Sacrifice: Part Two

Marina's breathing was slow and labored and pained. In, and out. In, and out. Every breath was a struggle. Every breath was a battle, a fight she was getting closer and closer to losing.

They had made her as comfortable as possible, even if it was unlikely she was aware of either them or herself: she was in her own bed, blankets carefully tucked over her, her every need tended to with compassion, with love by friends and servants. Beside her, the changeling drone rested, calm and quiet, absolutely loyal to the mare he called “Queen”. Phantom had been wary of him at first... but the changeling was clearly helping in some way he didn't understand. Although to Phantom, it also seemed as if the drone was slowly dying, in spite of the fact they had patched the thing up as much as possible.

What was Discord doing? What 'plan' did he have in mind to keep Marina alive? She was so weak. Phantom kept wanting to take her hoof, but every time he grasped into her, even the gentlest grip of his talons marred her chocolate body, damaged her like she was made of soft wax. He couldn't even touch her. And how he hated that...

Phantom shook his head slowly, closing his eyes as he steadied himself, as he forced himself to simply... breathe. He leaned silently in beside his wife from his seat, paying no attention to the changeling: it didn't seem to care about him, either, only sitting there, the ring around its horn thrumming seemingly eternally in tandem with a ring around Marina's own.

Phantom looked at it for a moment, then returned his eyes to Marina as he reached out and gently, oh so carefully brushed some of her hair back from her features. He smiled briefly after a moment at her, then shook his head slowly before he whispered: “Stay strong, Marina.”

He wished he could understand better what was going on. Heart-pierced, that was the closest he could get to wrapping his mind around it: he had known griffins who had been heart-pierced, and he had watched them die, too. A slow, painful, and unstoppable death, where they simply... wasted away over the course of days, no matter what anyone did. Just like what was happening to Marina.

The griffin shook his head silently, then he lowered his head in silence, unable to do anything but sit, and keep his watch beside his wife, hating that he was even more useless right now than the changeling servant that at least was doing... something, for her...

Phantom hesitated, then he looked up and asked: “Do you have a name?”

The drone looked at him blankly for a few moments as he rose his head slightly, and then he simply shook it.

Phantom looked back, and without knowing really why, he asked: “What are you doing?”

“When the Queen is injured, the drones gather and give their energy to her. To help her heal. To make her strong again, so the hive can continue to grow.” The changeling smiled faintly, raising his head. “Your King, Discord, gave me this ring so I could feed my energy to the new Queen. I'm sorry I can't do more. But I am only one drone, and even if your love is strong-”

“You're feeding off my love for her?” Phantom asked, stiffening slightly. But the changeling only nodded and smiled again.

“Yes. It is all that has kept me alive. It is what lets me continue to serve the Queen.” the changeling answered, and Phantom glanced down for a moment before he gave the faintest of smiles, shaking his head slowly.

“Then take all the love you need, if it'll keep my wife alive.” Phantom murmured, before he laughed faintly as he muttered: “I never would have guessed I'd end up here. My mate is a pony, now you're calling her the Queen of Changelings, and the only thing keeping her alive is...”

“You hate us, I know. The other races all hate us. I don't understand it: most of us don't hate your kind. We all merely do what we are compelled to by our natures, that is all.” The changeling shrugged, then he lowered his head, breathing quietly as he closed his eyes. “All we can do is serve and obey the Queen. All we can do is be what we are.”

Phantom looked at the changeling for a few moments, and then he lowered his own head, murmuring: “Sometimes even a soldier has to learn to find his own way.”

The changeling only smiled, however, replying in a murmur: “We know our path. Some of us do run from our destiny, but... I choose to serve the Queen. I like my life. I am honored to give it in service to her.”

Phantom snorted at this, but he didn't have any real response to this: he wasn't really in any position to argue with the creature protecting his wife, after all. He looked at Marina, then said before he even realized he was speaking: “You couldn't choose a better ruler.”

“We believe she is strong. More than that, when we served under the last queen, Chrysalis was incredibly powerful... but her strength was... nothing. Our hive has never seen anything like this before, a collision of two... incredibly different strengths.”  The changeling stopped, then smiled up at Phantom. “Everything happens for a reason. Chrysalis came into power, became the most powerful changeling queen we have ever seen, only so she could be destroyed by Queen Marina. So that Queen Marina could lead us right. Under Chrysalis, we nearly starved, and many of our kind were brainwashed, and many more were torn from the hive to serve new masters. Her strength brought pain. Marina's strength will bring... something more. And now that Marina has proven herself a second time, the hive will bow its head to her. Our brothers and sisters will obey her, and cast out the few who try and deny her what is hers by right. All of us are excited. I can hear the faith of my brothers and sisters.”

“Can you communicate with other changelings?” Phantom asked, but it was more curious than afraid, even if there was always that twinge of uncertainty...

But the changeling only smiled, shaking his head as he replied quietly: “No, not those alive. But through the Queen... I hear the voices of my brothers. They are speaking to her in her dreams. And someone else, too. Someone who keeps reassuring me, every time I close my eyes...”

The changeling settled, breathing softly as his eyes slid closed and he appeared to go to sleep, and Phantom looked at him for a few moments before he smiled faintly at Marina, studying her quietly before he shook his head briefly and reached out, gently adjusting the covers around her as he murmured: “Always worrying about others when you should put yourself first. Rest, Marina. And don't worry. I'm not leaving, and no one else is, either. You'll never be alone.

“No matter what happens, you'll never be alone.”

***

Rarity breathed quietly in and out as she wiped sweat from her brow. Her usually perfect mane was a frazzled mess from the feverish nights of work they had put in, and she stank: not just of work and effort, but of... things she didn't want to think about.

It had been days of work, cleaning, shaping, working with a... material that Rarity had never handled before. It had been a learning experience. A very difficult, frightening learning experience, and Rarity shook herself a little before she stepped back from the table, looking uneasily for a few moments at the black helm she had almost completed: it was beautiful and onyx, the outer casque smooth and polished and perfect, with a single strange, jagged horn that stood up from the front. She just had to finish the inner layer on it, covering up that middle layer of... skull.

She shivered a bit, then turned towards Discord. The Draconequus was toiling away still: she didn't think he'd rested at all since they'd started. He hadn't rested, hadn't taken any time away from the forge and the fire and the anvil except to get more materials, and even now, he was still pounding away, strike after strike hailing down on the plate of chitin in front of him.

Rarity hesitantly approached, then she cleared her throat loudly, Discord jerking as if awakening from a daze as the unicorn asked almost nervously: “Should we take a break for a while? I... I would dearly like to make a short trip to visit Marina and see how she is. I need to take some measurements, anyway, if she's going to be...”

She quieted, and Discord opened his mouth... but then only smiled wryly as he closed his jaws and shook his head briefly. Why was he going to snap at her? She was right. And besides, he knew that Marina was going to need more than just a pretty new dress to put the smile back on her face. “Yes. Yes, you're right. And you've done splendidly already, I have to say. I know this is a teensy bit different than what you're probably used to.”

“It's hard, but... as you said, think of it as just material. That's all they are, raw materials.” Rarity replied, even as she tossed a look apprehensively over her shoulder at the discard bin, where they had thrown all the... the waste, from the material. “Still, seeing Marina, it would be good. And we both need a break, I think. We don't look quite our best, you know.”

Discord chuckled quietly at this, shaking his head before he replied with a kind smile: “Rarity, you still look a hundred thousand times more marvelous than me, don't worry. But you're right. Take a quick bath and meet me down in the front hall in an hour, and I'll whisk you off to see Marina. I think I need the break too.”

Rarity smiled up at him with relief before she nodded and strode quickly away. Discord watched her go, his smile gradually fading before he sighed quietly as he rose the hammer he was still holding, idly stroking along the stained instrument: blood and oil, he thought. He never imagined he'd be here, mixing the two, performing this dark and ancient magic...

But it wasn't dark like the Darklords, he could take a bit of solace in that. He thought that out of all the ponies in Equestria, maybe Luna would have appreciated this most... but that only made Discord smile faintly and shake his head before he murmured: “Silly of me. I still feel guilty over all those years ago, that we couldn't save you, but... I suppose you're still here, all the same. And I really do hope you approve of this. But I think you like Marina, don't you? Of course you do. She's my daughter, after all.”

He quieted, then finally set the hammer down, wiping his hands absently against himself before he sighed a little and looked over at the half-completed armor on the pony marionette, studying it for a few moments before he glanced up with a slight smile as he sensed a presence at the door. “Now, Celestia, dear. You know it's impolite to try and sneak up on people. That's why it's my job, not yours.”

Celestia smiled faintly as she stepped inside, shaking her head before she replied quietly: “I just wanted to check in on you, Discord. I've never see you so dedicated to a task. Except maybe... once, in the past.”

“Well, don't worry, Celestia, I don't give repeat performances. This is a brand new role for a brand new day.” Discord smiled over at the Princess of the Sun, sketching a curtsy to her, and Celestia couldn't help but laugh a little as she shook her head slowly.

They looked at each other for a few moments, and then the mare sighed faintly as her smile faded, asking quietly: “Are you sure this is entirely necessary? That there's no... better alternative?”

“I don't like it either. I honestly don't. But it is, for a few reasons I can think of, and I think you know that, Celestia. It's just... icky, isn't it?” Discord shook his hands out, idly flicking his fingers before he smiled wryly as he looked back over his shoulder again at the half-finished armor on the doll. “I told Rarity to think of it as... just materials. But I'm finding it a little hard to swallow myself. Don't tell her that, though. I think convincing her of that is the only thing that stopped her from throwing up.”

Celestia chuckled a little, and there was silence for a few moments between them before she asked, surprisingly blunt for a mare who was usually so tactful: “What will you do if she dies?”

“She won't die.” Discord smiled, but his voice was sharp, and Celestia looked at him for a moment before the Draconequus took a breath and repeated in a quieter voice: “She won't die. I won't let that happen, Celestia, no matter what it costs me.”

“Do you love her that much, or do you really believe in her that much?” Celestia asked, and Discord chuckled as he tipped her a wink before he looked back at the armor he had spent the last few days crafting alongside Rarity.

“Why can't it be both?” Discord asked with a tilt of his head, and Celestia smiled despite herself before the Draconequus shook his head briefly and murmured: “Honestly, you shouldn't worry about it. She's more important than I am. She's going to save the world, I'm quite sure of that. And me, what have I ever done for the world, really?”

Celestia gave him a soft look, but Discord only shrugged and tipped her a wink before he shook his head and said finally: “Honestly, I really think that she'll do much better things with what she's been given, than I'll ever do with all the power I've been born with. After all, even with all this power, what have I managed, Celestia? It's funny, but I seem to do more good here, helping others rather than trying to fight the Darklords and their... well, you know.”

“Without you putting all the effort forwards you have, we would have been overwhelmed by the Darklords a long time ago.” Celestia said quietly, shaking her head with a small smile. “No one here is blind to what you've done for us, Discord. You shouldn't be, either. We know there's a much greater force at work here than these monsters that move against us.”

Discord rubbed at his neck, began to grin, began to make some lame joke, until he met Celestia's eyes; then he suddenly quieted, lowering his head slightly as he murmured: “I really do hope you're right, with all my heart. I do, Celestia. But whatever else you want to call me, I'm not much of a hero. You can't be a hero and a deity. That would be terribly selfish. That's why you're no hero anymore, either, just a supporting character and a dirty monarch.”

Celestia smiled despite herself, shaking her head briefly before she looked towards the half-completed armor, studying it for a few moments before she said softly: “Go get some rest, Discord, then visit your daughter. You've been a little sloppy with the assembly. I'll fix it for you.”

“Aren't you generous?” But when Discord smiled again, it was with honest gratitude as he nodded hesitantly to the mare, before murmuring: “Thank you, Celestia. Even if I know this is really just you shirking your duties again. You know, they made that throne for your butt to sit in, you should try and sit in it once in awhile.”

Celestia smiled slightly in return, nodding to him as she replied: “I'll try and follow your example and be a little more diligent in the future.”

“Oh, shush, you flatterer.” Discord gave a wry look to Celestia, and then he nodded to her, the two trading a softer gaze before he turned and headed to the door, murmuring a quiet 'thank you' as he made his way out.

The Draconequus was only able to rest for an hour or so... but it was more than enough to help him feel more at peace with things, more in control, which was a funny thing for a chaos entity like himself to want to be. But all the same, he did: when it came to Marina, after all, he rarely wanted to leave things just up to fate and luck. He wanted to give her nothing but the very best he could, and he would do anything to save and protect her: a father, after all, had to protect his daughter.

Eventually, Discord wandered his way down to the main hall, greeting ponies, making chatter and conversation with the ones who stopped. He smiled at them, and reassured them, and made jokes and laughed with them; it hurt a little, though. It always did. They believed in him so much, but what had he really done to deserve that? Even after a thousand years of absence, they still revered him as a hero from the old wars.

When Rarity arrived, he was admittedly relieved: as nice as it was to spend some time with these ponies, he was eager to visit Marina, to see how she was doing before he headed back to work. He knew that every moment was precious, even if he was trying his hardest not to rush. Haste made waste, and all that...

***

The jump to the mansion was easy: for Discord, after all, it was a little like coming home. It was only a step, and he and Rarity were inside Marina's room, standing at her bedside. Rarity was stunned for a moment, but only for a moment before she shook her head out and stepped quickly up to her friend's bedside, reaching up-

Phantom quickly caught Rarity's foreleg, making her flinch slightly, but he smiled at her briefly as he said quietly: “Please be gentle. She's very...”

“Yes. Of course. Her core is losing cohesion, so the rest of her is as well.” Discord said quietly, and then he stepped forwards and reached down to gently swipe a claw along her foreleg. Phantom scowled at this as Discord left a faint mark on Marina, but the Draconequus only stuck his finger in his muzzle, tasting the chocolate before he gave a small smile as his eyes flicked to the sleeping changeling, then to Phantom Wing. “A bit of loose energy, yes... but a lot of love, too.”

He smiled briefly, then he shook his head quickly before he murmured: “Well. I owe you and our loyal little friend here a bit of thanks, Phantom. Without you both...”

Discord clicked his tongue, then he shook his head quickly and said softly: “Well, let's not think about that, shall we?” He cleared his throat, tapping his fingers together before he quickly rose a hand and snapped his fingers, and the changeling flinched in his sleep as energy sizzled over Marina's body, Phantom frowning in surprise.

Discord answered the question before Phantom could ask: “I wouldn't call it 'healing' her, but just... toughening her up a little, so to speak. But it won't last very long. Not with her core so damaged.”

“Why can't you fix her heart?” Phantom asked, and Discord chuckled a little. “How hard can it be for a god?”

“Gods find many things very hard, I'll have you know, and I'm not even sure if I've ever really deserved that title. I don't think I've been a good enough or a bad enough boy to.” Discord replied, as he idly polished his talons against his chest, before he simply held his hand out, a heart appearing in it. Phantom's eyes widened for a moment, but then the griffin scowled as Rarity winced away, even as she realized it was only rubber. “Abracadabra, there's a heart! And do you know what? Even just making that bad joke makes me feel tired.”

Discord tossed the rubber heart over his shoulder, and it bounced away with a few squeaks before the Draconequus shook his head slowly and murmured: “When I found Marina the first time, all I could do was put her life into the chocolate, because her body was so badly damaged... but do you know what that means, Phantom? No one's ever really quite grasped it, no one's ever really realized the pain this little filly endured... because when they threw her into the boiling chocolate, she was still alive. And when she came out afterwards, she was still alive in the very cruelest sense of the word: that heart was still beating, every melted nerve was still feeling. The poor thing doesn't remember it very well, thankfully, but I assure you... she was in pain.”

Discord closed his eyes, then shook his head slowly, grimacing a little as he remembered it like it was yesterday: the screaming, that was what stuck in his mind most of all. He hadn't heard it with his ears, but he'd heard her, in his mind, and that was how he'd been drawn to her, found her, a melted mass of...

No, he wouldn't think about that. Instead, he reached down and squeezed Marina's now-solid foreleg silently, murmuring: “She was like my first – and last! – disciple on that world, so of course when she prayed, I was the one who heard her pleas. All I could do was put her life into the chocolate... but you have to understand, there was already plenty there to work with. In this case, unless your advice is to rip a beating heart out of some poor pony's chest... I can't restore her magical core. And even if I did do that, well... it's not the right circumstances, so to speak. It wouldn't work out very well.”

Discord shook his head, then he wiped his hand against his chest a few times before saying finally: “Best we stick with this for now. She'll be okay. I won't let anything happen to her, Phantom, even if you don't like me very much, you should at least have faith in that.”

Phantom shifted awkwardly, his eyes flicking away before he began to open his beak, but Discord simply reached over and tapped him firmly between the ears before he smiled at Rarity, saying gently: “Go ahead, dear. Take the measurements you need while you have the chance. Then we can stay for a moment or two, but we do have a lot of work to do...”

Discord hesitated, then he smiled faintly as he looked at Marina again, studying her unconscious body before he murmured: “But well, I suppose we can spare a few more moments for a dear friend, too.”

Rarity smiled a little in agreement, even as she opened the kit hanging from her side to produce a fine measuring tape. She looked at Phantom, and the griffin nodded to her silent request as he sat back a bit,  letting his talons fall in his lap as he watched the unicorn work. And he hated it: he hated not being able to help, not being able to do anything; he hated that as fast as Rarity worked, by her last measurement, there were smears of chocolate on her tape, like Marina was already... starting to fall apart again.

“I would love her even if you put her in a body of steel or stone.” Phantom said quietly, and Discord smiled briefly over at him.

“I know you would, Phantom. That's one of the few things we can agree on, now isn't it?” Discord replied with a wink to him, tilting his head towards the griffin before he chuckled quietly and murmured: “But this will take some time to heal. I don't know if our dear Marina will ever be quite the same as she was... I can only hope that what we're going to do for her will be a temporary measure.”

Phantom nodded after a moment, and the two looked at each other before Discord chuckled and shrugged easily, in spite of the seriousness in his eyes. “Well, all we can really do is hope for the best and do what we can. You just stay here, Phantom, keep our changeling friend well fed with love and good karma so he can pass that all on to Marina. I know you must not be feeling happy about being stuck here, but... you are helping. And that's not just a worthless platitude, no matter how much it probably sounds like one.”

Phantom glanced up at the Draconequus, and then he hesitated as he looked over at the changeling, asking after a moment: “If Marina is... somehow their Queen now...”

Discord, however, only held up his hands, saying mildly: “Hey, I'm just the deus ex machina, okay? For politics, you're going to have to ask Celestia, she's the one who's in charge of running the kingdom. Queendom. Princessdom. Well, at least we can all agree she's a domme.”

Discord waggled his eyebrows, and Phantom simply looked at him for a few moments before he turned his eyes towards Rarity, who was jotting notes quickly down on a piece of parchment. He watched as she made a few notes, then he returned his eyes to Marina, asking before he could stop himself: “What are you making for her?”

Rarity shifted uncomfortably, looking over at Discord, and the Draconequus smiled reassuringly to the griffin before he answered quietly: “Just something that should help... keep her in one piece, that's all. I've been calling it her coronation dress, for lack of a better term. Every pretty new queen deserves a dress, don't they?”

Phantom frowned at this, and then he looked over at Marina and shifted a little before he said quietly: “I thought you just said-”

“Yes, I did. But you of all people should know there's more than one way to skin a cat, Phantom Wing.” Discord replied mildly, pointedly gesturing towards the griffin. “If you can't stop a leak, then instead you have to give that excess something to flow into, something that can help it circulate back in instead of letting it all spill out. Like a bucket. Do you understand?”

The griffin frowned uncertainly, and then Rarity reached up and squeezed his shoulder gently, reassuring: “Don't you worry, dear. We're doing the best we can to take care of her. The armor, when it's complete... it will keep her strong. Unlike her body, or anything else we could fuse her into, it's designed to help her keep her form, to keep her stable.”

“As long as it helps her. I don't care what has to be done, as long as it helps her.” Phantom replied, and Rarity nodded as Discord turned his eyes towards the chocolate mare, smiling faintly as he studied her. She looked so peaceful, and so beautiful... and somehow, so frail, as if the blankets tucked gently in around her might be enough to crush her, as if she was fading before his very eyes, and if he looked away for too long, she would just vanish, forever.

“I know. I feel the same way.” Discord studied Marina for a few moments more, and then he turned his eyes back towards Phantom, saying gently: “But we can't lose ourselves along the way, you know. That wouldn't be very nice of us at all, now would it? I mean, how would you like it if you woke up, and all you were told was 'well, your friends and family worked so hard to bring you back to life that they died themselves?' Wouldn't that be miserable?”

Phantom only grunted, but he didn't seem like he disagreed as he shifted silently before he gave a brief nod. Discord nodded back, then he laced his fingers together and cracked his knuckles loudly, saying mildly: “Not that I'm saying we should use that as any excuse not to do our very best, of course. I expect you to knuckle down and show all the emotion your cute little griffin face can bear to give, without breaking your poor little beak.”

Phantom looked moodily at Discord for a few moments, and then he shook his head before Rarity piped up hesitantly: “I... well, I have all the measurements I need. Phantom, I'm sure you want your privacy with Marina, and I know you're eager to be back to work, Discord...”

“Just a moment more.” Discord replied, holding up a finger as he looked at his daughter's unconscious form, his expression inscrutable, his eyes taking in her every detail as she lay beneath the blanket. And then, finally, he took a slow breath before straightening and murmuring: “And the moment is passed. Alright, let's get going, Rarity. You're right, can't be lazy now.”

Rarity nodded as she walked over to Discord, and Phantom hesitated before he looked over at the Draconequus and said finally: “I trust you.”

Discord smiled a little at this, and then he reached out and silently grasped into Rarity's shoulder, murmuring: “So did Marina.”

Without another word, he snapped his fingers, and in a moment, he and Rarity were back in the workshop. The Draconequus looked up as a clang echoed through the air, and then he chuckled quietly as Rarity stared in surprise at the sight of Celestia working away at the forge.

The Princess of the Sun only glanced up with a brief smile over her shoulder, however, then she turned her eyes back to what she was doing, saying: “Well, there's lots to do.”

“Yes, there is. Rarity, be a dear and put those measurements to use. Since you seem to be so eager to work, Celestia, once you're done there you can help me put these boots together. You've always had much more fashion sense than me, after all.”

Celestia only smiled at this, and then she turned her eyes back towards the forge, as Discord rubbed his hands slowly together as he approached the table where the rest of the 'materials' had been laid out and readied for shaping, murmuring: “It's all just raw material. It's all for Marina. Let's put it to good use and not leave her waiting.”

***

The armor was complete: most of it was composed of beautiful obsidian plates, although the breastplate and the shell that covered Marina's back were a radiant blue-green. The armor gleamed like the chitin it had been made from, but it was sterner than carapace: it wouldn't dent or crack quite as easily, and it had an eerie vitality all its own that it almost thrummed with, like a living thing.

But in some ways, the armor was alive. Not sentient, but alive, like the life that filled the forests and the flowers. It thrummed, touched by Discord's chaos, but simultaneously purified by Celestia's holy magic. But who had ever said those things couldn't coexist, especially when they were both serving the same ends?

It had taken almost a week to complete, and had required the expertise of Discord, Rarity, Celestia, and others who had contributed both materials and skill towards shaping it and perfecting it. It was certainly unique... but really, shaping the armor had only been half the battle, Discord thought, as Rarity rolled the beautiful set of armor into Marina's room on a wheeled rack, and the Draconequus said quietly: “Now, let's get this on Marina before we try and wake her up.”

Phantom frowned slightly at this, looking uncertainly over at Discord and Rarity, and the changeling still beside Marina shivered and forced his head up, his eyes staring almost blindly at them as he breathed slow, rattling breaths in and out, the ring around his horn flickering with energy as he whispered: “Is it time? Time for the Queen to awaken?'

“Just about, my friend. You just stay nice and quiet and peaceful for now, everything's going to be right as rain very soon.” Discord said gently, and then he glanced over at Phantom and said: “Trust me. This will work.”

The griffin shifted a bit, and then he nodded slowly before he grimaced and muttered: “Honestly, sometimes I think it would be easier if I didn't trust you.”

The Draconequus gave a wry smile, tilting his head towards the griffin as he replied wryly: “That's a sentiment I can strangely both respect and understand. Just think of it as armor, Phantom. Besides, it's not like you griffins-”

Phantom only scowled as he slipped off his seat and headed over to the rack, and Discord smiled as he held up his hands almost in surrender. “Okay, okay, I get it. Let's just get the armor on her.”

Phantom stopped in front of the rack, looking uncertainly over the equipment before he hesitated as he looked back at Marina and the changeling laying beside her. The griffin clicked his beak together nervously, before he looked up at Discord as the changeling asked weakly: “Have I done enough? Will it be enough?”

“You've done excellently.” Discord soothed, and then he strode over to the changeling, reaching down and gently touching the back of his neck before he closed one eye, tilting his head to the side as he murmured: “You're going to stick around long enough to see your Queen wake up, aren't you?”

The changeling smiled weakly at this, raising his head and nodding as best he could, and Discord nodded back before he watched as Rarity silently approached with a black, smooth helmet. The perfect roundness was interrupted only by the jagged horn that pushed up from the front of the helm, shaped so it would protect Marina's own spire from being damaged.

Rarity offered this to him, and Discord gently took it before he looked at Marina. He dug his fingers against the helm for a moment, then said finally: “Well. The moment of truth.”

The Draconequus leaned forwards, and father carefully, ever-so-gently lifted his daughter's head with one hand, grimacing a bit as he pumped a bit of energy into where he touched to keep her solid, to stop her from melting like wax under his touch. He gently slipped the helm over her head, then smiled at her tenderly, silently, as he sat back and studied her.

The helm shaped perfectly to her skull, and he studied her for the longest time before he gently grasped the ring around her horn and pulled it loose. Marina shifted and her eyes fluttered weakly, but the mare didn't awaken, although the changeling stared at the mare with awe as he whispered: “She is a true Queen...”

“She is. But she's still a little underdressed. Phantom, Rarity, you should be able to do the rest.” Discord said quietly, gesturing to them as he allowed himself to sit down on the foot of the bed, not wanting to admit how... how tired and weary this whole process had made him, as he briefly smiled before lowering his head and murmuring: “Her father can only do so much for her, you know.”

Phantom looked almost apprehensively at Discord for a moment, but then he gave a brief nod before he turned towards the armor rack. Rarity helped him slip the breastplate free, and Phantom was surprised at how solid and heavy the ornate metal felt. He was uncertain for a moment if Marina would be comfortable in it, if it would even fit her, considering how narrow the inside seemed compared to how thick the armor plating was...

But with some gentle maneuvering, they were able to easily get the breastplate on Marina, and the chocolate mare only breathed a little harder for a moment before she settled again. And when Phantom hesitantly touched her foreleg, he felt... less warmth, he thought, and his talon came away free of chocolate.

He studied his claws for a moment, then turned to help Rarity get the next piece of armor: they slipped boots on over the mare's legs, tightening hidden clasps to ensure they stayed firm, and fitted a battle-skirt around Marina's hips, giving her as much protection as possible. Last was a peytral plate that locked over the front of the breastplate and protected part of her neck, and Phantom noted that it had a slot in the front of it.

He looked up curiously at Discord, and the Draconequus explained softly: “The stone of her necklace fits in there. Just a little precaution, to give her armor a little more... power, so to speak. But she shouldn't absolutely need it. Not when all we're doing is letting her adjust to the armor, and the armor adjust to her, at least.”

“She looks...” Phantom studied his wife for a moment, as she continued to sleep, her breathing regular and comfortable, what little was bare of her chocolate body seeming solid. More solid than it had been, anyway. “What do we do? Just leave her, until she wakes up on her own?”

Discord shook his head with a quiet chuckle, and then he said softly: “Not quite. We couldn't risk waking her up before: it would have been too much of a strain for her. But even you should be able to see the difference, Phantom, between then and now. Give her a little shake, go on.”

Phantom hesitated all the same, but then he nodded as he leaned forwards and carefully grasped his wife's shoulder. He shook her gently, and to his surprise, Marina began to stir before the griffin smiled faintly as he leaned down and whispered in her ear: “Wake up. Please, Marina... wake up. Open your eyes, and wake up.”

Marina shivered, her breath catching for a moment, her body shifting as she shook her head slowly, but then her eyes fluttered before they gradually opened. She frowned a little after a moment, then slowly started to sit up before she groaned and reached up to grasp her head, breathing hard as she closed her eyes and whispered: “I had... the strangest dreams...”

“It's alright. It's time to wake up now.” Phantom said softly, and then he carefully slid an arm around her shoulders to help her sit up, Marina looking blearily back and forth before she shuddered a little as she touched the armor: armor that seemed to impossibly bend and move with her, armor that seemed to gleam and flex like muscle, not just smoothly-designed metal plates.

She frowned as she uncertainly rubbed a hoof along this, looking back and forth uncomprehendingly, and Discord softened before he said quietly: “It wasn't all a dream, you know. That's the worst thing about dreams. Sometimes they're not really dreams at all.”

“Sometimes they're reality.” Marina agreed quietly, then she sighed and shook her head before she looked back at Discord, asking quietly: “Did I die?”

“Yes. Yes, and no. You're still here, after all, and you know that I'd never let you die entirely, Marina. I'll always be there, to try and throw you another life.” Discord smiled briefly, then he silently reached out and gently tapped on the horn of the helmet, and Marina shifted uneasily as she felt those reverberations rattle through her own skull. “Although sometimes I'm afraid I can't... manage it perfectly.”

“What is this?” Marina asked, and Discord shifted a bit as he tried to find the right words as he looked down into the mare's eyes, Rarity shifting awkwardly. They had both worked so hard on the armor, and yet neither of them had really considered what Marina's feelings would be on... well...

“It's your life support.” Discord said finally, and then he silently stroked over the carapace breastplate, saying in a quieter voice: “Your core was pierced, Marina. You'll have to wear this armor from now on, to keep yourself stable. Perhaps when you grow stronger, you'll be able to take it off now and then, but right now, there's nothing else I can really do to keep you in one piece. Your body needed a shell, something resilient, something with the right energy to keep it together, and this will provide that for you.”

“This isn't just metal.” Marina whispered, as she stroked over the carapace again, and then she shivered as she hugged herself, paling a little as she looked at Discord and saw the answer in her eyes. The real answer to her question, even as she shook her head in denial.

Discord smiled faintly, and then he shook his head slowly as he reached out and traced a finger over the breastplate, saying quietly: “It was this, or put you into a new body. And Marina... this body... it's only materials. You know that. I know you know that, but I also know that wearing, well-”

“The underqueen. I'm wearing the underqueen's body.” Marina said weakly, and then she grabbed at the breastplate as it pulsed with vitality, as she felt warmth and heat and a somehow familiar energy- “I... I think I'm going to be sick.”

Phantom leaned in, looking concerned as he squeezed her shoulder gently, while Discord smiled a little as he shook his head before replying quietly: “Just breathe. Breathe, and remind yourself, just materials, Marina. That's all.”

“You are the Queen.” the changeling said simply, as if this made everything okay, and Marina blinked before she looked in surprise at the drone, who smiled at her faintly before he lowered his head, humble, silently staring up at her as he breathed weakly in and out.

Marina frowned after a moment, reaching out to hesitantly touch the changeling's head, and the drone closed his eyes as his smile grew radiant, even with how tired, how pale he looked... and after a moment, Marina understood. She understood why this armor seemed to feel so natural to her and felt so linked to her, as much as it made her skin crawl; she understood why the changeling seemed so weak, and she understood why this had been chosen to contain her... “You've been feeding me your energy. Energy and more. I feel what you have felt. I see... what you have seen. That's how I know that...”

“I only wish I could do more.” the changeling whispered in the silence that came after Marina broke off, and then he shivered a little before he murmured: “Please, my Queen... I only have one wish for you. Live. Live on. Rule, because I know that you will rule us with love, with...”

The changeling shivered a bit, and then he slowly settled, his breathing slowing even as his horn glowed, and Marina trembled as she felt the last vestiges of his energy spilling over her, warming her body, fortifying her link with the armor. She shook her head weakly, but she was helpless to do anything but watch until the magic around the changeling's horn died out, as the last of his energy spilled into her.

Marina hugged herself, clenching her eyes shut. She was alive... alive, because she was wearing the corpse of an enemy; alive, because a stranger, really, had sacrificed his life to make sure she could bond to this armor. She shivered a little, then opened her eyes and looked up silently at Discord, who gazed back at her silently.

“I don't want anyone else dying for me. I don't want to live if it means everyone else has to die.” Marina whispered, trembling and shaking her head again as tears threatened her eyes. “This isn't right. This is not right.”

“This is what has to be. It's not right, but it's not wrong, either. It's not good or bad. It simply is.” Discord replied gently, as Phantom shifted a little and Rarity silently excused herself.

Marina lowered her head, then she shook it slowly before she reached up to grasp the helm, beginning to take it off, but Phantom grasped her and said quietly: “I don't know if that's such a good idea.”

Marina laughed bitterly, but she froze for a moment before she took a slow breath and nodded, closing her eyes as she let the helmet slip back down into place, locked around her skull. She shivered in the armor, then silently rubbed over it, looking down.

She was grateful. She appreciated the effort they had gone to. But her mouth was too dry to thank them, and her heart hurt with every beat. She felt tired, and weak, and she knew it would take time to adjust. Already, she felt herself beginning to get sore: the armor wasn't... heavy on her body, per se, but it was... difficult. She didn't have the words for it. She felt suffocated, claustrophobic, and it ached. It ached, badly.

“Will I ever get to make my own choices?” Marina asked quietly, as she hugged herself. “Discord, is... is this my fate? To never die? To never truly live beyond what I was made for, and worse, to never die, to never...”

Marina looked up at the Draconequus, and the two looked at one-another for a few moments before she asked in a whisper: “Am I just a weapon?”

“You are my daughter. You are a wife. You are a pony. But you are never, ever just a weapon.” Discord replied quietly and seriously, and then he leaned forwards and hugged her tightly, and Marina returned the embrace, fiercely, closing her eyes and burying her face against his neck as he whispered: “I'm sorry.”

Marina didn't know what to say. She was thankful, and afraid. She was glad, and in pain. She was a thousand conflicting emotions, as she sat here, with Discord, with Phantom, and with the changeling who had died to help her live.

And even after Discord left, carrying the body of the changeling away, even after hours of Phantom sitting with her in silence, Marina didn't know what she was supposed to feel, as she sat in bed, armored in the carapace of the very thing that had killed her, a Queen whose first and only subject had given his life to save her, a hero who wondered silently if she would ever be able to save herself.