Garroted Harmony

“We are saving her!” Shining Armor shouts, ripping away from his wife. His ardent voice shakes despite his spirited response, hesitation and uncertainty suppressed behind a raging inferno.

“Shiny…” Cadance pitifully cries, her strength sapping with every step he takes. Even his mere intention of leaving brings pangs of pain, and she can barely handle the strain. After two of his long strides she can only whimper abjectly, darkness closing around her.

Shining Armor’s precise about face returns him to her side just as quickly as he left, worry etching across his features. Princess Luna slips behind the heavyset changeling, the two approaching Cadance and Shining Armor.

“Yes,” Chrysalis’ sarcastic tone bites, “I can see that.” The changeling stops as if pondering, an unpocked ebony hoof teasing at her fanged maw. She idly asks, as if discussing the weather, “And what if it goes wrong again?”

The guard captain, used to reducing new recruits to mewling foals with intimidating stares, growls out, “How do you know what we should do?”

Chrysalis, unfazed, snorts. “You wish a history lesson, when time is of the essence?”

His harsh glare remains unchanged.

“Fine.” The ebony head flicks up and to the side disdainfully. “I promised the unvarnished truth. When we first began draining our food-” she ignores their looks of contempt and disgust “-it looked like this. Mangled and mutilated beyond repair.”

Her horn flares brightly. A cylindrical representation of Cadance’s core done in harsh greens flickers to life in the center of the room.

“Over time, we improved our methods, requiring smaller and smaller perforations to the point where we didn’t need to open the core at all. We even learned to repair and reinforce magical cores, if a drone was… overzealous in their feeding. To better keep the secret. But this?” She snidely points at the jagged rip, mostly covered by a pulsing beacon of pink. “This is the worst tear I’ve ever seen, and you didn’t even try to repair it? You just thought his love would, what, glue it back together?”

“There wouldn’t have been time if things didn’t go right,” Twilight states rigidly, her own expertise under fire. “I’ve studied those types of mending spells, but never practiced.” She hangs her head. “Maybe I should have.” Her gaze returns to Chrysalis, hard and steady. “But intentionally harming another pony just for the sake of practice and experimentation is not how we do things.”

“Then perhaps you should not have been experimenting with warping the laws of Harmony in the first place! You know as well as I - better, perhaps - that unicorn and alicorn magic does not mix. You got lucky with Flurry Heart, and anypony can see the devastation she wroughts without trying!”

“That’s enough!” shouts Cadance, struggling to her hooves. Her jaw sets as if in stone. “My love for Shining Armor will bring us through this, regardless of what Harmony decrees!”

An ebony hoof, a sharp contrast again pink fur, lovingly caresses as it tilts Cadance’s head a little higher. “I’m counting on that,” Chrysalis purrs, her grin as baleful as always.

Cadance growls as Chrysalis releases her, two heavy thuds as hooves hit the floor.

“What would you have us do?” Shining Armor spits out the words. “Since you’re the supposed ‘love expert’?”

Cadance wants to reach up, to console her husband, but he shrugs her off. It feels like a dagger through her sundered heart.

“I’m so glad you asked,” Chief Architect Chrysalis answers dryly. She takes her sweet time assessing the situation, reveling in their frustrated growls. She turns to Luna, casually ordering, “Go find Doug and bring him here.” She makes a little shooing motion with her hoof, smiling mockingly.

“We art neigh thine fetch-filly,” Luna spits out through gritted teeth.

“If you wish her dead, by all means, keep standing there.” Chrysalis offers a theatrical bow, her hoof sweeping low. “We defer to thine bountiful expertise in passionate matters.”

Luna stamps a hoof on the floor with such vehemence that Cadance fears she might escalate. Much to her relief the blue alicorn spins, heavy stomps until she exits the room and a flash marks her disappearance.

“What do you need Doug for?” Shining Armor demands, his voice easily carrying through the otherwise silent room.

“Backup,” Chrysalis states darkly, striding around her projection. “In case that ‘patch’ of yours fails.”

“It won’t fail!” Shining Armor bellows as he leaps up, burning with rage at the very notion.

“I’m sure you thought the same of the first… attempt,” Chrysalis remarks casually. “But I can smell the haste your sister used in her spells. I’m guessing her first attempt was perfect?” She glances at the purple alicorn, her grin widening at the hesitant nod. “And I would expect nothing less from the Princess of Magic.” She offers a slight incline of her head, impossible to tell the sincerity. “And I suspect any further attempts will meet the same end. And unless you desire me to become the foremost expert on Love in Equestria, you would best heed my demands.” With a half-shrug she turns to the door. “If you wish, I shall continue playing overseer to your foals.”

“Demands?” Shining Armor raises himself as high as he can. He barely comes up to her bulky withers. “You would have us bargain for her life?”

“If you’re good at something,” Chrysalis purrs, her grin stretching across her muzzle, “never do it for free.” She bends down to his level, contemptuously petting his head.

Shining Armor growls, his voice as hard as the rapier he might have thrust through her chitin. “What do you want from us?”

“Simple,” Chrysalis states formally. “You will never confine my love. No more foals with you unless I agree.”

His voice is a low growl. “If you-”

“Oh,” Chrysalis purrs, stroking the tri-colored blue mane affectionately, “you don’t need to worry about Crystalline Shield and Cocoon. I’ll still bear them for you.” She kisses him just below the horn before lightly shoving him away.

“You want out of the herd,” Cadance states, tears threatening to freely flow. She thought they were a good, if unconventional, group, extraordinarily fair considering the changeling’s… proclivities.

Chrysalis turns, giving her a single - if she’s being generous, forlorn - nod. “Indeed. Though I have no wish to leave this fecund land.” She turns to Shining Armor. “In addition, no more… indiscretions to reward your most gallant soldiers.”

“That was your idea,” Shining Armor claims through gritted teeth, “to get more diversity among your nymphs.”

“Oh?” Chrysalis titters, almost mockingly. “I suppose it was.”

“Why?” Cadance pleads, feeling her heart rending as her herdmate threatens to do the same to their family. It’s not her fault the bond she shares with her Shiny is so strong! “Why would you do this?”

“Why?” Chrysalis echoes, her Tartarus-scorned grin never fading. “Simple, really.” She bends down a little, motioning at Shining Armor. “I don’t like the color scheme.” She shakes her head as she pulls back, motioning to her body. “Nopony gives the right combination of greens and blacks.”

“Nopony…” Shining Armor fumes, visibly putting the pieces together. He grits his teeth as he utters the name. “Doug…”

“Mm,” Chrysalis purrs with a lick of her fangs as the eponymous human walks through the doors. He sports a light white jacket, shorts bulging with foal treats, and toe-reinforced sandals. She grins at his cautious approach, obscenely moaning. “Speaking of…”

“What’s going on?” Doug says woozily, reeling from the teleport. “Is everypony okay?” He spots Celestia first and dashes to her recovering form.

Cadance feels a brief surge of joy, even though the compassion isn’t directed at her, as he slides across the smooth crystal. One hand tilts the white head to peer into Celestia’s eyes, the other resting softly against her supple belly and engorged teats. She knows her Shiny feels the same way about her, even as a raging fire blossoms in his chest.

“I’m afraid not,” Chrysalis says with a contrite shake of her head. Her sing-song voice belts out, “Poor Cadance over there will expire if her foal perishes! And it’s up to you to save her!” She winks salaciously, her intention obvious, her flanks waving back and forth provocatively.

“What are you talking about?” Doug asks as he shifts to Twilight, rubbing her flattened ears as she hovers over her once mentor. His focus stays on Chrysalis even as Twilight stains his face with tear-streaked nuzzles.

Chrysalis states with a solemnity Cadance isn’t used to hearing, “You’re going to give her the foal she needs to survive.” Chrysalis callously flicks her head at Shining Armor. “Very soon, she will need two patches on her core. The love of her consort, and the love of her foal. That, sadly, he cannot provide.”

“You think you can take my Cadance from me?” Shining Armor bellows, but it is not directed at Chrysalis. His foreleg crashes into the floor as pink shields shaped like daggers coalesce around him, all pointing at Doug. “This is all your fault!”

“What?” Doug says, bewildered, as he looks up from Celestia’s prone form. “I had no-”

“You planned this!” Fury ignites in cerulean eyes, the daggers vibrating like they might leap forward at any moment. “Ever since you learned we might have a foal instead of you!”

“I helped make the spell!” Doug shouts, brazenly ignoring the orbiting daggers. “Why the fuck would I do that just to hurt you? To hurt her!”

“Shiny,” Cadance pleads as she strokes her hoof along his side. He jolts at the contact, a worried glance at his wife. The daggers slow, pulling away from the mare he might have skewered. “Please. He didn’t mean for this to happen. None of us did.”

“Look,” Doug says, slowly getting his shaking limbs under control. “I was with you when Flurry Heart was born. Celebrating. I’ve always been honest with you, with everypony. And Cadance…” He trails off as vague memories come bubbling to the surface. “Full disclosure. Honesty. I confess I’ve been interested in the prospect. In the past. Once we had a potential solution, that possibility vanished because you were the pony she wanted to be with. She had her chance with me, and… we gave it up.”

Shining Armor bows his head, focusing on a single section of crystal floor to keep from unleashing everything in his arsenal.

“If it’s as serious as they say,” Doug says as he glances at Chrysalis. She nods minutely. He takes a deep breath to steel himself. “You once told me you would be willing to do anything for her, even give her up to another.”

“Then you knew this would happen!” Fury reignites in Shining Armor’s eyes as he pounces, four hundred pounds of pure muscle driving Doug to the floor. Ribs snap as cold steel gouges into flesh, the human whimpering in pain.

“Shiny!” Cadance calls before she collapses, blood spurting out of her mouth.

“How dare you!” Shining Armor bellows, shrugging off raspberry and cobalt auras with a practiced flare of pink.

“Look,” Doug forces out, one arm guarding his head while the other limply points at Cadance. “She’s…”

“She’s in no shape to make a decision!” Shining Armor rears up, about to come crashing down again. “But I swear.” His hoof crosses from the left side of his chest to the right, then sticks into his eye. “That if you touch her, I will kill you.”

He catches the barest glimpse of another burst of bright red from his wife’s mouth. He hesitates for a split second, cobalt and raspberry auras combining to drive him away. He tumbles head over hooves, sprawling onto his back next to his wife.

“Please,” Cadance begs as she coughs out another mouthful of blood, the next coming up dry. She shudders at the stain marring the crystal floor, knowing it will never come out. “Please don’t leave me.”

“Never,” Shining Armor groans out. He glares at Twilight and Luna’s aggressive postures, at Chrysalis busy licking her fangs, at Doug’s broken body and, for good measure, the white alicorn hovering above the human. “No matter what they do, I will never leave you.”

“This is just an anesthetic,” Celestia sluggishly tells Doug as she surrounds his body with a soft golden glow, her words slurring together. “We could set them, but-”

“But there’s no time,” Chrysalis states harshly as she strides over to Doug. “Her foal may be lost, and is imperative that we… act… quickly.” She grins down at him.

“Just bind them, tightly,” Doug grits out, hands clenched as Celestia wearily nods, cloth cinching against his chest. He snaps at Chrysalis, “What?”

“You will never deny my love,” she says, eyes flicking to his shorts. She licks her lips lasciviously, a low moan gurgling in her throat. “Any time, any place. I ask? You give.”

Doug frowns, obviously expecting something far worse. He rubs at his temples, trying to clear the stars from his eyes. “You seriously won’t save Cadance unless I agree to this?”

Chrysalis purrs mockingly, starting to walk to the door. “Does her life mean that little to you?”

“Does it mean that little to you?” Doug spits back.

“If it did,” Chrysalis counters, “I would offer nothing at all, and take my place as lead mare when she expires. But I do love keeping her around.” She winks at Cadance.

“Fine.” Doug crosses his arms against his chest, testing the bindings. He winces at the pain, and of giving in. “I agree.”

Chrysalis merely grins that damnable grin of hers.

“Sh… she’s getting close,” Cadance whispers, dread filling her words. The tick of her internal clock haunts her. She can feel the grim harbinger approaching, come to claim her precious foal before her time.

“See? This is why you need me,” Chrysalis says with a slight motion to Cadance. “As soon as her foal’s patch is lost?” She trails off, her callous shrug matching the malevolent grin as she strides over to Celestia.

“I thought you no longer needed to steal love,” Celestia states, accusation riddling her words.

Fury flashes across Chrysalis’ face as she rears up to her full height. And just as quickly it is repressed, the flick of her heavy locks entirely too staged. “Steal? No, we no longer need to steal love.”

“When you transformed, it was because you gave love,” Celestia continues, staggering to ponyloaf. She bares her neck, unflinching even as the changeling approaches.

“Yes,” Chrysalis admits. “I’m counting on it.” She caresses Celestia’s lengthy horn with her neck, nearly plunging her snout into the pastel mane. “Mmm,” she moans as she inhales, wisps of gold flecking into her muzzle. “Delicious, intoxicating, exhilarating…”

The tiny motions of Celestia’s mane cease again, colors dulling as if life itself is being sucked out. She slumps back down as Chrysalis withdraws, eyelids heavy. And yet she keeps her head raised, intent on seeing the outcome.

“And you,” Chrysalis woozily states as she approaches Cadance, ignoring the aggressive snort from Shining Armor. The pink alicorn raises herself as best she can, magenta eyes meeting green. “You must accept my love.”

“I…” Cadance stammers, frowning. She is confused at the accusation behind the demand. “I have never denied your love.”

“True,” Chrysalis admits, swaying slightly. “And yet never have you sought my love.”

Cadance gulps, her gaze flicking to her husband. He had always been enough for her; how had she been so short-sighted to withhold such a connection with her herdmate? Even before Chrysalis’ transformation she had avoided nearly all contact with the changeling, the thought of engaging her mortal enemy in anything approximating a normal relationship unthinkable.

“Please,” she ekes out, unable to return Chrysalis’ stare. “Would you share your love with me?”

“Of course,” Chrysalis purrs, her muzzle engulfing Cadance’s. The Prench kiss, if it could be called that, stirs the alicorn’s heart. “Do try to lose this before you lose your own, yes?”

The swell of golden energy fills Cadance’s heart and core, but the magic feels foreign and restless, inherently attempting to escape the unfamiliar confines. Yet it is still available, and only with great trepidation does she bolster her connection with her unnamed foal, perhaps in the hope that strengthening that bond will save her from the reaper’s scythe. She hates the anger she can sense in her husband, emanating outward toward Doug, toward Chrysalis, toward Twilight. Even Celestia and Luna register, if only for their inability to do more to help. She wants to help him, to counsel him, for them to get past this and-

In the blink of an eye the connection to her foal severs.

Perhaps it is because she has mentally prepared herself for the possibility, perhaps because it is the bolstered love that gets stripped away, but the devastating effect of losing her precious foal is constrained to an anguished whimper and mournful shudder. Her hooves stretch, searching for her Shiny, that comforting strength that could get them through any tragedy.

And yet his love, empowering and fortifying as it is, can only stretch so far. Only Chrysalis’ infusion lets her stay conscious, every ounce of effort devoted toward sealing that new rift.

“I…” Cadance forces out, unable to stifle the sobs leaving her just like the magic that pours out of her core. Soon, very soon, she will be dry and lifeless. She cannot bring herself to look at her husband. Not with the coming defilement, the shattering of their sacred vows. “It’s okay…”

“No,” Shining Armor counters harshly. His glare rests on Chrysalis, the glow in her mouth shifting from gold to green. The cobalt aura keeps him in place as raspberry spreads across his wife’s belly. “There are some things worth dying for. Like my love for you.”

Cadance feels a certain clarity, a ruthlessness she reserves for tyrants and slavers, as Chrysalis’ magic bolsters her own. She can sense the changeling faltering, slumping minutely to the ground, as she imbibes. A part of her wishes to soar, knowing the changeling has truly embraced their principles of friendship and sacrifice, but she forces that part away.

Her words sound cruel to her clear mind, yet she utters them regardless.

“Would you leave Flurry Heart without her dam?” Her head twists as she rolls to her back, remaining in contact with both herdmembers as she exposes her sex to Doug. “Could you live with yourself, knowing you had the chance, but not taking it?”

“I…” Shining Armor growls, teeth gritting together. His horn flares pink, only to be contained by cobalt. His gaze turns to Doug. “Why would you do this?”

“You are the one who used the spell,” Doug states as he kneels, pants undone. “Knowing the risks. Don’t blame me.”

“Buck you,” Shining Armor spits out.

“Pretty sure that’s-” Chrysalis starts before Luna cuffs her.

Doug closes his eyes, hand running along his slowly engorging cock. He tenses up, tightly gripping, short and fast breaths attempting to speed along the turgid process.

“You must be inside her,” Chrysalis states wearily as more wisps of green continues to escape her muzzle, each thinner and dimmer than the last. “Or the bond won’t be as strong.”

“Can’t believe you expect me to perform like this,” Doug mutters to himself as he lines himself up with Cadance, wincing in pain.

She grunts as he enters her marehood, hands never touching her. It’s smaller than she expected from the filly’s nights she’s spent with the other mares, conversing about everything under the sun and moon. She misses the imagined feel of his hands, those cursed fingers with their passionate caresses and strokes. Yet, she supposes, he is trying to stay as true to Shiny’s demand as possible.

Yet from the fury bubbling in her husband, she knows that any contact is enough to trigger his promise. She can feel his love, the only thing holding her core together, weakening.

“Shiny,” she ekes out, limply holding up a foreleg. “I love you.”

“Cady,” Shining Armor whispers as he burrows into her side, holding her as tightly as he dares. “I love you too.” His head sinks into her velvety fur. “More than anything else.”

“Me, too,” she says, caressing his three-colored mane as she feels Doug speed up. She barely acknowledges the feeling of him inside her, staying as detached as possible. “We are stronger than this. Our love will get us through.”

His response is an abject whimper and squeeze of forelegs around her barrel as Doug shudders in release.

The tell-tale glow of Twilight’s horn comes again, speeding the sperm along their journey. Cadance chances a glance to the side; the changeling is either unconscious or doing an excellent job faking, and she hopes the young inside her are okay.

A moment later, she feels a spark inside her ignite. She immediately latches on, securing her new foal to her core. Crude sutures form, lashing them to each other, just like her Shiny is connected to her. She wouldn’t be able to leave his side, not for a long time, but that’s a price she will gladly pay.

“Will you let me name her?” he demands of Doug, scowling, his promise still in full effect.

“Of course,” Doug says as Luna pulls him away. He rubs at his chest, grimacing.

“Mortal.” Shining Armor nods forlornly. “To remind us of how fleeting life can be, and how we must safeguard every precious moment. And Rage, because we must be passionate defenders of that life and love.”