A Praetorians Duty

Darkness: wickedness or evil

Darkness. Sixty-four had fallen asleep to allow the slow repair of his body to go unhindered, he may not have needed to sleep but the fear and stress definitely went down around the nurses and the occasional doctor that had been assigned to him. Once again he found no respite in his sleep, no peace. His mind was plagued with nightmares that never seemed to stop, this was no different.

Having constant nightmares had begun to take its toll, he was more tired than usual when he would wake up. This nightmare however, had burned it's self into his memory, causing him to think about it when he would close his eyes even for the shortest amount of time. In this nightmare he was wounded, but standing, small bladed weapons stuck out of his chitin with zero penetration.

He was covered in a mix of green, cyan, and red blood. What shook him most was that his queen stood before him, a weapon in hand, anger and sadness radiated from her. She would ask why he did it, why he killed so many innocents. He couldn't speak to defend himself or his actions, and his body moved on its own. To his own disbelief and even greater shock, he attacked his queen, and she held nothing back, two great combatants locked in battle until Sixty-fours own fatigue caught up and he became slower.

His queen held nothing back when he made mistakes, cutting and slicing into him like she knew what he was going to do. Her blade had his cyan blood dripping from it. He was getting weaker and she didn't even look winded. His body, unable to keep up with the stress, buckled under him and he fell to his knee's panting heavily and bleeding profusely. At the end of the nightmare he would feel his queen's blade at his throat, lifting his head up.

When he looked into her eyes he saw seething rage, a greater sadness however told him how much she regretted what was about to happen. While they held eye contact in the nightmare, she drew her arm back and thrust it into his throat. As he looked into her now fuzzy eyes he reached up and grabbed the blade, driving it deeper. She wept and repeated that she was sorry to him, that she had wished there was another way.

At the end when the world faded to black, he would wake up with a jolt, the heart monitor would go hay wire in attempt to keep up with his hard and quick pounding heart. Nobody came to check on him, something he was grateful for, for once. He would lay back and calm him self, while staring into space. He registered the ponies that had come in, but not that they were starring at him, he was snapped from his trance by a new voice in the hive mind.

Praetorian. Praetorian can you hear me?

Ye-...Who am I speaking to, how did you get into my hive? And what is your purpose?

Typical praetorian, do you always reject a love-carriers help? Anyway, my name is Arachne, OUR Queen inducted us into this hive. She has instructed me to ensure you're survival. She holds you in quite high regard, but maybe that is because you are the only praetorian she has?

She has inducted a love-carrier?...Forgive my outburst, it has been a long time since I have had the luxury of a love-carrier. They are few and far between in the Frostbitten Hive. So, Arachne? sounds something like a Chrysalis named changeling.

Indeed it is. But that can wait, you have a few important ponies to meet while I work, please, try to be nice. I believe Queen Luna wishes us to get along with each other and those around us.

Sixty-four snorted softly and looked at the six ponies before him. The yellow mare was staring at his large chest wound, which made him uneasy for some reason. The purple mare stepped forward first and waved gently at Sixty-four. "Hello, my name is Twilight Sparkle and these are my friends." She pointed at a cyan colored mare with a rainbow mane and tail.

"That's Rainbow Dash, bearer of the Element of Loyalty." The mare in question also waved, Sixty-four gave a brief nod. "This is Applejack, bearer of the Element of Honesty." The orange mare tipped her hat gently. "This is Fluttershy, bearer of the Element of Kindness." The yellow mare had yet to break her stare at his chest, watching the love-carrier work quickly before grunting in agitation. "This is Rarity, bearer of the Element of Generosity. and next to her Pinkie Pie, Element of Laughter."

Both waved and Sixty-four waved. "Whats your name?" Twilight asked. Sixty-four looked down at the green and cyan mix of blood that pooled into his branded number. He turned back and hissed in pain as a loud snap played, the love-carrier shrugged. "You should have kept it unset, idiot." Glaring at the love-carrier he turning back he hissed gently. "Sssiixty-fouur..."

Twilight raised an eyebrow and cocked her head. "Your name is Sixty-four. Like the number?" Sixty-four nodded slowly. "Why? how come you don't have a name? A real one, like Arachne?" This time Arachne answered the question. "Changelings don't ever have a name per say. It would get confusing for a queen to remember individual changelings. This applies to Praetorian changelings too, but they get a number. The number becomes their name and identity" She stopped for a second and grunted, another snapping sound and another pained hiss came after.

Twilight nodded softly. "That...kind of makes sense, but, you're busy so now that introductions are out of the way, I think we will take our leave and let you work. C'mon girls, lets go see if the princesses have anything for us to do." They quickly filed out of the room, headed for the throne room.

Silence fell into the room as the love-carrier worked on the praetorian changeling below her. The continuous snapping and pain filled hissing was the only sound filling the room. After she was done, her hands were covered in cyan blood and bits of carapace covered her hands and she took a step back, admiring her work. "They don't call my Arachne for nothing, now do they?"

**Celestia's Royal Chambers**

Celestia sat across from her sister and took a sip of tea raspberry tea, it was delicious, but it wasn't her favorite kind of tea. Setting down the cup she, she looked at Luna, who had been examining her helmet and the runes engraved on it. Celestia cleared her throat and Luna turned back to her.

"Luna, I...I'm worried that this whole 'queen' business is changing you. You haven't ever once raised your voice at the Element Bearers, but ever since you came back with that changeling, Sixty-four, it seems you take great offence to anything concerning his duty or him in general. I cannot say that I condone how you reacted but at the same time I cannot blame you, because we don't have any idea how this hive mind thing is affecting you. I'm concerned for you sister." Celestia finished and took another sip of her tea.

Luna nodded softly. "Yes, I'm worried as well. I'm not sure why I snapped at Twilight the way that I did, but something just...She called him a thing like he was some sort of object that could be tossed aside on moments notice. My praetorian is not an object that can be discarded Celestia, he is a living, breathing, organism. Just as much as you or I. He has proved that he is sentient, he can feel pain, love, he can talk, albeit through broken hisses, the fact remains. This new changeling I also care for...It's not the same connection that Sixty-four and I share but, it is enough sister..."

Celestia raised an eyebrow at her statement. "your praetorian? Luna do you hear yourself? He came from another hive, one of which we have never heard of. Then he brings these other changelings with him and puts US in danger Luna. It's not just you your actions have affected, while I admit that he is a worthy warrior, the fact cannot be denied that he is still a changeling, and as such we have no idea what is happening to you by being connected to him!" She had started to raise her voice at Luna. "A prime example being how quickly you turned around and were suddenly so keen on getting 'information' from our would be assassins! Tell me Luna, what exactly did you get from them, hmm?"

Luna turned on her and glared standing up. "What we learned has yet to be concluded dearest sister. And it would do you good to hold your tongue when speaking of my emotions for my praetorian! What they did to him will be returned ten fold! We will see their hive burned to the ground for the wounds inflicted on him!" Luna yelled out and breathed heavily, her anger had gotten to her and had worked her up.

Celestia narrowed her eyes at the younger alicorn, standing to her full height and standing so close to Luna that she could smell the freshness of her breath. "I would do well to hold MY tongue Luna? Look at how this is affecting you. Never once have I heard you say such things. During times of war you would annihilate those who opposed us, yes but never once did you wish to see them killed off entirely! Now look and listen to what you are saying! What you speak of is genocide! And no sister of mine would ever DARE to even think of such an act!" She blew air through her nose, she wanted her point to be heard.

As she walked to the door and grabbed the handle, opening the door a bit she turned back to the now seething Luna. "No, that's something the creature I banished to the moon would say." Her words were cold, and drove a spike deep into Luna's mind. Had she really wanted to genocide an entire hive just because of harm that came to her praetorian?

As the door closed and the solar diarch left, Luna hit her knees and teared up, looking to her left she saw the mirror Celestia used to dress herself. Standing up and wiping her eyes, she looked at her reflection and glared. She wouldn't let her emotions control her, and she wouldn't let her new queen hood change her. She growled at the resolve and sent a fist straight into her reflection, shattering the mirror. Huffing she sat back on her sisters bed and sobbed quietly realizing what her sister had said was true. I promise, Celestia, I will not let this new change, change me. I promise.