Protect the Queen's ritual at all costs. This was the job description anyway, and Maria was surprised to be chosen, along with Fae and Saint. The first fireteam that she was on and she couldn't celebrate…something bothered her still. Her dreams bothered her. Savathun bothered her, more importantly it was Savathun's riddle that bothered her. Osiris will die. You will die. Her silky, poisonous voice still sang in her head.

At the portal, she said to Ghost, "Stay here this time, okay?"

Ghost's body whirred uneasily. "What if something happens to you?"

Maria smiled, "Well, you'd be useless anyways. You can't heal me."

Saint put a hand on her shoulder. "Do not worry, Ghost, I will protect her and bring her back to you in one piece."

Ghost finally relented, but she could tell he hated the decision. She gently held his body close to hers in a kind of hug before following Saint through to Queen Mara's chambers.

Saint and Maria ran to be by Queen Mara's side. "Stay close," he told Maria.

She nodded.

Saint stanced himself, his arms came up, and a bubble shield came around them just before Xivu Arath's forces poured in. Maria had no time to second guess her decision to leave Ghost behind. She took aim, and fired with her bow. Several of them exploaded, and took surrounding forces out with them. Queen Mara stood just behind Saint with her techeuns.

The hunter, Fae, that Ikora had sent with them shot from beyond the safety of bubble with the auto rifle she carried. Fae used her smarts gained in the crucible to ambush the biggest Ogres and Knights, leaving Maria to take out the smaller and weaker ones. Except…something bothered her.

She turned toward Savathun when she felt that Fae could handle the hoard. It was supposed to be a brief look but movement caught her eyes. Beyond the crystalline structure was a Knight bigger than the others she'd seen! Fae didn't see it yet, and it was advancing toward them.

Maria ran out from beneath the protection of the bubble, slid on the ground like she'd seen Hunters do a thousand times and pick up a launcher from one of the bodies of the Acolytes, loaded with one more grenade. The sounds of gunshots seemed to fade away, but she could still feel the heat of the bullets as they barely grazed by her. She breathed in deeply hunkering behind one of the statues, harldy hearing the fight around her, then she ran out, taking aim, and firing. It sent her flying back into a wall. She hit her head so hard that she thought she'd be knocked out. Her ears rang and for a brief moment darkness swarmed in her vision. She'd missed with the launcher, but managed to take out a beautiful statue that fell beside Saint and Mara.

A blast of Void energy knocked him over and slowed him from standing. Maria took aim with her bow and fired at the head. In Fae's hand was a Fusion Rifle that she aimed and fired at his head. A shadow hovered over Maria's side. When she turned it slammed its sword on the ground, barley missing her, and knocking her on the ground. Then, it exploaded in a series of bullets. Fae quickly helped her to stand.

"Be more careful next time," she said factually. Her rocket launcher had been replaced with her auto rifle in such a short amount of time. Maria actually felt a twinge of jealousy that Lightbearing Guardians could switch weapons so quickly.

A light blinded them, coming from the crystal. She could feel Fae move to stand in front of her, but her shadow didn't fully block out the light. Just like before, when Savathun was confined to the crystal, Maria put her hands in front of her eyes, but eventually had to turn away.

The side of Maria's chest burned. She put her hand on it, and felt warm liquid coming out. When she took it away her hand was a dark red, and it wasn't slowing down. She hadn't even felt that she was shot. The shock must've just been wearing off. She firmly put her hand to the wound, biting back her pain. Around them, it sounded like something shattered. When the smoke and light cleared, Queen Mara approached the shattered cocoon with a knife slowly. "No," she laughed in disbelief.

Savathun was gone…but Osiris remained.

"Thank you," Savathun's voice hung in the air.

Maria smiled and finally allowed herself to breathe, though every breath was more painful than the last, and with every inhale she could feel the blood rushing out faster. Savathun had kept her promise. She returned to them Osiris.

Saint picked up the body. He was limp but he still breathed.

Osiris will die. Savathun's voice sang.

Lie.

You will die.

Fae ran ahead of them to give her report.

Maria followed Saint, but she could feel her body beginning to get heavier and heavier. She started to regain the limp from her once wounded leg. The world tilted around her. She barely got through the portal before she fell, onto the H.E.L.M's floor, barely catching herself before her face hit the metal walkway. She couldn't catch her breath. She rolled herself onto her back, wincing at the pain.

"Maria!" Ghost floated in her vision.

Maria smiled. "I think I got a little cocky, Ghost. I'm sorry. I didn't even feel it." She struggled to take in a breath.

"D-don't worry. Ikora-"

"Can't fix this. Even you must see that." Maria's hand came up, and she held Ghost weakly. "Ghost…thank you…for be.." she gasped, and coughed. The blood rushed down her arm, and she felt a warmth spreading across her back. Soon, something stung. Another bullet wound? Of course it would be. Maybe she was riddled with holes that she couldn't see. "Whoever you find for a Guardian…they'll be lucky…treat them kindly…okay?"

Ghost hovered closer. Maria wrapped both of her hands around him gently, staining his shell a bloody and bright red, and then a light came from above her.

Humanity needs protectors. Will you stand with me? She thought she said to the light.

Yes. She thought she heard.


Maria's hands fell limp as Ikora ran to her body. She looked up at him. "What happened?"

"I don't know. She came in like this. …Is she really…?"

Ikora's body hunched over, and she nodded slowly. Maria's eyes still looked at him, though it held nothing. Maria still smiled warmly at him, though, even if her eyes held nothing. Ikora closed Maria's eyes gently. Her face became stony, and her hands shook as she picked the girl up in her arms.

Ikora walked past Saint, who still held Osiris's body, but upon seeing Maria, he yelled, "No! No!"

Ikora stopped and looked at Saint with a mourning to her eyes.

"She…she stepped out…I lost her for only a second, Ikora!"

"Of course she did," Ghost whispered.

Ikora continued to walk.