A Praetorians Duty

Preatorian: Elite guards who where assigned to the leaders of their home nations. They would die in the line of duty or retire of old age.

Cold. That's what the changeling felt, the snow crunching gently beneath his hole filled legs. His constant hunger for love hadn't left him since the banishment from his home hive. He gave silent thanks to the natural cold resistance he was born with. It had been three months since his banishment and his love reserves were dangerously low, he felt deaths cold talons gripping his very being. His heart rate quicken'd as he felt the tell tell signs of love starvation.

First the lack of love will sap my magical reserves in desperation for survival. Then I will lose fine motor functions to a point. He grimaced as it was getting harder to move his body in the direction he needed it to. Next my nerves will shut down from least to most important bodily functions. He kept pushing on, he had to, his instincts for self preservation were screaming for attention but he couldn't provide the means for such a thing. With his body working against him he knew it was only a matter of time before the pain set in. it would be excruciatingly painful in both mind and body.

He felt his right leg fall beneath him, causing him to stumble and fall, his forward momentum letting him rest on his back as he stared up into the endless grey sky. I never thought this is how it would end. I always figured it would end with pony skulls beneath my feet. As he thought silently a thought occurred to him. Even though I know no changeling will help me, maybe there's some creature nearby that will answer my call. By the Maker i'm desperate for this. A sensation slowly crept up his body, pain. It was light at first, but he knew in a few minutes he would be asking for death or for love either would be preferable to the pain of his cells shutting down.

In one final act of desperation, the changeling let the some of last of his magic seep into his horn as he threw out a pulsing spell. At least, if something does find me, it'll save me, or eat me. Either is fine with me, I have no hive, no friends of any sort. I lost that when my hive mind connection was severed. I'am for all intents and purposes of the word; alone. I'm leaving nothing behind and no creature behind, and soon I will know peace. The changeling was now closing his eyes, his breathing was labored and shallow from the slowly intensifying pain. After a few seconds his vision clouded, and he passed out after letting silent tears fall from his eyes into the snow. This would become his grave, a final resting place for a long dead guard. Little did the changeling know that the pulse would be his saving grace.

**THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE**

Princess Luna had arrived only a couple of hours ago in the Crystal Empire. She was there on official business as her sister, Celestia, was currently attending a trade negotiation with the Griffin Empire and would be stuck in Canterlot for sometime. When she had arrived everypony was doing the usual respect for a foreign dignitary, bowing politely and wishing her a good day. However, she was now stuck in a boring meeting with her niece, Princess Cadence, the meeting was drawing to a close as the talk of alliance had come to an end. During the meeting several things were discussed, such as the exchange of training techniques and military resources.

The meeting was finally over and both princesses looked mentally drained after the two hour long meeting. Luna and Cadence walked along side each other "I gotta say Princess Luna, even though I absolutely hated that meeting, a lot of good is going to come of it." Cadence said as she turned to look at Luna.
"Indeed it was the most boring meeting I have ever attended, but I do agree that this will strengthen the relationship between our two countries." Luna stated, pausing as she felt a faint and weak foreign magic tease at her horn.

"Did you feel that Cadence?" she asked staring out into the snowy landscape.
Cadence nodded slowly, pursing her lips. "It felt really...weird and off." She turned to the older alicorn mare and stood beside her, now also staring out into the white cascading landscape outside the empires protective barrier. Luna simply nodded. "That is because somepony or something casted it out as a last hope...we have only felt this a few times while near Ponyville, the source had the same feeling. Weak and desperate." Luna finished, a new determination filling her eyes.

"Gather a chariot Cadence. We are going to find the source of this pulse and we are going to save the one who cast the pulse." Luna turned and proceeded out towards the balcony, Cadence in tow after having found a few guards to fly them to the source. We can only hope that the one who cast the pulse has not perished yet. Hang on to life caster, help is coming.

**LOCATION UNKNOWN**

W-why am I still alive!? By the Maker something fucking kill me already! Why does dying hurt so much!? The changeling had awoken to pain, none like he had ever felt before. He had been stabbed, cut, beat and set ablaze before becoming a praetorian guard in his hive but those pains seemed like foals play compared to the love starvation he was currently feeling. Every second it felt like someone was slowly peeling his chitin away to reveal the soft cyan bioluminescencent flesh beneath, over and over again like he was being tortured by the worst creature Tarturus could throw up from its darkest pits. Tears streaked his face as his body spasmed uncontrollably, his wings fluttering and kicking up the snow underneath him.

He screamed and begged for the suffering and pain to end inside his mind, hoping by some miracle all the pain would stop and he could rest to cry at the receding pain. Just as quickly as it had started it was over. The changeling laid there, sobbing uncontrollably at the pain and mental torture he had endured. He heard shouting, and he looked from where he was lying, gulping and panting trying to compose himself of his tears and hurt.

He closed his eyes to blink the tears away, and a feeling hit him like a brick wall. He tasted sorrow in all its tart glory, a spark of hope set his mind ablaze with the instinct to get the things attention somehow. He gulped and looked around once again, nothing to be seen. With the last of his magic he let out a low hiss and sent out another pulse. To his great misfortune he realized on top of dealing with the already agonizing pain of love starvation he would also now be dealing with magic burn out. He was exhausted, his body sore from the pain and spasming he endured, his vision clouded again, darkness seeping in to the edges of his vision as he returned staring at the sky sniffling as he closed his eyes and let the darkness take him.

**LOCATION UNKNOWN, DUE NORTH OF THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE**

Princess Luna had begun to doubt that the one who had cast the spell would still be alive, but she felt the need to finally find the source of the strange signal she had felt times before. She looked out of the carriage and frowned, nothing but the cascading whiteness greeted her gaze. She turned towards the guards Cadence had assembled. "I'm sorry to ha-" She was cut off by the feeling of the pulse again. She let magic flow into her horn as she locked the magical signal, turning to the guards and Cadence she yelled out.
"Follow me my ponies! I have the signal, it's coming from this way!" She turned and ran toward the signal, as it got stronger and stronger, hope grew in her heart, she was about to save somepony's life. When they finally arrived at the signal however, they all fell silent. Before them lay the body of a changeling.

Unlike other changelings however, this one seemed much bigger, it's fangs longer and more pointed, instead of the usual black chitin this one had a purple shell covering its back and chest and its wings looked thicker, and longer to that of a normal changeling, the horn also appeared to be longer, and slightly more jagged than usual. Luna took a cautious step forward and looked down on the changeling, crouching down next to it.
The changeling whimpered in what sounded like pain, the princess placed her hands on it chest, a shallow but steady heart beat thumped rhythmically in response, she cast a scanning spell to evaluate the changelings condition.
She found that his body was shutting down, slowly but surely.

She had also found its magical reserves burnt out, she felt sorry for the changeling and picked him up. The snow brushed along the top of her arms as she slid her arms underneath it picking it up and turning around she started walking. She turned to cadence "This is what the pulse was coming from Cadence. it's hurt and needs medical attention immediately." Cadence opened her mouth to speak but Luna cut her off. "Although I am aware of how you feel about these creatures, I did not come all this way to have this changeling die in my arms. Guards we must make haste to the Crystal Empire, this life depends on it" Luna had spoken calmly but with authority in her voice as she boarded the chariot settling in for the ride back.

During the ride the changeling had not stopped whimpering in pain. When they touched down the guards rushed the changeling to the nearest hospital, which was inside the castle. Luna followed the guards closely, a interested but cautious Cadence following behind her.