Pharynx scowled. Tiny hooves hugged his carapace and propelled him forward, while gleaming lights and a clamor of voices smothered his senses. By his side, Thorax shared a similar predicament - the changeling king's floppy ears strained to a fold as fluttering nymphs yelled into them like reverse megaphones. Everywhere they looked, the brothers found frenzies of fervor, stemming from the chimera at the center of the room, enthralling his audience with an array of tricks.

"What did I tell you, Thorax?" Pharynx growled, a dangerous twitch dancing around his eyelid. "We lost track of him for a whole two minutes and just look what happened."

Pharynx jabbed his hoof and Thorax followed it. Discord was now morphing changelings into perfectly shaped balls and juggling them on stage, their elated expressions still visible on the flying orbs of green, blue and yellow. At the peak of their ascents, some drones fell from the controlled circle and reverted their forms, striking various poses in lavish outfits upon landing. Further products of Discord's magic, the reflective black capes they wore were complete with popped collars and tiny magician hats, some of which sprouted pigeons upon being lifted from their heads.

"...okay, maybe this is a bit much," Thorax winced. One of the nymphs still playing about his body frantically grasped for his snout upon sliding off an antler, and Thorax now spoke with a pinched nose. "Look, I'll talk to him, Pharynx - he's not familiar with changeling protocols. I'll let him know and we'll get everyling to calm down."

A vulpine smile struck Pharynx's face. "Oh no, this is a matter of hive security now, Thorax, I'll deal with it," he countered, his voice a boil ready to break the surface. "If he thinks he can stroll into this hive and mess with our young without so much as a word of permission, he's in for a rude awakening. He can take his sob story of exclusion elsewhere, because I don't entertain naiveté."

Thorax opened his mouth, but his tongue tied. Pharynx wasted no time in crossing the threshold, the cloud of buzzing nymphs around him scattering, as if the prince's temper had ignited his carapace, itself. Between the tables he marched, causing the bobbing heads of entertained changelings to turn and adopt worried, anxious looks as he went. Soon enough the entire crowd had dulled to silence, Discord's merry laughter now isolated.

An arrow headed for a bullseye, Thorax thought. Though the arrow probably would have been more merciful.

"Show's cancelled," came the prince's cold voice, as he fluttered to the stage in one motion. Those few changelings who braved eye contact squeaked at the hard glare waiting for them. "All performers may leave, except the director. Interested parties have questions for him."

A few final drones fell to the glossy wooden floor with a bounce, and after sprouting their legs again, scampered out of sight. Tension layered over the hive's silence as dozens of eyes watched the confrontation brewing, but worst of all was Thorax, standing on three legs of jelly and nervously chewing the end of the fourth.

"'The show must be cancelled'?" Discord repeated in a high tone, spinning his elongated head around like a giraffe and ogling the stern changeling before him. "Oh my, that's not how the saying goes at all."

Pharynx matched Discord's grin with an unyielding scowl, and an aged white eyebrow hiked the spirit's face. Floating off the ground like an inflated balloon, he twirled his goatee between two claws, eyeing the newcomer up and down.

"Well now, I guess there's no mistaking a head rack like that one, is there?" Discord mused, pricking a finger on the tip of Pharynx's antler while dressed in a golden tiara and pink ballgown. "You must be the big brother I've heard so much about. A pleasure for you to make my acquaintance. Now, what do I owe the dissatisfaction, your buggyness? Was it the distinct lack of staff giving out refreshments to everyling?"

Discord shot his attention to a half-dozen Discords playing chess backstage. Upon spotting their superior self they haphazardly gathered up their game and fled, leaving a trail of knights, rooks and pawns strewn about in their wake. Sighing, Discord turned to give a reassuring pat to Pharynx's carapace.

"I apologize, it's so very hard to find good help these days."

Pharynx's mouth drew flat, so flat that Thorax grimaced from all the way across the room.

"Are you always this exasperating, or only when visiting your 'friends'?" The beta changeling asked callously, to the immediate application of numerous hooves to mouths throughout the crowd. "Actually, don't answer that. You've managed to overstay your welcome and tread on my patience in a matter of minutes, so we've gone far past the point of my caring."

Discord raised his paw, and with it a finger to elaborate a point, but the loud crackling of electricity filled his chance. Two conductors containing a storm of energy, Pharynx's antlers burst to life, illuminating his darkened chitin and focused gaze.

"Let me make this real simple for you," Pharynx continued calmly, "you may, for the most part have my brother's trust, but you don't have mine. No one alters this hive's structure without our permission, and absolutely no one touches this hive's nymphs without our permission. If you'd like to reminisce with my brother, I recommend you do so outside the hive. Otherwise, you can take your leave now."

Silence sat in the air, everything growing motionless - everything that was, except for Discord. The spirit's canine glinted. A challenge had been issued - authority had been thrust before him, and now there was no turning back.

"My my, aren't you a perky one," the entity hummed, promptly crossing his arms and legs as he continued to bob up and down in the air. "Grounded, authoritative and viciously assertive. Why, you're like the lawful good version of cheeselegs, herself, aren't you? Let me guess, you're the bad cop of this dynamic duo."

A navy blue police hat and black nightstick with a wrist sling flashed into existence, hanging from the peak of Pharynx's antlers. On cue, the changeling's demeanor worsened even further. Digging a hoof against polished wood, Pharynx seized the objects from his head in an aura of magic and tossed them aside. His furious energy threatened to escape his antlers' containment, but it did not stop Discord from roasting a marshmallow over them like an open flame.

"You've got a lot of arrogance, chimera," Pharynx said venomously. "And that's coming from Chrysalis's former right hand."

Discord laid a single paw against his lips, gleefully squeezing his roasted marshmallow between two claws. "More than even her ex-royal majesty? Look at me, beating other villains in things even after being reformed. Why your buggyness, I'm flattered."

"It wasn't a compliment," Pharynx hissed. "I've grown to hate arrogance."

Discord merely snickered, circling the feisty changeling overhead. "Oh, but hate is such a strong word. Tell me, Sir Spoil Sport, what's so wrong in your little bug ponies having fun, anyway? Don't tell me you also mirror your old queen's habit of taking the fun out of everything. That'd be such a tragedy."

Discord's grey fur lit up with the blaze of Pharynx's magic, and their snouts fell inches from touching, but the ensuing battle was interrupted by a soft buzz of wings. Flying over the heads of the crowd, a single changeling made his way to the stage, where he promptly joined the heated pair.

"Pharynx, please stop this." Thorax demanded his brother's gaze, but was ignored. "This isn't how to handle this. I understand you're worried about everyling's safety but, this is too much - no one was even hurt. We shouldn't treat our guest like this when he hasn't done anything to warrant it."

Losing none of his temper's momentum, Pharynx sharply turned his head, glaring at the taller changeling. "'Nothing to warrant it'? You can't be serious, Thorax. My job is to deal with things before they become issues, before someone gets hurt. I'm not here to blindly accept everything as it comes and then clean up the aftermath." The beta changeling's attention turned back to Discord, and the two locked eyes again. "It's called a preemptive measure. We all know what he's capable of, and clearly he has no regard for rules. We don't need something like that in the hive."

Thorax's downtrodden ears hugged his head, as did his eyes the ground, but out of his peripheral something caught his attention. Though Pharynx was already headlong in another rant, Discord's beady eyes bypassed him completely, instead choosing to watch Thorax closely. It wasn't amusement, or even smugness that his expression held, but a hint of curiosity, as if he were patiently waiting for something. Thorax found himself staring back, and with a rising fire in his belly, next found himself raising his voice, focusing on his older brother once more.

"Pharynx, I'm sorry, but I'm not okay with this."

Again Pharynx turned, his harsh look opening to an incredulous one. "You're not 'okay' with it?"

His brother's tone rang with condescension, but Thorax nodded through it. "This isn't fair to our guest. We shouldn't be offering ultimatums, and we certainly shouldn't be doing it in front of everyling."

Pharynx scoffed. "All I'm doing is confronting your 'friend' and making him aware of the policies he's in the process of breaking, Thorax. All I'm doing is making it clear that his behavior isn't tolerated, here!"

"And you have to do that at horn point?" Thorax countered, becoming visibly upset as well. "After stepping in front of everyling and abruptly shutting down what many of them simply saw as a good time? Just look at them, Pharynx, you're making them uncomfortable. Do you really think this was the best approach for dealing with the situation?"

Pharynx scanned the half-moon crowd of observing drones. The bulbous eyes peering back reflected anxiety, even fright in the younger changelings, many of whom had huddled into clusters. The prince's face clenched to this, his rigid composure waning under the mounting pressure. When the tensed faces became too much, he let out a short sigh, and his magic dissipated into thin air.

"...alright, fine, I'll humor you," Pharynx muttered, reeling in his temper. "Say I back down for now; what exactly do you suggest, Thorax? Where would you have us go from here?"

Breathing a little sigh of relief, himself, Thorax looked up again. Discord's beady eyes still watched him, and were now accompanied by the smallest of smiles.

"There's always a middle ground, Pharynx," Thorax replied, braving a hoof on his brother's back. "I promised Discord a tour of the hive, and so that's what I'll give him, but only if he promises to respect our wishes from here on out by toning down his magic in exchange. I'm sure he'd be okay with a compromise. Right, Discord?"

"Why of course," Discord chipped in, placing a paw over his chest and giving an exaggerated bow. "If training the little ones to be capable magicians upsets His Royal Blueberry Bug that much, then I shall humbly accept the terms of a truce. I am a reformed draconequus, after all - class is my middle name."

Discord adorned a mustache, monocle and ironed blue suit, then sat at an oak desk to file a few papers before setting a golden plaque that read 'Mr. Discord 'Class' Draconequus'. The crowd breathed life into the tense chamber with a new round of chittering.

Some tension, however, remained. Pharynx gave his brother a hard look that pinned him to his spot, a look that repelled any chance of direct eye contact. For a long moment the two sat in their own bubble of awkward silence, Pharynx still as a statue, and Thorax fidgeting with his hooves against the stone floor.

"I'm sorry, Pharynx," Thorax said at last, meeting only the bottom sliver of his brother's eyes. "I didn't mean to call you out like that. I just couldn't watch you two continue to fight. Everyling was getting really antsy, and so was I. I just thought-"

A blue hoof promptly planted itself over his muzzle, and Thorax twitched in surprise.

"Stop apologizing, Thorax. You just stood up for yourself really well, don't ruin it."

"..."

"Look, I don't trust him as far as I can toss a stone, and suffice to say, I don't like him at all. If it were up to me I'd have blasted him off his rocket car the moment he got within range of the hive."

The hoof retracted, but Thorax remained silent. His brother's face was contorted, several emotions fighting for dominance. He wanted to say something, anything, but like earlier his tongue had tied. He could count the amount of times Pharynx had opened up to him on two hooves, and he couldn't miss out on a third.

"...but this is your hive, too, and I do trust you," Pharynx continued, his voice growing steadily more solemn. "Well, I trust you enough to know that you're right, anyway. You've clearly got a better grasp of the situation than I do, so I'll just stay out of it unless you need me...honestly I'm still getting used to the fact that you're even capable of resolving things like this yourself, these days."

"Pharynx, I-"

"Go give him his tour, Thorax, and come find me when you're done. I'm going to regroup with everyone and see if I can't get anything productive out of them after this visual sugar rush."

Pharynx took his leave, calling out to the crowd of bug ponies before Thorax could even respond. Soon enough the beta changeling was obscured from view by a moving wall of glittery wings and shiny shells, haphazardly making its way from the chamber. Thorax found himself blankly staring after them, even after they had gone completely.

"Hmm, I dare say that's the kindest thing I've heard him say since I arrived."

Thorax could see Discord's serpentine body coil up to a standstill, and as it did, the various seats, hot tubs and stage below evaporated from existence. Thorax turned, prying for his friend's glance.

"Discord, why were you so ready to follow my suggestion just now, when you ignored my request to stay in the entry chamber, earlier?" Thorax broached, scanning the spirit's face in-between each word. "Did you...know how Pharynx would react? Were you hoping that I'd confront him?"

Discord absently twisted around his claw, examining his wrist. When Thorax again reached for his attention, he cocked a brow, gazing down at the changeling with a blatant smirk.

"Did I, the reformed Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony intentionally create a circumstance in which the King of the Changelings was able to show his protective big brother how capable he's become, by standing up to him and proving it? Why, Thorax, I haven't the foggiest idea what you're talking about. I simply wanted to parade around some laundry and teach pre-adolescent bug ponies how to conjure pigeons."

Through his giggle, Thorax could feel a warmth filling his carapace, and he looked to the ground by his hooves and smiled. "Well, thank you for 'not' helping out, Discord. You 'inadvertently' helped me show Pharynx something I've wanted to show him for a while, and I really appreciate that."

"You're most unwelcome," Discord said with a satisfied nod. "Any side effects resulting from Total Chaos^TM are purely coincidental, and shall not be held responsible by Draconequus Chaos Inc. or any of its affiliates."

Sharing a mutual laugh, the king and spirit made their way from the now quiet chamber. Through the winding tunnels of the hive they ascended at an incline, passing changelings on their way downhive. Every so often Discord would alternate from walking along the ceiling to fluttering along with his tiny wings, getting a chuckle from Thorax every time.

"So, Discord, you've seen the hot springs and the entry hive. Would you like to begin with the throne room, perhaps? Or maybe I can show you the nursery hive? Oh, or I can show you our lookout towers, they're breezy and have an amazing view of the surrounding area."

"Surprise me, Thorax," Discord replied, rubbing his hands together excitedly. "I'm nothing if not easily entertained. Besides, I'm just along for the ride; whatever the changeling hive can dish up, I'm sure I'll enjo-"

A sudden quake in his tail cut him off, and Discord came to a stop. Thorax stopped, too in mid-step and looked back, blinking in confusion.

"Um, is everything okay, Discord?"

A sly look crept up Discord's face. "Everything is peaches and cream, my buggy liege. Let's just say that my chaos sense is tingling. It would appear you have even more guests to entertain today."

Starlight shook her hoof, flinging a lone bug tickling her into the surrounding grass. With steadily shortening patience she continued to watch Sunburst trot around the changeling hive's exterior, drinking in the lush and tranquil atmosphere like a colt in a candy store. Every so often the stallion would make some manner of high-pitched noise and scribble something on a half-crumbled notepad, before darting to a new location and repeating the process.

"You know, Sunburst, you're actually starting to scare me," Starlight commented. "All you need at this point is a purple wig and maybe a balloon full of helium, then I could find myself planning school schedules and events with you in Twilight's office and not even know the difference."

"This is simply fascinating, Starlight!" Sunburst exclaimed, not acknowledging her in the slightest. "It's not just diversity - the flora here is absolutely thriving! This is on the level of Canterlot's royal greenhouse, but it's completely wild, and I assume relatively untouched even by the changelings! Oh Celestia, who could have guessed I'd find such discoveries before even getting to talk to King Thorax or Discord!"

Starlight's vacant expression followed after the stallion, a brow slowly climbing her forehead. "We could even build you a papier-mâché Spike and set of wings, too. No one would suspect a thing. Actually...that could probably work. Sunburst, how do you feel about being a substitute on call?"

"Um, can I help you?"

Both Starlight and Sunburst were torn from their adjacent dazes. Emerging from a morphing hole in the wall was a bright yellow drone, keeping a safe distance from the strange pair of ponies. Relieved at the advancement of their little mission, Starlight's guidance counselor grade smile shone brightly as she walked over to the drone and extended a hoof.

"Why hello there, my name is Starlight Glimmer," she said pleasantly, pointing a hoof to the stallion waving a few dozen yards away. "And this is my friend, Sunburst. Princess Twilight Sparkle sent us from Ponyville. She was concerned that Discord may be planning to drop in on the hive unexpectedly today, and so we were sent to assist if needed."

The yellow drone returned the smile and extended his own hoof, nodding to the stallion just beyond them as well. "You must mean the goat chimera. Yeah, apparently he came by not too long ago and gave everyling a bit of a scare, but from what I last saw everyling was really enjoying his magic show downhive, save Prince Pharynx. I just got back, myself. Oh, I'm Tibia by the way, it's nice to meet you."

At the mention of Pharynx's name, Starlight's anxiety triggered a grimace. "Do you know where Discord is now, Tibia? Or Thorax and Pharynx, for that matter?"

Tibia gave a modest head tilt and placed a hoof to his chin. "Well, I just saw Prince Pharynx head out with a squad of changelings to the southern border forest, I think he said something about rippeleon chase training."

"There are rippeleons here?" Sunburst wheezed from behind Starlight. Starlight rolled her eyes.

"As for Thorax, I know he must still be in the hive, but I have no idea where," Tibia continued, turning to glance at the hive's walls. "The goat chimera wanted to have a tour of the whole hive so, they could be anywhere right now. I've kinda been stuck down here on guard duty since returning, so I don't really know much else, sorry."

"No, it's fine," Starlight sighed, also scanning the hive's towers. "I suppose the best we can do is head inside and take a look around, then - if that's okay with you, Tibia. My friend and I would really like to track down the 'goat chimera' as quickly as possible, so we can report back to Princess Twilight."

"Oh, sure," Tibia replied, nodding his head towards the hive's base. "Any friend of the princess is a friend of ours. Thorax has told the front gate that ponies are always welcome. I can bring you inside but I'm afraid I can't guide you around, I have to stay at my post. Maybe I can grab another changeling to help you out."

"That won't be necessary Tibia, I can take care of our guests from here."

Tibia's lax disposition went rigid, the voice of his superior swimming in his ear. Spinning around, he found that Thorax stood just behind him in the hive's entrance, alongside the serpentine Discord. While Thorax gave his subordinate a disarming smile, Discord shot a devious look to the ponies assailing him with matching frowns.

"Why if it isn't the celebrated friendship graduate and her astute escort," Discord exclaimed, swirling a hand and conjuring an iced beverage from the ether. Sitting upon his own tail, he took a loud sip of his drink from a pink bendy straw. "Let me guess, Twilight simply had kittens when she found out I only told you about my little surprise visit, today."

Starlight furrowed her eyes as the impish spirit's grin grew. "Well as usual, it seems you've orchestrated everything from the start, Discord. Let me guess, you knew that Twilight would send me after you to try and corral you. I bet you even knew that I prefer to not travel alone, and would bring a friend along."

Discord tapped the ends of his paws and claws together, using his tail to toss the now empty drink glass aside, where it evaporated upon hitting a rock. "Credit where credit is due. Mind you, not everything went according to plan. After all, even after all that setup I went through to get Team Save Equestria back together again - after you failed to, I should add - you went and brought the wrong friend, Starlight."

Discord put his head in his hands and feigned a sorrowful look, but Starlight was having none of it. "Is it my fault Trixie was busy this week? No, it's not. Also, I had planned on organizing a get together sometime after this whole fiasco, but if this is how you're going to act, running off to inconvenience others at the drop of a hat, maybe I won't, after all."

"Hey, come on guys," Thorax interjected, raising a hoof between the heated pair, "let's calm down a second, okay? Look, Discord isn't being an inconvenience. I was just about to give him a tour of the hive, actually. Why don't you guys join us? Even if Trixie isn't here today, Sunburst is, and both Starlight and I are already friends with him - maybe you can be too, Discord. There's no reason we can't all have a good time, right?"

To this notion, Sunburst grinned shamelessly.

Discord opened one red eye from his crossed-armed tantrum. Upon spotting Thorax looking up at him with big, hopeful eyes, the draconequus couldn't help but grin too. Like a striking constrictor, he seized the fully grown changeling and lifted him off the ground in an abrasive embrace. "Oh, good ol' Thorax, always such a voice of reason. Very well then, I suppose Team Save Equestria + Sunburst is an acceptable alternative for our group tour, this evening."

"T-thanks for giving it a try, Discord," Thorax wheezed out, forcing a meek smile.

As tempers cooled and smiles were salvaged, Starlight chuckled and helped Thorax from his fate, levitating the bug pony from Discord's grasp. Once his breath was caught, the changeling rallied the group with a nod and headed back through the large archway. Before fully passing by, however, he turned to the yellow drone still standing so resolute and attentive.

"Hey, Tibia?"

"Uh, yes, Thorax?"

Thorax placed a gentle hoof on the drone's side. "When Pharynx comes back in can you please send a changeling to come find me, and let me know? I think he has a few things he really wants to talk with me about, today, and I want to get to them as soon as we're able to."

"Oh, sure thing! I'll send Nepidae, she's on duty with me in an hour, and she's quick as lightning."

Thorax beamed. "Thanks, Tibia, you're doing a great job. Be sure to take a break when you get a chance, alright?"

"I, uh," Tibia stammered, a potent blush assaulting his cheeks as the newcomers looked his way at Thorax's words. Starlight and Discord wore adoring faces, while Sunburst shared Thorax's radiant look. "O-of course, Thorax! I'll be sure to take a nectar break in a little bit."

With a satisfied show of his pearly teeth, Thorax rejoined the group and spearheaded their convoy through the entry chamber. As if calculated ahead of time, Sunburst's voice broke the calm, ringing around the hive as soon as the lull had lasted more than a few moments.

"So, mister Discord - do you mind if I call you 'mister' Discord? I wanted to ask you a little about yourself, while I had the chance. You see, I study ancient forms of magic and runic powers, and I've always been fascinated by chaos magic. Being the sole practitioner of the art, what can you tell me about it? How does it work? Do you focus your energy through your thoughts, or through your emotions? Also, would you say chaos magic would be classified as unique spells, or more as an all-encompassing power you simply utilize by the situation? Oh, I have so many questions, it's such an honor to meet you, sir!

Though she held her hooves as steady as she could, Apidae watched them tremble under the weight of her fatigue. Slumping to the ground, her muscles relaxed in a perfect harmony, and she embraced the cushion of grass with a content sigh. The light pants of her fellow changelings still sounded from all directions, and upon sitting up, she saw that many of them had sprawled themselves throughout the sunlit clearing. Past them all, the dark figure of Prince Pharynx sat on an unassuming boulder, facing away from the lot of them.

"That was pretty good, you guys," came the prince's voice, flat but still harboring a hint of pride. "Seven minutes. We kept up with it for seven minutes. That's fifteen seconds longer than the other day, and a full forty-five seconds longer than last week. Rest up for a bit and we'll try some resilience training while disguised as inanimate objects, then we can head home."

Apidae let a deep breath rush through her burning lungs, soothing her from the inside out. Getting to her hooves, she ventured past the fallen, lazy forms of her fellow changelings to join the prince by his side, flopping to her flank by the grey boulder. She pried for his attention, but the beta changeling's face did not budge.

"What do you want, Apidae?"

"Not a want, per say," Apidae responded, waving her tail about in the grass to reflect sunlight across the boulder's surface. "I just wanted to ask what's bothering you."

"Nothing, I'm fine."

"Okay, counter point though - you don't look fine."

Pharynx curled his lip, but his face still didn't budge. "Is that really anyone's business but my own, Apidae?"

The bumblebee yellow changeling giggled, undeterred. "Well of course not, but that doesn't mean we don't care about you, Pharynx. I can't speak for everyling, but when I see my prince looking like somebody messed up his bedhive, I want to help, even if all I can do is listen."

Pharynx said nothing, opting instead to shift his violet eyes away. Apidae's smile only grew.

"I never asked for specifics, you know," she probed. "I'll even settle for vague grunts if it'll help any."

Pharynx let out a cross between a guttural growl and a deep sigh. At last his head pivoted, and he scanned the clearing behind him. Though a few changelings had since gotten up and begun chatting among themselves, they remained, for the most part, still separated from his perch and the pressing yellow drone.

"Does it have to do with Thorax?"

Pharynx's ear twitched, and Apidae's sly look knew no bounds.

"It's always about Thorax." Pharynx slumped his belly to the rock's surface and hid his muzzle behind a wall of hooves. Unfortunately for him, his empathetic drone was persistent - she circled the boulder until she stood just in front of him, then plopped back down again. "You're not going to leave me be, are you?"

Apidae shook her head, and again Pharynx growled like an irritable dragon.

"Thorax stood up to me earlier, actually stood up to me," the beta changeling finally gave in, his voice just above a whisper, "and he did a pretty good job of it. I should be proud, and I am proud, it's what I've been trying to drill into his head for years. All the same, I've felt...pensive ever since. I've lost my energy, my focus, even my excitement for chasing down rippeleons with you all. I don't know what's going on, but I know it must be from what happened today."

Pharynx braved a glance, and found Apidae positively beaming back at him. Taken aback, the prince rose from his spot, attempting to hide his onset blush with a show of his teeth. "What? What's that look for?"

Apidae tilted her head. "You know, you're a really good big brother, Prince Pharynx."

The floodgates fell apart, and Pharynx's cheeks flushed to a rose tint. "What are you talking about?", he hissed. "Do you know what's going on, Apidae? If you know something, spill it. You've all been dealing with this 'feeling emotions' tripe a lot longer than I have."

Apidae's little giggles evolved, and now she laughed loud enough for drone ears to perk throughout the clearing.

"I don't think it's my place to tell you, Prince Pharynx," she said with a wink. "But what I can tell you is this - tell Thorax exactly what you just told me, and not only will you feel better, but he'll know exactly what you're feeling, too."

With a blatant roll of his eyes, Pharynx leapt down from his perch and brushed stray dirt from his legs. "Thanks for the wisdom, but I already planned on that much, Apidae. Furthermore, I'd be lying if I said I was optimistic. Knowing Thorax, he'll just gush at the first word of me feeling any emotions."

The changeling prince harvested his laying squad of bug ponies with a stern point of his hoof, and they quickly assembled into formation. With Apidae by his side Pharynx took to the air, inspiring his changelings to do the same. Soon the afternoon sky filled with a flurry of iridescent wings, as the group made their way deeper into the forest.

"By the way, what happened to 'inanimate objects' training?" Apidae asked.

"I decided I don't like this clearing," Pharynx grumbled.

Author's Notes:

"I wouldn't count on it, I think Discord's trying to test you."

"But, why? I thought we were friends!"

"Well it's kinda what he does, even to ponies and dragons he cares about."
~A Matter of Principals

After a long time coming, here is the next installment. I couldn't be happier to finally have this chapter done. Also, more apologies for more delays. Life, work, trying to get started with school again, it's all just very time-consuming.

I have brought good news as well, though. A new commission artwork is in the works for later this August, which will be in the form of an author's note on the next chapter or in a blog, whichever comes first. So keep an eye out for diabeetus!