“What would I look like as a pony?” Thorax had asked his brother one day, while they were still larvae: not yet in the workforce of the hive, but still learning from their nest mothers. Currently, the young changeling was on the ground, scuffing his hoof into the ground slightly, and making small indentations in the dirt. Crude scratches that could be barely called drawings - but certainly something.
“... As a pony?” One of his ears flicked as he looked up, to see Pharynx looking both puzzled and irritated at the question, his tail flicking irritably behind him. “What does that question even mean?”
“Well… what do you think I would have looked like if I was born a pony?” Thorax rephrased, feeling just a bit silly for the question, but he was curious of his brother’s opinion anyway.
“That’s a stupid question.” Pharynx rolled his eyes, while coming over to look at the markings Thorax had made in the dirt of their room in the hive. “I think, you dummy, that you can literally transform into any pony that you want.”
“Plus, why would you have wanted to been a pony in the first place? Being a changeling is the best.” He said, puffing up his own chest, before scowling down at the drawing of a pony that Thorax had made, before scraping his own hoof in it, swiping the dirt right back into place over the pale imitation of a pony, before roughly nudging Thorax. “You gotta get over that sentimental business, Thorax. It won’t do you any good to think like that - now come on! We should get back to learning about our prey, idiot.”
“... Right.” Thorax said, smiling slightly at his brother despite the rough-housing, and the comments as he looked down at the dirt where his drawing had been. “I don’t really know why I would want to be one,” he lied, as he got up from the position he was laying down in, going to follow his brother.
Now, he didn’t need to wish.
Not that he necessarily was a pony - though there were times Thorax often caught himself still wishing at times that he was - but now he lived alongside them as if he was a normal pony instead of the frightening creature he was.
It was an amazing feeling, but it was also at times overwhelming. There were so many new experiences. Ever since he had become friends with Spike and had gained a place to stay in the Crystal Empire, it felt like there was a new thing to experience almost every day.
There was just so much he had missed out on in the hive and the wasteland that surrounded it. He had never been one of the ones that was chosen to go out into the hive; deemed too anxious and friendly to be a good infiltrator and source-gatherer for love. Instead, he had mostly been trained in fighting - and even then he didn’t excel at that. His first real venture out into the world beyond the hive and the badland’s borders had been the invasion of Canterlot - before he quickly fled to the desolate north afterwards.
Festivals were just one small part of what he had apparently missed out on, apparently. Though he couldn’t actually describe it as ‘small.’ There was just so much to look at!
Thorax felt amazed as he trotted through the faire’s grounds, his blue eyes wide as he turned left and right. There were stalls on either side from various foods and crafts being sold, and this was just the vendors part of the faire apparently.
“Is there anything you wish to buy, Thorax?” Shining Armor said, startling Thorax out of his reverie as he turned to face the stallion who had offered to accompany him out to the faire while Princess Cadence got things ready for the lighting of the crystal heart.
“Anything I wish to buy…?” Thorax repeated to himself, looking all around - looking from stand to stand before letting out a small excited yet nervous laugh. “Honestly, I don’t even know where to start,” he admitted. There was of course food - and while he enjoyed the taste, it didn’t exactly give him much nourishment. But how could he choose just one stand to buy something from? There were little figurines on one stand - and hoof made scarves and other garments from another stand. And even books ponies were selling!
“I suppose that’s fair,” Shining said, chuckling to himself as he stopped in front of a stand themed with things to buy for pets. “We’ve definitely expanded since our first year - now ponies from all around Equestria were trying to get booth space in order to sell their goods for the faire.”
“Wow, that’s amazing!” Thorax said, before he frowned, glancing at some of the prices the objects were at the garments stand and backing away. “Though… to be honest, I don’t think I have the bits to pay for most of this anyway,” he admitted. Thorax had gained some from Shining Armor and Cadence as well as from a few odd jobs he had taken up around the Empire, but the prices here were still rather expensive.
“Oh, that’s fine. I was planning on paying for anything you wanted anyway,” Shining Armor said casually, making Thorax blink as he looked over at the tall stallion.
“You don’t need to do that,” Thorax said, feeling his ears press against the sides of his head. “It’s fine, really. You’ve already done so much for me already…” Honestly, Thorax had no idea how to repay the kindness that the royal couple had given him already after being convinced he wasn’t an enemy. They had given him a home, they had freely given him friendship and love, and had him considered as an Equestria citizen. What more could he really ask for?
“Nonsense,” Shining said, rolling his eyes. “It’s just a gift.” He paused for a second. “But if you need some more time to decide if and what you want to buy, we can check out some of the fair.”
“There’s more than just shopping?” Thorax asked, a bit intrigued. There were already so many stalls! The fact that there was more was certainly fascinating!
“Of course. We got games, jousting, the petting zoo…” At Thorax’s blank look at the last two, Shining grinned, a bit embarrassed. “Right. You wouldn’t really know what the last two were, right?” At Thorax shaking his head in confirmation of the fact, Shining started walking. “Come on then! The best way to get an idea of jousting is to show you.”
“Oh?” Thorax began to walk after Shining, curious to see what he meant.
Every once in a while, as the pair passed groups of ponies, there was an occasional glance thrown his way - or even a glare, especially from the non crystal ponies. Most crystal ponies had gotten rather used to his appearance around the Empire by now. But with the faire having attracted ponies from all across Equestria, there were many eyes on him that belonged to ponies who were unused to the idea of a changeling living among ponies.
Thorax was relieved that Shining Armor was with him, however. That seemed to be able to put a lot of ponies at ease, realizing that the prince of the Crystal Empire happened to be with the changeling in question.
As he pressed closer to the stallion, his ears flicked forward as he heard the sudden roar of cheering. It was loud, and it almost made him stop in place as Thorax realized that’s where Shining was heading. Four stands stood around a yard, and Shining stopped between two of the stands, pointing at the middle of the four.
Curiously, Thorax stopped next to Shining, curiously looking forward. He blinked at the sight before him: two crystal stallions with plates of armor, and a large lance each attached to their sides were running at each other. Both ran past each other, seemingly having dodged each other’s lance.
“So… it’s some kind of… training?” Thorax said, frowning slightly as he watched them get back into their places, getting ready to charge at each other again.
“More so a kind of sport,” Shining explained, shaking his head. “Most ponies who joust right now aren’t part of the guard or anything. They do it in order to have fun.”
What a strange concept. Thorax frowned as he tilted his head, feeling more than a bit put off by the situation. “I don’t really get it I suppose,” he confessed, flinching at the sudden roar of the crowd cheering once more as one of the two stallions were hit by the lance finally.
“.. That’s okay,” Shining reassured Thorax, grinning. “Guess it might be weird to enjoy these sorts of things for sport anyway when you were trained your whole life. But I think the petting zoo will be more up your alley…” With that, he started walking off, thankfully away from the crowd and loud noises.
“Not as loud?” Thorax said, looking back at the cheering ponies in the stand once more before back at Shining, who shook his head.
“Not as loud.” Thank goodness. Thorax sighed, feeling a bit lighter now as he followed Shining, a renewed pep in his step.
Soon, the pair of them found themselves coming upon… a bunch of fences. For a moment, Thorax was confused. Was this a petting zoo? From what he had read by himself, zoos were usually much bigger places. But his confusion died away as he sighted what was contained in them.
“What are those?!” Thorax said, eyes wide as he immediately came over to the fence, rising up on his back hooves and hanging his front legs over the fence to peer in.
“Crystal ewes.” Thorax barely heard Shining’s reply, as he leaned down, looking at the tiny beings. They barely were the size of a small dog - and yet, so different! He had seen many different animals before, but nothing like this. Not only were they so cute, but they also were different colors! Just like ponies. They seemed to come in a rainbow of selectins.
“Can I-?” Thorax said, whipping around to face Shining with a wide smile.
“Of course. It’s called a petting zoo for a reason,” Shining said, making Thorax beam in response - though he blinked as a bit was floated over to him by way of magic. “Here, take this. You see those devices attached to the fence?”
When Thorax looked over to the device in question, he saw a device with a coin slot and a cup to fill. “That’s a feeder - put the coin in and you can also feed them.”
“Oh, thank you!” Thorax made a mental note to repay the bit later, but quickly nodded. “Thanks Shining Armor!”
“No problem, Thorax. Now… I gotta check up on a few things before the end ceremony tonight. You think you’ll be good here?”
“... I think so,” Thorax said, giving a smile before buzzing his wings, lifting himself over the fence directly into the pen.
It was sunset by the time that Shining returned, a brow raised as he came upon Thorax and the sight before him.
Thorax had indeed used that bit in order to feed the ewes, and it seemed they had been more than a bit thankful for the feeding. Because now the changeling was nearly swarmed with the tiny sheep, - one by each of his sides, and even one sleeping on top of him.
And Thorax was having the grandest time with it all, feeling like his day had been near perfect.
“Had fun?” Shining teased, as he stopped in front of the changeling.
“Definitely,” Thorax said - not too loudly, despite how happy he felt, as he didn’t want to disturb the resting sheep around him. Gently lifting himself up slow enough not to disturb the sheep by his feet, he looked at the one on his back - a bit puzzled with what to do with it. That was, until it was enveloped a magic glow courtesy of Shining, which lifted the ewe off of Thorax’s back and onto the ground with the rest of them.
Carefully buzzing his wings, Thorax then lifted into the air, flying back over the fence and settling back next to Shining. “It’s time for the ceremony?” Thorax asked, tilting his head.
“Yep! Cadence got it all set up.” Shining confirmed
“So… should I go get a place by the castle then?” Thorax said, starting to head over towards the center of the Empire. “If I want a good place, then I should try to get there as soon as possible…”
“Actually - me and Cadence discussed something else.” Shining said, stopping Thorax with an outstretched hoof. “We want you to join us in the ceremony today with Sunburst.”
“Me?” Thorax said blinking, and rearing his head back. “But… why?” Feeling confused, Thorax felt… something. “You’ve already done so much for me already. Both you and Cadence. It feels way too much to give him a spot in the end of the faire ceremony as well!”
“... Thorax.” Now, a serious look had come over the prince’s face, and Thorax felt himself stop, lowering his head slightly to stare at the ground. Had he gone too far in his words somehow? He was just… trying to do what was right.
“... You’re like family to me and Cadence.” Thorax felt his heart seize in his chest, as he quickly looked up, blinking rapidly.
“What…?” He breathed out, not quite believing what he had heard at first.
“I said, you’re like family to me and Cadence, Thorax.” Shining said, a good-natured smile on his face.
Thorax had heard him right apparently - but he still couldn’t believe the words. It just didn’t make sense! “But I’m a changeling,” the words rushed out before he could stop them, finding the filter from his brain to his mouth to have stopped working properly.
“Yes, you are.” Shining said, raising a hoof and giving Thorax a hug around his carapace. “But that doesn’t matter. Me and Cadence both appreciate you. Flurry Heart adores you. And Spike is one of your best friend. And over the past few months, you’ve become our friend as well. And… well, almost like a younger brother.” Shining chuckled slightly.
That was all true, but… Thorax looked into Shining’s eyes, seeing the earnestness in them. He was telling the truth, despite Thorax being a changeling. Despite him once being an enemy.
“... Thank you,” Thorax breathed out the words, still in disbelief somewhat, but realizing that yes, this was reality. Yes, Shining had said these words. And yes… he had a place here among ponies.
Slowly, Shining led the two of them towards the center of the Empire, passing through crowds of ponies that swiftly moved aside for the prince- but this time, Thorax paid no minds to any stares he got. What did it matter anymore?
He knew his place. He knew he belonged. And that’s what mattered.
A smile lit up his face as he saw Cadence at the center, with Flurry Heart and Sunburst as well. And…
“Oh. And I got that for you as well.” Shining chuckled, as Thorax’s eyes lit up at the plush toy of a crystal ewe sitting next to Cadence. “Remember: it’s a gift.”
“... Right.” Thorax said softly, coming to stand next to Cadence and smiling up at her as he picked up the plush, holding it close to his chest.
With a nod and a wink towards him, Cadence stepped forward to the crystal heart, clearing her throat as she began to talk to the crowds of ponies around the center.
And yet… Thorax could only focus on the happiness in his chest.
Yes, he still wasn’t a pony.
But that didn’t matter in the least anymore when he had friends and family that accepted him the way he was. And Thorax was more than happy with that situation.
