Changed: Saving My Friendby Cryptosporidium137ChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 1The Changelings had come a long way over the years. They were once seen as insignificant bugs that destroyed empires from the inside. Pests, that fed on love and lived in filth. Maggots that were ruled by a sadistic Queen. But, thanks to the incredible actions of some individuals, they had become an ally to many of their former enemies. They also went through an incredible change. No, longer did they need to feed on love. Instead, they shared it with the other nations. They also had a new ruler. Thorax was the first changeling to go against what they had been taught. He was the first one to befriend the Equestrian known as Spike. Both of them had become good friends over the years. Both Thorax and Spike walked along the border of the Changeling hive. They were searching for something that the former queen had found. Earlier that day a guard had discovered a journal that was owned by the former queen. The journal held secrets that shocked Thorax. Secrets that could damage the brittle trust the nations had with them. Secrets, that she hid from her subjects. Routes that were hardly traveled. Magical experiments to test on prisoners. Hidden powers of the royal cocoon. All these secrets she kept hidden from them. But, the one that frightened him the most was an entry about a monster. “So, what exactly is this monster?” The question made Thorax shudder slightly. He didn't want to talk about that thing; the little bit he read had given him nightmares. He gulped a lump in his throat. “Her journal said it was a weapon.” He answered. “A weapon?” He asked, the young drake wondered what kind it was. Was it a magically strengthened sword? A shield that could block any attack? Was it something created with a piece of the black stone? Thorax nodded. “Yes, a weapon.” He looked around and saw one of the paths mentioned in the journal. He looked at Spike and motioned for him to follow him. “This way.” They turned down the path and continued walking. He continued to describe the weapon. “She wrote that it was powerful enough to fight an alicorn's magic. Strong enough to best the Dragon Lord's strength. Smarter, than a Yak and faster than any gryphon.” He nodded and continued to ponder what it could be. From, Thorax's description the weapon was something living. He wondered if most of the details were exaggerated. A weapon that could match the strength of the Dragon Lord? That sounded hard to believe. He also found it hard to believe it was stronger than an alicorn. Sure, there was the amulet, the storm king's staff, and Grogar's Bell. But, all of them were locked away in Canterlot. Plus, if there was such a weapon the princesses would have known about it. Right? “Is there a chance this is a bluff?” He asked Thorax really wanted to say yes. But, he didn't have that luxury. He answered honestly. “No. Chrysalis may have been a liar and a psychopath. But, what she wrote; I dread to say that it's true.” “How do you know?” Spike asked while they turned down another path. “The journal was hidden in her bed chamber. No, changeling knew about it. Not even her most loyal subjects.” He shuddered as he recalled something. “I think I know why those chambermaids went missing.” “Huh?” Spike questioned. “Two chamber maids went missing awhile back.” He explained. “They were the best out of the hive and one day they went missing.” He shuddered again before suggesting. “If they found that journal.” All the drake could do was nod; mostly because he didn't want his friend to finish suggesting what he thought he was. They continued to follow the path until they reached a large forest. The forest itself was a mystery. It was hidden out of the way of any path. In order to find it you had to take paths that didn't make sense. Paths, that appeared to move in circles. Dead ends that were not dead ends. The path to it made absolutely no sense. Plus, I looked like it was nighttime. The overhead canopy of leaves and branches nearly blocked out the sun. There was also a silence in the air. It was so silent their heartbeats were echoing through the air. “Did the journal mention the Everfree forest? Because this place is just like it.” Spike felt a chill go down his spine. He commented. “It's even cold like it.” “Yes.” Thorax also felt the chill. “The journal wasn't kidding about this place. This forest has abandoned its hope.” He shivered as the chill got a little worse. He saw a tree with a twisted trunk. “This way.” They made their way to the tree and turned left. It felt like the forest was closing in on them. The air was so cold it felt like their lungs were starting to freeze. There was also a pressure in the air. A pressure that was trying to make them leave. But, they kept going deeper into the woods. As they walked more horrible details about the monster came to Thorax's mind. It made him wonder if they were doing the right thing. “The monster has a roar that sounds like the wheels of a train.” He unintentionally spoke out loud. “Like a train,” Spike questioned. “So, it screeches loudly?” He asked. Thorax could only nod. “I guess. There were a lot of details that didn't make any sense.” He began to list them off. “A roar that sounds like train wheels. Deep in its throat lava pools. The ability to stand on two legs; while its top part is set ablaze.” All these details fueled the fear he was feeling. He wasn't the only one feeling it. Spike could only imagine the monster they were heading towards. Sure, he's seen his fair share of evil beings. But, this one was kept secret by a monster. He was worried about himself and his friend. He wondered if he should've sent a letter to Twilight or Ember. They followed the trail all the way to a huge wall of trees. “I don't understand?!” Thorax exclaimed in shock as he looked at the trees. “There should be a cave right here.” “Maybe, we took a wrong turn?” Spike suggested. “No, I'm sure we followed the correct path.” He turned back around and looked back at the path. “If we had gone the wrong way. We would have ended up back at the hive.” As Thorax tried to figure out what was going on. Spike noticed something behind the trees. His curiosity got the better of him and he picked up a small rock. He aimed between the trees and threw it. The rock flew through the air and passed the trees. The moment it struck the earth again; its impact echoed from behind the trees. Thorax turned to face the sound; while Spike had a smile appear on his face. The cave was behind the trees. “Nice, job Spike.” Thorax commented before they began to move around the trees. The moment they entered the cave; the pressure they felt earlier returned. Only this time it was much worse. The cave was an empty void that threatened to take everything away. Like a gaping maw ready to devour anything that dared to enter it. They continued deeper into the blackness of the cave. Thorax used his magic to illuminate the path they walked. Drops of water fell from the roof of the cave. They echoed through the cave adding to its eerie setting. Their steps also echoed through the cave. It felt like they heading towards Tartarus itself. What kind of monster lived this far underground? What kind of monster was the former queen hiding? Would they be able to fight it? Or, was it all nothing to be worried about? “So.” Spike began. “How much longer do we?” The ground suddenly opened beneath both of them. They screamed as they slid down the smoothest rock beneath the cave. It curved around a bend almost like a slide. Spike tried to use his claws to slow himself down. But, the rock was too dense. Thorax then saw something that filled him with complete terror. It was the orange glow of fire. Spike noticed the glow too. They grabbed hold of each other and braced themselves for a horrible impact. Thankfully, the only impact they felt was against hard ground. Both of them breathed heavily as they lay there on the lukewarm ground. Thorax groaned as he slowly got to his hooves. He looked around the area for a moment; before he looked at Spike. “Are you okay?” He asked. Spike nodded. “Yeah.” He looked at him. “How about you?” He nodded causing him to smile happily. He looked around and asked. “Where are we now?” “I'm not sure.” Thorax looked around again. They were inside some type of chamber. A chamber that was in no way natural; it was made by hooves. He gasped when he realized what this place was. It was the exact chamber mentioned in the journal. This was the chamber where the monster lived. “Spike, we need to-.” A screeching sound echoed through the chamber. The sound was both annoying and painful. It sounded exactly like the screeching wheels of a train. They covered their ears as the sound got worse. The chamber began to shake horribly. From the wall, the monster itself emerged. Thorax got a quick glance at it. He felt dread overtake him as the monster continued to move towards them. It was larger; larger than any predator he had ever seen. It had evil orange eyes and it looked like there was actual lava in its throat. It screeched its horrifying roar again. He quickly stood up and helped his friend up. “Spike, we gotta get out of here!” The monster roared at them again. They began to run away from it. But, it was not giving them any chance. One of its arms slammed down in front of them. The force of the impact shook the cave. Some bits of the roof fell from the ceiling. They began to run away again. But, the monster repeated its action. It had them boxed in. For, a moment, Thorax saw an opening in the monster's attack. There was a way out behind it. But, they would have to run directly underneath it. He motioned towards the opening. “Spike, this way!” He began to run towards the monster. “Thorax, no!” Spike shouted. Before he could ask his question was answered for him. The monster had another set of arms underneath its primary. One of them was already heading right towards him. He saw his life flash before his eyes. Before he was suddenly pushed out of the way. He turned just in time to see his friend standing behind him. He had just pushed him out of the way. The hand struck him hard. “AHHHH!” “SPIKE!” He was standing over the mangled corpse of some kind of creature. Thorax breathed calmly as he listened to the silence all around him. He looked at the corpse. He remembered it being the monster, but something had destroyed it. He wanted to say killed, but it was beyond recognizable. It looked like metal that had been melted and twisted together with the rocks. He felt something warm on his hooves. His eyes drifted down and he saw that his hooves were covered in something black. Did he do this? He gasped. “Spike!” For a moment he forgot about him. He looked around the chamber. Well, what was left of the chamber. There were deep impact holes along the walls and the floor. There was some kind of battle that happened here. A battle he couldn't remember. That was when he noticed him. He was lying there on the floor. He called out to him and began to run towards him. He was about halfway there when he suddenly crashed to the floor. His body was suddenly fatigued beyond belief. It felt like every muscle in his body was suddenly cramping up. The pain was unbelievable. It hurt just to take in a breath of air. He looked at his friend with tear-filled eyes. “Spike!” He called out again as he fought through the pain. Every movement he took hurt. It was like something was biting him over and over. His body begged for him to stop. It wanted him to rest on the ground. But, Spike needed him. He needed to get to him. He fell to the ground again. A sob escaped him as he fought to get back to his hooves. He looked through the tears that clouded his vision. He was almost within arms reach of him. He had to keep going. He had to keep fighting. He started to crawl on the floor. The pain continued to shoot through his body. But, he didn't care. All that he cared about was making sure his friend was okay. The poor drake was beyond okay. Thorax had to keep himself from vomiting at the sight. Spike looked like he had been trampled by a thousand yaks. One of his arms was twisted backwards. The other had his elbow completely shattered. It looked almost like a deflated balloon. One of his eyes was swollen and dark blue. The other looked like it had been crushed into his skull. His legs looked horribly crooked. The bones had been snapped in three different areas. One of his wings had its skin partly torn off. The other was crushed beyond repair. He looked like a corpse that had been beaten even after he had been killed. Thorax sobbed heavily as he hugged his friend close to his body. “Thorax.” He gasped when he heard his name whispered to him. He looked and noticed the slow movements of Spike's chest. Somehow, he was still alive. Through some miracle, he was still among the living. He shushed and hugged him again. He had to get him back to the hive. But, how was he going to do that? He didn't know any teleportation spells. They also didn't let anyone else in the hive know where they were going. He looked around the destroyed chamber. He hoped he could find a way. It was then he saw it. Just a few feet in front of him was a wall of clear ice. He hadn't noticed it before; had it been there all along? The ice didn't hold his curiosity for long. No, it was what was on the other side of it. He could see the throne room of the hive. He saw his brother and some guards standing there. He looked at his friend again. It gave him enough strength to fight through the pain again. He began to limp towards the ice. His body hurt, his muscles burned, but it didn't matter to him. He took another step closer. Then another, another, another, and another. He was about to run face-first into the ice. But, instead of a hard impact he passed right through it. He felt a strange magic on his body. “I want all of you to search the perimeter. Report back here if you find anything.” That was his brother's voice. As the guard saluted him one of them saw something out of the corner of their eye. They turned to see what it was. “King Thorax!” Pharynx and the guards looked and saw him walking into the light of the throne room. At first, they were shocked to see him. But, their shock soon turned to terror when they stepped into the light. Spike looked dead and Thorax looked like he had been in the fight for his life. He quickly ran towards the two. “Brother, what happened to you both?! What did this?” He asked but he got no answer. As his brother turned away from him. Thorax felt numb to the world around him. He heard their muffled voices. But, his attention was on the weakening breaths of his friend. He looked down at him. His breathing was getting weaker by the second. He could hear his heartbeat. It was getting weaker and weaker. “The Cocoon!” He suddenly shouted. The shout caught Pharynx and the guards off guard. His brother tried to walk around him. He blocked his path and tried to calm him. He was then violently smacked out of the way. The blow wasn't hard. But, it was enough to shock him. Thorax continued to move past them and towards the throne. “Thorax, Stop!” Pharynx was worried about his brother. He didn't know the extent of his injuries. For, all he knew he could have been hurting himself more. He tried to get close to him. But, he came to a sudden stop when his brother turned and glared at him. The moment his eyes made contact with his brothers he felt it. It was the foul-tasting emotion of murderous intent. It made him want to vomit. Two of the guards did vomit. None of them had ever felt that emotion from him. None of them believed he could ever give off that emotion. Yet, for that brief second of history, he did. He turned away from them and focused his magic on something in the ceiling. A sickly green glow illuminated the throne room. From the ceiling, a large cocoon dropped. It was the royal cocoon. It was made of pure love. Love that was strong enough to save the king's life. Or, in this case, his friend's life. He looked down at him again and hugged him. The cocoon stopped in front of them and slowly it split itself open. Thorax held Spike in front of him and gently placed him in the cocoon. He stopped for a moment as he looked at his face. “Please.” He quietly begged. Pharynx snapped out of his stupor and gasped. “Thorax, wait!” It was too late. His brother kissed the drake on the lips and the cocoon began to glow brightly. Spike was pulled into it as it was sealed shut. It began to glow brightly again. The light was so intense all of them had to shield their eyes from it. Once the light dimmed they saw what had happened to the cocoon. It was now the same color as Spike's scales. The drake was resting inside of it; while it began the slow process of repairing his damaged body. All of them could hear Thorax sobbing happily. He had made it in time. Pharynx approached his brother. “Thorax, what have you done?” He didn't get an answer for his brother collapsed. “Thorax!” He ran and picked his brother up off the floor. He looked at the guards and ordered. “Get the healers, now!” The guards nodded and ran out of the throne room. He held his brother in his hooves before he looked at the cocoon. He couldn't believe what his brother had just done. He saw the drake inside the cocoon. He looked at his brother again. His mind couldn't believe what he had just seen. This was far beyond what his mind could imagine. “Why?” That was the only thing he could ask right now. “Just, why?” Chapter 2Thorax stared at the ceiling of the hives infirmary. He couldn't stop thinking about Spike. Although, he had managed to get him inside the cocoon in time. He still worried about what was happening to him. So much had happened. They had gone to investigate a secret hidden away by the former queen. They found where it was hidden and were attacked by a monster. All he could recall after that was Spike being hurt. After that, he couldn't remember anything else. Except picking up an injured Spike and getting back to the hive. He couldn't get how Spike looked as he was sealed inside the cocoon. At his side was his brother. He had been by his side since he had regained consciousness. He was more angry than he was confused. He hadn't stopped reminding him of the possible consequences their kingdom could face. “When Princess Twilight learns what has happened.” He continued to list off the problems they could face. But, he stopped when he realized his brother wasn't listening. He sighed in frustration. “Thorax.” His brother looked at him. “Talk to me.” What could he say to him? He didn't know what he could say. He looked back up at the ceiling; almost like he was asking it for an answer. “How's Spike?” Pharynx was caught off guard by the question. But, he couldn't say he didn't expect it. “The cocoon is healing him.” He noticed the look of relief on his face. “But, it's also changing him.” Thorax frowned and looked away from him. He knew that was going to happen. The Royal Cocoon was a medical fail-safe for the hive's ruler. If their life was in danger and there was no time to get them to the medical wing. It was their only hope to stay alive. To have it be used on another creature. Its magic would save them. But, it would also change them into a changeling. Every changeling knew of the cocoon's power. All of them knew of it. Yet, he still placed him inside of it. “How long?” He asked. Pharynx shook his head. “I'm not sure.” He answered honestly. “I guess a month. Maybe two.” It would take him that long to heal. That beast did more damage than he had thought. The thought of that thing made him visibly shudder. He could still see its horrible face. Hear its horrible screeching roar. He shook the thoughts from his head. He couldn't think about that thing right now. He had to think about what he had to explain. How could any creature explain something like this? He sighed. “Pharynx, can you take a letter for me please.” He nodded before leaving his brother's side to fetch the tools needed to write the letter. He was left alone in the silence again. His thoughts were like a swarm of angry bees. He assumed Twilight would panic at first. Who wouldn't panic after hearing that their number one assistant was hurt the way he was? He wasn't just that to her; he was her first friend, almost her little brother. Then, there was Ember. He was supposed to visit her after seeing him. What was he going to tell her? “Just answer honestly.” He gasped and looked around the room. He swore he just heard Spike's voice. But, he was the only one in the room right now. No, other changeling or any creature was in there with him. He sighed and figured that it was just his nerves. He took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He knew what he could write. It may cause problems. But, Spike was still alive and Twilight and Ember would be thankful for that. He heard his brother enter the room again. He looked at him and saw him holding everything he needed to write the letter. He sat down beside him. “What do you want it to say?” His voice had a grim tone to it. “Dear, Princess Twilight.” He started to say. It didn't take them long to have the letters written and sent off. One messenger flew off to Canterlot. The other to the dragonlands. After they were sent Thorax asked to go and see Spike. He was warned that he was still weak. Thankfully, his brother offered him his shoulder. Thorax leaned on him as they walked back to the throne room. The cocoon was still there just before the throne. Its purple and green hues were different from the natural colors of the hive. They walked up to the cocoon and gazed inside of it. There he was asleep inside of it. His body slowly healing from the damage that had been done. Thorax felt tears welling in his eyes again. He moved from his brother's side and pressed his forehead against the cocoon. He was sick of crying. But, he couldn't stop the tears from falling. Pharynx stood calmly behind his brother. He couldn't imagine what he was going through. But, he tasted it. The bittersweet taste of sorrow and regret. He couldn't tell him that it was going to be okay. He didn't want to lie to his brother. Chapter 3A week had passed since the fight with the monster. Thorax had regained his health. But, Spike continued to sleep inside the cocoon. He gently pressed his hoof against it as he looked at his friend. His body had healed. But, the cocoon was slowly changing him. His wings had become more transparent and an elytra had grown over them. He also noticed a small horn growing on his forehead. He sighed and walked away from it. He may have been worried about his friend; he was still the king and had responsibilities to his subjects. He exited the throne room and headed for the meeting chamber. He was waiting for the replies to his letters. He was more worried about what Princess Twilight would do rather than Ember. Spike had warned him about Twilight's Twilighting moments. As he walked through the halls of the hive; he didn't feel alone. Somehow it felt like Spike was walking right beside him. It made him feel better. But, he wished for him to be out of that thing. “King Thorax!” He turned to face a guard that was running towards him. The guard stopped in front of him and bowed. “Your, Highness. The messenger who was sent to the dragonlands has just passed our borders.” He smiled at the good news. “But, The Dragonlord is with them.” He sighed while shaking his head. He figured she would respond in form rather than letter. “Alert the rest of the guard and inform my brother that I'll be outside the hive.” He ordered. The guard saluted him before running off to complete the task at hand. Thorax looked up and flew towards an opening in the ceiling. The moment he exited the hive he flew towards the eastern border. The dragonlands were off in that direction. As he flew through the air he saw the messenger and her. When they were closer he motioned for the drone to head for the hive. She nodded and flew around them and to the hive. He focused on Ember. She was heading right for him. He moved to land in a field close by; she followed him. They landed in the field and faced each other. He saw how angry she looked; he even saw wisps of flame at the edges of her mouth. She began to stomp towards him. “Hey, Ember.” He greeted her. “Don't you hey Ember me! Thorax!” She shouted at him. “What in the world were you two idiots thinking!” She started to rant. “Fighting some kind of monster on your own! A monster that neither of you knew anything about!? Why in the?!” “Shut up, Ember.” He said calmly. “WHAT!” She shouted at him. “I SAID SHUT UP!” He shouted back at her. She wanted to run up and punch him in the face. Her claws were clenched into fists and she felt a fire building inside her chest. Her anger was replaced by shock. He was glaring at her; he was even clenching his teeth in anger. This was a first from him; normally he was a pushover. “Ember, when you got that letter, did you ever think that I wasn't saying the same thing?” He asked her. “Did you not think that I haven't been blaming myself?” He continued he looked down at the ground. “I would give anything to trade places with him. If I could do more; I would be doing it right now.” Images of his friend flashed before his eyes. Horrible images of his mangled body flashed before him. “Did you not think for even one moment.” He looked back at her with a tear-filled glare. “THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN REGRETTING WHAT I LEAD US INTO!” It was silent in the field. Some birds that had landed nearby were spooked by his shout. He continued to glare at her. Oddly, enough, the tears he was crying made him look more intimidating. She started to walk closer to him. Her glare was gone, replaced by a soft expression. When she was close enough; she wrapped him in a gentle hug. He shut his eyes as he felt her hold on him. He was trying to stop crying. “You're the king.” She reminded him. “You can cry for however long you want.” She broke the hug and he wiped the tears away. For a moment it was silent again. “Can I see him?” She asked. “Yeah.” He replied before turning towards the hive. “Follow me.” He instructed before he spread his wings and started flying. Ember followed close behind him. As they flew back to the hive; they talked about a few things. He asked her why she didn't have her guards or at least one of them with her. Her answer was that this was a personal matter. In other words, she told them to stay away; unless they wanted her to tear their wings off. She asked him about Twilight. A question that went unanswered for the remainder of the flight. He led her through the opening he had flown through. Both of them landed in the hall. He led her to the throne room. Before she could enter he stopped her. “You're, probably not gonna like what you see.” He warned her. A look of worry came upon her face. He stepped to the side and motioned for her to enter the room. She slowly entered; he was correct she didn't like what she saw. The cocoon was suspended in the air in front of the throne. Its purple and green shell appeared to be pulsing. It looked disgusting. Almost as disgusting as a roc's corpse that had been left out in the hot sun. She stepped closer to it. As she got closer she could see Spike on the inside. A gasp escaped her and she ran the rest of the way to it. She gently touched the cocoon. “Spike!” She called out as she stared at him. She was shocked by his appearance. He looked like he was part dragon and part changeling. His wings looked different. There was a horn on his forehead. Even, his claws were starting to change. She looked back at Thorax. “It's really changing him?” She asked. He nodded. “Yes.” He looked away in shame. “I didn't know if it would heal him or not.” A disgusted look appeared on his face. “She.” He said that word with a hint of anger. “Hardly mentioned anything to us.” She knew who he was talking about. She looked back at Spike again. It looked like he was sleeping inside the cocoon. “Can we take him out?” She asked. “Only if you want to kill him.” He answered. “If we try to force the cocoon open. It will fill with acid and destroy the creature inside.” She looked at him with a horrified look. “Was that bitch that crazy?!” He glared at her. “That bitch is still my mother.” He surprised her with what he said. “And, yes, she was.” He answered before walking up to the cocoon. “She would rather die than be taken alive.” He gently pressed his hoof against the cocoon. She saw the look of sadness on his face. She couldn't imagine what he was going through right now. It hurt to see Spike inside the cocoon. But, Thorax, was hurting every minute he was spending inside of it. She didn't want to think about the decision he was forced to make. “Can he hear us?” She asked him. He shook his head. “I don't know, maybe.” He answered. “Maybe?” She questioned. “What do you mean maybe?” He looked at her in frustration. “I mean I don't know. There, have been times, even right now. It feels like he's standing right next to me. There have even been times I've heard him talking to me.” He looked at the cocoon and continued. “I think the cocoon has a link to our hive mind.” “You think?” She questioned. “Was she the only one who knew what it could do?” “Yes.” He painfully admitted. “She didn't want any creature to know about this.” She nodded and sighed before she walked away from the cocoon. “He said it's good to see you.” She turned and looked at Thorax after he said that. He was starting to cry again. He was more worried about them than he was about himself. He could already hear him saying that he was okay. Trying to calm him down and comfort him as the tears poured from his eyes again. She could only watch as he dropped to his knees in front of the cocoon. Ember sighed in pity before walking up to him and helping him up. They hugged each other again. “Ember?” He asked. “Hmm?” She replied. “Can you come with me to my bedchamber?” He asked her. “I want to talk to you alone.” He added. She broke the hug and nodded. He motioned for her to follow him and they began to leave the throne room. He stopped at the entrance and looked back at the cocoon. He had just heard him speak again. He nodded at their friend before they stepped out of the room. They began to head towards his room. Ember sat on the edge of the bed. It felt soft against her scales; better than the rocks she was used to. She would have to ask Twilight about beds. Thorax sat beside her with his eyes cast towards the floor. She sighed again and wondered where that other side of him was. “So.” She began to break the ice. “What do you wanna talk about?” She questioned. He was silent for a moment. “I love him.”He said. She wasn't too surprised by what he said. He had told her his feelings for the drake once. But, he didn't need to tell her that. He had to tell him; he was just too afraid to speak to him about it. She didn't know what to say to him now. What could she say to him? He was still a mess of emotions. He was angry, sad, and numb. She was surprised that he wasn't suicidal. “Why is it so easy to tell you that?” He asked her. “Why can I tell you everything? But, when I talk to him, I can't find my voice or my strength.” He kept his eyes on the floor. “I don't know.” She answered. “You're afraid, I guess.” He chuckled. “You're right. I'm afraid.” He laughed at himself. “I was afraid of losing the bond we had. I was afraid of losing my first real friend. I was afraid of him.” He admitted. “But, now, I'm more angry at my stupid self.” That comment earned him a slap to the back of his head. “You're not stupid, Thorax.” She was a little irritated by that comment. “You're just.” “Myself.” He interrupted her. “I know. But, that is why I said that.” He looked at her. “Compared to you. I'm no different than the drone I used to be.” He managed to silence her again. She wanted to remind him of the things he's accomplished for his kingdom. But, it wouldn't do any good to remind him. She sighed and decided to just let him talk. All she had to do was just listen to him now. She noticed his ears twitching to listen to something. “What did he say now?” She asked. “He just said what you wanted to say.” He answered. “I don't think he knows he's doing this.” He commented. “Why do you say that?” She asked him. “He's obviously hearing what you're saying. So, maybe, he knows what he's doing.” He looked at her and said. “He once played his belly like a drum and was used like a lighter.” His voice was blunt. “Huh?” The statement caught her off guard again. “That's the power of the hive mind.” He began to explain. “I can not only hear his thoughts. But, if I concentrate, I can see his memories.” He snorted a little in anger. “I gotta talk to Twilight about some things.” That comment caught her interest. “What things?” She asked. He looked at her and said. “Did you know she left him alone at the library? After he spent all day setting up for her birthday.” chapter 4Thorax gazed at the newly constructed supports in the egg chamber. It was made to remove pressure from the other supports. It also allowed more eggs to be moved into the chamber. He looked at the workers and smiled in approval. He complimented them. “Good work, all of you.” He asked. “How many more do you need to make?” One of the workers replied. “We plan on building two more here and three in the south chamber.” He nodded. “Okay.” He smiled at them. “All of you remember to be safe. And, don't forget to rest okay.” All of them nodded before they started work on the next support. Thorax smiled at them again before leaving the egg chamber. He had to go check on the rest of the hives' renovations. As he walked through the halls his mind drifted back to him again. Another week had passed and he still slept in the cocoon. He found it hard to believe two weeks had already passed. Two weeks since the incident with the monster. Two weeks since he sent the letters. And, he was still waiting to hear from Twilight. “Why hasn't she responded yet?” He asked as he turned down another hall. He was surprised that she hadn't responded yet. And, at the same time, he wanted to give her a piece of his mind. Thanks to the hive mind he saw everything he kept hidden. It wasn't just being left out of her birthday. There was the time Applejack hogtied him. Rainbow Dash mocked him frequently for being a lame dragon. Pinkie and Fluttershy treated him well. But, Rarity, used him like her own private butler. He saw all of the abuse he went through. Yet, he still called all of them his friends and family. “Thorax!” He quickly turned to face who had called him. Only to gasp in shock as he found himself standing in the middle of a snow-covered field. He recognized the area; it was one of the fields outside the Crystal Empire. Why was he here? He started to walk into the field. He suddenly found himself falling down a hidden hole, his backside landed on an ice slide. He slid down and fast to a huge crevice. “Wait?!” He felt himself stopping. “I remember this place. This is the cave where I first met Spike.” Sure, enough, he saw their first meeting play out right in front of his eyes. In an instant, everything changed again. Now, he was in some kind of tree library. He wondered if this was the home he mentioned once. He heard someone crying and started to look around. Eventually, he found Spike on his knees. “I'm in the hive mind, that's a given.” He continued to watch the memory. “But, what's going on? What happened between him and?” “Please, Twilight,” Spike begged. “Don't.” “I told you.” Thorax saw Twilight standing before him. She had a cold expression on her face. “I do not need a pathetic dragon like you.” He gasped when he heard her say that. Why in the world would Twilight say something like that to him? He watched as he reached for her with outstretched arms. He moved to hug her. Only to be blasted by her magic. “I said I don't need a pathetic dragon like you.” She glared at him before picking him up with her magic. “Now, get out. YOU UNWANTED ORPHAN!” Thorax watched as he was thrown out of the library. He was horrified by the treatment of his friend. The area shifted and it showed Spike and Twilight at the bottom of some stairs. They stood before a door that led to nowhere. Twilight closed the door and explained what it was. It was a trap that led to every creature's worst nightmare. Spikes was being sent away from the only family he had known. “Oh, Spike.” He sighed. The area changed again; only this time he was inside some kind of dungeon now. He looked around the area. He didn't recognize it. But, something felt familiar about the place. He walked further into the memory. He walked through a series of winding hallways; it felt like he was in a maze. A scream echoed through the halls. It was Spike. He began to run through the maze; only to run headfirst into a pair of dark red eyes. Those eyes filled him with fear. “Thorax!” He gasped as he was pulled out of the hive mind. He was still inside the hive, but now he was surrounded by a few guards and his brother was standing next to him. All of them looked at him with concern. It was then he noticed that his heart was beating rapidly and he was covered in sweat. “Thorax, what happened?” His brother asked him. “I don't know.” He rubbed his forehead as a throb of pain shot through. “I think I was in the hive mind.” He admitted. “You were?” One of the guards questioned. “What did you see?” Another asked. He held up his hoof. “Hold on.” He focused on the messenger. “Do you have a message from Twilight?” “I'm sorry.” He apologized before he informed him. “but, no. I delivered the message to Starlight and she passed the message along.” He nodded before all of them felt a chill go down their backs. It went through the whole hive; every Changeling felt it. Thorax felt exactly where it came from. It had come from the cocoon. He moved out of the crowd and started to head towards the throne room again. It didn't take him long to reach the room. What he saw left him shocked. Emotional energy was pulsing inside the cocoon. It was a mixture of fear and anger. He wanted to vomit after feeling the first wave. Something was wrong with Spike. He ran up to it and gazed inside. He gasped as he was pulled back into the hive mind. He saw him curled into a small ball. He was crying. While something was whispering around him. The voice whispered horrible things to him. Reminding him that he was an unwanted hatchling. Reminding him of how weak and pathetic he was. Telling him that he was no hero. “All you are and ever will be. Is pathetic.” “Enough!” Thorax shouted as he ran towards Spike. “Leave, him alone!” He continued. “Thorax, help me!” That was when Spike reached out to him. Thorax tried his best to reach him. But, he was stopped by the appearance of sharp fangs. They hissed at him while sending out murderous intent. The feeling was so strong; he was pushed back and out of the hive mind. He found himself falling back and onto his backside. He groaned a little before he looked at the cocoon again. The shifting emotions slowly faded; it wasn't long until it was glowing its normal color again. He could feel his friend calming down. But, he could also feel the sadness coming from him. “Thorax!” He turned and saw his brother walking up to him. “What happened?” He asked while helping him up. “Someone just attacked Spike from the hive mind.” He groaned as another headache hit him. “Whoever it was. They're trying to kill him.” Some of the guards that had followed his brother gasped. To attack someone in the hive mind was the lowest form of an attack. They were essentially kicking a changeling while they were at their most vulnerable. “Who?” Pharynx asked. “I don't know.” He admitted. “Whoever it was. They knew how to disguise themselves well.” That was never good. That meant it could be any changeling in the hive. But, it was almost impossible to think of any one of them attacking him. Spike was liked by many of the changelings in the hive. One of the guards walked up to him. “My lord. If you wish I can take a team into the hive mind.” He suggested. “No.” He denied. “Whoever that was. They managed to kick me out of it. I don't want to put anyone else at risk.” He looked at the cocoon. “I'll monitor the hive mind. But, I want a guard stationed here to monitor him.” He looked at the guard. “Any volunteers?” Three of the guards raised their hooves. He thanked each of them before dismissing them back to their regular rounds. As they left he looked at the cocoon again in worry. Who in the world just attacked Spike? How in the world did they know how to use the hive mind? Was there a changeling among them trying to harm him? Or, was there a darker force at play? Chapter 5“Thorax, Help Me!” He was inside the hive mind again. He was running through a maze; a dark maze that seemed endless. He turned left, then turned right, left, right, left, right. He felt like a rat trapped in a maze. At one point he was turned into a rat; he had to dodge a variety of traps made to kill rodents. Whoever was making this maze had incredible control of the hive mind. He tried to fight back. But, whoever it was mastered control of the mental scape. All he could do was make his way through it and hope and pray. He turned down another hallway and saw a door at the end of it. He smiled and started to walk towards it; the door started to move away from him. He started to run towards it. It only continued to move away from him. He began to run faster and faster; the door kept moving away from him. The area around him seemed to melt away into darkness. Even the ground was fading away. He only focused on the door, all that mattered was the door, he was just in hooves reach of the handle. The door flung open and he ran through. He breathed heavily after landing on the ground. He groaned a little in pain as he slowly stood up. He looked around the area. He was on some kind of road in the middle of nowhere. The area was surrounded by a thick fog. There was also ash falling from the sky. He gasped after recognizing the area; it was from that movie he and Spike had watched. He looked around the area as he tried to remember the movie. “What was it? What was it?” He questioned himself. “Violent, Violet's, Silence?” He paused for a moment to focus on the name. “Quiet Meadow!” He remembered. The color drained from his face as he heard the sound of scrapping metal. He slowly turned around and saw it slowly approaching. It was a half-dressed dragon with a large metal cube on its head. It dragged a large double-bladed ax on the ground. He quickly took off running. As he ran through the fog he heard them. The other monsters that also inhabited the city. Deformed ponies that were always crying out in pain. Horribly mutilated changelings that hung from the walls of the buildings. There were even some half-dead creatures stumbling through the streets. He found a spot to hide allowing him to catch his breath. He could hear the growls of the monsters. As he rested; he thought about the situation he was currently in. The one controlling the Hive Mind was incredibly skilled in the mental space. They were clearly reading Spike's mind. But, by the looks of it, they weren't reading it too thoroughly. The monsters in the city were just roaming around like zombies. They weren't hunting him down. Even Cube Head was acting dumb. So, whoever it was they didn't know that much about the movie or the game. “Hmm.....I wonder?” He questioned. He began to focus on the Hive Mind. He thought about the heroes from the movies and the games. He focused on how they looked, their powers, and the weapons they used. He continued to think about them and then he heard it. He smiled as he looked to the streets. He saw all the heroes fighting the monsters. Each of them was taking them down without a problem. He heard what sounded like a door opening and looked in front of him. A door had suddenly appeared in front of him. “I know it's a trap.” He sighed as he opened the door. He stepped into the castle in Canterlot. It appeared to be some kind of room, but he didn't recognize it. He searched around it for any clues. But, he hardly found anything that stood out. He continued to search the room. As he searched he heard something metallic hit the floor near the bed. He moved closer to the area and found a ring. He picked it up and studied it. It was a wedding ring. “Canterlot Castle and a wedding ring.” He spoke to himself. The door to the room slowly opened and he exited it. He was back in that labyrinth again. He felt more annoyed than scared now. He walked further into the maze and kept himself alert. He began to focus on Spike's memories. He stopped for a moment and continued to hone in on them. He breathed calmly and did his best to focus on the memories. He sensed them, they were all hidden within the maze. No, they were the maze. Spike's own memories were being weaponized. “I have to get Spike to help me.” He said to himself. He began to focus on his friend's mind. He used the memories he already viewed as guidance; they led back to the cocoon. His friend was in a horrible state of mind. Whoever was attacking him had broken bits of his mind. He could hear him sobbing inside the mental space. “Spike.” He called out. “Thorax?” He heard him call out. “Thorax, is that you?” He smiled happily as he heard his friend replying to him. He actually felt some tears falling from his eyes. He was happy to hear his voice again. He wanted to hug him but he didn't have that luxury at the moment. He could already feel the presence of the other. He focused on his friend. “Spike, I need your help.” He told him. “I can't help you.” He heard him reply. “I....I.....I'm just a pathetic.” “Stop!” He interrupted him. “Whoever is attacking you is trying to make you feel that way.” He warned. “Well, they're doing a good job.” He sobbed a little. “Please, Thorax. Help me.” He begged. “I can't help you until you help me, Spike.” He replied. “They're using your darkest memories against you.” He informed him. He gasped as he felt the evil presence again. It wouldn't be long until it pulled him back to that labyrinth again. “Spike, I need you to remember the happiest memory you have.” He felt his friend's nervousness. He could hear him questioning himself. Questioning if he was strong enough to fight back. All those negative emotions were giving power to the intruder. Thorax had to think of something fast right now. “Spike!” He yelled. “Remember, when you saved the Crystal Empire?” He asked for a moment he felt Spike's curiosity. “How about the time you save Peewee?” He hoped he could help him by reminding him of the good he did. “How you got Rarity back to her senses during that time with the book. When you ran in after Twilight when you both went to the other world.” He listed all of them off. But, now the presence had a hold on him and was pulling him back. “Spike! Think of your happiest memory!” He had been pulled right back into the maze. He panted heavily on the cold hard ground. It was up to Spike now. He was the only one who could help him get out. He shut his eyes and prayed that the dragon he loved would come through. A door slowly opened behind him. He gasped and turned around; just in time to see a door fully open. He felt it. Happiness, joy, some nervousness, and a little bit of fear. But, there was one emotion behind them all. Love, this memory was filled with love. And, he was going to use it. “Hold on, Spike. I'm coming.” He said before running through the door and entering the memory. He was in the hallway of Twilight's former castle. The Castle of Friendship. He stopped for a moment and looked around. He couldn't feel the presence of the intruder. This memory though it felt strange. He felt nervous, almost like he was about to do something very important. That was when he saw an image of his friend walking down the hall. He was heading towards one of the guest rooms. “Don't do this, Spike.” He heard his friend's voice whisper to him. It was the voice in his head trying to get him to stop. “You're just going to ruin the friendship you both have.” “Who is he talking about?” He wondered as he followed him. The walk down the hall felt like it was taking forever. The voice repeatedly told him to stop. But, he wasn't stopping, he had to do what he had to do. He was now standing in front of the door to the room. His claw trembled as he slowly reach for the knob. The moment his claw grabbed it; he slowly turned and opened the door. Thorax saw an image of himself resting on the bed in the room. “I remember now.” He spoke to himself as he followed his friend inside. “This was shortly after the changelings were freed. I spent the night here.” He continued to watch as his friend continued to walk towards the bed. “What did you do?” He questioned. Spike continued to walk up to the bed. He was a complete nervous wreck right now. His body trembled with fear. His mind yelled at him to get out of the room. He took in a deep breath and climbed onto the bed. He crawled all the way up to his friend's head. His mind commented on how cute he looked as he slept. Thorax continued to watch the event in front of him. He was then struck with a small headache. He groaned a little as he found himself slowly waking up on the bed. He could barely see Spike's face in front of him. He felt one of his claws gently caress his cheek. He was inside his own memory inside of Spike's memory. “Thorax.” He heard Spike whisper his name. There was a long pause. “I love you.” He gasped as he found himself standing across from the bed again. He then watched as Spike kissed him. He couldn't believe his own eyes. Spike had kissed him. He gasped as he felt a warming sensation on his lips. It lasted only for a few seconds. But, that small act was enough to give him the power he needed. “I love you, too.” The image of himself replied in sync with his. Like a surge of electricity, he powered his way out of the mental scape that the intruder had made. He focused all the energy he had on tracking the creature down. Almost instantly he had searched every single changeling's mind. He eventually found the intruder. They were trying to slip out through a hidden connection. “You're not getting away from me!” He yelled as he followed it. “I'm gonna know who you are soon enough!” He yelled again. For a moment he felt fear come from the pressence that attacked his friend. It was a fear that he recognized. A fear that was rare to feel. But, it was followed by an anger he was all too familiar with. He heard that horrible hiss. He sat up in his bed gasping for air. His body and his sheets were covered in sweat. He panted like he had just run a mile. A mile would be an understatement. He then gritted his teeth and jumped out of his bed. “MOTHER!” He yelled his voice echoing all throughout the hive. More than a few changeling guards felt something none of them expected to feel. Pure anger, coming from their king. Chapter 6Thorax flew faster than he ever had before. He was heading right for Canterlot. Right for her. She was the one doing this to his friend. All of this was her doing. Her monster attacked them. Her cocoon was changing him. And, now she was trying to break him. His anger was a burning rage that would be lethal to any changeling. His wings ached from the distance and speed he had flown. But, he was so close to her. He could see the castle in Canterlot now. With a renewed burst of strength he continued to fly towards his target. “I am going to make you pay.” He promised. He swore that he could hear her mocking laughter all around him. His mother, although sealed inside of stone, still found a way to make their kind suffer. He never thought he could ever hate his mother. But, now she had crossed a line. As he flew over the countryside of Equestria he saw Ponyville. He remembered some good memories he shared with him there. He also cursed the number of times he should've just told him. His focus returned to the destination in front of him. In just a few short minutes he would face her again. He gasped as a bright flash of purple sparked in front of him. He hardly had any time to stop himself from crashing into Twilight. She looked at him with a worried look. While he glared at her for stopping him. “Thorax.” She spoke to him while extending one of her hooves. “Get out of my way!” He yelled as he tried to fly around her. She flew in front of him. “Wait!” She pleaded. “Thorax, what you're going to do is dangerous.” She told him only to get another glare from him. “You think I don't know that!” He yelled back. “You think I don't know what that bitch is capable of!?” He gritted his teeth. “I'm her damn son! I know her better than anypony or creature on this damned planet!” He began to breath heavily. She had never seen him this angry before. Not even when Spike had invited him and Ember on the same day. This was a little new to her. But, at the same time she almost understood what he was feeling. His mother was attacking him through Spike. It was like when she tried to use her brothers love to take over. But, what Thorax was trying to do was crazy. “Thorax, you need to think about this.” She tried to calm him down. “I don't need to think about anything, Princess.” He had finished that last word with a hiss. “She's trying to break him through the cocoon. She's changing his memories as we speak!” He looked at her with tear filled eyes. “She's making him think every creature important to him. Hated him! Do you want his greatest fear to become reality!?” She gasped as she remembered a talk her and Spike had a long time ago. It was after they saved the Crystal Empire. He had told her what he had seen behind the door. How he saw her kicking him out of their home or selling off to the highest bidder. She remembered the first night back home. He had so many horrible nightmares. If she was truly changing his memories; that would mean he was forgetting her. He was forgetting how much she and the others loved him. “Is this the only way?” She asked. “Yes.” He nodded. “She has to be the one to open it. She's the only one who knows the spell.” She sighed sadly before she prayed that they would be okay. Before he could fly around her; she used her magic to teleport them to the stone garden. He sighed in slight relief as his hooves touched ground. His wings were going to be cramping later. He looked at her and she lead him to them. The stone statue was hidden in a small maze. He stared coldly at her frozen form as he approached the stone. Her face forever frozen in a state of rage. Her fangs bared and tongue curled in a feral hiss. “Good to see you again, mother.” His voice was filled with so much venom. Twilight readied herself to free the former queen. She concentrated her magic and blasted the head of the statue. For a moment it was enveloped in a purple glow. Then, the stone began to turn black; it made it's way down from the bottom of her horn, all the way to her neck. The glow stopped where her neck met her body. Both of them heard her sigh in relief; just before they heard her wicked chuckle. “So nice of you to visit.” She hissed as she glared at him. “Son!” She wished he was closer; just so that she could sink her fangs into him. The only response she got from him was a hard punch to the face. Twilight gasped while she just chuckled in wickedly glee. She looked at him mockingly as he glared at her in rage. “Still the same weak maggot.” She mocked. “I hardly felt that.” That earned her another punch from him. It was followed by a third and then a fourth. Twilight couldn't believe what she was seeing. He of all changelings was actually attacking her. But, it looked she was enjoying the punishment she was getting. Her laughter was full of enjoyment. She was loving every second of this. “Let. Him. Go.” He ordered her slowly. “Hmm, no.” She smirked at him. “Why would I let that worthless reptile.” She was punched in the face again for that comment. She chuckled again. “Go free. Without punishment for all that he has done.” Twilight moved to talk, but he raised his hoof and glared at her. He really scared her when he put a force-field around them. She moved closer and gazed at them from behind the shield. They were talking now. But, she couldn't hear anything that they were saying. Sometimes he would say something. Sometimes she would say something. He would punch her and she would try to bite him. She tried to bring the field down with her magic. But, every time she tried her magic would backfire. All she could do was wait. It was the longest three hours she had ever waited. When the shield came down she stood up and looked at them. Both of them were staring each other down. It was so silent in the garden someone could hear a quill drop in Ponyville. Did he somehow manage to break her? Did she do something to Spike? What in the wide world did they talk about? “Twilight.” He spoke to her without turning to face her. “Release, her.” She gasped when she heard the command. “No!” Her answer was immediate. “I am not!” She stopped when he turned towards her and looked at her with begging eyes. That looked stopped her entire train of thought. It was a look that just begged for her to listen. She looked beyond him and at her. She was smiling wickedly at her. That smile sent shiver down her spine. It was a smile she was unfortunately too familiar with. It was the smile of a monster. A monster that held all the cards. Against her better judgment she released her from her stone prison. In a glow of purple magic the rest of her body was freed. Well, all except for her horn. “What? Don't trust me?” She fiend the hurt in her eyes and in her voice. “What did I do to all of?” “Shut up!” He hissed at her. He then looked at Twilight. “Twilight open a portal to the hive.” All she could do was nod her head and do as he said. She channeled another burst of her magic and a portal opened to the changeling hive. On the other side of the portal she saw more than a few changeling guards. All of them had their spears at the ready. He looked back at his mother and motioned for her to follow. He slowly stepped through the portal. His mother followed behind him. Twilight entered the portal last. As she stepped through she closed the portal. The hive was a commotion of panicked whispers and angry hisses. The guards not only had to focus on their former queen. But, also on the other residents of the hive. Chrysalis looked over her former subjects in disguast and in anger. If she had her way; she would have killed all of them personally. But, she was here to earn her freedom. So, her revenge would have to wait till later. Thorax lead them through the hive and to the throne room. He heard Twilight gasp in shock. “Hmm...my, my, my this old thing is still working.” Chrysalis commented as she stepped closer to it. She gazed inside the cocoon and glared at the dragon inside. He was almost a full bodied changeling right now. The half-breed filled her with so much disgust and rage. She could feel her sons glare on the back of her head. She simply rolled her eyes and faced them. She motioned towards her her horn. He turned and looked at twilight and nodded at her. She took no pleasure in the next spell she cast. Chrysalis smiled as she felt the stone around her horn disappear. It felt nice to be truly free. They lived down their part of the deal. Now, it was time to make those fools suffer. She smiled wickedly at them before turning to face the cocoon. She cast the spell to open it. But, then she activated it's special defense. At the top of it were sacks of acid; with her magic she cut them open and the cocoon filled with acid. She began to laugh wickedly as she watched the dragons body dissolve inside the cocoon. “See, you fools!” She screamed through the hive. “I still have power! I still rule over all of you.” She laughed wickedly again. “I AM STILL!” “In Canterlot.” Thorax spoke coldly. Chrysalis gasped as the world around her suddenly changed back to the garden. Only her head was still free. But, how? She was just at the hive! She had been freed! She had just killed that damn dragon! “Have I made you proud mother.” He said coldly causing her to look at him. “The hive mind works both ways.” The area around them collapsed again. Now they were in a pure white void. All around them there was absolutely nothing. “You see. When I realized it was you doing this. I reentered the hive mind and tracked you down. Once I found you; I pulled you out of your body and dragged you back.” He explained while she looked at him in shock. “You know what this place is?” He asked. She knew exactly where they were. They were inside the deepest part of the hive mind. A part not even she dared to venture into. She looked around trying to find the path he had taken. But, there was nothing. No, he wasn't going to leave her here. He need the spell in order to get his friend out of the cocoon. She smiled wickedly and focused on him again. Only to see that he was gone. She looked around the void. “No.” she said to herself as she looked around. She still couldn't find him. “No.” She repeated as she tried to find the path he had just taken. But, there was nothing there. Only the pure white void of a hive mind that was slowly being forgotten. “NO!” She screamed as the true reality of her fate hit her. She was left to be forgotten. She was left in a place that would slowly destroy her mind. Thorax woke up to the proud smile of his brother. “I got it.” He said happily as he began to get up. His brother tried to stop him. “Let me go!” He said as he pushed his brother away and started walking to the throne room. Thorax wasted no time getting there. He knew the spell to safely take his friend out. And, he had no intention keeping him inside that thing any longer. He walked up to it and gently placed his hoof on it. Some tears formed in his eyes as he concentrated on the spell. Like he saw before the cocoon started to split open. Bt, thankfully he didn't have to watch his friend die again. It continued to open until it was wide enough for him to reach into. He began to cry as he grabbed hold of his body and gently pulled him out of it. Pharynx watched in slight awe as his brother removed Spike from the cocoon. The young drake was now a half-ling. He still had his scales, but now he had the wings of a changeling and his claws seemed thicker. There was even a small horn on his forehead. He was now crying heavily as he hugged his friend to his chest. He was so happy to see him still alive. He was a little different but he was okay. That was all that mattered to him. He could hear him breathing. He could sense that his mind was unharmed. “Th...Thorax.” Spike's voice was barely above a whisper. But, to him it was the loudest voice in the whole hive. “I'm here Spike.” He sobbed while hugging his friend a little tighter. “I'm here.” He repeated happily. He felt a little nauseous and he had a small headache. His body felt like it was cramping up. He also felt hungry. “Thorax, what happened?” He asked. He was only shushed by him; before he was pulled into a sitting position. He wanted to know what was going on. But, his thoughts stopped when he felt a pair of lips pressed against his. It was followed by something delicious. Something that tasted sweet. Thorax was feeding him love. After a minute he had stopped and Spike was resting against his chest. The half-ling had fallen back asleep; the cocoon had drained most of his strength. Thorax used his magic to pick him up and place him on his back. As he carried Spike out of the throne room; he looked at his brother. “Send a letter to Starlight. Let her know he's out.” His brother nodded and headed towards the mail chamber. He continued to exit the throne room and headed for his room. Once there he gently placed him on the bed and rested by his side. For, a brief moment Spike had opened his eyes again. They looked like emerald gems filled with starlight. “Rest well my friend.” He wished him before giving into a peaceful slumber. Chapter 7Spike groaned a little as he started to wake up. For, a moment he couldn't see a thing. Then, colors and shapes began to form. After a couple of blinks his vision cleared and he saw where he was. He gasped as he sat up and looked around. Why in the world was he here? What had happened to him? Another gasp got his attention. He turned in the direction of the sound and saw Thorax standing in the doorway. “Spike!” He nearly shouted as he made his way to the bed. “Thorax?” He questioned. Before he could say anymore he was wrapped in a loving hug. He was caught off guard for a moment. But, he smiled and returned his hug with a hug of his own. It caused Thorax to smile before he broke the hug and looked at him. “Hey.” He greeted him. He chuckled happy to see he was okay. “Hey.” He replied back. “I'm happy that your okay.” “I feel better than okay.” He admitted as he got out of the bed and stretched himself out. “I feel good. Amazing even.” He felt like he could do anything at the moment. Thorax continued to smile as he looked at his friend. He was grateful to see that he was okay. But, he did find it a little odd about how well Spike was taking this. He noticed that he was checking himself over. Instead of confusion, he saw happiness, instead of rage, he saw joy. He wondered it he was going through shock? “Spike, are you okay?” He asked. He looked at him with a questioning look. “Yes.” He replied. “Have I done something to worry you?” He asked. “No.” He quickly answered while waving his hooves. “You haven't done anything, honest.” He added. “I'm just surprised that's all. “He admitted. “Surprised about what?” He asked. “Well.” He started. “You're not asking about your body.” That comment got a funny look from him. He checked his body over again. “What's wrong with my body?” He asked. “Am I getting fat?” He began to feel more aware about his body. “No, no.” He replied feeling a little bad about making him worry. “You're not fat at all.” He sighed heavily. “It's just.” “Just what?” He asked him while stepping closer to him. “Thorax, what's wrong?” He was beginning to worry about him. “It's just.” He began to reply as a million thoughts raced through his mind. “Spike, are you worried about what Twilight or Ember would say?” He asked. “Who?” He questioned. “What?” He replied in shock. Spike continued to look at him with confusion and concern. “Who?” He repeated. “Thorax, who are Twilight and Ember?” His shock was replaced with horror as he realized something horrible had happened. He had managed to get him out of the cocoon. But, he didn't think of the damage that had been done to his mind. He made him look into his eyes. He forged a temporary link into his mind and searched his memories. All of them had been wiped from his mind. All of them replaced with one that were created to keep his mind together. He broke the link and started to cry. “No.” He fell to the floor as Spike looked at him in worry. “No.” He hid his face behind his hooves. Spike had no idea what was happening. But, one thing was for sure; his king was troubled by something. He knelt down and gently hugged his king and nuzzled him. He whispered words of comfort into his ear to calm him. “Hey, it's okay.” He said. “I'm sorry.” That was all Thorax had to say.
Chapter 1The Changelings had come a long way over the years. They were once seen as insignificant bugs that destroyed empires from the inside. Pests, that fed on love and lived in filth. Maggots that were ruled by a sadistic Queen. But, thanks to the incredible actions of some individuals, they had become an ally to many of their former enemies. They also went through an incredible change. No, longer did they need to feed on love. Instead, they shared it with the other nations. They also had a new ruler. Thorax was the first changeling to go against what they had been taught. He was the first one to befriend the Equestrian known as Spike. Both of them had become good friends over the years. Both Thorax and Spike walked along the border of the Changeling hive. They were searching for something that the former queen had found. Earlier that day a guard had discovered a journal that was owned by the former queen. The journal held secrets that shocked Thorax. Secrets that could damage the brittle trust the nations had with them. Secrets, that she hid from her subjects. Routes that were hardly traveled. Magical experiments to test on prisoners. Hidden powers of the royal cocoon. All these secrets she kept hidden from them. But, the one that frightened him the most was an entry about a monster. “So, what exactly is this monster?” The question made Thorax shudder slightly. He didn't want to talk about that thing; the little bit he read had given him nightmares. He gulped a lump in his throat. “Her journal said it was a weapon.” He answered. “A weapon?” He asked, the young drake wondered what kind it was. Was it a magically strengthened sword? A shield that could block any attack? Was it something created with a piece of the black stone? Thorax nodded. “Yes, a weapon.” He looked around and saw one of the paths mentioned in the journal. He looked at Spike and motioned for him to follow him. “This way.” They turned down the path and continued walking. He continued to describe the weapon. “She wrote that it was powerful enough to fight an alicorn's magic. Strong enough to best the Dragon Lord's strength. Smarter, than a Yak and faster than any gryphon.” He nodded and continued to ponder what it could be. From, Thorax's description the weapon was something living. He wondered if most of the details were exaggerated. A weapon that could match the strength of the Dragon Lord? That sounded hard to believe. He also found it hard to believe it was stronger than an alicorn. Sure, there was the amulet, the storm king's staff, and Grogar's Bell. But, all of them were locked away in Canterlot. Plus, if there was such a weapon the princesses would have known about it. Right? “Is there a chance this is a bluff?” He asked Thorax really wanted to say yes. But, he didn't have that luxury. He answered honestly. “No. Chrysalis may have been a liar and a psychopath. But, what she wrote; I dread to say that it's true.” “How do you know?” Spike asked while they turned down another path. “The journal was hidden in her bed chamber. No, changeling knew about it. Not even her most loyal subjects.” He shuddered as he recalled something. “I think I know why those chambermaids went missing.” “Huh?” Spike questioned. “Two chamber maids went missing awhile back.” He explained. “They were the best out of the hive and one day they went missing.” He shuddered again before suggesting. “If they found that journal.” All the drake could do was nod; mostly because he didn't want his friend to finish suggesting what he thought he was. They continued to follow the path until they reached a large forest. The forest itself was a mystery. It was hidden out of the way of any path. In order to find it you had to take paths that didn't make sense. Paths, that appeared to move in circles. Dead ends that were not dead ends. The path to it made absolutely no sense. Plus, I looked like it was nighttime. The overhead canopy of leaves and branches nearly blocked out the sun. There was also a silence in the air. It was so silent their heartbeats were echoing through the air. “Did the journal mention the Everfree forest? Because this place is just like it.” Spike felt a chill go down his spine. He commented. “It's even cold like it.” “Yes.” Thorax also felt the chill. “The journal wasn't kidding about this place. This forest has abandoned its hope.” He shivered as the chill got a little worse. He saw a tree with a twisted trunk. “This way.” They made their way to the tree and turned left. It felt like the forest was closing in on them. The air was so cold it felt like their lungs were starting to freeze. There was also a pressure in the air. A pressure that was trying to make them leave. But, they kept going deeper into the woods. As they walked more horrible details about the monster came to Thorax's mind. It made him wonder if they were doing the right thing. “The monster has a roar that sounds like the wheels of a train.” He unintentionally spoke out loud. “Like a train,” Spike questioned. “So, it screeches loudly?” He asked. Thorax could only nod. “I guess. There were a lot of details that didn't make any sense.” He began to list them off. “A roar that sounds like train wheels. Deep in its throat lava pools. The ability to stand on two legs; while its top part is set ablaze.” All these details fueled the fear he was feeling. He wasn't the only one feeling it. Spike could only imagine the monster they were heading towards. Sure, he's seen his fair share of evil beings. But, this one was kept secret by a monster. He was worried about himself and his friend. He wondered if he should've sent a letter to Twilight or Ember. They followed the trail all the way to a huge wall of trees. “I don't understand?!” Thorax exclaimed in shock as he looked at the trees. “There should be a cave right here.” “Maybe, we took a wrong turn?” Spike suggested. “No, I'm sure we followed the correct path.” He turned back around and looked back at the path. “If we had gone the wrong way. We would have ended up back at the hive.” As Thorax tried to figure out what was going on. Spike noticed something behind the trees. His curiosity got the better of him and he picked up a small rock. He aimed between the trees and threw it. The rock flew through the air and passed the trees. The moment it struck the earth again; its impact echoed from behind the trees. Thorax turned to face the sound; while Spike had a smile appear on his face. The cave was behind the trees. “Nice, job Spike.” Thorax commented before they began to move around the trees. The moment they entered the cave; the pressure they felt earlier returned. Only this time it was much worse. The cave was an empty void that threatened to take everything away. Like a gaping maw ready to devour anything that dared to enter it. They continued deeper into the blackness of the cave. Thorax used his magic to illuminate the path they walked. Drops of water fell from the roof of the cave. They echoed through the cave adding to its eerie setting. Their steps also echoed through the cave. It felt like they heading towards Tartarus itself. What kind of monster lived this far underground? What kind of monster was the former queen hiding? Would they be able to fight it? Or, was it all nothing to be worried about? “So.” Spike began. “How much longer do we?” The ground suddenly opened beneath both of them. They screamed as they slid down the smoothest rock beneath the cave. It curved around a bend almost like a slide. Spike tried to use his claws to slow himself down. But, the rock was too dense. Thorax then saw something that filled him with complete terror. It was the orange glow of fire. Spike noticed the glow too. They grabbed hold of each other and braced themselves for a horrible impact. Thankfully, the only impact they felt was against hard ground. Both of them breathed heavily as they lay there on the lukewarm ground. Thorax groaned as he slowly got to his hooves. He looked around the area for a moment; before he looked at Spike. “Are you okay?” He asked. Spike nodded. “Yeah.” He looked at him. “How about you?” He nodded causing him to smile happily. He looked around and asked. “Where are we now?” “I'm not sure.” Thorax looked around again. They were inside some type of chamber. A chamber that was in no way natural; it was made by hooves. He gasped when he realized what this place was. It was the exact chamber mentioned in the journal. This was the chamber where the monster lived. “Spike, we need to-.” A screeching sound echoed through the chamber. The sound was both annoying and painful. It sounded exactly like the screeching wheels of a train. They covered their ears as the sound got worse. The chamber began to shake horribly. From the wall, the monster itself emerged. Thorax got a quick glance at it. He felt dread overtake him as the monster continued to move towards them. It was larger; larger than any predator he had ever seen. It had evil orange eyes and it looked like there was actual lava in its throat. It screeched its horrifying roar again. He quickly stood up and helped his friend up. “Spike, we gotta get out of here!” The monster roared at them again. They began to run away from it. But, it was not giving them any chance. One of its arms slammed down in front of them. The force of the impact shook the cave. Some bits of the roof fell from the ceiling. They began to run away again. But, the monster repeated its action. It had them boxed in. For, a moment, Thorax saw an opening in the monster's attack. There was a way out behind it. But, they would have to run directly underneath it. He motioned towards the opening. “Spike, this way!” He began to run towards the monster. “Thorax, no!” Spike shouted. Before he could ask his question was answered for him. The monster had another set of arms underneath its primary. One of them was already heading right towards him. He saw his life flash before his eyes. Before he was suddenly pushed out of the way. He turned just in time to see his friend standing behind him. He had just pushed him out of the way. The hand struck him hard. “AHHHH!” “SPIKE!” He was standing over the mangled corpse of some kind of creature. Thorax breathed calmly as he listened to the silence all around him. He looked at the corpse. He remembered it being the monster, but something had destroyed it. He wanted to say killed, but it was beyond recognizable. It looked like metal that had been melted and twisted together with the rocks. He felt something warm on his hooves. His eyes drifted down and he saw that his hooves were covered in something black. Did he do this? He gasped. “Spike!” For a moment he forgot about him. He looked around the chamber. Well, what was left of the chamber. There were deep impact holes along the walls and the floor. There was some kind of battle that happened here. A battle he couldn't remember. That was when he noticed him. He was lying there on the floor. He called out to him and began to run towards him. He was about halfway there when he suddenly crashed to the floor. His body was suddenly fatigued beyond belief. It felt like every muscle in his body was suddenly cramping up. The pain was unbelievable. It hurt just to take in a breath of air. He looked at his friend with tear-filled eyes. “Spike!” He called out again as he fought through the pain. Every movement he took hurt. It was like something was biting him over and over. His body begged for him to stop. It wanted him to rest on the ground. But, Spike needed him. He needed to get to him. He fell to the ground again. A sob escaped him as he fought to get back to his hooves. He looked through the tears that clouded his vision. He was almost within arms reach of him. He had to keep going. He had to keep fighting. He started to crawl on the floor. The pain continued to shoot through his body. But, he didn't care. All that he cared about was making sure his friend was okay. The poor drake was beyond okay. Thorax had to keep himself from vomiting at the sight. Spike looked like he had been trampled by a thousand yaks. One of his arms was twisted backwards. The other had his elbow completely shattered. It looked almost like a deflated balloon. One of his eyes was swollen and dark blue. The other looked like it had been crushed into his skull. His legs looked horribly crooked. The bones had been snapped in three different areas. One of his wings had its skin partly torn off. The other was crushed beyond repair. He looked like a corpse that had been beaten even after he had been killed. Thorax sobbed heavily as he hugged his friend close to his body. “Thorax.” He gasped when he heard his name whispered to him. He looked and noticed the slow movements of Spike's chest. Somehow, he was still alive. Through some miracle, he was still among the living. He shushed and hugged him again. He had to get him back to the hive. But, how was he going to do that? He didn't know any teleportation spells. They also didn't let anyone else in the hive know where they were going. He looked around the destroyed chamber. He hoped he could find a way. It was then he saw it. Just a few feet in front of him was a wall of clear ice. He hadn't noticed it before; had it been there all along? The ice didn't hold his curiosity for long. No, it was what was on the other side of it. He could see the throne room of the hive. He saw his brother and some guards standing there. He looked at his friend again. It gave him enough strength to fight through the pain again. He began to limp towards the ice. His body hurt, his muscles burned, but it didn't matter to him. He took another step closer. Then another, another, another, and another. He was about to run face-first into the ice. But, instead of a hard impact he passed right through it. He felt a strange magic on his body. “I want all of you to search the perimeter. Report back here if you find anything.” That was his brother's voice. As the guard saluted him one of them saw something out of the corner of their eye. They turned to see what it was. “King Thorax!” Pharynx and the guards looked and saw him walking into the light of the throne room. At first, they were shocked to see him. But, their shock soon turned to terror when they stepped into the light. Spike looked dead and Thorax looked like he had been in the fight for his life. He quickly ran towards the two. “Brother, what happened to you both?! What did this?” He asked but he got no answer. As his brother turned away from him. Thorax felt numb to the world around him. He heard their muffled voices. But, his attention was on the weakening breaths of his friend. He looked down at him. His breathing was getting weaker by the second. He could hear his heartbeat. It was getting weaker and weaker. “The Cocoon!” He suddenly shouted. The shout caught Pharynx and the guards off guard. His brother tried to walk around him. He blocked his path and tried to calm him. He was then violently smacked out of the way. The blow wasn't hard. But, it was enough to shock him. Thorax continued to move past them and towards the throne. “Thorax, Stop!” Pharynx was worried about his brother. He didn't know the extent of his injuries. For, all he knew he could have been hurting himself more. He tried to get close to him. But, he came to a sudden stop when his brother turned and glared at him. The moment his eyes made contact with his brothers he felt it. It was the foul-tasting emotion of murderous intent. It made him want to vomit. Two of the guards did vomit. None of them had ever felt that emotion from him. None of them believed he could ever give off that emotion. Yet, for that brief second of history, he did. He turned away from them and focused his magic on something in the ceiling. A sickly green glow illuminated the throne room. From the ceiling, a large cocoon dropped. It was the royal cocoon. It was made of pure love. Love that was strong enough to save the king's life. Or, in this case, his friend's life. He looked down at him again and hugged him. The cocoon stopped in front of them and slowly it split itself open. Thorax held Spike in front of him and gently placed him in the cocoon. He stopped for a moment as he looked at his face. “Please.” He quietly begged. Pharynx snapped out of his stupor and gasped. “Thorax, wait!” It was too late. His brother kissed the drake on the lips and the cocoon began to glow brightly. Spike was pulled into it as it was sealed shut. It began to glow brightly again. The light was so intense all of them had to shield their eyes from it. Once the light dimmed they saw what had happened to the cocoon. It was now the same color as Spike's scales. The drake was resting inside of it; while it began the slow process of repairing his damaged body. All of them could hear Thorax sobbing happily. He had made it in time. Pharynx approached his brother. “Thorax, what have you done?” He didn't get an answer for his brother collapsed. “Thorax!” He ran and picked his brother up off the floor. He looked at the guards and ordered. “Get the healers, now!” The guards nodded and ran out of the throne room. He held his brother in his hooves before he looked at the cocoon. He couldn't believe what his brother had just done. He saw the drake inside the cocoon. He looked at his brother again. His mind couldn't believe what he had just seen. This was far beyond what his mind could imagine. “Why?” That was the only thing he could ask right now. “Just, why?”
Chapter 2Thorax stared at the ceiling of the hives infirmary. He couldn't stop thinking about Spike. Although, he had managed to get him inside the cocoon in time. He still worried about what was happening to him. So much had happened. They had gone to investigate a secret hidden away by the former queen. They found where it was hidden and were attacked by a monster. All he could recall after that was Spike being hurt. After that, he couldn't remember anything else. Except picking up an injured Spike and getting back to the hive. He couldn't get how Spike looked as he was sealed inside the cocoon. At his side was his brother. He had been by his side since he had regained consciousness. He was more angry than he was confused. He hadn't stopped reminding him of the possible consequences their kingdom could face. “When Princess Twilight learns what has happened.” He continued to list off the problems they could face. But, he stopped when he realized his brother wasn't listening. He sighed in frustration. “Thorax.” His brother looked at him. “Talk to me.” What could he say to him? He didn't know what he could say. He looked back up at the ceiling; almost like he was asking it for an answer. “How's Spike?” Pharynx was caught off guard by the question. But, he couldn't say he didn't expect it. “The cocoon is healing him.” He noticed the look of relief on his face. “But, it's also changing him.” Thorax frowned and looked away from him. He knew that was going to happen. The Royal Cocoon was a medical fail-safe for the hive's ruler. If their life was in danger and there was no time to get them to the medical wing. It was their only hope to stay alive. To have it be used on another creature. Its magic would save them. But, it would also change them into a changeling. Every changeling knew of the cocoon's power. All of them knew of it. Yet, he still placed him inside of it. “How long?” He asked. Pharynx shook his head. “I'm not sure.” He answered honestly. “I guess a month. Maybe two.” It would take him that long to heal. That beast did more damage than he had thought. The thought of that thing made him visibly shudder. He could still see its horrible face. Hear its horrible screeching roar. He shook the thoughts from his head. He couldn't think about that thing right now. He had to think about what he had to explain. How could any creature explain something like this? He sighed. “Pharynx, can you take a letter for me please.” He nodded before leaving his brother's side to fetch the tools needed to write the letter. He was left alone in the silence again. His thoughts were like a swarm of angry bees. He assumed Twilight would panic at first. Who wouldn't panic after hearing that their number one assistant was hurt the way he was? He wasn't just that to her; he was her first friend, almost her little brother. Then, there was Ember. He was supposed to visit her after seeing him. What was he going to tell her? “Just answer honestly.” He gasped and looked around the room. He swore he just heard Spike's voice. But, he was the only one in the room right now. No, other changeling or any creature was in there with him. He sighed and figured that it was just his nerves. He took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He knew what he could write. It may cause problems. But, Spike was still alive and Twilight and Ember would be thankful for that. He heard his brother enter the room again. He looked at him and saw him holding everything he needed to write the letter. He sat down beside him. “What do you want it to say?” His voice had a grim tone to it. “Dear, Princess Twilight.” He started to say. It didn't take them long to have the letters written and sent off. One messenger flew off to Canterlot. The other to the dragonlands. After they were sent Thorax asked to go and see Spike. He was warned that he was still weak. Thankfully, his brother offered him his shoulder. Thorax leaned on him as they walked back to the throne room. The cocoon was still there just before the throne. Its purple and green hues were different from the natural colors of the hive. They walked up to the cocoon and gazed inside of it. There he was asleep inside of it. His body slowly healing from the damage that had been done. Thorax felt tears welling in his eyes again. He moved from his brother's side and pressed his forehead against the cocoon. He was sick of crying. But, he couldn't stop the tears from falling. Pharynx stood calmly behind his brother. He couldn't imagine what he was going through. But, he tasted it. The bittersweet taste of sorrow and regret. He couldn't tell him that it was going to be okay. He didn't want to lie to his brother.
Chapter 3A week had passed since the fight with the monster. Thorax had regained his health. But, Spike continued to sleep inside the cocoon. He gently pressed his hoof against it as he looked at his friend. His body had healed. But, the cocoon was slowly changing him. His wings had become more transparent and an elytra had grown over them. He also noticed a small horn growing on his forehead. He sighed and walked away from it. He may have been worried about his friend; he was still the king and had responsibilities to his subjects. He exited the throne room and headed for the meeting chamber. He was waiting for the replies to his letters. He was more worried about what Princess Twilight would do rather than Ember. Spike had warned him about Twilight's Twilighting moments. As he walked through the halls of the hive; he didn't feel alone. Somehow it felt like Spike was walking right beside him. It made him feel better. But, he wished for him to be out of that thing. “King Thorax!” He turned to face a guard that was running towards him. The guard stopped in front of him and bowed. “Your, Highness. The messenger who was sent to the dragonlands has just passed our borders.” He smiled at the good news. “But, The Dragonlord is with them.” He sighed while shaking his head. He figured she would respond in form rather than letter. “Alert the rest of the guard and inform my brother that I'll be outside the hive.” He ordered. The guard saluted him before running off to complete the task at hand. Thorax looked up and flew towards an opening in the ceiling. The moment he exited the hive he flew towards the eastern border. The dragonlands were off in that direction. As he flew through the air he saw the messenger and her. When they were closer he motioned for the drone to head for the hive. She nodded and flew around them and to the hive. He focused on Ember. She was heading right for him. He moved to land in a field close by; she followed him. They landed in the field and faced each other. He saw how angry she looked; he even saw wisps of flame at the edges of her mouth. She began to stomp towards him. “Hey, Ember.” He greeted her. “Don't you hey Ember me! Thorax!” She shouted at him. “What in the world were you two idiots thinking!” She started to rant. “Fighting some kind of monster on your own! A monster that neither of you knew anything about!? Why in the?!” “Shut up, Ember.” He said calmly. “WHAT!” She shouted at him. “I SAID SHUT UP!” He shouted back at her. She wanted to run up and punch him in the face. Her claws were clenched into fists and she felt a fire building inside her chest. Her anger was replaced by shock. He was glaring at her; he was even clenching his teeth in anger. This was a first from him; normally he was a pushover. “Ember, when you got that letter, did you ever think that I wasn't saying the same thing?” He asked her. “Did you not think that I haven't been blaming myself?” He continued he looked down at the ground. “I would give anything to trade places with him. If I could do more; I would be doing it right now.” Images of his friend flashed before his eyes. Horrible images of his mangled body flashed before him. “Did you not think for even one moment.” He looked back at her with a tear-filled glare. “THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN REGRETTING WHAT I LEAD US INTO!” It was silent in the field. Some birds that had landed nearby were spooked by his shout. He continued to glare at her. Oddly, enough, the tears he was crying made him look more intimidating. She started to walk closer to him. Her glare was gone, replaced by a soft expression. When she was close enough; she wrapped him in a gentle hug. He shut his eyes as he felt her hold on him. He was trying to stop crying. “You're the king.” She reminded him. “You can cry for however long you want.” She broke the hug and he wiped the tears away. For a moment it was silent again. “Can I see him?” She asked. “Yeah.” He replied before turning towards the hive. “Follow me.” He instructed before he spread his wings and started flying. Ember followed close behind him. As they flew back to the hive; they talked about a few things. He asked her why she didn't have her guards or at least one of them with her. Her answer was that this was a personal matter. In other words, she told them to stay away; unless they wanted her to tear their wings off. She asked him about Twilight. A question that went unanswered for the remainder of the flight. He led her through the opening he had flown through. Both of them landed in the hall. He led her to the throne room. Before she could enter he stopped her. “You're, probably not gonna like what you see.” He warned her. A look of worry came upon her face. He stepped to the side and motioned for her to enter the room. She slowly entered; he was correct she didn't like what she saw. The cocoon was suspended in the air in front of the throne. Its purple and green shell appeared to be pulsing. It looked disgusting. Almost as disgusting as a roc's corpse that had been left out in the hot sun. She stepped closer to it. As she got closer she could see Spike on the inside. A gasp escaped her and she ran the rest of the way to it. She gently touched the cocoon. “Spike!” She called out as she stared at him. She was shocked by his appearance. He looked like he was part dragon and part changeling. His wings looked different. There was a horn on his forehead. Even, his claws were starting to change. She looked back at Thorax. “It's really changing him?” She asked. He nodded. “Yes.” He looked away in shame. “I didn't know if it would heal him or not.” A disgusted look appeared on his face. “She.” He said that word with a hint of anger. “Hardly mentioned anything to us.” She knew who he was talking about. She looked back at Spike again. It looked like he was sleeping inside the cocoon. “Can we take him out?” She asked. “Only if you want to kill him.” He answered. “If we try to force the cocoon open. It will fill with acid and destroy the creature inside.” She looked at him with a horrified look. “Was that bitch that crazy?!” He glared at her. “That bitch is still my mother.” He surprised her with what he said. “And, yes, she was.” He answered before walking up to the cocoon. “She would rather die than be taken alive.” He gently pressed his hoof against the cocoon. She saw the look of sadness on his face. She couldn't imagine what he was going through right now. It hurt to see Spike inside the cocoon. But, Thorax, was hurting every minute he was spending inside of it. She didn't want to think about the decision he was forced to make. “Can he hear us?” She asked him. He shook his head. “I don't know, maybe.” He answered. “Maybe?” She questioned. “What do you mean maybe?” He looked at her in frustration. “I mean I don't know. There, have been times, even right now. It feels like he's standing right next to me. There have even been times I've heard him talking to me.” He looked at the cocoon and continued. “I think the cocoon has a link to our hive mind.” “You think?” She questioned. “Was she the only one who knew what it could do?” “Yes.” He painfully admitted. “She didn't want any creature to know about this.” She nodded and sighed before she walked away from the cocoon. “He said it's good to see you.” She turned and looked at Thorax after he said that. He was starting to cry again. He was more worried about them than he was about himself. He could already hear him saying that he was okay. Trying to calm him down and comfort him as the tears poured from his eyes again. She could only watch as he dropped to his knees in front of the cocoon. Ember sighed in pity before walking up to him and helping him up. They hugged each other again. “Ember?” He asked. “Hmm?” She replied. “Can you come with me to my bedchamber?” He asked her. “I want to talk to you alone.” He added. She broke the hug and nodded. He motioned for her to follow him and they began to leave the throne room. He stopped at the entrance and looked back at the cocoon. He had just heard him speak again. He nodded at their friend before they stepped out of the room. They began to head towards his room. Ember sat on the edge of the bed. It felt soft against her scales; better than the rocks she was used to. She would have to ask Twilight about beds. Thorax sat beside her with his eyes cast towards the floor. She sighed again and wondered where that other side of him was. “So.” She began to break the ice. “What do you wanna talk about?” She questioned. He was silent for a moment. “I love him.”He said. She wasn't too surprised by what he said. He had told her his feelings for the drake once. But, he didn't need to tell her that. He had to tell him; he was just too afraid to speak to him about it. She didn't know what to say to him now. What could she say to him? He was still a mess of emotions. He was angry, sad, and numb. She was surprised that he wasn't suicidal. “Why is it so easy to tell you that?” He asked her. “Why can I tell you everything? But, when I talk to him, I can't find my voice or my strength.” He kept his eyes on the floor. “I don't know.” She answered. “You're afraid, I guess.” He chuckled. “You're right. I'm afraid.” He laughed at himself. “I was afraid of losing the bond we had. I was afraid of losing my first real friend. I was afraid of him.” He admitted. “But, now, I'm more angry at my stupid self.” That comment earned him a slap to the back of his head. “You're not stupid, Thorax.” She was a little irritated by that comment. “You're just.” “Myself.” He interrupted her. “I know. But, that is why I said that.” He looked at her. “Compared to you. I'm no different than the drone I used to be.” He managed to silence her again. She wanted to remind him of the things he's accomplished for his kingdom. But, it wouldn't do any good to remind him. She sighed and decided to just let him talk. All she had to do was just listen to him now. She noticed his ears twitching to listen to something. “What did he say now?” She asked. “He just said what you wanted to say.” He answered. “I don't think he knows he's doing this.” He commented. “Why do you say that?” She asked him. “He's obviously hearing what you're saying. So, maybe, he knows what he's doing.” He looked at her and said. “He once played his belly like a drum and was used like a lighter.” His voice was blunt. “Huh?” The statement caught her off guard again. “That's the power of the hive mind.” He began to explain. “I can not only hear his thoughts. But, if I concentrate, I can see his memories.” He snorted a little in anger. “I gotta talk to Twilight about some things.” That comment caught her interest. “What things?” She asked. He looked at her and said. “Did you know she left him alone at the library? After he spent all day setting up for her birthday.”
chapter 4Thorax gazed at the newly constructed supports in the egg chamber. It was made to remove pressure from the other supports. It also allowed more eggs to be moved into the chamber. He looked at the workers and smiled in approval. He complimented them. “Good work, all of you.” He asked. “How many more do you need to make?” One of the workers replied. “We plan on building two more here and three in the south chamber.” He nodded. “Okay.” He smiled at them. “All of you remember to be safe. And, don't forget to rest okay.” All of them nodded before they started work on the next support. Thorax smiled at them again before leaving the egg chamber. He had to go check on the rest of the hives' renovations. As he walked through the halls his mind drifted back to him again. Another week had passed and he still slept in the cocoon. He found it hard to believe two weeks had already passed. Two weeks since the incident with the monster. Two weeks since he sent the letters. And, he was still waiting to hear from Twilight. “Why hasn't she responded yet?” He asked as he turned down another hall. He was surprised that she hadn't responded yet. And, at the same time, he wanted to give her a piece of his mind. Thanks to the hive mind he saw everything he kept hidden. It wasn't just being left out of her birthday. There was the time Applejack hogtied him. Rainbow Dash mocked him frequently for being a lame dragon. Pinkie and Fluttershy treated him well. But, Rarity, used him like her own private butler. He saw all of the abuse he went through. Yet, he still called all of them his friends and family. “Thorax!” He quickly turned to face who had called him. Only to gasp in shock as he found himself standing in the middle of a snow-covered field. He recognized the area; it was one of the fields outside the Crystal Empire. Why was he here? He started to walk into the field. He suddenly found himself falling down a hidden hole, his backside landed on an ice slide. He slid down and fast to a huge crevice. “Wait?!” He felt himself stopping. “I remember this place. This is the cave where I first met Spike.” Sure, enough, he saw their first meeting play out right in front of his eyes. In an instant, everything changed again. Now, he was in some kind of tree library. He wondered if this was the home he mentioned once. He heard someone crying and started to look around. Eventually, he found Spike on his knees. “I'm in the hive mind, that's a given.” He continued to watch the memory. “But, what's going on? What happened between him and?” “Please, Twilight,” Spike begged. “Don't.” “I told you.” Thorax saw Twilight standing before him. She had a cold expression on her face. “I do not need a pathetic dragon like you.” He gasped when he heard her say that. Why in the world would Twilight say something like that to him? He watched as he reached for her with outstretched arms. He moved to hug her. Only to be blasted by her magic. “I said I don't need a pathetic dragon like you.” She glared at him before picking him up with her magic. “Now, get out. YOU UNWANTED ORPHAN!” Thorax watched as he was thrown out of the library. He was horrified by the treatment of his friend. The area shifted and it showed Spike and Twilight at the bottom of some stairs. They stood before a door that led to nowhere. Twilight closed the door and explained what it was. It was a trap that led to every creature's worst nightmare. Spikes was being sent away from the only family he had known. “Oh, Spike.” He sighed. The area changed again; only this time he was inside some kind of dungeon now. He looked around the area. He didn't recognize it. But, something felt familiar about the place. He walked further into the memory. He walked through a series of winding hallways; it felt like he was in a maze. A scream echoed through the halls. It was Spike. He began to run through the maze; only to run headfirst into a pair of dark red eyes. Those eyes filled him with fear. “Thorax!” He gasped as he was pulled out of the hive mind. He was still inside the hive, but now he was surrounded by a few guards and his brother was standing next to him. All of them looked at him with concern. It was then he noticed that his heart was beating rapidly and he was covered in sweat. “Thorax, what happened?” His brother asked him. “I don't know.” He rubbed his forehead as a throb of pain shot through. “I think I was in the hive mind.” He admitted. “You were?” One of the guards questioned. “What did you see?” Another asked. He held up his hoof. “Hold on.” He focused on the messenger. “Do you have a message from Twilight?” “I'm sorry.” He apologized before he informed him. “but, no. I delivered the message to Starlight and she passed the message along.” He nodded before all of them felt a chill go down their backs. It went through the whole hive; every Changeling felt it. Thorax felt exactly where it came from. It had come from the cocoon. He moved out of the crowd and started to head towards the throne room again. It didn't take him long to reach the room. What he saw left him shocked. Emotional energy was pulsing inside the cocoon. It was a mixture of fear and anger. He wanted to vomit after feeling the first wave. Something was wrong with Spike. He ran up to it and gazed inside. He gasped as he was pulled back into the hive mind. He saw him curled into a small ball. He was crying. While something was whispering around him. The voice whispered horrible things to him. Reminding him that he was an unwanted hatchling. Reminding him of how weak and pathetic he was. Telling him that he was no hero. “All you are and ever will be. Is pathetic.” “Enough!” Thorax shouted as he ran towards Spike. “Leave, him alone!” He continued. “Thorax, help me!” That was when Spike reached out to him. Thorax tried his best to reach him. But, he was stopped by the appearance of sharp fangs. They hissed at him while sending out murderous intent. The feeling was so strong; he was pushed back and out of the hive mind. He found himself falling back and onto his backside. He groaned a little before he looked at the cocoon again. The shifting emotions slowly faded; it wasn't long until it was glowing its normal color again. He could feel his friend calming down. But, he could also feel the sadness coming from him. “Thorax!” He turned and saw his brother walking up to him. “What happened?” He asked while helping him up. “Someone just attacked Spike from the hive mind.” He groaned as another headache hit him. “Whoever it was. They're trying to kill him.” Some of the guards that had followed his brother gasped. To attack someone in the hive mind was the lowest form of an attack. They were essentially kicking a changeling while they were at their most vulnerable. “Who?” Pharynx asked. “I don't know.” He admitted. “Whoever it was. They knew how to disguise themselves well.” That was never good. That meant it could be any changeling in the hive. But, it was almost impossible to think of any one of them attacking him. Spike was liked by many of the changelings in the hive. One of the guards walked up to him. “My lord. If you wish I can take a team into the hive mind.” He suggested. “No.” He denied. “Whoever that was. They managed to kick me out of it. I don't want to put anyone else at risk.” He looked at the cocoon. “I'll monitor the hive mind. But, I want a guard stationed here to monitor him.” He looked at the guard. “Any volunteers?” Three of the guards raised their hooves. He thanked each of them before dismissing them back to their regular rounds. As they left he looked at the cocoon again in worry. Who in the world just attacked Spike? How in the world did they know how to use the hive mind? Was there a changeling among them trying to harm him? Or, was there a darker force at play?
Chapter 5“Thorax, Help Me!” He was inside the hive mind again. He was running through a maze; a dark maze that seemed endless. He turned left, then turned right, left, right, left, right. He felt like a rat trapped in a maze. At one point he was turned into a rat; he had to dodge a variety of traps made to kill rodents. Whoever was making this maze had incredible control of the hive mind. He tried to fight back. But, whoever it was mastered control of the mental scape. All he could do was make his way through it and hope and pray. He turned down another hallway and saw a door at the end of it. He smiled and started to walk towards it; the door started to move away from him. He started to run towards it. It only continued to move away from him. He began to run faster and faster; the door kept moving away from him. The area around him seemed to melt away into darkness. Even the ground was fading away. He only focused on the door, all that mattered was the door, he was just in hooves reach of the handle. The door flung open and he ran through. He breathed heavily after landing on the ground. He groaned a little in pain as he slowly stood up. He looked around the area. He was on some kind of road in the middle of nowhere. The area was surrounded by a thick fog. There was also ash falling from the sky. He gasped after recognizing the area; it was from that movie he and Spike had watched. He looked around the area as he tried to remember the movie. “What was it? What was it?” He questioned himself. “Violent, Violet's, Silence?” He paused for a moment to focus on the name. “Quiet Meadow!” He remembered. The color drained from his face as he heard the sound of scrapping metal. He slowly turned around and saw it slowly approaching. It was a half-dressed dragon with a large metal cube on its head. It dragged a large double-bladed ax on the ground. He quickly took off running. As he ran through the fog he heard them. The other monsters that also inhabited the city. Deformed ponies that were always crying out in pain. Horribly mutilated changelings that hung from the walls of the buildings. There were even some half-dead creatures stumbling through the streets. He found a spot to hide allowing him to catch his breath. He could hear the growls of the monsters. As he rested; he thought about the situation he was currently in. The one controlling the Hive Mind was incredibly skilled in the mental space. They were clearly reading Spike's mind. But, by the looks of it, they weren't reading it too thoroughly. The monsters in the city were just roaming around like zombies. They weren't hunting him down. Even Cube Head was acting dumb. So, whoever it was they didn't know that much about the movie or the game. “Hmm.....I wonder?” He questioned. He began to focus on the Hive Mind. He thought about the heroes from the movies and the games. He focused on how they looked, their powers, and the weapons they used. He continued to think about them and then he heard it. He smiled as he looked to the streets. He saw all the heroes fighting the monsters. Each of them was taking them down without a problem. He heard what sounded like a door opening and looked in front of him. A door had suddenly appeared in front of him. “I know it's a trap.” He sighed as he opened the door. He stepped into the castle in Canterlot. It appeared to be some kind of room, but he didn't recognize it. He searched around it for any clues. But, he hardly found anything that stood out. He continued to search the room. As he searched he heard something metallic hit the floor near the bed. He moved closer to the area and found a ring. He picked it up and studied it. It was a wedding ring. “Canterlot Castle and a wedding ring.” He spoke to himself. The door to the room slowly opened and he exited it. He was back in that labyrinth again. He felt more annoyed than scared now. He walked further into the maze and kept himself alert. He began to focus on Spike's memories. He stopped for a moment and continued to hone in on them. He breathed calmly and did his best to focus on the memories. He sensed them, they were all hidden within the maze. No, they were the maze. Spike's own memories were being weaponized. “I have to get Spike to help me.” He said to himself. He began to focus on his friend's mind. He used the memories he already viewed as guidance; they led back to the cocoon. His friend was in a horrible state of mind. Whoever was attacking him had broken bits of his mind. He could hear him sobbing inside the mental space. “Spike.” He called out. “Thorax?” He heard him call out. “Thorax, is that you?” He smiled happily as he heard his friend replying to him. He actually felt some tears falling from his eyes. He was happy to hear his voice again. He wanted to hug him but he didn't have that luxury at the moment. He could already feel the presence of the other. He focused on his friend. “Spike, I need your help.” He told him. “I can't help you.” He heard him reply. “I....I.....I'm just a pathetic.” “Stop!” He interrupted him. “Whoever is attacking you is trying to make you feel that way.” He warned. “Well, they're doing a good job.” He sobbed a little. “Please, Thorax. Help me.” He begged. “I can't help you until you help me, Spike.” He replied. “They're using your darkest memories against you.” He informed him. He gasped as he felt the evil presence again. It wouldn't be long until it pulled him back to that labyrinth again. “Spike, I need you to remember the happiest memory you have.” He felt his friend's nervousness. He could hear him questioning himself. Questioning if he was strong enough to fight back. All those negative emotions were giving power to the intruder. Thorax had to think of something fast right now. “Spike!” He yelled. “Remember, when you saved the Crystal Empire?” He asked for a moment he felt Spike's curiosity. “How about the time you save Peewee?” He hoped he could help him by reminding him of the good he did. “How you got Rarity back to her senses during that time with the book. When you ran in after Twilight when you both went to the other world.” He listed all of them off. But, now the presence had a hold on him and was pulling him back. “Spike! Think of your happiest memory!” He had been pulled right back into the maze. He panted heavily on the cold hard ground. It was up to Spike now. He was the only one who could help him get out. He shut his eyes and prayed that the dragon he loved would come through. A door slowly opened behind him. He gasped and turned around; just in time to see a door fully open. He felt it. Happiness, joy, some nervousness, and a little bit of fear. But, there was one emotion behind them all. Love, this memory was filled with love. And, he was going to use it. “Hold on, Spike. I'm coming.” He said before running through the door and entering the memory. He was in the hallway of Twilight's former castle. The Castle of Friendship. He stopped for a moment and looked around. He couldn't feel the presence of the intruder. This memory though it felt strange. He felt nervous, almost like he was about to do something very important. That was when he saw an image of his friend walking down the hall. He was heading towards one of the guest rooms. “Don't do this, Spike.” He heard his friend's voice whisper to him. It was the voice in his head trying to get him to stop. “You're just going to ruin the friendship you both have.” “Who is he talking about?” He wondered as he followed him. The walk down the hall felt like it was taking forever. The voice repeatedly told him to stop. But, he wasn't stopping, he had to do what he had to do. He was now standing in front of the door to the room. His claw trembled as he slowly reach for the knob. The moment his claw grabbed it; he slowly turned and opened the door. Thorax saw an image of himself resting on the bed in the room. “I remember now.” He spoke to himself as he followed his friend inside. “This was shortly after the changelings were freed. I spent the night here.” He continued to watch as his friend continued to walk towards the bed. “What did you do?” He questioned. Spike continued to walk up to the bed. He was a complete nervous wreck right now. His body trembled with fear. His mind yelled at him to get out of the room. He took in a deep breath and climbed onto the bed. He crawled all the way up to his friend's head. His mind commented on how cute he looked as he slept. Thorax continued to watch the event in front of him. He was then struck with a small headache. He groaned a little as he found himself slowly waking up on the bed. He could barely see Spike's face in front of him. He felt one of his claws gently caress his cheek. He was inside his own memory inside of Spike's memory. “Thorax.” He heard Spike whisper his name. There was a long pause. “I love you.” He gasped as he found himself standing across from the bed again. He then watched as Spike kissed him. He couldn't believe his own eyes. Spike had kissed him. He gasped as he felt a warming sensation on his lips. It lasted only for a few seconds. But, that small act was enough to give him the power he needed. “I love you, too.” The image of himself replied in sync with his. Like a surge of electricity, he powered his way out of the mental scape that the intruder had made. He focused all the energy he had on tracking the creature down. Almost instantly he had searched every single changeling's mind. He eventually found the intruder. They were trying to slip out through a hidden connection. “You're not getting away from me!” He yelled as he followed it. “I'm gonna know who you are soon enough!” He yelled again. For a moment he felt fear come from the pressence that attacked his friend. It was a fear that he recognized. A fear that was rare to feel. But, it was followed by an anger he was all too familiar with. He heard that horrible hiss. He sat up in his bed gasping for air. His body and his sheets were covered in sweat. He panted like he had just run a mile. A mile would be an understatement. He then gritted his teeth and jumped out of his bed. “MOTHER!” He yelled his voice echoing all throughout the hive. More than a few changeling guards felt something none of them expected to feel. Pure anger, coming from their king.
Chapter 6Thorax flew faster than he ever had before. He was heading right for Canterlot. Right for her. She was the one doing this to his friend. All of this was her doing. Her monster attacked them. Her cocoon was changing him. And, now she was trying to break him. His anger was a burning rage that would be lethal to any changeling. His wings ached from the distance and speed he had flown. But, he was so close to her. He could see the castle in Canterlot now. With a renewed burst of strength he continued to fly towards his target. “I am going to make you pay.” He promised. He swore that he could hear her mocking laughter all around him. His mother, although sealed inside of stone, still found a way to make their kind suffer. He never thought he could ever hate his mother. But, now she had crossed a line. As he flew over the countryside of Equestria he saw Ponyville. He remembered some good memories he shared with him there. He also cursed the number of times he should've just told him. His focus returned to the destination in front of him. In just a few short minutes he would face her again. He gasped as a bright flash of purple sparked in front of him. He hardly had any time to stop himself from crashing into Twilight. She looked at him with a worried look. While he glared at her for stopping him. “Thorax.” She spoke to him while extending one of her hooves. “Get out of my way!” He yelled as he tried to fly around her. She flew in front of him. “Wait!” She pleaded. “Thorax, what you're going to do is dangerous.” She told him only to get another glare from him. “You think I don't know that!” He yelled back. “You think I don't know what that bitch is capable of!?” He gritted his teeth. “I'm her damn son! I know her better than anypony or creature on this damned planet!” He began to breath heavily. She had never seen him this angry before. Not even when Spike had invited him and Ember on the same day. This was a little new to her. But, at the same time she almost understood what he was feeling. His mother was attacking him through Spike. It was like when she tried to use her brothers love to take over. But, what Thorax was trying to do was crazy. “Thorax, you need to think about this.” She tried to calm him down. “I don't need to think about anything, Princess.” He had finished that last word with a hiss. “She's trying to break him through the cocoon. She's changing his memories as we speak!” He looked at her with tear filled eyes. “She's making him think every creature important to him. Hated him! Do you want his greatest fear to become reality!?” She gasped as she remembered a talk her and Spike had a long time ago. It was after they saved the Crystal Empire. He had told her what he had seen behind the door. How he saw her kicking him out of their home or selling off to the highest bidder. She remembered the first night back home. He had so many horrible nightmares. If she was truly changing his memories; that would mean he was forgetting her. He was forgetting how much she and the others loved him. “Is this the only way?” She asked. “Yes.” He nodded. “She has to be the one to open it. She's the only one who knows the spell.” She sighed sadly before she prayed that they would be okay. Before he could fly around her; she used her magic to teleport them to the stone garden. He sighed in slight relief as his hooves touched ground. His wings were going to be cramping later. He looked at her and she lead him to them. The stone statue was hidden in a small maze. He stared coldly at her frozen form as he approached the stone. Her face forever frozen in a state of rage. Her fangs bared and tongue curled in a feral hiss. “Good to see you again, mother.” His voice was filled with so much venom. Twilight readied herself to free the former queen. She concentrated her magic and blasted the head of the statue. For a moment it was enveloped in a purple glow. Then, the stone began to turn black; it made it's way down from the bottom of her horn, all the way to her neck. The glow stopped where her neck met her body. Both of them heard her sigh in relief; just before they heard her wicked chuckle. “So nice of you to visit.” She hissed as she glared at him. “Son!” She wished he was closer; just so that she could sink her fangs into him. The only response she got from him was a hard punch to the face. Twilight gasped while she just chuckled in wickedly glee. She looked at him mockingly as he glared at her in rage. “Still the same weak maggot.” She mocked. “I hardly felt that.” That earned her another punch from him. It was followed by a third and then a fourth. Twilight couldn't believe what she was seeing. He of all changelings was actually attacking her. But, it looked she was enjoying the punishment she was getting. Her laughter was full of enjoyment. She was loving every second of this. “Let. Him. Go.” He ordered her slowly. “Hmm, no.” She smirked at him. “Why would I let that worthless reptile.” She was punched in the face again for that comment. She chuckled again. “Go free. Without punishment for all that he has done.” Twilight moved to talk, but he raised his hoof and glared at her. He really scared her when he put a force-field around them. She moved closer and gazed at them from behind the shield. They were talking now. But, she couldn't hear anything that they were saying. Sometimes he would say something. Sometimes she would say something. He would punch her and she would try to bite him. She tried to bring the field down with her magic. But, every time she tried her magic would backfire. All she could do was wait. It was the longest three hours she had ever waited. When the shield came down she stood up and looked at them. Both of them were staring each other down. It was so silent in the garden someone could hear a quill drop in Ponyville. Did he somehow manage to break her? Did she do something to Spike? What in the wide world did they talk about? “Twilight.” He spoke to her without turning to face her. “Release, her.” She gasped when she heard the command. “No!” Her answer was immediate. “I am not!” She stopped when he turned towards her and looked at her with begging eyes. That looked stopped her entire train of thought. It was a look that just begged for her to listen. She looked beyond him and at her. She was smiling wickedly at her. That smile sent shiver down her spine. It was a smile she was unfortunately too familiar with. It was the smile of a monster. A monster that held all the cards. Against her better judgment she released her from her stone prison. In a glow of purple magic the rest of her body was freed. Well, all except for her horn. “What? Don't trust me?” She fiend the hurt in her eyes and in her voice. “What did I do to all of?” “Shut up!” He hissed at her. He then looked at Twilight. “Twilight open a portal to the hive.” All she could do was nod her head and do as he said. She channeled another burst of her magic and a portal opened to the changeling hive. On the other side of the portal she saw more than a few changeling guards. All of them had their spears at the ready. He looked back at his mother and motioned for her to follow. He slowly stepped through the portal. His mother followed behind him. Twilight entered the portal last. As she stepped through she closed the portal. The hive was a commotion of panicked whispers and angry hisses. The guards not only had to focus on their former queen. But, also on the other residents of the hive. Chrysalis looked over her former subjects in disguast and in anger. If she had her way; she would have killed all of them personally. But, she was here to earn her freedom. So, her revenge would have to wait till later. Thorax lead them through the hive and to the throne room. He heard Twilight gasp in shock. “Hmm...my, my, my this old thing is still working.” Chrysalis commented as she stepped closer to it. She gazed inside the cocoon and glared at the dragon inside. He was almost a full bodied changeling right now. The half-breed filled her with so much disgust and rage. She could feel her sons glare on the back of her head. She simply rolled her eyes and faced them. She motioned towards her her horn. He turned and looked at twilight and nodded at her. She took no pleasure in the next spell she cast. Chrysalis smiled as she felt the stone around her horn disappear. It felt nice to be truly free. They lived down their part of the deal. Now, it was time to make those fools suffer. She smiled wickedly at them before turning to face the cocoon. She cast the spell to open it. But, then she activated it's special defense. At the top of it were sacks of acid; with her magic she cut them open and the cocoon filled with acid. She began to laugh wickedly as she watched the dragons body dissolve inside the cocoon. “See, you fools!” She screamed through the hive. “I still have power! I still rule over all of you.” She laughed wickedly again. “I AM STILL!” “In Canterlot.” Thorax spoke coldly. Chrysalis gasped as the world around her suddenly changed back to the garden. Only her head was still free. But, how? She was just at the hive! She had been freed! She had just killed that damn dragon! “Have I made you proud mother.” He said coldly causing her to look at him. “The hive mind works both ways.” The area around them collapsed again. Now they were in a pure white void. All around them there was absolutely nothing. “You see. When I realized it was you doing this. I reentered the hive mind and tracked you down. Once I found you; I pulled you out of your body and dragged you back.” He explained while she looked at him in shock. “You know what this place is?” He asked. She knew exactly where they were. They were inside the deepest part of the hive mind. A part not even she dared to venture into. She looked around trying to find the path he had taken. But, there was nothing. No, he wasn't going to leave her here. He need the spell in order to get his friend out of the cocoon. She smiled wickedly and focused on him again. Only to see that he was gone. She looked around the void. “No.” she said to herself as she looked around. She still couldn't find him. “No.” She repeated as she tried to find the path he had just taken. But, there was nothing there. Only the pure white void of a hive mind that was slowly being forgotten. “NO!” She screamed as the true reality of her fate hit her. She was left to be forgotten. She was left in a place that would slowly destroy her mind. Thorax woke up to the proud smile of his brother. “I got it.” He said happily as he began to get up. His brother tried to stop him. “Let me go!” He said as he pushed his brother away and started walking to the throne room. Thorax wasted no time getting there. He knew the spell to safely take his friend out. And, he had no intention keeping him inside that thing any longer. He walked up to it and gently placed his hoof on it. Some tears formed in his eyes as he concentrated on the spell. Like he saw before the cocoon started to split open. Bt, thankfully he didn't have to watch his friend die again. It continued to open until it was wide enough for him to reach into. He began to cry as he grabbed hold of his body and gently pulled him out of it. Pharynx watched in slight awe as his brother removed Spike from the cocoon. The young drake was now a half-ling. He still had his scales, but now he had the wings of a changeling and his claws seemed thicker. There was even a small horn on his forehead. He was now crying heavily as he hugged his friend to his chest. He was so happy to see him still alive. He was a little different but he was okay. That was all that mattered to him. He could hear him breathing. He could sense that his mind was unharmed. “Th...Thorax.” Spike's voice was barely above a whisper. But, to him it was the loudest voice in the whole hive. “I'm here Spike.” He sobbed while hugging his friend a little tighter. “I'm here.” He repeated happily. He felt a little nauseous and he had a small headache. His body felt like it was cramping up. He also felt hungry. “Thorax, what happened?” He asked. He was only shushed by him; before he was pulled into a sitting position. He wanted to know what was going on. But, his thoughts stopped when he felt a pair of lips pressed against his. It was followed by something delicious. Something that tasted sweet. Thorax was feeding him love. After a minute he had stopped and Spike was resting against his chest. The half-ling had fallen back asleep; the cocoon had drained most of his strength. Thorax used his magic to pick him up and place him on his back. As he carried Spike out of the throne room; he looked at his brother. “Send a letter to Starlight. Let her know he's out.” His brother nodded and headed towards the mail chamber. He continued to exit the throne room and headed for his room. Once there he gently placed him on the bed and rested by his side. For, a brief moment Spike had opened his eyes again. They looked like emerald gems filled with starlight. “Rest well my friend.” He wished him before giving into a peaceful slumber.
Chapter 7Spike groaned a little as he started to wake up. For, a moment he couldn't see a thing. Then, colors and shapes began to form. After a couple of blinks his vision cleared and he saw where he was. He gasped as he sat up and looked around. Why in the world was he here? What had happened to him? Another gasp got his attention. He turned in the direction of the sound and saw Thorax standing in the doorway. “Spike!” He nearly shouted as he made his way to the bed. “Thorax?” He questioned. Before he could say anymore he was wrapped in a loving hug. He was caught off guard for a moment. But, he smiled and returned his hug with a hug of his own. It caused Thorax to smile before he broke the hug and looked at him. “Hey.” He greeted him. He chuckled happy to see he was okay. “Hey.” He replied back. “I'm happy that your okay.” “I feel better than okay.” He admitted as he got out of the bed and stretched himself out. “I feel good. Amazing even.” He felt like he could do anything at the moment. Thorax continued to smile as he looked at his friend. He was grateful to see that he was okay. But, he did find it a little odd about how well Spike was taking this. He noticed that he was checking himself over. Instead of confusion, he saw happiness, instead of rage, he saw joy. He wondered it he was going through shock? “Spike, are you okay?” He asked. He looked at him with a questioning look. “Yes.” He replied. “Have I done something to worry you?” He asked. “No.” He quickly answered while waving his hooves. “You haven't done anything, honest.” He added. “I'm just surprised that's all. “He admitted. “Surprised about what?” He asked. “Well.” He started. “You're not asking about your body.” That comment got a funny look from him. He checked his body over again. “What's wrong with my body?” He asked. “Am I getting fat?” He began to feel more aware about his body. “No, no.” He replied feeling a little bad about making him worry. “You're not fat at all.” He sighed heavily. “It's just.” “Just what?” He asked him while stepping closer to him. “Thorax, what's wrong?” He was beginning to worry about him. “It's just.” He began to reply as a million thoughts raced through his mind. “Spike, are you worried about what Twilight or Ember would say?” He asked. “Who?” He questioned. “What?” He replied in shock. Spike continued to look at him with confusion and concern. “Who?” He repeated. “Thorax, who are Twilight and Ember?” His shock was replaced with horror as he realized something horrible had happened. He had managed to get him out of the cocoon. But, he didn't think of the damage that had been done to his mind. He made him look into his eyes. He forged a temporary link into his mind and searched his memories. All of them had been wiped from his mind. All of them replaced with one that were created to keep his mind together. He broke the link and started to cry. “No.” He fell to the floor as Spike looked at him in worry. “No.” He hid his face behind his hooves. Spike had no idea what was happening. But, one thing was for sure; his king was troubled by something. He knelt down and gently hugged his king and nuzzled him. He whispered words of comfort into his ear to calm him. “Hey, it's okay.” He said. “I'm sorry.” That was all Thorax had to say.
