Starlight Glimmer appeared in the birch forest of White Tail Woods with a flash. While they weren't as thick and good for cover as the Everfree, they were definitely more safe, at least she hoped. In her arms, was the semi-unconscious form of Thorax.

The unicorn gently set the changeling down before she started to pace and think up a plan. Any kind of plan.

It was daytime, she had no idea where Twilight was, she couldn't pull off anymore long distance teleports for fear of attracting her alternate self, and she couldn't do any long distance conventual travel effectively with Thorax with her. Turning to Thorax she gave an uncomfortable sigh.

Especially since he wasn't transformed into a pony and was naked.

Honestly though, she had been in worse straits before. Like the time she had no magic and was up against an army of changelings with just four creatures. That was a struggle but she succeeded. Well, Thorax succeeded, but she helped him.

Speaking of Thorax, Starlight couldn't help but notice how different this universe's Thorax was from hers. Sure her Thorax was a little bit of a wuss, but not this much. This universe's Thorax was jumpy, frightened, as if he was expecting to be attacked any moment. It was common for victims of abuse to be like this, and he looked like an abuse victim.

Spike must have beaten him constantly to have him this broken, to the point that he seemed to only feel safe in his presence.

Starlight flashed her horn and shot a beam at the changeling, covering his naked body in something resembling clothes, instead the spell simply put him in a cyan harem outfit of some kind.

Probably because the spell she used simply clothed someone in the clothes of their profession, and he was a sex slave. She gave another sigh and sat down on a nearby rock. It was better than nothing.

Starlight didn't notice two green and red eyes staring at her from the tree line.

Twilight uncomfortably fidgeted with her wings as she sat down on a cold stone rock in front of a small fire she had set up in the cave.

Pharynx was sitting across from her on a second rock. He was still sharpening his blade in front of her. In fact, he hadn't stopped ever since the rest of the resistance left a couple hours ago. She didn't know much about combat or anything, but she was sure you didn't need to do that kind of thing for that long.

He stopped suddenly and looked up at her. "I would appreciate it if you didn't stare at me." He growled up at her.

"R-right sorry." Twilight said quickly, looking back into the fire. The sound of stone grinding on metal didn't stop.

Twilight gulped. She had a question that she wanted to ask him for a long time, and now might was well be the time for it.

"May I ask why you decided to join the Resistance?" Twilight asked as non-confrontationally as she could. Pharynx glanced up at her. "I mean, you don't really seem to care all that much about what happens to the rest of us... No offense."

"Offense taken." Pharynx growled slightly and went back to what he was doing.

Well that's not what she was after. The Alicorn gave a deep sigh and went back to mindlessly poking at the fire with a stick.

"My brother." Pharynx said after a deep sigh.

"What?" Twilight asked looking up at him.

"My brother. Did you know him? In your universe?" Pharynx asked looking up at her and setting his sword and whetstone aside.

Everything suddenly clicked in her head. "Thorax is your brother isn't he?" She asked. He nodded sadly.

Twilight sighed. "Well, I do know him. A little. He was very close to Spike in my universe. One of his closest friends."

Pharynx's eyes narrowed. "I am going to assume your Spike is the same small dragon pet still."

Twilight looked up at him with a frown. "Spike is not a 'pet'!" She growled at him.

"Then he's a slave. Or an indentured servant. That's how the Emperor described his former life, and I think a first person point of view greatly outweighs your words." Pharynx said with a roll of his eyes.

"That is just not true." Twilight growled. "Besides, Spike is possessed by part of Sombra's consciousness or his darkness or whatever it is. He isn't thinking clearly."

"Would someone not thinking clearly be able to conquer a planet?" Pharynx said as he turned back to his sword. "And you didn't answer my question. What is my brother like in your universe?"

Twilight sighed. She didn't want to argue with Pharynx. "He's... nice. One of the nicest stallions I have ever met in my life. Timid too."

Pharynx gave a deep chuckle. "Yep. That sounds like my brother alright. Or at least… It did before..." Pharynx stopped, he shook his head and went back to scraping his whet stone across his sword.

"Before what?" Twilight asked, leaning forwards.

Pharynx let out a deep sigh, before looking at her. "How do changelings get the holes in their legs in your universe?" He asked suddenly, out of nowhere.

Twilight looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. "Well uh... in my universe I am pretty sure they are born with them."

"Not here." Pharynx said, as he reached down and removed the bandage that was covering the hole he had stabbed through his leg by Chrysalis when the group first left the hive.

It looked identical to the others in her legs. "Oh no... you d-don't mean." Twilight said, bringing a hand up to her mouth.

"Every time a Changeling does something to upset the queen, failing a mission, getting spotted while infiltrating, even speaking out of turn, Chrysalis punches a hole through their leg with a spear. Every one of these holes is a reminder that I failed by Queen. Now then, apply that realization to my little brother." He said.

Twilight could barely stomach the thought of someone as weak and sensitive having a spear shoved through their leg, never mind several. It made her feel sick.

"I remember my brother's first hole." Pharynx said as he balled his hands into fists, the one around the sword digging into the hilt with such force it threatened to crack.

"We were in a military meeting, me, Thorax, the Hive's generals and royal guard and my mother. Chrysalis brought up a plan to invade a nearby village of ponies. To kidnap every single person and drain them entirely of their love. Thorax suddenly stood up. He said that it was wrong. That there was no reason changelings had to treat the ponies like prey. That the two races could work together." Pharynx retold the story. Twilight noticed his eyes start to water.

"She didn't even waste a beat. My own mother grabbed my baby brother with her magic, and impaled him through the hoof. I remember how loud he screamed in pain, I remember him frantically trying to pull the spear out, only for Chrysalis to grab it and spin it until he passed out from shock." Pharynx's palms started to bleed from how hard he was pressing his fingernails into them.

"A week later, when he was better. I... I violated orders. I took Thorax on his first infiltration mission. I brought him to a pony amusement park. We spent the entire day together. For the first time in my life, I wasn't afraid what Chrysalis would do to me if I stepped out of line. I wasn't afraid of what would happen to Thorax. I was just... happy." A small smile graced his lips, before he shook his head, a small trail of tears leaking from his eyes.

"It didn't last long. We were forced to return to the hive and... Chrysalis knew what we did. She wasted no time in giving either of us another hole, and immediately went into a rant about how 'Thorax was corrupting her only good son.' and then... I never saw him again. Chrysalis made sure to always keep us apart from then on, and I wasn't there to protect him. The other changelings in the hive brutalized him. He was under attack every moment of every day for the rest of his life. If he ever let his guard down, the other changelings would pounce on him, and leave him so broken he could barely walk for weeks at a time. For fourteen years Thorax went through this, and I wasn't there to protect him. I just know that BITCH put them up to it." Pharynx stood up suddenly, pure rage in his eyes.

"You wanna know why I joined your little resistance? I joined so I can find my brother, and do what I was supposed to do as his big brother for years! I joined to find him and make sure he is never hurt ever again!" He shouted angrily.

Twilight stared up at him, and smiled. She stood up gingerly and walked forwards, slowly placing an arm on either side of his shoulder. Pharynx stared at her arms before turning to look at her face with a glare.

"I promise I will stop at nothing to help you find Thorax. You have my word as princess of Equestria." Twilight said in a calm and kind voice.

Pharynx stared at her, before a slight smile formed on his lips. "Thank you." He exclaimed after a long period of silence. Twilight nodded at him.

Suddenly a voice came out of nowhere.

"Twilight, can you hear me?" Blueblood asked from the communication necklace. Twilight took a step back and grabbed the amulet at the end of the necklace.

"I can hear you Blueblood. What's wrong?" She asked, concern obvious in her voice.

"We are pinned down, I don't know how, but the Regional Governor's guards saw us enter the palace. We need you and Pharynx, now." Blueblood said desperately.

"We are on our way."

Twilight turned to Pharynx. "Are you ready?"

The changeling stood up and twirled his sword. "Ready as I'll ever be."

Sorry for how long this chapter took.

I came down with a very bad case of Tipodiss

Tipodiss cock

As always, thanks for reading and remember kids.

Taxation is theft, and the government hates you.