Sacrifice: Part Two

by Ankaru

Rating: teen
Tags: Dark, Alternate Universe, Romance, Tragedy, Adventure
Length: 38104

The evil Nightmare Moon has risen to challenge the world in a show of martial might. Can the Elements of Harmony be found in time to stop her?

Marina Wildheart had been through a lot in her first few years in this alternate Equestria. Though Discord had said it was only a story, it has proven to be anything but.

It has been three years since Marina found Starswirl the Bearded's spellbook, with which she has used to make herself stronger. War is coming.

The evil Nightmare Moon has risen to challenge the world in a show of martial might. Can the Elements of Harmony be found in time to stop her?

For events that happen between parts one and two, please read Unity, commissioned from BlackRoseRaven.

Edited by BlackRoseRaven. I thank him for putting up with my constant questions and strange ideas.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2016-01-23 03:31:09 UTC

Prologue: Risen

Three years had passed since Marina Wildheart had recovered the Spellbook of Starswirl the Bearded and defeated Darklord Haakon in the Tomb of the Majhan. Through his defeat, his traitorous kin in Helgedad were made more powerful. His death allowed his power to return to their dark, nameless god, who distributed the excess magic to the surviving Darklords.

However, the god was not pleased with how his creations were proceeding in their task. Though he was immortal, his patience was not unlimited, and the Darklords had waged a civil war to decide who would be the leader. Three years was long enough to wait.

The Darklords had been slowly but steadily drained of tiny bits of their power by their cunning god over the last three years. Once enough was siphoned, he sent agents to find a suitable host with which to pour the magic into. The agents he chose for the task were but simple changelings, able to blend in anywhere. They were weak willed enough for him to control directly with but a tiny fraction of his vast power.

These changelings approached Canterlot during the bright summer day, and entered the city with relative little trouble, as they posed as a traveling newlywed couple heavy with a foal. Of course they did have to murder those they impersonated on their way, but what were two ponies and an unborn foal to the servants of darkness?

The changelings’ disguises worked like a charm. They found lodging for the night at an inn near to Canterlot castle. During the night, they snuck out to enter the castle grounds under cover of darkness. They were able to avoid most of the patrols using stealth, but as they entered the castle proper, an officer of the guard sensed something was amiss and discovered their hiding place.

“Halt! Why are you skulking around in the castle? Nopony is allowed inside the castle at night unless invited by the Princess or another of the royal court. Explain yourselves!” The unicorn’s horn glowed threateningly, ready for either fight or arrest. Normally the changelings would have been little trouble to a seasoned veteran guard, but these two were empowered by their god specifically for this mission. They killed him and his lieutenant before either could raise an alarm, then stole their appearances to make infiltrating the castle much easier.

The changelings entered the deepest part of the castle and entered the dungeons to a tomb hidden beneath Canterlot. It was there that they would find the most suitable body for their god to pour his power into. They finally arrived at a set of large stone doors guarded by an earth pony, pegasus, and unicorn. The door itself was etched with a carving of a crescent moon.

The unicorn guard immediately sensed the magical disguises of the changelings and ordered them to reveal their true selves. When they did, the only thing that could be heard were the screams of the guards.

Inside the stone doors, the changelings had dragged the bodies of the slain guards to the inner sanctum of the tomb. The statue that stood over the square coffin was of a tall alicorn with a long flowing mane and her cutie mark was of a crescent moon. The burial place of Princess Luna.

The changelings placed each of the three guards at even intervals around the coffin, and began chanting in the harsh and guttural language of their dark and evil god. The bodies of the guards began to evaporate into the air, releasing black mist that gathered in a cloud overhead, until nothing remained but skeletons. The changelings started to change as well, seeming to wilt from within as more black mist poured from their mouths, their chanting coming to a fever pitch. Soon the chanting stopped and nothing living remained in the chamber.

The cloud of mist spiraled down and over the coffin, seeping into the cracks of the lid. Minutes later a dark blue light radiated from within the coffin and the cover flew off, smashing into the wall of the chamber. The body of Princess Luna rose with a scream of agony, the wounds that had once covered her body mending themselves and the stench of decay filled the tomb. Her body began to shift into a taller, darker blue alicorn, almost black in its intensity.

A moment later, Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle burst into the tomb, eyes flaring with power. At the sight of Luna standing healed before them shocked both into stunned silence.

“It has been a long time, sister. My, how you have grown.” A voice, raspy and harsh, issued forth from the body of Luna. “I see you have another young student. Yes, she seems very powerful indeed.”

“You...you can’t be my sister...she died in my hooves over a thousand years ago!” Princess Celestia’s eyes glowed with power and her rage became tangible. “What have you done with her?!”

“Oh, I am merely borrowing this body.” The voice said, growing stronger and deeper every second. “This is a suitable vessel for my power. Much better than those other fools who serve me.”

“You monster! Release my sister!” Celestia screamed as she let loose a blast of golden-white flames. The flames suddenly stopped as it hit an invisible forcefield that barely even rippled as the powerful attack glanced off of it and smashed a hole in the sepulcher’s wall. The heat of the blast was enough to melt the stone, the molten rock flowing onto the floor and gouging lines as it ran. Luna was unphased by the blast, and she spread large black wings to fan out the flames that raged around the outside of her shield.

“Pitiful. I expected much more from the great Princess Celestia, slayer of my greatest champions. You have lost your touch in your old age.” Luna grinned with unnaturally sharp teeth glinting in the light. “If this is all you can muster, then perhaps I need to find a greater challenge.”

“Discord warned us about you. He said you had been gathering your strength ever since Darklord Haakon was slain.” Twilight Sparkle stepped forward, her eyes narrow slits. She knew she couldn’t possibly defeat the possessed body of her mentor's sibling, but she wasn’t afraid to fight. “He spoke of another Princess Luna who he knew in a different place. She too was possessed by your power. Or at least one like it.”

“Hmm? Oh yes, that short lived episode. I had stretched my powers far too thin back then, but it was enough to spread my influence at least. The Celestia of that world was weak as well.” Luna’s eyes glowed with white light and a blast of light smashed into the wall where Celestia’s attack had struck, opening the hole wider and pushing out all the way to the surface. The pale light of the moon shone through and illuminated her slim form. “The ponies called me ‘Nightmare Moon’. A silly name, but I suppose it will do for now.”

A squad of guards rushed into the room, hearing the noise from the blasts, and stopped in shock and terror. Their eyes were wide and some even fainted from the sight of their beloved Princess risen and transformed. Moans of despair echoed from their lips as several ran in fear. Luna, now Nightmare Moon, raised her wings again and lifted into the air, the swirling cloud of darkness around her sending streaks of lightning to the tomb’s floor.

“I must take my leave now, dearest sister. Those retched peons of mine need to be put in their place. I do hope we can meet again under more favorable conditions. Perhaps we can have tea!” She said as she drifted lazily through the gaping hole to the surface. A chilling laugh echoed through the chamber as she left, making all who heard it shiver with fear.

Tears fell to the cold, stone floor as Princess Celestia sank to her knees. Twilight Sparkle stood by her mentor’s side and said nothing, knowing no words with which to ease her pain. Sobs echoed through the chamber for nearly an hour. Guards and servants arrived to inspect the scene and give respects to their Princess, letting her know that they were still with her. The Princess rose to unsteady hooves, her face streaked with tears.

“This is bad. Much worse than we had thought. This...Nightmare Moon…” she spat as she said the name her once-sister spoke. “She, or it, or whatever...must be destroyed. And I know just the pony to do it.”

“But Princess, she’ll be killed! You can’t let the Duchess go after her, especially if that...monster could stop your power.” Twilight looked up at Princess Celestia, mentally willing her to agree to stop and think. To find some other course of action. But nothing could be said to dissuade her.

“No, Twilight Sparkle. She must be the one to stop her. To destroy her, utterly and completely. I…” fresh tears fell from her eyes as she uttered the words. “I won’t allow that fiend to use my sister’s body like a doll!”

Twilight knew nothing could stop her Princess once she set her mind to something. Especially when it was this personal. She made a mental checklist of things to prepare. And she hoped that they could nip this weed in the bud before it blossomed. War would be inevitable. Twilight sighed and steeled herself for what was to come.

“I’ll get things ready. Discord will need to be notified, if he already doesn’t know. And Princess, please be safe. We will stop Nightmare Moon.” Twilight forced a smile to show the Princess that she was not afraid. Princess Celestia just hung her head and walked away.

Chapter 1: This Is The Easy Part

After three years of training and intense study of the Spellbook of Starswirl the Bearded, Marina Wildheart, Duchess of Ponyville and leader of the Dragon Knights, was finally ready to begin her quest to restore the Dragoon order to its former glory and stop the Darklords from attacking Equestria again. She learned all she could from the pages of the Spellbook, but much of the script had faded with the passage of time. Few words remained to guide Marina on her journey.

From what Marina had learned recently, Princess Luna, now Nightmare Moon, had risen from death and was possessed by the Darklords’ evil god. The civil war that the Darklords were waging would be coming to a close once Nightmare Moon had taken care of the more influential Darklords. Once they were handled, she would be able to take complete control of the immense resources at their disposal, and thus be able to launch an all out war on Equestria, and the rest of the world. Marina knew she had to act quickly and with secrecy, for her life and the future of Equestria depended on her success. The only thing stopping the Duchess was the lack of direction. Thankfully, there were powers that wanted to aid her; whether they did it for her people or themselves, Marina would not know for sure.

…

Silence accented by the sounds of night insects outside ruled the little room shared by the two lovers. Phantom’s snores echoed softly, mirrored by Marina’s soft breaths. The only thing that signified anything out of the ordinary was Marina’s twitching leg, the one that had been pierced by Darklord Haakon’s magical sword. Inside of her mind, she was anything but calm.

Marina’s dream world was one of constantly shifting locations and scenes, one minute a sprawling labyrinth, the next, a barren wasteland littered with strange contraptions that smoked and sparked with electricity. As she traversed her mind, one thing was constant: an eclipse of the sun that masked the world in a shadowed light. In the distance was a familiar light of rainbow colors that shifted from one to another in various hues and shades.

Marina cantered closer and closer to the light source, though it seemed to shift into a small structure, slowly growing until it became a massive glass castle that almost filled the horizon as far as she could see. Strange flying creatures resembling spiked manta rays filled the skies above the castle’s ramparts, screams echoing in their passing. Guarding the front gate of the castle were a pair of tall, shifting blobs that had multiple mouths, even at the ends of their arms and the tree trunk looking bottom halves of their bodies, each mouth engulfed in multicolored flames that flickered with iridescent light. They snarled fiery growls at the appearance of the chocolate mare, but did not move to stop her approach. Their heads tilted as if listening to an unheard voice upon the wind, and they stood aside to allow her to pass.

Inside, the castle was a completely different structure. The halls were tiny, barely allowing Marina to navigate them without getting stuck. Pictures of various hellscapes were placed at uneven intervals along the walls. Doors opened and closed randomly, all of them seeming to lead into vastly different buildings. One even led to an underwater cave.

After what seemed like several hours, the twisting and constantly changing castle ended at a single small door that was made of solid sapphire. It opened on its own, showing a room with walls made of closely packed trees, and a grassy area in the middle for the floor. Marina noticed the only object in the room was a gold framed mirror standing in the middle of it. Turning around, the hallway she had came from was now gone, replaced by a thick bramble of bushes and trees. A strange feeling filled her, and Marina entered the room just as the door was closing and smacked her flank, pushing her into the room and knocking her onto her muzzle.

She rubbed her nose to make the pain go away and stood up shakily. As the mirror was the only focal point in the room, Marina walked up to it and peered deep within. At first she saw nothing, but gradually a form grew into focus, showing herself, but what she saw shocked her.

The mirror showed a version of herself covered in blood and scars, her eyes glowing red with power that poured out of them like the sun. A pair of great skeletal wings had grown from her back, seeming to be webbed by the stitched together cutie marks of several ponies, thankfully of nopony she recognised. Perhaps the worst part was her skin: it was melted in many places, as if she was not able to keep her composure, and showed bone and hollows beneath.

Marina screamed in horror at the awful visage in the mirror. In her panic, she struck it with a hoof and the glass shattered and swirled around into a small tornado centered on the frame. Eventually the tornado of glass coalesced into the image of a tall blue alicorn with long flowing hair that resembled the shimmering night sky; Princess Luna, who had died over a thousand years ago to empower the Sommerswerd with the ability to kill her hated enemies, the Darklords.

“Interesting choice of action, young one. You seem to be able to see through illusions rather well. Or at least know how to break the spells. I’m impressed.” the blue alicorn said as she sat down and peered at Marina with curious eyes. “Or...maybe you were just scared. Hard to tell sometimes.”

“P-princess Luna?! Why did you do that? How are you even here?” Marina stammered, not sure if what she saw was real or not. “Are you even the Princess?”

“Yes, it is I! Princess Luna! You should know by now. You’ve had my...presence inside of you before. I would have thought you’d recognize my energy.” Luna stated, the expression in her eyes almost seeming hurt. “The only reason I’m able to be here is because the sword is so close to you, I can enter your dreams. I just wish it wasn’t so limited. I miss the days of old when I gave all ponies both good and bad dreams. Such fun it was.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean to sound rude, Princess. It’s just that...I was shocked. I’m sorry if I offended.” Marina bowed low to the Princess, and Luna merely snorted in disdain at the display of submission.

“Nay, bow not to me, my loyal subject. You of all ponies need not show me reverence.” Luna said, her voice almost deafening in the tiny room. “I do not have much time I’m afraid, so listen carefully. You wish to truly destroy our enemies, yes?”

Marina nodded her head in agreement, but she didn’t get a chance to speak before the Princess started again: “Then you must find the Elements of Harmony. Only they can give you the power you need. I only know the location of one of them, courtesy of some...acquaintances: the Element of Kindness, last hidden in the ancient city of Varetta, far to the south of Canterlot. Once you find it, you will be drawn to the others, as they all seek to reunite.” Luna smiled softly at the chocolate mare, her eyes drawn to the ruined cutie mark on her flank. “And I know you wish to get revenge on the Darklords, as do I. I humbly request to accompany you on this mission. Please hurry. There is much blood to be drawn.”

At that, Marina’s vision swam with nightmare shapes and twirling horrors merging and contorting. The anger from the Princess was tangible in this dream land, the world that she called her own. However strongly Marina did not like how emotional the Princess was, she could not deny how powerful she was, nor the reasoning behind such emotions.

…

Marina felt vibrations within her body, small at first, then becoming more violent. The images of Marina’s protector and the strange shifting landscape of her mind shattered suddenly as she awoke with a gasp. Phantom Wing sat, holding Marina in his arms, his beak inches away from her muzzle. He released a sigh of relief and gently laid her down on the bedding.

“What…? What’s wrong?” Marina groggily asked as she held her hoof to her face to block the light from the rising sun.

“Nothing now, Marina. But you had stopped breathing for a good ten minutes before I woke you up. Scared me half to death. And you know that isn’t easy.” he said, his eyes searching Marina’s. “Something happened in your sleep, didn’t it? I can see your emotions plain as day.”

Marina blushed and assured him everything was fine. She quickly explained what she learned, and Phantom immediately started plans to find the Element.

“I don’t know how much stock to put into dreams, but you are a special pony. If Princess Luna said to go find the first Element in Varetta, we will go there. She is the Princess of Dreams, so I believe her even if she is long dead.” Phantom’s gaze softened and he stood up to gather their gear. “It is dawn now. Take some time to get ready, but we will have to go soon now that we have a clue of where to start.”

…

The courtyard of the Dragoon Monastery was strangely silent the morning Marina and Phantom Wing began their quest. Though the recruits and knights of the rebuilt order were all assembled in the courtyard to wish them farewell, none had the words to say to give comfort. The mission would be perilous, if not suicide for any living pony. Marina wouldn’t have that problem. A blanket of frost sparkled on the battlements and the air was crisp and clear as the two warriors were escorted down the steep hill track that disappeared into the Fryelund Forest. Marina looked back to see the tall grey towers of her stronghold silhouetted against the sky. She said a silent farewell before entering the densely packed trees. She did not look back again.

Their first stop on the way to Varetta was Ponyville. It had been destroyed in the attack on Equestria over four years ago, but now it bustled with activity again. The original village circle had been taken down to be used as resources for more buildings. The layout was more organized and easier to branch off from if needed. The land had been gifted to Marina when she was made a Duchess by Princess Celestia. The fact that Marina used the land to give homeless ponies a place to live and work meant that she was rather popular around the country as a kind soul who cared for other ponies over herself.

As always happened when she entered the village, the villagers gathered around to give gifts or just wanted to give thanks to the mare who gave them a second chance. Phantom Wing was smiling wryly at Marina’s discomfort as she begged for normalcy.

“Please, no gifts. I don’t deserve anything from you ponies. I gave the land to you for free, I just pay the taxes. You own it, as far as I’m concerned.” She said as she looked shyly from face to eager face.

“Oh, but you do deserve the love these ponies give you, Duchess. They are here because of you, and they have lives now because of you.” the mayor of the town, a light brown mare with grey hair and glasses on the bridge of her muzzle, walked forward and bowed her head in respect. “You are rightfully the owner of the land, and we like to give back to you what we earn...I believe I’ve explained this before.”

“Yes, yes, a tithe, but it doesn’t mean that I have to like it. I just don’t want to have all of this formality from anypony in Ponyville.” Marina glanced around and smiled brightly at everypony. “Besides, you all know by now that I’m not even from around here. I am just visiting. One day I’ll...I’ll go home again. But my love for you all will never fade. I gave you all a chance to live again for yourselves, not for me.”

Suddenly a small group of colts and fillies ran from around a house nearby and hurried to Marina’s side. They all carried flowers and placed them at her hooves in a show of friendship. The sight of their loving faces made her tear up, and she had to wipe at her eyes before listening to what they wanted to say.

“Miss Marina, we wanted to give you these flowers as thanks. We don’t really know what happened when we were younger, but our parents are happy because of you.” The lead earth pony filly was tiny, but her personality was huge. Her bright green coat nearly matched her hair, and she couldn’t have been more than seven or eight years old. “They always thank you for what we have and stuff. Well, my daddy can’t thank you. Mommy said he went with you and didn’t come back.”

The mother of the filly, a pegasus who had a pink coat and the light green mane of her daughter, came up and gently tried to bring the filly to her side, but she refused. The filly’s eyes shone with love still, and she approached the chocolate mare with reverence and sadness at the same time. Marina’s eyes opened wide as she realized who she was talking about: Dart, the stallion who died defending her from rabid war-cats.

“I know something bad happened to him, but I don’t think it was your fault. H-he wrote a letter before he left and mommy reads it to me every night.” The filly kept up a brave face as she spoke. “I-I keep imagining he is out there helping you to fight those bad guys that made our family lose our home, a-and maybe that someday he’ll come home. It’s silly, I know.”

“Oh, y-you...oh gods, what have I done? I should have never let him come along. I didn’t know he had a child!” Marina shut her eyes to try and stem the flow of tears, but failed miserably. The filly seemed like she too was on the brink of tears, but her resolve was firm. She waited until the tears stopped and Marina got herself under control again.

“I knew you weren’t a bad pony, Duchess. That’s why I don’t blame you for what happened. I may be young, but...well, I’m not stupid.” her ears flattened a little, and her mother, who introduced herself as Shana, spoke up.

“I’m sorry if this brings bad memories, Duchess. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be, and from your face, I can tell you saw his...end. I just want to know one thing. How did it happen?” The mare’s eyes were dry. It was clear she had long cried all of her tears, and just wanted answers. Marina took a shaky breath before she answered.

“W-well, he died protecting me from some beasts. He...h-he protected me a-and I wasn’t fast enough to repay the favor.” Marina’s voice was barely audible, her grief still strong even after all the years that had passed. She silently cursed herself for being made of magic, which was emotionally charged, and tried to continue. “I b-blame myself everyday for all of those brave ponies who died, many of whom were sons, daughters, husbands and wives of you all. I-I will forever carry them with me, and t-they won’t ever fade, as long as I’m here.”

The villagers looked on, many in tears as they thought of their loved ones and their fates. Several of the ponies in attendance were her own soldiers, who had been so injured they couldn’t continue serving her. They stepped forward and saluted the chocolate mare, her tear-blurred eyes not sure how to take in what they saw. She gently reached a hoof to the blue stone triangle that hung from her neck.

“I-I had my necklace enchanted before I left home, and their souls are right here, with me, always. I hope to one day be able to bring them back.” Marina gulped and readied herself for the barrage of insults and cries of shock she was sure was going to come her way. “I know it’s evil magic, but I had to do something! I couldn’t bear what would happen if they died and their souls stayed in evil places, or had been stolen by the enemy. I know you will probably all hate me, but I will make it up to you. I promise.”

Instead of curses and rage, the ponies around her simply came forward and somehow they all enveloped her in a giant hug, which Phantom kept well away from. The love from them made Marina confused and as they let go and returned to their circle, she returned her gaze to the filly who spoke earlier that was pulling on her cloak with her teeth.

“If you have daddy with you, then that means he really is fighting the bad guys still! I knew it! So, maybe someday we can see them again?” Her innocent eyes glinted with faith and love, which Marina still felt she didn’t deserve, and her heart ached for everypony there. “We can have families again. It wouldn’t be evil if you were the one doing the magic, Duchess. You are too good for that. Only the ponies with evil in their heart make the magic evil.”

Marina could not think of any way to answer, so she simply nodded and hugged the filly with all her love. Her heart ached too much to stay, so she quietly excused herself and slowly walked to the highway with Phantom Wing by her side. The ponies of the town walked with her until she got to the edge of town, all of them waving goodbye and shouting thanks and other words of encouragement to her. Marina requested her soldier escorts to take leave and just visit their families. She did not want to lose anymore ponies.

The long trip south was not without incident. On Raider’s Road, the highway between Canterlot and the province of Ruanon, Marina and Phantom were confronted by a ragged outlaw band. They demanded gold but instead received a harsh lesson in the powers of the unicorn knight and her griffin guard. The bandits fled in confusion, leaving ten of their number dead on the highway. After that encounter, they were given wide berth by all the other unsavory characters of the bleak and desolate region.

In Ruanon, Marina was greeted with a hero’s welcome by the lord of the land, Baron Vanalund. He and his people would never forget the debt they owed Marina, for it was her courage that had saved them from destruction at the hooves of an evil renegade warlord, Barraka. Marina was made so welcome by the Ruanese ponies that her quest was in danger of being forgotten in the endless rounds of banquets and celebrations held in her honor. However, she could not neglect her duty, and the time soon came to leave the mining town and venture south once more.

Marina was eager to avoid the Maakengorge, where she had battled the evil warlord who had nearly succeeded in enslaving the entire population of the province, and the long detour to the free city-state of Casiorn was a far better prospect than a visit to the ghost-city of Maaken. Gradually, the fertile plain of southern Ruanon gave way to the sparse vegetation on the borders of the Dry Main, near to Vassagonia. There, like a jewel rising out of the desert, lay the city-state of Casiorn. The couple’s stay in the City of Merchants was a brief but profitable one; a bit of luck helped by Marina’s skills gave a profitable win at the gambling house of the Silver Sage. With the gold earnings, Phantom and herself replenished supplies for their travel to the next stop, Quarlen.

…

A week later, they arrived safely at the outskirts of Quarlen and, in the evening twilight, found themselves gazing upon the fortified wall that surrounded the river town. To reach Varetta they had to cross the river - and only there, at Quarlen, was there a bridge that spanned the fast-flowing waters of the River Quarl. The highway divided as it approached the town wall, for there were two gates that provided access to its east side.

“Seems like there’s much more traffic going to the north gate.” Phantom Wing spoke as he chewed on a piece of jerky. “Merchants frequent it, judging from the tracks driven into the road. Could be worth the wait if the guards are used to dealing with others.”

Marina nodded and headed in the direction of the northern gate. A peasant wagon and a merchant caravan bearing the toa-tree emblem of Casiorn were waiting in front of the town gate. Marina and Phantom stopped and waited in line as the great door of rust-red iron slowly creaked open. A guard appeared and gestured to the wagon and caravan to enter, but the guard stopped them.

“Town levy is three bits each, strangers. Pay or turn away.” His face clearly betrayed the fact that he was extorting them. Phantom puffed out his chest, marched forward and put his beak against the guard’s helmet.

“I wouldn’t try to squeeze money from us, “friend”.” Phantom said menacingly. He felt the need to shed blood well up inside of him, but he kept himself in check. “We have fought the most elite of the Darklords’ forces, and my friend here killed a Darklord personally. It would be very unwise to try anything funny.”

“B-but it’s only a few bits! You wouldn’t kill anyone for trying to make a living, right?” the guard stammered, his sneering face instantly turning to a scared expression. “M-my friends would…”

Phantom placed a clawed finger over the guard’s mouth to quiet him. He gently placed six bits on the guard’s helmet and backed away with a smile on his face, chuckling to himself at how easy it was to intimidate ponies.

“W-welcome t-to Quarlen, friends. P-please enjoy your stay!” The guard hurried to wave them in, then shakily ordered the gate to close. Marina scolded Phantom with a stern look, but the griffin’s grin did not budge. His shrug clearly showed he enjoyed living up to his people’s fearsome reputation.

They entered a wide street where black iron lanterns swung above the doors of shops and houses, their oily black smoke staining the walls and adding a pall of gloom to the darkening sky. The street descended towards the River Quarl, where flatboats were moored at the rich merchant wharves. Quarlen stood at the most northerly point on the river that could be navigated by boat and barge, and it was here that the river met the caravan routes to Casiorn and the Wildlands, so ensuring the future of the town.

At the approach to a wide stone bridge, Marina saw an impressive-looking bar with a painted shield hanging above the courtyard gate proudly displaying its name: The Barrel Bridge Tavern.

The courtyard was beautiful, full of all sorts of fruit trees lining the path to the tavern’s door. It was crowded, despite the early hour, and a roaring fire blazed in its great stone hearth. The smell of food made Marina’s mouth water, reminding her she had not eaten that day. Her stomach growled softly and the blush that suffused her cheeks made Phantom chuckle to himself. He stared at the chocolate mare with feelings he knew as love welling up inside. Phantom knew she wasn’t a living pony, but he loved her all the same. He glanced at the wound on her flank from her fight with Darklord Haakon for what seemed like the thousandth time this year. The magical blade seemed like it had interfered with her own magical regeneration abilities, and the melted flesh had not returned. The distortion of her cutie mark on that side was the only obvious evidence of anything wrong, though at certain angles one could see the distinct difference of thickness between her two hindlegs. Other than a slight shine when the light hit that area, it did not look out of the ordinary. When covered it looked normal.

He snapped out of his thoughts when Marina moved towards a table near a corner: one that was laid for dinner and offered a clear view of the hall. A serving mare soon appeared with a platter laden with various foods, even meats that Phantom licked his lips at, the mare stacking generous helpings on the plates before the two travelers.

“Two bits each, if you please.” the unicorn servant said, presenting an open bag to the two. They paid and settled down to the feast. While they were eating, the innkeeper approached the table. He was a fat, squat individual with small, piggish eyes.

“Why hello there, travelers! I hope the food is to your liking?” The stallion shifted nervously from one hoof to the other, as if he was uncomfortable in their presence, which was very likely given Phantom was the only griffin they had seen in the region since they had arrived. “You’ll be wanting a room, I take it?”

Marina finished a mouthful of food before nodding her reply. “You are in luck, friends!” he answered, obviously relieved they were paying guests. “We have one room left - Room 17. I hope you don’t mind sharing.”

He produced a plain iron key from his apron pocket and set it down beside the mare’s plate. “That’ll be 3 bits, ma’am - in advance.” Marina paid the innkeeper and slipped the key into her saddlebag.

Suddenly, there was a mighty crash as the hall door was slammed shut. Into the tavern strode a black-browed young unicorn lordling, wearing a flamboyant costume of ebony and gold that accented his white fur and black mane. He made a ceremonious display of removing his velvet cloak and pompously demanded food and wine, and it took three serving mares and the innkeeper to see to his wishes. His manner was so insulting that Marina was not surprised to see the many scars that disfigured his young pale blue face. He must continually provoke fights and duels, she thought.

The lordling chose to sit at a table already occupied by a mare in a star-patterned purple cloak and matching pointy hat, who obviously just wanted to eat her dinner in peace. Within seconds there was a thunderous outburst of foul language. The lordling grabbed the mare’s throat with his magic, lifted her from her seat, and hauled her to the floor.

“You sniveling toad, how dare you sit with me!” he bellowed.

Bewildered and frightened, the mare tried to fumble an apology, but to no avail. The lording kicked back his chair and towered over her, his sword pulled from its scabbard. The tavern crowd viewed the scene with relish, like spectators at a Vassagonian arena, for the lordling clearly intended to kill the mare.

Phantom Wing looked at Marina with an eager expression, and she merely had to nod her head for him to act. The griffin looked around and saw one of the chairs the lording kicked over in his rage. He quickly seized the chair and threw it, striking the sword. The blade came down, splintering wood instead of bone. He sauntered slowly over to the lordling, a battle-hungry grin creeping over his features.

“Curse you, you damned featherbrain!” the lordling shouted as he noticed who had attacked him. “I am Roark, highborn of Amory. How dare you interfere with my sport?”

He feigned withdrawal but Phantom was not taken in by his street-brawl tactics. As his sword cut the air in a vicious backhanded slash, the griffin was ready to parry the blow. The tavern crowd cheered in anticipation of a good fight.

Roark swung his sword as it reflected off of Phantom’s armored forearm, aiming for a slice to the head. Phantom anticipated such a move, deftly ducking underneath his swing and opening a few new cuts on Roark’s face in retaliation. The attack caught the lordling even more off guard, allowing the griffin to close quickly. He grabbed Roark by his collar, lifted him high in the air, and slammed him into the floor, leaving a pony-shaped indent in the cracked wood.

Trembling with pain and fury, the wounded lordling slowly got back to his hooves and staggered back towards the door. “I shall have your life for this - mark my words!” he shouted.

The mocking cheer of the crowd echoed in his wake as he turned and disappeared into the night. Marina had already began to help up the mare in the cape when Phantom had sufficiently distracted her attacker. The light blue fur of the mare nearly shone in the darkened interior of the inn.

“Trixie thanks you, friends.” said the mare as Marina helped her to her feet. “She is forever in your debt.”

“Are you possessed or something?” Phantom Wing asked, subtly referring to Trixie’s third person speech.

“Trixie is not possessed, no. She simply prefers to remind everypony - and griffin, in your case - of who she is, and how Great and Powerful she is.” Her smile seemed a tad bit forced, but Phantom did not question it. He merely nodded his head and waved the two mares over to the table Trixie had been thrown from. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is the best magician in all of Equestria, and soon to be known throughout the world! That unprovoked attack was clearly a case of jealousy at Trixie’s magical superiority. She is currently on her way to the city of Varetta to wow the crowds with her amazing talents.”

Marina’s eyes obviously betrayed her; the boastful mare was quick to note her sudden interest in the word “Varetta”.

“You wouldn’t happen to know anything of the Element of Kindness, do you?” Marina asked softly, trying not to garner too much attention from nearby tables.

“‘Tis but a legend. Some say it contained great power; others say its power existed only in the minds of those who craved to own it. Whatever the truth may be, Trixie is sure it has been lost for hundreds of years.” she replied, her eyes fixed on Marina with a cautious stare.

“I see. Well, it’s obvious you know more than you let on. I have no choice but to tell you my true identity. I am the leader of the Dragon Knights and Duchess of Ponyville, Marina Wildheart.” Her voice barely carried over to Trixie’s ears, but her eyes opened with such surprise that the chocolate mare could have sworn her eyes would pop out of her head.

“Wildheart?” she whispered incredulously. “Trixie should have known by your griffin bodyguard and your...unique appearance. Please, accept her…I mean, my, apologies. I had thought you sought the Elements for less than honorable reasons.”

Trixie talked at great length, using her particular brand of embellishments, about the legend of the Element of Kindness. The two travelers learned that it had remained in Varetta after Starswirl had become the leader of the Dragon Knights and helped hide the Elements from those who would use them for war. It had been set into the throne of Lyris in the Tower of the King. Hundreds of years ago, during a bloody war, it had been stolen by a Salonese prince called Kaskor. He set the stone upon a gold scepter and used it in battle to inspire his fanatical followers and crush his foes. He believed it made him invulnerable, but it had not been so - he was killed on his royal barge during a battle at Rhem, and the Element of Kindness was lost when the gold scepter fell into the depths of the River Storn. There were many accounts of the scepter having been found, but they had always proved to be either untrue or simply fanciful. It was said that whoever wielded the Element was able to sway entire nations to their cause. For that reason alone it was often sought by evil or unscrupulous warlords, and many pursued the quest, all without success.

“Trixie knows not where the Element is, but she does know a certain pony in Varetta who claims to know its exact location. If she could get an escort to the city, she can take you to her.” Trixie’s arrogant speech pattern could not hide her pleading look, and Marina quickly agreed to escort her. They then arranged to meet back up in the tavern’s courtyard at dawn.

Phantom led the way up the stairs to their room, which turned out to be a shabby single room with a hay bed that barely had room for one pony, let alone a pony and a griffin.

“Good enough to sleep in, I suppose.” Phantom muttered as he eyed the shabby accommodations. “You can have the bed. I’ll just sleep on the floor.”

“Oh, so that’s how it is, huh?” Marina’s half-lidded eyes bore into Phantom as she sidled up to him and smooched the tip of his beak. “And here I was hoping to have a nice romantic evening with you all to myself.”

“Heh, well I do like the sound of that. But the bed is not really to my liking.” His low voice rumbled softly and Marina felt its vibrations tingle inside of her body. She growled playfully, pushing Phantom down onto the bed, a tender embrace meeting her as she slowly lowered herself onto him. “Ok, we’ll make do…”

…

“A glorious day to bask in Celestia’s light!” Trixie cheerfully stated, pointing up at the cloudless sky with her slender oaken staff held in her magical grip. “There is an inn that Trixie knows well on the trail: the Halfway Inn. Trixie believes we should reach it by nightfall.”

“Trixie, if you don’t start talking in first person like a normal pony, we will leave you behind as soon as we are able.” Phantom said sternly, his irritation at her speech very clear in his tone.

“Trixie...I mean, I will do as you wish...for now, at least.” Her stance stiffened slightly at the glare of the griffin, and she grinned sheepishly. “You certainly dislike jokes, don’t you?”

Phantom Wing said nothing in response, but instead started walking. Marina said farewell to the innkeeper and his daughters and urged Trixie to follow closely on the narrow street that led to the west gatehouse. By midmorning the group was travelling across gentle hills crested with yellow-leaved trees. The hilltops were shrouded with mist, but occasional rays of sunshine broke through to lighten the lush green fields below. Time passed swiftly as Trixie recounted the histories and legends of the area. Marina learned that the rich and fertile kingdoms bordering the River Storn had a wild and turbulent past, swept by wars, divided by empires, split by national rivalries and the ambitions of petty princes who preyed upon one another and the rest of the populace. Battles were fought, lives were lost and the land was pillaged with grim regularity - only the mercenaries and the crows seemed to prosper from the continual conflicts.

It was mid-afternoon when the group caught sight of a small village on the road ahead. There were many wagons parked at the side of the highway, and a crowd had gathered in a field nearby. As they walked past, Marina noticed a large placard nailed to one of the wagons: Archery Tournament. Entrance Fee: three bits. First Prize: The Blessed Bow of Luna.

The name of the prize made Marina stop and stare, her mouth agape in surprise. She was shaken out of her thoughts when Trixie touched her shoulder and shook her head when the chocolate mare noticed her presence.

“Tis not the real thing, my friend. I have seen many such tourneys claim the same prize, or ones like it. Only Princess Celestia would truly know where Princess Luna’s arms and armor lie.” Her smile was truthful, and Marina looked back once at the sign before moving on down the road. She thought of how useful a bow would be, especially if she ran into a full scale conflict like the battle at Ruanon.

Less than a mile from the village, the road descended into a narrow valley where a castle, part of which had fallen into ruin, was set on a rock shelf beneath a mossy precipice.

“Castle Taunor. It’s a place of pilgrimage for many ponies; the water from its spa has been said to heal wounds and cure sickness.” Trixie said, shielding her eyes from the glare of the afternoon sun. Her horn glowed softly and she brought out a small glass jar from her saddlebag and offered it to Marina. “Trixie assumes you will be heading into danger. Best to be prepared, no?”

“I suppose it won’t hurt to take a look. Could find something interesting while I’m there.” Marina thought about it a little more while staring at the narrow, steep, and slippery stone steps leading up to the castle. “On second thought, I don’t think it would be a good idea. The way that path looks, it would take much too long to reach it, and we don’t have much time on our hooves.”

Trixie nodded and placed the jar back in her pack, not seeming to mind Marina’s decline of her offer, as the short conversation provided a small break in walking. She started humming a tune when the group returned to the main path and continued on the way to Varetta, Marina humming along after she became familiar with the melody. After a while, Marina asked about the hummed tune; Trixie responded by saying it was a lullaby from her mother, who she had lost when she was a filly. It comforted her when on the road. The silence that fell was thick as all three of the party contemplated their own pasts.

Beyond the Taunor valley, the highway twisted and climbed across wooded hillsides, often plunging into narrow valleys where bubbling, trout-laden streams wound their way southwards to the Quarl. Butterflies gathered in clouds above clumps of sweet-smelling flowers bordering the road, and the constant twittering of bird song added a sense of tranquility to the beautiful countryside.

“It comforts me to know there is still one part of Lyris where war and death are but words on the wind.” Trixie said, her eyes gladly taking in the sights of anything that wasn’t about war. “Seems like only yesterday when I was in Equestria, where I didn’t have to fear for my life just going to visit friends.”

The highway passed the ruins of a monastery and then descended steeply towards some log huts, clustered in a semicircle at the approach to a stone bridge. A tall gate, flanked by two mighty towers of stone, commanded the access to the bridge.

“That, my friends, is the Denka gate.” Trixie said. “The toll is 3 bits to cross the bridge, unless, of course, the gatekeeper is one of your greatest admirers.” She gave a sly wink and smiled. “This may take awhile - the Great and Powerful Trixie’s performances are rather flashy, and the guards here are often very bored. They will want to stay entertained as long as possible.”

Trixie pointed out two of the log huts where wooden signs, carved in the shapes of an ale tankard and a loaf of bread, hung above doors. “The best ale and bread in the entire country. Mention Trixie’s name and you’ll be treated like a princess. Even you, Mr Grouchy-feathers.”

Phantom Wing frowned at her statement, but his hunger and thirst were almost overwhelming, and the prospect of free refreshment was very tempting.

“Well, we may as well take some time for a break if your show is going to take a while. Come on, love. Let’s go get some food.” Marina gently nudged her husband in the ribs and smiled cheerily, her own stomach clearly voicing its annoyance. He nodded and smiled, following after his beloved with a watchful eye on her swaying tail. His focus on Marina dulled his alertness, and he failed to see that nopony was around, when the huts should have had ponies going in and out of them regularly at that time of day.

Inside the hut, the couple was greeted by the mouth-watering smell of freshly baked bread. Pyramids of loaves were stacked high in hampers and trays of pies, flans, cakes, and biscuits covered the counter. There was nopony there, but an open door revealed another room at the back of the hut.

“Hello? Is anypony here?” Marina softly called, hoping that she wasn’t disturbing anypony who wanted to be alone. There was no reply. Marina walked around the counter and peered into the back room, but that was also deserted. Her suspicion was aroused when she noticed that the oven door and the back door to the hut were both wide open. A rocking chair was lying on its side, and there was other evidence of recent struggle. She was about to search the room when she heard a faint cry for help. It was Trixie - she was in trouble.

Phantom led the way out of the hut in time to see their traveling companion struggling with six armored ponies. They had her surrounded, and her attempts at resistance were futile. A blow from a mace knocked her unconscious, and she limply fell to the ground. A moment later, all but one of the attackers galloped across the bridge with their captive draped over one of their backs. The remaining assailant, a warrior swathed head to hoof in black and gold armor, raised a crossbow and took aim as Marina and Phantom ran towards him.

As she heard the click of the crossbow trigger, Marina threw herself to the ground to avoid the deadly missile. The bolt grazed her scalp, and embedded itself in the side of the log hut, narrowly missing Phantom as he charged past her towards the warrior. The warrior discarded his empty weapon and wheeled about in order to follow the others across the bridge.

The warrior galloped off, his cloak billowing from his shoulders like huge black wings as he sped across the bridge. Marina focused her power to create a long, arrow shaped spike from her body and readied it in her telekinetic grip, taking careful aim - she would have no second chance.

The spike was on target, but the distance prevented it from penetrating the thick metal plates of armor that protected the warrior’s neck. She watched with dismay as it glanced away and disappeared over the parapet of the bridge. Without further delay, Marina started running after Phantom to catch up and pursue the kidnappers before they vanished from sight.

The chase took the duo into the heart of the Varettian Hills. Soon the highway dipped and twisted, plunging into the valleys and hollows carved by fast-flowing streams, and climbed through the dense woodland that clung precariously to every precipice and crag. Marina often lost sight of the warriors, but her innate skills of reading auras and Phantom’s tracking and hunting abilities enabled them to follow their trail with ease. It was not until they reached a tiny village perched on the edge of a tree-lined crag that their trail became indistinct. However, Phantom noticed that at the far side of the village, a stony hill track branched from the main highway and ascended into the trees.

“They could have gone up that trail, though the village may be an ambush place. Best be cautious.” he warned, noting that Marina seemed not all that surprised by the change of circumstance. “I suppose you’re going to use your fancy magic to find them?”

“I’m going to try. Just watch, love.” Marina answered with a slight smile, then closed her eyes to focus on the task at hand. She focused her inner sight on both the hill path and the highway to search for any recent tracks. To her surprise she discovered that neither route had been used by anypony in at least three hours. It could mean only one thing - their targets were hiding somewhere in the village. She repeated her findings to Phantom and he nodded in reply.

“Well, if they are back there, we’d be stupid to head into an ambush. Let’s wait in the forest till they show up again.” Phantom said, Marina nodding her approval of the plan. They did not have to wait very long for the riders to appear. As soon as they think their pursuers had gone, they emerged in single file from the back of a derelict cottage and drew themselves into a circle in the middle of the village. Although they were out of earshot, Marina could tell that they were having a heated argument. Suddenly, they broke the circle and galloped towards her. Trixie was still lying unconscious across the back of the rear warrior.

Marina focused her power to create more spikes to send at the ponynappers. Her ambush caught the enemy by surprise, making them panic and fly in all directions. At such close range, one of her spikes pierced the chainmailed chest of the warrior who had Trixie on his back and killed him instantly. As he tumbled to the ground, Marina and Phantom broke cover, exploding through the bushes, Phantom scooping up the unconscious mare with a grunt and placing her on his own back. Angry shouts echoed in their wake as Marina took off along the highway with the unicorn and Phantom by her side.

Her immediate peril stopped her from dwelling too much on the reason why the warriors would try and abduct Trixie. However, it did occur to her that she was neither wealthy nor powerful, regardless of what she claimed over and over, and so was a poor prospect for a rich ransom.

As they reached the bottom of the wooded crag, a stone church and graveyard loomed into view at a point where the highway turned sharply to the west. Blocking the road was a scar-faced young unicorn. His eyes, set in a white and disfigured face, burned with a cold dark glow. Marina recognized him immediately. It was Roark, the lordling Phantom had taught a lesson to at the Barrel Bridge Tavern.

Suddenly, the armored warriors from earlier appeared and spread out in a semicircle to surround the chocolate mare and her friends.

“We have a debt to settle, Equestrian dog,” hissed Roark, his lips drawn back from his teeth in a contemptuous sneer. “I demand payment in full!”

Madness flashed in his glaring eyes as he removed an amulet from around his neck and held it high in the air. “Come, all powerful master of decay! I summon thee from the Warp! Make these insolent fools pay for their slight upon your faithful servant!”

Marina’s flesh prickled with dread at the sound of Roark’s terrible invocation, and she cast her eyes around her for an escape route. Only the churchyard offered a way past Roark and his soldiers, but as she ran through the stone gateway, the mare was suddenly frozen in terror by what she saw before her.

Above the church, a whirlpool of darkness was taking form, casting a tomb-like chill on everything beneath. Frost crystallized on the grass and flowers, and a terrible sound filled the air as the earth began to shake. Cracks appeared in the ground beneath the mare and suddenly a score of fleshless hooves burst through the frozen soil to swipe at her frost-covered legs. Shrieking with terror, she reared up and fell backwards into the waiting hooves of the waking dead.

Marina struggled to fight back against the rising undead creatures, but her chocolate body was freezing slowly. The only thing she could do was unsheath her Sommerswerd and wave it at her attackers in a wide arc as far as her mental grip could reach. The flames from the magical sword did nothing to thaw her body, and frost crept slowly up her torso towards her head.

Phantom noticed his wife in danger and, gently placing his unconscious passenger in an empty area by a tree, rushed over to defend her at all costs. His roar of fury echoed through the area, and he effortlessly sliced through the zombie ponies. He hacked his way to his beloved’s side, grabbing her and placing her upon his back.

From her makeshift mount, Marina was able to take down the undead like a scythe through wheat, and the combined might of their attack was overwhelming. As they destroyed the last of the fleshless skeletons, Marina saw that the struggle had spread beyond the wall of the churchyard. From the depths of an open crypt, a shambling mass of zombies were hurtling themselves at the armored warriors, taking them down by sheer weight of numbers. Roark’s summoning had gone horribly out of control; no living creature was safe from the terror he had unleashed.

Such is the risk of dealing with daemons, a voice in Marina’s head echoed. She paused to figure out who it was, but became distracted by the cries for help.

The lordling turned and galloped away in a blind panic, leaving his followers to their grisly deaths. As he disappeared, the swirling funnel of darkness slowly faded, and the undead staggered and fell, crumbling into dust, which was carried away on the evening breeze. Marina looked over to where Phantom had placed their ally and noticed something was wrong.

“Trixie!” Marina cried as she limped over to Trixie with the help of Phantom. The blue mare lay mortally wounded upon the ground, her throat torn by one of the undead monsters. “ No no no no...please, don’t die! I don’t want to lose another friend!”

As Marina cradled her ally’s head in her hooves and Phantom gently held gauze on the wound to try and stop the bleeding, Trixie’s eyes flickered open and she forced a whisper from her blood-flecked lips: “Brass...Street….”

She didn’t finish the sentence before her eyes went wide and her gasps for air and wet gargles were all that escaped her. Marina looked up at Phantom, her eyes pleading for help, but his expression was one of regret and sorrow. Marina closed her eyes, focusing her power to flow from her horn into the body of her friend, tapping into the power gifted to her by Princess Luna when she had been possessed. Trixie’s body convulsed with the increased power of the healing energy, and her shoulders trembled as she forced herself to whisper once more: “Brass Street...Varetta...find the sages…”

A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of her muzzle as her eyes flickered and closed. She was dead. Tears fell upon Trixie’s cheeks, her body shaking from Marina’s heavy sobs. Phantom had to pull Trixie’s body out of Marina’s grasp and set about making a grave in the graveyard where she was slain. Once she was buried, Marina and Phantom Wing stood in front of the grave in silence for half an hour until the chocolate mare could calm herself enough to speak.

“I-I know we didn’t know her well, even though she talked about herself nonstop the entire trip. But I thought of her as a friend, and I hope she is in a better place now…” Marina’s lip trembled, but she kept her composure. “I swear on all the gods above that I will get revenge. That bastard will pay for this.”

“Agreed.” Phantom said solemnly, his eyes showing that he also wanted to get his revenge. He rested a hand upon his heart and bent his head in reverence to not only Trixie, but the rest of the ponies who had been disturbed by Roark’s foul magic as well. He said a prayer in the ancient language of his people, and his words echoed in the silence. As the prayer ended, a howl was heard on the wind, and both of them stiffened reflexively. They relaxed once they realized it was just a timberwolf, and Phantom led the way towards the highway to Varetta. “Come on. We don’t want Trixie’s death to be for naught if we are too late finding the Element.”

…

It was nearly dark when Marina and Phantom caught sight of a tavern on the road ahead. Two guttering torches set into rust brackets illuminated the sign nailed above the door: The Halfway Inn.

Marina recognized the name of the tavern that Trixie spoke of that morning, and it grieved her that she was not there to accompany them. Distant thunder rumbled through the hills as they entered the welcoming warmth of the taproom. The tavern was alive with the chatter of merchants, the clink of glasses, and the crackle of a blazing fire. The center of the room was dominated by a small stage on which a conjurer was performing his tricks to the delight of the customers. Marina was in no mood to watch others have fun, and so approached the bar to ask for a room for the night.

“Looks like y’made is ‘ere jus’ in time,” said the cheerful innkeeper, pointing to a rain-streaked window pane. “It’s goin’ t’be a rough night t’night, no mistakin’.”

“So it seems. We would like one room, please.” Marina requested gently, discovering a room for the night was two bits. She gladly paid for a room, and climbed the stairs to the room at the top of the tavern. They slept deeply and at dawn rose from the hay bed to shiver in the fresh breeze whistling though a cracked window pane. Marina saw that Phantom was staring out the window suspiciously.

“What do you see, love?” she asked, hoping the answer wasn’t anything bad.

“Nothing that I can see right now...but I just have a feeling we were being watched. Either way, we can’t stay here, so let’s hurry and go.” Marina nodded in agreement and helped pack up their things, leaving the inn as soon as possible.

The air was sweet with the smell of wet grass. The sun rose above the trees to the east, and mist steamed from the hills on either side of the highway. By noon they reached a small village, where brightly decorated cottages lined a cobblestoned square. The small market in the square had mostly locally grown produce for sale, among other things like hoof crafted clothing. Marina purchased some food and an extra cloak for herself, while Phantom stood by, watchful as always. They moved on after less than ten minutes, hoping to make up their time lost by galloping for short durations.

It was late afternoon when Marina caught her first breath-taking glimpse of Varetta. Built on a massive plateau, the city had stood for hundreds of years. The walls and buildings were immense, constructed from blood-red rock and crowded together in complicated splendor. Great stone dragons writhed along the battlements, their coiled tails entangling the gatehouses and portals of the outer wall, and spirals of smoke rose from the mouths of angry-faced gargoyles, crouching like spies on top of the roofs and towers that filled the sky.

The sun had set by the time Marina and Phantom reached the east gate. The red-coated guards offered no challenge, and they passed into the wide streets of the magnificent city, to arrive eventually at a quadrangle. A pillar of red stone indicated the names of the streets that led away from the square: North - Helin Way, West - Coachcourse, South - Flute Street.

“Gods, I hate this. Why isn’t there ever an easy way to go through cities?” Marina complained, looking at Phantom as if he would know exactly where to go. He simply shrugged and studied the streets surrounding. “Fine, let’s go...west. Going straight seems to work sometimes.”

The couple walked between ranks of carved stone idols, whose mouths held flickering torches, which illuminated the broad avenue. Mercenaries of all races and nationalities packed the street, talking, boasting, or simply dozing in the shadows. At the end of the street, they arrived at a junction where a unicorn mare in filthy rags sat nursing a crying foal. As they passed, she held out a grimy hoof and begged for bits to feed her hungry baby.

Marina thought of herself in the mare’s hooves, and handed a bit to her. It was almost in her grasp when a stallion appeared as if from nowhere. He slapped her grubby hoof with a studded gauntlet and bellowed: “Begone, ye thievin’ hag!”

The poor mare’s eyes flashed angrily as she nursed her bruised hoof.

“By what right do you have to stop her from asking for money?” Marina asked, anger rising within her. The stallion grasped the beggar by the crook of her elbow and uncovered the arm cradled around the foal. In her telekinetic grip was a hat pin with which she pricked the baby’s skin to make him cry.

“You’ll be beggin’ in the streets yourself before dawn if you be taken in b’likes o’ her.” he said.

The mare pulled free from his grasp, cursed, and disappeared among the scruffy crown of mercenaries wandering the street.

“Who d’you serve?” asked the stallion, his brutal face framed by a closely cropped red beard, “or d’you come in search of a captain, eh?”

“A captain for what? Is there a war?” Phantom asked the pony, obviously interested as he himself was a mercenary by trade. The two travelers learned that the stallion’s name was Redbeard and that he hailed from Soren, a town to the west of Varetta. He was sergeant-at-arms to a captain of mercenaries and had recently returned from battle against the Magadorians. He offered to take them to meet his captain who, he said, was the best soldier he had ever had the good fortune to serve under. “Well, I suppose we haven’t a reason why we couldn’t at least talk to your captain…”

Marina looked at Phantom with surprise. She was unsure of whether or not to get themselves involved in civil wars when their goal was to find the Elements. Regardless, Phantom had agreed for them, and it was extremely difficult to change his mind when set. She sighed and followed Redbeard to a tavern that looked more like a banqueting hall than a city alehouse. The Inn of the Crossed Swords was the largest and noisiest tavern Marina had ever seen. A constant flow of soldiers poured in and out of its cathedral-like doors and it looked like it could hold an army of ponies.

“Ale for my friends!” Redbeard boomed as soon as he stepped inside the hall, and immediately an inn-girl hurried to obey his command. He pointed to a table across the hall and said with a cheerful voice: “There he is - come and meet the captain.”

Captain Revan was an imposing stallion, tall, muscular, with a strong-jawed face, unmarked by battle or disease. His blond mane was cropped close to his head, and likewise, his beard and moustache were trimmed close to his tan coat. Marina and Phantom were invited to join his company, and as the mare drank her ale, she listened to their proud talk of war, of victories, of loot, and wages - but never of defeat.

The captain and his men had grown tired of the war in the north. Prince Janveal of Helin was close to ruin, having sold all he owned to pay for a war against Baron Maghao of Karkaste that he could not hope to win. The prince’s troops were demoralized and his mercenaries deserted him at the first opportunity. Marina learned that the captain was recruiting soldiers for a campaign in the south. The war between Salony and Slovia had reached boiling point, and there was much gold to be had in the service of the Salonese Prince Ewevin while he besieged the city of Tekaro.

“You both seem to be skillful warriors, especially you, Sir Phantom.” said the captain, his steel-blue eyes cold and unblinking. “Why not join my company? I have need of fighters, and I pay with gold, not promises. We leave for Tekaro at dawn - will you ride with us?”

“Unfortunately, we come to Varetta on other business, captain.” Phantom reluctantly said, glancing at Marina as if to say he really wanted to go, but would stay with her as long as she needed him. After all, that was why they gotten married.

“What business is there for a warrior other than war?” retorted the captain, to the raucous delight of his men. Marina finished her ale and bade the captain and his company goodnight. “If you change your mind, join us at Soren. We sail the river from there in two days’ time.”

Marina’s thoughts returned to her quest and to Trixie’s dying words. The  mare she was taking her to meet lived on Brass Street, but in a city the size of Varetta it could take days to find the right street. She decided to try and find out where it was from someone in the tavern and looked around the massive hall in search of a likely source of information.

She found the tavern-keeper breaking up a fight between two drunken soldiers. His solution to their argument was short and sweet: grabbing the two stallions by their necks, he slammed their heads together with such force that the crack echoed above the deafening clamor of the hall.

“Excuse me, sir? We need directions to Brass Street.” Marina asked as soon as she was sure the bartender was done with his enforcement of order.

“Brass Street?” he replied, his face lined in thought. “Yes, I know it well. Here, I’ll show you.” The big stallion produced a greasy piece of paper from his pocket on which he scrawled the directions to Brass Street. Marina saw that it was located on the far side of the city, close to the west wall. She accepted the paper and the tavern-keeper accepted her thanks before returning to the crowd to sort out another scuffle in his own inimitable way.

Phantom walked to the bar and arranged a room for the night. He chose a room with a hot bath, a commodity he longed for after the trip to Varetta. He paid for the room and escorted Marina through the rough crowd to it.

The room was a disappointment. For five bits, he was expecting some degree of luxury, but the small and shabby accommodation he found left much to be desired. Steam rising from an open-topped barrel in a corner of the room clouded the air. At first, he thought it must be some form of heating, until he discovered it was full of soapy water and realized that it was, in fact, their hot bath. The meager luxuries of Varetta did not come cheaply.

The couple bathed, Marina waiting until the water was much cooler, before settling down to a good night’s rest, but in the middle of the night they were awoken by a bright light. A shooting star of sun-like brilliance arced over the city, shedding a rainbow of color across the drab room. Marina watched as the star slowly faded and then settled down to sleep once more. It seemed as if she had only just closed her eyes when the loud and loathsome clang of the tavern bell filled her ears.

“All awake, all awake! A new day dawns, my fine brave lads!” As the voice of the tavern-keeper echoed through the inn, Marina gathered her gear and set off on her search for Brass Street.

As they travelled west along a wide avenue of weathered red stone, Marina took in the early morning sights of the magnificent city. Window shutters slammed open as Varettian ponies awoke to a new day and smells of breakfast and freshly ground coffee wafted from shop doorways.

At the center of the city, they crossed a square paved with crystal slabs and passed beneath an archway of polished green stone. Stately halls and public buildings gave way to dust-worn shops and a park full of glistening flowers with huge leaves of red, gold, and pink. Beyond the park, a street paved with white gravel led to a fortified tower, the tallest in the city. It was the Tower of the King and it marked the entrance to Brass Street.

Turning into Brass Street, the sound of bubbling water and quiet chanting drifted towards Marina on the still air. Old stallions in brown robes, their heads covered by hoods, glided silently across the white graveled path. The couple entered the enclosed courtyard of a grand building, a hall of learning. Suddenly, a tingle ran the length of Marina’s horn as she sensed they were close to their goal.

At the door to the hall, there was a sign that indicated the location of three chambers: the observatory, the library, and the temple. Marina led the way to the observatory, intrigued by the star from the night before and wanted to ask about it.

The door clicked shut behind Phantom as he followed Marina inside. It took a few seconds for their eyes to grow accustomed to the dimly lit interior, but the room appeared to be the antechamber of a larger hall. Following the faint sound of voices, they passed through an archway, along a corridor, and into the main hall. Gathered about a circular table, a group of familiar mares were pouring over books, star charts, and astral maps, engrossed in discussion. Globes of blue-white fire hung motionless in the air above them to illuminate their work. They did not see the chocolate mare approach until she was close to the steel table. Their reaction to her sudden appearance was as if they saw a ghost. There were yelps of shock and startled expressions, until they realized who it was and they calmed down.

“Oh, thank goodness it’s you guys. I’m terribly sorry we didn’t expect you.” Fluttershy apologized profusely, her yellow coat and pink hair a stark contrast to the simple blue robes she wore.

“I should have known Pinkie would be right about this. If only she were correct about other things…” Rarity said, obviously upset about something. Her white coat and purple hair matching perfectly with her exquisite dress of sapphire and gold.

“Oh, I know lots of things, girls. I just sometimes get them mixed up. I already apologized, didn’t I?” Pinkie Pie said, her blush showing clearly on her pink fur. She had been the only one to remain calm and collected compared to the other two mares at the sudden appearance of Marina. “Anyway, we are super duper glad that you made it!”

“What are you girls doing here? Shouldn’t you be in Canterlot?” Marina asked, her eyes hoping they were actually seeing what they saw. Secretly she hoped they weren’t changelings, but she was sure she would know by now, after all of her training.

“Silly filly, you know we wanted to help you and you didn’t say goodbye when you left. We just had to hurry down here as fast as possible!” Pinkie’s bubbly personality was a stark contrast to her friends, but she seemed to be at home among the astronomical aparati.

“Just don’t ask for details. You wouldn’t believe the trouble we got through to get here, especially so fast.” Rarity spoke up. She glared at Pinkie until her glare was broken by a small smile and chuckle at how innocent Pinkie was acting. “Ok, I’ll forgive you for now, Pinkie. So, you two lovebirds, how was your trip?”

“Well, let’s just say we had another we wanted to bring, but she didn’t make it.” At this, Marina looked away from the mares, not wanting to think about recent events. The gasp from Pinkie was a little too loud in the quiet room.

“I knew it! I knew something had gone wrong! My Pinkie Sense is always right! I had asked a friend to come to Varetta to help you guys if she crossed your path...I won’t ask, but I’m sure it was pretty bad.” Pinkie’s normal bubblegum hair flattened and dulled, her emotions clear as day. Her emotions became worse when Marina told the mares how they lost their companion, and they all had tears in their eyes. It was clear that Trixie had been a friend, and her loss was felt deeply. “I...I suppose the stars were right. We had tried to get you help to find the Elements, but there was a lot in our way. The other sages in this city, they all think you are after the Elements for bad reasons. They are being big meanie heads.”

Suddenly, her words were cut short by the beating of hooves against the observatory door: somepony must have told the other sages they were there.

“Give them to us!” shouted a chorus of angry voices.

“Oh no! We have to leave, now!” Rarity exclaimed, and she ushered Marina and Phantom into a smaller room. A hidden catch was pulled, and a secret panel opened to reveal a passage. As they followed the mares into the darkness, Phantom heard the door to the observatory splinter and break.

The passage led to a vaulted cellar, as cold and as silent as a tomb. Rarity talked with Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, who then hurried off towards a distant portal. As they disappeared into the dark, she returned to the couple’s side, her face somber but composed.

“The Element of Kindness is hidden in the crypt of the cathedral of Tekaro. This key will unlock the tomb in which it lies. It took me a long time to find the location of it, and this key is one of a kind. Please don’t lose it.” Rarity produced a small silver key from a hidden compartment in her sleeve and gave it to Marina, who gratefully accepted it.

“Don’t worry about our safety; we will be fine. Those maniacs out there wouldn’t dare harm those of the royal court.” Rarity said, the sparkle in her eyes telling of much power held underneath the glamorous exterior of their friend. “When the observatory clock strikes midnight, enter the portal and follow the passage to the end. It passes beneath the city wall, and will enable you to avoid detection. You are welcome to take any items in the vault here. I assure you they won’t be missed. Oh, and the Princess is somewhat upset at you. You should have told us, you know. Things would have been much easier than you are making them.”

“I’m sorry, Rarity. I...I just didn’t want anypony else to get involved, especially any of you. The dreams I’ve had...they don’t paint a pretty picture for anypony who helps me.” Marina’s melancholy mood was not helped by the cold. Phantom stood by her side, and Rarity frowned a little before responding.

“I think I understand. But you must know that we all care for your safety, even if you aren’t as vulnerable as the rest of us. I know you can take a lot of punishment, but your mental well being is just as important. I can tell that this all is wearing you out.” Rarity smiled slightly and took Marina into her forelegs in a hug. “Please, be careful. I don’t want to lose another friend.”

“Neither do I. That is why I didn’t tell any of you.” Marina felt the sadness well up again, but her eyes remained dry. “I promise, it won’t happen again.”

Rarity nodded her understanding and let Marina out of the rather fierce hug. She wiped her eyes and headed back into the portal to help Pinkie and Fluttershy.

Phantom scrounged up supplies from the cellar while they waited. Among the miscellaneous items necessary for travel, he found food for both of them, including dried meats. He had to have Marina hold onto the meat so that he didn’t eat all of it. Phantom collected all of the supplies, together with the key, and settled down with Marina for the long wait till midnight. Of course, the wait wasn’t all unexciting, but that story was for another time.

…

When the observatory clock struck twelve, Marina and Phantom entered the portal and followed a dry stone passageway until they arrived at an iron door. It opened with a grating squeal and a gust of damp, earthy air, mixed with a strange sweetness, billowed out. Before them, a narrow stone stairway twisted away into the darkness. They were forced to tread carefully on the green and slippery steps. At the bottom of the stair a rough-hewn tunnel disappeared to the west. They pressed on and eventually arrived at another iron door. The door opened to a small copse of trees close to a highway junction, well away from the city walls. In the light of the moon Marina could see a signpost that indicated two destinations: Amory and Soren.

“Amory was where that jack-ass of a noble was from, yes?” Phantom mused, staring at the sign thoughtfully.

“Yes, and Soren was where the captain had said to meet him and his soldiers to sail to Tekaro. Seems like you’ll get your wish to fight fulfilled, Phantom.” Marina looked at him with a mix of concern and love. “Just promise me that you’ll be ok?”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I haven’t lived for so long as a soldier without picking up tricks here and there. I may not have your fancy magic skills, but a griffin is a force in and of itself.” he said, laughing gently and stretching after the long wait in the cellar. “Let’s get going to Soren, then. Don’t want to keep the captain waiting.”

The couple began the long walk down the highway. The night passed without sleep; the howling wind of the Varettian Plain was their only companion as they travelled the long, straight, moonlit highway to Soren. When dawn finally broke they found themselves on the outskirts of a small and undistinguished hamlet of half-timbered buildings - whose only unusual feature was a bronze statue of a roguish-looking young stallion that stood in front of the blacksmith’s shop.

Intrigued, Marina approached the statue and stared up at it. The weather-worn plaque bolted to the base of the statue said that it was a true likeness of Vynar Jupe, who had led a band of robbers that preyed on travellers, especially merchants. His many crimes, including murder, did not prevent him from becoming popular, for he was resourceful and daring, and never plundered the inhabitants of the hamlet, where he himself had been born. His exploits, and those of a score of his gang, were ended by the executioner’s axe after trial at Amory.

There was a slit in the base of the statue through which coins could be dropped. The plaque went on to say that anypony who paid homage to the statue of Vynar Jupe would be protected by his spirit from robbers and highwaymen.

“Ironic, no?” Phantom chuckled after reading the plaque. “A robber who killed people like yourself, whose spirit protects from robbers.”

“Ironic indeed. I would have thought about giving money, but since he preyed on merchants, I changed my mind.” Marina frowned and turned from the statue. She led the way out of the hamlet, not wishing to look back, as she was sure her emotions would flare and the statue would be rubble in short time.

Shortly before noon, Marina and Phantom Wing passed through a deserted village. The burnt-out ruins of cottages and farmsteads dotted the landscape like charred skeletons - the unmistakable signs of war. A mile or two farther along the highway, they came across a church. A pony, his clothes ragged and covered with mud, was moving amongst the gravestones, staggering like a wounded carrion crow. As they reached the church gate, he saw Marina and cried out pitifully for help.

Marina noticed that the stallion’s clothes and mane were streaked with blood. Her initial instinct was to use her powers to heal his wounds, but as he reached the church gate she suddenly realized that he was not wounded at all. The red stains did not have the faint aura of life that blood carried; his injuries were fake. She told Phantom of her observation, and he reacted immediately.

“Stop right there!” Phantom ordered, his claws ready to shred. “Come any closer and you will pay with your life.”

Suddenly, a dozen grim-faced robbers sprung up from behind the churchyard wall. The wounded pony straightened himself and unsheathed a rusty scimitar, an evil cackle issuing from around his mouth-grip.

The robbers vaulted the stone wall and ran full speed at the duo of warriors, brandishing their tarnished weapons.

The bandit by the gate who had pretended to be hurt lunged at Marina, but instead of flesh, the sword struck thin air, and he was impaled by one of his allies when they too missed the mare. The bandit who killed the first was struck down by a swift kick from Marina. She was knocked off balance by the third bandit, and her head spun. She instinctively hardened her skin, immobilizing herself. The bandit then swung his sword, thinking the mare was easy prey. His blade got stuck in the hardened chocolate, and he payed for his insolence by being impaled by spikes that burst from her body.

Phantom was being swarmed by a second group. One got in a lucky strike and added a cut above his shoulder. He ignored the sting of the wound and blocked another’s rusty sickle with an armored claw, simultaneously pulling the holder into the way of the one who struck the griffin, bowling them both over. He finished them both off quickly before turning to block two more swords in both hands.

While he was fighting, Marina recovered from her attack, fending off one enemy with a spinning spear strike to the temple, knocking out her opponent instantly. She picked up the body and used it as a shield to block another sword strike, her next opponent in sight as the limp body fell in a shower of hot blood. His face still showed shock when Marina pierced his heart with her spear. The five remaining robbers were quickly massacred by Phantom Wing’s battlelust.

Marina wiped her weapon off on the cloak of a dead grave robber and turned him over with the tip of her hoof. Several graves bore the signs of the grave robbers’ labor; freshly-dug soil was heaped high and coffin lids lay shattered and discarded everywhere. The weapons they had used were old and pitted with rust and obviously acquired, like the rest of their booty, from graves and tombs. Marina scoffed in disgust and stormed away from the grisly scene, Phantom following after cleaning himself up. His minor wound he did not bother bandaging.

They were exhausted from travelling all night and the recent fight, but Marina knew they had to press on if they were to reach the town of Soren by nightfall. They came to a shallow stream, which crossed the highway, and they stopped briefly at a ford to wash and rest. Beside the ford stood a signpost pointing to the west: Soren - 25 miles.

…

Night had fallen by the time Marina and Phantom Wing reached the river town of Soren, and the sky was clear and full of stars that sparkled with icy splendor. They walked down the main street towards the quay where a score of river ships lay docked at the town. Their signal lamps, shimmering red and green from the mast-tops, reflected upon the cold, dark waters of the river Storn.

A board standing beside the gangplank to a large transport caravel caught the mare’s eye. On it were chalked the prices of passage to four destinations, the only one of import being Tekaro; it had been crossed out and had words scribbled beside it: “Cancelled due to war.”

“Wasn’t that mercenary captain supposed to be here?” Marina asked Phantom.

“Yes, but there’s no sign of any rowdy drunken soldiers anywhere.” he answered, looking at his map of the area. “Regardless of whether he is here or not, we need sleep. Let’s find a place.”

Marina nodded and walked down the quay. Lack of sleep and fatigue from the long journey clouded her mind. A quayside tavern displayed a sign promising the most comfortable beds in the city. That was all she needed to be persuaded to enter its doors.

Loud and raucous laughter greeted the couple’s tired ears as they entered the Stornside Tavern. A motley throng of drinkers, over-dressed and over-armed, were propped up the bar along the back wall. Suddenly a voice called out over the din of the tavern and Marina raised her weary eyes. It was Captain Revan, from the tavern in Varetta.

“Well met, friends!” Revan cried, and slapped Marina enthusiastically on the shoulder. “So you’ve changed your minds. You have come to join my band of fearless fighters.” Before either of them could reply, a foaming tankard was thrust at the both of them.

“To the battle and a full purse!” the captain shouted, and his toast was echoed by a score of drunken voices. The captain and his men were bound for Eula aboard the riverboat that left at midnight. He offered Marina and Phantom Wing both free passage if they joined him.

“Count us in, captain.” Phantom said, his tiredness not showing on his enthusiastic face. He gave Marina a sly wink on the side that went unnoticed by the captain. “We would love to come with you and join in on glorious battle.”

Marina smiled and nodded, hoping that they didn’t actually get caught up in the battle. They were escorted to the ship and given a tiny cabin at the bow with an equally tiny bunk, but it was at least comfortable. Phantom fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, while Marina had to use Phantom as her bed, the latter not minding one bit.

…

Marina and Phantom awoke an hour after dawn and peered out of the circular porthole at the shadowy river bank. Drizzle obscured all detail and the sky was tinged with grey. As day approached, the river mist grew thicker and whiter. The couple went up on deck to join Captain Revan at the rail, who stood alone, the back of his leather cloak soaked by the cold drizzle. He nodded a welcome and and pointed to the Cener Mountains now hidden in the mist.

“This foul weather robs us of landmarks, but by my reckoning we should be in Luyen by noon.” the captain said, a look of irritation on his face. Marina stared through the grey, damp air and pulled her cloak closely around her shoulders.

“Look out! There’s a boom across the river!” Phantom suddenly shouted. His keen eyesight revealed a line of dark shapes in front of the ship. It was a line of logs chained together: a boom, meant to stop or wreck a boat.

The helmspony desperately spun the ship’s wheel, but it was too late to avoid a collision. The screech of twisted metal and splintering wood tore through the silence as the Kazonara swung broadside-on into the chained logs. Marina braced herself and hung on tightly as the boat lurched and rocked back and forth, Phantom Wing grasping the railing and holding on to his wife’s foreleg to keep her from losing her grip. He silently thanked the gods that she wasn’t wearing the gauntlets he had given her for a wedding gift. Would have made it much harder to hold on to her.

“What the hell is going on?!” cried the captain. He turned to yell at the helmspony: “Jaffrey, are you blind, boy?!”

As the words left his lips, a grapnel and rope dropped from the sky and bit into the ship’s rail. More followed and, through the mist, Marina could make out the shapes of longboats approaching.

“River pirates!” shouted Jaffrey the helmspony. “Prepare to repel boarders!”

Further along the deck, one of the captain’s soldiers was felled by a thrown knife. His comrades tried to go to his aid, but the pirates were already pouring over the side and he was trampled underhoof.

“Battle order!” bellowed Captain Revan and immediately his men responded, linking shields and holding their ground. Phantom Wing charged towards a swarm of grim-faced pirates who were boarding close by. One of their number, a lean stallion with only one ear and a muzzle split almost in two, smiled at Marina with anticipation, his lips drawn back from his teeth and his eyes wide with excitement. He obviously relished the thought of ending her life.

Marina smiled back at the pirate as she focused a small portion of her power to create an arrow shaped spike from her body and floated it next to her. The riverboat was still rocking violently from the collision, throwing her off balance. The chocolate mare raised her arrow, took aim at her target’s chest, and tried to anticipate the shift of the deck as she prepared to fire.

The makeshift arrow flew straight and true through the air. The pirate screamed and fell with the arrow embedded so deeply into his chest that only a tiny portion of its length could be seen. Marina telekinetically pulled the bloody arrow from his chest, and at this sight, his comrades froze in their tracks, their eyes wide with fear. As she moved forward, they scattered and ran.

Leaping over the dead bodies, Marina fought her way across the deck to where Phantom Wing was in combat with five pirates. While he attacked with his bladed claws, he parried enemy cutlasses with his armored sleeve-shields that he had hidden under his traveler's clothing. He fought with cool determination, making light work of the battle-clumsy pirates. Then a war-horn heralded the arrival of a new and formidable wave of attackers. Marina anticipated Phantom’s danger and rushed to protect his back from the snarling, mad-eyed pirate berserkers.

Phantom didn’t have to look to know his beloved was behind him, moving in perfect rhythm with his own movements. Their dance of death was a sight to behold, and the berserkers fell as fast as they charged, Marina’s spear and Phantom’s claws making short work of them.

The tide of battle had turned in the couple’s favor. The pirates had come in search of easy plunder, but the defenders’ furious resistance had broken their nerve. The pirates fled from the decks, scrambling into the longboats to escape. Phantom followed them, his battlelust almost tangible in the chill morning air, hewing at them with his claws. He cut his way to the ship’s rail and grabbed the pirate leader by his neck. He rammed the stallion’s head against the mainmast, once, twice, three times, with a rage that split the timber and the pirate’s leather-clad skull.

“Ha!” Captain Revan cried gleefully. “I’ve always said river pirates had no head for a fight!”

The battle ended as swiftly as it began, with the surviving pirate raiders melting away like phantoms into the fog. There were few casualties amongst the mercenaries, but the boat’s crew had been decimated. The pirate berserkers trapped them below decks and slaughtered them - only one had escaped their murderous blades.

“Looks like I went a bit overboard…” Phantom said coolly as he surveyed the grisly scene around him. He inspected the cracked mast and smiled almost lovingly at the damage done.

“I don’t think you were that bad. You just wanted to defend the ship. And get revenge I suppose. After all, they did try to kill me.” Marina looked over her shoulder as she was tending to the wounded soldiers and the one crewmember who was in bad need of a real doctor.

“Can’t argue with that logic, love. Though maybe I should calm down the violence a tad bit.” Phantom stated, grunting slightly as he picked up the dead pirates and hurled them overboard with little respect. “Though I can’t help but to think that maybe you are getting used to it.”

“Please don’t joke about that.” Marina said, bandaging the last wounded soldier and turning to face the proud, strong griffin. “I...I just…”

Phantom chuckled and placed a claw on her muzzle to shush her, then embraced the mare he loved, the mare returning the gesture as hard as she could. “I was just teasing, Marina. Don’t take it personally. I know you don’t like the killing, and if we could do all of this by just walking down the road with no trouble whatsoever, I know you would. But we do what we must, for the sake of the innocent.”

Marina said nothing as she buried her head in his soft feathers. She didn’t have to say anything. But she was worried all the same. She didn’t want to admit, even to herself, that the killing was becoming easier as the years dragged on. She was worried that she would lose who she was. Lose the purity of sense and purpose that she started out with. She hoped that Phantom was right.

The captain took command as the rest of the soldiers calmed down from their own adrenaline highs, marshaling repairs and overseeing the burial of the dead. As the bodies sunk beneath the dark waters, the Kazonara emerged from the mist to the welcoming sight of Luyen.

Luyen, the city of flowers and wine, greeted the crew with the sight of its towers, timbered houses, and fortified perimeter walls silhouetted against the sky. It lay in the shadow of the Ceners, at a dangerous bend where the fast-flowing Storn undercut the sheer slopes of Mount Prindar.

The captain docked at the Luyen quay for provisions, and as his men busied themselves with a myriad of duties and tasks, Marina and Phantom accompanied him on a visit to the apothecary.

The entrance to the famed establishment was marked by a huge stone jar, creaking on its chains. The shop was vast, and full of things that stirred Marina’s curiosity. Towers of containered liquids, mountains of coarse-grained powder, and forests of roots and herbs crowded the bleached wooden shelves. The captain sought medicines of strength and healing in readiness for the battle ahead, and the herbmaster’s eyes widened with delight when he read the captain’s list - they were his most expensive preparations.

Marina stood in the back of the shop waiting for Captain Revan’s orders to be made. Her eyes absently scanned the shelves, looking but not really seeing. Phantom stood near her, a watchful eye on every area of the shop.

“Still worried about what we might find in Tekaro?” he said, his talons clicking on the stone floor in impatience of having to wait so long.

“Not really, no. I’m still upset about Trixie. She had such promise, and we gave her our word to escort her safely to Varetta. How could we have failed so badly?” Marina looked up at Phantom, and he stopped his lookout to stare into her eyes. “I failed her, and I can’t ever forgive myself.”

“No, you didn’t fail her. You tried your best, and with the way things went, I don’t think either of us could have saved her.” His gaze penetrated deep to Marina’s chocolatey core, and she shivered at how vulnerable that made her feel. “If anything, it was I who failed her. You could barely move, and I chose to help you instead of staying by Trixie’s side. Maybe it is I who needs to feel remorse. Well, more than I do normally when someone dies.”

“But…” Marina stopped talking as Phantom gave her a hard look.

“No buts. It is in the past now. There is much more to be worried about than one pony. If we don’t find what we need, everypony will suffer.” He stopped his speech when Captain Revan called for the two of them. “We’ll continue this later. Come on, little miss mopey.”

The couple helped the captain to carry his purchases, which filled two large wooden boxes. As they staggered from the apothecary, he told Marina he was anxious to return to the boat without delay. His men were good soldiers but poor sailors - he feared that without his watchful eye and stern command they would forget their work and drink themselves into a stupor. His fears were unfounded, for upon their return to the quay the Kazonara was fitted out and ready to sail.

“Cast off,” boomed the captain, enjoying the novelty of his new riverboat command. “We’ll make Rhem by nightfall.” The captain was as good as his word. As dusk settled over the Storn, the ship sailed into the horseshoe harbor at Rhem.

The city was choked with ponies; mercenaries from the north and west, weapon merchants from the east, and the ragged refugees from the war-torn south. Captain Revan ordered the soldiers to sleep aboard the Kazonara that night, forbidding them to go ashore, for Prince Balonn of Rioma and his mercenary knights were encamped inside the city wall. A bitter and long-standing rivalry existed between the two companies, and the captain wisely wished to avoid any confrontation.

Rumor had it that a number of the Stornlands’ most powerful princess were gathered in Rhem to plot the defeat of the Slovians. However, the captain believed it was more likely that the robber-barons were conspiring against each other to steal the riches of Tekaro for themselves.

The ship set sail at first light. Marina bid farewell to the slender twin-towers of the Rhem citadel, which overshadowed the city quay. The Storn flowed southwards through steep-sided fields of vines, arranged in endless straight rows like waves of a green sea. The weather was warm, and Marina spent the day on the deck with Phantom watching the traffic of refugees heading along the highway and the strange gigantic toads, which Phantom identified as Sloats, at work, pulling riverboats and barges upstream.

“What is wrong, Marina?” Captain Revan asked as he finished giving orders to his men. He noticed the mare’s distraught expression and demeanor. “You look rather upset.”

“She will be fine, captain.” Phantom Wing answered for his wife. “She gets like this when she sees ponies in trouble and she can’t do anything to help them. She has a bit of a...uh, hero complex, I suppose is the phrase. She shoulders the burdens of the world when she knows she doesn’t have to.”

Marina stared out at the ponies filing down the road, not saying a thing. She knew Phantom was right; that she did put too much of a load on herself. She knew the world wasn’t fair, just as she knew that there would always be others like her who helped selflessly and gave much to aid those who could not help themselves. It did not cheer her up though. She wanted so badly to just dive overboard and give everything she had to those poor ponies who had lost everything. Captain Revan and Phantom Wing simply stood by her side, not needing to speak to let her know that they were there for her.

It was late afternoon when the town of Eula was sighted in the distance. Phantom and his wife gathered up their gear and rode into Eula at Captain Revan’s side, a banner emblazoned with a flaming battle-axe fluttering overhead. The town had been turned into a huge army encampment; its people had long since fled to the north, abandoning their homes and livestock to the gold-hungry soldiers. Ponies from a dozen nations rubbed shoulders with warriors of other races, united by common greed. The captain turned to the south, where the highway was clogged with foot soldiers. As Marina caught her first glimpse of Tekaro, burning beneath a pall of black smoke, her heart sank. That was where the Element of Kindness lay, in a city under siege from an army of ten thousand fighting ponies. The irony of the situation made her nervousness show; Phantom gently placed a claw upon her shoulder and squeezed. She smiled at him in silent thanks, their eyes exchanging words that did need to be said.

As they approached a tangle of siege-works at the bank of the River Quarl, the captain pointed to an encampment in a field to the left where a blue flag with a gold eagle fluttered in the soot-laden air.

“Prince Ewevin’s standard.” Captain Revan said. “The time has come to meet our paymaster.”

Marina did not like playing the part of mercenary and planning on leaving the ponies here to their fates, but if she was to gain the Element, she had to do what was necessary. She collected her courage and followed.

Over an hour passed while the captain was holding a conference with the Prince. His news was met with mixed feelings by his travel-weary soldiers.

“We ride into battle tonight.” he said, his voice firm and unwavering. “We are to lead an attack across the bridge to break the city gate, which is greatly weakened at the moment. We must attack tonight if the enemy are to be prevented from making good their repairs.”

Many of the mercenaries, battle-hardened veterans of countless wars, could not hide their fear that the attack was suicidal. The gate was heavily defended by archers and could not be taken without a great loss of life.

“Each stallion will be paid a thousand bits.” Captain Revan declared, hoping to change their minds with the promise of gold, but few were impressed; what use was money if they were killed in the assault? “Those who wish to fight can stay by my side.” he bellowed, his steel-blue eyes blazing with anger. “Those who will not fight can go.”

Marina and Phantom Wing both looked at each other knowingly. Marina never wanted to fight if she could help it, and Phantom would never abandon his wife for gold, especially in such a stupid waste of life. Their shared feelings gave them no room for doubt. They left the captain without saying a word. Only a fool would order his soldiers into a suicide attack.

The couple walked along a muddy path running the length of a ridge that overlooked a great stone bridge. High stone walls and a fortified gatehouse rose steeply from the river bank, and the only access to the city was across the bridge.

Marina stared at the battlements of Tekaro with growing despair, for they bristled with archers and cauldrons of molten lead. The burnt-out hulks of siege towers and the bodies of dead soldiers lay strewn in heaps before the battered city gate. From where she stood she could see the cathedral spire silhouetted in the glow of innumerable fires in the center of Tekaro.

“Stupid war…” Marina muttered, partly to herself, partly to Phantom. “We could be in and out of there in an hour with the Element in hoof if we didn’t have to play soldier.”

“I wasn’t playing.” Phantom said, his smile telling Marina that he was mostly kidding. “Though I’m sure we can find another way in. It will probably not be pleasant, but anything is better than death.”

They continued walking down the path, past tents overflowing with the wounded from many failed assaults over the bridge. The path ended at the point where the Rivers Storn and Quarl converged in a V-shaped bank. Engineers and carpenters were busy at work constructing pontoons for floating bridges, which looked like enclosed rowing boats and were more than likely going to be used to cross the river further downstream.

Phantom stopped suddenly and pointed across the water at the wall. Marina stared at where he was pointing and saw a dark shadow like the entrance to a cave at the base of the city wall. After concentrating for a few moments, she found she could make out the dull criss-cross of metal bars. It was a sewer outfall.

Marina approached a few of the engineers and asked them about the sewer entrance.

“That would be the “Hell-hole” lass.” said one of the ponies. “When the siege began, Prince Ewevin sent ten peasants in there to find out where it led. When they never came back out, he sent in ten of his soldiers. None have been seen since!”

Another stallion, splitting a log with an axe, overheard the conversation. “We’ve heard noises in the “Hell-hole” late at night...horrible noises.” He drew a hoof across his neck before returning to his work.

“Would there be any way we could borrow a boat? We’ll be right back. And if not, you can just row over and get the boat back.” Marina asked the first engineer, fluttering her eyes alluringly. None of them were willing to part with a pontoon. If any went missing, they would each receive one hundred lashes as punishment for their negligence. They kept a watchful eye on the mare until she left the camp.

Grumbling quietly to herself, Marina went back to Phantom who was still standing at the edge of the river. He looked over his shoulder with a look of concern.

“So, no boat?” Phantom said, frowning slightly at Marina’s nod. He sighed and resigned himself to a long, cold swim. “This may complicate things. I know you can’t really swim. Should be fine if you hold onto my back and don’t let go.”

Marina climbed onto Phantom’s back and held onto his neck as tight as she dared to. The duo slowly entered the freezing cold water. It sapped Phantom’s strength, and he found it increasingly harder to swim against the strong converging river currents, especially with his wife on his back. A few times Marina nearly slipped into the water with the powerful strokes of the griffin’s forelimbs battling the current straining her grip. Eventually, they reached the rocky bank, and staggered ashore near the sewer outfall.

After Marina dried Phantom’s feathers with her magic, they rested some more before approaching the grating. There was a gaping hole in the crisscrossed bars, large enough for them both to pass through with ease. The fetid water that was combed by the grill contained all manner of filth, a veritable feast for rats and vermin.

“There is something wrong here.” Phantom spoke up after they had waded deeper into the tunnel. “There should be all kinds of insects and rodents. I can’t smell any nearby at all. Matter of fact, this place seems to be devoid of all life.”

“What do you think that means?” Marina asked as she focused on not stepping in too much of the filth.

“I don’t know for sure. Can’t be good, whatever it is.” He looked around for a way to get out of the water, but the circular chutes in the ceiling that were at regular intervals were far too small and slippery to climb. Fifteen minutes after entering the sewer, they arrived at what looked like a major junction where two new channels flowed into the main tunnel.

Marina cursed under her breath: she had forgotten to pick up a map of the city when they were at the last port. It would have proven useful as a guide of where to head next. Her sixth sense did not seem to be able to give her any clues, and so she decided to keep going straight.

A hundred yards along the passage was a flight of stone steps on the right side that ascended to a stone trapdoor set flush with the ceiling. Marina climbed the steps and investigated the door. She beckoned Phantom to her side to help push. The trapdoor was heavy and stiff, but their combined strength gradually broke the seal of rust. Inch by inch they forced it open to reveal at last the cobblestone city square. Across the square, directly ahead, was the cathedral of Tekaro. As the square was teeming with guards, Marina was forced to quickly close the hatch to avoid being detected.

The quick glance of the cathedral filled her with hope. She estimated that the cathedral was approximately two hundred yards due east. As the mare and her husband descended the steps and continued through the passage, she prayed that the sewer would give access to the crypt. They pressed on diligently, counting the steps along the sewer until reaching a narrow vault a little over one hundred and fifty yards from the previous junction. An iron ladder, its rungs pitted with rust, rose out of the water to an arched stone door. Beneath the door, the sewer continued into the darkness.

“That seems promising.” Phantom said, his voice echoing in the dark tunnel. “No harm in finding out what is behind the door. Besides, I’m getting sick of this water.”

Curiosity also getting the best of Marina, she followed Phantom up the ladder. The door was old and decayed, the hinges packed with dirt. Phantom stood to the side so that Marina could use her telekinetic power on the door. She focused on agitating the particles of dirt that wedged the door shut. Gradually the stone began to vibrate, and cracks appeared around the jamb as the dirt began to crumble.

The old stone door creaked slowly open, and as the dust settled, the couple found themselves staring into the crypt of Tekaro Cathedral. Stepping into the chill, stale air, Marina’s heart began to pound in her chest; the Element of Kindness was there - she could feel it.

Beams of ashen moonlight filtered into the crypt, illuminating a line of somber granite tombs that lay like sleeping giants under the earth. Clutching the key given to her by Rarity within her magical grip, she examined them one by one for the lock that guarded the legendary stone.

She found a lock that did not meet any resistance to the key, but she was suddenly distracted as Phantom shouted a warning to her. A large creature was advancing through the still open sewer door.

A huge lumbering monster stalked straight towards the mare. It was over ten feet high with thick, twisted, hairy limbs and eight-fingered hands tipped by razor-sharp talons. Baleful, monstrous eyes protruded from yellow slits in its glistening head, and a long reptilian tail whipped behind it. Its hideous and peculiar gibbering filled the moonlit crypt as it drew nearer and nearer.

Trembling with fear, Marina showered the creature with several spikes that burst from her body, but they all bounced off its armored head and clattered against the crypt wall. Her eyes wide, she prepared for close combat as the creature moved in to strike. The hideous creature gurgled with anger and sprung forward to attack, its claws raking the air where the mare’s head had been a split second before Phantom tackled her out of the way.

Marina watched in horror as the creature picked Phantom up and hurled him at the wall, the limp body of her lover crashing to the ground and landing in a heap. She could tell he was still breathing, but just barely. For some reason, this being wanted Marina to die, and was intent on getting its way.

Not knowing what else to do, Marina focused on her enchanted stone necklace, drawing out several spirits of those she had witnessed dying before her. To her dismay, the spirit of Trixie was the first to appear, though she looked strange without her cape and wizard’s hat. Trixie smiled at her friend and took up a battle stance in front of the creature as more spirits were summoned forth, Marina’s emotional state making her lose control of her power.

The next few spirits were of her slain recruits, including Dart, lost several years ago to the same warcats that now stood by them, shoulder to shoulder to guard their mistress. The arrayed spirits were wreathed in ethereal flames, their bodies glowing in the darkness of the crypt. The earth ponies and pegasi held flaming swords in their muzzles, while the unicorns, Trixie included, had spells charging and ready to let fly. The next few seconds were a flurry of motion, every spirit moving in tandem around the evil creature and slicing through its thick armored plates effortlessly.

Nothing the monster could do would hurt the spirits, its talons swiping as if through thin air. Soon the crypt floor was crawling with the severed remains of the monster, which still writhed blindly forward with maniacal intent. Spider-like, a severed hand climbed Marina’s hind leg and embedded its talons in her flesh. As she fought to free herself, the torn pieces of the creature’s body gathered themselves together for another attack.

“Marina, open the door! We can only keep it at bay; the Element can stop it!” Trixie’s voice echoed both within the crypt and the chocolate mare’s mind. As the gathered spirits formed a line between the monster and their friend, Marina rushed over to the tomb and unlocked it.

As the door creaked open, a sun-like radiance poured out from the tomb and flooded the crypt with golden light, its searing intensity paralysing the monster. Grasping the stone with her magic, her senses reeled with newfound wisdom and strength. Instinctively, she unsheathed her spear and struck the creature at the base of its hideous skull. It shrieked and died instantly.

Before Marina’s eyes the monster’s skin rippled as if a wave was washing beneath its skin. Suddenly a criss-cross of wrinkles appeared, and layers of transparent bone peeled and fell from its shell-like skull. Its body became hunched, shrinking and folding by the second, until all that was left was a film of dust on the floor of the crypt. Time had at last caught up to the ancient terror.

As the golden light began to fade, Marina stared at the object of her quest - the Element of Harmony. But all that she held in her magical grip was a hollow sphere of glass, transparent and unremarkable to look at.

Her quest had succeeded, for the power of the Element had been transfused into her body and mind. Its strength and wisdom was now part of her, and the transfusion signaled the beginning of a new and deadly quest: to gather all of the Elements, and use their power to stop the Darklords for good.

“Well, that was fun! The Great and Powerful Trixie knew death could not hold her back!” Trixie said boastfully, her body shimmering with power. Most of the other spirits had already faded away back to their slumber, but Trixie and Dart stayed a moment longer to speak to their friend.

“I agree that it was enjoyable to get some sort of revenge. Death does tend to put a damper on your day.” Dart said as he stared at his commander with respect clear on his face. “I know you mean well, commander. I will stay by your side for as long as I am able. Before I go, I want to thank you for helping my family. They seemed at peace when you showed them the amulet. Nice little piece of jewelry by the way.”

Trixie smiled at her new ally as he faded slowly away, waving a hoof as his essence drifted back into the necklace. Trixie then slowly approached Phantom Wing and poured a small portion of her magic into him before she too faded back to the ether. Phantom’s groans of pain were enough to snap Marina completely out of her daze and she rushed over to him, helping him to his feet.

“What happened?” the griffin quietly said, holding his ribs tenderly and wincing in pain. “I feel like I ran into a tree going full speed down a hill.”

“You’ll be fine, love.” Marina assured him softly, nuzzling his shoulder and neck gently. “We had some help and now that monster is gone.”

She then showed Phantom the Element of Harmony, spent of its power for now. His shock was soon replaced by joy and fear. Joy for his wife’s courage and skill, but fear for what he knew would come as she came closer and closer to her goal of challenging the Darklords directly. They carefully made their way out of the sewers and began the long journey back home. There were a lot of preparations to do for their journey to come, and a very long talk with Celestia once they returned to Canterlot.

Chapter 2: Forced Evolution

The marketplace in Ponyville was always lovely during the winter. Tracks of wagons and hoofprints were everywhere despite the frigid weather, and young fillies and colts frolicked in the snow despite their parents calling for them to come inside before they caught cold. Marina smiled at these sights, and wondered just how it was that in such a chaotic time as this, ponies could still have fun. She herself was bundled up in her green cloak, the symbol of the Dragoon Order boldly emblazoned upon the clasp that held it over her body. She thought that Rarity had outdone herself when she had made the cloak for the chocolate mare, but who was she to complain? After all, if Marina didn’t have the enchantments on the cloak, she would literally freeze to death, her chocolate body becoming solid within the hour.

One of the fillies, who had a bright green coat and almost as bright green mane, flew up to Marina, snowball in hoof. Marina laughed as she was pelted by it, and then she quickly caught the young pegasus before she could get away.

“Now, now little one. Didn’t your mommy tell you not to ambush strangers, Rose?” Marina giggled as the filly struggled, before finally escaping her grasp.

“You know you’re no stranger to us, Miss Wildheart. And I’m not little anymore. I have my cutie mark!” the green pegasus pulled up her cloak just enough to show her mark: a pink ribbon being held by a mourning dove.

Marina sighed and pulled the filly’s cloak down with her magic. Rose’s mother would be furious if she got sick on Marina’s watch. “Yes I know. You tell me everytime I see you. This old mare has such bad memory, though. I may just go senile and forget how to walk home!”

That brought a laugh from the other young ponies, and Marina was surprised when one of the colts galloped up to her. He gallantly raised his head high and said with a muffled voice through his scarf: “I’ll protect you my lady! Even if you get all old and forgetful, I will be here to help you home!”

His pride in the leader of the town seemed to be infectious. Soon the other young ones joined him and all declared their willingness to help with anything, from walking across the street to doing laundry. Marina thanked them all for the kind words, but then noticed a small group of what looked like ponies walking slowly down the road towards them despite the growing winds and snow. She asked the children to return home quickly, feeling unease at the approach of the strangers.

Once the children were safely away, she rose a hoof to the group and hailed them. They did not stop, but slowed down enough that Marina could see that they were not ponies at all, but changelings. Marina had to hold back her instincts to draw her blade; after all, a changeling that wasn’t in disguise had to do so for a reason. It was suicide for them to even attempt to walk around without their illusions. The group stopped when Marina approached them, and they all bowed in unison, the eerie silence not helped to ease the suspicions within the chocolate mare. Finally, the lead changeling spoke in somber tones that barely lifted over the wind: “Marina Wildheart. We have come to you with a warning. We have travelled long to find you before our brethren do. They do not believe you are worthy to be our Queen. We disagree, and have come to bring you home.” It was hard to tell if the voice was male or female.

“W-what? I can’t be your Queen! I’m a pony. And I already have obligations here. I can’t be Queen for you and a Duchess to these ponies.” Marina squinted against the rising snow, unsure of what to think.

“You killed our last Queen. You are the Queen now. It is our way.” Marina noticed the speech seemed rushed, as if the speaker did not have much time to say what it was it needed.

“Wait, I don't understand.” Marina said, feeling both bewildered and almost frustrated as the changelings milled fearfully in front of her. They looked back and forth, fidgeting constantly, staring at her almost desperately: she had never seen them behave this way before. She had never even realized that they could be more than seemingly mindless, murderous drones.

They were afraid, she realized. Not of her, but of almost everything else. Marina shifted uncertainly before she leaned forwards, starting to ask another question-

She was cut off by a shout, and the changelings all stiffened up almost as one: but even as confused and uncertain as she was, she could see all the same that it was fear, not hostility or even readiness, that made them tense up.

Soldiers from the town guard were approaching, and quite a few of them at that, and all of them ready for a fight. They almost came running to Marina's side, one of them shouting in a voice full of fear and anger and strange eagerness: “Let us deal with these scum, Duchess Marina! You've done enough holding them back!”

“Wait, wait!” Marina shouted, raising one of her own hooves, and the guards stumbled to an uneasy halt as the changelings stumbled backwards almost as one: it would have been comical, if things weren't so terribly serious.

Some of the guards looked back at her as if expecting her to lead a mighty, glorious charge, while the others eagerly shifted forwards, obviously wanting to leap right into the fight. Marina made herself take a breath, however, refusing to give in to the urge to the adrenaline, her fears, or the pressure from either side. “Wait. These changelings came to... to parley.”

“Yes, that's right! Look, look!” One of the changelings stepped forwards, flinching as several spears and swords were immediately pointed at him, but he carefully leaned down and placed his weapon on the ground. Seeing what he was doing, the other changelings quickly followed suit, peacefully putting down their weapons before stepping back, the changeling at the front of the group giving a hesitant smile as he said quickly: “See? We came in peace. We just want to talk to Queen- uh, Duchess Marina. Your hero. Our hero.”

“Since when do the changelings revere Dragoon Wildheart?” growled a guard, but at least the soldiers seemed willing to wait for a moment now, to give things a chance to play out.

Marina stepped in quickly, not really wanting the changelings to start spouting off about how they had decided she was their new queen in front of these guards. “These changelings say that they are free of the old queen's control. With Chrysalis dead they... they want to serve someone better. They no longer wish to serve the Darklords. Isn't that right?”

“Yes, of course, Lady Wildheart.” The changeling at the front of the group nodded hurriedly, bowing his head to her respectfully. “We aren't asking for anything, except your leadership and a chance to prove ourselves, and-”

“And what? Wherever we put you, changelings, even under heavy guard you'd be more than capable of slipping your way out.” growled another voice, and Marina felt both relieved and concerned as Phantom joined the standoff, the griffin stepping up protectively beside the mare as he growled: “Don't let yourself be fooled by them. This is just another trick.”

“If we wanted to trick you or do harm to you, we have a thousand different ways! Why would we come before you like this, unless we were honest!” pleaded the changeling, stepping forwards. Immediately, weapons raised towards him, and the changeling flinched before he stumbled backwards, holding up his front hooves in surrender. “Wait!”

“Stop, everyone.” Marina said clearly, her voice becoming sharp and commanding. All eyes immediately turned to her, and Marina took a slow breath before she said quietly but firmly: “I do not want any unnecessary bloodshed here. So far, these changelings have been honest and open with me. I want to hear what they have to say.”

The guards shifted uneasily, and Phantom grouchily pawed at the ground, but the griffin nodded after a moment as Marina looked up and asked: “What are you so afraid of? It's not just these guards. Are you afraid of the Darklords?”

“No. When you killed the Queen...” The Changeling hesitated, choosing his words carefully, and Marina frowned deeper before he continued nervously: “Not all within the hive agree with our desires, Lady Marina. Some of them want to stage an attack. Many of them have gathered under the banner of the underqueen who was next in line for the throne, and the hive has been divided...”

Marina frowned as Phantom leaned forwards, the griffin asking shortly: “So what does that make you then? Traitors to your own hive or refugees seeking asylum? Or both?”

The changeling winced, and Marina frowned at Phantom, but the griffin shook his head as he muttered: “I don't trust changelings. I trust betrayers even less. I don't think this is a good idea.”

“If there's already a new queen, then why is there a split in the hive? Why are you saying that...” Marina halted, shifting awkwardly, as Phantom frowned at her slightly as the guards milled uncertainly around them, and the changelings did everything they could to make themselves seem less threatening.

“No, that's not the way our culture works. Our queens rule through might: an underqueen takes her throne by killing the ruling queen. Then only the strongest will rule, and only the strongest are born.” supplied the changeling, and Marina winced and leaned back slightly in revulsion. “You killed Queen Chrysalis, and thus-”

“They see you as their queen?” Phantom asked with something like disgust, leaning back and staring in disbelief at Marina, and she felt strangely... hurt by that. Hurt, and a little disappointed. “These bugs can't seriously think that you're their queen, Marina... do they?”

Marina shifted awkwardly, but she was spared answering as one of the changelings blurted: “It's our way! We are loyal to our traditions and to the queen! But the other changelings, no, they want to break tradition and defy the laws we have set for ourselves! They are the traitors!”

“We can't accept changelings into our midst.” Phantom said shortly, and Marina thought he saw the stubs of his wings flex, which made her feel guilty... even if all the same...

“We can't just turn them away, just because they're different than us.” Marina said quietly, and Phantom looked at her with disbelief for a moment before the chocolate mare shook her head quickly. “Whether we care about their fates or not, even if we can't trust them... we can learn from them. We can learn about their magic, learn about-”

“What's going on here?” growled a voice, and Marina looked up in surprise, resisting the insane urge to laugh as yet another group of ponies joined them: these looked like Royal Guard from Canterlot, and Marina didn't even have enough time to wonder what they were doing here before the mare in the lead snarled: “What are changelings doing here? Why are they still alive?”

“Wait, please, they've put down their weapons and they say they come in peace.” Marina said quickly, shaking her head as she held up a hoof. “I want to-”

“They're too dangerous. Orders from the Queen herself state that we should exterminate them.” retorted the mare in the lead, glaring with disgust at the changelings.

Marina shook her head, trying to say something, but one of the guard stepped in front of her, almost physically holding her back as he glared at her challenging, with... hate, she thought, as the other soldiers moved mercilessly forward into the harmless drove of drones.

The changelings didn't even try to fight, and the soldier in front of Marina had to actually catch her when she tried to leap forwards, forcing her back as Phantom reached forwards to grab the guard's shoulder warningly, even as his eyes wandered with surprise to the platoon of guards that was reaping mercilessly through the small group. They stabbed down with sword and spear, sinking the weapons deep through chests and heads, moving more like executioners than soldiers doing their duty.

Marina shouted again as the town guard only watched with disbelief and shock at how ruthless and efficient the soldiers were: there was no hesitation to kill, even as the changelings pleaded uselessly for their lives, laid down in front of them, or covered their heads.

Marina again tried to push forwards, to shout out, to stop this madness, but the guard restraining her flung her backwards. She caught herself, skidding to a halt even as Phantom stepped protectively in front of her, glaring at the soldier as he snapped: “What are you doing? Keep your hooves to yourself!”

“Don't tell me what to do, bird.” retorted the guard, glaring back at the griffin with unhidden contempt. Phantom narrowed his eyes, but the guard only sneered at him before he said coldly: “We are here under the orders of the Queen herself. You have no authority over us, little sparrow... or maybe I should call you a chicken, with your clipped wings.”

Phantom slowly narrowed his eyes, and Marina winced as she stepped up beside her husband, grasping his shoulder and gently pulling him back to stop him from lunging at the guard. But something was terribly wrong here, she realized, as her eyes flicked back and forth over the heartless soldiers and the mare captain leading them: she was grinning even as her troops began to shove and bully the town guards away- “Stop.”

The mare leading the troops narrowed her eyes, turning towards Marina as the chocolate mare slowly stepped forwards, frowning slowly as she said quietly: “Those uniforms are old.”

Phantom frowned as well, and the mare captain cocked her head as Marina said, her eyes drawing over the equipment the soldiers were wearing: “Every few years, the uniforms are updated because they get worn out from all the wear and tear, and the smiths are always trying to improve on the design of their armor. That armor is largely ceremonial and was phased out a decade ago. And you're not old enough to still wear it as a sign of honor. Who are you?”

“And there's no way Princess Celestia would order the cold-blooded murder of the enemy.” Phantom added as he leaned forwards, grimacing a bit as he shook his head shortly, and Marina smiled at him briefly. “Who do you serve?”

“I serve no one.” retorted the imposter, and she smiled suddenly as her horn glowed with eerie green light before her body transformed, revealing proud and cruel changeling features: undoubtedly, the very underqueen that the changelings had been trying to warn them about, as her soldiers stepped back into defensive lines. “I am the rightful heir to the hive, Marina Wildheart, and I will not accept your rule.”

“Then leave and take your 'hive' with you.” Marina retorted, even as she readied herself for the fight that was undoubtedly coming, the chocolate mare's eyes locked on the underqueen.

The changeling laughed, however, her cruel eyes glaring holes in Marina as she hissed: “Believe me, I would love to. I'm not interested in this war, or in kowtowing to either the Darklords or Princess Celestia: Chrysalis was weak. Clearly, even weaker than we had thought, since you were the one to kill her, little filly, and you are a prime example of why ponies are nothing more than cattle. All the same, if it will consolidate my power, I will not hesitate to kill a sow like you.”

Marina only looked steadily back at the underqueen, refusing to show fear or to rise to her baiting, and the changeling gave her a contemptible smile after a moment as she asked: “Are you too weak to defend yourself? Is that why you don't speak, why you hide behind the turkey?”

Phantom began to step forward, but Marina caught him quickly, shaking her head and giving him a pointed look before she turned her eyes back towards the underqueen, trying to reason with her one last time: “This is foolish. How are you going to escape?”

“Marina is more than a match for you. But do you really think we'll just stand by? Killing helpless captives is one thing, but I doubt you're any match for soldiers ready to fight for their country.” Phantom growled. “You, after all, don't seem to have any concept of fighting for anyone except for yourself.”

“The Queen is all that matters, wingless little rodent. The Queen must be strong, and the Queen must be superior.” replied the underqueen coldly, before she gave a sly smile as she produced a strange object from beneath her cape, holding this up as she said contemptibly: “And the Queen must never hesitate to prove her strength, when it is challenged.”

“Marina!” Phantom shouted, and he shoved himself backwards, shielding the mare with his body as a blast of magical force ripped out of the artifact, searing the earth around them and making the gathered ponies shout and recoil in shock. There was a bright flash as Marina winced away, feeling a strange distortion of magic rip through her chocolatey body, and like she was lucky to have been shielded from the worst of the effects.

She blinked and straightened, before her eyes widened as she looked back and forth in disbelief at the ponies and her husband: each and every one of them had been frozen in place by the power of the artifact, and Marina gritted her teeth as the underqueen laughed loudly, mocking: “Well, it looks like your precious turkey took the worst of the magic for you, little filly. But that won't save you, all the same.”

“Let's kill her! Kill her in the name of the rightful queen!” one of the changelings snarled, and Marina grimaced and hurriedly drew her sword as the drones started to approach, lowering their weapons-

“Halt!” roared the underqueen, and the changelings immediately froze, looking back at their chosen monarch as she rose her head high and said coldly: “This one is mine, drones. Step back, give us enough space to fight. The filly dies at my hooves: that is the only way to prove to all that I am the rightful heir.”

“You will... never be the rightful heir...” whispered a voice, and Marina looked down in disbelief to see one of the changelings was still alive in spite of the horrible wound in his chest. She didn't know how he had survived, but all the same, he had, and now he looked upon the surprised underqueen with defiance. “You are a murderer... you killed the other underqueens, with no challenge, no mercy...”

“I proved I was deserving, so-called 'loyalist.' But that is nothing a stupid drone like you could possibly understand.” growled the underqueen, before she stepped forwards, yanking her sword free from its sheath as she stepped towards the wounded changeling, raising her sword high as Marina grimaced...

But the blade never struck down, the underqueen smiling after a moment and lowering her weapon as her eyes turned towards Marina, saying contemptibly: “No. Allow me to instruct you, little filly, on how our hive works. This scum will be allowed to live, because I am generous. He will bear witness to why a pony like you could never rule a hive. Is not worthy to become the new queen. And why I am.”

Marina shook her head slowly, but before she could reply, the underqueen suddenly turned and pointed her blade towards the throat of one of the soldiers from town, saying coldly: “Or, you may flee like a coward, like the worthless serving wench you are. Show him your true colors, grovel and run away, little girl... and leave me the sacrifice of your friends and family, and perhaps I will take this tribute and allow you to live for a few more hours.”

The chocolate mare looked silently up at the underqueen for a few moments, and then she strode slowly forwards, past all of those who had been entangled by the wicked spell of the changeling. She stopped in front of the underqueen, meeting her eyes fearlessly and evenly before she said quietly: “I will not bow to you, and I am not afraid of you, any more than I am afraid to die.”

The underqueen smiled at her contemptibly, then chopped suddenly forwards with her sword, but Marina blocked the attack with her own blade, steel swords grinding together as the changeling replied mockingly: “We'll see just how strong you are yet without your magic and your own drones to defend you, Wildheart!”

The underqueen yanked her blade back, then hacked savagely forwards against Marina's sword with her own, pushing the chocolate mare back a pace before Marina sharply parried the next vicious chop, almost knocking the blade out of the underqueen's grip and making her stumble before the changeling was forced to hurriedly fling herself backwards, narrowly avoiding being cut by a swift slice of Marina's sword.

Marina anchored herself in a ready position, head high and proud, eyes locked on the underqueen as the changeling flushed in humiliated fury. The chocolate mare only stood calmly at the ready, however, neither moving to press the advantage nor attempting to retreat, and it seemed to frustrate and confuse the changeling as the underqueen snarled before suddenly lunging and thrusting out-

Marina deflected the attack with a tilt of her sword, then she slashed outwards in a sharp horizontal cut, the underqueen cursing as she reared and lunged backwards, but not nearly fast enough to avoid the blade tearing across the front of her armor, leaving an ugly scar through the polished metal.

The chocolate mare stepped back into a ready position again as the underqueen trembled in fury, grinding her teeth together: the changeling was fast and vicious and handled her sword with a strength that Marina hadn't expected, but she was also brutal, and crude, and savagely overconfident.

The changeling underqueen moved forwards with a snarl, slashing down towards her again, and Marina grimaced as she repelled the attack even as she was forced to backpedal beneath the vicious series of hacking cuts. The underqueen was still fighting by pure force alone, and Marina could no longer tell if it was out of anger, or if the changeling queen was just continuing to underestimate her.

Either way, she was used by now to fighting foes who were many times her strength: it wasn't strength alone that ever won the day, after all, and as long as she kept her wits, Marina knew this enemy would fall, just like all the others had. It made her feel almost bitter, as she deflected a broad slice before she curved her sword into a smooth, elegant cut that sliced up along the underqueen's cheek, making her eyes widen in shock as she stumbled backwards; how much good, how much happiness could these people have brought, if only they would learn to rule by more than force?

How many had died, and how many would continue to die, because of tyrants, and monsters, and fools like these, who would never understand that force alone could not rule a nation; that you did not keep what you took by force, you only destroyed it.

The changeling queen snarled, trembling in fury as she glared hatefully at the mare, and Marina simply looked back at her calmly before she said quietly: “I feel sorry for you.”

The underqueen mouthed wordlessly for a moment, and then she snarled furiously before leaning forwards and roaring: “You? You feel sorry for me? You ignorant whelp, you stupid wench, how dare you, a piece of cattle, feel sorry for me, when I am going to kill you, eat you, and become Queen of all changelings!”

“You won't be queen for long. You'll still be unhappy, wanting more, craving more power, power that you'll never be able to have.” Marina said softly, as she slowly set herself in a ready position, her eyes locked fearlessly on the changeling. “Just like Chrysalis, you'll go to the Darklords, and become their puppet... for power. And yet, you'll still live in fear. You'll be afraid of the other Darklords. You'll be afraid of your own underqueens. You'll be afraid, every single day, until the day you are consumed or destroyed.”

The underqueen snarled, then lunged forwards, trying to ram the blade of her sword into Marina, but Marina easily blocked it and leaned forwards, putting all her strength into matching the underqueen and pushing her back. Their weapons ground together, sending up sparks as the swords were almost pinned between their bodies, their eyes locked: one glared, with fury and hate, while the other looked on with resolve and sorrow. “And I feel sorry for you, because all you have to do to avoid a miserable, selfish death... is walk away.”

The underqueen roared in Marina's face as she lashed her sword out to throw Marina backwards, but the chocolate mare moved with her, springing away and landing gracefully on her hooves, while the underqueen stumbled stupidly forwards under her own momentum before she tripped over her own hooves and landed in the mud in a kneel. Her sword slashed back and forth furiously as she flushed in humiliation, but Marina didn't try to get close: she only stood calmly and waited for the changeling to pick herself up out of the dirt.

For a few moments, there was silence as the changeling drones shifted uneasily around their underqueen, whispering nervously among themselves. Marina only stayed at the ready, before she frowned slightly as the underqueen suddenly smiled coldly, straightening slightly as her eyes glared bitterly into Marina's. “I think you require instruction, Marina Wildheart, on how a true monarch operates. I will teach you why you should fear me.”

The underqueen closed her eyes, and Marina frowned uneasily as an eerie green glow suffused the body of the changeling queen for a few moments. Then the chocolate mare's eyes widened in shock when the underqueen's eyes snapped open, a cruel smile playing across features that were now a perfect mimic of Marina's as she said softly: “Strong queens rule for centuries, Marina Wildheart. Strong queens rule forever, because we never stop learning. We never stop growing. We adapt. We evolve.”

Marina set herself... before she gritted her teeth when the underqueen perfectly mimicked her pose, the changeling copy continuing: “I am nothing like the drones. I can copy much more than your form, Dragoon. I can copy the way you move, the way you speak, the very thoughts that echo through that empty skull of yours...”

The underqueen mockingly made her lower lip tremble, whimpering in a perfect imitation of the chocolate mare's voice: “No, that's not possible, that's not fair!” The underqueen grinned cruelly as Marina gritted her teeth, before the changeling hissed: “Well, life isn't fair, is it? You're not so cocky now, are you?”

Marina only shook her head before she straightened, meeting the changeling's eyes, but the underqueen didn't leap to engage her, didn't jump into any straightforward, furious attack: instead, she slowly began to pace to the side, closing gradually in a circle, and Marina slowly turned as she kept her sword raised and ready to intercept any attacks from the mare.

But no: the underqueen was behaving completely differently, a coy, mocking smile on features that were a perfect mimic of Marina's, her movements slow and graceful, unhurried and simple. “I can do anything you can, except better. My powers let me see into your deepest self, Marina, and then both mimic and amplify what is there: I can be more you than you could ever hope to be.”

This time, when the underqueen struck, it was swift and precise, like a bolt of lightning. Marina was barely able to parry the hard stab before she gasped in shock as the hilt of the underqueen's sword swung back and smashed across her face, sending her stumbling to the side.

It was only instinct that saved her as she ducked back, narrowly avoiding a decapitating slice: a crueler, more ruthless version of one of her own techniques, she realized with horror. The underqueen lunged at her again, slashing down viciously, but when Marina tried to deflect the attack, she felt her own sword sharply parried before the underqueen stabbed forwards.

Marina dodged just quickly enough so that the attack only scraped her shoulder, gritting her teeth as she staggered quickly away, and the underqueen laughed loudly before she spun her sword up to a ready position, a cold smile on her face as she said softly: “You can't compare to me, not even when I pretend to be you.”

Marina set herself, glaring defiantly back at the changeling wearing her shape before she forced herself to calm down. This wasn't any different from any other enemy she had fought, she told herself: even if it was wearing her form, using her own techniques... she just had to fight the same way she always had. Patiently, waiting for her opportunity to strike, not letting the enemy control the situation.

She and the underqueen slowly paced in a circle around each other, the changeling mimicking her movements almost perfectly; but there was such arrogance, such haughty pride in her posture, as she smiled mockingly at Marina, her eyes glittering like poisonous emeralds as she said softly: “You must understand by now that it's pointless, hopeless. I'm better than you in every way. Faster, stronger, smarter... a better lover, too. Maybe I'll take your husband, feed on his love for you: that wonderful mix of desperation and false hope is already so intoxicating, after all.”

Marina kept her eyes steady, refusing to be baited, refusing to look towards Phantom, refusing to lose her concentration as they continued to circle, even as the changeling continued in a cruel and casual voice: “Yes, after I kill you, I'll put your husband to sleep. And when he wakes up, oh, it'll be like he's waking up from a long, awful nightmare, and I'll soothe him, and kiss away his pain, and love him like you were never, ever able to-”

Marina twitched, unable to stop herself from looking towards Phantom for blind reassurance, and the changeling struck like a scorpion, leaping in and stabbing down towards her. Marina threw herself out of the way of the attack, but the underqueen anticipated her movements, turning her thrust into a sweeping slice that cut one of Marina's legs out from under her and sent her crashing to the ground.

The underqueen lunged, sensing triumph, but Marina barely managed to repel her with a blast of telekinesis, knocking the underqueen away and letting her scramble back to her hooves. But the changeling only laughed loudly as she landed and skidded back to a ready position, giving a cold, mocking smile as she half-bowed towards Marina and said contemptibly: “Come now, little filly. Can't you do any better than this? All these techniques at your disposal, and here you are, bleeding in the mud.”

Marina slowly straightened, grimacing a bit before she took a slow breath. She couldn't let herself fall apart. The enemy was doing everything she had been trained to do, but the underqueen, beneath her masks and trickery, was still the same changeling: cruel, overconfident, vicious like an animal.

She knew these techniques, even if the underqueen was fighting in a way that was far more lethal and cruel than Marina had been trained. But the movements were all still there, and as the chocolate mare set herself, she shifted her stance slightly, forcing herself to think about the training sessions, the spars, the duels with other knights and those who had trained her-

The underqueen drove forwards hard, thrusting her sword out: Marina parried, but the underqueen used the momentum to spin her sword around in a savage, wide slice that the chocolate mare narrowly ducked under.

She stabbed her own sword sharply forwards, but the underqueen danced to the side before slicing down: Marina blocked with her blade, then grimaced as the underqueen snarled and hacked savagely downwards, trying to knock her sword out of her psychic grip.

It gave Marina an opening, the chocolate mare suddenly twisting her sword hard and knocking the underqueen's blade wide before she stepped forwards and simply slashed viciously out, and the changeling was knocked back with a gasp of shock at the unexpected, almost brutal attack. Marina nearly overbalanced with how hard she'd swung, but she quickly anchored herself, leaning forwards as she said sharply: “Unlike you, I can improvise!”

The underqueen snarled in fury, then she lunged forwards, slashing savagely out at the chocolate mare. Marina narrowly avoided the first slice, then deflected a second attack before she winced as the underqueen swiftly turned the ricochet into a chop at her face-

Instead of doing what her training told her to do, Marina leapt forwards into the swing of the blade, ramming her shoulder into the underqueen to knock her staggering backwards before she slammed the hilt of her sword down into her copy's face. The underqueen shouted in frustration and surprise more than pain, but she flinched away, knocked off balance and allowing Marina to sweep her sword in low to try and rend one of the changeling's legs out from under her-

The underqueen snapped her sword down, knocking Marina's into the dirt before she made a clumsy rising slash that all the same caught Marina across the chest. She staggered backwards, gritting her teeth as she lost her telekinetic grip on her blade, before she was forced to backpedal rapidly as the underqueen stormed forwards, slashing viciously back and forth in wide, windmilling strikes as she shouted: “You stupid, pathetic little pony, stop your futile resistance and grovel before the true queen!”

Marina ducked under a slash, then leapt forwards, her teeth grit as she shoved both hooves out when the underqueen tried to reverse the strike. The blade clanged and bit against the mare's front boots as she managed to narrowly catch the sword against her forelegs, shoving back with enough strength to make the underqueen flinch before Marina wrapped her own telekinetic grip around the weapon, and she yanked back with both hoof and mind, ripping the blade loose from her enemy's power as she snapped back: “I will never bow to the likes of you!”

The chocolate mare slashed back and forth with the sword, driving the underqueen back as the changeling ducked and cowered, stumbling back in shock beneath the hail of blows Marina drove against her with. Where the sword cut against her, the changeling's transformation frayed, as if Marina was slicing away the costume, the mockery of herself that the underqueen was hiding beneath.

The changeling staggered away, then lunged almost desperately to the side, sweeping up Marina's fallen sword and swinging it savagely up at her. Marina blocked the attack, and their swords ground together, sending up sparks as the two leaned into each other, the underqueen snarling and desperate, but her strength bleeding away through the wounds in her body. Marina seemed like the opposite: even with her wounds, how beaten she had been, something inside her was rising up and giving her the strength she needed to fight, to match the power and the rage of this foe.

The two suddenly shoved against each other, both ponies stumbling backwards before the underqueen gritted her teeth as Marina slashed forwards: the chocolate mare's blade was met by the changeling's, and the swords clashed again and again in the air as the underqueen perfectly mimicked her movements.

Their swords danced as they circled each other, blades sending up sparks and clangs of metal before they both attempted to parry at the same time: the swords screamed as they ground against each other, both blades trembling violently before they both swung down, yanking free from each other and leaving both Marina and the underqueen staring, exposed, vulnerable-

Marina wasn't sure who acted first, and who mimicked who, as they both lunged and stabbed forwards. She heard the underqueen scream, and she wasn't sure if it was in despair or triumph, as she felt a dim, strange solidity in her chest, that made her feel stretched, that made her feel like she couldn't breathe...

Marina leaned forwards, and she was almost surprised to see the sword buried up through her breast, as the underqueen collapsed to the ground with a blade buried deep through her own chest. The changeling moaned and writhed helplessly, gasping and staring up at Marina through features that seemed almost melted as she lost control over her own body, her mouth working wordlessly before she rasped: “What... what are you...”

Marina only smiled faintly as she reached up to grasp the hilt of the sword buried in her chest, before she clenched her eyes shut as she slowly dragged it free. It didn't hurt; it didn't hurt at all, pulling it out, any more than it had going in.

She breathed quietly in and out as she dropped the weapon to the ground, trembling once, before she silently touched the deep hole in her chest, stroking over it and raising her hoof in front of her face. Thick, viscous chocolate dripped off her hoof, and the underqueen stared up at her with disbelief before the changeling gave a weak, broken laugh, whispering: “Impossible. You are no pony... you are... a golem... a construct...”

“No... just a mare. Just a pony.” Marina said quietly, before she smiled faintly down at the changeling even as she slowly allowed herself to sink back on her haunches... but all the same, she sat with her head high, her front limbs barely trembling even as she felt the life ebbing slowly out of her body, as the changeling underqueen trembled uselessly on the ground, gasping for air, struggling to even lift her head. “You could have just walked away.”

The changeling underqueen tried to snarl, but there were tears in her eyes as her body shivered uselessly in the dirt, and her hooves clawed spasmodically at the ground like a child. She couldn't so much as raise her head, even as she spat, childish, indignant, spiteful and yet so very afraid, even now, at the very end: “I am a q-queen and I will not be denied my right! I can't... I c-can't fall to a golem's hooves...”

“Queens and dogs die the same death.” Marina replied with a shrug, and then she smiled faintly again, feeling so... so heavy. So tired, even as she sat back, but she wasn't afraid. She wasn't afraid at all, as she whispered: “Don't be afraid.”

The underqueen stared up at her, not understanding... and that, Marina thought silently, was the true tragedy here. That made it all make a terrible, strange sense: the underqueen could not understand. She was blind, unable to see her own mistakes, unable to change, unable to do anything but die the same way she had lived.

The changeling whimpered, shook her head, opened her mouth... but then fell silent, her head dropping against the ground, her eyes staring emptily at nothing as she died. Marina only smiled faintly as she breathed slowly in and out, before she looked listlessly up as the changeling drones milled fearfully, whispering amongst themselves as one of them hesitantly approached the underqueen's corpse.

“She's dead.” he said disbelievingly, and it was like a cannon in the silence, all eyes staring at the changeling drone before he looked up with a snarl and shouted: “She's dead! Killed by the pony! Kill the pony! Kill the pony and her friends! Kill them for the queen!”

Marina rose her head at this, and now there was the pain, the fear, almost a sense of panic, as she saw Phantom still motionless and frozen. The changelings who remained were riling themselves up, shouting and furious, turning towards the vulnerable guards and her husband, and while the thought of dying had felt so strangely serene, the sight of the weapons slashing towards her almost welcome, to see the changelings turning towards her husband, to see Phantom, helpless, as one of the drones ran towards the frozen griffin with his teeth bared, his weapon rising-

Marina whispered a name, almost silent, drowned beneath the chaos.

There was a clap of thunder and a flash of light, and Discord appeared in front of Marina, teeth bared in a fearsome snarl, lightning crackling around him as he shouted: “Get away from my daughter!”

The Draconequus pointed at a changeling, lightning blasting the drone backwards with a squeal: without looking, he waved his other hand out, sending out a wave of flames that washed harmlessly over the soldiers and Phantom, dispelling the ancient magic that had rooted them to the earth, but made the changelings scream and howl in agony as it seared their bodies and blinded their eyes.

The drones were no match for Discord's fury: in moments, they were wiped out by the rage of the Draconequus. He glared furiously over the charred remains of the changelings as the soldiers stared up at him with awe and gratitude and even a bit of fear at the raw power he had displayed, before his eyes widened as he heard Phantom Wing whisper: “Marina... don't go...”

Discord stumbled around in a circle, and his breath caught in his throat at the sight of Marina half-sprawled in Phantom's forelegs, a faint smile on her face, her eyes mostly-closed, like she was just on the verge of sleep. Like she was slipping into a dream, where nothing could ever bother her again...

***

Marina opened her eyes and looked around slowly. She was standing, alone, and mist was tickling gently along her sides: it felt almost electric somehow, and soothing. She looked back and forth, but even though she couldn't see anything through the thick white fog around her, she felt... safe, somehow. Like she knew people were there, just beyond the veil.

Marina hesitantly took a few steps forwards, before she rose her head slightly as the mist began to clear, and she found herself... somewhere else. It was impossible to put into words: she went from between to inside.

It was beautiful, here: it felt warm, and serene, and peaceful. It was a place of both chaos and perfect order, where everything flowed together with such beauty, where there was no sense of hostility, or danger. Where everything simply was, and everyone was... at peace, she thought. They were beyond the powers of the Darklords or Celestia here, beyond the petty concepts of 'good' and 'bad.' This was the end, and this was the infinite, and this was... everything Marina had ever wanted.

She walked slowly forwards, up a verdant emerald slope, and she looked curiously to the side to see... Giaks. They looked back at her with surprise, but not anger, not hostility, not anything else: and somehow, to Marina, their bodies no longer seemed warped or defiled. They just seemed like... a different kind of pony, here in the same world with her.

“Hello.” Marina said: it was all she could think of to say.

“Hello.” one of the Giaks responded awkwardly, and there was a moment of silence before he suddenly looked up and called: “Hey, you all should come see this!”

Marina tilted her head curiously, then she looked back and forth with a faint smile as shapes appeared around her: some approached, some seemed simply to from from the air, some simply seemed as if... they had been there all along, and she just hadn't been able to see them before.

Ponies. The giant wildcats. Other creatures, great and small, who all looked at her with curiosity. Who smiled at her, and welcomed her, even as a stallion she recognized stepped forwards and said softly: “Lady Marina. I didn't think we'd ever see you here. Are you alright?”

“I'm just fine, Dart.” Marina replied with a small smile and a brief shake of her head, and then she gave a little laugh before she looked down and nodded once to herself. “Yes. Yes, I'm just fine.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then she looked around curiously at the group of ponies and not-quite-ponies, the mare asking: “How are all of you? It's strange to see... well, I suppose this isn't what I expected.”

“We're safe. We're happy, all of us. We're good friends.” Dart replied honestly, smiling back at her and nodding once as he reached out and threw a companionable foreleg around one of the Giaks. The big pony that had been touched by the Darklord's powers rolled his eyes, but he didn't try and pull away, either, and Marina giggled a little at the sight, her eyes shining.

Yes, this was all she had ever wanted. Everyone was okay. Everyone was safe. Everyone was happy here. This was perfect. This was beautiful.

One of the big cats approached, and Marina reached up and stroked almost wonderingly over the savage beast: it purred to her like a kitten, nuzzling into her, and Marina embraced it fiercely against her chest, closing her eyes as Dart said gently: “You don't have to worry about any of us here, Marina. And none of us can convince you to leave, but... I guess we're all surprised to see you here. We never thought...”

“We thought you'd outlive us all. We watch you sometimes, you know.” picked up one of the Giaks, and Marina looked up in surprise. “You're like our savior. Yes, ours too: our kind became what we did out of fear, out of anger, out of hate. The Darklords promised us life, even if we would be slaves... we were all scared. We were scared of the Darklords. We were scared of you. We were scared of death. We were scared of everything.”

“But not anymore.” picked up another pony in a gentle voice, and Marina looked warmly towards Trixie as the mare strode through the crowd, smiling at her kindly. “There's nothing to be afraid of now. No hate. No anger. No war. We're safe, at peace. We cheer for you, Marina, celebrate your victories: we feel such sadness, for the pain the world is going through.”

“Life is so fleeting; it shouldn't be lived in struggle.” added another pony, and Marina closed her eyes as she nodded slowly, stroking silently along the wildcat in her embrace as another of the beasts came forwards to nuzzle into her comfortingly. “You gave us all such hope, though. You still do, to this day. You've got a lot ahead of you, Marina.”

“I don't know. This is all so... perfect.” Marina murmured, before she frowned slightly as a bitter laugh cut through the air.

“Perfect? This is nothing!” shouted a voice angrily, and Marina looked up to see the underqueen storming towards her, shoving through the crowd to glare furiously at Marina. “Look around at this... this patchwork, this... failure! We're dead! Dead! Oh, it's a pleasure to see I slaughtered you like the pig you are, but the thought that now the hive is broken, that everything I worked for has been made meaningless, that I died at the hooves of a sow like you-”

“Leave her alone! She has proven herself as the rightful Queen!” shouted another voice, and Marina looked back and forth in surprise as changelings appeared around her: the drones who had chosen her as their queen, the loyalists, as they had been called. They seemed confused, but all of them had gathered around her, as if to protect her... but she didn't need protection, she thought. Not in this world.

Marina stood, the wildcats both drawing back to either side of her as she only smiled and slowly strode forwards through the changelings, striding up to the underqueen. The underqueen glared at her hatefully, but Marina only looked back at her with kindness and gentility in her eyes, before she said softly: “It's okay, you know. We can all... be at peace now.”

“I don't want peace! I want power!” snapped the underqueen, before she slammed a hoof forwards into Marina's face.

Marina didn't flinch: she didn't even blink, only continuing to smile calmly as the underqueen stumbled dumbly backwards, looking down at her hoof. Then the changeling snarled in fury as she looked back up at Marina, but the chocolate mare only shook her head and said softly: “It's okay. I don't blame you. But the fighting is done now. My fight, and your fight, are done now.”

“Marina, now what is this? Art thou trying to take mine sole diversion from me?” asked a gentle voice, and Marina looked up with a warm smile as the others all bowed their heads respectfully, apart from the confused changelings and the underqueen: the changelings only stared, and the underqueen cowered from the glow that filled the air for a moment before it coalesced into the shape of Luna. “I am usually the one working to help these lost souls be at peace.”

“Luna. It's good to see you.” Marina said softly, and she stepped forwards to trade a tight embrace with the sapphire mare as if she were her oldest, dearest friend.

Luna smiled as they drew apart, before she reached out and gently touched under Marina's chin, tilting her muzzle upwards as she said softly: “Look at thy smile, Marina. How it pains me so that I cannot offer thee what I do all other souls here: the peace and the joy of the afterlife. 'Tis not yet thy time, Marina. There are still many strings connecting thee to the physical world, many things yet for thou to do.”

“I don't want to go back, though. I want to be here, with all of you. Haven't I earned that?” Marina asked, the faintest of trembles running through her body even as she smiled up at Luna, but her eyes were filled with longing.

And Luna looked back down at her with compassion and love, as she replied gently: “A thousand times over. Thou hast earned it a thousand times over, Marina, but that does not change what thou knows to be true. And nor does it change the fact that, as happy as these souls are here... 'tis no longer life they live. There are many lives out there, suffering, in terrible pain, and I know thy heart, Marina. I know in thy heart, thou cannot turn away from them. That every day spent here, would pierce another sliver of regret into thy soul. There is work to be done.”

“There is work to be done.” Marina whispered, lowering her head and closing her eyes tightly, before she glanced up as a hoof hesitantly grasped her shoulder.

A changeling drone smiled at her, saying quietly: “We'll be with you, my Queen. If all these others can be with you, we will be, too.”

“I won't.” the underqueen grumbled, turning away with a scowl, but Luna only chuckled quietly, looking with a slight smile in the direction of the mare.

“Thou art not the first pony to say such. But fear not. Thou, too, will find thy place here. All do.” Luna said gently, before she turned her eyes back to Marina, continuing in a softer voice: “And so shall thou. But not yet, Marina. Not yet.”

“I know. I know, but I don't want to go. It's so hard. It's all been so hard.” Marina said quietly, and then she closed her eyes when Luna stepped forwards and embraced her, resting her head silently against the side of the mare's neck.

“I know life has been cruel to thee, Marina. And I am sad to say, that it will be crueler still yet: one need not have any powers of perception to know that as long as thou fights, worser things will yet happen.” Luna said softly, stroking soothingly along the back of Marina's neck. “And equally, I know that all the same, thou cannot turn thy back on this fight. Thy life has many wonders ahead, too: all I can promise is that in the end, thou shalt have thy rest.”

“And we'll all be here, waiting for you. Until then, Lady Marina, we'll be rooting for you, and ready and willing to do everything we can to help you from here. You'll always have us.” Dart added emphatically, as he stepped forwards with a warm smile, reaching up to squeeze Marina's shoulder reassuringly.

“We'll be by your side, as long as you'll allow us to be.” Trixie added kindly, stepping up on Luna's other side with a wink. “Trixie's the only one here with the brains, not just the brawn, to help you, after all! Uh... apart from your highness, of course, your highness.”

Luna only smiled in amusement, then she turned her eyes back towards Marina, reaching up to cup her cheeks gently as they gazed at one another, until the sapphire mare finally said softly: “I am glad you are the one Discord chose.”

Marina smiled faintly, even as she felt... a pulling. An insistent tugging, and the mare clenched her eyes shut even as the world around her began to fill with mist, even as her body began to feel cold, and pain spread through her chest, and her hooves lost all sensation of the ground beneath them. It felt like she was falling upwards as she reached blindly out, but voices called to her still, reassured her, sent her all their best wishes as Luna said over the cacophony, soft and yet caressing her ears so clearly all the same: “We'll meet again one day, Marina. Your time will come.

“Everything will be okay.”

***

“Marina!” Discord shouted, and he dropped on his knees, reaching out to grasp her shoulders, shaking her uselessly as Phantom only held his wife, his eyes staring at her mutely, torn between despair, and disbelief, and a strange, thrumming pride that at least she had died... proudly.

“No, I can't... this can't happen!” Discord grabbed at his head, gritting his teeth before he looked back and forth, cursing under his breath before he looked at his trembling hands, at how they were covered in chocolate. Marina was literally melting, the magic that kept her together unbinding itself, and without anything to bind her together there was nothing that could keep her spirit contained, no power to keep her alive-

“I need something to put her inside! I need something that can...” Discord gritted his teeth as he looked around, desperate. The guard ponies looked lost and helpless, and Phantom trembled as he held Marina tightly in his arms, blind and deaf to the world as he cradled her against his chest, but doing nothing, nothing as she melted slowly, soon to not even be a corpse-

A corpse.

Discord's eyes shot towards the corpse of the underqueen: there was only one major, deep wound, and that had been a pierce, a small crack in the chitin easily repaired. Discord gritted his teeth, then he strode quickly over to the corpse, muttering: “None of you are going to like this very much, but bear with me: sometimes the best medicine is a little bitter.”

Discord picked up the underqueen's corpse, tossing it over his shoulder before he frowned as his eyes caught on a changeling that was still alive. Dying, staring, trembling... but very different from the changelings he had struck down.

His eyes studied it for a moment, and then he looked sharply over at Marina's melting, waning form. He bit his lip, then looked up quickly as the Changeling whispered: “My life for the Queen. Save the Queen.”

“Discord?” asked a pony hesitantly, but Discord only gritted his teeth before he turned quickly, forcing himself to move, to not pause, in spite of the fact that what he had to do went against everything in his nature... but if it would save Marina...

He snapped his fingers, and Phantom reared back in shock as Marina' s chocolate turned solid, leaving her nothing but a sprawled brown statue, her expression frozen forever in chocolate. The griffin began to look up with a snarl, but Discord only shook his head as he flicked his wrist to lift the statue of chocolate with telekinesis, saying shortly: “If you want your wife to live, then listen.”

Phantom's eyes widened slightly, but then he nodded quickly, watching as Discord carried the statue over to the dying changeling. He set it down beside him, and the insectile pony looked up at Discord with trusting eyes as the Draconequus said: “Marina needs someone to help keep her alive. She needs your strength. And I'm afraid you won't be getting any of it back.”

“My life for the Queen.” the changeling said quietly, and Discord gave a brief smile before he grimaced as the chocolate began to melt again: the core that kept her together was unravelling, and if she didn't have something to help stem that flow...

“Alright, there's no time for chit-chat!” Discord looked over his shoulder at Phantom, ordering: “I'm taking Marina back to your home, meet her there, keep an eye on her. Keep her comfortable, and keep the changeling comfortable, too.”

Phantom frowned at this, but he didn't have time to argue as Discord vanished, along with the changeling and Marina's frozen body. The griffin shifted uneasily, then forced himself to turn, automatically taking command as he shouted: “Alright, soldiers! Secure this area, make sure you check for any traces of Changelings! We can't let anything like this happen ever again... next time it might be your loved ones who suffer, do you understand me? Now get moving!”

The infantry stumbled their way to salutes before the officers took over, dividing the soldiers quickly and efficiently up. Phantom barely paid any attention to them, though, barely felt any pride at how well they had learned and adapted: all he felt was fear and worry for Marina, as he turned to charge through the snow, heading straight for home.

He couldn't live without her. The loss of his wings had hurt less than the pain that filled his chest now with the fear that something might happen to his wife, his soulmate, the love of his life.

All he could do was run home, and trust that Discord loved his daughter half as much as Phantom loved his wife.

Chapter 3: The True Cost of Love

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.