A Guard for The Princess

Three days have passed since Proteus decided to live with the newly appointed Queen of The Changelings. Three days have passed since Twilight suffered a terrible attack by her mysterious illness. Though he isn’t aware of his mother’s recent condition, he’s been thinking an awful lot about her for the past three days. Though most would take it as a sign that he misses his mother, which he most definitely does, he’s taking it as a sign that something has happened to her.

True to her word, the Queen has not attempted to charm Proteus into a more physical relationship. In fact, after the day they first kissed, she hasn’t brought up the issue since. She is treating him like a good friend she hadn’t seen in years. While he is understandably wary of her, he is slowly, but surely warming up to her presence. In terms of their sleeping arrangements, the Queen has stayed on her side of the bed during the night, though there were times where she would be tempted to move closer to him, but she had to fight to get him to stay, and she has no plans to get him to leave.

Their routines have been to travel around the cave, making sure morale between the Changelings is satisfactory. With the two of them working together, the process takes only half the time. They’ve only had to break up a few fights between the swarm, usually having to do with food rations more than anything else in the cave.

One day, the Queen has noticed Proteus becoming more and more distant from her. She was a first afraid that she did something to make him angry with her, but he would have told her if such a thing took place. She caught him standing by the cave’s exit, seemingly contemplating leaving.

She walks up to him to find out what is going on.

“Proteus?” The Queen says. He turns to her.

“Sorry…” he says with not much emotion in his voice, “It’s just…”

“Did I do something wrong?”

“No, it’s not you. It’s my mother. I’m worried about her.”

“Has something happened to her?”

“I don’t know. I have a bad feeling, that’s all.” He looks back at the open area outside. “Listen, I have to go…” He notices her stepping forward to stop him. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back. It should only be for a couple hours.”

“I’ll send a couple of my Changelings to follow you.”

“No.” he says sternly, “It’s fine, really. I just want to see if she’s okay. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

She pauses. She knew that she couldn’t stop him, even if she used force. But, she understood that he had to go. She nods to him the okay. He responds by patting her on the shoulder.

“Thanks. You’re the best.” he smiles, and takes off quickly before she could give anything resembling a response. He was practically supersonic, and out of her sight in seconds.

“Be safe…” she says quietly to herself.

Within the hour, he arrived into Ponyville. He could see a couple Guards waiting outside his house. The Queen was right; they were definitely waiting for him to arrive. He had to find another way inside. With a great deal of stealth that he learned in training, he sneaks to the back of the house. Luckily, there is no Royal Guards in the back. He slowly opens the back door, and walks inside. There’s nopony he can immediately see.

“Hello?” Nothing. “Mom?”

He hears the sound of somepony walking around upstairs. Was it a Guard hanging out inside? Before he could respond, he sees Spike running down the stairs, and into the kitchen, to make sure his ears weren’t deceiving him. Sure enough, he sees Proteus standing there. Spike is pleased to see him, but also scared about the news he is going to tell him.

“Proteus?” he whispers, “What…where have you been?”

“It’s a long story. Where’s Mom?”

Spike is quiet. He turns to the stairs, and Proteus follows him up. They get to the top into Twilight’s room, where he sees her…lying in bed with an I.V. in her foreleg. She is fast asleep. Proteus couldn’t believe what he was seeing; his worries were legitimate.

“Mom…”

He goes to her side, caressing her foreleg. He looks at Spike, a tear rolling down his cheek.

“What happened, Spike?”

“She was worried about you. The Guards said that you attacked Princess Luna.”

“Attacked?”

“Yeah. They said that you…tried to force yourself on her.”

Anger is building within Proteus. He is in disbelief at the lengths Luna is going to get the Guards after him.

“She wouldn’t fall for that.”

“She didn’t. Twilight didn’t believe a word of it, so we went to see Luna at the Castle. Sure enough, she was quick to see through Luna’s lies.”

Proteus looks upon his mother, proud that she still believed in him.

“That’s my mother. Always sticking up for me.”

“But then…Luna…hit her.”

Proteus’ eyes go wide at the thought of Luna hitting his mother. He is beyond mad at this point. He grits his teeth.

“What?” he growls, “Is that how…”

“No. She only had a mild bruise, but then she…started bleeding…and suffered a seizure. That’s what the Doctors called it.”

“A seizure?”

“The Doctors told me that Twilight had been sick for a while now. I didn’t find out until a couple days ago.”

Proteus gasps. He holds onto his mother tightly now.

“What does she have?”

“They don’t know. All they know is that if they don’t find out what it is quickly, then she will…”

“I’ve heard enough.” Proteus said, crying. Spike breathes a sigh of relief, happy that he didn’t have to complete that sentence. It still doesn’t stop tears from flowing out of his eyes.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were sick, Mom?” he asks her, as if expecting a response. Predictably, he gets none. “Can I have a moment, Spike?”

“Sure thing. You can stay as long as you want. The Guards aren’t allowed to come in.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s good to see you again, Proteus.”

“You too. Sorry about all the letters you had to burp up at night.”

“It’s quite alright.” Spike chuckles, “I got used to it, after a while.”

Spike walks back downstairs, allowing Proteus to stay with his mother. He watches over her for hours on end, hoping to see if her status will change for the better. She still sleeps quietly; from the way she looks, you couldn’t tell she was sick. The sun has gone down, and the moon has risen. Princess Luna may be on Proteus’ bad side right now, but he was impressed that she hadn't been shirking her duties.

Proteus rests his head on his mother’s chest, never leaving her side. He is awoken by a hoof caressing his face; Twilight’s hoof. He looks up to see her weakly smiling down on him.

“Mom!” he says, giving her a slight embrace. She returns the gesture.

“Oh my son…my beautiful son…I missed you.”

“I missed you too, Mom.”

“Where have you been? The Guards have looked everywhere for you.”

“Not everywhere.” he tells her, “I’ve been hiding out in the Badlands.”

“The Badlands?” she sounds worried, “There’s a nest of Dragons living there!”

“I know. It’s okay. I’ve been living in a cave with…” he hesitates, “…with the Changelings.”

Twilight gasps. The last she heard of the Changelings, was that they died out a few years after the death of Queen Chrysalis.

“Changelings? How…” she forgoes the question of asking about their return. What matters to her, is that Proteus is safe. “Have they tried to hurt you?”

“No. That’s the thing. Their Queen…” he pauses; he looks around to make sure he’s quiet enough. “Can you keep a secret?”

“Cross my heart…hope to fly…” she says with a smile.

“Their Queen is Chrysalis’ daughter.”

Twilight covers her mouth from gasping the loudest gasp she had ever uttered. Her eyes go wide, and her mouth is agape. The news is shocking, to say the least.

“But…she died.” Twilight says, still unbelieving of the news.

“It’s a long story, but it’s her. She’s been taking care of me, ever since I ran into her swarm.”

“She’s…nice?”

“Well, not all the time. She can be a little scary in front of her army. But…she’s nice to me.” He doesn’t tell her about the Queen’s advances towards him the first time they met. It would probably only worry her even further.

“She better be, or she’ll have to talk to me.” she chuckles weakly, transitioning into a cough. Proteus rests a hoof on her chest, comforting her. “At least I know you’re safe.”

“Don’t worry about me. Frankly, I’m more worried about you. Why didn’t you tell me you were sick?”

“I thought it was nothing, just a common cold. That’s what the Doctors said when I first had symptoms. Now…”

“How serious is it going to get?”

“I’m not sure. Neither are they.”

“I’m going to stay with you. As long as it takes to make you better.”

“No. You have to stay where you are now. You’re not safe here.”

“I can’t stand idly by, while you lay in bed!” A tear falls down his cheek, onto Twilight’s foreleg. She caresses him.

“I hate it when you cry. It makes me want to cry.” she says, as tears begin to well up in her eyes. She gives his cheek a soft kiss. “You have to go now, the Guards sometime patrol by the windows.”

Proteus hesitates. He doesn’t want to leave her, but he has to.

“I’ll see you again, as soon as I can, alright?” he returns the kiss with one of his own, before opening the window. “You hang in there.”

“Don’t worry about me, Proteus. Just be safe.”

“That’s the problem, Mom. I worry about you every day.”

On that note, he opens the window, taking off into the night.

“I know…” she whispers.

Proteus returns to the cave, upset and depressed. He hoped that his worries would have been unfounded, that he would find just a worried mother, who missed her son. Instead, he found her on what he has now perceived to be her death bed. There is hope within his mind that she will get better, but the feeling in his gut tells him that will not be the case. Looking around, he can see the Changelings sleeping on the floor of the cave in various areas, in various positions. He begins the long walk to the shack, where the Queen is undoubtedly waiting for his return.

He opens the door slowly, as he walks inside, he can see the Queen with her back turned to him, seemingly sleeping. He knows that she’s still awake; he’s fallen for this trick one too many times. As he shuts the door, she moves a little.

“You’re back.” she says quietly, as he gets into bed, “I was beginning to worry that you wouldn’t…”

Suddenly, she feels his forelegs wrap around her chest, pulling her in closer to him. He holds her tight against him, refusing to let her go. She should be shocked about this, but she instead finds it comfortable. Even so, she cannot help but feel that something is amiss.

“My mother’s sick…” he says, “Doctors…don’t know what it is.”

She listens to him intently. She feels sympathy for his situation.

“Do they know how long she has?”

She feels him shake his head “no”.

“I’m…so sorry, Proteus.” she caresses a hoof on his foreleg, “If there’s anything you need, anything at all…I’ll be here.”

“Thank you.” He holds her tightly. She had never been held by another before. Normally, she would have to do the holding on her own. But the fact that Proteus, who not a few days ago, refused to even touch her, is holding her tightly, like she was going to leave him, brings a small smile to her face. With her in his forelegs, she can finally sleep soundly that night.

The next morning, the Queen wakes up to find that Proteus is gone. She looks around the room, but he is not in sight. She questioned the legitimacy of what happened last night, but she is choosing to believe that what happened was very much real. She walks outside; her army is up and about, but something is different. Most of them are gathered in one specific area in the cave. The Queen takes a closer look, and sees Proteus with a sole Changeling, standing in front of a massive crowd. She gets even closer.

“Now…” Proteus says, “I want you to try and hit me.”

“Wha?” The Changeling says, “Seriously?”

“Yeah. I’m serious. Go ahead. I won’t attack you.”

The Changelings murmur amongst themselves, while others are egging the poor thing on. The lone Changeling shrugs his shoulders, and prepares for an attack. He lunges at Proteus, who steps to the side, avoiding the attack. The Changeling tries again and again, but it’s not use. The Changeling falls to the ground the last time, as the others laugh at him. Proteus helps him up, wiping off any goop from the cave.

“You okay?” he asks. The Changeling nods. “Good, go back to the group.” The Changeling does so. “Now, listen up. The point was not so you can point and laugh at him. You creatures can be combat efficient in a group, I would know this, because you almost killed me. But by yourselves, your skills are sorely lacking. I managed to beat some of you in that fight, and right now, I’m here to teach each and every one of you, to be able to take on an opponent solo.” The Changelings murmur some more. “I’m going to teach you to be faster, stronger, and nigh unbeatable. I learned from the best, so I’m going to teach you the best. It’s not going to be easy, but it’ll be worth it. Are you in?”

The Changelings happily chant; they are most definitely in. Proteus is happy to hear their enthusiasm. Looking amongst the crowd, he sees the Queen. He smiles, and approaches her.

“My Queen…” he says, bowing to her. She is caught off guard by his attitude.

“Um...rise.” He does so. “Take a walk with me, Proteus. I would like to talk to you alone.”

Proteus motions to the Changelings to walk away. He and the Queen take a stroll towards the front of the cave.

“I see you are making yourself useful.” she says.

“Yeah.” he chuckles, “I just felt like I wanted to do something around here, if I’m going to stay for a while.”

“So, you’re not planning on leaving?”

“Not in the immediate future. Why, do you want me to…”

“No!” she quickly says, “I’m just…surprised, that’s all.”

“Well, when you get past the goop, it’s kind of pretty in here.” They both share a chuckle. “Listen, about last night…”

“Don’t apologize.” she says. Happy on the inside that what happened wasn’t a dream. “I know you just wanted some…comfort, after what you found out.”

“I just didn’t want you to feel awkward or anything.”

“It didn’t feel awkward at all. It felt…kind of nice. What about you?”

She can see Proteus blush upon hearing her question. This pleases her.

“I…liked it too.” He looks at the ground, embarrassed that he admitted that.

“Well, carry on then.” The Queen says, giving him an halfhearted salute. “I want those troops combat ready in five minutes.”

“Oh, now you’re asking for too much.” he laughs. She shares it with him. “I’ll do my best, though.”

“Be sure that you do.” she says softly to him. He doesn’t think too much into her tone of voice, as he starts to walk back to the anticipated crowd of Changelings. But then, he turns back to her.

“I think I have a name for you.” he says. She looks at him, curiously.

“You do? Let’s hear it.”

“I mean, it’s not a name of my choosing, but I heard about it. Apparently, your mother wrote that if she was having a boy, she would name it Proteus, and if it was a girl, she would name it Selene.”

“Selene, huh?” she thinks about it, “Another name for Moon, just like you.”

“I realize that she came up with the names to honor Princess Luna, so if you don’t want me to call you that….”

“Actually…” she interrupts, “I kind of like it. Selene; Queen of the Changelings. Queen Selene. Kind of has a nice ring to it.”

“I have to admit, it does.” he smiles.

“One condition, though. Only you can call me that. No one here can call me that, but you. Understand?”

“Yes, your Magesty…I mean…Selene.”

“Good. Now, get back to work.” She jests. He goes back to his new-found duties as a trainer.

“Selene…” she says to herself, “I like it.”

For the next couple of weeks, Proteus began to train the Changelings everything that he learned from Stone Shield. Though he was still unfamiliar with Unicorn magic, he still tried his best to train them in that aspect. It was during aerial practice, and combat, where he most excelled at. Like his first few weeks at the Academy, the Changeling’s were unfocused, and more than a little sloppy, but he didn’t give up on them. Though there were a few bumps and bruises sustained during these sessions, so using the cave substance became more common than it was before. The Changelings did not care, they liked that they had something to do, rather than bicker about who gets the last piece of food.

Selene watched this all from her stone throne, pleased with their progress, but most of all, she was pleased that Proteus has continued to stay with her for this long. In the back of her mind, she has been preparing for the day where he would leave, and she would have to convince him not to; but now, she is convincing herself that he will stay…forever.

Proteus also took the time every other day, to visit his mother. She had finally begun to get out of bed, and walk around the house. It seemed like she was getting better, but her medicine dosages had been substantially increased. She did have a couple off days, but Proteus kept hope that she would be fine in the end.

More and more Proteus started to enjoy himself in the company of the Changelings. On first sight, he found them to be vile, disgusting creatures, but when he got to know them, and when he got to training them, he has gained the upmost respect for them. In some ways, they remind him of his friends back at the Academy. The one he respected most of all, however…is Selene.

Unlike the others, the first time he saw her, he didn’t think of her as a vile beast. Instead, he thought of her as beautiful, yet also dangerous. As the days went on, as she treated him with a great deal of affection, compared to the others, he saw past her dangerous visage, and saw something else; a mare looking for somepony.

After the night he embraced her, he found himself tempted by her. Though she has continued not to make advances towards him, he saw that she didn’t have to; thoughts of her began to spread throughout his mind. He shouldn’t be thinking of her like this, he knows that, but he continues to do so. He knows that should he pursue this, there would be no turning back. If word got out that he had started an intimate relationship with his half-sister, his career as a Royal Guard would be over, if it wasn’t already, his mother would once again be hounded like she was when he was a young colt, and he and Selene would be hunted forever.

But…what if they didn’t know? Not many ponies in Equestria were aware of Selene’s existence, and those that do, believe her to be dead. They could lie, and say that Selene is just a new Changeling Queen, but her half-pony appearance could draw suspicion. Maybe, if she lived with him in Ponyville, she could change into a different form, and then nopony would bother them. But, what if she doesn’t like that? What if she’s happy being herself? On some nights, he found himself getting closer to her in bed, wanting to embrace her like he did before, but also to do more than that. He would catch himself reaching out for her, and retreat back, afraid of himself.

What he did not know, was that Selene was aware of what he was doing.

More than a month has passed, since Proteus had moved into the cave of the Changelings, and he has now become fully comfortable living there. He is happy, happier than he initially was back when he left Princess Luna to parts unknown. He has a good thing going here, and he has no plans to ruin it.

One morning, Proteus woke up to the sound of intense rustling in bed. At first, he thought that Selene was just trying to find a more comfortable spot to sleep, but he can hear the faint sounds of moaning as well. He gets up, and sees Selene in a cold sweat, mouth open, and gasping for air. He has no idea what is wrong.

“Selene?” he asks. She quickly looks at him.

“Proteus? I’m sorry you have to see me like this.”

“What’s the matter?”

“I’m…” she suppresses a moan, “I’m not feeling well.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

“Ye---“ she pauses, hesitating to answer his question. “N-No. It’s fine. I just need to stay in bed for a while.”

“Okay. Well, if you need anything…” He places a hoof on her shoulder. Suddenly, she flinches violently, suppressing yet another moan, this one stronger than the last.

“N-No! Don’t….don’t touch me.”

He carefully gets out of bed. Understandably weirded out by her attitude. This is not the normal behavior of somepony that is sick. He doesn’t question it, thinking that Changeling illnesses are different from pony illness symptoms. He turns to walk out the door, when she speaks again.

“I’m sorry…” she said, “I just…need some time.”

He nods before walking out the door, leaving her alone for most of the day. Her actions had thoroughly confused Proteus. He didn’t understand what is happening to her. It felt like she had experienced this before, yet was too embarrassed to talk about it, considering her hesitance to talk about it. As evening approached, and she still hadn’t emerged from the shack, he felt compelled to figure out what is happening to her. To find some answers, he had to ask somepony, or in this case...some Changeling.

Proteus finds a Changeling alone, working on an upcoming cocoon. He approaches him slowly, as to not startle him.

“Excuse me?” he asks the Changeling.

The Changeling turns around, happy to see Proteus.

“My King!” The Changeling said, bowing to him. Proteus had never been called a king before today. He guesses he’s been there for so long, that the others now consider him another ruler of them.

“Stand.” he commands, “There’s no need for bowing in my presence.”

“Oh, my apologies.” The Changeling says, “Where is the Queen, today?”

“That’s what I want to ask you about, actually.”

“Why? Is she not with you?”

“She’s in the cabin, but…she’s feeling a little weird today. I was wondering if you could help me out a little bit. What do you experience when you’re sick?”

“Ummm…” The Changeling shrugs, “What you ponies normally experience; headaches, nausea, sneezing, snot. Is the Queen sick?”

“That’s what I want to find out. She’s not doing any of those things, but something is definitely wrong.”

The Changeling slowly understands what is going on.

“Is she sweating?” he asks.

“Yeah. A lot.”

“The shakes? A violent shiver?”

“Yes.”

“Highly sensitive to the touch?”

“How did you know?”

“She’s not sick.” The Changeling confirms, confident that what he says is true.

“She’s not?” Proteus wonders, “Then…what’s wrong with her?”

“Nothing is really wrong with her. It’s just that time of year.”

“And…what happens this time of year?”

The Changeling is surprised as Proteus’ question. This is something that ponyfolk go through as various times as well, especially females.

“She gets…urges.” He can see Proteus still doesn’t understand. “You know what I’m talking about; Urges that only a Stallion can fix.”

Proteus now understands. He lets out a long and drawn out 'Oooooooohhhhh….'

“So…she’s in heat?”

“I don’t know about that.” The Changeling says, “Last time I checked her temperature, she felt pretty cold.” Proteus almost burst out laughing when he said that. “Normally, she would order us to fetch her a stallion, for her to mate with. At least, that’s what I assume happens. I don’t watch; none of us do, she probably wouldn’t like that at all.”

Proteus chuckles, agreeing with him.

“Thanks for the help.” he says, “I’ll go check up on her.”

Proteus heads back to the cabin. He slowly opens the door, and she’s in the exact same place where he left her. Her shakes had not subsided, and she is still in a cold sweat. He kneels down at her side, watching her try to relax. She opens her eyes to see him looking back at her.

“Proteus…what’s wrong?”

“I know what’s happening to you.” he says.

“I see…” she sighs.

“When I was in Ponyville, I would hear reports of Stallions disappearing into the woods, and coming back with no recollection of what happened. I take it that was you?”

“Yes.” she nods, “When I came of age…I started having these…feelings. This…hunger for love.”

“What happens if you don’t get it?”

“I’m like this for a few days.”

“Is it painful?”

“Very.”

Proteus thinks for a while about this. His inner thoughts continue to be locked in conflict with one another. He knows he shouldn’t do what he is thinking, but he can’t bear to see her in such pain.

“How…how much do you need?” he asks her.

“As much as the subject can give me.”

He has made his decision. There was no turning back from this. Not anymore. Slowly, he places a hoof on her hip, causing her to elicit a loud surprised moan. She looks up at him, wondering about his actions.

“W-what are you doing?” she asks.

“I’m helping you.”

“B-But…”

She doesn’t get to complete her question, as he goes down for a kiss. The moment his lips touch hers, she is in heaven. His kiss is tender, his tongue grazing against hers, as she gets into the rhythm of it. Soon, the two tongues are entwined in a dance. All the pleasure she is feeling is now taking control of her body. She grabs Proteus by the shoulders, and rolls on top of him in a quick and forceful manner, continuing to kiss him. What started out as slow, soon became rough, yet passionate, as their lip lock becomes something much more primal. Suddenly, she stops herself, separating her mouth from his, as she stares at him, hungry for more.

Her horn glows a brilliant green, as Proteus sees the bed covered by a fantastic bubble.

“So they won’t hear us.” Selene says all too happily.

She quickly goes back down, and continues to furiously kiss him. What followed was a night of unchained passion. The build-up of weeks of unbridled tension between the two, all come to a head in this one night. They unleashed their wants and desires on one another, like it was their last night in Equestria. Despite her confidence, Proteus found that this was her first time making love, which surprised even him. At that moment, he didn’t care, he wasn’t going to stop, and even if he really wanted to, she wasn’t going to allow such a thing to pass.

When they were finished, they both lied there, panting heavily, catching their breath after such intense love making. Selene caresses his back, as he had the most energy spent from him. She loves the feeling of him on top of her. More importantly…she loves him. Slowly, his wings, which unfurled completely during their fornication, furl back up, and he gets enough energy to get up, and look at her, seeing the look of complete happiness on her face. That look soon changes, as she can see the look of nothing on him. She cannot tell what he is feeling. He rolls off of her, onto his back, as he looks up at the ceiling. She dissipates the bubble that encased their noises from the outside.

Selene moves up next to him, resting half her body onto his chest, hearing his heart beat slow down to its normal rate.

“Are you ashamed?” she asks him. It takes a while for him to respond.

“No.” he says. She breathes a sigh of relief. “I…I didn’t know that…this was your first time.”

“Oh…” she says, looking down in embarrassment. "That obvious, huh? It’s not very queenly of me, is it? That I’m…was a virgin.”

“I wasn’t thinking that.” he assures her, “It’s just…what happened with the other Stallions?”

“I had to use my power to get them into my chambers. However, I soon discovered that when their mind is mine to control, certain…functions are taken away.” she chuckles at the thought, “All they were good for at that point was a kiss, or a hug, and that barely got me by. Even if they did perform…I wouldn’t want them to.”

“Why?” he wonders.

“I…” She almost doesn’t say it, but she has no choice now. “I wanted it to be you. I wanted it to be you so much.”

“Me? Why me?”

She doesn’t answer. Her eyes had become heavy, exhausted from their…'activity'. She yawns, preparing to go to sleep.

“Hold me.” she whispers to him. He does so, putting his hooves around her waist. “I’ll tell you…another time, maybe. For now, I want to rest.”

He had to admit, he was tired too. Pretty soon, she was fast asleep. He kisses the top of her head, as he shuts his eyes, waiting to fall to sleep.

He cannot believe himself for what he just did…but he does not regret it in the slightest.