Well, I started to think to myself about Diana's current situation, where she feels like she has no one to love like her friends do. So... this is my way of trying to fix that!
Please enjoy my friends!
"So let me run through this one more time so the readers aren't left in the dark," TD said to Twilight. She was packing up for a trip with Diana. Not just any trip, however; it was a trip to the kingdom of the Hippogriffons. The map had apparently called them both down there and TD was trying to sum things up to himself.
"You're saying that the map called you both over, but you're feeling like Diana has a different task from your own?" TD asked his wife.
"That pretty much sums it up," Twilight confirmed.
"How so?"
"Well, I can't help but feel that Diana is being called for more than solving a friendship problem," Twilight told him.
TD smirked. "What? Are you suggesting that the Tree of Harmony is playing matchmaker or something?"
"Matchmaker?" Twilight looked to him in confusion.
"Nevermind," TD shrugged it off. He then gave her a smile as he lowered himself to her level. "I'm gonna miss you while you're gone."
"As will I," she answered. She wrapped her hooves and wings around him as he brought her into a loving embrace. They then gave each other a kiss.
"I'm still trying to get used to that," a child's voice said nearby, causing them to turn to the voice. The figure was a grey pony with a black mane and tail.
"Get to it then Tracker," TD said to him teasingly, "Because it's not stopping anytime soon."
"I know that," Tracker smiled. He then looked to a nearby wall as Diana phased through it and into the room. She looked to the vampire with a smile.
"Good luck out there," Tracker said to her, then gave her a hug. Diana returned the hug with a nod. Because of the age he had been when bitten, Tracker was actually smaller than Diana and looked younger; still a child. But even so, Diana looked to him as if he was an older brother. Which he technically was, being over one hundred years old.
"Come on Diana," Twilight called, stomping her hoof just in case her daughter's spell didn't pick up her voice. Diana released her brother and gave him a final smile before walking over to Twilight and standing beside her.
"Goodbye you two!" TD called cheerfully. He then snapped his fingers and the two disappeared in a flash of light.
Diana had seen many things that she considered to be very beautiful, but the underwater world of the Hippogriffons was a huge revelation for her. All around her, she saw beauty of all shapes and sizes. Coral reefs glistened in the sunlight above, colorful fish swam in schools past her face, and the vast expanse of the underwater territory was remarkable. It was truly breathtaking. However, she had little time to stay and admire such details for long before Twilight gestured her to follow. Twilight had undergone a transformation that had turned her into a merpony so she could survive underwater, losing her wings if not her size. Diana, on the other hand, had not undergone any such transformation, but instead had simply used a special spell TD had taught her to use. With such a spell, she could remain underwater in her pony form without drowning and still explore the beautiful depths of the ocean before her. Following Twilight, she soon found herself in the midst of a large city of some kind. All around her, hippogriffs could be seen going about their daily lives in a cheerful manner. Looking to them now, Diana almost found it quite similar to pony society... with the exception of both the environment and the lack of stairs in the buildings. Eventually, Twilight stopped at what seemed to be the center of the city and looked to her.
"Well, I guess I'm going to see who it is that needs help with a friendship problem," she said, "Do you want to come with me, or would you prefer to stay here? I mean, you're old enough to make your own decisions now, but I'm still curious as to what you want to do."
Diana looked around the place, then gave her mother a smile that indicated what her answer was.
"Alright then," Twilight replied, "I'll be back in about an hour." She gave Diana a quick hug. "I love you, Diana."
"I love you too, Mom," Diana said back, speaking for the first time that day. Twilight smiled again, then released her daughter and started off towards where the palace might be in the underwater kingdom. Meanwhile, Diana looked around her to see what was to be seen. As she looked about, she couldn't help but admire the pretty colors that could be found all around her. Diana took in a breath, then let out a content sigh as she continued to stare at her surroundings. It was truly breathtaking...
She was so busy taking in the sights around her that she didn't notice the hippogriff in front of her until she had bumped into him. Both fell backwards onto the ground- or they would have, if they weren't underwater- and then looked up at each other long enough to take each other in. Diana noticed that the figure she had run into was about her age, 21, and was blue in color. His mane, or what counted as a mane for the hippogriffs, was a light purple color, and his beak was a dark orange color. Diana couldn't see his eyes, for a pair of dark shades hid them from view and gave her no indication of their color. However, even without seeing his eyes, she couldn't deny that he looked handsome. Judging from his appearance and posture, he seemed to belong to one of the upper classes, possibly one of nobility.
"I'm so sorry!" he said to her, "Are you hurt?"
Diana gave him a friendly smile. "No, I'm fine. It was my fault. I should've paid more attention to where I was going."
The hippogriff smiled back, looking to her for a moment. Then he seemed to realize something and cleared his throat.
"How rude of me! Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lord Thermidor, son of the Royal Advisor of the hippogriffons," he introduced himself.
"Pleased to meet you, Thermidor," Diana answered politely, "I'm Daina Berry Sparkle, daughter of Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria."
"Princess?" he asked. He then started to perform a kind of bow towards her, but she stopped him with a light tap of her hoof.
"There's no need for that," she said kindly, "I don't like to think of myself as a princess. I'm more comfortable just being me."
Thermidor seemed to relax at this and smiled once again. Diana chuckled, then looked to his eyes, feeling a little curious. Why did he wear those sunglasses? Did he have an injury occur in that general area that he wished to have hidden away due to scarring? Or did he possibly have a sensitivity to light and wore the shades to reduce the light that got into his eyes? If he noticed her confused look, he didn't say anything about it.
"So, are you enjoying our kingdom?" he asked.
"I am," Diana replied, giving a happy sigh, "It's really beautiful."
Thermidor chuckled. "It is quite beautiful. So many different sights, sounds, and feelings that take your breath away. You can't find anything like that outside of the ocean."
"Well, the sights and feelings at least," Diana noted, "I wouldn't notice any of the sounds."
Thermidor looked to her with confusion.
"What do you mean?" he asked her. She looked to him and gave a small giggle.
"Most ponies or other creatures don't realize it, but I'm actually deaf," she said to him.
Seashell was still confused. "Then how are you speaking to me now so perfectly?"
"My brother cast a powerful spell on me as a foal," Diana explained, "It allowed me to understand what ponies said to me as long as I was looking towards them. I've improved it over the years, so now it can pick it up from over a short distance. I'm not technically hearing what you say, it's more like a kind of magic translator that relays the message to me telepathically."
"Wow," Thermidor was in awe, "That's marvelous. I must say, it's quite remarkable. Nopony would ever notice unless they knew the trick."
"Or unless they stood a certain distance away or if I'm not looking at them," Diana chuckled. Thermidor laughed with her, then asked, "Isn't it an inconvinience not being able to hear anything?"
"I don't mind it so much," Diana replied genuinely, "I was born deaf, so it's not something I miss. Although, I will admit that I'm sometimes curious of what sounds some creatures make."
"I take it that you're an animal lover?" Thermidor asked her.
Diana nodded and an excited look came over her. "Not just animals. I'm fascinated by all that nature has to offer. In my mind, there's no better feeling than the cool breeze in my mane, no sweeter smell than the fragrance of the flowers, and no greater beauty at night than the vast expanses of the sky."
Thermidor smiled. "My mother used to be like that in her youth. Always out in the forests of seaweed or simply gazing up at the night sky above." He sighed and his smile faded. "Nowadays, her health seems to falter by the minute. I often wonder if she will ever get better."
Diana's expression changed to one of sympathy. "I'm sorry to hear that," she said softly, "I once had to take care of my brother when he got sick, and at one point it got really bad. I was scared for him during that time and almost thought he'd never get better." She giggled at the thought. "Turns out, he just picked up a bad bug." Her tone turned back to one of sympathy. "With your permission, I could try to help your mother."
Thermidor almost couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"You- you'd really do that?" he asked.
"I can certianly try," Diana replied.
Thermidor managed a thankful smile, then turned towards what counted as a street in the underwater kingdom. He swam down the "street" with Diana in pursuit, the mare mentally making a picture of their route in her mind so as to remember where to find him again. Eventually, they came to a particularly colorful house which was a bright pink on the outside. A short distance away from it, Diana could see a forest of seaweed and kelp with schools of fish swimming through the underwater forest. Thermidor led her inside and Diana momentarily found herself at a loss for words. The walls inside glittered and sparkled in the interior lightning provided, the lightning provided by some kind of lanterns. Several seashells and pearls were engrafted into the walls, and a statue of an older hippogriff was seen near the entrance, possibly Thermidor's father or grandfather. Beautiful was the only word Diana could think of to describe such a lovely place. But she had no time to admire such exotic details, as she was hurried over to a section of the house that appeared to be a kind of bedroom. Inside, lying on a bed of kelp, was an older, female hippogriff. She was a purple color with blue eyes, a blue mane, and the same color beak as Thermidor. She seemed rather pale and sickly, almost like someone on the brink of death. Seeing Thermidor, she gave a weak smile.
"My son," she said hoarsely, "It's good to see you again. But who's your friend?"
Thermidor stood aside enough for Diana to be seen more clearly.
"Mother," he replied, "this is Diana Berry, the daughter of Princess Twilight of Equestria."
Diana gave a wave of her hoof.
"Welcome, Diana" Thermidor's mother greeted, "I'm sorry that I can't greet you more properly in my current condition."
"It's quite alright, ma'am," Diana answered politely, "I actually came here in regards to your health. I'm very efficient in healing spells, and I believe I could help you with your ailing health."
Thermidor's mother seemed to perk up a little bit when she heard that.
"If you think you can help, then go right ahead little one," she said, "I would appreciate such kindness very much."
Diana smiled warmly as she swam up to the side of the bed. Closing her eyes, her horn started glowing and she gently lowered it down to the forehead of the elder hippogriff. A short blinding flash occurred, then Diana removed her horn and stepped back to see her handiwork. Thermidor's mother seemed to become less pale, and her sickly appearance slowly disappeared. A peaceful smile came over her as she closed her eyes. Soon, a few low snores could be heard from her. Diana giggled a bit at this, then quietly followed Thermidor out of the room to give his mother some much-needed rest. As soon as they were a decent distance away, Thermidor threw his claws around Diana and a few tears escaped him.
"Thank you," he said to her, "Thank you so much!"
Diana smiled and returned the hippogriff's hug, glad that she had been able to help out in the best way she could. After he released her, Diana noticed a clock nearby telling her that almost an hour had passed since Twilight's departure earlier that day.
"I have to go," she told him, "My mother will be waiting for me to return, and I don't want to keep her waiting."
"Of course," Thermidor answered, escorting her to the door, "Thanks again for your kindness, Miss Diana."
Diana smiled again. "I'm glad I was able to help."
She started to leave, but stopped when Thermidor asked, "Will I see you again?"
Diana turned back to him. "Sure! You can find me in Ponyville up in Equestria, and I might stop by for a visit from time to time."
Satisfied with this answer, Thermidor asked no more from her as Diana started off towards the place where she was to meet up with Twilight. She found her mom waiting patiently for her, and she seemed to be rather cheerful.
"There you are," Twilight said upon noticing Diana, "Where did you go?"
"I was helping a friend with his mother," Diana answered, "She was very sick, so I decided to heal her."
Twilight smiled. "I'm proud of you, Diana." She gave her daughter a queestioning look, "Would it happen to be Lord Thermidor's mother that you cured?"
Diana nodded.
"I was told by one of the servants around the palace that her health had been failing her for quite some time," Twilight explained, "I'm glad to see that you helped her out with that problem."
Diana smiled. She was glad she had been able to help too, but she was also a bit concerned about Thermidor's possible vision problems. She knew that it was probably best to speak about it in private, and only after she had gained his trust.
And that was assuming she'd see him again.
Thermidor had been on the land many times before, but it didn't make the experience any less exciting. He had decided to pay Diana a visit, and was currently trying to locate Ponyville. Unfortunately for him, that was easier said than done, for he had never been there before. As he trotted along a well-worn path, he happened upon a pegasus mare and a Changeling. The Changeling was different from the ones seen in Thorax's hive, for they still maintained the black unreformed look that Chrysalis's Changelings had possessed. However, this Changeling had a few other details that made him stand out. On his head, a yellow mane could be seen and his wings were the same color, and both were full of holes just like his legs. His eyes looked very much like pony eyes, but without the pupils, and they seemed to glow in whatever shadows or low lighting the Changeling happened to be in. The Changeling and pegasus were in the process of removing a small tree that had fallen across the path. When they noticed Thermidor, they stopped momentarily. Thermidor cleared his throat and addressed the two equine figures.
"Pardon me, but do you know the way to Ponyville?" he asked.
"Don't you have a map?" the mare asked.
"I do," Thermidor replied, "but I have an unfortunate problem with my vision currently and am unable to read it."
The Changeling and mare both smiled.
"Well you're in luck," the Changeling said, "We happen to hail from Ponyville ourselves. If you want to get there, just follow this road for another mile until you come to a fork in the road. Take the road to the right and follow it to its end. You'll find yourself in Ponyville in no time!"
Thermidor thanked them and started back down the path. As mentioned by the Changeling, the road indeed came to a fork. He took the road on the right and followed it along until the sounds of a busy town could be heard. Hoping that he was in the right place, Thermidor asked a nearby pony for confirmation.
"Excuse me, but this is Ponyville, correct?" he asked a green unicorn stallion.
"Indeed it is, friend," the unicorn replied cheerfully. Thermidor smiled, then asked, "Do you know where Miss Diana Sparkle's residence is?"
The unicorn smiled as well. "Castle of Friendship, just near the center of town. Can't miss it."
Thermidor bowed, then started off again through the town. He still had no idea how he'd find the Castle, not without some help. After all, his vision was not the best quality he possessed...
"Excuse me, sir," a colt's voice spoke next to him. Thermidor turned to the colt who had spoken; a grey Earth Pony with a black mane, green eyes, and a Cutie Mark that showed a picture of some hoofprints. He seemed to be around ten years old. The colt spoke again.
"I hear you're looking for Diana's place?" he asked. Thermidor nodded. "Well you're in luck. I happen to be her older brother and I can show you the way to the Castle if you need help. Name's Tracker."
Thermidor seemed confused. "Did I hear you right? Older brother?"
"Yeah. Why?" Tracker asked.
"Miss Diana is at least in her twenties, is she not?" Thermidor questioned.
Tracker chuckled. "I don't seem it, but I'm actually over one hundred." At Thermidor's bewildered expression, he added bluntly. "I forget you're not from here. I'm a vampire, so there's that."
Thermidor didn't know if he should feel scared or simply surprised. After a moment, he asked, "Then Diana is one too?"
Tracker laughed. "It's an adoptive relationship. I'm the only vampire in the family. Don't worry. I'm not gonna attack you; I'm friendly."
Thermidor nodded, then asked, "Could you please help me find her? I'm a bit lacking in eyesight currently due to a recent accident."
Tracker didn't buy this for a second, but decided not to pester about it.
"Right this way," he said, taking his hoof and leading him along. He eventually led the hippogriff to the front gates of the Castle of Friendship.
"I assume you can take it from here," the vampire said, "I'm sorry to leave on such short notice, but my marefriend is waiting on me. I promised her I'd take her on a date."
Tracker trotted off, leaving Thermidor at the front doors. Thermidor took in a deep breath, and then knocked. After a few seconds, the door opened and Twilight peered out at the hippogriff.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
"Are you Princess Twilight?" Thermidor asked.
"In the flesh," Twilight answered.
"I am Lord Thermidor of Seaquestria," he said, giving a polite bow.
"Lord Thermidor? Oh yes! You're the son of the Royal Advisor," Twilight recollected, "I heard about your mother. Glad to see that she's fully recovered now."
Thermidor smiled. "Well, I have your daughter to thank for that," he said, "Is she home by any chance?"
"Yes, she's home," Twilight nodded, "Come on in. I'll let her know that you're here."
Thermidor gave a short nod and followed Twilight inside. She led him to a large lounge room of some kind, where Diana was seen reading a book. Except that she was also levitating several objects in the room at once. One by one, she had them fly through the air and phase through her body like it was thin air. Twilight stomped her hoof a few times to get her attention, and the objects stopped in midair as Diana turned to face Twilight. She actually ended up having one of the objects, a vase, stop halfway through her head, which made her look a little silly.
"Diana," Twilight said to her, "You have a visitor."
Diana nodded and levitated the objects back to their spots, including the vase in her head, then closed her book as Twilight left the room. When Diana noticed Thermidor enter the room, she gave a smile.
"Hello again, Miss Diana," Thermidor greeted, "I wanted to thank you again for healing my mother."
"Oh... you're welcome," Diana said, "I'm glad I could help."
Thermidor bowed his head, then he said, "I was hoping that I could invite you to dinner as a token of my apreciation, if you're available."
"Mhm!" Diana answered, giving a smile.
"Great!" Thermidor exclaimed, obviously happy to see that Diana had accepted his invitation. "Six 'o clock at my place. Mother will be thrilled to see you again."
"I'll be there," Diana replied, giving him a warm smile. Thermidor nodded and started out the door, but stopped when he heard Diana speak again.
"You know, you don't have to leave right away," she said, "Besides, do you even know the way back home?"
Thermidor realized the truth in the last sentence and chuckled to himself.
"No, I don't actually," he confessed, "Do you think you could help with that?"
Diana nodded and trotted over beside him, gesturing to follow. Thermidor obliged and followed the unicorn mare out of the Castle and into the streets of Ponyville. Diana looked around at the sky and a few other objects in the area, then turned in the direction that Seaquestria was located. She started trotting in that direction, making sure that Thermidor was beside her first. As they walked, Thermidor asked, "May I have the privilege of knowing more about you, Diana?"
Diana giggled, then answered, "I was born in a village far from Ponyville. My parents were both unicorns, and I was their pride and joy. Unfortunately, not long after my birth, our village was attacked by King Sombra."
"I thought Sombra had been destroyed," Thermidor said, confusion in his eyes.
"He was, but something had ressurected him," Diana explained, "He had created a new army, and with it he burned my village to the ground. My parents tried to escape with me, but... they instead walked into a trap." A small tear fell down her cheek. "They sacrificed themselves to save my life."
"Oh, Diana!" Thermidor felt sorry for the mare.
"TD and Twilight arrived shortly after to respond to the attack. I was the only survivor they found." A thankful smile formed on her face. "They took me in and raised me as if I was their own daughter. I could never thank them enough for their kindness towards me." She looked to Thermidor. "I'm grateful that they saved me, and I'm proud to be part of their family."
"Wow," Thermidor was amazed. "Never before have I heard such a tale. I'm sorry about your parents. They sounded like good ponies, despite how short a time you spent with them."
"It's okay," Diana said reassuringly, "I never really knew them, so I don't feel too bad about it. Although, I do sometimes wish I could've known more about them before they died." She then looked to something that hadn't been noticed before around her neck: a locket with two faces on the inside. Her parents. "This locket is all I have left of them."
Thermidor felt a little bad for asking about her past, but from what it seemed, Diana didn't hold it against him.
She revealed it to you willingly, he thought, It was her call to make, not yours.
"I'm glad to know that life turned around for you afterwards," he said to her.
"It has been quite an adventure," Diana agreed.
They continued to converse in conversation until they had reached the ocean in question. Thermidor led her down into the sea just enough for him to use the transformation, but Diana stopped him.
"It won't be necessary," she said reassuringly, "My dad taught me a spell that allows me to travel underwater without the transformation."
Thermidor nodded, then underwent his own transformation. Once that was done, he led her through the water to his own home, where his mother was already waiting for him. She was feeling much better, thanks to Diana's intervention about a week ago.
"Diana, you've returned!" she exclaimed with joyful surprise. "I must thank you for your kindness towards me when we first met."
Diana smiled kindly at the hippogriff. "No problem ma'am. I was glad to help out."
"Well, why don't you come in?" Thermidor's mother invited, "We're just about to have dinner."
Diana nodded and swam on through the door and into a kind of dinning room. There, a kind of dinner had been set for them all, including a plate for Diana. While the hippogriffs had some kind of sea meat to eat, Diana's plate was actually full of "sea vegetables," as she'd put it for a lack of a better word. There were several other hippogriffs who seemed to be the staff in the house. They were incredibly polite and welcoming as Diana enjoyed her dinner with the hippogriff family. During their meal, Thermidor's mother, who Diana learned was named Seashell, asked Diana a little more about herself.
"So, Diana, care to tell me about yourself? There's still so much I don't know," She asked.
"Mhm! What would you like to know?" Diana asked.
"I don't know, your family perhaps? Where you grew up? I know very little about you," Seashell stated.
"Well," Diana began, "As you may know, I'm not Twilight's child by blood. It's an adoptive relationship. In truth, I was born in a village far from Ponyville. My parents were both unicorns, and I was their precious jewel."
She levitated something from around her neck in front of them that they hadn't noticed before: a locket with two unicorn faces inside, one male and one female. They both looked to be in their early twenties and seemed to be of a reasonably high class.
"This locket is all that I have left to remember them by," Diana said to Seashell.
"I see," She remarked, "Intriguing."
"They died during an attack on my village," Diana replied, "Nopony's exactly sure what happened, but we do know is that they apparently tried to escape with me. But they too were killed off by the attackers, sacrificing themselves to save me." Her expression dropped slightly as she continued. "I was the only survivor, overlooked by the intruders and what others had tried to escape."
"And so then you were taken to an orphanage?" Seashell asked.
"Actually, no," Diana explained, "I was almost overlooked by the rescue party too. Thank Celestia that Aunt Pinkie was there. If it wasn't for her, they probably wouldn't have found me."
"Oh..." Seashell nodded. "Quite interesting, I must say."
"After finding me, everypony was debating what to do for me," Diana continued, "There was no room at the orphanage, because several other attacks had occurred before and it was filled with other foals that had been lucky to escape. None of the others had room to spare, so Twilight and TD decided to take me in and raise me as their own." She smiled a tad. "They're the best family I could've asked for."
"Very nice dear, very nice." Seashell nodded.
"Mhm!" the unicorn nodded. Thermidor couldn't help but chuckle at her voice. He personally found it cute.
"So, Thermidor, you're awfully quiet tonight," Seashell remarked.
"Huh?" Thermidor looked over towards his mother. "Oh, sorry. I was just listening to the story and didn't want to interrupt."
Diana giggled a little and gave a sheepish look as if to say that she had gotten carried away.
"You must take me for a fool if you think I can't tell the difference between chivalry and feeling... what's the word, gauche. Yes, gauche." Seashell remarked with a little chuckle.
"Well..." Thermidor didn't seem to know what to say, which only made Diana giggle more at his embarrassed state. "I... just thought it'd be a good idea to let our guest speak first. That's all."
"See what I mean?" Seashell looked to Diana. "Gauche."
Diana made one final giggle, then looked back to Thermidor who had nothing to try and combat that.
"So... I hope this isn't getting awkward for you," he said to Diana.
"Not at all," Diana said politely. As she spoke, her eyes seemed to suddenly be filled with many miniature hearts, which made her look very cute and almost child-like.
"I'm... dreadfully sorry Thermidor's father couldn't be with us tonight, he is very busy as you may imagine," Seashell said.
"I understand," Diana replied, and it sounded like she meant it. "Dad often has a lot of work to take care of himself, and it can keep him preoccupied for a while."
"What does TD do now?" Thermidor asked.
"Mostly keep the peace with his elite squads," Diana explained. "And he's also had a few run-ins with someone he's been forced to save several times."
"Fascinating line of work." Seashell remarked.
"It's fun sometimes," Diana admitted, "But it can also be scary. I know, because I had to help him a few times." She gave a smile. "I'm not really a lover of combat, but I can hold my own quite well if I'm forced to act."
"It's nice that you're able to do that, so many young adults in this world are completely unprepared for any situation thrust upon them." Seashell remarked.
"To be honest, it's mostly because of a few bullies that I ended up doing that," Diana explained, "I usually wasn't the target, but my friends were. Especially Screwy and Midnight Shade."
"Now why is that?" Seashell asked.
"Screwball is Discord and Fluttershy's daughter, and Midnight is Princess Luna and Phantom Void's daughter," Diana said, "Phantom is Sombra's son and you may be aware of what trouble Discord caused in the past. So, you can probably guess why they'd be picked on."
"And why weren't you picked on?" Thermidor asked, curiosity getting the best of him.
"That'd be my brother Zach's fault," she chuckled. "Everypony was too scared to try and insult me knowing that he was brother and son to the most powerful being in existence."
"Well aren't you a lucky one?" Seashell chuckled.
"Not really," Diana remarked, "Sometimes I wished I was the one bullied so my friends wouldn't get the brunt of the blow."
"I know how that feels," Thermidor said softly, but it was still loud enough to catch Diana's attention.
"Hmm?" she asked.
"Oh, you don't know? I REALLY would have figured you'd have known." Seashell stated.
"Mother," Thermidor said to her, a slight warning tone in his voice, "I... haven't had the chance to tell her yet."
"I'm sorry," Diana said, "Is this a bad time? I didn't mean to bring up anything."
"Well, I personally can't believe he hasn't told you, but Thermidor is bl-" Seasheel was interupted.
"Blemishing! Yes! That's it. Acne. Real pain isn't it?" Thermidor chuckled awkwardly. Diana gave them both a look that said she wasn't buying it, but at the same time asking if they could drop it for the night. If Thermidor noticed her expression, he didn't respond to it.
"Well, that was gauche if I've ever seen it." Seashell remarked.
Thermidor suddenly moved away from his spot at the table.
"I just remembered something... very important," he said, though it didn't sound like it at all. "Excuse me."
Thermidor swam out of the room, a little too quickly maybe, leaving Diana with Seashell.
"Poor thing," Diana whispered, looking in his direction. "I feel terrible for him."
A few days later...
Thermidor knew that he was in front of a Changeling hive right away, as the buzzing of the drones was an all-too obvious giveaway. He had tried to find a place to think, but had accidently stumbled upon the hive as he traveled through the outskirts of Ponyville. Well, from what he had heard from the locals, they were quite friendly so it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Besides, this was as good as any place to think. Sighing, he leaned up against a tree and started to think...
"Hey buddy!" a Changeling called to him, "Careful over there! The larvae like to play under the shade there and the last thing we want is for one to get hurt."
Thermidor nodded and placed his face back into his front claws.
"Easy there Anthropod," another Changeling, the Changeling king, Chuck, scolded, walking by. "My wife will have my cajones hanging on the doorknob if we don't at least appear welcoming to outsiders," He muttered walking up to the figure. "Sorry about him, I'll be sure to cut him off from our food distribution program," He joked to the Hippogriff, now leaning up against the tree.
Thermidor looked up at Chuck, then asked, "Are you the monarch of this hive? Miss Diana told me that you're a relatively peaceful hive? Or peaceful by Changeling standards."
"You're talking to the king, that's right." He nodded. "And yeah, we're a pretty peaceful group, though I feel TOO peaceful at times." He muttered. "Name's Chuck, just call me that."
"Chuck?" Thermidor asked, then a smile of realization hit him. "Oh, you're one of Diana's Uncles... by friendship with her father." He offered his claw forward. "Lord Thermidor of Seaquestria. It's an honor to meet you, sir."
"Likewise. What brings you to my humble kingdom?" Chuck asked.
"Well, I originally came here to think," Thermidor mentioned, "I didn't realize I was moving in on you until I heard the buzzing. My eyesight isn't my strongest factor."
"Not with those things on, I can't imagine," Chuck remarked, pointing at the sunglasses. "You picked a good spot to think; this is my second favorite place to do that. I can't bring my records out here, so that's why it's my second favorite."
Thermidor chuckled, then he said, "I've been wondering what to do. I'm not sure what to tell her. I... had a bad experience in my childhood, and the last time one heard about my- no, I don't wish to bring it up."
But what Thermidor had said had brought up enough emotions Chuck could sense off him: pain, saddness, maybe a little anger. He clearly didn't have a nice experience in his younger days.
"What's this I'm feeling?" Chuck remarked. "Sad for... someone else?" He said in a mock surprise. "What happened? If I may ask."
Thermidor looked up in surprise, then managed a small chuckle.
"Guess there's no use trying to hide your emotions from a Changeling, is there?" he stated, then sighed. "I was bullied as a child for my condition, even lost a friend over it when I told him about it. I try to hide the full truth out of fear for being in the same situation again. Sounds stupid, but... that's as much as I can say about it."
"I get it," Chuck nodded. "Kind of. Well, have you tried telling someone else? It's been a while since you were a child I can assume."
"My grandparents," Thermidor answered, "And Princess Skystar, as she is a close friend of mine. Surprisingly good at keeping it a secret too." He looked off into the distance. "There is one other I've considered talking to about it... Diana herself."
"And I can see why," Chuck remarked. "Did you know that since I'm like a bug I pick up pheromones incredibly well?"
"Well, to be fair, Changelings have always been known to pick up the emotions of others," Thermidor noted. "So like I said, no use in hiding it."
"Yeah." He nodded. "But yeah, if you've got some sort of physical impairment, it's best to disclose that information."
Themidor nodded a little, then spoke his thoughts. "Sometimes, I wonder if I should tell her. She herself has a physical impairment, yet she's managed to get along just fine. Maybe she'd be more understanding about it. But then, there's that side of me that brings back my fears." He looked to Chuck. "What do you think?"
"Well, if she feels differently about you for your thing, then she'd be a real freaking hypocrite and not worth your time," Chuck said bluntly. "Too blunt? Sorry. But you should tell her."
"I know," Thermidor admitted, "But can I gather the coruage to tell her? That is the real question."
Suddenly, a yelp was heard from nearby as a Changeling started running for his life, though there didn't seem to be anything he was running from. Until a flash of light appeared in front of him, causing him to skid to a stop as a rather annoyed (and well-known) human stood before him.
"Do I seriously need to give you any further warnings!?" the human shouted, "Stay. Out. Of. My. Lab!"
He pulled a can out and sprayed its contents on the Changeling, who hissed as soon as it hit him.
"Have you tried moving the lab?" Chuck rolled his eyes.
"Chuck, I believe I've explained why I can't," TD stated, "And right now, my patience is hanging by a thread. So please, be careful what you say right now, or the bug spray hits you next."
"As if that'll help," the Changeling from earlier scoffed.
"Don't test me, kid," TD warned, his finger on the spray tap.
"Please! In fact, I'll open my jaw as wide as I can, empty the can." Chuck rolled his eyes more. TD started towards him, then stopped.
"You know what? I'll just leave before someone gets hurt," he said. With a snap, he was gone.
"Does this happen often?" Thermidor asked.
"Roughly every day. But there was last Thursday where it didn't. I'll always love last Thursday." Chuck explained. "Say, why don't you an' I take a stroll through town? I'll introduce you to my kids. To sweeten the deal, I'm pretty sure Diana will be with them an' Zach."
Thermidor smiled. "I'll take up your offer, Chuck. I need to speak with Diana anyways."
"Perfect!" Chuck nodded. "So I gotta ask, how'd you wind up with a lobster dish for a name? You're not a crustacean," He asked as they walked.
"I beg your pardon?" Thermidor was confused. "I don't believe I've heard of such a thing."
"Lobster Thermidor?" Chuck asked. "Rich type food. Big where I came from."
Thermidor chuckled. "That's quite an irony. I don't believe my mother would've called me that if she knew what it was."
"You can always change your name. I did," Chuck explained.
"Thanks, but I think Diana prefers my own name currently," Thermidor nodded.
"Heads up!" a voice shouted ahead as a figure flew by them, then right back past them at a blinding fast speed.
"Gotta say, didn't love my homeworld, but it was far less hazardous to my head," Chuck remarked.
Thermidor seemed confused, but didn't have time to speak before the figure returned to land in front of them. It was Zach, and he gave Chuck an apologetic expression.
"Sorry Chuck," he said, "I was forced to make a few evasive maneuvers thanks to an experiment gone wrong. And guess who was the scientist?"
"I have a pretty good idea," Chuck said. "Where are my kids?"
"Back there a little ways with Diana," Zach explained, pointing behind him. "I think Diana might've almost had a heart attack there."
"Doesn't surprise me," Chuck said, "This is Thermidor. Know him?"
Zach looked to Thermidor and a smile crossed his face.
"We've crossed paths a few times," Zach stated. "But that was over an issue when the hippogriff court almost went berserk." Thermidor walked over and shook the pegasus's hoof.
"Good to see you again, Zachary," Thermidor said.
"Please, call me Zach," the pegasus replied, "Aunt Applejack calls me Zachary a little too much."
"I pay her to do that," Chuck whispered to Thermidor.
"You wish," Zach chuckled. Just then, Diana came rushing up to him, followed by three others; Chuck's children.
"Zach! Are you okay?" Diana asked him.
"I'm fine Baby Sis," Zach said with a small laugh. "I'm the son of TD. It'd take more than some turbulence to kill me."
"I trust my three offspring are fine," Chuck said to his kids. "And if not... take it up with your mother."
Thermidor chuckled, then introduced himself. "Lord Thermidor of Seaquestria. And yes, I'm aware that in your father's homeworld that I'm named after a dish." He chuckled. "I should check with my mother about that one."
"It's also the eleventh month of the French Republican Calendar," Sterling added.
"Is it?" Zach asked. "Dad hasn't been out enough to confirm stuff like that for me and Diana."
"That's my boy," Chuck grinned at his son.
"That's what Google's for," Diana added with a giggle. She then looked to Thermidor. "Hi..."
"Diana, I'm sorry I disappeared like that earlier," Thermidor started, "I had a lot on my mind and I took it poorly. I know it's not much of an-"
Diana stopped him with a hoof to his mouth. "It's okay. I understand. Had that happen with myself once."
"Come on, let's give them some privacy," Chuck ushered his kids away. "Who wants pizza with some of that stuff I smuggled from my homeworld?"
"I do!" The Pie kids exclaimed.
"Wait for me!" Zach called as he followed, "I don't want to be a third wheel either!"
The five of them scattered, leaving Diana and Thermidor alone for the time being. Diana was the one to speak first.
"Why did you run off?" she asked, although she had a good idea what it was.
"I... was scared how you'd respond once you discovered... disability," he admitted. Diana was silent, waiting for him to continue. Thermidor sighed, knowing that he was taking a huge plunge, and removed his shades. Even though Diana had half-expected it, she still felt a twinge of pity for him upon seeing his eyes. His eyes were completely grey, eyes that he couldn't see out with. From the way it looked, it seemed like he had been born this way.
"You're... blind," she said softly. Thermidor nodded and though his eyes did not allow for sight, he closed them tightly.
"None of the other children in my area wanted anything to do with me as a young hippogriff," he explained sadly, "They all teased me for my disability, all except Skystar. She was the only true friend I had during such times. My fears of being bullied onward in life got the better of me sadly... and I hid it from the world. I got so good at hiding it, most creatures would never guess." He sighed. "I'm sorry I never told you myself. I should've been more honest to you."
He sat in silence, waiting for her answer. The sensation of her hoof to his face was a more clear indication of her answer than her words that followed after.
"I don't care that you're blind," she said gently. Thermidor was still a little confused.
"You don't?" he asked.
"Of course not!" Diana replied, "My dad told me never to judge anypony by their looks. You're no exception. Besides," she giggled, "I'd be a bit hypocritical if I did. After all, I have a disability too and I'm friends with many others that don't look like normal ponies."
Thermidor smiled and a heavy weight seemed to lift from his shoulders. He then got a little sheepish and asked, "I... don't know if this is too much to ask... but could you probably let me... see your face? I'm asking only for a few seconds."
Diana giggled, then her horn glowed and she placed it gently against his forehead. For a few long seconds, Thermidor saw the face of Diana for the first time; in fact, he was seeing for the first time, period. The mare he saw before her was a gorgeous blonde color with a pink mane and tail. Her eyes were a lovely shade of blue and he could've sworn he could see miniature hearts in her eyes that made her look all the more alluring to him. Her Cutie Mark, which he could see plainly from his angle, was a butterfly inside a large heart.
"Beautiful..." was all he could manage to say as he savored every second that the temporary sight allowed him. Diana smiled warmly at him as he lifted a claw up to her face, as if to confirm that what he was seeing was real. He brushed it gently against her cheek as his vision slowly disappeared again. But this time, he was content for now.
"I never thought... I'd see such a beautiful face..." he whispered, as Diana took his claw in one of her front hooves. Diana giggled, then looked out at the sky. It was starting to get dark.
"It's rather lovely tonight," she said to him. "Care to walk with me?"
Thermidor smiled. "Absolutely."
Squeezing her hoof tightly, the two walked through the streets of Ponyville together under the night sky, savoring their moment together as time crawled on. From a distance, unknown to both, TD watched them from the Castle of Friendship in his pony form. A smile passed over his face as he watched them walk through the streets.
"Well, the 'no coltfriend' problem is solved!" he stated aloud. "Now, what are the odds of getting Sweet Tooth one as well?"
While he pondered this, a flash of light appeared and a crate stood before him on the balcony. Curious, TD read the label.
"To: Chuck. From: Red the Hedgehog. 'Sorry this took so long to repair, but it's finally good as new.' What is it?"
TD's horn glowed for a moment, then it stopped and his face lit up.
"Oh. My. Gosh! Chuck is gonna be so hyped when he sees this!" he laughed. He then picked up the crate with his magic and teleported down to the doors outside, trotting in the direction of Chuck's hive to deliver a present that was long overdue for the former human...
It's currently a few minutes after the Fourth of July as I finish this AN. So... happy late Fourth of July everyone!
Thank you all you humans and ponies who've followed me so far! Cya in the next chapter!