Hope: A feeling or expectation/desire for something to happen.

Darkness. The praetorian guard had felt this before, a sucking pit devoid of all life except for its one inhabitant. He tried to move, gasping as pain shot through him. He ceased his movements and focused on his surroundings, not that there was much to see beside the eternal blackness that seemed to stare back at him. Lights filtered through the darkness, his memories passing above him as he watched.

He saw his old hive mates, his old queen and ultimately what would lead to his down fall. Sighing and closing his eyes once more for the darkness to take him, he waited for the aching to subside as he hoped to fade back to nothing. A slight tingle played at the back of his head, his eyes snapped open and he shot up, despite his bodies rather painful protest. This is the feeling of...no, the connection severed! I-I can't be connecting with the hive mind! They banished me! T-Then why do i have this feeling..? A new voice played in his head.

Do not leave the world yet changeling, we have much to learn from you.

**Crystal Empire Intensive Care Unit**

Doctors rushed to and fro, nurses scrambling from room to room checking on each patient. This was normal, everyone was acquainted with the high stakes and rapid movements of the I.C.U. it was normal for them. When a changeling barely clinging to life was brought in however, the world seemed to stop and slow down. Doctors rushed the changeling to an available room getting to work immediately on the changeling, ordering nurses around as they hooked machines to the changeling. A heart monitor was connected to him, IV bags were brought in but couldn't be used because of his thick armor.

These doctors weren't sure how to treat a changeling, nopony ever had treated a changeling and they were the first. After several scans and frustrating conclusions the doctors stood back from the changeling letting out collective sighs as they all turned toward the most senior doctor. Every doctor in the room was quiet as the gentle beeping from the machine became less frequent. The senior doctor shook his head sadly at the changeling before him, muttering under his breath "I'm sorry son...but we cant do anything for you...it's all up to you now." With this he turned away and approached a pacing Princess Luna. Luna stopped and looked at him, the look in his eyes told her all she needed to know.

The changeling would die and there was nothing the doctors could do about it. Princess Cadence came up and placed a hand on her shoulder. "C'mon Luna, there isn't anything for us to do for it..." She said as she turned and talked with the doctor. Luna was deep in thought Nothing for us to do..? No. there is always something to do." She growled quietly and made a drastic decision. She was going to revive the changeling no matter the cost, it would live if she had any say in it. The amount of knowledge we could learn is too valuable to lose! Tactics, strategies, medical and magical! Nay, it WILL live."

Ignoring the questions directed at her she pushed the door to the changelings room open and moved to stand beside it, Princess Cadence followed Luna closely. "Luna what are you doing? It's dead! You heard the doctor, we can't help it!" Cadence said looking the older alicorn mare in the eye from the side. Luna turned and glared at her.
"The amount of knowledge this creature could give us is invaluable to the entirety of our race Cadence! Think about it, we have much to learn about changelings and we are letting the source slip through our grasps! Nay! I will not let this creature rest on my conscious Cadence! I will save this creature!"

Luna's horn began glowing the midnight blue it always had as she bent down to touch horns with the changeling, channeling her own energy into the creature before her. Do not leave the world yet changeling, we have much to learn from you. She thought to herself as the heartbeat monitor replied with faster beeps, as the changeling received power from Luna and the one thing he needed most. Love. It wasn't the type of love the would sustain him for months, but it was enough. Luna slowly let the power fall until her horn stopped glowing, she brought a hand up to her head slightly winded.

Cadence eyed her with worry, and opened her mouth to speak. "How do you feel Luna?" She placed a hand on the older alicorn mare and moved so that she could lean against her.

Luna gave a faint smile. "Thank you Cadence, but we feel fine, a slight migraine and a little sapped for energy but, we will be alright." She finished as she leaned against Cadence a little, walking out of the room and sitting themselves against the bench and wall outside the changelings room. The doctor looked at Luna and Cadence, furrowing his brow as he returned to the changeling, slightly surprised that the changeling had improved.

Instead of the shallow and labored breathing from before, it was now taking in full breaths, Looking at the monitor the doctor noticed his heart rate and blood pressure had increased. Shaking his head at the changeling, he sighed and turned to leave, on his way out the doctor he notified a few nurses to add the room to they're rounds as they went around the hospital.

**Intensive Care Unit Room #67**

The changeling praetorian slowly drifted back to consciousness. He felt pain from his body, and he felt hunger, hunger for a sweet tasting emotion that had been given to him. He rolled his tongue around in his mouth, the after taste of pitiful love greeting him. At least i'm still alive...now to figure out just where I have been brought." He had yet to open his eyes as he saw the light shining down on his eyelids, basking his protected eyes in a hue of dark red. Slowly he opened them, the only two things greeting him where the blinding florescent lights above him and the occasional but steady beeping of a machine to his left.

He opened them fully as he took in the room he was currently in. Grey and white walls surrounded him, to his immediate left and right where either machines that he didn't recognize or plastic bags that hung from tall metal poles filled with some sort of liquid. He looked down and gave his legs an experimental move, and they responded. At least I have mobility. He thought quietly, sighing and looking around he felt the tingle in his head again. Interesting...ponies have saved me...how, I have no clue, I should be dead and the hive mind shouldn't be connected to me...not unless...

The door to his room swung open and he looked to the left to see a nurse enter, currently staring down at a brown clip board. He wanted to say something to her but he wasn't blessed with properly formulating sentences, so he stared and waited for her to look up. She set the clipboard down and looked up, stopping as she stared back at the unblinking changeling.

She gulped and took a breath. "H-Hello there, Mr. changeling. My name is Golden Flower, h-how are you feeling this evening..?" She asked with uncertainty, gulping again and freezing up as the changeling hissed his words out.

"Huuurt...Feel..." The changeling stopped for a second looking for the right words. "Now ffeel...waarm. Yesss, warmm" He stated, he didn't want the nurse to freak out, so he kept it simple as he felt the fear coming from her rise.

The nurse nodded slowly and picked the clipboard back up. "I-I'm going to go get the doctor for you, okay? I'll be back very shortly." She said as she hurried from the room, leaving the changeling to his own devices. Several moments passed as the changeling sat in silence before he felt the tingling sensation grow stronger in his skull. He stared at the door as it opened and the senior doctor walked in, the nurse, and the two princesses following behind.

He stared at Luna and felt his heart jump in his chest. His praetorian instincts telling him to get up and bow to her, he knew this only happened when a changeling queen was in close proximity to those she shared a personal hive mind connection with.

The senior doctor broke him from his trance. "Well good evening there, Mr. changeling. My name is Doctor Whisp. I'm the senior doctor of the Intensive Care Unit. You gave us all a hard time my boy. If Princess Luna hadn't pumped you full of energy we wouldn't be having this conversation. Now, how are you feeling tonight?" Doctor Whisp asked looking down from the changeling to the clip board and back.

The changeling blinked and stared at Luna while he answered. "Feeel waarmm...body..hurtsss...sore..." He hissed out as the doctor nodded.

"Well i'm sorry for the pain but your...ah what is it? your chitin made the morphine drip some what difficult, do you happen to know any way we could get it into you?" Whisp asked, having placed the clipboard in a basket at the foot of the bed.

The changeling was still staring at Princess Luna and she shifted uncomfortably on her feet. What he said next took everyone in the room by surprise. "Does the Queen...wishh foorr...thiss?" He asked, still staring at the lunar princess.

Luna's eyes widened in surprise, she took a step back and stared in disbelief at the changeling. "W-what? I'm not a queen!" She blurted out, the changeling just stared back. "Queen save...Queen bring back from deathh...Heard Queen in hive minndd." He hissed back at her, blinking.

Luna gulped and shook her head, she would figure this out later but for now she nodded. "Doctor Whisp please get the drip going." She stared at the changeling and spoke to him. "To answer your question..." She paused uncertain of what to call him. "What is your name?" she asked pursing her lips.

The changeling looked down at his bare chest, a number branded into his thick carapace, it read '64'. He looked back up and spoke. "Name is...ssiixty-ffourr...unless Queen hasss...another?" He hissed gently as he looked at her.

Luna shook her head and sighed at the mention of her being 'Queen'. "No, sixty-four will work fine. Will you help Doctor Whisp in getting past your chitin?" The changeling nodded and looked at the doctor. "Will feeel...better?" He asked and Whisp nodded. "It will help you with your pain and soreness, yes."

Luna turned and walked out, sitting back outside on the bench, wanting to closely observe how he would behave. Princess Cadence brought Luna's attention to her. "Luna, why was that thing calling you 'Queen'? and what did it mean by it heard you in the 'hive mind'? whatever that is."

Luna shook her head slowly and sighed. "I don't have those answers my dearest niece, although we wish we did. Perhaps tomorrow morning we can question it further, but for now I think I shall retire for the night, it has been and eventful day." Luna stated as she got up and wished Cadence good night and to have good dreams. When she returned to her room she laid back on her bed and sighed, closing her eyes to try and rest.

Author's Note

Thanks a bunch to everyone who has read the story and to those who have added it to a list for later viewing pleasures! Please let me know if you spot any errors here, I haven't got a proof reader or editor yet, but i'll get one soon, and of course, constructive criticism is always welcome! Till the next chapter, have a wonderful day!

P.S. I know it might be confusing as to why he can't properly speak but, I will explain at a later date. Till then, have a good one.