A creature of old has been present in Equestria since the beginning of the rule of the alicorns, watching, waiting. He saw their fall and the sisters' rise to power. Now, for the first time in eons, he steps from watching and takes action.

This story is a sequel to An Affliction of the Heart

Kuno and Warden are happily together now, but events are transpiring to force them from their happy life.

The reappearance of the Crystal Empire causes Kuno and Warden to give up their new-found home. And Kuno, ignoring the fact that they're two different species and completely incompatible, decides that she wants a baby.

Kuno, a young changeling, is left weak, bloodied, and bruised after the events of the Canterlot wedding. She is soon discovered by Warden, a Royal Guard. But for some reason, Warden shows her mercy. Instead of taking her into the custody of the Royal Guard, he becomes both her captor and her savior. But over time, Kuno will come to ask herself the hardest question she has ever pondered: Can a changeling feel love?