He's been from the deserts of Saddle Arabia, all the way to the frozen home of the Windigos. He's decided that it's time to settle down, too bad that he chose to live with Ponies.
He's been from the deserts of Saddle Arabia, all the way to the frozen home of the Windigos. He's decided that it's time to settle down, too bad that he chose to live with Ponies.
Diamond Dignity, also known as Damon, a human born to pony parents, has traveled the world and lived with every single race that lived, and still lives on the planet known as Equis. But this is the first time he has ever brought himself to live with ponies.
"Run for your lives! It's a monster!" a cream colored mare shouted before galloping away, causing every pony in the vicinity to look towards the commotion. What they saw made their blood run cold. Marching towards the market was a behemoth of a creature. It's face hidden by darkness that was supplied by a brown fur hood and the only tell to what it was, was the horns that poked out beyond said hood. The fur draped over the creature and dragged lightly on the ground around it. Hiding its figure. But even if they didn't know what it looked like underneath the fur, they could tell that it was big. Standing over three times the height of a regular pony, and with the width of two large ones, it was an understatement to say that the creature looked threatening.
As the creature marched forward, more ponies ran at the sight of it. It's destination known, a small apple stand. The only apple stand in the market, run by a pony known as Applejack. The blonde earth pony was behind the stall at the moment, but was not paying attention as she had been relaxing, waiting for a customer. With the market empty besides the two, the creature stopped in front of the stall.
"Are you the one known as Applejack?" The creature spoke with an echo to its voice, breaking her out of day dream. She looked up at him and her eyes went wide.
"Uh y-yeah," she said, her voice wavering as she spoke. "H-How can I help?"
The creature reached up to it's hood with its silver claws and grabbed whatever was under the hood. With a twist of his arms, she heard a click sound of from under the fur. Pulling his arms away from himself, Applejack saw that he had removed a mask of some sort, but he stored it away under his fur cloak before she could get a closer look. Raising his claws back up to his face, he grabbed a hold onto his hood. Pulling it back he revealed his sun-kissed face with a flat muzzle. She looked up to his horns and saw that it connected to the rest of the mask had been wearing, the rest of it being on the back of his head. A head of bleached hair resting underneath the horns. Smiling down at her with closed eyes, he spoke with his strange looking muzzle.
"I'd like two apples, please," he said in an accent that resembled a posh Canterlot noble.
Before being body checked by a blue blur from his left.
It was dark. Very dark. This was all Twilight could tell about her dream. One moment she was blissfully unaware that she was asleep at all. But that changed when something changed. She couldn't tell what, but she knew something happened.
"You thought you could escape me Sparkle?" A deep voice echoed. She turned to the source and only saw the silhouette of some... thing. As it drew closer, she noticed the horns. The only pony she knew with horns was... Tirek!
"Tirek?!" She shouted. Confused as to how he was here in her dreams. It seemed though that he had ignored her.
"Time itself couldn't stop me from getting what is mine," his voice rumbled as he stopped just out of arms reach. What looked like lightning seemed to arc from where his eyes were. "I'm back," he whispered with a throaty chuckle. Raising a fist and thrusting it towards her face.
In that moment Twilight's eyes snapped open. She was back in her room. She squinted as she noticed the sunlight that peeked through the crack in the curtains.
"Twilight!" Somepony shrieked in her ear. Letting out a yelp of fear, she tumbled out of her bed, along with the blanket. Slowly, her head poked from underneath the blanket, looking up to her bed she spotted her pink friend, rightfully named Pinkie Pie. Who was currently bouncing on her bed like a foal hyped up on sugar.
"Pinkie," Twilight croaked, using her bloodshot eyes to peak at the clock on her room's wall. Her eyes widened. It was already lunch time why hadn't Spike woken her? She shook her head and focused on what was before her. Pinkie.
"Pinkie what are you doing?" Twilight croaked once more. "Not that I don't want to see you but... did you have to wake me up like that?" Nodding her head to keep her eyes on Pinkie as she bounced.
"Of course!" She giggled. "Discord is gathering us all up, apparently he has a surprise for us!" She said as she continued to bounce up and down.
Discord? A surprise? Why did this sound like some sort of prank. None the less, she would humor him. Twilight cleared her throat. "Give me a moment please." Using her magic, the whole room was filled with a bright light, after it dulled down everything was back in place. Pinkie wasn't bouncing but next to Twilight as the blanket had taken her place and was neatly tucked into the bed. Twilight's mane was less of a mess and her eyes weren't bloodshot anymore. She took a deep inhale and held it for a moment. Before exhaling and turning towards he friend. "Okay," she said, bowing her head. "I'm ready."
As the two exited the castle, they were greeted with the group right outside of the door. There was Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Discord floating above them.
"Discord?" Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow. "What's going on? What's this surprise? Pinkie didn't tell me much."
"Oh isn't it wonderful?!" He raised his arms to the sky, before slowly floating to the ground. "Please girls, walk with me," Discord said as he walked towards Ponyville. The friends looked between each other, their eyebrows raised, and confusion in their eyes. Shrugging they began to follow the Draconequus. Catching up to him, the girls looked between each once more.
"Uhm, Discord?" Fluttershy spoke softly.
"Yes Fluttershy?" Discord asked, craning his neck back with a glee filled smile on his face.
Everypony but Fluttershy reared back their heads at this, they knew Discord was weird, but, why was he acting so normal? So collected? And why did they find that even weirder?
"I don't mean to be rude but, would you mind telling us what is going on?" Her face contorted with worry. "Is something the matter?"
"Oh nothing is wrong dear, but if you all wanted to hear what the surprise is, all you had to do was ask," Discord said before going silent.
"So? What's this surprise?" She asked, growing tired of the repeating of the question.
"Oh nothing but an old family friend coming to visit," Discord said nonchalantly.
"A friend? Wait, you have a family Discord?" Twilight asked, the first time hearing about Discord's personal life.
"Yes yes I have a family, where do you think babies come from?"
Twilight sputtered. Discord used to be a baby?
"Well Twilight, when a stallion and a mare love each other very much-"
"Discord! This isn't appropriate at the time!" Fluttershy squeeked, her face flushed and red.
"-The stork delivers them a baby, parts already assembled but batteries not included." Discord turned to his left, turning a corner and heading into the market. Every one of the mares besides Fluttershy stared at the back of Discords head with gazes that asked 'What?'
"But yes, I do have a family. And I consider this friend of mine to be a part of that family," Discord said with a small smile on his face. "Even if he did only come to be trained in the ways of chaos," he coughed quickly into his loin paw.
Another pony who was just like Discord? Twilight dreaded to know what it would be like to have not only one but two Discords living in Ponyville. She shuddered at the thought. Looking forward, she could see the market square. She could even see Applejack's stall from where she was. In that moment, seeing the horned figure in front of the apple stall. One thought came to the forefront of her mind.
"Tirek?!" She shouted, not actually meaning to. This caught the attention of her friends as they all turned their gazes to her, and then to where she was looking. Twilight heard a growl from above her and was blinded as her wind was blown into her eyes. She opened them and saw that Rainbow Dash had already taken off, speeding towards the centaur.
Raising a hoof. Twilight called out. "Rainbow Dash, wait!" But it was too late, she had already collided with the horned figure.
Diamond Dignity, or Damon as he was known by his friends. Was a strange one. Being born from a pony family and taken to the royalty of the Griffin capitol, he lived a life of luxury. At a young age he resented his biological parents for abandoning him. But grew to understand why they had done what they did. He was a strange creature, one that no one had ever seen. They wouldn't have been able to take care of him in the first place. So he was given to the Griffins. With a family that was so different from him, his mind went from resentment to curiosity. Could he find people that were like him? Over the years this curiosity grew, going from finding his own kind, to finding a place that he would fit in. So, at the age of seventeen he set off to adventure the world. Wandering, living with the different races and cultures that populated the planet. Gaining friends and family everywhere he went.
"Ah, Ponyville, I remember you," Diamond said with a sigh. His voice echoing in his mask. A piece of Minotaur craftmanship. The front half was a shiny silver with angled eye slits and square holes near the mouth for breathing. While the back half was of the same material but with gold leaf trimmings. The horns welded to the top of it. The gold spiraling around the bases of the two ivory made horns. Both of which rose from the top of the two piece helmet and jutted forward just over the front of the mask, and tapering off to a fine point as they turned towards the sky once more. His yak fur cloak covering his body along with his gear.
"I think we're gonna love it here, nice, quiet country town, eh?" He looked down at his traveling companion with a raised eyebrow. On the grass covered ground was a small jet black figure. With four hooves planted in the grass and fins adorning each side of its head. Looking up to lock gazes, the infant Changeling looked at his mask with her own pair of massive sky-blue eyes. A moment of silence passed before the infant raised her hooves above her head and gave a bubbly giggle, laughing at the funny looking creature. A single fang in her otherwise toothless smile.
Diamond bent forward, and with his gauntlet covered hands, lifted the Changeling into his arms, using the tips of his fingers to tickle the sides of the Changeling as he did so.
"Yes we are! Yes we are!" He spoke in baby talk. Earning delighted laughter from her. "Who's my little Aphid? That's right you are!" Stopping his onslaught of tickling he looked down to Aphid and spoke in a regular tone. "Don't worry little one, mother will be joining us soon enough."
Lowering himself to the ground he placed Aphid back down onto the grass. Reaching with a hand he grabbed Aphid's cocoon and held it out to her. It was a small, bed that was meant to close and keep the Changeling in a snug embrace, just as they had back home. The cocoon itself was a transparent breathable material. Aphid raised her hooves to it and pulled herself into it, digging into the fabric of the bed she covered herself. And closed her eyes.
Giving a soft sigh. Diamond closed the cocoon and pulled it under his cloak. Latching it onto the right side of his pack, the spot he had put it wouldn't allow the bed to shake with something as simple as walking, even running.
Raising his hands to his hood, he pulled it over this helmet shielding his head from the sun over head. "It's been how many years?" He asked himself as he walked towards the town. "Just under two-hundred?" He gave a small laugh. "It seems the Apple family is still here, or else I wouldn't have been recommended to buy from them," he said thinking of his last encounter with the Apples. Their hospitality was one of the things that he liked about them. He hadn't stayed long, only a week if he could recall. Even then, he didn't stay with the Apples, he stayed on the plot of land that he had bought. Resting before he continued his trek.
As he entered the town he noticed the ponies that had been farther in. Keeping his pace, he interrupted the sound of his footsteps with a thought. "This town got a lot bigger," he muttered, staring at the admittedly small, but overwhelming amount of houses. A minute later, his thoughts were interrupted by a cream colored mare.
"Run for your lives! It's a monster!" Someone yelled, causing mass panic not a moment later. Not stopping to look at the panicking ponies, he kept walking towards the market. Once he was in the entrance of the market square. His eyes scanned the stalls. Spotting a stall with a red apple painted onto its simple wooden frame. Walking towards it he spotted the mare behind the stall. A blonde maned, orange earth pony, a stetson hat adorned her head. She had a content smile on her face, she was either asleep or just relaxing. He couldn't quiet tell.
"Are you the one known as Applejack?" He asked. Earning the attention of the mare. Her eyes snapping open and being greeted by his hooded figure. Her eyes widened and her ears pushed back into her mane.
"Uh y-yeah," she said, her voice filled with obvious fear. "H-How can I help?"
Oh dear, I'm frightening her. Diamond thought. An idea struck him. Acting quickly he reached up for his mask and unhatched the front half and stowed it away. Pulling his hood away, he gave the mare a smile with his lips, closing his light grey eyes in the process. He hoped the small action would calm the scared mare.
"I'd like two apples, please," his voice brought down to a calm tone, the smile still on his face.
The next moment he felt something connect with his side, sending him tumbling to the ground. Trying to stop his fall with his right elbow. But failing as his arm was zapped with pain the moment it connected with the ground. A loud crunch filling the silence after his fall.
"Stop right there, Tirek!" Twilight shouted as she galloped to the fallen centaur. It all made sense. Discord's old family friend, it couldn't be nopony else, since nopony is even close his age, besides the Princesses. The group of mares formed a semi-circle around the centaur. besides Fluttershy, who was busy hiding behind a battle ready Rainbow Dash. Discord floating above them with a smile on his face as laughter threataned to burst from him.
"That really smarts," Diamond said from underneath the cloak, his voice in a harsh whisper. The friend's eyes widened, why did Tirek sound as if he had been living in Canterlot? Nobody said a thing and silence filled the air, that was until a child's crying began to resonate from the cloak. Diamond unhitched his pack from his body and rolled out of the fur, the ponies choked on their own breath at the sight. This wasn't Tirek. The creature may have been tall, but he was scrawny compared to Tirek.
"No no no," Diamond said with worry in his voice. "It's okay little one, please do not cry." Opening the cloak he spotted Aphid lying on the inside, thankfully unharmed but the bed was, unfortunately, broken. He lifted the Changeling into his arms and stood to his full height. "Mother doesn't like it when you cry, and neither do I," he cooed, rocking the baby back and forth as he did so.
"Mister are you okay?" Applejack asked she stepped out from behind her stall. Looking to her right she spotted her friends. "Girls? What are you doin' here?" They were silent, befuddlement written across all of their faces as they didn't know what to say.
"Why, Diamond, I didn't think you'd be the one to have a child!" Discord said, his laughter finally free as he slapped his knee in a fit of chuckles.
With the cries of Aphid having calmed down, and said foal asleep, Diamond turned and looked to Discord. "Ah, Discord, I didn't think I'd see you there, how goes it?" He asked, continuing to rock Aphid in his arms. And ignoring the girls.
"Hey!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "What the hay are you and why do did you bring a changeling here?" Diamond looked down to her.
"Hm, You will be quiet when Aphid is asleep," he said sternly but in a hushed tone.
Her eyebrows raised. "But what about Discord?!" The draconequus having been laughing not a minute ago.
"Then if he wakes her up, he shall help me, but I don't want a flighty pegasus handling my daughter."
"Why you—" But she was blocked by a purple hoof. Rainbow Dash looked to Twilight, her friend wearing a stern look on her face. Flattening her ears but grinding her teeth, Rainbow Dash backed off.
Twilight stepped forward. "So sorry sir, my friend didn't mean to harm you or your... foal." Twilight looked to Aphid.
How could that thing be his?
Looking back up to Diamond. "I mistook you for somepony else and that's why Rainbow Dash tackled you," Twilight said before bowing her head.
Diamond was silent for a moment. "Ah, okay then, I forgive her." Diamond turned to Applejack as she decided to speak up.
"Just like that? I'm grateful for you forgivin' my friend there but, why? Why just like that?"
"I am capable of many things, but holding a grudge isn't one of them. Aphid is okay. No harm, no foul as they say," Diamond said, peering down at the sleeping figure of Aphid in his arms.
Twilight sighed with relief. Looking at Diamond she looked over his form. He may be tall, taller than anypony that she knew, maybe even Celestia. But compared to a Minotaur, the closest thing she could think of that he resembled, he was lanky. His claws were a shiny silver, almost reflective. Plates of the shiny material stuck outward like scales on a dragon. She squinted and realized. They weren't claws at all, they were gauntlets. Looking down at his... whatever he called them. She spotted the same thing, shiny metal with plates that seemed like dragon scales. The material under them was a pitch black cloth, giving no detail to it whatsoever, as if it was absorbing the light that shined on it.
"Aphid is her name?" Discord asked, floating over to Diamond and looking down at Aphid. "Hopefully she doesn't grow up to look like her father," Discord snickered.
"Yes yes, more-so that if she grew up to look like you, that would be problematic," he quipped.
Discord chuckled some more, stopping to talk once again. "So, what brings you to town? Surely it wasn't the grand sights."
"I've come back to live here, settle down, just as you have done."
"You used to live here?!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, "How didn't I hear about this? I would have thrown you a party!"
The rest of the mares murmured in agreement, having never heard about him at all.
"This was a long time ago, Ponyville as a town was just starting out. And I didn't stay long, if my memory serves me, I stayed only a week at most before continuing my journey."
Twilight raised any eyebrow at this. Ponyville itself was fairly young when it was compared to the other cities and towns of Equestria, but its lifetime spanned nearly four generations. "Just how old are you? If you don't mind my asking."
Diamond hummed as his brows furrowed in thought. Looking up at Discord, he spoke. "I stumbled upon your home at the age of thirty," Discord nodded at this. "Hm, would one of you mind holding Aphid, I have just the thing."
Everyone turned their heads to the still cowering Fluttershy, if anypony was going to handle a child, it was going to be her. She could feel their stares and began to shake. "Oh why me?" She asked softly.
"Come now, dear Fluttershy," Discord patted her back. "You're great with foals," Discord beamed. Fluttershy raised her head to look Aphid.
Turning to Diamond he extended his arms, stretching them almost as if he were in a cartoon. Diamond handed over Aphid and bent over to rummage through his belongings. As Diamond muttered intelligible gibberish, Discord held Aphid out in front of Fluttershy. Aphid slowly awoke as she was no longer in the embrace of her father. As Aphid slowly opened her eyes, Fluttershy stared at the slightly chubby hatchling and her shiny sky-blue oceans that were her eyes.
"Aww," Fluttershy cooed. "She so adorable... in a scary kind of way." Taking Aphid in her hooves, she rocked her back and forth as she would any other foal.
"Aha! Here it is," Diamond said as he flipped through a journal. The pages written in Ancient Griffin. A type of text that relied on sharp but short brush strokes.(1)
"Dated," he began to murmur. "Ah yes, just after the dawn of civilization itself. So," he began to count on his fingers. "I am at the very least eleven-thousand and forty-two years old." He nodded to himself while the ponies stared at him with shock and disbelief.
"How are you that old!?" Twilight nearly shrieked. He had to be at least a couple of centuries older than Celestia herself! How was that even possible?! Twilight wracked her brain with a question every second, her thoughts turning into a jumbled mess not long after.
"Well darling, I can say this without a doubt, you do look well for your age," Rarity said with a smile, finally deciding to speak. Her accent not that different from Diamond's.
Diamond bowed in response. "Thank you miss, the years have been so lenient with me,"
"I must ask about your accent though, are you from Canterlot?"
"Oh no ma'am, perish the thought," Diamond said, causing Rarity's muzzle to crinkle as her face contorted in annoyed confusion.
"What's wrong with Canterlot?" Twilight spoke up, her home being the target of ridicule.
"Never been, but the stories my family tells after their visits do not sound pleasant. Pony elitists with their ideals stuck in the dark ages. The ruler being only a figure-head and not actually enforcing anything, the rules being made behind closed doors and with bags of bits as the nobles themselves band together and make things work in their favor," Diamond grunted and nodded to himself. "Not a place for civilized folk."
Both Twilight and Rarity ground their teeth at the words of Diamond. How dare he. Not a place for civilized folk?! Rarity internally shrieked. All the while Twilight herself seethed over the fact that he had called Celestia a figure-head with no real power.
"That is why I chose to live here, no elitists, only ponies who value hard work above all else, no hatred based on race," he said, causing most of them to chuckle bashfully, not wanting to tell him what happened not two years prior. A story involving a certain Zebra. A one named Zecora.
Applejack cleared her throat, trying not to let Rarity or Twilight a chance to speak their mind. "So, you decided to live here? You gonna buy a house?"
"Ah, actually no, I own land here," this answer caused all of the girls to raise any eyebrow. Making even Rarity and Twilight forget their anger.
"Girls? Discord?" Everyone turned to their heads to the left and spotted the young drake known as Spike. Bags in his arms, most likely filled with groceries. "What are you doing here?" He turned to look to Diamond. "And what are you?"
"Aah, young one!" Diamond called out, extending his arms to the sky. "Vir los hin sul? Naako naan sogaal ol do spein?"(How is your day? Eaten any gems as of late?) Diamond spoke in the tongue of dragons in a deep and commanding tone.
The only response Spike gave was a raised eyebrow and one question. "What?"
Diamond frowned. "Hi dreh ni mindok vun do hin meyar joriin?" (You do not know the tongue of your own people?)
Again. "What?"
Diamond became saddened for some reason that was unknown to them. "You don't speak dragon?" He asked speaking Equestrian once more.
"You speak dragon?" Twilight asked, stepping into the conversation. Not aware until now that Dragon's had their own language.
Ignoring her, Diamond asked Spike, "Where are you parents?" Spike raised an eyebrow pointed to Twilight with a single claw. Diamond looked to her and his face contorted into worry and disgust.
"How you survived coitus with a dragon is beyond even me, I'm am sorry for the pain you endured in the sake love," bowing once more, Twilight's face burned bright red, blushing even past her purple fur. Extending her wings and shaking them in the air to get his attention she hurriedly spoke.
"Nononono, that doesn't mean what you think it means! I didn't do anything with a dragon, I just hatched his egg with my magic!" She said with a nervous sweat dripping down her forehead.
"Oh!" Diamond coughed into his armored hand. "My apologies, but where are the ones that birthed him?"
"No clue, I was hatched from an egg in Canterlot,"
"Hm, disappointing. I would have had some choice words into the ones who birthed you." Walking towards Fluttershy, who was trying to keep Aphid from chewing on her mane with her single fang, Diamond lifted Aphid back into his arms. Aphid settled for chewing on the dark fabric that made up his clothing.
"Now then, how about we continue or conversation in my new home."
The mares looked at each other, shrugged and wanted to know where the new... thing in Ponyville lived. With a spark as metal scrapped against metal. Diamond snapped his fingers as best as he could, with a flash all of his stuff was strapped onto his back, the cloak rolled and wrapped with a rope as it hung off of the pack.
"Now if memory serves, it should be this way," Diamond said as he turned and walked to the center of Ponyville.
"Huh, I could've sworn there was building here," Diamond said as he stared at the stump that used to be the Ponyville public library.
"I thought we were going to your home?" Twilight asked, her ears pressed back in a show of how much she was uncomfortable.
"This is my land, I heard there was a building here, a library. Someone was living in it at the time and I thought nothing of it."
Twilight looked to the ground, unable to look at Diamond. She looked up and opened her mouth to say something, but Diamond interrupted her.
"No matter, I'll just bring it back." Diamond turned back to Discord and gave Aphid to him. Turning back, he stared the the ruins, flexing his fingers, metal plates colliding as he did so. Inhaling, he closed his and a flash of emerald green light shined from his gauntlets, exhaling the moment after. Everyone watched in silence, wanting to see the creature's magic.
As his gauntlets shined with a duller color of green. Some kind of liquid began to drip out of them, moistening the ground with a clear gelatin. It built up around his feet, a small pool that rose barely an inch off of the ground. Once it stopped dripping from his hands, it began to roll towards the destroyed tree, rolling over the grass with audible sloshes. As it reached the stump, it began to seep into the charred wood. A moment of silence before a sapling shot up from the ruined wood. A single green leaf popping out of thin sapling's base.
"That was it?" Rainbow Dash asked, dropping to the ground and laughing. "That was so lame, Twilight why don't you show him how it's done?" She asked, continuing her jovial laughter.
"Rainbow!" Twilight shouted, embarrassed at her friend. She looked up to Diamond who still faced the tree, his breathing obviously labored as his upper body raised and lowered. "Mr. Diamond, if you—" But she was cut off as Diamond raised his hands to the sky, as if holding something up. His head tilted back. She looked up to where he was looking, only to be blinded by the sun. What was he doing? She looked back down and peered at his armor. The gauntlets he wore were gone, replaced with a light that made her shield her eyes. Staying there for a good minute before his body began to visibly shake. The boots shortly following suit and turning to blinding lights that seemed to rival the sun.
In one quick motion, he brought his right hand to the ground, the lights disappearing as ash fell from where his armor had been.
Twilight stared on at Diamond, her head snapping to the sky as the once blue sky turned to a darker shade, the sun itself seemingly dimmed. What did he do!? The words never left her as a column of light blasted down from the sky, hitting the tree with a loud explosion, shaking the ground around them. Diamond turned around and began to walk back to them, the column of light still beaming down with a loud roar. The tree erupting from the ground behind him, replacing the beam. The windows, leaves, everything seemed to just pop back into existence.
He began to speak just before the sound died down. "—ia, eat your heart out."
No one said a thing, what could they say? They could only stare with wide eyes as the creature who called upon the power of the sun itself walked over to them, his brow shining with a thing layer of sweat in the now returning sunlight.
Taking Aphid back into one hand and using the other to levitate his stuff alongside him with a blue aura, he walked towards the now replenished library. "Come now, I'll put on some rock tea."
"Ah, so nice to relax once in a while," Celestia said, taking a sip of her tea. The cup itself was enveloped in her golden magic. Bringing the cup back to her mouth, her magic flickered and died, dropping the cup and shattering it on the marble floor.
"I will find a maid right away, Princess," a guard said before moving from his place next to the door and leaving the room.
Staring down at the broken cup, Celestia tried to pick it up with her magic, only to be met with failure as the magic died on her horn. Craning her neck to the left, she stared out the window, the sun shining over the country side.
"Odd," was all she said before a maid and the guard from before entered the room.
There were so many things Twilight wanted to ask. What type of magic was that? How did you make the tree grow back? And in the exact way it had been before it was destroyed? But the question that she asked was, "What was that?!" She shrieked. Walking towards the fixed home. Its new owner in its doorway.
"What?" He asked, eyebrow raised in genuine confusion.
"You know what I'm talking about! The light!" Twilight replied, stopping in front of him.
Diamond shrugged as he looked at the confused alicorn. "Alicorn magic, stored a bunch of magic in those gauntlets in case of an emergency. I'll have to order another pair," Diamond said, mumbling the last part.
"What are you talking about?! Alicorn magic?! How do you know Alicorn magic?! What even is Ali—"
Diamond shushed her with a finger. "Oi, back in the market I said we'll be finishing the questions in my new home," he looked to the rest. Noticing his gaze, their shocked expressions turned to coy smiles. "Come on in, like I said before, gem tea."
With the rest of them walking to the house, Rainbow Dash spoke out. "You said rock tea actually," she said with a calm demeanor, as if she didn't see what happened a minute ago.
"I did? Huh, well it's gem now," Diamond said, turning back and entering the tree. "Much more flavor, I'm feeling like rubies."
Spike rushed to his side. "You can make tea out of gems?" His eyes wide and mouth watering.
"Yes actually, you can. I'm not a dragon so I had to find a way to consume the hoard I gathered over the years," stated as he entered the kitchen, his pack set up against a fridge.
"See, what you do is, you take the gem and grind it up into—"
As Diamond and Spike were preoccupied in the kitchen, the girls all stared at the walls of the library, bringing up old memories. Mostly good, only one of them bad. Discord deciding to busy himself with a yo-yo, which had gone up instead of down.
"It's amazing, it's like it was never destroyed," Rarity said, looking over the wooden walls with bookshelves carved into them. "How do you think he did it?" Rarity asked, turning to Twilight.
"I don't know," Twilight replied in a hushed tone as she gazed at the walls of the building that was once her home. She turned to Discord, the only one who could give her answers. When she looked at him, he was tied from head to hoof in the rope that was tied to the yo-yo.
"You said he was a family friend, just who is he?" She asked.
"My dear pal Diamond? Why who isn't he?" He asked back, not answering he question.
"Discord, I'm serious here, he just waltzes into town and says he lives here? Not only that, but he knows some form of magic that I don't know about?"
"He isn't evil is he?" Rainbow Dash blurted out.
"Now how did ya come to that conclusion, Rainbow?" Applejack asked.
"No no, he isn't evil," Discord said, crossing his arms as he did. "All I know is that, when he came to my home when I was a wee little lad, he wanted to learn our way of life, after he learned all we could teach him, he went on his way. Searching for more magic to learn."
This made the mares even more confused.
"You can teach somepony chaos? Why would any sane pony want to learn chaos?" Twilight asked.
"What made you think you couldn't?" Discord asked. "Chaos is like any other type of magic. Yes, I admit it is more, chaotic, but it is magic nonetheless," Discord chuckled at his own pun. "Oh yes, and no one can truly learn it. That's why I'm the spirit of chaos after all."
"So let me get this straight," Twilight said as she rubbed her forehead with a hoof. "He's immortal, the only of his kind as far as I know, and he knows how to use a plethora of different magics?"
"From what I know? Yes. But a lot can happen in eleven-thousand years. And he was definitely immortal before he showed up on my doorstep."
"Ah yes," Diamond said as he reentered the room, carrying a tray of cups and a kettle. "I became immortal the moment I mastered Necromancy in the depths of Tartarus, accidentally removing your own soul is never good for the health." He laughed. Nobody else joined him.
"You removed your own soul?" Fluttershy asked, worried, and confused. Mostly worried. For her own soul of course.
"Yes," he stated proudly. Putting down the tray he turned back to his pack. "I still have it here actually, fond memories and all of that jazz." Rummaging through his pack for a moment before pulling out a glass jar, with what looked like a firefly floating inside of it.
"Here it is," Diamond said turning on the spot and not a moment before tripping, jar in hand. Everyone winced as the jar shattered. The firefly floating before them on the ground. Getting up and dusting off his legs he looked at his own soul. "Ah, well at least it stayed here this time and not like tha—oh there it goes," Diamond said with a frown as the soul faded from existence. Everyone looked from where the soul had been and to Diamond, wondering why he wasn't freaking out. His soul just vanished after all.
"Oh well, not like I needed the useless thing." He shrugged.
Accepting the whole thing as if it were normal for him, they moved on. With Diamond pouring and passing cups, Rainbow Dash broke the silence.
"You said you were in Ponyville before, what was that like?"
"Hm? Ah yes, Ponyville. A small town if my memory serves me, the most notable family there being the Apple family."
"You know ma family?" Applejack asked, curious as to what he thought of them.
"Yes actually, the week I was here, they had offered me room with no cost. Of course I turned them down. Generosity like that takes it's toll, I'm eternally grateful for their offer though," Diamond said with a small smile. "How is your family by the way, no troubles over the years that I've been gone?"
"It's just me, Granny, my brother, and little sister there now," Applejack said, her chest hurting slightly.
"Ah, Miss Smith, there was a fine mare If I do say so myself," Diamond said with a dumb smile on his face.
Fluttershy, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity, all of which were drinking. Choked on the tea. Blushing red at the thought of the pony they knew as Granny Smith in that sort of light.
"Something wrong with the tea?" Diamond asked. Looking at the ones who had trouble breathing.
"No no, the tea is quite alright," Rarity said, clearing her throat of left over tea, and her head of left over thoughts. The tea was quite good actually, not what she expected rubies to taste like. "Spike dear," Rarity said as she turned her head to the drake. "Is this what rubies taste like to you?"
Taking a sip, Spike smacked his lips in thought. "Basically, hold back on the spice a bit though, and more like a strawberry," he said.
"Okay, now that we have our tea, back onto topic, how do you know such 'Alicorn' magic? And what even is that?" Twilight said with a authoritative tone, looking back to Diamond with furrowed eyebrows and a thin-lipped frown.
Diamond sighed as he sat down at the table. Taking a sip from his tea after he did so, letting out a sigh after he swallowed. "Getting right down to brass tacks are we now?"
Twilight folded her ears back and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I just need to know." With a flash from her horn, a quill and paper appeared before her.
"Ah ah ah, no one is writing any of this down, this is private thing I am willing to share with you, only because you asked so nicely," Diamond said with a smirk.
"I can't take notes? Why can't I take notes?" Twilight asked, her one chance to study something so foreign, denied.
"Because, I said so, that and the only notes of my knowledge of this stuff that are going to exist, are the ones that I took." He put down the cup and crossed his arms. "And no, you can't borrow them."
Applejack looked at Diamond "Don't you think yer bein' a little strict?"
"Not at all. I know what you ponies are like when it comes to magic that you— sorry. Celestia has deemed dangerous. She obviously won't find you guilty, only the one who supplied the information of said magic."
Rainbow Dash scoffed. "You've sure done your homework," she said sarcastically.
"Yes I have, Miss Dash. I've done my homework because I chose to live here," Diamond said, his voice raising in volume the further he went on. "And I will not be evicted because a certain Alicorn decides to tell her fellow princess that she learned a certain inhabitant of her city knows how to steal souls!" He pounded his fist on the table, causing the ponies and drake to jump in fright.
He sighed. "I know how to use every single magic of the races that has lived, and still lives on this planet. From the highest order of Windigo magic, to the most basic magic of the Timberwolves. Does that make me evil?" He looked to Rainbow Dash a straight face. He sighed once more. "Discord, you can stay if you like, my home is your home after all, but I'm sorry that the rest of you must leave."
Taking a sip of his tea, he watched as the ponies and drake walk out of his home with a slow trot, worried looks on most of their faces. Had they done something to offend him? Taking another sip of his tea, he looked up to Discord.
"My my, you sure have changed," Discord said with a shake of his head. A small frown on his face.
"As have you," he quipped. "Ponies. A being that covets harmony like a childhood blanket, one to keep the monsters away. How you, a being of chaos, managed to become their friend, is a miracle." Diamond shook his head right back, chuckling as he did so.
Discord madly laughed. A thought popping into his head. "That is the magic of friendship after all."
Diamond's face asked, 'Are you serious?' "Forget what I said earlier, you aren't welcome here anymore," Diamond said jokingly, trying not to laugh himself.
Discord calmed down. "Well, I do actually have to go, chaos to cause and all of that, we'll catch up later, eh Diamond?" Snapping his fingers, Discord disappeared without a trace.
Sitting at the table in silence, taking the occasional sip of his tea, Diamond wondered what he would even do in this town of ponies. Ten-thousand years to get himself a hobby, and he had nothing to show for. Feeling a tug on his pant leg, he looked down to see Aphid, the fabric of his pants in her mouth. Chuckling, he picked her up. And put her on the table in front of him. She looked to him with her forelegs outstretched and mouth open.
"Yes yes, I know you're hungry, give me a moment please. My magic doesn't work that fast. While we're here, say it. Say dada," Diamond said, babying the last part.
"Mama," Was all Aphid replied.
"Now I just think you are doing that to spite me," he pouted.
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.
If there was any cave darker than this, Chrysalis pitied those who'd foolishly wander in. Putting one hoof after the other, Chrysalis stepped cautiously through the cave, her hooves tapping on the stone floor. Hissing through clenched fangs as her aching and destroyed body sent wave after wave of fire to her mind. The deafening silence of her hive only bringing more pain, and the tightness in her chest was like an open ocean that sent waves crashing against them.
How did this happen?
It wasn't so bad in the beginning when she had more love to spare, numbing her wounds, trying to heal them the best she could. But as time went on, so did her time start to run out. The love drained from her. And with her wounds untreated, salvation seemed to be a dying sun on the horizon.
Chrysalis cried out as the ground seemed to fall away from beneath her. She began to tumble down a hill, her body screamed out against the silence as the fires roared and darkened the sky, her body letting out wet squelches as her sides slammed to the floor. The cold stone only bit at her as she fell.
Finally coming to a stop, Chrysalis gasped for air, her chest getting tighter with every breath she took. Her breathing reduced to weak wheezes.
She wanted to scream, to call for help. But there was no one to listen, her hive was gone. Either hunted down or moved on, they didn't want to listen. Why would they?
As her body grew heavy, and the pain began to dull, Chrysalis stared out at the darkness. Only her ragged breathing to keep her company as tears streamed down her face. Burning her cheeks as they fell.
This was it.
"Please," she whimpered, her voice was coarse. Closing her eyes, Chrysalis let out a final sigh before the world, her pain, and her tears, all fell away.
"And just like that, he meditated on those words. I never saw something quite like him. Days went by faster then I could count, the darkness seemed to wash over us with each passing second."
Chrysalis's eyes widened, her body burned as she yelled hoarsely. "Who's there?!" Her voice echoing off the cave walls as she surrounded herself. "Lea–"
The words were silenced as Chrysalis felt something press up against her lips, thin and fleshy. Her muzzle crinkled at the sweet smell of copper and dirt that saturated the back of her throat.
"Save your energy. I've healed the small wounds, the bruises and cuts, but broken bones and ruptured organs do not heal so easily," the voice whispered.
"I said lea–" Chrysalis tried to shout, her voice rising before her muzzle was clamped shut by some sort of claw.
"I don't care what you said," the voice barked, lashing at her like daggers from the unseen attacker. "I'd rather not waste all my efforts in healing you." The creature sighed. "I'm sorry, this is a lot more than I expected. This is going to hurt."
For the first time in what seemed like eternity, Chrysalis watched as a light began to shine in front of her eyes. The claw that held her muzzle shut now radiated with a golden glow. The magic seemed to slosh around the appendage as if it were an ooze. She tried to peer at the creature behind the offending appendage, but the light was to dim to reach the creature's body. She looked back down at the claw, but as she looked at it, it began to look more like a paw than anything a claw would resemble. There were no talons, nothing to tear anything apart, it was more like a minotaur's hand. The digits ending with blunt and dirtied nails.
"You are going to get light headed, but I need you to drink this, do you understand?"
She blinked and looked back at the darkness where the voice came from.
As the creature's grip lightened, Chrysalis carefully opened her mouth, her tongue snaking out to lap at the brilliant golden liquid. She coughed as her tongue touched the magic.
"Time is of the essence, I'd rather get it done now, than let your condition worsen."
Her tongue retracted, "Is it not your–" Chrysalis paused as she watched the fingers curl.
"Hold your mouth open, breathe it in, that will make this process quicker... I think." The voice seemed unsure of itself, as if it were trying to recall a memory.
"You think?"
"I'd rather be safe than sorry."
Chrysalis was about to object, but the hand thrust forward covering the end of her snout as the fingers latched on. She couldn't even blink before the magic choked her, the cave lighting up with fireworks as her head began to swim. The magic coursing through her as her head began to sway, the creature's grip was the only thing keeping her from falling back to the stone floor. A soft cry echoed throughout the cave as Chrysalis' mind took a dive into the honeyed magic that drowned her. This kind power was something she had never felt before, it was intoxicating. There was certainly the love she felt from the one named Shining Armor, but this was different. The tightness in her chest began to loosen, and her insides became bubbly. Unable to stop herself, she smiled. A rumbling within her began to shake her body. Was she laughing?
The echoes of her voice seemed to swarm around them, a cacophony of laughter and wheezes. The laughter grew louder, turning into a buzz as the sounds began to drown out her senses, the light in front of her eyes growing dim as she fell unconscious.
"Sleep for now," the voice whispered past the droning, distorted and muffled as if she were underwater.
Closing her eyes, Chrysalis felt warmth wash over her, letting her sink deeper into the slumber.
Chrysalis listened to the creature's heels click on the stone floor of the cave. One step was light, like it barely touched the ground while the other seemed to be trying to crack the stone below. It had been going like this for... she didn't know how long, days? There was no sun to tell her if even a single day had passed. But every time she had followed his orders and gone to sleep, she had woken up to his condition being worse than before, and hers being considerably better. His breathing was ragged, and his body seemed to radiate the same miasma from before when he had first found her. A sickeningly sweet odor that stained the back of her throat with every breath she drew. If it was an emotion, it wasn't love that she was tasting...
"Are you feeling any better?" He asked, his voice hushed and forced, as if the act of speaking was hurting him.
The question brought Chrysalis out of her thoughts. "A little bit," Chrysalis muttered, that was a lie. Her body ached and groaned, but it was better than being on the cusp of death. It burned but this time it was for a different reason. The creature had wrapped some kind of blanket around her, it was like sitting too close to a fire, but it was better than the freezing stone just beneath her.
"That's good."
She heard the creature stop just before her. Craning her neck, Chrysalis stared up into the darkness, her chest tightened as all she could feel was the creature staring right back. Pulling the blanket over head she clamped her eyes shut. Why couldn't she feel anything? There was no pity, no love, hate, sadness, nothing at all. It was as if she was truly alone, the creature, a figment of her imagination. As the blanket wrapped around her tighter than before, Chrysalis slowly sighed, the feeling of worry never left her as she fell asleep but she knew. She wasn't alone.
And that was all she cared about.
"Father... It hurts..." He muttered with a breath that scalded his throat. Lowering himself to the ground next to the sleeping changeling, he hissed silently at the cuts and bruises that riddled his body. The worst was already over, but that didn't mean the job was done.
Bringing a hand to the cloak wrapped changeling, ablaze with the fiery magic that bubbled and boiled, he watched the magic wash over the cloak, rolling down the matted fur, some of it soaking in and droplets dripped to the floor with a little 'pits' as it boiled away from the stone.
He hummed a mirthless tune as he rubbed his hand across the fur and gelatinous magic. Bringing a hand to his face, he coughed violently, the magic caught flecks of blood before the amber magic began to blush like a brick. His eyes were torn from his hand as he wordlessly watched the entire cocoon of amber magic turn crimson. He shook, the once bright light now burned with a dark glow that seemed to draw the shadows to lap at the magic. And just like that, the magic was gone, his hand closed as the magic receded back into his being. The light gone from his eyes as the darkness returned.
He only sat there, watching the cloak for any movement, the breaths from within whispered to him. And he whispered back with a sigh of his own. Craning his neck to the right, he looked over to where he had left his pack. Raising a hand, and with a flick of his wrist, the pack silently slid over to him. Reaching for it, he slipped a hand into its depths, drawing a book from it with his fingers pinching the spine.
"Chapter eleven, life," he muttered, watching the book flip open in his hand, the pages slipping away one by one. Coming to a stop, he stared at the Minotuar writing, the symbols a vision to the past that seemed to speak to him. The ancient Minotuar's written language was heavily influenced by the Equestrian counterpart as they too had a heavy use of symbols to their writings. "Life is created just as easily as it is taken. But to give life is to..." His mutterings trailed off as stared at the hammer. Or at least he thought it was a hammer, the ink was smudged and faded, moving his gaze to the right, he looked at a depiction of the sun. He squinted, his brows furrowing as he stared at the symbols. "What the fuck does this mean again?"
He looked back down to the cloak in front of him. Healing her was nothing more than him taking on her wounds, there was no give of life, no take. But he made a mistake, he got comfortable. As comfortable as he could get with death's doorstep. But it was enough.
He hummed the same tune from before, gently rocking his head from side to side. The magic within him would heal his body overtime, far quicker than Chrysalis would have healed if he would have just left her. But this level of damage, even with his magic, it would take at the very least a week or two to repair the flesh and organs. And a month at the most for the bones to heal. Chrysalis was quite literally on death's doorstep, left like an abandoned child. Steeling himself, he gave quick pants before pushing himself from the floor. Propping himself up on the one good leg he had left while the other acted like a counter weight, keeping him from falling over. Lifting his arm, his hand began to glow a dull grey as magic seeped from his being. The magic sloshed around the hand as it lazily fizzed like a soda about to go flat.
Closing his eyes, he's left in total darkness once more. Reaching out, Diamond grasped at the air. His magic soaked fingers pinch a small bulb before a whisper of a breeze drifts through the cave, his magic dying as the bulb slips out of his grasp. A clang echoes through the cave and Diamond turns back to look at Chrysalis. He sees the cloak adjust but nothing more. Giving a sigh, he looks to the ground and there lies a small golden statue of a pony. Sitting on its rump with no mane or tail to speak of, its eyes closed and one hoof pointing to the sky while the other is stretched outwards. The back hooves laid out in front of it, crossed with each other. A single wing and horn was all there was to the golden monk besides the strange posture.
Picking it up, Diamond stared into the closed eyes of the golden pony. "You know what I want."
Bending at the knee, Diamond grimaced as fire spread up his leg, torching his nerves, he let out a sob as he bowed his head. Extending the statue in the palm of his hand to the darkness above.
The floor of the cave lit up with a light.
"But do you know what I want?" Asked a voice, a motherly voice that calmed the fire in his leg.
Diamond frowned, raising the statue even higher as he spoke up. "I don't have what you want, but there must be something that I–"
The voice laughed, sending lightning down Diamond's spine at the bells that rang in his ears. "Don't worry, you will."
Diamond's eyes widened at this, throwing his head up, Diamond gazed into the light, "What do you–" Only to be silenced as his head was filled with screams that rang out in his skull. Shutting his eyes and grinding his teeth, his face burned as tears fell to the stone below. His jaw began to ache but it was nothing compared to the throbbing he felt in his head.
"Know your place," The voice commanded, the sweet melody it had once been was now cold and dripping with venom. "You call me without even having something to offer, hoping to pawn off– what exactly? Some of your magic? That might work on the others but it will not work on me. You are lucky I'm perceptive enough to pick up on the little things."
"I have been blessed a fortune with such a miracle," Diamond muttered.
The voice cackled. "Child, you are this close to receiving the bottom of my bony hoof with your ass."
Diamond smiled. "The dead can't repay debts."
"Look who's talking."
"I could say the same."
Laughter seemed to fill the cave, echoing from every direction. "So... What is it that you want?" The voice asked in between chuckles, the mirth it carried warmed the air.
Diamond sighed, craning his neck to look back at Chrysalis who seemed to be still asleep, it was either that or she was only hiding herself from sight. Like a child hiding from the monsters under her bed. His gaze fell back to the stone below. "I want that changeling's soul."
"And you know what I want." Diamond nodded. "Here lies the end of our deal, made with the binding of souls." The voice hums for a moment. "It was a pleasure doing business with you my child. You'll have to introduce me to her someday."
"It has been a gift to hear from you, Father. And I will, someday."
As the light faded away, Diamond raised his head, the faintest of flickers drew his eyes to where his Father had once been. Bringing himself up, he walked over to the tiny flame. The small green light shimmered in the darkness, dancing as if there wind were trying to extinguish it. It was so small, and gentle like a candle's flame.
Reaching out, Diamond stared at the flame with wide eyes. Tears rolling down his face as he brought the flame to his chest. Cupping his hands together as if to protect it from the unseen assault, his bloodied hands shaking and twitching along with his body. A sob escaped him as the flame was snuffed, and once more, he was left in the darkness.
"Ah, Ponyville, I remember you," Diamond said with a sigh. His voice echoing in his mask. A piece of Minotaur craftsmanship. The front half was a dull and scratched silver with angled rectangular eye slits and a line of square holes near the mouth for breathing. While the back half was of the same material but with gold leaf trimmings. The horns welded to the top of it. The gold spiraling around the bases of the two ivory made horns. Both of which rose from the top of the two piece helmet and jutted forward just over the front of the mask, and tapering off to a fine point as they turned towards the sky once more. A large crack ran down the back of one of the horns, the whole thing was being held together by the gold. His dirt covered yak fur cloak covered his body along with the gear he carried. Protecting him from the cold red winds that tried to claw at his skin.
Looking out over the field of dust and dirt, Diamond stepped atop the mound of dirt and rubble. The wind howling past his helmet as he stared at the colossus in the distance. Where Canterlot had once stood, proud and true, now stood the self-proclaimed god. Standing in a crater, his hooves disappeared below the earth while his horns threatened to tear open the sky.
"All your fault," Diamond muttered. "Would-be heroes that couldn't even stop a single unicorn. Now this." The breath from his words formed in front of his mask, clouding his vision before being lost with the wind. Walking forward, a book levitated from underneath his cloak, encased in a blob of snowy white magic. The magic flickered as it could barely keep the book afloat.
"Final entry, it has been to long since I've seen the surface," Diamond said as he made his way to the massive crater that was once known as Canterlot. "After the Elements of Harmony ceased to exist, an alternate existence came to life. They still come to me, those visions, those words."
Diamond stumbled as a gust of wind pushed at him, the book fell out of his magic and to the ground below with a thud as it shut. Regaining his footing, Diamond shook his body, trying to rid his cloak of the crimson dust that caked the matted fur. He bent over, taking the book in his armored hand before resuming his walk with a sigh. "I'm sorry."
Stepping through the ruins of the world, Diamond walked in silence.
As Diamond and Chrysalis walked through the streets of Ponyville, the whistling wind filled the silence between them. Chrysalis' lips were pulled back in a thin, unsure smile as a lock of her dark cerulean mane dangled off the side of her face.
"And that's when I realized I had made a horrible mistake," Diamond said, bursting into laughter.
Chrysalis chuckled weakly. Looking down the dirt road, she spotted the library that Diamond had told her about. It really is a tree. She thought. She turned back to Diamond as his laughter quieted down, and he spoke once more.
"The whole cave ended up collapsing, leaving me trapped down there. I had to find my way out, but instead I, and get this, found an entire Changeling hive, right under the king's beak. And not just any hive, it was the hive. Beautiful golden cities, they even had their own artificial sun, made up of years of amassed love magic, fueled by every single one of the nation's citizens."
Chrysalis hummed. She had read stories about it, but she had never thought it was real. It was more of a fairy tale her mother had told her. A dream she wanted to make reality, but the plan to make it real fell apart as the wave of love blasted her out of Canterlot. "What happened to it? I've only heard... rumors."
Diamond shrugged. "War, infighting, a whole number of things. The deciding factor was the state of the nation above them. Once that fell apart, there was no steady flow of love, no love meant—"
"I get it. They starved," Chrysalis huffed. Her head turned to face the library that was just ahead of them. The leaves swaying in an unfelt breeze.
Diamond frowned as his gaze fell to the dirt road beneath his feet. A small cloud kicked up with every step. "Look... I'm sorry I wasn't—"
"You have nothing to be sorry about. It was my decision."
Diamond opened his mouth to respond, only managing only a sigh as he turned his gaze to the library. "I have a lot of things to be sorry about. Telling me I shouldn't feel bad doesn't make it hurt any less. Just let me be here for you now. We may barely know each other, but I was in love even before I knew you. Knowing you now, and what you've done, it changes nothing."
Chrysalis' eyes widened. A blush forming on her jet black cheeks, the red faded back to black as Diamond continued talking.
"Young, old, living, dead, I'll love every single soul on this planet like family. Because I know how easy it is... to..." Both Diamond and Chrysalis slowed their pace, staring at the candle painted on the crimson split door, Diamond shook his head. And as quickly as it begun, his shaking stopped. "I may not be by your side when things get tough, when you're in the deepest pit that despair has to offer. But I'll be there at the top, waiting to offer my hand."
Looking to Diamond, Chrysalis stared at the smile of the creature that had saved her life. His arm extended out towards her as his palm faced the sky.
Chrysalis smiled. All the tales of that strange creature, giving his love freely to any and all that needed it. To any and all that would guide him through their world. They may not have been the whole story, but they were all a part his story nonetheless. Why he wanted to learn the world's magic, may remain a mystery. A passion? Is it not unlike–
"Aaaww, Diamond, I had no idea." A voice chimed from behind the door, melodious and motherly. "Who knew you could make such a lovely foal."
Both Diamond and Chrysalis turned towards the door, brows raised.
Reaching for the door, Diamond gripped the handle and pushed in. The door creaked as it swung open. Standing around the central table was Twilight, Spike, and another Alicorn. A white coat with a curled pink mane and tail. All of them looking at Aphid with smiles on their faces as the hatchling giggled and batted at the golden magic that emanated from the Alicorn.
"I'm home." Diamond said slowly. "Thanks for watching after Aphid." He said to Twilight without taking his eyes off of the white Alicorn.
"It's no problem. Once Princess Celestia came, i–Aphid was nothing less than well behaved." Twilight looked to Chrysalis, the smile fell. "Ah," was all she said.
"Celestia?" Diamond asked.
The Alicorn turned her head. "Hmm? Yes?" She asked. Her eyes closed with a smile on her face as her horn continued to glow. Aphid still transfixed on the horn even after her parents had returned.
"It's good to see you." He smiled.
"Likewise," Celestia replied.
Both of them looked away, their heads turning to let their gazes fall on the wooden walls of the home. Nobody said a thing as they rest stared at the two.
Chrysalis' brows furrowed into a worried look. "What's happening? D-Did something go on between you two?"
They both looked at her but Diamond was the first to speak up. "No...? It's been centuries since I last saw her. Just weird is all. Like hey, Princess, that kid your parents adopted is back to live in the country you rule over."
"True." Celestia nodded her head. "This time, none of my subjects can fear you."
"Because they don't know I exist."
Twilight coughed into her hoof. "What happened last time you were here? You talked about getting kicked out when you grew back the library but the only time Celestia banished somepony was when..."
Both Celestia and Diamond bowed their heads. "It was a rough time for Equestria," said Diamond. "Nightmare Moon was sent to the moon, and ponies were jumping at shadows. Canterlot had it the worst, there were fights, too many to count. And if you weren't a pony, especially a non-pony who can use magic. Let's just say it's either you leave town or..." Diamond lifted a hand to his neck and drew his thumb from one side to the other.
Twilight looked at him, confusion written across her face.
Diamond sighed. "Kidnapped and tortured, or worse."
"C–Canterlot would never do something like that!" Spike called out.
"Canterlot? Yeah sure. But the nobles of Canterlot? Let's just hope you're not the guest of honor at one of their tea parties." He shrugged. "And ever since the changeling invasion of Canterlot, let's just say that tea isn't the main thing ponies are drinking at those parties." Diamond walked over to Aphid, who was only sitting on the table staring at him as he approached, neither smile nor a frown written on her face. Those giant sky-blue orbs called eyes glistened in the library's light. "How did we start talking about this again?"
"You were talking about why you were kicked out," Twilight said.
"Right, the citizens of Canterlot mostly knew what I was back then, and believe me they did not like it. Being one of the undying is extremely uncommon, even for most Necromancers. So they had two options, get rid of me, or get me banished. And being pseudo-family with the princesses means they can't just toss me, so..." Diamond trailed off, his gaze getting distant before he blinked and shrugged. "It took a while to get me banished. The nobles basically had to turn a friend of the remaining crown into public enemy number one."
None of them knew what to say. What could they say?
"Enough about tha–"
"You said you'd never been to Canterlot," Twilight stated. Looking at Diamond with a raised eyebrow, and chewed her cheek as she stared at him.
"That?" Diamond shrugged and laughed weakly, "That was a lie, easier to say I've never been to Canterlot, you know?"
Celestia's ears perked at this, swiveling towards Twilight.
"I guess, but if you were banished right after Nightmare Moon, why were you here when the Apples were just starting to settle down, was the banishment lifted?" Twilight trailed off as she looked to Celestia who was staring at her with a look of confusion, turning her gaze to Diamond, eyes wide with a single vertical finger pressed against his lips. Twilight watched his lips part into a smile as Celestia turned to him, his hand dropping back to the side.
"Just passing through, nothing more than that. Had some business up north to attend to."
"Business?" Celestia asked.
"Family matters," he replied. "The monastery I had lived in for a while was appointing a new Father and he wanted my blessing."
Celestia sighed. "Are they really still up there?"
Twilight turned to Diamond. "Monastery? Father?" She looked to Chrysalis who only replied with a shrug and a shake of her head.
"Of course they're still up there. The wills of the faithful don't bend so easily." Diamond looked to Twilight with a smile. "The monastery was found by a number of ponies that denounced Celestia and Luna as gods back when they became princesses. They were mainly an opposition to those that did believe Celestia and Luna to be gods."
"The whole thing was just silly," Celestia muttered.
"They saw the very things that defined them as lies, limitations, so they set out for enlightenment. They wanted the ability to converse with the gods- beings with limitless magic potential- so they vowed to never use magic again."
Twilight was always interested in learning about customs she had never heard of, but what came next was something she wasn't ready for. The smile on her face slowly shrinking as Diamond spoke on.
"The unicorns had their horns broken off, the pegasi removed their wings, the earth ponies had their senses dulled and meditated in an abyss of a room dug into the mountain. They set out to become—"
"What?!" Twilight all but screamed, everybody jumped at the sudden outburst, their eyes wide as they all stared at her. "Why would anypony do that?!" Twilight's face morphed into a look of agony, as if the very thought of breaking off her horn pained her.
"It's painless I assure you that—"
"I don't care if it's painless! It's barbaric!"
"You call it barbaric, they call it enlightening. Their methods and ways of thinking may be different, but they could say the same thing of what you do here." Diamond shrugged, letting a huff creep out. "Nothing you can do about it, and I don't really think you'd want to if you knew the results."
Agony turned to absence. "Results of what? Self-mutilation? What could that possibly accomplish compared to just living your life?"
"Godhood of course. Now, I have my gems, let's get to the summoning spell already."
"They come and go, like pictures in an album, but somebody's flipping through the pages to fast for me to make sense of it all." Diamond muttered, the howling winds drowned him out more than his mask could muffle his voice. "That makes sense right?" Craning his neck to look at the behemoth known as Tirek. Fiery suns stared down at him through the crimson sand.
"I guess," Tirek murmured, his voice cutting through the wind like lightning striking in a calm field.
"You see them too, don't you?" Diamond asked.
The golden lights in the sky vanish for a moment before reappearing. "No."
"All the magic of the world coursing through your veins, and yet you can't even remember."
"Who are you then?" Tirek asked. "Such a pitiful amount of magic, not even worth taking." The winds died as magic began to burn between the spires that were Tirek's horns. Revealing the scarred form of the centaur. The sandstorm having clawed at the exposed skin, but never enough to strip it from the bone as magic healed it faster than it could tear.
"Who am I? I'm no one, a nobody born to pony parents." Diamond shrugged, a gauntlet slipped out from underneath the cloak magic clinging to the metal.
Seeing this, Tirek reared his head back before throwing it forward, launching his magic at Diamond, the air parting to the magic that burned brighter than the sun itself. But before it could reach, the magic faltered and faded, leaving the self proclaimed pony standing before with the wind beginning to pick back up.
"What are you, is what you should have asked. Because who I am, doesn't even matter. I couldn't make sense of it all, but there were parts here and there that spoke to me, like I'm speaking to you right now."
Once again, Tirek let loose a magical beam that shook the dirt beneath them. Only for the beam to sputter and shrink away before it reached Diamond.
"Can't you hear it? Can't you see it? Feel it?!" Diamond yelled.
Throwing his arms out to the sky, Diamond called out. "Beautiful!" He sang. "Disgusting!" He roared. "Agonizing and awe-inspiring! The very life I've lived, a lie told by another! I do the things that I do, not because I can, but because somebody wills it." Diamond fell to his knees, his mask pressing against the sand. His howls echoed through the dead world. Slowly rising back to his feet, clumps of the crimson sand fell from his mask. "That makes sense right?" As the words left his mask, the cloak he wore burned away. Once the last shred of yak fur turned to ash, it was followed the by the gauntlets and boots that adorned his arms and legs. Revealing twisting flesh, what was once pale skin, was now a mass of writhing meat that matched the sands beneath him in color. The shirt and pants he wore were stained and wet, dripping fluids unknown to even him.
Tirek watched as magic began to bubble out from beneath the mask, a bright white ooze that slid down the creature's body, coiling around it. The horns atop his mask turning to ash along with the rest of the helmet. Nothing.
"I couldn't care about what happens anymore!" Diamond called out. "Bless this world, and those who find joy in it." As the magic wrapped around the last of the exposed body, the ground beneath them began to quake. The ground tearing apart as light began to stream out from below. Diamond watched as the world around him was consumed by light. Closing his eyes and letting out one last sigh, he let it take him.
There was no wind, no birds, as if the world's tongue had been cut out. The trees of the Everfree could only stare at the two intruders with branches held high.
A corpse by any other name, the flesh still twisting, trying to hide away from the air it was exposed to.
And a human, standing tall with hands in the pockets of his pants. Steel eyes staring down at the shadowy forest floor where the corpse laid, a small smile adorning his face. "Welcome home," he muttered.