Out of all the things he had to worry about on a daily basis, Thorax never that thought one of the younger nymphs running to Ponyville would've been an issue.
It turned out that Ocellus rode a train all the way there just to meet up with her five friends from her first school term. It caused the hive to go on full alert until one of Spike's scrolls appeared during him looking over their maps. Rage surged through him whilst he flew straight to the equine-populated area. Luckily for him, Spike had included her current location. Thorax expressed his sheer disappointment until Twilight stepped in with a solution to this incident.
Of course, he was still angry she had left the hive without telling anyling, but if her parents agreed to sign the form then he could overlook it somewhat. When he returned with Ocellus in town, she immediately rushed off to see her family. Over the next few hours, the changeling king had to quell his hive's unrest, which proved to be quite difficult. He finally managed to slink into his bedchambers after three hours of discussing what happened. Despite not knowing the full story, they thankfully understood how important this was to the young nymph.
But… The next time she returns for a break or something, he will confide her only to the more inner structure of their home. Her sudden departure couldn't go fully unpunished after all, as Pharynx reminded him two hours prior. Even though I've been King for nearly two years, Thorax thought to himself, these meetings never get any easier, especially with other rulers… Good thing I have Pharynx to deal with the more militarian things so I can focus on our political standing. Ember always made it look so easy when I just started attending those meetings, but… she...
Mentally exhausted, the changeling sighed deeply into his pillow, which he had received from Sunburst during his first Hearth's Warming. It had every item he had been able to take with him in that bedroom. They adorned several elevated shelves on the walls, each being made out of the Hive's natural stone. If asked to choose his favorite, then that would have been a picture that was taken back when he was accepted. Spike's friendship had started it all, even going so far as to have risked his own reputation for the once lowly drone.
No matter his current status, he considered his pony—plus two close dragon allies—one of the greatest things in his life. If anyone asked Thorax who his best friend was, then he would have to say, "everyone!" Each has had such a strong impact on his life both prior and after his metamorphosis. Recalling this seemed to make him feel less exhausted, (and a little less guilty,) but yet he didn't want to leave his bed for anything. Unfortunately, this day wasn't one by a long shot as Pharynx suddenly bursted into his bedchambers, nearly scaring the chitin off the fellow leader.
"Sorry, Thorax, but it's an emergency!" the older changeling stated, before shoving his brother toward the nearest outdoor area.
There was nothing prohibiting her from visiting a friend, right? So… why are some other changelings stopping her from speaking to their King?! Didn't they know it was more than rude to stop the Dragon Lord on official royal business?! Because this dragon ain’t having any of it!
"For the final time! Move already! I need to get some answers from Thorax immediately!" the female dragon demanded. She had even gone through the trouble of carrying the Bloodstone Scepter all this way.
The changelings just kept telling her she can't just demand to see their king. To which she responded with, "You have until the count of three to let me through before I roast yo-"
"Ember, that's enough!"
The dragoness peered over the crowd of drones to get a glimpse of just who she wanted to see.
“Now where have you been? I’ve been trying to get in the hive!” Ember finally managed to rush up to the alpha changeling.
Pharynx quickly flew in between them. "Not so fast. Just what business do you have with our king?" To the present day, Thorax still shuddered every time he was referred to as “king.”
“Why do you wanna know? I need to speak with him.” Ember tried to get past the dark cyan changeling.
He remained firmly in between them. "I want to know why because you just threatened some of our own. For the second time already, that is! I know you and my brother are friends or whatever, but that doesn't mean you can just come flying up to him. Especially after we just calmed the rest of the hive down!"
True... Ember thought about the incident the General was talking about. Which was the last time she and Thorax actually spoke. The time she had accused him of taking one of her own. The changeling’s heartbroken expression had still haunted her to this day. Still, she had to speak with him at least one more time.
“After what exactly?” the dragoness asked as she raised an eyebrow. Did the changelings really panic about something— whether it was minor or major—every couple of seconds? All she knew was that the dragons were not like that.
"Ocellus left without saying a word. She's one of Smolder's friends. Everyling was worried sick..." Thorax clarified, still emotionally drained.
Ember took notice of his expression, however. “Is she back now? That’s what’s important, right? What’s the matter with you, anyway..?”
"You don't get it,” Thorax continued. “Her parents nearly had panic attacks over their daughter missing. We thought that Chrysalis might have taken her as revenge against the hive."
By this point, the changeling subjects didn't know how to react. Despite that, Pharynx simply nodded. He had been genuinely worried as his brother, since he knew personally Chrysalis's torture methods... They had been engraved into his mind when he was the Patrol leader.
“Did she say why she left? Because Smolder coincidentally did the same thing. Plus, she said it was—what was it? Something about a tree?” Ember tapped her chin with a claw. “Yeah, a tree. A living tree.”
"Yeah. It was something about the Tree of Harmony, something that the elements of Harmony came from... It somehow contacted those six in their dreams or something like that..." Thorax explained as he tried not to have a panic attack himself.
Seeing as his brother is trying to keep himself calm, the older royal changeling chimes in, "Apparently, the tree saved Ocellus and her friends when a rogue student tried draining Equestria's magic. They would have been banished to another dimension if not for it...”
“I guess that’s why they wanted to save it so badly,” Ember said. “Smolder told me that it was destroyed and they had to save it somehow... Really does sound like an emergency, but ehh, it’s weird to say the least.” Ember then looked at Thorax again, who was now averting his gaze to hide his sullen expression. “What? Was it something I said?”
"Look," Pharynx said as he flew close to Ember before whispering, "my brother still isn't the best at dealing with stress. Everyone else’s panicking doesn't help either, so how about we move this inside the hive?"
“Eh, fine with me,” the blue dragoness said as she followed the other changelings inside the hive.
They flew down the length of several hallways, passing by many changelings who have never seen a dragoness up close before. Ember was genuinely surprised by how many twists and turns made up the Hive's inner workings. If she had not been led by her friend's brother, then she would have gotten lost, not that she’d admit it anyway...
As they navigated, however, Ember continued to observe Thorax’s expression as well as his actions. Was there something else wrong other than the fact that Ocellus ran off? Why did he look so... guilty? He was only trying to do what a good leader was expected to do... right? Maybe it was because of how I treated him the last time we talked, Ember thought to herself.
Once they finally entered the throne room of the hive, she had to shield her face with a claw as the sunlight harshly entered her scarlet eyes. After her eyes finally settled, she saw many plants and, mostly, vines that decorated the sunlit room, specifically the tree-like throne that stood in the open center.
Ember turned to the changeling king. “Now can you tell me what’s wrong? Other than the fact that both of our students ran off to save a tree?” Ember patiently waited for the changeling’s explanation.
Pharynx was about to answer the question for his brother, but he was stopped as soon as Thorax regained his fixed posture. "Well, when I confronted Ocellus at the tree's old cave, I have never been so angry. She turned into a rock out of surprise when I yelled her name...”
"We both know how sensitive my brother can be, Dragon Lord Ember. Plus, Thorax still hasn't had the time to properly rest. This all happened in just a few hours for us," Pharynx added.
Ember was still perplexed by the changeling king’s reply, however. She remembered how his assertiveness has been improving ever since she gave him advice. Why was he suddenly regretting it? And why now? “But seriously. That’s what he’s upset about? Why?”
"Look! Dragons might not care about your kids as much as we do, but I thought Ocellus could have been in serious danger!” Thorax suddenly snapped. “I lashed out at her when she made such a mistake by not telling anyone where she was going. The entire hive took three whole hours just to calm down after she returned with a permission slip. Unlike you Ember I can't just order everyling to settle down, I have to literally talk one on one with each of them!" A hush fell over the entire room once he finished. The changeling covered his mouth, shocked his own words. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—“ Tears threatened to spill from the changeling’s dark magenta eyes as soon as they started to form.
“I think I should leave you two at it,” Pharynx said, earning a nod from the dragoness. And with that, he left the two to continue.
“...You know I didn’t mean it like that,” the dragoness said as soon as her own shock faded away, which, admittedly, took quite a while.
Thorax averted his teary gaze and spoke again, just audible enough to hear. "Ocellus just looked so scared. I couldn't live with myself if I had to yell at a young nymph every time they did something that crazy,” he muttered. “Almost as if she saw me as—as...” Thorax struggled to finish his sentence. “As Chrysalis.”
“You had good intentions.. You did it because you cared for her. Just like how you cared for the rest of your subjects.” Ember put a claw on his shoulder as she wiped the now-streaming tears from the changeling’s face. “Besides, if there’s anyone here who’s supposed to feel guilty...” It was Ember’s turn to avert her gaze as she finished her sentence. “It’s me.”
“What do you me—“
“You know what I mean!” Ember was trying her hardest not to yell. “I went as to far as to accuse you of stealing Smolder! I was an idiot! I-I...” She then sighed. “I was being a bad friend. And I’m s—“ she struggled to say the word she was aiming for. “I’m so... I’m sorr... eee...” Dragons weren’t used to verbal apologies, so it took them a while to pronounce the “s” word. But after a minute or two of sputtering and struggling, she finally uttered, “I’m sorry.”
After sniffling a few times and wiping the remaining of his tears once Ember had finished speaking, it was Thorax’s turn to reassure his friend with a smile on his face. “I’ve already forgiven you for that.”
“You have?” She gazed up at him. “But why? I—“
“You’re still my friend, and you know that,” Thorax said simply. “Heck, even if the war had started, I would’ve still forgiven you.” Ember’s smile returned, though after a moment the changeling added, “I just hope Ocellus could forgive me.”
“Why wouldn’t she? She knows you were just worried about her and that you care deeply for her.”
“Just what if I hadn’t listened to her friends about the whole ‘tree’ thing? What would they have done without Ocellus?” He asked.
“That doesn’t matter. What matters is you’re still a leader and that you did nothing wrong. And you should never feel ashamed for looking after your subjects and their safety.”
Thorax smiled one last time at the dragon. “T-Thank you...”
“I guess I should go, then...” Ember started to make her way outside the hive, when Thorax stopped her by putting a foreleg on her shoulder. She knew what else he wanted. “You want a hug, don’t you?” The changeling nodded. The dragon sighed in response. “Alright then,” she said as she hesitantly put her arms out, only for Thorax to tightly wrap her into his embrace without warning. She did not withdraw from this, however.
As soon as Ember made her way back to the dragonlands, there was one thing left that Thorax wanted to do.
Ocellus had finished about half of her book when he heard Thorax talking with her parents from her room. As soon as the nymph heard her king’s hoof-steps, she braced herself for more berating from him. She knew he had every right to be upset about her earlier disappearance. And she still didn’t understand why her parents weren’t mad at all. Still, she greeted him bated breath once he came in.
“Oh.. Hey, Thorax... Is there, um, something I can help you with?” the icy blue changeling asked, bashfully brushing a hoof against the stone floor.
The last thing she expected him to do was to immediately hug his student out of nowhere.
Once she heard him sobbing softly, her fear, which had later turned into befuddlement, now melted into concern. “A-Are you alright?! W-Why—“
Thorax only withdrew his embrace for a minute to gaze at the nymph, once again teary-eyed, and answered, “J-Just because.”
As soon as she heard that answer, she smiled and returned his hug.
Author's Note
Okay, I don’t think I can say much. Other than the fact that I sometimes made myself sad upon thinking about this before eventually writing it.
Big thanks to MKM Alliance, who provided a lot of the first half of the story for me to finish, since I was having writer’s block. Thanks for the help!!!
