"Is it made of onions?" (Private)

Diamond looked over the map, lost in thought. She then realized that somepony was looking at her, and looked up at Sugary, shifting uncomfortably. "Uh....." She moved slightly away from Sugary, looking back at him. "Celestia NO! My family would be up in arms if the heir had anything other than a horn!" She immediately crossed her hooves over her mouth, as if she said something she wasn't supposed to. She galloped out of the room, running back to the one her items were in, closing the door and using a locking spell on it.

Sugary actually flinched in surprise at Diamond's outburst, not having expected that out of her in the least when he was just a bit curious. "... I was worried I stared too much, but... Something's definitely up."

He wasted little time getting his bearings back and following after her to the guest room, to which he spoke to her from the other side. "Miss Diamond! Miss Diamond!? Please, come back out, I'm not here to harm you!" He was sure something about her family and past was upsetting her, but he couldn't make heads or tails of what was what. And yet, from the back of his mind, something resonated with him. The image of a small changeling being torn from her wings literally. He had not forgotten how upset Starlight looked when she mentioned that, and he could swear Diamond's upset look reminded him of the elder mare's own. "Ah...? Why now...?"

Diamond ripped off her scholar robe and hat, tossing them aside and screaming at the top of her lungs. She threw her books off the bed, throwing papers all over the floor in a fit of rage. She remembered that look, that horrible, horrible look. Sugary had looked at her like her Auntie did. Like he knew that she was some sort of horrible monster. "GO AWAY! I HATE YOU! I HATE ALL OF YOU PONIES! WITH YOUR JUDGING CELESTIA-DAMNED STARES!" She curled up, surrounded by papers and books, crying.

Sugary was quite flabbergasted at what he was hearing from the other side, practically speechless as he tried to think of something, anything he could do or say to fix this. "Wh-... Wha-... What do I do now!?" This was a problem to be sure, as he never had a guest willingly lock their self over in his own ship like that.

It took a moment of impulsive inspiration desperation to try and make things alright again as he took a deep breath, and admit to something out loud he rarely shared with others openly. "I wasn't judging, I was hoping to admire your wings if you had any like the mare from last night!!" And so he let it out, admitting to a particular thing of his, as well as sharing something that really happened. He hoped Diamond was listening, because he kept talking about it. "She was a large and beautiful mare with huge gorgeous wings that spent the night over. She let me help her preen them and... and... well, point is, I like wings..." He then paused and remained silent, realizing that, at the end of it all, he probably now just sounded like a pervert to his guest. "Great, now she'll probably think I'm a jerk AND a freak...!!"

Diamond continued screaming, holding her head in her forelegs and rocking in place. She couldn't stand it. She wanted to calm down, be rational with the fine stallion, but she hated ponies. She hated them. She never understood why she hated them. She quieted down enough to listen to the strange owner of the ship, still seething in her own rage. When he finished, she sat up. "I. DON'T. HAVE. WINGS!" She screamed, summoning a sword and throwing it, the blade piercing the door. Sugary may have recognized the blade as the one Starlight had given him, since the weapons were almost exactly the same.

The instant Diamond summoned a sword from the other side of the door, Sugary twitched briefly as he recognized the feel of an object suddenly being magically materialized and stepped back lightly from the door. "... What are y-!?!?!? What the hell!?!?" It was at that moment that the blade pierced the door, and tore at his patience as she yelled at him again. He furiously flared his magic up, aura pulsing through the walls and floor briefly, and prepared himself to be much more physical about getting her to calm down. "Alright, that does it!! Miss Diamond, I don't care if you have wing or not, you have until the count of three before I get in there, wrestle you down, and drag you out of my ship if you won't stop with your tantrum! One...!" In an afterthought, he recalled just how Starlight had also messed with his belongings, and though it was accidental, it left a strong impression. "Two...!!" He also began to think on other things that reminded him of the large mare. Among them, he recalled the sword she had left him... the very same kind as the sword Diamond had just left right through the door in front of him. "Thr-...!?" It was at that moment, that he did pause and recognized the design.

For a moment, he thought Diamond had taken his weapon, but a quick little 'search' onto his Inventory told him otherwise, and so he was genuinely curious if Starlight had meant for this meeting with Diamond to come to happen. "But why...?" He didn't know, but he kept getting the nagging feeling it was meant to be, or he was just going insane while another mare was breaking his stuff and screaming at him. Ultimately, he decided to skip the count, and just go right into the room while unlocking his own guest door himself, and raising a few barrier layers as well as conjuring water around him as he ducked to pass the sword on the door. "Miss Diamond!!" How he'd deal with things depended on how she dealt with him getting into a room he owned.

Diamond simply curled up again, covering her head with her forelegs. She continued to cry, slowly getting quieter, even as Sugary opened the door. The room was a mess, papers and books were everywhere on the floor, some talking about magical theory, some were just spell books, and others were research notes on magical artifacts. In the middle of this mess lay a unicorn, with a white coat of fur and a blue mane that resembled that of a crystal pony. On her back were two scars, parallel to each other in nature. She didn't react as Sugary came in, continuing to cry and rock back and forth.

Sugary had been expecting several things to happen upon making his way in, but was honestly not prepared to see a broken mare on the floor. He kept thinking she'd snap at any moment, but it seemed she was just in a despair he could not understand. What he did understand right away though, was the fact she had two rather noticeable scars on her back. That was the last piece of the puzzle he needed once and for all as he gasped lightly the moment he saw them. "It's... It's her!?"

He remained alert to be sure, but he did slowly settle down the barriers he had started, while keeping the water he conjured around. He then went over to the sword impaled to the door, and pulled it out, immediately pointing it down and away from her as he spoke softly. "... I should apologize, if I've upset you... But I can't help you either if you won't let me... I mean you no harm, I promise... I need you to answer something very important for me though..." He then lay down on the ground a few feet away from her, and summoned the sword Starlight had given him from his Inventory in a soft flash, and then lay both weapons parallel before him. "... Are you the offspring of Starlight Abyss?"

Diamond curled up farther, reaching her limit of curling. She was still crying uncontrollably. Her back muscles began to twitch, as if she were trying to fly away from her problems, but lacked the wings to do so. She soon recovered, wiping her eyes, eventually uncurling, but continuing to lie on her side. "I...I am...her child...she only refers to me as her 'offspring' because of her...unique...gender setup she passed on to me..." She sniffed a bit, then dispelled the sword next to Sugary's.

Much was now running through the stallion's mind about the mare with him, but mostly he was wondering about why he had to meet Diamond this way. The hard way. "Starlight... Did you foresee this...? Did you want for this to happen...?" He didn't react when the other sword went away, but he was still unsure what to do about her. "... Um... Well... I don't really know what's up with your family, but your mother did tell me a bit about you... About what you are, and what really happened to your wings... She said you were very beautiful in her eyes, and was sad that you had to suffer like that... I don't know if she meant for me to meet you, but I'm not here to harm you. Honest... And yes, I know your mother isn't quite what she seems either. I still did my best to treat her as a guest once things calmed down... I can still be at your service as well."

"Well...my family is old unicorn nobility...they...hate the other pony races..." Diamond chuckled a bit. "My mother is a being from beyond the veil. She finds lots of things beautiful. She's...fascinated by the physical form. My wings were just one of the things she was fascinated by..." She did her best to wipe away her own tears, her eyes were red from crying. "Maybe...you should just go start the airship up...while I clean up this mess and calm down...."

For the first time in a long time, Sugary felt a blow to his pride as a magical being when hearing about Diamond's family from her. He snorted, sounding mildly disturbed, before speaking. "Hmph! It's that kind of nonsense that gives our kind a bad name! Ours is not a talent meant for superiority, but to unravel mysteries and wonder! But to put down the talent of others!? It's despicable and absurd...!" He then paused, took a deep breath, and calmed himself. "Ah... Sorry. I spend my life attempting to improve my might and magic for the sake of others. Your family sounds... exactly the opposite of my ideals... But enough of that. I say again, you are welcome here as a guest. Doubly so for being Starlight's daughter. Consider me an ally if it helps while we make our trip... If you need me, you know where to find me. We depart on your command."

Indeed, he made good on his word to prepare the ship again. Since it was already used well enough recently, it didn't take long for him to get the engines up to full specs before waiting for her on the bridge.

"Nonsense...." Diamond trailed off into thought at that. "Well...my family takes pride in being superior at magics..." She sighed. "Magic is for the good of us all...and I naively I could change my family." She stood up, smiling, despite the tear streaks. When Sugary left, she folded up her scholar robes, putting them in her suitcase, taking out a rather odd looking black dress and separate sleeves and putting it all on. She eventually cleaned up the rest of the mess before heading back up to to the bridge. "Let's get going."

Sugary looked over to Diamond, briefly admiring her clothes for a moment with interest. "Not exactly my style, but she does look elegant." And then happily nodded over to her as he cranked a few levers. "Aye aye! First stop, Cloudsdale! Home of the Weather Factory, and gourmet desserts!"

Soon after, the entire airship shook very lightly as the motors spun faster, and the ship self-propelled upwards and out of the dock for its new destination. It slowly rose higher and higher until it was just above the clouds, giving the view of a shrinking Canterlot as they went on. "So... Anything else you'd like to discuss? It shouldn't take too long to reach our first destination. We can even stop and visit there too if you want."

Diamond smiled at Sugary's statements, entertained at the least by them. She braced herself as the ship lurched out of the dock, heading to Cloudsdale and rising above the clouds. "Wow....this is fast...I never knew these things could move so fast..." She glanced over at Sugary. "Well...do you know my...feeding habits?"

Sugary felt a bit of pride in his vessel as Diamond pointed out its speed compared to other ships. "Tis a fine ship indeed. The tuning that went to this old thing before I got it for myself was nothing short of dedicated. Not the prettiest cargo ship, but it'll move for sure..."

The last question though, made him blink briefly and stare back with curiosity. "... Er... Actually, I do not... If this was something your mother was to tell me, she didn't... Unless you mean the details about your race? Cause in all honesty, I only have a vague idea of it... Why do you ask? Are you... hungry?"

"Erm....it's a bit awkward to explain...but I'm half changeling. I can eat love just like a changeling can, but in my case, I can't take it straight up. You would need to give it to me." She glanced away, as if the moment was painful. "I can subsist off of food, but I'd need to eat double my bodyweight in food in order to get the same amount of energy and nutrients that my body finds from love." She shrugged. "I am a bit hungry, yes."

Sugary's ears flickered as he though about Diamond's predicament. He was a friendly sort, but even he couldn't give love outright to feed her. At least, he wasn't sure he could. "Mm... Hmmm... Well, it's... I mean, you seem nice and all, but I think we both know I don't love you right now." He then paused, thinking how dry it all sounded. "I mean... Look, I wanna help you out, I really do, but I think you may as well just eat what you can from the fridge. Food, at least, I can guarantee for you on this trip. Please, don't hesitate to take what you need." He really was trying his best to be a good friend a host at the very least. "Oh, and... Don't be shy about bringing food over here if you still wanna talk. I don't mind as long as you don't eat over the controls." He'd smile at her, encouraging her to make herself at home.

Diamond shook her head. "Sorry, force of habit to call it 'love'. It's emotional energy based on attraction. It cover the entire gamut, from intimacy, to lust and even to actual love. I haven't ever consumed actual love...I've heard horror stories about it from a few other halflings...they have one taste and they become ravenous monsters...I probably would refuse to feed if you actually loved me." She sighed, flipping her mane out of her face. "If I'm going to be eating food, I hope you have about 300 pounds of food for each day I'm here. My body doesn't process food very well..."

Sugary was as focused as could be as a pilot, seemingly never checking between their surroundings and any small adjustments he made. He knew his ship well, though one might occasionally note his eyes briefly wander to his controls and readings for good measure. And so focused was he that he could hear Diamond's explanation about love well without issue. He even pondered what the deal might be with being a halfling that could change one so much as she claimed.

He also wished he wasn't too naturally focused that he immediately looked over to when she made her request about food. "300 pounds!? A day!? I stock on a lot of things, but you're gonna be running me dry here very quickly...!" He then looked forward again, still perplexed as to solve what he was unsure if it was a jest or not, but his consideration was genuine nonetheless. "... Isn't there a way to, you know, compromise in what you eat? You said you feed off of emotions... Isn't there any you think you could get from me without needing quite as much of the food...?"

"Well, if I eat your happiness or your enjoyment, you'll stop enjoying everything for the day. If I eat anger or hate, I die. Lust is a fleeting emotion, which is why I prefer to eat that over anything else, since I can eat with impunity." Diamond sighed. "I've never tried even a half and half diet, as food just doesn't have enough nutrients in it for me. But I guess I can try..."

Sugary listened to Diamond, and listened well, but he found himself unable to come up with much that would guarantee her well being. Then, he perked up as inspiration struck his mind as he recalled what Starlight was like during his time with him, and looked to Diamond with rising interest. "Wait, before you do... How good of a storyteller are you? You read a lot of books, don't you? Perhaps... Perhaps you could captivate me with a tale? You say you'll be eating away my emotions, but what if you stir them in the first place? Personally, I like lighthearted tales."

Diamond glanced at Sugary, with a look of puzzlement. "Erm...I'm awful at telling stories. Especially the lighthearted ones." She sighed. "The reason I feed on lust is because it's such an emotion to stir. Besides, I'm a historian. The best stories I know already happened and aren't very lighthearted at all. I could tell you about the scaravai tragedy, the last charge of the sunlight paladins, the ascension theory...but they're all a bit horrifying..."

His ears would droop as she said how her storytelling was likely lackluster, making him feel mildly disappointed. "Well, so much for that idea...". It seemed his options were dwindling quickly, but then he got another idea that just might work. "... Just history, eh? Then... I'd very much like to hear about the history of magical theories and facts if you know of any. I could always stand to learn something new about magic, even if it might be dated... But if you feel this is too much trouble, use whatever means you deem necessary to eat. I can worry about restocking later either way, but remember that if you do eat a lot, it will be going on your bill. Gotta feed myself too." He'd keep piloting, making minor adjustments by now. It was all on Diamond to make her decision as she pleased.

Diamond smiled. "I've got plenty of those and written many thesis statements on those subjects. You'd be surprised at what ancient societies knew. The Golden Rectangle is still a strange concept to apply to magic, and we haven't quite figured out how it works." She looked him over, then she realized something. "Are you a red mage?"