acted accordingly, resulting in a different physical appearance. If another Aos Sí challenged him and became leader, she theorized that he would lose his antlers and shrink, while the victor would literally grow into his station.

It hurt his brain to think about it all... but he was the king, so these problems were his to deal with.

Another problem was that the Aos Sí were not adapted to live in the Badlands. No deaths had yet occurred, but even with the precautions and the Skyreapers accompanying the exploration parties, injuries were still very common. They needed experts who knew the Badlands what to do if specific dangers arose and how to recognize them before they happened.

That was why Staghorn had suggested they get in touch with the Samsa.

The Samsa, Stag had explained, were a race of intelligent Blattodea native to the Badlands. They scuttled around in makeshift cities of collected refuse, and exhibited inconsistent levels of organization, with some tribes fashioning crude, nonsensical effigies or "tools" only to discard them almost immediately, as though only fleetingly possessed of a dim notion to create, while others formed actual societies and culture.

One such society, the Glasswalker Tribe, actually lived fairly close to the kingdom of Sídhe, and as with most Samsa, they were habitually friendly. Provided that Thorax's subjects didn't attack them, they would be good allies.

Thorax had been organizing a diplomatic mission for the past month to meet the Glasswalkers, and now he was ready to set out.

***

The Glasswalker's "city" was a large series of caves and burrows, as well as several short, squat buildings built from abandoned pieces of glass, metal, and wood. It bore only a passing resemblance to a pony town, with buildings scattered in no particular order, and nothing that could truly be called a street.

And moving through it all, either scuttling or walking, were the Samsa.

They were alicorn-sized cockroaches, brown in color, with shiny black eyes. four of their limbs ended in three-fingered hands, while their hind limbs ended in a pair of claws. They alternated between crawling on all six limbs and standing on two legs, and a few were even flying.

A smell also permeated the air. It wasn't unpleasant, but it was noticeable.

When Thorax and the guards he had brought landed, the nearby Samsa stopped and scurried over to inspect them, speaking as they felt and smelled the newcomers with their antennae. They were clearly speaking Equestrian, but the syntax was skewed so as to be difficult to understand.

"A new! A new is a friend to a be? How is a new to a friend? A new is a Talk Father to a be?"

This line of questioning went on before suddenly they all stopped, antennae quivering, then spinning in opposite spirals.

"Be flat!" one suddenly shouted. "Get flat and BE flat in a while!"

They all threw themselves flat on the ground. A few broke ranks, rushing at the confused king and his guards, headbutting them and knocking them down.

That was when the earthquake happened.

It was short-lived, thankfully, but Thorax realized that the insects had sensed the tremor coming and had known the best thing to do. The Samsa were now carefully feeling their guests with their antennae.

"A flat time is you get flat," stated one, helping the king up. "Stand and also it is okay."

Thorax made a small smile. This might turn out to be a good idea.

***

As a few days passed, Thorax came to better understand the Glasswalkers.

The smell he had noticed was a balm the insects made and coated on themselves with to mask their scent with that of a Ladytank^- one of the only two arthropod species a Skyreaper would never attack^^. This made things easier for Thorax, since one of the main worries he had about this endeavor had been the Skyreapers' taste for other large arthropods.

Through careful wording and seemingly infinite patience, he had explained to the Samsa what he wanted. The Samsa had agreed to help the Aos Sí, and had even given the diplomatic party a place to stay for the night, and had even offered to feed them, though Thorax politely declined the egg-shaped green thing covered in red and black lines that they had presented (probably a type of fungus).

Today they were leaving, but the Samsa wanted to honor their new friends before they departed, and so Thorax allowed himself to be led to a large central space within the "city".

It had been kept meticulously clean, and all the Glasswalkers were now gathered there. Thorax was motioned to sit on a badly-made "throne", and once he did, the insects began their performance.

The cockroaches moved madly, angular legs sweeping and antenna fluttering. They circled and spun and moved in strange lines, but they never bumped into each other, and indeed, they never even touched.

"You see?" asked the one who had led Thorax to the performance. "A very good design. A very smart."

Thorax had to agree.

The performance continued for several minutes, and then they slowed and stopped, looking expectantly at the king.

Thorax was quiet. He wasn't sure what to say, so he simply clapped his hooves together. The Samsa seemed pleased, making excited chittering noises and touching antennae with each other.

Thorax smiled. Diplomatic bridges had been crossed, and new friends had been made.

Author's Note

^ A Ladytank, obviously, is a giant relative of the ladybug. Bright red, with black speckles and a large horn between their antennae, these belligerent creatures are fierce and seemingly sadistic carnivores, playing cruel cat-and-mouse games with doomed prey. When not content with simply goring, biting, or trampling prey, they can spew searing-hot stomach acid from their throats with the force of a firehose.

^^The second is a beast known as the Phlegmipede

Festivities

Six Years After Metamorphosis

It was autumn, and that meant two things for the Aos Sí.

First, it meant that they would be sharing their annual feast with the Samsa. The feast would be laid out, containing various dishes of Equestrian origin, as well as those the Aos Sí had developed (mostly consisting of edible desert plants and arthropods), and the egg-like fungi which the Samsa grew, and both races would eat, dance, and celebrate the passing of another year.

However, autumn was also the time to go and collect Dust Devil eggs, which would be more difficult to find than if they had been looking for Skyreapers.

The maggots of normal-sized robber flies normally preyed on the grubs of wood-boring beetles, and so the parents deposited their eggs onto trees. However, the Skyreapers lived in a world devoid of both trees and beetle grubs sufficiently large enough to feed their young, and so laid their eggs in soft earth, which the maggots then burrowed through, looking for digging arthropods to feast on. Most of the Skyreapers who lived near the kingdom laid their eggs nearby, having learned the colorful equines would dutifully feed both them and their young when needed, though they still hunted for themselves for the most part.

The Dust Devils, meanwhile, differed little from their smaller ant lion cousins. After spending several years as terrifying predators lying in wait at the bottom of their pits, they formed a cocoon and emerged one month later as harmless, dragonfly-like adults. These would spend the next 25-45 days mating, after which the eggs of the next generation would be laid, and the adults would die.

This meant trips to replenish Dust Devil eggs would be infrequent in the kingdom of Sídhe (indeed, this was actually the first time it had occurred), but needed to be done nonetheless. A few Dust Devils remained in their larval stage, but the majority had already sprouted wings and headed towards the deeper part of the desert. Unlike the Skyreapers, who stayed near the Aos Sí because the equines attracted food and kept them well-fed, the Dust Devils had no ties to their masters.

The fact that many adult Dust Devils were slaughtered and eaten by the Skyreapers didn't help.

With this in mind, Thorax led a scout party consisting of a few guards and a pair of Samsa guides into the Badlands.

***

6 hours had passed, and the amount of eggs they had collected numbered 20. Thorax was determined to get a few more before heading back home, and this patch of desert looked promising, consisting of soft sand and grit.

However, the two Samsa guides were whirling their antennae and chittering frantically. One of them pointed at the chasm nearby.

"A very bad inside that. A very bad and come up to eat a friend. Eat a friend and screaming and blooding it does for long."

Thorax paused.

"Captain Hymenoptera, we're going back. 20 is enough for today."

The captain of the Sluagh Sídhe nodded, giving the signal to head back... when one of the Samsa suddenly screeched. The scouting party turned.

Rising slowly from the chasm was a massive purple beast. It was somewhat worm-like, but had a pair of fleshy antennae which moved slowly, matching the speed at which the creature moved on its fleshy, stubby legs. Its eyes were tiny, and under its head were a pair of strange, organic nozzles. The entire scouting party had enough experience to recognize what it was.

A Phlegmipede. A massive, desert dwelling relative of the jungle-loving Velvet Worms, and one of the largest natives of the Badlands. Even the daredevil Skyreapers and tempramental Ladytanks avoided Phlegmipedes.

The beast paused, lifting its head and aiming its nozzles, and Thorax gave the command to retreat as a rope of sticky glue shot from each side of the creature's head.

One Samsa was caught, stuck to the ground, screeching at them, urging them to keep running.

Thorax hesitated, but the other Samsa guide gently headbutted him, urging him onward.

"Now! Be going now or the very bad will eat a friend!"

Thorax couldn't move. The Phlegmipede was slowly moving towards its trapped prey... and there was nothing he could do.

Tears in his eyes, the king led the survivors to safety.

***

For Thorax and the Aos Sí who had been in the scouting party, the feast was no time for celebration.

The surviving Samsa had moved on, seemingly forgetting his friend had died, and was now dancing with the others.

Ah, to possess such blissful, optimistic ignorance! Thorax envied the insect, and contemplated if there was any more he himself could have done to possibly save the doomed guide. As he watched the spinning multitude of the dead individual's kith and kin, he came to the grim realization.

...No. There wasn't anything he could have done. If they had stayed, they would have all been captured and eaten at leisure by the slow-moving predator. The Samsa was not the first either. Guards and civilians alike had taken casualties from both predators and disease, though the latter was less common. This was one of those "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few" things he had read about, a difficult but necessary choice.

It was still unfair, though. Being king meant making sacrifices, and that was one of the hardest and most painful lessons to learn.

He stood once the feast was over and the Samsa had left. All eyes turned to him when he began speaking.

"My subjects. My friends. My family. Today is a time of remembrance, and I would be remiss if I did not call attention to this fact. Six years ago we emerged as the start of a new race and a new kingdom, and here we stand six years later, a thriving community! However, we must also remember those who we have lost to make this dream come to life. I make my own sacrifices to ensure the good of this kingdom, but they are nothing in comparison to the sacrifices made by those who have put their life on the line and beyond to ensure I could. I will admit this- it is painful for me to consider what happened to them, and I wish I could have done more to protect them..."

"But let us not be sad! Let us honor our fallen brothers and sisters, whether they met their fate by predator or illness, and be joyful! After all, nothing ever got done by sulking, right?"

Silence. Then a few scattered claps, swelling into a full-on applause.

Thorax sighed in relief. The speech had helped some, and now maybe he could sleep a little easier.

Invasion

Seven Years After Metamorphosis

3 miles south of the kingdom of Sídhe

The Grand Fleet of Tricornucopia^ was prepared for the coming battle.

Well, a small part of the Grand Fleet.

...Okay, what was left of that small part after wandering aimlessly through the Badlands looking for a new and therefore easy to take over kingdom to conquer.

General Sparkling Blade looked through the binoculars at the jagged spire in the distance.

"Disgusting," the Tricorn stallion growled, the upper lip of his elongated muzzle curling into a sneer, revealing small, pointed teeth. The spiny fin on his back was raised in agitation, and his horizontal-pupiled eyes were narrowed. He turned to give orders.

"Private Gleaming Armor, I want you to..."

"Um, sir?" a soldier interrupted. "Private Gleaming Armor was killed last week by a Graboid."

The general paused. "Right... Commander Swift Spear, you and your troops..."

"They were killed two days ago by those mantises^^," the soldier interjected again.

The general sputtered. "Well, then, what about..."

"Eaten by a giant assassin bug."

"How about..."

"Ambushed by giant wasps."

"But surely..."

"Trampled by a giant ladybug."

"ALRIGHT!" Sparkling Blade finally screamed. "Is there any officer or group that WASN'T killed by a giant bug of some kind!?!"

"Well, Captain Sterling Shield and five of his best were attacked by a Blackhorn. That's a dinosaur, not a bug," the soldier replied.

The general took out his pistol and shot the talkative soldier between the eyes. He fell to the ground, dead.

"Poor boy must have died of heatstroke," the general muttered before turning to the troops.

"All right! As we are all aware, our great and glorious Grand Ruler wishes to attempt to invade the inferior nation of Equestria yet again, thereby gaining a pivotal strategic position from which to attack the griffon barbarians. The only thing standing in our way is the small, defenseless kingdom behind me, inhabited by filthy half-breed abominations. Seeing as how our other officers and our best troops have suffered from assassination attempts made by these beings, we must take action and punish them! Our forces are strong enough for a full-frontal assault, charging in and taking our unprepared foes by surprise!" Here he unsheathed his scimitar, gleaming in the sunlight.

"Today, we fight for victory, and for the glory of our Grand Ruler!"

The troops cheered, and with that, they charged.

The troops immediately hit the Dust Devil pits, and they were poisoned and drained by the monstrous larval predators in a matter of seconds.

The ones that made it through the metaphorical minefield suddenly felt as though they had passed through a sheet of thick air, and at the same time their weapons all dropped as their magic failed.

They were surrounded by several armored Aos Sí brandishing spears. A tall one with deer-like antlers- presumably their king- stepped forward.

The General and his troops immediately dropped to the ground and begged for mercy, as all Tricorns do when the situation is hopeless.

Thorax, for his part, rolled his eyes, let them keep a few swords, and sent them out with an armed escort for the third time in the past two years.

"Maybe NOW they'll stop with this crap and leave us alone," he grumbled, going to the castle to send another report to the Princesses about the Tricorns.^^^

Author's Note

^ Don't ask me to waste a footnote going into detail, here's the info

^^The Giant Screaming Ninja Mantis of Death (often shortened to the Screaming Ninja Mantis) is a pack-hunting predator of the Badlands, famous for leaping right at their intended prey and slashing at them with lightning speed. The Tricorns stood no chance.

^^^For the record, the Tricorns actually did stop attacking after the third attempt, apparently because "the land there reeked of insect feces."

Elysium

Seven Years After Metamorphosis

The guards had returned from the task of escorting the sniveling Tricorns, reporting that several more of the amphibious equines had been killed by predators, leaving only the general to actually carry a message to his king.

Thorax congratulated the escort for their service to the kingdom and gave them a small bonus in their pay for the risk they had taken in the effort. The Princesses had written back, and stated that they would increase security concerning the offending country^, and a letter from Stag stated that his mother was close to simply stomping up to the "Grand Ruler of Tricornucopia" and slapping him for his sheer idiocy.

Thorax, for his part, was now relaxing in bed, royal duties done for the moment. Life was good for the minute.

The king smiled as he remembered the shocked expressions on the faces of the invading troops when they passed through the activated shield, something which had not been operational the previous times they had attempted an attack. The shield was off at the moment, but could be activated at a moment's notice by him or any high-ranking member of the guard via a stone pendant they wore around their necks.

He naturally realized that this was an inefficient method, and one which could easily be taken advantage of, but for the moment it was all that they could do concerning the shield.

The farms were doing well, and the kingdom was on good terms with changeling kingdoms throughout Equus, and some offers had actually started coming from outside the continent.

Aside from the castle and the farms, a small town had actually formed, complete with a school and a few shops. The domain had even attracted a few immigrants- diamond dogs and ponies hoping to set up shop, Donkey farmers seeking to settle down, Minotaur traders setting up temporary booths... honestly, the kingdom of Sídhe now looked like a regular trading outpost or frontier settlement, albeit one with a massive spire of jagged stone looming above it.

A few Aos Sí had made small homes near the Dust Devil defenses. These "sand guides" thought it would be a good idea to have some help ready for traders and wanderers who wanted to reach the kingdom without falling into a giant sand pit, and the guides did their job well, leading wanderers and the like through the defensive line.

The King Thorax School provided education to the kingdom's children, whether they were Aos Sí grublings or not, and provided the best education, including advanced survival courses for those interested in becoming traders or scouts.

Housing was a minor problem. Aos Sí of all ages innately knew they were all siblings, but at the same time they still formed small family units. Grublings were kept in the nursery unless one of these families wished to "adopt" their younger sibling, in which case the grubling was given to them with no problem. However, with more eggs coming in every few weeks, housing space was a foreseeable complication...

But beyond that minor inconvenience, all was well, and Thorax allowed himself a moment of rest.

All was perfect for now... unless his subjects started clamoring and asking when he was going to get a girlfriend or something.

But that could wait. He wasn't interested in anyone, and doubted he would be any time soon.

For now, the king went to sleep, smiling and congratulating himself on a job well done.

Author's Note

^ Equestria and her allies keep a small contingent of guards in Tricornucopia, at least around the proposed embassy.

Bonus Trial: 20 Years After Metamorphosis

Mt. Grulesk, Carcosa

For thousands of years, Mt. Grulesk had been the seat of power for Equus' Dragon Lords. While the size was not as impressive as that of Mt. Chernabog, from whence the Dragon Emperor Ancalagon ruled over all the dragons of the world, and the treasure hoard within not as vast as that of Mt. Erebor, where the Dragon Vizier Smaug lounged and plotted against non-existent enemies, Grulesk was impressive enough in its own right, its twin peaks jutting into the sky visible for miles.

It was to here that the Aos Sí king (now 38 years old) had traveled alone, seeking to discuss a matter of grave importance with the Dragon Lord.

***

"All I'm saying," Thorax continued, "is that you're a bit too intense for a sweet guy like him."

"INTENSE!?!" shrieked Ember, flames flickering from between her clenched teeth.

The female Horned Drake- now 36 years old- was larger than Thorax, but sleek and lithe, well-toned svelte muscles showing under her brilliant sapphire scales. Her teeth were ivory white, and her eyes burned an intense scarlet.

"Yes, intense," Thorax replied, not wavering for an instant.

"I'm closer to his age than you are!" Ember countered, composing herself by only a fraction. "Plus I'm a dragon!"

Thorax rolled his eyes. "You're only two years younger than me. And he's younger than both of us. AND he was raised by ponies, and frankly I'm a lot closer to them than you are!"

Ember took a deep breath, calming herself.

"Okay," she said. "Before we go on, what exactly makes you think he's even... that way? I mean, until a few years ago he was spending a fair amount of time focusing his attention on a female unicorn."

Thorax shuffled his hooves. "Well... it's just a sort of feeling I have... I mean, I at least have to ask him..."

Ember considered this.

"I suppose that's fair enough. I mean, I still need to do the same thing... the asking, and... stuff. I'm not good at this..."

Thorax smiled. "Wouldn't it be funny if we both got yes for an answer?"

"It could happen," Ember replied. "Purple Drakes are monogamous by nature. If it happens that way, though, you and me are just staying co-mates. No intimate stuff."

"Do I still at least get a friendly hug from time to time?" Thorax asked with a smirk.

Ember smirked as she replied. "Don't push your luck, bugbutt."

With that, she took the Bloodstone Scepter in her claw, and focused on summoning a specific dragon.

***

In the 20 years since he had first met Thorax, Spike had grown into a fairly nice example of his species. Taller than most ponies, Celestia included, well-muscled, scales gleaming in the sunlight... there wasn't much point in denying it, he was handsome. The impressive wings he had gained at the onset of puberty were an additional bonus, and made travel a lot easier.

Over the course of many days he had flown over the Everfree Forest, crossing the Archenback Mountains into North Griffonia, and from there over the Hyperborean Mountains, finally reaching Carcosa.

Several adults on the mountains raised their heads, and seeing the new arrival, welcomed him in Draconic.

Draconic is a language unique in that it is sung rather than spoken, and so the welcome sounded like a hymn more than a greeting. However, the words, as best translated, were indeed just a simple greeting, welcoming the youngster.

However, other, older dragons instead greeted the setting sun, as they had done for centuries:

Along the shore, the cloud waves break
The bright sun sinks beneath the lake
The shadows lengthen
In Carcosa.

When night fell, they would sing a different part of the song, but no special greeting would be sung to welcome the dawn, since dragons like to sleep in.

Spike, for his part, sang a quick, formal greeting back to the elders, and then continued onward towards Mt. Grulesk.

He arrived there soon enough, landing and walking into the large cave. As the years had passed, he could only go on two legs for short amounts of time, and now mostly walked on all fours, as did many of the dragons he had met when he was younger.

Ember sat like a sphinx, the Bloodstone Scepter under one claw, and, to Spike's surprise, Thorax stood beside her.

Spike didn't bother with formalities. These were his friends, and there was no one else around.

"Hey guys. I'm kinda surprised to see you both here.... so what's up?"

Ember scratched behind her head. "Well... the thing is..."

Thorax awkwardly shuffled his hooves. "We were kind of wondering... well..."

"Yes?" Spike asked, tapping a claw on the stone floor.

Both the Dragon Lord and the Aos Sí king spoke the same thing at the same instant. "Maybe you'd like to go on a date some time?"

Spike was silent. Outside, the elders' voices echoed as they greeted the night with the rest of their song, casting a grim shadow of doubt on the situation.

Strange is the night where black stars rise,
A strange moon circles through the skies,
But stranger still is
Lost Carcosa.

Songs that the spirits shall sing,
Where flap the wingbeats of the King,
Must die unheard in
Dim Carcosa.

Song of my soul, my voice is dead,
Die thou, unsung, as tears unshed
Shall dry and die in
Lost Carcosa.

The wind blew past, the final note to the dirge-like song echoing, the only noise in the cave. After several minutes, Spike finally spoke.

"Wow... uh... you know what, sure!"

Thorax and Ember were speechless, and their individual reactions to his answer were different.

For his part, Thorax was thrilled, his eyes watering with joy. Ember was more reserved, blushing but otherwise calm. Mentally, however, she had a distinctly non-traditionally-draconic urge to tackle the purple dragon and smother him with lovies.

She didn't need to act on her thoughts as Spike suddenly had them both in a massive hug.

Ember smiled and patted his head, her usual response to this situation.

Thorax however, practically went limp, overcome with emotion.

This had been, without a doubt, one of the most stressful days in his life, and he was glad it had ended happily.

A Look at the Aos Sí

The Aos Sí are a relatively recent race, arising roughly 30 years ago at the time of this writing. They are for the most part located on the border of the Badlands of Equus, but have recently been appearing within Stirrope and Khaan as well.

The Aos Sí resemble brightly-colored changelings, but lack the species' distinctive holes. What's more, some individuals lack horns or have a trio of strange, jewel-like growths around the base of their necks.

"Dominant" Aos Sí are taller than their underlings, being roughly alicorn-height, and possess a pair of antlers. This is caused by hormonal changes within the dominant individual. If another Aos Sí challenges the leader and wins, the latter loses his antlers and shrinks over time, while the victor literally grows into his station.

The Aos Sí possess the ability to not only absorb and metabolize love like their changeling relatives, but can also concentrate it into a more potent form, and can even exude it, either as a means of feeding others or as an offensive weapon.

The first Aos Sí were born as hybrids from matings between female Beebras and changelings. They hatched from eggs and went through a "grubling" phase resembling a somehow adorable mixture between a changeling foal and an insect larva. From here they molted several times until reaching a stage which resembled a normal changeling, albeit one afflicted with a near-constant hunger for love and a very diluted form of the Beebra hive mind.

It was only when these hybrids used their ability to literally give love that they metamorphosed into the Aos Sí.

Modern Aos Sí bypass the "false changeling" phase when growing up, but females do lay between 1 and 4 eggs, and the young likewise pass through a grubling phase for the first few years of their life.

The Aos Sí are for the most part pacifists, though they will not by any means hesitate to fight if needed.

The Aos Sí are on good relations with both pony and changeling populations, and often sell the love they produce as a means of commerce.