//------------------------------//
// House of Light 
// Story: House Of Lies 
// by TCC56 
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After that, you would expect a big banner stating we lived happily ever after. And while I'll say things did work out well, it wasn't quite that smooth. 

After dinner, Ivory and I went our separate ways. Over the next two weeks, we took some time each day to spend with each other and see if we could re-establish what we once were. A chance, just like I had asked for and she agreed to. For the most part, it went smoothly. Maybe I wasn't Arche Triumph, but I was close enough. The things we still liked about each other were there, and three years of shared memories go a long way. It went well enough that after those two weeks when my funds ran low, Ivory let me move out of the hotel and into the house again. I slept on the couch, of course, but it felt... right to be in our home again. 

But there were always undercurrents. Yes, to her I was Arche - but I was an Arche that had spent three years lying to her. The fact that I had used her for sustenance never entirely left her mind either. I think it's part of ponies being descended from a prey species: one of those unspoken, ingrained fears. She understood intellectually why I had done it and forgave me, but forgiving and forgetting are very different things. That's a big part of why I stayed on the couch. 

I spent a month with Ivory in the house. A lot of that was taken up going back and forth with the union, the city, and the Crown - from what I understand, my situation wasn't unique. Since our Change, a lot of changelings had surfaced having been in positions that were problematic for Equestria. In my case: I was a structural engineer without any actual certifications or formal education. That meant every project I had ever touched in Whinnyapolis was suspect and normally I would probably be facing criminal charges. 

But this was practically the definition of extenuating circumstances, and the Princesses had been bending over backwards to try and begin relations with King Thorax's nation on a positive note. In the end, all sides agreed that I could simply walk away from my old job with no charges or penalties. In fact, I even got to keep the bits that had gone into my pension as an apology for Black Rock assaulting me. (I do feel bad about that since it was a reasonable reaction on his part, but I also wasn't going to say no to having something in my wallet. Plus he never apologized, which was typical Rock.)

I would never work in the field again, of course, but that was entirely expected. 

The relationship between Ivory and I stayed rocky despite our best efforts. Near the end we tried sleeping in the same bed as a last-ditch attempt to reignite things, but those nights were sleepless and awkward. Having a predator in your bed - particularly one who has preyed on you - isn't part of a good night's sleep. 

And I'll admit, knowing I was that predator was never far from my mind, either. 

In the end, we parted amicably. We wanted to stay friends - and we still write each other regularly - but a relationship just wasn't in the cards. My old life's secret had tainted things, broken them beyond repair. It was as much me as her: just like she couldn't forget what I had done, I couldn't let go of my guilt. We had a month of dancing on eggshells around each other. We couldn't live our lives like that. 

So an ending, one we both agreed on and accepted. It was worth taking the chance even if it didn't work out. 

I returned to the Badlands and joined the construction crew rebuilding and transforming the hive into something more suited for our new lives. Three years as a structural engineer was invaluable, and King Thorax was more lenient about formal education than the Whinnyapolis City Council. It didn't take long before that practical experience put me in charge of the whole hive's public works, and that led to King Thorax (and Princess Twilight Sparkle) setting me up as part of a correspondence course. I should earn my engineering degree two years from now - though I'll admit the coursework is a challenge. 

Ivory's doing well, too. She actually met a stallion at a therapy group for changeling victims. Brickhouse's marefriend was one of the ones who got kidnapped and never returned, but he's managed to get through it. He and Ive were friends for almost a year before they finally started dating, and he was exactly what she needed: while rough around the edges, he's loyal, strong-willed, and has a big heart. (Emotionally as well as physically.) The two of them are talking marriage now, and she asked me to be in the wedding party. 

As for me, I'm still single. But that's fine. I don't need love to survive anymore, I've got a job I enjoy, and I finally mostly moved beyond my past. (Well, our collective past.) Plus I've been considering adopting one of the nymphs - but I want to hold off on that until I finish the degree. Doing both at once would be too much of a time crunch, I think. 

So yes. We both got our happy endings even if it wasn't storybook. That's better than a lot of people get and given how we started? It's probably as good as we could hope for.

I'm just glad I found the courage to knock on that door.