It had been two weeks since our failed attack on Canterlot, thus failing to feed off of Equestria's love to sustain ourselves...and I am the last one...My subjects..my hive...they all died from starvation... And soon, so will I... Their love for me was the only thing left keeping me alive...and now without them, I'll die....
I lied there in the barren wasteland, the heat from the cursed sun beating down on my now weak body. My throat was dry; my time was coming..... then he appeared...
A sphere came from seemingly nowhere. It was pulsing and sparking with what resembled lightning. It swirled around me and then a blinding light burst from it. When I opened my eyes I saw... him. He was a changeling, about the same size as that wretched Cadence, though a bit bulkier. He was red, which I found odd, as well as an odd tail, which resembled an abdomen of an insect. He also had a blueish carapace, and strangely, so was his head, which was the oddest part. It was triangular in shape and he also had a wider mouth. He also lacked a horn, instead having two folded-down antennae, and he had no wings. He opened his eyes; they were red. He looked at me, and stared for a little while...I believe he was analyzing me...or something...
He then looked at his own hooves, and the rest of his body. Then a loud shriek came from his lungs as he raised his hooves to the sky.
"My Queeeeeeeeen!!!!" He yelled. I suspected he was from another changeling hive...One that I was unaware existed...
He looked down at me with sorrowful eyes, then he walked towards me...I was frightened; I was weak, and he was at full strength from what I could tell...He would destroy me, for that was the Changeling Way: to leave the weak behind for the better of the hive...He would take my life for my failures...
But then to my surprise, he lifted me up onto his back, and started carrying me...I couldn't believe it; never had I seen before a changeling show a kindness like this.......to me.......
We walked for what seemed like days, but I couldn't tell; I was still too weak... and yet, I haven't perished...I wondered....
We had wandered though most of the wasteland it seemed; we had passed many of the landmark rock formations used to navigate through...though I wasn't sure he was aware of that. He was completely silent throughout the entire trip, until we we finally arrived...
A cave. He brought me into a cave...It was dark and damp, there was sound of dripping water and the patter of spiders; my kind of place....
The red changeling began to groan. I looked, and a horn grew from his head; he appeared unused to it...
A ball appeared above his horn; It was made of fire! I had never seen one of our race wield such a power! He launched it at a stone and it lighted. He brought me over to the fire and laid me beside it. Unlike the scorching heat from the sun, the fire was warm and pleasant. The nights in the wastelands were cold and filled with danger; he brought me here to keep me warm and safe....I still couldn't speak...Still too weak...I lied there...him watching me....staring at me....
Then it happened...My strength was returning, not a lot but a little; he........loved me.......
While a changeling queen like myself can feed off the love and affections of others, our life is dependent on her subjects' love for her. As long as my subjects loved me, I would stay alive............His love was keeping me alive...
I became tired.... I was exhausted from the wasteland heat...I went to sleep, my red guardian ever watching........
"Rest.....My Queen......."
I awoke; he was gone. Was it all a dream? No, it couldn't have been, I was still alive, and my strength was returning; he must be out somewhere....
I tried to stand, but I couldn't... Still, I was too weak....
I lied back down and continued to rest....
An hour passed. I couldn't sleep; I was too anxious. Who was this red changeling, and where did he come from? Were there other hives that I wasn't aware of? How was it that he could create fire? Why didn't he terminate me? Why did he carry me all the way here? Why did he love me? Why?!?!?!?! My thoughts raced and my head began to hurt...too weak to think, it appeared...
I grew bored and I began to play with my mane like a dull filly...I was glad nopony was around to see me embarrass myself like this...
Hoofsteps were approaching. It was him.... He walked over to me and sat down, and continued to stare at me, motionless, with his burning red eyes. I finally decided to speak to him....
"Why....?" My voice was raspy from the dry wasteland air and my weak lungs.
There was a long silence....
"You are my new Queen..." He finally spoke. He had something of an accent, similar to those Canterlot idiots, though it was surprising to hear such a voice to come from him...
"Who are you....?" I asked.
"I am Inferno, a soldier, a 'veteran' of sorts.....You are now my new Queen, and I am yours to command...Royalty...." He bowed before my frail, weak form..... I couldn't help myself....I started to cry......
He moved his hoof and wiped the tears from my eyes....for the first time in a while...I smiled....
"Rest, Royalty....You still need to recover your strength...." Inferno said to me, then walked outside to stand watch...
"Thank you....." I said weakly. Then I laid my head down and again, fell deep into sleep....and for the first time I could remember....I dreamed.....