Product of Friendship (My Little Pony)

13 Hivemind (1/3)

Thorax felt his bones rattle when he moved them. As if unmoved for years, they resounded a pop as he rose from his sheets.

He was in his bedroom. The sunlight revealing him atop his giant clam bed and the sight of a shelf collection of seashells made it clear.

They were a mix of gifts and spoils of his trips through the Seaquestria. The wonders beneath the sea had become a growing fascination to the changeling king. And each of his trinkets held treasuring moments with the Princess of Seaquestria, Skystar.

Swapping his sights from his shelf, Thorax noted movement from the other side of his room. Stone counters lined its walls where he would store grubs and refreshment when he lacked the fortitude to leave his bedroom.

But of course, whenever he dared to make that decision, there would always be a certain changeling to coerce him otherwise.

His brother, Pharynx, had finished mixing the soup with a spoon before whisking it off the stone counter with his magic. His luminescent eyes of lavender beamed neutral at the changeling king.

"Good morning, brother," Thorax greeted him after a yawn. "Or, is the afternoon? What time is it?"

Instead of a response, Pharynx pushed Thorax flat on the bed. The cluster of pearl-like pillows cushioned his head.

"Who said you can move around?" Pharynx questioned. "Stay in bed."

Thorax frowned at his brother. "You could've just said that. You don't need to be rough with my body."

Thorax noted a weight over his body. It felt like gravity had fixed upon him, taking more energy than he liked to admit moving his limbs.

"Let this serve as a reminder to have better foresight than to run headfirst into danger," Pharynx remarked as he sat next to Thorax's bed. He lowered the bowl of soup atop a nightstand set next to the bed. "Let this be a reminder that being an idiot will reward you your just prize."

Pharynx manipulated the spoon to scoop the content of the soup. He gestured the spoon for Thorax to consume. And despite Thorax's gripe with his brother's insult, he resigned to take a bite.

After all, Pharynx went out of his way to make it for him. A herbal cuisine that Pharynx learned to brew from many of his mentorship across Equestria.

Thorax did not like his brother to be so grounded at home. Though Pharynx's desire to protect the kingdom was widely respected, Thorax wished for him to find other joys in his life.

For that reason, Thorax convinced Pharynx to set out across the lands under a fabrication to gather intel. Thorax gave no specifics to the mission, only for him to find what he judged to be relevant.

For Pharynx, that was every combative art and customs he could find across Equestria. His meeting with generals and gurus within each race taught him skills and tactics unlike his own.

Another Pharynx aimed for were medicinal mixtures. Thorax was surprised at how calming his brother became with brewing herbs to nurse the sick and injured.

He hoped to share all that he found with his kind to fortify their home. As always, everything he did served to protect the changeling kingdom. Thorax at least took delight in his brother finding a new hobby.

Thorax accepted another spoonful of Pharynx's soup before he spoke, "So, how long have you been taking care of me?"

"I do that on an everyday basis," Pharynx remarked. "But in this instance, two weeks."

Thorax lurched from his bed in shock. "What do you mean two weeks!?"

Pharynx immediately pushed his brother back on the bed and gave a glare. "I went through a lot of trouble fixing you up. Move about again and next time I won't cool the soup."