Pharynx was flying away from the hive about 2 am in the morning. He and Thorax had gotten into a big fight, and Pharynx couldn’t get it out of his head…
“You don’t know how to run a hive Thorax! You are so soft and weak and how the hive hasn’t fallen apart already is beyond me!” Pharynx shouted, pacing around in Thorax's bedroom.
“Pharynx,” Thorax started as he stood watching his brother march around his room, “not this again. I have been working on that. Ember has been giving me guidance in being assertive and-”
“And there you go spouting off about your girlfriend again!” Pharynx interrupted as he quickly stopped and spun around to face his brother. “You barely manage to run a kingdom, and you are always going off with… HER!”
Thorax closed his eyes for a moment, and took a deep breath in. He then opened his eyes, and looked down at the ground as he pawed the floor with his hoof. “I don’t always go off with her. Also she isn’t my girlfriend, just my friend. Yes I go to her for advice, but she knows these sorts of things. So it makes sense that I would. So I don’t know why you are complaining. This is what you wanted me to learn after all.”
Pharynx strode right up to his brother, and shoved Thorax in the chest with his hoof. “First of all look me in the eyes when you are speaking! Also don’t mumble! How is anyone supposed to take you seriously when you seem like such a pathetic joke? Second, she is a dragon! Not a changeling. They do things differently than we do. They don’t know how we work, and besides, we need to take charge of our own people vs. Turning to some forign power. That makes us look weak! We need to stand on our own! Don’t you see?” Pharynx cried as he looked Thorax in the eyes.
Thorax was starting to get irritated. He took a firm stand and put his hoof down. “Now wait just a moment. It isn't a weakness if we turn to other nations for help. If anything, it is a strength that we are able to do so. I also do not appreciate you talking me down like this. It’s like you don’t support me at all.”
Pharynx was a little taken aback. How could Thorax suggest that he didn’t care. Pharynx cared alright, not just about the hive, but also his little brother. Thorax though just seemed to brush off Pharynx’s worries like they were nothing. What if during one of his meetings with Ember he started to ask for more than just assertiveness lessons? What if he started asking her things like how the hive should run, or what they should practice, or even what he should do if he was feeling nervous? Why Ember, and not his big brother?
Thorax took advantage of the opportunity that Pharynx’s silence gave him. “Or maybe you’re jealous?”
Pharynx snorted. “Jealous? Of what? A brother who spends more time with an overgrown blue lizard who is taking all of your attention away from what really matters the most? Like… the hive?!”
Thorax bared his teeth. He had enough of Pharynx’s bad attitude. “ENOUGH!” He shouted, all manners forgotten. He didn’t care that this was his brother. He was sick and tired of being pushed around. “Ember is my friend. I know that is a forign concept to you, considering you don’t have many. Oh wait, pretty much none at all!” Thorax said, spouting off everything he had held in throughout the years.
Pharynx looked as though he had been punched in the face. But that didn’t stop Thorax. He was on a roll. “What you fail to realize is that we are not the same changelings we used to be under Queen Chrysalis. We have changed, and our way of life has changed as well. I can’t believe you! I thought you would understand, especially after you reformed. But it seems I was wrong. You are so stuck in the old ways, it makes me really wonder how inflexible you really are. You are so different from the big brother I used to know when we were younger. Back then I knew you cared, but now? Do you really?” Thorax asked.
“Of course I do!” Pharynx cried. Did Thorax really think he didn’t care? All he had ever done was care! “Just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean that I don’t!”
“Well then, it seems we are at an impasse,” Thorax huffed, as he narrowed his eyes. “You say you care, but I really don’t see it.”
Thorax turned on his hooves and walked out the door. Pharynx was going to call him back, but stopped himself. He needed some air. They both did. So with that, he waited a few minutes just to make sure Thorax had gone, then he slipped out, and headed to the nearest exit. When he reached it, he stepped outside.
It was night, and a cool breeze was in the air. The moon was half, and the sky was littered with stars. One star in particular seemed to be laughing at him. Pharynx glared at it. Then the wind picked up for a moment, blowing some dust into Pharynx’s face. He sneezed, rubbed his eyes, and shook his head. He spread his wings and took flight, heading away from the hive with no real destination in mind, only that he get as far away as possible from the hive. As he was flying with the wind in his face, the reality of what had just happened struck him.
I just got into a fight with my little brother who I never fight with, Pharynx thought to himself as he flew through the clouds. He looked up to the moon and wondered, What now?
Pharynx blinked, lowered his head and looked down at the scenery below him. The area around the hive was lush and green ever since the changelings had started to bring life back to the landscape. But you could still see the rocky and barren terrain as one got farther away from the hive. There was a canyon not too far ahead with a rocky outcrop near the ledge. Pharynx angled his wings so that he could fly down to it. Moments later, he landed and sat down near the edge with a rocky ledge above his head. This provided some shelter from the windchill. Pharynx just looked at the canyon below him, not thinking anything in particular. Then he face planted himself with his hoof, and groaned. I really screwed things up, he thought, as he lowered his hoof and glared at it. I know what I did wrong, but what I don't know is how to fix it. And like Thorax pointed out, I don’t really have anyone I can go see to get their consolation.
Pharynx’s face softened, and he lowered his ears. He then lowered his head as he closed his eyes, and heaved a heavy sigh. He then opened his eyes and looked up at the night sky. Who do I know that could help me here?
Pharynx ran through a few possibilities through his head, like Starlight Glimmer or Trixie, and even Discord; but none of them seemed right for this. As he scanned the sky looking for a flash of inspiration, a faint twinkle from a star caught his eye. Pharynx looked at it, and tried to think of someone, someone who might be able to help him. And then it struck him. Twilight Sparkle! Of course! Who better to help me than the Princess of Friendship herself? Pharynx asked himself. Although... Pharynx hesitated, would the Princess of Friendship be best suited to solve a problem between brothers?
Pharynx briefly questioned himself. But eventually he decided to go with the idea. Thorax may be his brother, but also his friend in a way. Pharynx stood up, stretched, and took flight once more. His new destination: Ponyville.
And that is where Pharynx was headed now. He had been thinking how to explain his situation to Twilight so he didn’t sound like a total fool. As Ponyville came into sight, Pharynx’s hope rose. His hope that he would be able to set things right again between him and his brother. He flew down to Twilight's Castle and knocked. When Spike answered, he seemed a little surprised, but he didn’t say anything much. Just basic questions you would expect if a changeling general who was supposed to be back at the hive showed up at your front doorstep at five in the morning.
“Hey Pharynx! What brings you to the Castle of Friendship so early in the morning?” Spike asked, holding his talon out.
“Uh, I just need to see Princess Twilight about a… problem,” Pharynx said, as he raised his hoof to shake it with Spike.
“A friendship problem?” Spike inquired in what felt like a bit of an interrogation to Pharynx.
“Not exactly,” Pharynx said, hoping that his short answer would hint at him not wanting to spill out the details of his reason to visit. Not yet anyway.
Spike seemed to pick up on this clue, as he just nodded, as he invited Pharynx inside. Pharynx took in the castle decor as he and Spike walked down a hallway. “Princess Twilight is at a sleepover with her friends from last night, but she should be back in a couple hours. Fun fact though,” Spike said as they came to a door. Spike pushed it open, and there was a huge library inside. And inside the library was a white unicorn stallion with a blue mane, standing on a stool looking at a couple of book titles. When he heard the door open though he smiled and waved.
Spike waved back, then turned to Pharynx and spoke. “This is Shining Armor. He also stopped by last night to see Twilight, but she had gone out so he stayed the night. Anyway, you might as well make yourself comfortable. Have fun!” Spike said with a smile and a wave, as he exited the library, closing the door behind him.
Footsteps echoed, slowly getting quieter as Spike got farther away until they faded altogether. This left a bit of an awkward silence in the room between the two stallions. Then Shining Armor got down from his stool and walked over to Pharynx. “Greetings there. I’m Shining Armor, Twilight’s big brother.”
Pharynx cocked his head a bit. “Twilight’s brother?”
Shining Armor nodded. “I came here last night hoping to surprise Twilight with a visit, but it didn’t work so well since she wasn’t here,” he said with a laugh.
“I can see how that would make things difficult,” Pharynx agreed.
“So what brings you here today?”
“Well, I had a little problem,” Pharynx began, “that I was sure that Twilight could help me on. But it seems I will have to wait. Anyhow. So what is it like being a big brother?” Pharynx asked with a shrug, making it seem as though this was all small talk. In reality though he was hoping that he could maybe get a couple ideas for a solution to his problem.
“Well,” Shining Armor said as he scratched his chin,“it is pretty fun. I mean, it isn’t always easy, but it’s definitely worth it. I remember so many times that Twily, that’s a nickname for my sister, and I did different things together. One of our favorite activities was to go fly a kite, and eat an apple which we split afterwards.”
Pharynx nodded. “There were times when we weren’t training or feeding, or something that me and my brother Thorax, would just hang out. Usually though that meant me practicing, and him watching though.”
“You’re a big brother too? Awesome!” Shining Armor said, as he reached out for a bro hoof. Pharynx was a little awkward what to do about this, but he did it anyway after a moment of hesitation.
“So, uh, how is your relationship? Any bumps?” Pharynx pried.
Shining Armor raised an eyebrow. “We have it pretty good,'' he said. “A few bumps here or there, but hey that’s normal for every sibling out there!”
“I guess. Nothing really big though?” Pharynx asked.
Shining Armor scratched his chin for a moment. “Well there was this one time a few years ago, where me and my sister got into an argument about my fiance. Twilight claimed she was evil, and that I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I didn’t believe her, but come to find out Twily was right. It was actually Queen Chrysalis of the changelings posing as her instead.”
Shining Armor looked at Pharynx, and quickly realized he was talking to a changeling. “Uh, oops,” he said. “No offense though. That was just her. Not the other changelings. Although they did play a big part in it, and… you know what, I’m just going to shut up now”
Pharynx barked out a laugh. “Hey, it’s chill. Now that I think about it, I’m starting to recognize you more as the guy who’s wedding was crashed. Literally.”
Pharynx and Shining Armor shared a good laugh at that. “So, what happened between you and Twilight after the whole show down?”
“Well, we proceeded with the wedding, and then the reception. Things sort of naturally smoothed themselves over. But realizing that I needed to actually trust my sister to follow her gut in what she believed, and actually admitting that, in depth to her, really helped.”
Pharynx nodded. “So what advice would you have for being the best big brother you can be? You see… me and my little brother sort of had a fight before I came over. And that is even the whole reason I am here. To try and get some guidance about what I should do to fix this.”
Shining Armor nodded with a smile on his face. “I get it. Some tips I would give are: You need to listen to him. As the older sibling you may feel as though you know everything, but you would be surprised. You also need to to trust him making his own decisions and trust that he will do the best for those under his rule. Something I can compare is when I helped Cadence rule the Crystal Empire before Twilight became a Princess. But if I was always telling her how to do her job… well I don't think she would appreciate it very much. Another thing, and probably the most important, let him know you are there for him, and that you support him. It can be hard to let your guard down and put your pride away, from personal experience, but it will go a long way. You need to be real with him, talk and communicate with him, and overall just let him know that he can count on you. But you need to count on him as well.”
This got Pharynx thinking about all the times he had put down his brother to try and keep him close to him so that he wouldn’t get hurt. “If I let him go down his whole road though, I kinda worry what might happen to him though. Also, he has been confiding more in a… friend of his, more than in me. And that kinda… stings a little.”
Shining Armor walked up to Pharynx and put his hoof on his shoulder. “Hey, I get that. I was super protective of my little sister too. But when she saves the world 5+ times, becomes a princess, and now knows more than I do in some areas, you realize that she is able to take care of herself. As for counting on someone else… well Twilight is sure to confine her worries to her friends long before me, if at all. But sometimes she will send me a letter asking for advice, so that helps. Thing is, that as they grow and expand, it can be hard to let them go because you are so used to them depending on you. It is kinda hard to realize, but even though they don’t come to you like they may once have, you still hold significance in their lives.”
Pharynx lowered his head a bit as he thought, Is this what I need to do with Thorax? Just accept how he leads the Hive and goes to Ember all the time? I’ve never been one to be open about feelings, that is Thorax’s department. But Thorax is right… we have all changed since Queen Chrysalis left. Maybe it’s time I changed, and talk about my emotions for once. Or twice, or however long I need to. As for him being capable enough… he was the one to help take down Chrysalis and the first to reform, and he definitely has the physical buildup that signifies his position. I’m second in command, and maybe it’s time for me to fully accept that without putting down my little brother. As for Ember, well I guess a dragon is the best candidate to help build up toughness. I guess all I can do is be the best me I can be, and be there for Thorax if he needs me.
“Thank you for your help, but it is time for me to be heading back to the Hive. I have some things I need to take care of.”
Shining Armor nodded, clearly understanding what that meant. “Well, it was nice talking to you.”
“You too,” Pharynx smiled as he brohoofed Shining Armor again, and then headed out of the library.
As he was headed out past the throne room, Spike was in his little throne reading a Power Ponies comic book. Spike looked up and asked, “Leaving already? Twilight sent a message saying she should be back in about ten minutes or so.”
Pharynx smiled, and stopped for a moment. “That’s nice and all, but I already received the advice I came here in need of. Good day.”
Spike looked a little confused, but he shrugged, and waved at Pharynx as he was leaving, then went back to reading his comic. Pharynx waved back, and exited the castle. As he stepped outside, he looked at the sky once more. The night was fading rapidly as dawn was approaching. The stars were all but gone. But there was one that shined as brightly as before. Pharynx gave it an extra look, then a smirk crept onto his face. I see you, he thought. And thank you. Thank you for leading me to the answers I needed.
As Pharynx flew back to the hive to talk with Thorax and get everything sorted out, a stray thought sprang into his mind. You know it was funny how that one star was always there. The stars belong to the night, which belongs to Princess Luna…
Pharynx chuckled to himself. Thorax had a point when he said I don’t have much of a social life. Maybe I will have to look up this Princess Luna. I’m sure we’ll have some diplomatic meeting soon enough as royal leaders of two different species do. I wonder what will come from it. One thing is for sure though, Thorax is going to give me a bad time about it, just like I did with him and Ember.
Pharynx just shook his head, a huge smile plastered on his face. He had learned a valuable lesson on what it meant to be a big brother, and it was a wonderful thing indeed.
Author's Note
I had so much fun writing this! I don't care if this wins the contest, I just hope that it brightens someone's day out there :)