'Breathe, Lena.' Lena grimaced and cried out in agony as her veins started to overflow and burst.

'BREATHE! SEND YOUR ENERGY TO YOUR PLANET!' Lena's eyes opened after the voice spoke within her mind. It wasn't the goddess who spoke to her, but the voice was familiar, and comforting. She sucked in some air, and exhaled forcefully. Instinctively, she looked upward.  A pillar of energy shot out of her mouth, straight up through the roof of the temple, and up into the sky.

"That's it, baby!" Kyrie said and knelt down in front of her. "Send your energy to the planet Gallae meant for you! That's it! Keep breathing out and let that energy out!" Kyrie didn't relax, but she now saw hope in the things she just witnessed.

Lena had evolved, and her internal energy production had grown so that her mortal body could no longer handle the storage of it. No mortal body could handle even a fingertip's worth of the energy Lena had absorbed over the last twelve years of her life, but they had forgotten that small detail.

She not only survived it, but absorbed enough of Kyrie's energy to destroy an entire continent, and all life upon it. That was nothing compared to the amount of energy Gallae fed her in order for her to evolve.

Once the memories of her past life had been unlocked, the two beings began to merge, which meant a lot more spiritual strength within her young body.

That might seem like a good thing, but she hadn't adapted to her normal amount of power as it kept on growing in strength over time. Now, she had an additional eight years of life energy added to it, which also included all the divine energy Jana absorbed during that period of her life.

"Her skin isn't as tight!" Nuri said, and almost sobbed in relief as Lena now felt like she actually might live through this experience. Nuri felt her skin seem to crawl under the robe Lena wore, but could not see any outward sign of what that might mean.

"Lena, keep sending your planet the energy. Don't stop until you feel normal again." Kyrie said firmly. Lena's energy discharge was like a fountain, but one in which the pressure started out strong, but grew weaker at the end of the breath.

It took several minutes for the breathing technique to reduce the amount of pressure on her poor body, and allow her to return to normal.

"Empress?" Syl asked from her side. Lena turned towards her, the white glow from her eyes so bright, it lit up the room.

"Syl, you're here?" She asked quietly.

"You called to me, Empress." Syl said, and stifled her own tears. She now worshiped the Empress as her goddess, and hated to see what she had gone through. "You brought me here to feed me and Sonya so you would stop hurting inside." She turned to Sonya, and smiled.

"I see the signs upon you both." She reached out and wrapped an arm about Syl's waist. She pulled her in close, and gently kissed her belly. "Some day, my first ones will have a happy life ahead of them. When my world has living soil, remind me to give you a gift." Sonya nodded.

"Of course, Empress. Are you alright now?" Sonya asked carefully, and was happy for Syl that she had their goddess's kiss upon her belly. Lena smiled and kissed Sonya's belly, and blinked in confusion when she thought about the question.

"I am, but also feel odd. I am Lena, but I sense someone else. Someone I know intimately." She closed her eyes, and slowly nodded. "Now I know why so many of you felt familiar. I've known you all along." She opened her eyes and grinned.

"Goddess." Lena said, and watched Kyrie perk up. "I'm back, my love. I am finally back."

* * *

"Who ate your jellies, Mirri?" Lena asked her friend when things had calmed down. Mirri blushed a bit.

"Mom." She said in a soft voice. Lena frowned slightly. "I went to Haven at the first opportunity." She said and lowered her eyes. Rhanna, her original mortal mother, sighed a bit.

"She missed Jana a lot, Lena." Rhanna said. "We all did. If I wasn't raising my other daughter into a proud acolyte, I would have gone early as well." Lena frowned, while Rachel put her hand on her shoulder.

"The temple was in turmoil, Empress. The goddess was enraged and nearly mad with grief. When she came out of the dream world, our memories were sealed, but we all knew we lost someone important." Rachel sat beside her on the bed, while Nuri kept her cushioned with her massive breasts that Lena loved to snuggle into.

"I see. So am I the reason the temple stopped?" She asked.

"No. There was turmoil on Imera, and the demigods born to my half brother, Ostus, have wreaked havoc on mother's world." She sighed. "I've been dark in mood for a long time, and when I found you, things looked brighter." Lena sighed a bit.

"So, those demis are causing problems on your mother's celestial body." Lena pursed her lips. "That means we'll need to handle them some day. Imera is important to Gallae, and if they don't calm down, Gallae will take matters into her own hands."

"Yes, but she's leaving it in ours." Kyrie said, and smirked. "That half brother of mine is quite weak, but arrogant. I never fight him, but he thinks that's because I'm weak." Lena snorted.

"Haven is full of life and strength. Your world reflects your strength. They have no world, and no realm, thinking that Imera is their realm, and their strength. Arrogant fools." She said, and grit her teeth. She felt Nuri's arm snake about her waist, and calmed herself. She looked around.

"Where is Nadya?" She asked. Nadya cleared her throat as she had been pushed to the back of the room. Lena crooked her finger, and patted the bed beside Nuri. Once she sat down with reddened cheeks, Lena looked at Kyrie.

"Your throne waits for your body to sit down, love. My throne, my Nuri, keeps me warm and safe." She looked at Nadya, and her eyes glowed white. "You are the throne of flesh meant for my mate, to sit behind her, snuggle and keep her warm, and make her feel my love." Kyrie chuckled.

"Telling them that they are our thrones, don't you feel a bit perverted?" Kyrie asked her, but sat down between Nadya's thighs, sighed as her head went between her breasts, and felt their warmth on her body. "Although, this is a good idea." Lena smiled.

"Their purpose is to care for us, and our needs. Nuri is mine, and mine alone. Nadya belongs to you, and you alone." She looked at Rachel. "Change the throne room appropriately. Soft ornate chairs that can cradle and keep their flesh from being damaged while they protect us in their embrace." She tapped Rachel's thigh.

"Remember, thrones. They are our thrones, while they need to sit properly, and comfortably. All should respect their position as our persons of importance. Even if we are not seated on their body, if they are there, they are to be respected, and treated properly." Her tone was firm, and Rachel nodded.

"Of course, Empress." Rachel said.

"I know you always listen to my requests, Rachel." Lena said in a small voice. "It is for everyone else, and our thrones to hear." Kyrie chuckled.

"They may be our seats, Lena, but they are people. The throne will be their seat, while they are ours." She grasped Nadya's thigh, and sighed. "I never considered having one of my people close like this on a regular basis, but..." Lena smiled.

"It's comforting, is it not? Their emotions radiate out into you, including their worship, their awe, and their devotion. When they feel bad, you can soothe them with only your presence." She caressed Nuri's upper thigh, and sighed.

"You feel familiar, my Nuri. So familiar to my heart that I ache inside when you are not near. Why is that?" She whispered. This startled Kyrie, and she suddenly grew fearful.

'Just when you think you've learned all about her, there will be more surprises.' She heard Gallae's voice at her ear again, and shivered a bit.

Lena had lived another life, and died once already. There was more to endure, which scared her immensely.

Just what had her mate endured that she did not yet know?