Amore turned his head, taking in the glimmering lights all around him as he tried to ignore the uneasy feeling in his gut due to the fact that the floor was pretty much non-existent despite him clearly standing on ‘something’. Right now, he never empathized with Araneae’s fear of heights more than he did at that moment in time.

It was scary, having nothing but an unending abyss of nothingness underneath him. Well, not quite nothingness, there were the odd glowing lights, after all. Not that they helped with his current predicament.

“Where am I..?” he muttered to himself, turning once more on the spot while trying not to listen to his bladder’s protests about doing that. He was a unicorn, he wasn’t meant to stand on thin air. Nor was he supposed to be in this starry void, in the first place.

Instead of getting an answer to his question, Amore was left to wander this strange realm on his lonesome, not knowing where his hooves would ultimately lead him. The last thing he could remember was passing out from the sudden shock of having his shield blown to pieces; no doubt the work of Mother.

“I hope Ara is alright...” he sighed, deciding to pick a direction and just go with it. He doubted rescue would come for him anytime soon (if ever). Araneae certainly wouldn’t know where to begin searching for him and it made his heart ache with pain. She was going to be so worried once she noticed him not being where she left him.

Not that he wasn’t worried for her, as well. There was no doubt in him that Shadra, Araneae, and Arachne were fighting against the umbrum right now. It’s still somewhat of a novelty to him, being together with the changeling queen. Three ponies in one body... it was such a fascinating relationship they had with each other.

Each one of them has their own little quirks and he loved them dearly. It was hard to imagine his life without the three of them there anymore.

Arachne was so full of life and her insatiable curiosity was endearing in its own way. While she wasn’t in control of their body all that often, every time that she was was always a memorable sight to behold.

He has yet to understand all of the advanced theories she constantly threw around like it was nothing to her. All the wondrous things they kept speaking about... their old world must have been a paradise in comparison to this one, he mused. He couldn't quite fathom why they sometimes spoke of it with such disdain, but every time he tried to get them to open up about it, they either deflected his questions or clearly downplayed their explanation for reasons he couldn't even begin to fathom.

For such a proud being, his love held more than her fair share of shame for their old life. He found it very admirable of her to strive to be a better pony. Or changeling, rather. Living with so many pony tribes in one big community was also something he never thought would happen. Certainly not in the way they did now.

Sure, he had hoped to one day achieve what Araneae made look so easy, but he was under no illusion that it would have taken decades, if not centuries, without Araneae's intervention.

It was one of the reasons why he fell so in love with her. All three of them. They were something else entirely, weren't they? Their view on life and society was unlike anything he had ever known and it made him want to live up to their expectations, to not disappoint them.

Although, if what he heard from them was indeed true, he was well on the way to do just that. Shadra was already getting desperate and very much impatient to... well... have sex with him. She was even determined to reserve her virginity with her, uh... 'mare parts'... because she wanted him to be her first. That was something very special, wasn't it? So... why did it feel like he was forcing her to keep herself pure for him? Why did it feel so bad, knowing she must be torturing herself so much if what Araneae said about their female genitals was right?

Maybe Arachne was right, after all. His dream of a perfect romance was slowly driving a wedge between them, he could see it in their eyes sometimes. The maddening need and the resentment for not getting what they wanted. And yet, they were still perfectly respectful of his wishes. A small part of him argued that he was being selfish and that he should move past his irrational fear of disappointing them with his 'amateurish' performance he was sure they would rate it as.

He truly was a prude, wasn't he? Too afraid to become intimate with the love of his life... it was kind of pathetic, he has to admit that to himself.

Then again, how could he not be afraid of disappointing her? His wife-to-be? She was utterly perfect and so... so open about her wants and needs. To a shameless degree, even. For once in his life, Amore wished he wasn't born into a noble family not because his relatives were indisputable monsters with their sight set on the throne that they constantly came up with schemes to ensure it would belong to them one day, but because... if he were a commoner instead, he might not be such a disappointment in Ara's eyes. He would be free of the expectations that came with being born of noble descent. He would be free to be himself.

"And what is it that stands in my way of doing just that?" Amore asked himself while his pace slowed down to a crawl. He kicked his leg in frustration, frowning in thought. "Why can't I just be more like Ara?"

He sighed and moved out of the way as a glowing orb of golden light floated past his head. If he wasn't trapped in this place and didn't have to avoid looking down, this place would have been beautiful. Peaceful. Serene, even.

Alas... he was worried and scared that he might never see his love again. Or anything else but this starry void of life, nopony there to talk to. He really could have used somepony willing to lend their ear to him right now.

"Ara would know what to do," he mumbled to himself, dragging his hooves listlessly. "She always does..."

Another little orb of light almost bumped into his distracted self, startling him out of his somber thoughts. He cupped the wisp in his hooves as he sat down, staring into it as if he expected it to answer all of his questions. If only it could make his worries disappear and show him the way out of this strange plane of existence; everything would be better then.

"Am I even worthy of her?" he asked the orb, doubt welling up inside of him.

It was an endless circle of uncertainness, wasn't it? That's one thing both he and Ara had plenty in common. They both constantly had to second-guess themselves, always full of doubt whether or not they were good enough for the other.

Although... Ara had way fewer of those than he had since they started talking about their worries instead of bottling them up. It was hard to let go of these fears, though. After all, how could he? His love made it all look so easy, being carefree and so… confident. In herself and the way she held herself. Only when they were alone did she let those masks drop, showing him her vulnerable side so openly.

He knew better than most that being worthy of love wasn’t a question of being good enough. Love is a powerful thing and it does not care about such trivial questions as to whom is worthy of whom. And yet, he couldn’t help but feel like she was too good for him.

“She feels much the same way,” a gentle voice said, making the poor stallion jump, startled.

Amore turned around and saw... “Orchard..?” he asked, aghast. “You’re here, too? Oh, no, no, no. Please, tell me Ara isn’t all alone by herself. She’s going to be so devastated.”

“She is going to be fine, Child of Love,” Orchard smiled, an air of mysteriousness around her. “Come, dear. There is something very special waiting for you here.”

Amore frowned, confused. “I—you’re not Orchard, are you?” he observed, hesitantly stepping away from the other pony. Despite his paranoia, he knew this Orchard meant him no harm, but… maybe Araneae’s tendency to show distrust to those she didn't know was finally starting to rub off on him.

“No,” the Not-Orchard pony admitted, a proud motherly smile on her muzzle. A smile that caused her eyes to sparkle with an inner light.

"Who are you, then?" Amore asked, uneasy. He didn't notice it before, but now that he paid closer attention to her and the feeling her presence had, he could tell that she took meticulous care in suppressing her 'weight' as Ara would say so that she would not crush him utterly. Even the small amount that got through felt like a hundred times more powerful than how just one of the archmages of the Mage Order felt. "And where are we? What kind of place is this?"

The pony currently posing as Orchard gave a small laugh at his curious questions, beckoning him to follow her with a tilt of the head. Amore did so, his steps slow at first until they picked up speed to match her gait. He wasn't fond of the idea of being left alone in this weird landscape decidedly lacking in the 'land' aspect.

"This is a most special place, young one," Not-Orchard explained, gesturing around herself with a sweep of her leg. At her gesture, the lights rearranged themselves to show various windows of moving pictures Ara had once mentioned these 'com-puh-ters' to be capable of (and the multitude of naughty ways those had been used for). "It is a place that shows your true character to those walking these hallowed halls. Should you be found unworthy of the feat that brought you here, we will be able to see so."

"I don't even know how I ended up here," Amore admitted, his ears splaying back as a fearful flutter raced through his body. "What happens if I am found unworthy?"

"Nothing dramatic like you think, dear," she told him, putting his fears to rest. Not that it helped all that much in combating his nervousness. He couldn’t quite put his hoof on it, but walking next to her made him feel small. Not in an unimportant, insignificant way. No, it was more like he stood next to something incredibly pure and his mere presence threatened to taint that purity with his own mortal imperfection.

He was standing next to what could only be a god, he realized. A genuine being of unimaginable power... and they were escorting him through a place that was apparently used to judge ponies of ‘being worthy’. For what, he didn’t quite know, but with everything that has been happening to him and Araneae, he was sure that it was going to be something big. Just what has he gotten himself into this time?

Most of the panels floating next to the path they traveled on depicted different memories throughout the entirety of his life. Even his time as a newborn foal, neglected by his parents as they left him in his crib because they couldn’t bother to watch him as he cried for the comfort of the ones that brought him into this world.

And as he grew older, he was painfully reminded that he was never looked after by his parents. The only times they really bothered having him in their presence was to serve their ultimate goal of teaching him how to ‘seize the throne’ in the hopes of gaining it through him. It was a despicable thing, merely seeing him as a tool rather than a living, breathing being.

The ones that actually raised him were the servants of House Luna, taking pity on the poor colt, teaching him every value he held dear to his heart even to this day. They and his grandfather, Astraeus the Second, were his real family in his eyes, showing him what it meant to be loved and appreciated.

The only good memories he had of his foalhood were of the few playdates with his cousin where he could genuinely act like a foal of his own age. Those only ever occurred during the few times when his parents left him with his only remaining grandparent, though.

Amore knew now that they only did that so that they could go on their important ‘business trips’. Trips that were, in all actuality, attempts at overthrowing the monarchy through various means he’d rather not know the particulars of. Not that any of them ever bore fruit, the latest of their hare-brained schemes thwarted by none other than Araneae herself.

He doubted they would ever give up, probably already plotting their next attempt to get an heir upon the throne. They weren't even above trying something with one of the many minor family branches if it got them closer to their goal. Although he was certain his family wouldn't involve themselves with the more 'illegitimate' members of their vast family background, he wasn't quite so sure about that anymore. Certainly not after the culling of many major noble houses in Unicornia.

He wondered what happened to his cousin after the revolution. Amore dearly hoped he was in good health, it would be a downright shame should something have happened to him. Much like him, the phthalo-blue-furred unicorn despised their family for everything that they did to him. He could see it sometimes in his eyes, the sadness and resentment for what their family had in store for him.

It goes to show how much Amore’s family expected the inevitable disappointment he would become by not marrying Princess Gold Bar. No doubt did they think they had a better chance at the throne with his cousin, training him to become nothing more than a weapon to be used and discarded at the earliest convenience. All at the age of ten years. It was a wonder his cousin never broke in the face of adversity, holding on to the hope that someday, he would be free of the machinations of their rotten family.

Much like him, his cousin sought a life without the burdens of nobility. A life free to love whomever he wanted, far away from any conflict and intrigue around the throne of Unicornia. The best thing that happened to Amore was Araneae sweeping him off his hooves, so he hoped that his cousin would find somepony similar to her in that regard. A pony that could look past the title and love him for who he was, not what his title proclaimed him to be.

More memories went by, most of them similar to each other in one way or another, but some stood out to him and the pony that still hasn’t given him an answer to his question as to who they actually were.

One such memory was of him stumbling upon Gold Bar and Swirly Star in the midst of a very passionate night with each other. That was the last time he ever went into another pony’s room without knocking on their door first. The sight of the two older ponies ravishing each other had left him more confused than anything and was probably one of the reasons why he never made any advances on another pony.

He looked up to the mare that was like an older sister to him, and if she could find a pony that she could love with her whole heart, then Amore was determined to have something like that for himself, too. Luckily, it seemed like the right kind of pony found him instead of the other way around. Or changeling, rather.

The memory of Araneae’s flamboyant behavior in the tower he had been locked away in was still fresh in his mind. It wasn’t in any way, shape, or form off-putting to him, watching her over-the-top theatrics replay in one of those moving pictures. If anything, it managed to bring a smile to his muzzle, knowing she only ever acted like that when she was either nervous or had sex on her mind. Which was around ninety percent of the time, to be fair.

Then, there was the memory of what happened down in that cursed place underneath the city. He had to admit, seeing Araneae like that... it made his heart quiver in his chest, at the same time horrified and full of worry.

It had been the lowest he had seen the changeling queen, stalking through those tunnels like a prowling predator, acting purely on instinct and nothing more. Instinct that brought with it the foulest kinds of magics he had ever witnessed to that date. And yet... he couldn't help but admire her. Even in such a state, Araneae, Shadra, and Arachne were mindful enough to gently guide the victims of Gemstone's reign out of their cells. Those that could still stand and walk, that is. But still... even at their darkest, they had the well-being of others above all else on their mind.

The subsequent breakdown spoke more of her character than anything she could have ever told him verbally. She had a heart of gold, even if she was unable (or rather, unwilling) to see it for herself. Her need to better herself of some perceived notion of having 'been bad' was honestly puzzling to him. She was far from a selfish monster that only thought of herself.

There was plenty of evidence that proved the opposite to be true, in fact. Ara did her best to protect everypony whenever she could and always lent an ear to those in need of one. And even when somepony was rightfully mad at her, she silently took the abuse and never hit back. If anything, her constantly blaming herself for things she had no control over was the cause of most of her distress (as well as her self-inflicted injuries due to her raging outbursts).

No, Araneae was far from a monster. She was compassionate in her own ways (and not just in the naughty sense). Her dedication to the hive and their Empire was admirable in its own right. And while she proclaimed herself to be too lazy for the paperwork her position entailed, she was more than willing to work herself down to the bone. Or chitin, rather.

Her empathy made her an excellent ruler, there was no doubt about that in him. Amore knew how much of herself she put into creating a better tomorrow for their subjects, and sometimes, he had to actively stop her from doing more than what was strictly necessary. Not that she would ever admit that. She always went above and beyond to do everything she could.

In that regard, he suspected her behavior was very similar to a bee, something she kept bringing up about her genetics. Whether or not she was merely jesting about it, Amore could admit she had a point. Changelings do tend to keep themselves busy, even in the hive mind if her words were true.

And while Shadra, Arachne, and Araneae were by far some of the most virtuous ponies in the Empire, Amore has to admit that... she might have a point about their past. Sometimes, there were those rare few occasions where they let their cruelty show.

But to be honest? Amore wasn't concerned about that part of her. Not anymore, at least. He knew she would never let that darkness hurt those she cared about, it wasn't even up to question for him. After all, the events down in the dungeons of Unicornia were proof enough of that.

To think Araneae could walk away from using dark magic like that, completely unaffected by its sweet, insidious whispers, tempting the user with the promise of easily obtained power in exchange for falling to its addictiveness, unable to see reason while every waking moment became tainted with paranoia... it truly was astonishing. Never in the history of ponykind has there been a pony capable of such a feat before her and he doubted there would come another that was capable of similar feats.

Not that Araneae wasn't inherently paranoid of those she had little reason to trust. Perhaps her previous life gave her the edge to resist the trap that was dark magic, Amore thought. He couldn't be entirely certain of that, though. Perhaps one has to have had experience with the darker side of one's own psyche and overcome it through personal revelations and epiphanies to recognize the false lull of dark magic in order to not be affected by it. After all, one has to have seen the horrors of life, to have been on the wrong side of it and have overcome that part of your self, to recognize how bad such temptations truly were.

Shadra, Arachne, and Araneae knew those things better than most, he suspected. They never talked about the specifics, but Amore could tell that they had seen things... done things... that no mortal should have to ever go through. Prime among those things the reason for why they were who they were, split into three broken and mended pieces.

He didn't want to know what that must have been like. Your own soul, torn beyond repair and burdened with additional fragments of other souls bearing disorganized, damaged memories... it was a wonder Araneae had been able to piece herself back together at all. Flawed as that initial attempt turned out to be, the result was more than awe-inspiring. The mind was a truly wondrous thing if it could cope with such trauma without falling into madness. Maybe she was lucky, maybe she wasn’t, but he was glad she came out of it sane.

Amore suspected that the only reason Araneae could have held on to her sanity was the way they ended up with three different personalities, altogether. Shadra, the part of their existence that represented their cunning, guile, and deceptive nature... Arachne, the essence of their being that portrayed their reason, curiosity, and thirst for knowledge... and Araneae, the heart and core that symbolized their empathy. Each one of them held a part that strengthened the others, that gave them the ability to overcome any challenge that lay before them.

Each and every characteristic of them only managed to make him love her more. Them. All of them. Shadra, Arachne, and Araneae. They were his Snugglebug, Cuddlebug, and Lovebug. Always.

They were capable of so much good... and of horrible, horrendous acts if the situation truly demanded it of them. And yet, even at their worst, they always did it for the benefit of those they considered to be a part of their hive. Their family.

"You hold a great deal of admiration for her," his escort said with fondness, making him turn his head away from the picture of Araneae blatantly hitting on him in the dungeons of Unicornia. Another depicted the scene where they first shared a kiss on the path over the cold and harsh Crystalline Mountains. That one always brought a tiny blush and smile to his face, thinking back on it. It was such a pure show of love, so genuine and earnest. It really was one of his favorite memories he had of her.

"I do," Amore said, watching the memory of his first proper kiss with the one he fell in love with play out. The declaration of wanting to be forever together with him was the most romantic thing a pony has ever told him (...even with Ara's usual perverted comments corrupting it, he has to admit). “She’s the best thing that has ever happened to me, how could I not feel like the luckiest pony in the world?”

Not-Orchard laughed politely with mirth as she nodded in what looked like understanding. "It warms my heart, seeing such young love bloom. It reminds me of a better time... of things long lost in the past now."

"You must have seen a lot," Amore said, though his companion didn't seem intent on elaborating, a deep pain in her eyes he was sure he was not meant to see.

"I can also see why she fancies you so," Not-Orchard said, the sadness gone in her eyes as if it had never been there in the first place as she glanced at yet another frame that appeared next to them. Amore turned his head to the scene that brought perhaps even more concern for the well-being of the one he loved the most to mind. Seeing Araneae so frail and weak, afraid... it was a common theme in most of his dreams. Nightmares of losing her and watching her get hurt repeatedly. It was agonizing in its own way. "The hope you inspire in her... it is a welcome sight, indeed. Keep holding on to her, Child of Love, for you won't come across another like her."

The sight of his love hunching over that barrel... it scared him perhaps even worse than their first encounter with Mother. To be honest, it was downright terrifying to him that she would even consider doing something like that to herself. "Sometimes it feels like I'm the only one holding her together," he admitted, ears splaying back against his head.

That was also the time they finally started opening up about each other, and yet, it didn't help with his own insecurities. If anything, Ara put up with him and his stupid fears out of the goodness of her heart.

"Perhaps," his companion agreed, coming to a stop next to a scene that depicted Amore as he held on to the weakened changeling queen right after she made the decision for the ultimate sacrifice in the hopes of seeing him and their subjects safe. To ensure they would still have a future to look forward to. "But I imagine that that is also the case for you as much as it is for her. Why is it that you feel so ashamed of your desires around her?"

"I—" Amore started, only to be cut off as the scene changed to the one he gave his love as an excuse to wait for the 'right' time. Oh, how he hated himself for hurting her like that.

"I know that you feel burdened by your heritage, but that's not it, is it?"

"No..." he sighed. "While I am a noble and know my responsibilities to my subjects, I... I could care less how others would think of me if I had s-sex before marriage."

"And..?"

He winced. "...I'm scared," Amore admitted, squeezing his eyes shut as he turned his head away in shame. "Of not being good enough for her. Arachne certainly seems to think so."

"She is scared, too, you know," Not-Orchard told him, gently bringing his head back around with a hoof underneath his chin. "Terrified, even."

"Why?" Amore asked, bewildered. "I know she told me there was no reason for me to be scared and ashamed of myself, but what reason would she have to be scared of the same thing?"

"It's not so much the same reason as it is of you not enjoying it enough to be together with her like that, afterward," she explained to him, prompting him to walk next to her again as they continued on the path to their final destination. Wherever that might be, Amore wasn't sure. "And she would respect your decision, much to the dismay of those who need her to keep the hive going. I cannot tell you how that would affect Shadra or Arachne, though I feel like you might have an idea in regards to that."

Amore sighed and nodded. The conversation he had with Arachne was quite clear about what she would do if her Queen was under the threat of being superseded. Thing is... "Araneae won't allow Arachne to be unfaithful and neither would she be happy if she were to force herself on me. I fear it would result in a power struggle between them and it won't end well for either of them."

"You understand what that means then, do you not?"

"I know," he muttered, shooting his escort an unamused glare out of the corner of his eyes as he hung his head. Just another reminder that he wasn't good enough for Ara. She deserved better than him. So much better. "I know I have to confront these silly feelings and...”—he gagged—” stallion-up. Besides, we have already thought of a workaround solution to the wedding expectations, I'll just have to... live with the reality should I... should I..."

"It's okay, dear," his escort whispered, offering him a hug. An embrace that Amore had to admit filled him with warmth, not unlike what he imagined it would have been like between a mother and their foal. A comfort he never got to experience with his own family. "I know a thing or two about not being comfortable in the body that you are given."

"It's not that," Amore answered weakly, wiping a lone tear away with the back of his hoof. "At least, not really. Ara makes it all sound so perfect, and the teasing touches do feel nice, but... I just keep wondering..."

"That you won't feel the same desire to do that with her nearly as much as she does?"

"...yes," he confessed, breathing shakily. That was exactly what he feared would happen. That Araneae wouldn't be happy about him not being in the mood. She and Arachne, as well as Shadra, had an insatiable libido, practically doing it the entirety of the day (and night) with each other. How could he ever hope to keep up with that?

"I see," Not-Orchard said, letting out a faint motherly laugh. "Do you know what I think?"

"No?"

"I think you are more than worthy of what awaits you at the end of that path," she proclaimed, letting go of the embrace to show Amore the proud smile on their muzzle. "Go now, Child of Love. This is as far as I can take you. What lies beyond this point is for your eyes only. Don't worry"—she winked—" you may share it with your love. I know it helped me cope with the things I've seen in there..."

That didn't sound quite so reassuring, Amore thought uneasily, gulping thickly. What would he see? Is it going to be frightening or why did Not-Orchard's words sound so... ominous?

Right. Confidence. He was sure it couldn't be quite so bad. After all, they didn't strike him as somepony that wanted to scare him on purpose, so he decided to place some trust in her and go forth without worrying over it.

Before he decided to do so, there was still something he wanted to know. "Can you answer me one last question, please?" Amore asked, shifting on his legs awkwardly.

"Of course," she inclined her head, giving him permission to continue.

"You never answered my question about who you are. Or what this place is called, for that matter," he began, trying not to come across as too ungrateful for the support she has given him. "Can you tell me?"

The pony in front of him gave him one last appraising look before smiling sadly, the pain of untold eons behind her gaze. "Once upon a time, I was like you. Lost in this realm, wandering its halls until I stumbled upon my siblings and we found out the truth about this place. You can call me Hope, or if you want, Empathy. I'm not too particular about either of those. Now, then... go on up ahead. Don’t be scared of what you might see."

As Hope turned to walk away, the lights making up the pathway began to blur, and for just a single moment, Amore thought he could see a pair of big feathery wings and a horn attached to her.

"Wait!" Amore called out to them, intent on following the being that proclaimed themself to be Hope Incarnate, only to stumble back as the path back began to disappear after them, his hooves finding no 'ground' to stand on. "You didn't answer my other question..."

The confused unicorn let out a disappointed sigh before deciding to go forth in the only direction available to him. A path that was gradually surrounded by floating crystal shards, reminding him of his original goal of finding a way back home.

"I don't even know what I am supposed to do here," Amore muttered to himself, being careful to not touch the sharp shards.

More and more of those crystals with an inner, mystic glow began to surround him, and further up ahead, the path began to transition over to the familiar ground Arachne, Shadra, and Araneae had come up with to pave the streets of their Empire with.

He picked up his pace slightly, intent on finding out where he was and how to get home. That Hope couldn’t accompany him here for some reason managed to confuse him greatly, but he decided to stop questioning it and try to figure out what he was here for. He had no intention of staying any longer than he has to and all he really wanted to do was to get back to Ara before she could worry too much about his whereabouts. Not that he ever intended to end up here in this place, to begin with (or even leave the Crystal Empire behind altogether, for that matter).

A large platform reminiscent of the upper spire of their palace awaited him as he neared the end, reflecting the light of the glimmering orbs and crystal shards like a perfectly clear mirror. And he was completely alone with nopony else around here but him. At least, that's what he thought...

Suddenly, and without any warning, the world around him shifted and he felt a presence unlike any other observing his tiny mortal form. "The torn threads of fate have been rewoven," a voice spoke up with no discernible source whatsoever, echoing all around him without going quiet or becoming more distant. The voice in itself offered no clues as to the identity of the speaker, sounding neither female nor male in quality. "The threat of the Otherworld has been negated, and yet, the tapestry continues to be unraveled by forces unknown. Your destiny has been forevermore altered, Child of Love. The Weaver of Fate suffered a great wound in her latest confrontation with the umbrum, she and her brood will suffer the consequences for many centuries to come."

"Who—are you the one Araneae described to be the Soul of the World?" Amore asked. Despite being startled, he felt safe. Safer than he has ever felt before in his life, to be honest. "What do you mean, the threads of fate have been rewoven? Is Ara alright?!"

"Something has damaged the flow of time, destinies yet meant to be cannot be fulfilled," the Soul of the World answered. "A festering wound has to be brought to its end or it shall devour the entirety of all that is. New guardians have been chosen to bear the burden of day and night. Their coming shall be heralded by the great winter. The Bastion of Love needs to stand strong, Child of Love. All life depends on it."

"What about Araneae? What happened to her? Please, tell me she is alright! Please..." Amore pleaded, afraid that his love was in pain.

"The Weaver of Fate opened the door," they answered, the voice coming directly from behind him this time.

Amore whirled around, heart hammering in his chest. What stood before him was nothing short of absolute perfection. There were no words to describe the being before him adequately enough without doing it an injustice, but there were some features he was very familiar with. They had a crystalline body not unlike his own, only... more akin to actual carved crystal instead of a vague similarity at best. The eyes, though, were something else entirely, holding an inner glow to them like molten glass. It was almost like they could see everything, not just the things that lay before them. "What do you mean?"

"The umbrum have been sealed in the Crack Between Worlds, the Dream That Never Was," they clarified, slightly tilting their head. The strange thing about that, though, was the fact that the words they spoke did not come directly from their mouth, seemingly coming from everywhere at once. And yet, they still gave off an impression of direction toward their physical body before him. At least, that’s what it felt like to him, it was hard to put into words how truly strange it was. "The machinations of the umbrum will threaten you no more for as long as the Heart is kept in its place, my chosen child. The light of my heart shall hide you from the sight of their master and those that dwell in the Hidden Realm."

"And Araneae? Is she alright?"

"Your love shall heal that which has been broken," the Soul of the World answered, touching his chest gently with a hoof. The mere touch of it managed to put him at ease. Not that it lasted for all that long, though, considering what came out of their 'mouth' next. "Her actions have altered your destiny. You have become a vessel."

"A vessel?" Amore asked, feeling slightly disturbed. "What do you mean? A vessel for what?"

"Divinity," they said, stating it like a fact that was obvious. The way in which the Soul of the World spoke the word 'divinity' carried with itself a sense of incomprehensible power that even dwarfed that of Hope. "Your broken fate would have eventually led to your own unmaking, lost to time for centuries to come only to return as a broken soul, unable to remember your current life. The actions of the Weaver have brought you here instead, mending your fate and changing that of countless others."

"I..." Amore began, though the sudden lightheadedness that overcame him made it hard to focus on what he wanted to say. "...d-divinity?"

"Your full potential unlocked," the World Soul said, nodding in confirmation. "A symbol of ponykind, representing all that is and will be. Nigh indestructible, holding domain over the aspect of love, you shall become its guardian, a mortal god. Reject this and your fate will remain that of a unicorn bound to the Crystal Heart, for good or bad."

"O-okay," he gulped, feeling like the entirety of the world was literally placed on his back. What does one even say to something like that? How does one process information so... severe and overwhelming?

"Keep that in mind for your trials are far from over, my chosen child. The days up ahead will test your strength and compassion. Beware she who is born of twilight," they continued, unperturbed by Amore's apparent distress. It wasn't like they ignored it, though, Amore could tell. It was more like the Soul of the World trusted him with being able to handle the coming challenges wholeheartedly. "It is of utmost importance that she let go of the past. Teach her how to see past her grudges or she shall be the end of all you hold dear. The Weaver must not fall."

"That's all a bit much..." Amore said, causing the World Soul to step back from him, tilting their head again in what looked to him like confusion or incomprehension. "I... I don't know what to do. I'm not like Ara..."

The Soul of the World stared at him for a moment. "I cannot grant you that wish, Child of Love," they said, slowly shaking their head at him, almost like it was an afterthought of having to be more expressive with their physical body. "Doing so would require remaking your existence in its entirety, erasing what makes you you in the process. It would leave me severely weakened, unable to defend myself against the fiends that dwell in the Beyond."

"...what?" Amore mumbled before he realized what it was that they insinuated. While the thing about the Beyond confused and terrified him quite a lot, that was perhaps a question for another time. Right now, he'd rather make sure he wasn't about to be erased in his entirety. "I'm fine being me, that's not what I meant. Ugh, I can see why Ara was so frustrated with you. This is ridiculous."

The being in front of him merely tilted their head before nodding in understanding. "I apologize if I offended you, my chosen child. It does not happen often that I am talking to mortals capable of perceiving my voice. Interfacing with your tiny minds is quite challenging. You have been of much help so far, yet I do not fully understand how your fragile, mortal bodies work."

"Right," Amore said with a drawn-out sigh. He didn't even think they meant it as an insult to him (as much as it felt like one, to be honest). If anything, it was kind of similar to how his interactions with Arachne went. Her way of thinking was leagues different to ponies like him and he imagined it must be doubly so for the Soul of the World. "Can I think about this? I don't feel like making rash decisions."

"You can call out to me when you have come to a decision, my chosen child. But be warned, standing for too long in my presence has consequences," they answered, their voice soft and warm before vanishing from sight to give him his 'privacy'. Not that he was under the impression that he was truly alone, considering the way they had communicated with him before taking on a more corporeal form. Neither was the 'feeling' of their presence truly gone (or the weird effect it had on their surroundings).

After a few seconds of deafening silence, Amore began to pace around the circular platform, wondering about what he should do and the subsequent consequences of his choice. The Soul of the World had given him a lot to think about, and not everything was so easy to grasp the implications of.

What did they mean, 'standing for too long in their presence has consequences'? And the way they spoke, it was almost like they insinuated that they had learned how to communicate with mortals due to the connection they shared with him through the Crystal Heart.

More unnerving than that, though, was the news about fate having become undone. It was startling and very concerning, indeed. He didn't even want to know what was capable of such feats in the first place. He wouldn't even dare to think about standing in the way of a being with that kind of power, it was practically suicide to do so.

While the Crystal Heart had given him a significant boost in his magical capabilities, it was merely a dust speck in comparison to what he had felt from Hope and the Soul of the World, even less so with the constant persistent thrum of powerful magic in the background that suffused this... realm, for a lack of a better word.

Would accepting the offer of divinity change anything? What kind of responsibility was even attached to that? What would it do to him, should he accept it?

Hope was on an entirely different level of existence, clearly borrowing the appearance of a dear friend since they apparently lacked one of their own. Would such a fate befall him, too? Forever cursed to wander the world with a face not his own?

Amore shook his head. That was just ridiculous and even if it was true, he was sure Araneae wouldn't mind it too much (if at all). He could learn to live with that, reluctant as that might be. After all, Ara made it look easy, becoming different ponies with the flicker of a flame. Even objects if her words were to be believed. He has yet to notice her hiding in plain sight like that (or any other changeling, for that matter), not that he thought he would ever be able to discover her when she didn't want to be found. She was a master of disguises, after all (as much as she avoided using them when she didn't have to).

Then, there were the warnings the World Soul had given him about things that have yet to happen. Or would have happened, had Araneae not intervened. Destinies have already been altered through no small fault of Ara, or the Weaver of Fate as the Soul of the World called her.

The only warning he could really do something about was the one about 'she who is born of twilight', which he was reasonably sure meant either an umbrum or one of the vampires Gentle Breeze has or will create. Failing to deal with that one would come with a hefty price, one he was very much unwilling to pay.

Was that enough reason to go through with this, though? For all he knew, taking on the mantle of a 'mortal god' could lead to the very thing he wanted to prevent! He couldn't lose Ara, not like that.

Another thing he didn't quite grasp the meaning of was the statement about becoming a symbol of ponykind in all that it was, is, and will be. Or something along those lines, anyway. The exact words were kind of hard to remember, what with everything he had been told in such a short amount of time.

Would he still be himself if he decides to go through with it? Or would a different pony walk away from this place and he would become all but a memory left to be forgotten?

At least he knew one thing for certain and that was that the world wouldn't suddenly cease to exist like Ara feared it would, had the umbrum won. And on top of that, it seemed like their triumph over the umbrum came with a heavy price attached to it, as well.

His love would heal that which has been broken. That's what the Soul of the World said, right? What if that means he has to accept this offer or it won't happen? He couldn't live with himself if he was the cause of Ara's continued suffering.

Then, there was also the thing about the new guardians for the moon and suns and the winter that would follow their appearance. Or announce it. Something like that, anyway.

What would that mean for the world and their Empire? He knew the Mage Order would not stand idly by as their hold on the heavenly objects would be relinquished to what basically amounts to little foals (if he is correct with that assumption).

Already, he didn't look forward to the day he would have to deal with foreign nations that were more than likely already at each other's throats (the pegasi were kind of infamous for picking fights with every other winged race, but even tensions between the earthponies and pegasi have been running high long before Unicornia started extorting everypony else). The appearance of new deities might just be the thing that provides the tipping point for them, and trying to keep the peace would become all but an impossibility after that point.

He was under no illusion that Shadra wasn't going to try and manipulate everything in their favor, moving her infiltrators into place to strike a preemptive attack against those who might turn their eyes on them next. Would his accepting this offer change the outcome of that? Could he dissuade her from taking the aggressive path and instead consider diplomacy first? He knew she knew fear and anger would lead to even more of the same and neither of them were a fan of that.

And what even would this divinity entail, exactly? Holding domain over the aspect of love, what does that mean? One couldn't just 'control' love, right? Not without delving into some truly dark magic, that is. Something he would never do, even if it meant a good outcome in the end. There were better ways than resorting to dark magic, after all.

Another thing he has to wonder about... would he age? If he didn't take the offer of divinity and went with a 'relatively' normal life as an ordinary unicorn... he would grow old next to Araneae, wouldn't he? Well, as normal of a life as he could get, considering he was practically a lich. There was nothing normal about that, being bound to a phylactery in the form of a crystal shaped like a heart.

Ara wouldn't age. At least, not anytime soon if her own assumptions were correct. Aside from that, the Soul of the World just confirmed it for him, too, didn’t they? The wound she apparently must have suffered in the final battle against the umbrum would affect her for centuries to come.

If he became a 'mortal god', he could stay with her. He wouldn't have to leave her and she would be spared the pain of trying to find him in his next life. That alone would speak for accepting the burden of godhood, wouldn't it?

"What would you do, Ara?" Amore asked himself, gazing up at the star-like wisps in the 'sky', their light bending and twisting as if he was looking at them from inside a bubble of soap. A tired, wistful sigh escaped his lips. He was no closer to figuring this conundrum out than he was a few minutes ago. How much time has passed, anyway? It certainly felt like he was well in the process of dragging a rut into the ground with his thoughtful, worried pacing. Not even the tinkling sound his hooves made on the ground was a comfort to him now.

He has to admit, Ara was right about modeling their streets after what he saw here. Well, more like what she saw in her vision, but still. The thought of his fiancée was enough to bring a small smile back on his lips, even if it only lasted for a couple of seconds at best. The more time he spent here, the more time she would spend worrying about his whereabouts. Already, he was worried she was at her wit's end trying to find him.

And here he was, contemplating whether or not to take this step into the unknown. If it hadn't been for Araneae, Shadra, and Arachne teaching him and their subjects all about modern sciences, he might have been reduced to a shivering mess, curled up on the ground while nervously stroking his tail for a minor piece of comfort. Ponies weren't meant to confront the unknown, as much as his subjects continuously surprised him with the opposite being the case.

Even he was more bold in the face of uncertainty nowadays, he admitted to himself. All thanks to Arachne's efforts to shine light into the dark. Knowledge was indeed power, as he has learned from her.

So... what did he know? He understood quite well that this choice would be life-altering, but... in what way? He wished Hope was still here with him, capable of explaining things in a far more comprehensive way than the Soul of the World was apparently capable of doing. Not that he was ungrateful for all of this information, but sometimes, he really wished they wouldn't speak so cryptically.

Vague. That was what all of this information was. There were vital details missing in order for him to be able to make heads or tails of this knowledge. In essence, he was lacking the necessary understanding required for this. It was like he was given a few puzzle pieces and was then expected to see the bigger picture. Puzzle pieces belonging to different pictures, at that.

Where would his fate, his destiny, lead him were he to reject the offer of divinity? The Soul of the World wasn't exactly forthcoming with such information, to be honest. Was his fate going to unravel again? Or would his fate be that of his original one?

He assumed that it would eventually lead him back here, with the same question of whether or not he wanted to accept this 'burden' of being the guardian of love. Instead of his current self, he knew that that wouldn't be him but somepony else, somepony completely different. The pony that would find themselves back here would be like Amore, but not Amore himself, and that... that would definitely hurt Ara more than anything he could ever do to her.

The decision he made next came pretty easily to him. Amore needed to stop second-guessing himself and be strong, not just for Araneae, Shadra, and Arachne, but also for himself. For everypony that depends on him. For the crystal ponies, the flutter ponies, the changelings, and any other race that would come to depend on him and his future wife.

"I am ready," he said and the last thing he saw was a blindingly bright light engulfing him.

Flashes of images passed him by as he struggled to look anywhere that wouldn't immediately leave him sightless, but it was a futile endeavor on his part.

Most of the things he saw were gone too fast for him to make out any details of what they were, but the occasional thing did manage to burn itself into his mind with lingering afterimages. Things that depicted a world utterly devoid of love as icy spirits consumed any and all emotions that were even the slightest bit positive. Others showed him scenes of raving eyes, frothing teeth, and twitching tentacles as eldritch horrors from the Beyond threatened to corrupt the universe as madness reigned supreme, reducing mortals to mere playthings for their own sick amusement. Even more showed nations at war, compassion completely sacrificed for hatred as they tried their utmost to annihilate their enemies, leaving nothing standing once they were done. All while his Empire lay broken and shattered into pieces, withering away as nature slowly reclaimed what was theirs.

But there were also pictures that showed him a ray of hope. A world in harmony, where love reigned with compassion and kindness. A world where death didn't come to those not seeking it for themselves, a place where there was no unnecessary pain, no hurt, and no despair. And it was his mission to ensure it would come to be. He was Love Incarnate and he knew that a world without it was going to spell the end of all life. A world lacking in love would be a dead world, indeed.

There was also a different side to the same coin, though. Under no circumstances ever should he let the darker side of love take root in the hearts of his subjects for it would pervert everything life stood for. The sanctity of life was to be treasured, not to be taken advantage of. If anything, a healthy balance should be what he needs to strive for.

Pure of heart, but accepting of selfish desires. Desires that were not used to hurt others but to learn from each other and find passion in. After all, everypony was allowed their fantasies, as long as they wouldn’t lead to crimes of a sinister nature.

Before long, the blinding light was gone, and with it, the warnings to never ever abuse his gift for selfish reasons. For he knew what kind of fate would await him should he fall to madness. Not that he (or Araneae) would let that happen.

Speaking of Ara...

The first thing Amore heard was the fast, sort of dull-sounding buzz of big insect wings before a pair of hooves shook him lightly on the shoulders as if to test if he was conscious.

Amore let out a pitiful moan, trying to shut out the world as everything kept spinning around him from the ordeal he just went through. His body protested quite vehemently in the form of a headache and queasiness, his stomach churning from a lack of sustenance and nausea. On top of that (and the worried buzzing from the changeling trying to get him to respond), his body felt different. Well, more different than when he had found the Crystal Heart and accidentally bonded with it.

The way his magic had gotten stronger paled in comparison to what he felt right now. While he had certainly not been lazy, Amore was aware that he could have kept himself in far better shape if he had done more than the rare few morning exercises and occasional carefree games of tag as well as hide and seek to entertain the foals in the Empire. What he now felt confused him greatly, as it wasn't just his magic that felt different now.

Amore sucked in a deep breath as another changeling joined the first one, this one being fast to apply a salve-covered bandage over his face in order to alleviate the worst symptoms of his irritated eyes, shrouding his world in a calming darkness.

"Have someling deliver him some pureed fruits mixed with clear water and a small dose of affection, preferably from the Queen's own stock to make it easier on him," they said and he recognized the almost clinical way they spoke to be the voice of Melipona, one of the caretakers in the Crystal Empire Hive. "I suggest you don't make any sudden movements for some time, Your Highness. Queen Araneae will be with you shortly, you don't have to worry. She should wake up from her sedatives soon."

"Sedatives..?" he asked, his voice hoarse and dry. Despite feeling so full of energy he feared he was going to burst, Amore felt more tired than he had ever felt like before in his life. And yet, he couldn't allow himself to fall asleep without first having seen Ara to make sure that she was alright. Nothing else mattered more to him than her wellbeing.

"We had to sedate her due to the stress she put herself under after you didn't return for the past month. An emergency council has been set up to make sure the Empire keeps running smoothly," Melipona explained, sounding like they were rustling through a bag of sorts. "Now, don't be startled, I have to draw some blood to run a few tests."

"Wait, I—" Amore began, only to let out a tiny yelp, wincing from the prick against his fetlock. The numbing sensation that followed clued him in enough to know that Melipona had just bit him.

"Hmm..." Amore heard them mutter and prod him some more before letting out a simple 'curious'. What happened next confirmed his suspicions about how his body must have changed after his... ascension to godhood. Not that he felt particularly 'godly' right now, suffering severely from what could only be hypersensitivity.

There was another sharp prick somewhere else. "Ow!" he exclaimed, jerking slightly away from his newest tormentor (he has to agree with Ara, Orchard really could be a slavedriver when she wants to be). The offended appendage gave a mighty push from the surprise reaction, standing proudly at attention for the whole world to see. Not that Amore was quite aware of his current location, but the multitude of hushed whispers was a pretty telling indicator that his appearance had started to draw a crowd of onlookers.

"Most curious, indeed," they muttered distractedly, starting to pace next to him from the sounds of it.

Amore frowned angrily. “What was that for?!”

“Your magic is suffused with a thousand different trace elements, Your Highness,” Melipona said, sounding as fascinated as their voice was a bored monotone. If one could call the shifting, double-layered voice of a changeling ‘monotone’, that is. “It’s actually radiating from your mane and tail slightly, it’s glowing visibly in broad daylight.”

Before he could ask Melipona to elaborate on that, Amore heard hasty hooffalls come rapidly closer to his location. A moment later, he had an overly affectionate bug clinging on to him, chirping up a storm. “Oh, thank your perfect ass, ‘more, you’re back!”

He smiled ever so slightly at the exclamation. “I’m sorry, Ara. I didn’t mean to disappear on you,” he whispered, taking in a deep sniff of her scent through his nostrils. The sweet scent of her mane greeted his senses stronger than ever before and he couldn’t help but want to give her ear a small, loving lick.

“A whole month, asshole,” she responded, hitting him over the chest (much to the protest of his new personal doctor). “I waited a month, 'more! Thirty fucking days, damnit! All of them spent on thinking that I vaporized you, you dick. Don’t you dare do that to me again!”

Amore winced. “I’m sorry!” he apologized again, tightening his hold on her as he pried the bandage over his eyes away with a hoof to give her an apologetic look. Looking at her like this, he realized his eyesight had become a lot sharper than it used to be, but considering the big feathery wings connected to him now? His eyes must be as good as (if not better than) those of a pegasus pony.

“And what the flying piggy fuck is this?!” Araneae asked, grabbing one of the aforementioned wings rather roughly, causing him to wince ever so slightly in pain. He probably deserved that (and then some). “What weird kind of lich necromancy bullshit did you perform to turn yourself into this unicorn duck swan thing?!”

He snorted with amusement. “Really, Ara?” he asked. “A unicorn duck swan?”

Araneae pouted back at him with an unhappy glower. “It’s the first thing that popped into my mind, so shut the fuck up,” she said, her cheeks lighting visibly up with an embarrassed flush. Then she started to feel him up even more. “Holy flying pigs, what’s up with those, hot damn!”

“What do you mean?” Amore said, bewildered. And flustered. Very. Flustered. Leave it to Ara to feel him up immediately after he returned. He still has no idea how a full month could have passed in the span of a few minutes, but he was relieved to be back in one piece (more or less). Well, actually... “I didn’t grow any more extra appendages, did I?”

Araneae snorted. “I meant your muscles, you idiot,” she clarified, her tail notably raised while another part of her was already standing at attention, rock hard. He had to avert his eyes from her with a thick gulp, lest his body decide to show his own reaction to her majestic length. Never more in his life did he wish he hadn't learned of his body’s desires to find out what it would be like to give that rod a taste, to find himself underneath his lover as they could do whatever they wanted with him. And he really couldn’t deny this want any longer, could he? As much as he tried to do so, he couldn't deny that he was attracted to every part of Araneae’s body, not just her lively personality. “You weren’t secretly replaced by a changeling after you were born, right?”

“I feel like you don’t mean your species,” he pointed out, fidgeting awkwardly on his hind legs as she gave him a half-lidded gaze.

“No, I meant your obviously ripped fae parents abandoning you with a foster family because they were too lazy to raise you themselves,” she sneered. A look that, despite its obviously ugly nature, looked no less beautiful than her 'impassive indifference' and ‘regal smiles’ she kept wearing in public. A mask that kept slipping from time to time despite her best efforts, to be honest. “And now, you finally awakened to your true nature and… I don’t know… became a mix of crystal earthpony, pegasus, and unicorn from what I can tell. Unicorn swan.”

“There’s much more to it than that,” Melipona cut in, offering him a glass of water mixed with crystal berry juice and a shot of positive emotions after somepony finally came by and delivered it to them. “But that requires further testing than what we’re currently capable of. Not to mention, things are more than hectic enough at the moment. I don't have the time to crack the genetics involved that make something like this possible (as much as I want to, regrettably)." Before Melipona could begin lamenting the unfairness of it all, they turned back to Amore, holding a filled cup for him to take. "Now, drink this, Your Highness. Slowly. You’ll feel better once you do. As for the tiredness, I'm afraid there's no better solution than getting some rest.”

“Thank you,” Amore nodded, reaching out with his magic only for it to completely crush the unsuspecting container upon doing so. It wasn’t just him that blinked in stunned silence, Araneae was openly gaping at the mush floating in his magic. There weren’t even any shards of glass left to piece the cup back together.

“Okay, that’s it,” Ara muttered, eyelid twitching. “Explanation. Now.”

“I...” Amore stammered, rubbing a hoof over his leg awkwardly before accepting a replacement cup from Melipona as they poured him a new one (this time taking it with his hooves instead of his magic). He gave the caretaker slash doctor slash mad scientist a grateful smile as they took the mushy mess from his magical grasp, intent on throwing it into the nearest available trash can they could find. Amore took a small, steadying sip from his ‘medicine’ while letting out a nervous sigh. Ara is going to flip her lid, isn’t she? “I don’t suppose the Soul of the World told you anything about a weird, floaty magic space?”

“No...” she said, a questioning look in her magenta eyes. Well, mostly magenta, that is. He could see some pink and purple shift into them from time to time, no doubt an indicator that Shadra and Arachne were listening in quite intently (while also holding a rapid-fire discussion between themselves, Amore was sure). “Then again, I did have a rather interesting encounter with... Agents of Death, I suppose. Well, more like reapers, I’ll tell you everything about them after you feel better. But first, I wanna know what you mean by that. Did you see the Great Equis?”

“Great Equis?” he asked, raising a curious brow. “I’m guessing that’s their name, then?”

“According to those two weirdos, yeah,” she shrugged back and he felt like reprimanding her about being disrespectful to what were clearly some very powerful beings. Not that that would help with her attitude, he mused.

Araneae could be a bit crass at times (or a lot, really), not mincing her words even if it would ultimately save her life if it depended on it. Though Shadra was perhaps even worse than her in that regard. The only one in their... collective, for lack of a better term that didn’t have this problem was Arachne, and that’s only due to her being so analytical most of the time. She tends to clam up instead and seethe silently to herself rather than letting her anger out. When she does, though, it usually results in her exploding at the pony that managed to set her off. It didn’t happen often, but he had heard from his love that it had caused some rather heated friction in their hive before.

"So?" she asked, tapping his side with an insisting prod. "Spit it out already."

Amore rolled his eyes, ignoring the mild discomfort that gave him, and shifted into a more comfortable position. “It’s hard to explain,” he began, putting his thoughts about his love’s quirks aside for now. “After I lost consciousness from the backlash of the shield breaking, I... I don’t know. I woke up in this strange place that had no visible ground to walk on. It wasn’t completely empty, though. If anything, it felt like magic was positively everywhere. It was unlike anything I have ever felt like before in the entirety of my life, Ara. Even the amount of magic the archmages are capable of wielding paled in comparison to what I felt and encountered in that place.”

“Okay...” Araneae nodded, clearly taking his words at face value since she had never met one of the archmages before. Aside from Swirly Star, that is. The archmage-hopeful was already one of, if not ‘the’ most powerful unicorns of her generation. A decade or more and Amore had no doubt she would surpass even the oldest archmage. Which would make her the most powerful unicorn up to this date, period. “And what did you find there? Aside from Great Equis, apparently.”

“Somepony who's like me, I guess,” he answered, gesturing to his extra feathery limbs with a tilt of his head and an awkward twitch of the aforementioned wings. That’s going to take some time getting used to, won’t it? Amore took a quick sip of his juice before clearing his throat in order to continue, dreading the coming days of frustration. He guessed that he could somewhat empathize with Ara now. She also had to learn to live as a changeling instead of one of these ‘hoo-mans’ (something he was still unsure of how they looked aside from her brief description of bipedal, furless people without muzzles or digitigrade legs). “They called themselves Hope, or Empathy, I guess. It’s like they talked as if they were the actual ponification of that concept. At least, that’s the impression I got and they kept calling me the ‘Child of Love’, as well. They—or she, I’m not too sure about that—guided me along this path of wisp-like lights while looking through my past in those big moving picture frames. Then, we talked about how that place existed for the purpose of judging somepony of being worthy. I didn't know what she meant until we came to the end of the path and I had to go on alone. To be honest, I'm still left reeling from everything that happened afterward, Ara. For some unfathomable reason, I was found worthy of ascension, of becoming a 'mortal god'.”

“Hmm,” she hummed, leaning her head against his chest again. She really liked doing that, didn’t she? That, and cuddling up to him as close as she could. While he could chalk that up to her insectile nature, he was well aware of the fact that this was only a small part of her fondness for cuddling. If anything, he suspected she must have a similar reason to his own need for genuine companionship. “A mortal god, huh? That’s a bit crazy were it to come out of anypony else but you.”

He sighed. “I honestly only agreed to this because I want to stay with you,” Amore whispered, thinking back on the words Great Equis had told him. How many lives would he have gone through before reuniting with her again? His being unmade, forgotten to time... only to return completely changed, unable to remember his life as it was now. Ara would have never been able to find him. Not in a million years.

“What do you mean?” Ara asked, tilting her head up so that she could look him into his eyes. “You were turned into a lich, weren’t you? Doesn’t that make you immortal, anyway?”

“That’s what you assumed it turned me into,” Amore pointed out, smiling sadly. “It didn’t. At least, not in the way we think it might have. I would have lived my life and continued on to my next, eventually. And the one after that. And the one after that. So on and so forth. It wouldn't have been me, anymore.”

She frowned. “Right,” she nodded absentmindedly, looking away into the distance to something only she could see. “It’s not like we couldn’t have worked through something like that together, right? Like a diary or something? To help you remember? I mean... I don’t even know if I’m going to live for as long as I think I might, it... uh...”

“Hey,” he said gently, making her focus back on him with a soft smile and a hoof against her cheek. “It’s okay, Ara. We’re going to stay together and nothing is going to get in between us, I promise. Certainly nothing as silly as death.”

“Yeah, about that...” Araneae snorted faintly, fidgeting against him while her expression turned guilty. “I might have been... uh... close to dying a few times fighting against Mother.”

“And yet, you’re still here,” he pointed out with a small sigh, trying to focus on that fact instead of falling to pieces again. It already happened once, and it might happen again, but he would rather concentrate on the here and now and simply enjoy the moment lest he starts to get angry at her for that.

“That I am,” she agreed, though the smile on her muzzle didn’t quite reach her eyes. There was a familiar, haunted quality in them. “Barely, at that. Mother... she was just so strong and I... I couldn’t even hit her once, ‘more. Were it not for those two in the Realm of Death, I might have never had the idea of targeting the Crystal Heart instead of her when I did.”

“Ara...” Amore muttered, giving her a stern look. “How exactly did you meet these ‘reapers’?”

“I, uh...” she grinned nervously, averting her eyes from him as her ears began to wilt. “Might have been, uh... slapped around a bunch of times by Mother?”

Calm, Amore had to remind himself. You have to keep yourself calm, for your own and Araneae’s sake. The alternative was probably going to look like him accidentally crushing her due to his newfound earthpony strength, and that? That he most certainly didn’t want to do.

Besides, staying mad at Ara when she looked like a chastised little filly that knew exactly what she did wrong was all but an impossibility. He just couldn’t stay mad at her, ever. He chalked it up to her totally adorable eyes that usually hid some sort of naughty thought behind their pretty glow.

“So... what else was there?” Ara prodded him and he let out a thoughtful hum. What else, indeed.

“A lot,” Amore admitted, a stormy look on his muzzle. Could he even tell her about the warning Great Equis gave him about ‘she who is born of twilight’? “We have a lot to prepare for, not just for the wedding.”

“Right, that,” she huffed, reluctantly parting from him so that she could walk a bit closer to the Crystal Heart rotating gently in between two pillars underneath their palace. The shine it held was wholly different from the one it previously had, and if one looked closely enough, one could even catch a glimpse of their own future in it. At least, that’s what Amore assumed it to be, considering he saw himself next to Araneae while they held a little foal in between them, obscured by a bundle of linen while only their purple mane was visible.

He had no idea how this change came to be, but if what it showed him was true, he really couldn't wait to find out how it would happen.

Araneae looked up towards the sky next and the aurora borealis that spread forth from the Crystal Palace in every direction possible towards the horizon. “You know, that’s going to draw a lot of attention our way pretty soon. It’s like a giant sign pointing straight towards us, telling everyone ‘Hey, we’re here! Come and invade us!’. We should prepare, get ready to face the rest of the world.”

“Nopony is going to invade us, Lovebug,” he said, following her to where she stood. “Ponies don’t wage war with each other.”

“Uh-huh,” she rolled her eyes, frowning. “Like they don’t keep slaves of other tribes? Trust me, they are going to seek retribution and they are going to accuse each other of crimes they have committed as well. It will inevitably boil over to us, and if we are not careful and play our cards right, we’ll get swallowed up in their conflict, as well.”

“Then perhaps a wedding is just the thing they need to remind themselves that we are, in the end, all ponies,” he smiled, making her look at him with doubt and a small smidgen of hope that he was right. “So? How about it? Do you want to marry me?”

“Didn’t I already say yes to that?” Araneae asked, a confused smile spreading on her lips. “Of course I do, you silly pony.”

“What about... right now?” Amore proposed, all while trying to ignore the jittery mess that was his heart.

Araneae blinked. “I’m sorry, what was that? I must have misheard you because, to me, it sounded like you said ‘right now’.”

He nodded his head. “That's what I said,” he confirmed. Amore was sure he must have looked as nervous as his love looked at that moment because his legs definitely felt like giving out on him if they were given the chance. He certainly felt like throwing up, and not just because of his nausea.

“But, I... I’m not nearly prepared enough for this!” Araneae said, her breathing shallow and fast. “I—We don’t even have our dress ready! And what about our mane?! We look like we just fell out of bed! Because that’s literally what we just did! We—”

Before any more words could spew out of her muzzle, Amore had it sealed with his lips. The changeling queen in front of him froze up stiffly, a stunned look appearing in her panic-ridden eyes. Then, she closed her eyelids, leaning into the kiss with a small moan while her wings chirped happily. Although, Amore stopped the kiss before she could force her tongue into his mouth and down his throat (much to her dismay).

“It’s okay, my love,” he told her, bumping the tip of his muzzle against hers with gentle appreciation. “We don’t need anything fancy for our private wedding. Just you, me, a beautiful sunset, and our love for each other.”

“O-okay,” she nodded, taking a few calming breaths. “That’s... a good idea, actually. Just us and our family and friends. Which is... pretty much everypony considering I fucked most of them at least once... and, uh... I’ll shut up now.”

Amore snorted, not in the least bit jealous. He cared more about the three wonderful mares behind those stunning eyes, not with whom she had shared her bed with. Though he did take a great deal of pleasure from the fact that nopony but him would get to enjoy having her all to himself from this day onward. Not that he was a petty pony to hold that over everypony else, but... he did feel like shoving it into their muzzles a little bit. ‘Just’ a little.

The setting for their small wedding was easily arranged and quickly decorated with the usual festive look the crystal ponies and changelings favored with the minor addition of crystal rose petals scattered everywhere (something about tradition, Amore didn't quite catch her excited explanation in full). Araneae did insist on at least combing her mane into a presentable loose hanging form, forsaking the complex updo hairstyle for the big, public royal wedding (an event that they would need to set up well in advance and send out invites before too long). And instead of instrumental music, they ended up having to contend themselves with a simple choir on such short notice.

Orchard was happy to officiate for them and the ceremony was exactly like they had practiced for more than a thousand times. That’s not to say that the magic of their union was any less special. If anything, the spontaneous nature of it and the familiarity of those they treasured most gave it its own unique and memorable touch. It was heartwarming in Amore’s opinion and that was what mattered the most to him. Their declaration of love came from the heart instead of being acted out for the sake of appearance.

And if he was absolutely honest, seeing Araneae in all her natural beauty with a genuine smile on her muzzle... it was more than just perfect. That day, they finally became husband and wife.

It was even better than he had imagined and dreamed of as a little foal. He had, at last, found his special somepony and he would spend eternity with her.

That’s a promise.

Author's Note

Well... that's as good a point to leave this as any. I won't lie, I hoped to see this do way better than it did, but that's what I get for writing a changeling fic without Chrysalis as the main character.

I don't know when (and if) I'll get back to this. While I still have some chapters saved up that await editing, this is sorta the 'Complete - Part One' halfway point.