A Life Long-lived

by Night Music

Chapter 4: Deeds

Author's Note:

I wanted to get this up a few weeks ago but something felt off about it. Now it feels... less off. The next chapter will be out shortly.

Diamond was never no one to think back on things. He never wanted to change what he had done, deciding for himself that worrying about the past was a meaningless effort. No matter how much you want to change what you had done, it was done. There was nothing you could do.

"The magic of friendship," Diamond read, chuckling at the cover of the book. "Celestia, there was a time that I would have believed you," he set the book down on the table before him. "But I changed."

In the newly refurbished and regrown Golden Oaks Library, Diamond stood and peered at the fabric bound book. It's pages unmarked but worn. Faded stains littered the edges of the page.

"And so did you."

Hearing a set of hooves slowly make their way down the stairs, Diamond turned to see Aphid trotting down the stairs one step at a time. Raising a hand into the air, Diamond levitated his daughter into the air and brought her towards him. Aphid giggled along the way, outstretching her hooves and flapping her wings as she did so.

"I will not be able to do this for long, you know this right?" Diamond asked with a smile on his face. "You'll grow up, and maybe learn how to say dad."

"Mama," Aphid cried as she landed on Diamond's left shoulder.

"Yes, thank you. Now what can mama get you?" He asked with a chuckle. Looking at Aphid from the corner of of his eye he watched as Aphid made a strained face and opened her mouth.

"Hungry? I'm sorry but I can't rightly extract my own emotions,

Diamond watched Aphid falter as her mouth closed slightly. He winced, knowing what magic tastes like, he didn't blame her.

"I'm sorry, I know it doesn't taste good but it's all I have, until your mother gets here that is."

Magic never tasted good, if he had to compare it to something, it was like drinking a liquefied cardboard box. Filling but bland.

Diamond watched as Aphid pointed to the door.

"Fine, but we're getting you some apples, no sweets." Diamond said, wanting to pay the Apple family a visit.

Standing up from the table, Diamond walked over to the door, deciding that he had no use for his cloak. Pushing open the door, he pursed his lips and stared down at it. Giving himself a small nod as he stepped out into the world with Aphid into his arms.

---

"Diamond?" Twilight called out as she opened the door to the library "Sorry for barging in." Spike peeked from behind her as the door swung open.

"I don't think it's polite to enter somepony's house when they're away." Spike whispered as his head darted back and forth, his words seemed to fall on deaf ears as Twilight resumed walking into home.

Looking around, Twilight could not find hide nor hair of Diamond. It was as if he had disappeared from existence entirely, the only thing that reminded her that he was indeed here were the books that lined the shelves. Turning her head once more, she checked for any signs of Diamond. Nodding to herself when she saw that he was nowhere to be seen.

The library itself had been just like she remembered it, quiet, dust floating through rays of light as Celestia's sun spilled through the windows, illuminating the wooden floor. It was as if it hadn't been destroyed at all.

"This is so weird," Spike said as he walked through the library. Butterflies fluttered in his chest at the memories that rose from within. "I'm never going to get used to being back in here." Spike muttered. Walking into the kitchen, he disappeared behind the counter as wandered. The tapping of his feet still heard.

Walking over to the shelf, Twilight's horn lit up with magic. Noticing something in the corner of her eye, she turns her head to look at a book sitting on a table, her magic dimming as she walks over to it. Reading the title, a small smile made its way onto her face. Raising a hoof to the book, she pulled the cover away and peered at the pages inside. Her smile disappeared. The pages were blank. Flipping through the book, the corners of her mouth fell with every page. There was nothing there, the pages looked as if the book had been read hundreds of times, but there was nothing to read.

"Hey," a voice spoke from behind her, causing Twilight to yelp and turn towards the source of the voice. It was Diamond standing there with Aphid in his arms, asleep. The small changeling hatchling giving soft snores as her chest rose and fell. With his arms wrapped around the small Changeling, Twilight noticed a bag that hung from one of his hands.

Spike walked back into the living room, the sight of Diamond brought a tightness to his chest.

With the book behind her on the table, Twilight coughed. "Sorry about that, I wanted to speak to you and the door was unlocked, so I kind of let myself in."

"We kind of let ourselves in," Spike repeated, craning his neck to look up at Diamond, who stepped past him and into the kitchen. Ponies may have been taller when compared to Spike, but Diamond was on a whole other level.

An eyebrow on Diamond's face rose. "The front door doesn't even have a lock, I was out getting one for it." He set the sack down on the kitchen counter with a thud before adjusting it so the contents inside wouldn't spill out.

"Oh," Twilight said as she raised a hoof to the back of her head. "So, since you're here do you mind if I ask some questions? Last time I tried to you didn't really answer any of them."

"Sure, let me just get Aphid to bed, she tired herself when we went out." He said as he stepped past them once more.

Twilight nodded her head before watching Diamond turn to his left and walk up the stairs to the bedroom. Neither Spike or Twilight spoke before they heard Diamond coming back down the steps.

"So, what did you want to ask?" Diamond asked with a small smile, turning his head between Spike and her. It seemed he was half asleep himself.

"When you grew the tree, you said you used Alicorn magic. What is Alicorn magic?"

"Aren't you an Alicorn though?" Diamond asked, confused as to why an Alicorn had no clue about Alicorn magic.

"I wasn't always an Alicorn though, and I haven't heard either Princess Celestia or Princess Luna talk about it." Twilight bit her cheek, wondering if she should ask them about it. They must have had a reason not to talk about it though. She thought to herself.

"Well," Diamond said before reaching a hand to the back of his head. "It wasn't entirely Alicorn. The spell I used was a combination of both nature magic from the Timberwolves and time magic from a subdivision of Alicorn teachings."

"Wait, Timberwolves have magic too?"

The eyebrow that was raised earlier had raised again. "Yes? Magic is usually how they animate themselves. Most packs have three or four wolves that can animate other materials as well as wood, Stone, dirt, sand. It's how they make more."

Twilight had never payed mind to the Timberwolves. She knew that the animation process involved magic but she never knew it was done by another one of their kind.

Just as she was bout to ask another question, Diamond stopped her with one of his own.

"You mind if I ask you a question? A quid pro quo, as they say. I scratch your back, you scratch mine?"

Twilight shrugged, simply nodding in response.

"Thanks. So, how's Celestia doing?"

Twilight choked on just as she was about to give an answer. Coughing as tears filled her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Diamond asked. Walking towards Twilight to pat her on the back, minding her wings as he did so.

"Sorry, the question caught me off guard. I didn't really expect you to ask about Celestia."

Diamond shrugged, a knowing smile on his face. "It's fine. My little outburst yesterday was old wounds reopening. I'd actually like to talk with her some time. Instead of her just finding out about me and get fussy that I decided to come back."

"The Princess wouldn't get fussy." Twilight smiled sheepishly, the thought of Princess Celestia on the ground, kicking and flailing her hooves was not a thought she expected to have.

Diamond chuckled. "How is she though? Doing well I hope."

"I don't really know, that'd be something to ask her yourself."

Diamond shrugged and nodded. "Fair enough." His eyes moved away from Twilight and towards the book that was on the table before her. Walking over, he took the book in his hands and moved towards the shelves. As Diamond was about to put the book away, Twilight spoke up.

"If you'd like, I can send a letter to her."

Diamond paused, still facing the shelf with the book in hand. After a moment of silence, he set the book back in it's place amongst the others. Turning around as he gave his reply. "Sure, let her know that I can come up there if she wants. She is a busy mare after all."

Twilight nodded at this. Her insides bubbling with excitement at the opportunity to learn, not only from an experienced user of multiple types of magic, but one that shares the longevity of Celestia herself, and the wisdom that comes with it.

"So, is there anything else you wanted to know?"

"Can you teach me what you know about magic?" Twilight asked quickly, stepping towards Diamond as she did so.

Stepping away from the Alicorn, Diamond backed up into the shelf causing the books to slump over each other and a few of them to tumble to the ground.

"W-Well, I can teach you something, not everything though." He went silent for a moment before a thought came to him. "How about helping me?" A glimmer came to Diamond's eyes as he relaxed. Bending over, he picked up the books that laid at his feet.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Help you?"

Diamond nodded with a smile on his face. "Yeah. There are some things that I can't actually do alone. Binding a summoned creature for example." The smile that was on Diamond's face stretched far to the point that he began to bare his teeth. This time, it was Twilight who stepped back. The bubbly feeling inside of her had been dashed in an instant at the sight of Diamond. Turning around he placed the books back in their places on the shelves.

He turned back around to face Twilight, the grin that had been on his face was now gone. "I can summon them with a carefully fed opening. But I can't muster the instantaneous magic needed to bind it." Diamond sighed. "You'd be perfect for the job," he mumbled with a laugh.

"I don't think I'd be any help, I've never–"

"Nonsense, all you have to do is recite a spell, and if by the off chance you get cold hooves," the brows on his face furrowed before he spoke back up. "Do you know a place that sells gems around here?"

Twilight wasn't so sure about helping him anymore, but learning about a foreign type of magic... it isn't a thing most ponies get to learn from the comfort of their home. "I think Rarity would lend you some gems."

"Great, I'll pay her a visit." As the door swung open with a blue glow encasing it, Diamond turned around, looking at them with a smile. "Oh yeah, and help yourself to anything in the fridge or on the counter."

Stepping back out, he shut the door behind himself, leaving the two wondering what had just gone on.

Twilight turned around, her brows furrowed while a corner of her mouth rose before she spoke up. "Spike, take a letter."

---

Chrysalis was against this entire plan. Living peacefully among ponies? That would never happen.

Shaking her head, she quickened her pace. Her hooves stepping into the soft dirt as she trotted through the Everfree forest. The leaves above her rustling in the wind, letting rays of light through to cut at the darkness, only to be blocked out once more.

She tried to talk him out of it, but there was nothing she could do. Once he had a plan, he had to follow through with it. He even took the hatchling as a way of ushering her further to follow suit.

Sighing, Chrysalis lowered her head. "It's not as if I'm angry," she mumbled. She was grateful that he took the hatchling. All she wanted was to give the little one a better life than she could provide.

After the failed attempt to capture Canterlot, Chrysalis found herself being casted out by the survivors. Broken and alone, she ended up wandering the outskirts of Equestria until she crossed paths with Diamond.

She had heard about him from other hives. Some of them had documents recording his visits. All of which described a strange bipedal creature that started out as a beggar on the streets, the money he had was either useless or unwelcome. No one had ever heard of him, or even bothered with him, that was until he began to show his abilities in producing and maintaining efficient levels of love. He began to bribe citizens into teaching him Changeling magic. He was one of the wonders of the hives.

A creature that not only could produce an endless amount of love, but also be willing to part with it freely. His visits were seen as sign of good fortune.

Chrysalis threw a hoof up to shield her eyes from the sudden sunlight. Blinking, her eyes adjusted to the light and she found herself at the bottom of a hill. Peering at the top, she sighed.

"Hello, Chrysalis." A voice spoke from her side. Causing her to jump and turn towards the owner of said voice. Her heart calmed when she had to look up to see the pale face of Diamond smiling down at her. His attire wasn't different from the first time she had met him. A shirt and pants made for a minotaur with shoes that housed his primate-like feet. A small bag hung off his waist.

"Hello... Diamond." She looked around, moving her head to even look behind him. "How are you?"

"Fine."

"And the hatchling?"

"She's doing fine as well," he said with a smile and a nod of his head. "We've already got a home set up. I need to get furniture though."

"Where is the hatchling? Why isn't she with you?"

"I'm having an acquaintance of mine watch over her, and don't worry. A paragon of purity can't do anything wrong, less they wish to have the wrath of their god princess brought down upon them." He chuckled.

Chrysalis frowned, her brows furrowed before she spoke. "You're having one of the Elements of Harmony watch the hatchling?! Changelings were hunted down after we— after I tried to take over Canterlot."

"And? You think they will punish Aphid for what you did? Not a chance." Chrysalis winced at Diamond's suddenly harsh tone. She pawed at the grass below without looking away. "And do you think that I will allow them to punish you for trying to save your hive?"

Chrysalis' eyes widened when Diamond stepped forward, wrapping her with his arms. A burst of love washed over her, like a wave crashing onto a sandy shore. "I have seen kingdoms ruled by the best, and I have seen kingdoms ruled by the worst. A ruler worth ruling will do anything to bring prosperity to their citizens. You might not be the best, but you are definitely far from the worst."

Chrysalis coughed, the amount of love he gave off was suffocating. "Stop that, are you trying to kill me?" She said, trying not to breathe in any more as it stained the back of her throat with a sickeningly sweet taste.

"I don't think you can die by love. And Aphid doesn't seem to mind."

"She's a hatchling, hatchlings love sweet things."

"So I'm basically a walking air freshener for her?"

Chrysalis laughed. "Maybe," she said in between laughs.

Diamond gave a chuckle before turning around. "Come on, she's been wanting to see you." He gestured for her to follow with a swing of his arm.

Chrysalis' laughter died down as she followed. "How did you know I was out here by the way?"

"I like to play it safe, especially when I'm in a town like this, you never know what might crawl out of a forest." He set his hand on the nape of Chrysalis's neck. "You might want to hold onto something. Also knowing Celestia, you might want to disguise yourself."

---

Watching the hatchling trot around the room from the couch, Twilight mumbled to herself. "How can this thing be his?" Unlike any of the changelings she had encountered in Canterlot when they had invaded, this one seemed to lack any of the holes she had seen on the others. "Maybe it's something they get when they grow older?"

After a minute of more trotting around, the pudgy hatchling came to a stop, causing Twilight's eyes to widen. What did this changeling have planned? It turned to face her, its single fang gleamed in the sunlight that poured through the open windows.

"What?" Twilight asked as she stared at the changeling that stared right back. Silence reigned between the two of them as they continued to stare at each other. Twilight smiled awkwardly, no clue what to do.

"Twilight?" Spike asked as he stepped from the kitchen, a plate full of jewels and gems in his claws. "Why did it get quiet in here?" He asked as he looked between the hatchling and her. An eyebrow rose on Spike's face at the scene.

"Spike," Twilight whispered, gesturing for him to come over. With a couple of quick steps, Spike was by her side. "What do I do? I don't know anything about taking care of foals, let alone changeling foals."

"Beats me," Spike said with a shrug. "Play with her, read her a book, I don't know." He grabbed a number of gems before tossing them into his mouth, audibly crunching on them before he spoke up again. "Use your magic to do something."

"But what if it doesn't like that?"

"If she doesn't like that, oh well," he shrugged once more. Swallowing the gems, he moved to the couch, jumping up to sit next to Twilight. "I still don't know why Diamond had us stay to watch his foal, I still think Fluttershy would have been a better choice."

Twilight looked at Spike. "You don't think I can't take care of a foal?"

"You just said you don't know how, and Fluttershy has experience because she takes care of animals."

"What about you? I hatched you, doesn't that make me your mother?" Twilight asked.

"I guess?" he said with a raised eyebrow before turning back to his plate and eating more gems. "I mean, you did hatch me, but it was mainly Celestia who raised me." He swallowed the gems. "I find you to be a really caring sister. And you're not all that older than me so it'd be kind of weird for me to call you mom."

"Wow, thanks." Twilight said with a roll of her eyes.

"What? I mean if you want me to call you mom, I can."

A heat rose to Twilight's cheeks at the thought. "N-No, I think I'll stick with the title of loving sister." She tried to hid herself behind a hoof. Only to move it away as laughter chimed through their silence. Looking at the source of the laughter, Twilight spied Aphid looking up at both Spike and her, their conversation seemingly amusing to the hatchling.

As soon as the laughter began, a knocking came from the door, startling the hatchling as her head whipped back. "I've got it," Twilight said, getting up from the couch and trotting towards the door. Her horn flared with magic as she encased the handle, pulling it open, she greeted the one on the other side of the door before her eyes widened at the sight.

"Hello, Twilight." Celestia said, bowing her head slightly with a smile. "I got your letter and I came as soon as I could." Her alabaster white coat glistened in the sunlight, the usual pieces of gold that had adorned her body were missing. Her mane wasn't as ethereal as it usually was, it fell to her shoulders where it all ended in curls, the colors were the only thing that remained the same.

Comments

[Hoppa_21]

Nice to see the Chrissiemom confirmed. I'm already interested to read how this turns out!

[Sky Hooves]

A new chapter? AWESOME! And it get's interesting. I reallyl ook forward to the interaction between Damond and Celestia^^

[LordMentat]

Its Alive!!!!!!!!!

[StarzGecko]

Oh dear it's back!

[Lord of Something]

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