Identity Crisis

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// Chapter 1: True Colors// Story: Identity Crisis// by Vinyl_Wubs//------------------------------//

It's a beautiful day out, and the air around Ponyville is one of fun and awe. A travelling dancer, Flying Light, is performing in the square today. Ponies gather around to watch the spectacle in awe as the sun begins to set. The lights of the dance fly and create beautiful patterns around and on the stage. Magic bursts and lights add to the effect of the dancer in the center of the stage. His act goes on through the evening, bringing more and more ponies into the growing audience.

A small mare, only at about five feet tall, was at the front, beaming up at him. Her body was a pale white. So pale that many ponies might mistake her for being related to Celestia. The albino mare had a pretty, bright orange sundress that flowed down her body like water, along with her hair of the same color. It was decently long, with a bit of curl to it. The smoothness of her body was obvious by way the silky, wrinkleless outfit hugged her. The cleavage on display was generous for her size, each globe as large as a very ripe cantaloupe. But it was her eyes that popped. Those darn eyes...

As night began to fall, a brief intermission is given while preparations are made for the night time act. Nearly a half an hour later, when the small crescent moon was up, and there was no sign of the sun left, everypony had reconvened at the stage, anticipating the next act. The entire crowd is suddenly shocked as a large burst of flame flares from the center of the stage. When the flames dissipate, there stands Flying Light. The unicorn stands at just under 6', not including his horn. His coat is a deep faded purple, blending in, yet creating a pleasant contrast with the darkness around. He wears no shirt, but has a pair of pants that widen down to his hooves, almost looking like a dress if he were to close his legs. His body and arms are painted with a green substance that glows and stands out in the magic blacklights, highlighting his movements as well as his mane and tail. His mane is a vibrant red with green highlights, with a very extravagant shape tying down to a ponytail. His mane and tail flow and move elegantly along his body as he dances, swinging balls of fire around his body on strings held in his hand. The fire and paint compliment his dancing form beautifully as backup dancers weave around and with him in well rehearsed movements.

The act continues for a few hours, each stunt and dance flowing and growing from the other. Finally, the show ends. Light gives a bow and brings the backups again and shows his appreciation for them as well. The crowd cheers for all, as bits, roses, and gifts are thrown to the stage.

About an hour passed, the show had come to a close. Everypony had left. Well, mostly... the performers were still there, relaxing on stage, talking, one smoking a cigarette, and a janitor cleaning. And a mare, sitting in the front row. The same mare that Lux noticed at the beginning of the show. She was the only observer left, staying long after the show had passed. She sat calmly, her legs pressed together, hands folded neatly in her lap, and sitting up straight.

One of the backup dancers notices Light's brief distraction. Looking in the direction of the mare, he nudges Light.

"Hey man, looks like you've got a groupie! Go on, get that shit!"

Lux looks at the backup dancer, a stallion named Flint Coal.

"Flint, You know that I don't go for that."

The ash Pegasus gestures towards her discreetly. "Well then just talk to her, and tell her you're not interested in a quick fuck, and don't leave her hanging!"

Light sighs, silently agreeing with him. Taking a brief moment to compose himself before walking off, Light starts walking towards the Ivory white mare.

The mare smiled, giving a small wave.

He comes up to the mare, offering his hand.

"Good evening ma'am, anything I can help you with?"

"Oh! I just wanted to say that... I liked your dancing." Her head tilted down in a cute, shy fashion.

"Thanks! I enjoy doing it, and I've been doing it for a long time." He says with a large grin. "Would you like to meet the crew?" He asks gesturing to the stallions and occasional mare on the stage.

"No, just you."

"Ah, well then, Hello there, my name's Flying Light. What's yours?" He says, as he places his hand forward.

She held a hand out and allowed him to take it. "I'm Sunny Sky. It's nice to meet you."

He shakes it gently and says with a grin. "A pleasure Sunny Sky! Mind if I call you Sunny?" He says as he pulls her to her feet.

"Not at all. Are you leaving Ponyville after this?" Sunny asked, seeming almost anxious.

"I will be. This is a travelling show. We want to give as many people the experience that I hope you got tonight." He says with a chuckle.

"Oh..." Sunny seemed to shrink at his words.

Light notices her deflation and disappointment. "Hey now, don't worry too bad. We're still here for a couple days, at least, and you'll have plenty of time to watch more of our shows." He says in an energetic manner. "Don't worry, and don't be sad! We can show you some of our tricks and techniques, if you'd like to see more!"

Sunny's smile slowly returned. "Okay." She said shyly.

"Great!" He said, leading her to the stage. He helped her up, taking her to the center. Only two of the backup dancers remained, Flint Coal, a dark grey Pegasus, with a brighter, slightly shinier grey mane and tail. The second, a navy blue earth pony mare with a light blue mane.

"Hey guys, This is Sunny Sky, and she'd like to learn more about what we do!" He says when they both were near the center.

"Hi." Sunny uttered quietly with a slow wave.

The two dancers approach. Flint looks at Light, giving him a raised eyebrow and a grin. Light merely rolls his eyes and shakes his head. Flint eagerly meets the mare, greeting her with a light hearted grin. The mare gives a gentle smile and a small bow. Flint decides to take initiative.

"So," he says, clapping his hands together and rubbing them. "You want to learn about some of the stuff we do, right?"

"That sounds fun." Sunny nodded, still keeping her hands folded together down below.

Taking point, Light heads to one of the prop tables with sunny in hand. "Well, what would you like to learn? We have Poi, which are the balls on the strings that we spin around, we have staffs, and we have these large spheres with handles we do for added effect, but they aren't much alone." He says.

Sunny didn't respond. In fact, to the rest of the group it looks like she didn't even hear him. Her eyes were simply set on Light, staring with a smile.

Light then turns to her. "Or would you like to learn about some of the effects we use?

"Oh! Sorry, I was more interested in just talking. You know, maybe if you're not busy later today." Sunny averted her eyes, her smile growing while tilting her head away. She certainly knows how to look cute.

A look of disappointment crossed Light's face. "I'm sorry, but it's already nearly 10:00, and we'll likely be taking down all night. I wis-"

Flint Coal interjected. "Actually, if you want, we can finish up."

Brief confusion flashes across Light's face. "I couldn't ask that, it's my show, so I should-"

"Don't worry about it, it's almost done, and we can take the rest, no problem."

"Are you sure?"

Flint and the mare beside him both nod. Light gives them an appreciative look. "Thank you." Making his way back to Sunny, he asks; "So, did you have somewhere in mind?"

"Maybe we can go get some dinner? My treat." She suggested.

Light Thinks for a moment.

Do you have somewhere in mind?"

Sunny smiled. "Do you like hayburgers?"

Later, at the local Burger Queen, the two begin to enjoy their meal and each other's company as the strike up a conversation.

Sunny hadn't touched her food, merely taking the time to stare happily at him without a word.

Light continued to eat for a bit, noticing her untouched food.

"Are you feeling okay? You've barely touched your food..."

Sunny shook her head and picked up her burger. "Sorry. Just can't believe I'm here."

Tilting his head, he asks, "Oh? But you recommended this place, didn't you?"

"No no! I mean with you. I've never met you. I never even knew your name before today." Sunny started to laugh.

"Oh, well there's no need to be so surprised! I'm just an average laid back stallion. You don't need to get all excited about that." He says with a mild blush. "but hey, what about you? You know enough about me, what do you do?"

"Oh. I write for a living. I've written poems, news columns, done interviews... It wasn't till the last couple years that I really made money off an actual novel."

"Really? That's actually pretty cool! What novels have you done?"

"Umm... well there's my first one called SevenEves." She started.

Light almost choked on his food. "You mean You're Bright Skies? Wow, I can't believe it! I recently started reading SevenEves! I haven't been able to finish any of them while I've been traveling, but I've really enjoyed the stories and characters so far!"

Sunny blinked slowly. "Y-you read my book?" She couldn't help but smile, straightening up a bit more confidently.

Light nodded enthusiastically. "I haven't finished it yet, as I said, I've been too busy travelling; but I really have liked what I've seen so far!" He stops for a moment to take a few bites of his burger.

Even Sunny was interested in food now, practically inhaling the burger. The way she ate made Light stop, staring in awe at her.

Light stopped for a moment. "Hungry much?" He said, the irony of his meal, three times the size of hers and already mostly gone, went mostly unnoticed by him...

Sunny stopped, finishing chewing what was in her mouth. Once she swallowed, there was a gap in time before the next sound uttered. Unfortunately, it wasn't a pleasant sound. She belched loudly, stopping immediately after and covering her mouth.

Light could only stare for a moment, before a scrutinizing and judging look bore down on her...

Sunny was smiling, but the moment she saw that look, the mare started to shrink in her seat.

Light continues his staring, before a smirk crosses his lips. "I'd say that was a 4 out of 5. Good volume, not enough length." He said, his smirk becoming a shit-eating grin.

Sunny pouted, grabbing some fries and chucking them at him.

Light laughed at that, managing to clumsily catch a few of the fries thrown, and eating them.

Sunny kept the frown for a few more seconds before smiling again.

Chuckling a few more times before taking a few breaths, Light takes a few sips of his drink before continuing.

"So, anyway, I guess I should ask, what do you do on a day to day basis?"

"Oh. My father owns an apartment complex. He gives me a room for free." Sunny shrugged. "I don't really do much."

An impressed look crosses his face as he finishes the last of his food. Taking a moment to wipe the food from his mouth, he pulls out his wallet and calls for a waiter.

"Do you have a place to stay?"

"My stage has a sleeping compartment for the road, but the crew and I usually just take a room at a hotel for my stay."

Sunny beamed and leaned forward. "You can stay with me, free of charge. If you want, I mean..."

"Oh, I wouldn't want to impose though." He says.

"It's the least I could do." She shook her head.

"Well.... If you insist..." He says with a small hesitant smile.

Sunny stood up and pushed in her chair. It was strange to him how short she was in comparison. Him sitting down was as tall as her standing up. Yet, it never seemed to phase her. She was always smiling, always confident and standing tall.

Impressed with her self confidence, he follows her on her way to her house.

After they reached her home, Sunny opened the door and gave a quick smile back at him before leading him to the guest room. "Make yourself at home."

The night show, the dinner, and the walk to Sunny's house now taking their toll, Light was exhausted. Barely from sleeping standing up, he looks at Sunny with a glazed look in his eyes.

"So, where am I sleeping, the couch, or your room?" Light says, rubbing his eyes.

"No silly!" She giggled, grabbing his hand and pulling him into the room. He saw the large, queen sized bed with it's own night stand, TV, radio, and dresser. "Here's where you'll stay. You can sleep here until you leave. There's a key on the nightstand in case I'm not home and can't let you in." Sunny beamed up at him.

His mind addled from his sleep exhaustion, he briefly looks around and asks, "So I'm sleeping in your room with you?"

Light's tiredness conceals an amount of disappointment in his voice.

"Nope, my room is at the end of the hall."

Raising an eyebrow, Light feels his appraisal and respect for the mare raise a bit. Up until this point, it seemed the mare was just another mare merely interested in him for a night of "Fun," something that happened to him often, and something he was never comfortable with. He could see genuine interest in him from Sunny. Too tired to act on anything at the moment, he nodded at Sunny.

"Anything I should know?"

"Nope. Just get some sleep." Sunny put a hand on his arm and continued to beam up at him.

Light, with bleary eyes, just nods. "Thank you then." He gives her a quick hug in appreciation. Without much ceremony, Light falls face first on to the bed over the covers, almost instantly asleep. His show clothes still on and paint still on his bare torso, the unicorn is out cold within seconds. A light snoring sound fills the room.

Sunny grinned. "Goodnight."

Six hours later, the next morning:

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Light wakes up with a start and an interrupted snore. Shaking his head and rubbing his eyes, he takes note of the bed, as the previous night's events start to come back to him. He looks around and is surprised to see some action figures scattered about the shelves in the room. Getting out of bed, Light begins to wander the room, looking at the collections around him. He makes his way to the hallway, and startles himself when he ends up in the master bedroom, with Sunny asleep soundly on the bed. Her diminutive frame looks absolutely adorable in her bed.

The sight of Sunny's cute sleeping self is enough to Literally Give Light a heart attack. His heart flatlines and he falls (Silently) to the floor with a daisy in his hand. He suddenly pops back up to his feet, and quickly scoots off to look for a bathroom in order to wash the previous night's work off.

The purple pony manages to find the bath, and looks in the mirror to find that his mane had become a large black afro as well. He inaudibly mutters something about chaos and magic, locking the door and getting ready as he snaps his fingers.

The light pitter patter of footsteps was heard. "Morning." Sunny yawned through the door.

The only reply to be heard Is the running of the shower and a light humming from the guest bath.

Sunny smiled and walked to the kitchen and pulled out some pancake batter.

Light finishes his shower, whistling a jaunty tune as he gives his fingers a quick snap. The wet fur suddenly becomes dry, and extremely floofy. A sigh escapes him as he uses his magic to summon a brush from the aether. He manages to comb and brush his fur down.

The scent of pancakes and maple syrup quite literally formed a hand, motioning him to follow.

The smell hand thing caused Light to do a quick double-take while brushing his teeth, slightly off-put that a smell is trying to seduce him. However, when he actually catches a whiff of the pancakes, he hastily finishes his teeth and rinses his mouth.

Stepping outside, he spots Sunny in the kitchen with a platter of pancakes piling up. "Something smells nice...." He says with a wide eye look....

Sunny shot him a smile. "Take as many as you want!"

"OH, thank you very much!" He says enthusiastically as he begins to pile them on a nearby plate.

Sunny giggled. "Anything else I could get you?

"Orange and apple juice would be nice, if that's not too much of a bother." He said after swallowing. He was always hungry, and continued to shovel pancakes down his throat.

Sunny happily poured him a couple glasses. "Anything else?"

"No, that's fine as is." He says with a smile. He continues to eat with gusto.

She took a seat beside him and took only a single pancake.

After swallowing his next mouthful, Light turned to Sunny, mildly intrigued by her placement beside him as opposed to in front of him. Dismissing it, he thought for a moment.

"So... we don't have a large act today, although we have a few quick demos to play at the school playground during recess, and then later at the local park. You're welcome to come, if you'd like. After that, I'd be happy to spend some more time with you."

"That sounds fun!" Sunny beamed at the idea. She took a small bite of her pancake and chewed silently.

Light looked at his wrist for a moment before realizing he left his watch behind for the act, and had not changed since. A brief blush forms, though isn't quite visible.

"Oh, look at my wrist, what a time!" He says, deciding to play off a mild amusement.

Sunny snorted, nearly choking on her food as she laughed.

An enthusiastic and happy smile goes across his face. "Oh, good to know my stupid jokes land!" He said with a little chuckle. Light looks around for a brief moment. "Do you happen to have a clock nearby?"

Finally managing to swallow, Sunny nodded. "Yep! There should be one in your room."

"Ah, thank you."

Making his way to the room, he finds the clock next to a Power Ponies action figure.

7:00, not too late then.... He thinks.

Stepping back into the kitchen, Light sits back down.

"I noticed you seem to have a lot of comics and action figures. You like comics?"

"Reader and collector." Sunny nodded through a cheek full of pancake.

Light nodded and gave another look around.

"An impressive one at that! You wouldn't happen to have one of the Matter-Horn around I could buy off you, would you? I missed the window to buy them when they were being made, and She's the last I need for my Power Pony collection..." He asks with a blush.

"Oh I have three copies. You can just have one." Sunny closed her eyes and smiled.

"Oh, really? I mean, I wouldn't want to impose..."

"Nonsense. I only need one, what's the point in keeping three?" Sunny giggled, reassuring him.

A look of gratitude swam on to Light. "Thank you very much then." He said with a slight dip of his head. "So, who's your favorite Power Pony, anyway?" He asked, suddenly curious.

"Oo! Zapp definitely." Sunny raised a hand and flailed it around a bit.

"Many people seem to really like her. While I can see why, I've always found it interesting just how many it was. Matter-horn is mine." He said as a ponderous look crossed his face.

"She's so cool too! All those lasers! She can protect me anyday." Sunny tapped her feet on the floor excitedly.

Light couldn't hide a bemused smile. "I actually really like her quick wit and deductive thinking. Her ability to see the unseen, read between the lines, and then formulate a plan in even the most dire situations always inspired me."

Sunny stared at Lux, her smile growing. She slowly kicked her feet back and forth playfully. Her gaze was almost shy, but definitely cute.

A Thought reached Light. "If I'm not mistaken, there is a theater somewhere nearby showing the latest power ponies movie. If you'd be willing, I would very much enjoy watching it together!" He said, the thought becoming more and more excitable in his mind.

"Ooo! Can we go now?" Sunny hopped up and was nearly halfway to the door before she turned to look at him.

"Last I checked, it was 7 o'clock right now, in the next showing probably doesn't start until 10. That gives us both enough time to get ready." He gestured toward himself. "I'm still in my show clothes." Pointing out his bare chest, and baggy, almost dress like pants. "We could both meet up at about 9:30 just outside the theater before hand."

Sunny was absolutely radiating happiness. She ran up and hugged him. "Thank you. This is gonna be so much fun, I just know it!"

Surprised by the excited mare, Light could only smile and hug back. He enjoyed hugs. Hugs were nice. Another thought occurred to him. "After the movie, it will be time for my solo performance in the park, and later will be the recess show. Would you care to join me for either of those? Afterwards we could both go for lunch too."

Her answer was clear by the increased tightness of the hug. Sunny's legs gave out, putting her full weight on him with the hug (which honestly wasn't much). She nuzzled his belly lovingly. "You're so awesome."

Light merely rolled his eyes with a big smile on his face. He gave his hand a small dismissive wave as he said, "oh stahp it..." in a playfuly feminine manner, and a light blush formed on his face.

"I think... I..." Sunny's own face started heating up, her face pressing harder into Light's stomach.

Light paused for a moment, looking down at Sunny.

"Can I tell you something?" Sunny giggled lightly, waving a finger, motioning him to kneel down. As she stood up from the full-body hug she was giving him.

"Ummm... Sure?" he said as he knelt down. His head now at her chest level.

Biting her lip, Sunny finally gained the courage to talk. "I think I have a crush on you."

The implications he hit him a few moments afterwards. He put on a brave face as dread and thoughts of the future ran through his body.

"If only she knew the truth... She would never accept that. She would see why it could never work."

Light did his best to put on a brave and kind smile. He looked into her eyes, and said, "I'm flattered, really. I appreciate that very much, but I'm just not ready for any kind of a serious relationship like that at the moment, if that is what you are trying to get at." He saw a distressed look begin to form across her face. "However, I would very much enjoy being very good friends, and I hope that one day I might be ready."

Sunny smiled warmly at him and took a step closer. "I'll wait for you for as long as it takes. Take as long as you need." She whispered, gently kissing his cheek. "Seeya at the theater?"

Fighting back a pity filled sigh, he nodded, putting on his brave and happy face again. "See you then?"

Later, at the movie theater.

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Light came out, the biggest grin on his face. It was the sudden burst of laughter that came from Sunny that sent him down the same road. As she came out beside him, the two couldn't hold back their giggles. "Oh my gosh, I never thought I'd feel bad for the Mane-Iac!" Sunny squealed.

"I admit it, but I never thought that karma would be both so satisfying, and yet so… Harsh. It was a lot of fun though!" he said as he took a drink from his soda.

Sunny leaned into Light and continued to walk with him.

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Meanwhile
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"Fluttershy, do you know where Discord is? He said he was going to allow me to perform some tests on him about chaos magic. I can't seem to find him, though."

The demure butter yellow Pegasus could only shake her head. "I'm sorry Twilight, but I haven't seen him around since this morning. He woke up saying he felt weird buzzing, and went to go see what it wants. He described it is constantly having a fly in his ear... and then his ear turned into a fly." She said, a mild shiver going down her spine at the thought.

Twilight grimaced. "That little flake. You know he's only doing it to get out of working with me. Why must he always be such a pain?"

"Actually, he did seem legitimately disturbed by it. He had a scowl on his face all morning long."

The scholarly unicorn huffed. "That still doesn't excuse-" she was suddenly interrupted by a loud…

*AH-CHOO*

Suddenly, in the middle of Fluttershy's house, Discord suddenly materialized with a comically red nose, and a large handkerchief.

"Oh my, it seems some pony was talking about me behind my back." He sniffled. "That was not very friendly like of you, little Miss Princess."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "It is not uncommon for people to talk about others when they have missed appointments with them." She gave him a hard stare.

"Well, I'm sorry I couldn't come and play doctor with you," he was now garbed with a lab coat, stethoscope, and a mirror on a headband. "But something came up." Snapping his Talon, the stethoscope and coat disappeared. "If it is really such a big deal for you, then feel free to help me find whatever it is. It very well might be something you would like to study."

Twilight thought about it for moment, and then nodded. "OK then discord, it really is something that's bothering you that much, we'll go check it out. It better not be some trick of yours though!"

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As the two approached the park, Light excused himself for a brief moment to change into a different set of performance clothes in a nearby latrine.

"I'll be waiting by the performance area!"

The unicorn eventually left the latrine, having set up the venue. Instead of balls of fire, or chemical light, these were weighted bags with sashes/ribbons sewn in.

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Meanwhile

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Two ponies and a chimera walked from the movie theater.

"Discord, where are we going now? So far you've just let us across the town, through the neighborhoods, to a movie theater, and now it feels like we are just wandering aimlessly. What are you even feeling from this 'buzzing'?" Asked Twilight with a hint of frustration, a scroll of parchment and quill in her telekinetic grasp.

"As I told you and Fluttershy before, it feels like some kind of buzzing or tingling sense, although most of it seems to stick around my ears. It is rather annoying. From what I can tell at the moment, it feels like my magic is reacting to something nearby, but I have no idea what." He groaned in exasperation as they continued their search.

"Light. Liiiiight!" Sunny waved from in front of the stage, Light standing literally three feet in front of her, and a couple feet above.

Light saw her from on top of the stage, still dancing to the music. While this show was not as spectacular as the night show, it had a certain Grace in the clear sunlight. His moves could be more appreciated, and his footwork more easily seen.

She put her arms on the stage to rest her head upon, beaming up at Light as she watched almost in a trance.

A small crowd of not much more than around 20 ponies had formed around the dancer. Some had seen him the previous night, while others made a personal note to be sure to attend the one that would happen this upcoming night. All watched in awe and joy.

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Meanwhile

___________________________

Discord, Twilight, and Fluttershy all reached the park. Music could be heard faintly in the distance. Discord place his paw/Talon over his ears.

Fluttershy noticed his discomfort. "What's wrong, are you alright? Is that music disturbing you?" She asked with worry.

"No, the music is ignorable. The buzzing it has just spiked. I have no idea what it is, and I can't see what's causing it anywhere!" He said with a frustrated growl.

Twilight looked around. "Is it possible that something is just hiding, and we can't see it? I just scanned for any changeling or polymorphic magic, but I couldn't detect anything. Maybe it's some kind of chaos surge from the Everfree forest?"

Discord looked thoughtful at that as a third arm appeared out of nowhere and scratched his chin while his other two still covered his ears. "That may not be such a bad idea… I might give it a try."

A fourth arm appeared and snapped its fingers. They waited, but nothing seemed to happen.

Twilight looked at discord. "Did you notice anything?"

Discord removed his paw/talent from his ears. He looked around, trying to find anything he could. "Not that I can see, but the buzzing seems to have stopped for now."

None of them had seemed to have noticed that the music had stopped as well.

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Back at the stage

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For Flying Light, The show was going quite well. The music equipment hadn’t failed, and he felt he was doing exceptionally well with his choreography. Suddenly, everything went to Tartarus.

To the crowd, the entire stage just suddenly erupted into a giant vibrant magenta flame.

Sunny screamed, stepping back with her hands quickly covering her mouth.

The flames died down, and standing where Flying Light once stood, now stood a mishmash of multiple creatures jam-packed into one. It stood on the cloven hooves of a bull with purple legs, had a long slithering stake tail with a diamond pattern on it's back and a rattle on the tip. It's torso was feathered in a deep brown gloss, with a large collar of white feathers popping out in each direction near the neck and at the base of it’s shoulders. It's arms were scaled with a shimmering red pattern, on it's back it had a pair of deep violet bat-like wings. While it had a pony's head, even then, it bore a poor resemblance to the unicorn that once stood at the center of the small stage. Instead of the faded deep purple, now was a simple lighter grey, and instead of a unicorn's horn there were two horns that curved inwards like a ram.

The only resemblance was the bright green eyes, which locked onto Sunny.

Sunny was stunned, only able to stare back at her once pony friend. Her brain was trying to comprehend what happened, and what happened to Light.

Suddenly, Sunny was surprised when the right eye of the creature started flickering between the green it had been, a crimson red, and barely, there was a flash of a bright blue or a light magenta. And as soon as it had begun, the creature turned around, and started running. With a snap of the dragon's claws, and a flap of the bat's wings, the creature suddenly disappeared in a flash of light.

"Light!" Sunny shouted suddenly. She was left in silence. Even the crowd was quiet.

There was no response, and no sign of the creature that had been there. It had vanished.

Sunny took a few steps back. "Somepony help!"

It was as if a floodgate were opened, and suddenly ponies were running in many directions, some reaching for the fire-department, some to find the guard, some tried to calm their crying children, and three mares had fainted in the middle of the streets.

Sunny did everything she could not to cry herself. She wandered like a lost child through the crowd looking for help.

The fireponies arrive, and the guard investigate the scene. They see no evidence of foul play, and are not able to find the performer. Several ponies are present as well, including a few of the elements of harmony.

Sunny's gaze met Princess Twilight's. She bolted up to the princess and grabbed the alicorn, shaking her back and forth. "Princess Twilight! Princess Twilight!" Sunny repeated.

It took Twilight a few seconds to reorient herself, while Discord had a chuckle at the exasperated Alicorn's problem. When she regained her bearings, she looked to the mare that had nearly assaulted her...

"Ummm... Yes? How can I help you?"

"You have to find my friend! He was on stage, then there was fire, then he turned into a... that !" Sunny pointed to Discord.

The present elements, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Twilight all looked to the Draconequus.

Seeing the glares, he put two and two together. "I assure you, I'm not moonlighting as a belly dancer." He said, crossing his arms.

"You're not Light. He wasn't you . But he was what you are. And he... he ran away. He didn't want anypony to know." Sunny trailed off to a mumble, tears welling up in her eyes. "I just want to make sure he's okay..."

Discord in particular perked at that.

"Another draconequus?" He asked skeptically. "That shouldn't be. last I checked, there's only one around."

Twilight looked to Sunny. "I have to be honest, I'm with Discord on this. There's been absolutely no record of another Draconequus in the history of Equestria."

Discord piped in once more. "I don't even know how I was created, so there's no way we could have another one of me, even if he's not me."

Sunny's brows furrowed. "You don't know of any others. You don't even know how you were created. By that logic, there are no others... brilliant." She droned on. "Sounds like you were really thorough."

Twilight backpedaled. "We're not saying we don't believe he doesn't exist, but we are doubting his being a Draconequus. There are many sentient hybrid or chimerical creatures in Equestria. So I'll ask, and please don't take this as an attack, what makes you think he is a draconequus?"

"He had the body like Discord. Hooves, some dragon parts, a snake tail. Even had two horns on his head. He used magic like Discord. He just kinda... vanished at will." Sunny seemed to relax, looking down at the ground almost out of shame for snapping at them.

The group 'Hmm'ed at that. Twilight took the lead. "Why don't we sit down, and you can tell us exactly what happened," she said, leading Sunny to a nearby bench.

Sunny sat down and took a deep breath in. "I met Light yesterday. He and his group were performing. After they finished, I introduced myself. He was really nice, ya know... and really cute." Sunny bit her lip, twirling some of her bright orange hair with a finger.

Twilight took a quill and a scroll of parchment, and looked at Sunny with a consoling look. "We don't need to know everything about when you've been together. Just the details of this event in particular." She said with a gentle smile.

The other present elements of harmony couldn't help but stare at Twilight, seeing Celestia's influence starting to take shape.

Sunny smiled, looking shyly up at the princess. "Okay." She said in a voice reminiscent of their pink haired pegasus friend.

"OK. Start whenever you are ready," Twilight said, materializing a pair of glasses then placing them on her muscle.

"After we woke up, we had breakfast. We ate, then started planning out the day. We saw a movie, and then we came to the park. Light had a show planned, and that's what all these ponies were here to see. Then..." Sunny paused, her lips starting to quiver.

Twilight gently nudged forward. "Go on…"

Sunny closed her eyes tightly, tears starting to stream down her face. She brought her knees up to her chin and curled up. Whimpering her tears out.

Fluttershy stepped forward. She gently nuzzled the mare on the bench, stroking her fingers through her hair. "There there…. Keep going, and we may be able to find him."

Sunny sniffled, looking up at Fluttershy. The tiny mare cracked a smile, hugging Fluttershy and leaning into her. "T-then... the stage lit on fire. Like something happened, it wasn't normal fire. It was violet, and Light transformed. He didn't seem surprised by what he turned into, more like... that he didn't mean to. Like it was an accident. He looked down at me, and when we made eye-contact... That is when he looked scared."

Twilights ears twitched at that. Furiously scribbling things down on the parchment, she looked back to Sunny. "And what about when he left?"

"When he left, he turned around and took a long step, as if he was about to burst into a sprint. But like he was sprinting through some invisible doorway. He just kinda blinked, and vanished in the same kind of fire." Sunny continued. She looked over at Discord. "H-hey, Discord...?"

Discord looked to her, looking rather surprised. "Yes?"

Sunny leaned away from Fluttershy and continued to stare at him. "I know you don't really know me, but... I've always kinda looked up to you. And you really remind me of Light. You're both really silly." She said, still in her shy tone. But it did seem a little happier. She at least had the smallest hint of a smile.

"Oh… Well… I certainly appreciate that, but I don't see how that's relevant." He shrugged.

"Well, I just wanted to know if... if you could sit next to me." Sunny blushed lightly. "It'd make me feel a bit better... if that's okay with you, I mean."

Discord looked surprised. "Are you certain? You find me… Comforting?"

Good, and bad. "I've only known you for a few minutes, but I can tell you have a heart of gold."

Discord rolled his eyes and fall. "I wouldn't say that…" As he paused he began moving closer towards Sunny. "But if you insist…". He laid on the bench she was on, and somewhat wrapped himself around her back.

Sunny smiled in full this time, leaning back against Discord. "Thank you." She whispered.

Discord nodded in response.

Getting things back on topic, Twilight asked, "You said he blinked, and then went through a doorway in flames?" She continued writing on her parchment. "Could you elaborate on that some more?"

"Well, he just kinda disappeared. It's like he meant to do it, but kinda got into a running stance before he did."

Discord piped in, "was there any kind of trigger, or hand gesture? Anything he did to activate the magic itself?"

Twilight looked at Discord unexpectedly, curious as well.

"Well, he snapped his fingers... could that be it?" Sunny cocked her head curiously.

Looking away in thought, Discord put a talon to his chin. Noticing the look of consternation, Twilight looked at Discord and asked, "Is something wrong?"

Discord continued to look at the ground in thought. "Without a doubt, that's chaos magic. But I still can't believe it's a Draconequus. Either Celestia or I would have felt it had it happened recently, and there would have been some kind of a recoil on the world if there was. The only thing we know from when I was born, or created, or whatever, is that the everfree forest was made. Something on that kind of level would have happened..."

"How do you know something didn't happen?"

"Aside from the fact that there's not another draconequus lawn ornament in Celly's garden? I would have felt it even through my little 'hard time' done. Since there's not another harmony-free zone in the world, it's not likely." Discord said with a passive attitude.

Sunny frowned. "Well, what else do you need from me? Can't we start looking now?"

Thinking for a moment, Discord looked back to the stage. "Show us where everything happened..." with a snap of his fingers, the entire party materialized on the stage. "If you can, mimic what he did, and in which direction he went." He said.

Sunny looked down at the stage floor. She took a few steps, slowly positioning herself where Light once stood. She looked down where she had stood in front of the stage. Quickly doing a one-eighty, she lunged in the opposite direction, then stopped. "Like this..."

Discord and Twilight looked around in the dimming light, the temperature beginning to drop. Rainbow Dash flew up to look around for any signs of the missing pony, Applejack left to finish up some tasks on the farm, and Fluttershy stood close to Sunny, consoling her when needed.

Looking towards Sunny, Discord inquired, "how far did he get?"

"I'm standing where." Sunny looked down at her feet, then back at Discord.

Discord snaked around her, making odd gestures. Sniffing, looking, feeling, and doing that tongue thing that snakes do all around Sunny. He suddenly got a chill down his spine and a look of intrigue and surprise was made apparent on his face.

"What? did you find something?" Sunny asked, hope beginning to fill her eyes.

"I think I may have.... But it's... Confusing. While there's chaos magic here, it's some kind of wonderful bastardization of it. Like taking a sledgehammer to a beautiful ice sculpture, and still ending up with a water sculpture that still looks the same..." He drifted off into thought.

"What does that mean for me?" Sunny crossed her arms and pouted.

"Exactly," He responded with no further explination, "Sparke, come here, tell me what you can feel out..."

Twilight approached him, her horn alighting. The soft glow resonated the area for a moment before fizzing out with a few sparks from her horn. "Ow! Discord!"

"Now now, that wasn't my fault, nor did I intend that, I assure you. I would've made your horn an ice cream cone. Much more delicious."

Sunny gave a small smile, holding back a laugh.

"Anyway, I can feel a rift that was made here, but it's a crude one. I'll need your help to backtrace it, Sparkle-butt." He said, waving a talon at Twilight. She approached, her horn glowing when suddenly Discord grabbed it with his lion paw.

"*Discord!*" Both she and Fluttershy chastised the chaos avatar.

"Oh grow up. I'm using it as a conduit to try to find where he went, and put us there..."

"Do you think it'll work?"

A shrug was her only response, his concentration on the feelings of residual magic. "Twilight, can you combine a teleportation matrix with a tracing matrix?"

The purple alicorn shuffled her hooves. "I think I could, but could you-"

"Then do it. Don't worry about direction and power, I'll take care of that."

"Discord, please just-"

"Fire up the spell!"

Surprised, Twilight started the spell up again with a small meep!

"Everypony, get close!" Discord called, as he raised his talon.

Sunny and the others were quick to surround him. She looked up at Discord with equal parts hope, and equal parts desperation.

With a snap of his fingers, all ponies present suddenly felt like they were being hurled through the void and squeezed through a tube of toothpaste. A sudden jolt sent them into a tizzy, and they all met a rapid introduction with the ground from about five feet up, face first.

Sunny slowly rolled over onto her face, hands covering her face. "Mmpgh..."

Discord groggily got up. "I'm surprised that affected me as it did..." He said, taking a paw and placing it on his forehead.

Twilight was the second to recover. "I-Is everypony alright?" she said, shaking her head.

Sunny climbed to her feet, stumbling as she did. She finally moved her hands away, looking around at their destination.

After getting her bearings, Fluttershy looked at her surroundings, trying to identify their location. A few moments later, realization struck her as she looked at the deep darkening forest around.

"Where are we? Where's Light?" Sunny seemed to shrink at the realization of their new environment.

Fluttershy crept closer to her, comforting her. "It's alright, we're in the whitetail woods. One of the deeper sections of it, and far from ponyville, but it shouldn't be dangerous."

Sunny closed her eyes and leaned into the kind pegasus. "O-okay..."

Rainbow Dash flew up into the trees. "I say we split up, this guy's gotta be around here somewhere," looking down, she looks at Sunny. "Hey, what'd you say he looked like?"

"That's assuming a lot." Sunny chuckled.

Dash's train of thought did a full stop, and she gave Sunny a look of confusion. "Wuh?"

"If you find somepony that isn't one of us, it's probably him." Sunny droned.

She crossed her hooves with a small scowl. "hey, it still helps to know what you're looking for," she grumbled.

Sunny gave an almost cocky smile. "Just picture Discord's nephew."

Rainbow only grunted. "That's sure helpful..." she said with a sarcastic tone, and sped off.

Twilight shook her head. "Rainbow Dash is right though, we should split up." she said as she started walking off. "Be careful everypony!"

Sunny's mind was racing. She was scared, being alone in this forest, but the thought that Light was somewhere here comforted her. In fact, that thought was the only thing keeping her from breaking down and crying. The thought of him in pain, hurt, sad, it felt worse than any fear this place could instill. She cared about him, more than anypony she knew. There was something about him that made her feel safe. She had only known him for about a day, but she just needed to see him. That's all she wanted out of this, to know he was safe. That's all she cared about...

Meanwhile, in a small clearing nearby, a lone figure was making a bit of a raucous.

"Dammnit! Why. Why? Why! Why Then?! Everything was going fine, everything was in control, and everything was nice! Then I had a flare up in front of a crowd ON STAGE Of all the worst times it could have happened, that was it.

"I thought I had it all under control! Why would my magics clash so suddenly? It's been YEARS Since I've had such a catastrophic problem!" He punched a nearby tree, cracking the wood yet doing little damage to himself due to the dragon-scaled hands and arms he sported. "DAMN It, Dammit, dammit, Dammit! What the buck happened!?" he yelled, accentuating each swear with another punch.

Creeping forward slowly, Sunny listened and watched with apt attention. Stepping forward, the crack of a twig made her cringe. The sound went completely unnoticed, as the figure continued to rant in a self imposed exile.

Sunny's heart was pounding. She continued to walk forward. "L-light?" She mumbled.

The figure froze. Slowly turning around, he saw the unicorn behind him. He made eye contact and froze, unable to respond.

Swallowing dryly, she tiptoed her way forward nervously. "Light... are you okay?"

Choking on his words, the chimera-like creature could only stare for the most part. "S-sunny..."

It was at that moment, Rainbow Dash caught sight of the pair from above. "Hey Guys! I found Him!"

Light looked at Sunny with a combination of hurt and panic. "You brought the elements!?" he asked, on the verge of hyperventilating.

"I'm just a normal unicorn! They were the only ones I could think of to help find you." Sunny put a hand to her mouth, wide eyed as the panic spread to her.

His rational mind shutting down, Light turned around to make a break for it. As he was making his way, a sudden flash appeared by Sunny.

"Oh no you don't!" Discord yelled as he snapped his fingers. Light was momentarily distracted by the voice, but his distraction proved enough to be his undoing. He suddenly found himself buried in an immobilizing amount of cooked linguini.

Sunny gasped. She turned to Discord and started hitting him. "Stop it!"

Discord grunted with annoyance, the hit's doing little. "hey-Sto-, calm down! It's not hurting him, just keeping him there. It's pasta!"

Meanwhile, inside the gluten goodness, Light struggled as hard as he could to escape from his pasta prison.

Sunny immediately turned to Light, bolting over to him as quickly as her legs could carry. "Light! Light listen to me, please..."

Inside the pile, she could hear a panicked muffled voice. "NO! No! I'll leave you alone, I swear! I don't want to cause chaos, I don't want to overthrow Equestria! You won't ever have to see me again! Please! I just want to live my life!"

"Light, no one is going to hurt you. I'm here, I'm the only pony that matters." Sunny bit her lip, the panic in his voice making her heart clench.

Through his panic he heard nothing. His struggles were bearing some fruits, but he was still largely immobilized. At this point, all he could manage was a hand that had broken free of the linguine.

At that moment, the rest of the party managed to arrive. Twilight saw the mess of food with a hand sticking out of it and asked, "What's going on here?" Her voice had to be raised from the still hysterical screams from inside the pile.

She turned to Discord and shouted at him. "Put him in a less messy prison right now!"

Discord rolled his eyes. "There's no need to be so hostile about it, there isn't even any sauce. Simply boiled pasta. And don't worry, I have something to help restrain him when he breaks free," he said dismissively. He put his attention back to the struggling chimera again.

Twilight approached Sunny. "What's going on?"

"Light is having a mental breakdown and I don't know what to do!" Sunny's face started to scrunch up, tears welling in her eyes.

Fluttershy came up to Sunny, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, we'll take care of it."

Meanwhile, inside the pasta, Light's struggles continued to progress, as he now had both of his arms out, and was about to pull his head free. It was at that moment that Discord took what looked like purple sludge and smelled like chocolate and held it at the ready.

For the first time, Sunny genuinely broke down. Before Fluttershy could catch her, Sunny fell to her knees and started to sob.

Once his head emerged, Light looked almost feral. However, Discord dumped the contents of the cup of sludge directly onto Light's face. He slumped down, his eyes rolling into his head with a sigh.

"Well now, that should do it."

Leaning into Fluttershy, Sunny managed to ask. "You're n-not hurting him, are you?"

Dusting his hands off, Discord smiled. "No, quite the opposite, in fact." He pulled out a glass of a similar substance. "Chaos magic, given physical substance. Very relaxing, almost blissful. If he's not a pile of putty and peaceful perceptions when he wakes up in a few minutes, then he's got more wrong than just a panic attack."

Sunny sniffles, getting up onto her feet. She walked around in front of Light and sat down in front of him, not saying a single word to anypony else.

Twilight looked at Discord Curiously. "How long do you think it will be until he wakes up?"

Scratching his chin thoughtfully, he replied. "It depends on his affinity for chaos magic. If he's moderately powerful or 'in tune' with chaos magic, it could be a few hours. If his affiliation is more or less, it will be a matter of minutes." He sat down. "The best we can do is wait..."

"Can you guys leave for a bit... I want to be alone with him when he wakes up." Sunny suddenly spoke.

Twilight gave her a sad look. "I'm sorry, but that wouldn't be a good idea. However, I do think that we can give you some space, if you'd like that..."

"I just don't want him to see you and freak out. Just make sure you're out of sight at least. If you feel anything wrong at all, do what you have to."

A nod came from the purple princess. She then looked towards Discord. "And Discord?"

The draconequus turned with a "hmm?"

"Please get rid of the pasta..." She said in deadpan.

"Oh! Yes. Certainly wouldn't want that to go to waste," he said. A fork suddenly appeared in his talon, and a plate in his paw. With a single scoop, the haystacks worth of pasta was picked up and put on the plate. He motioned the plate towards the group. Care for some?"

_____________________________________________

A slightly muffled moan came from Light, stirring awake after just under an hour of waiting.

When Light regained some vestige of eyesight, he saw Sunny lying at his feet, fast asleep.

A calm feeling of satisfaction and confusion washed over Light. Unaware of where he really was, he decided it best to wake Sunny so they could leave. Giving a gentle shake, he laid a hand on her shoulder. At that moment, however, he noticed his dragon scaled arm, and the events of earlier came crashing on him once more. He could only sit there, in shock and frozen. In his stunned revelry, Sunny began waking up.

Sunny's eyes snapped open. She looked up at Light, staring wide eyed. Light could remember at the very least that she looked almost scared of him earlier. But now, all he saw was relief. She wrapped herself around him as tightly as possible.

Even more confusion ran through his mind. He felt his thoughts moving slowly. His only response could be "Sunny, I... wha-, but..." He stammered.

"You had me so worried, Light..."

His mind struggling to catch up with events, Light could only slump.

"Hmm, that fear response is actually a bad sign..." A voice came off to the side. Light looked in the direction of the sound and found Discord, Twilight and Fluttershy standing there. His pulse spiked and a visible frightened look crossed his face.

"Nothing is gonna happen. Nothing is gonna happen." Sunny repeated quietly to Light.

Light's breath instinctively started to slow, but he still looked frightened. Thoughts were slow, and responses felt sluggish.

Discord looked at Light all over, approaching him slowly. "Hmm, you must have some real issues if you are still so terrified after a heavy therapeutic dose of Chaos magic..." he continued to look him over.

Twilight approached with an unsure look. "You don't need to worry. We aren't going to do anything. Maybe just ask a few questions."

Light looked at Discord. "But... You're..." he looked at Twilight and Fluttershy. "And you're..."

"No one wants to hurt you. They're just curious, you have to believe me. If they wanted you gone, they wouldn't be trying to calm you down." Sunny spoke.

The dazed creature could do little, still beside himself with confusion.

Discord spoke up. "He's being very slow about it. After effects of the Chaos. He's probably going to be a little while with this."

"Light, can you talk? Look at me." Sunny cupped his cheeks and pulled his head to look at her.

His attention focused on her once more, she could feel him begin to calm down as a sense of familiarity washed over his addled mind. He seemed much more receptive to conversation, though still not quite up to any kind of deep discussion.

"Hi." Sunny smiled.

Light let out an acknowledging sigh, his eyes half closed in a passive, sleepy stare.

"How are you feeling sweetie?" The mare sat next to him, holding Light tightly.

Light gave a slow nod, airily responding, "...kindahhh, good... a lil... funny... but... why... why... " He said, unable to formulate the question forming on his mind as he motioned towards the other ponies present.

"They were the only ponies I could think of to help find you. When you disappeared, you scared me really bad."

His facial features showed a brief flash of sorrow and guilt, though a worried confusion was still prevalent. "But... Buh... Why'd they come? Wh-why..." He tried to make out, his brain catching up, though still worlds away.

"Because they're kind ponies. And they wanted to help me." Sunny combed her fingers through his hair. "Plus, they were pretty curious too. You are pretty awesome." She whispered with a giggle.

Not quite hearing the last bit, Twilight stepped up. "That, and you're an unknown to us. We don't know what you are, and we want to learn. Your Confusio-Thauma presence is something of a mystery, and we need to study its effects on Symbio-harmonia Thaumalogical energies."

Lux stared at the unicorn with nothing but confusion. "What do words?" He slurred out.

"Ignore her. She's weird." Sunny started laughing.

Twilight deadpanned with an aggravated sigh. "Discord," she said turning around, only to find the chaos Lord doing something with an apple and a banana. "… What are you doing?"

Startled from his personal inquisitions, Discord threw the fruits away, where they shattered like glass and exploded, leaving behind a fruit smoothie. "Nothing!" He said quickly, "absolutely nothing!"

Twilight stared at him skeptical me, though decided to drop it. "What is wrong with him?" She asked, pointing to the figure lying on the ground. "Should he still be like this after so long?"

"Actually, he should not be like this in the first place. He should be fully coherent, just completely blissful. Right now, he almost just seems drunk." He said, giving a thoughtful hum.

"You keep saying that, we get it. So what do we do?" Sunny snapped back.

"Oh, that is such a simple matter." He gave a dismissive wave with his lion paw.

Walking up to the impaired chimera, Discord pulled out one of those rubber chicken/ducks that makes a wailing sound after you squeeze it. All present stared at him with curiosity. Discord put the toy on Light's snout, leaving him to stare at it. While Light was distracted, Discord pulled out a cartoonishly large wooden mallet, lifted it over his head, and swung down and hit him on the head.

Sunny was completely unharmed, while Light's head and the chicken resting on it were both flat. As the rubber chicken reinflated itself, so did Lights head, cartoonish birds flying around his eyes, and the rubber chicken a’howling.

Sunny's brows were furrowed. She seemed unphased by anything Discord did at this point.

Light shook his head trying to clear the cobwebs. Groaning, he put a claw to his head. "Oww, what happened? Did I hit a tree?" he said, opening his eyes slightly. He looked to his surroundings, missing the others inside the clearing present, until he looks down to where his other claw rests on the ground right next to Sunny. He slowly raised his gaze, his eyes widening as he makes eye contact with Sunny. As he stares into her eyes, he is reminded of the course of events.

"S-Sunny..." He said, a wide mixture of emotions playing across his face.

The mare beamed at the sound of her name. The had been thinking of what to say when he finally came around, but all that came out of her mouth was, "Hi."

Light scrambled to an upright position, backing away just slightly. "Sunny, I.. I'm.." He stuttered, averting his eyes as he started to rub one arm with another. He looked down at himself sitting on the forest floor, his thoughts starting to spiral into a depressive state.

She quickly scurried up to him and cupped both his cheeks. "Light, don't. Don't you do that again. Just relax... please."

"But Sunny, Look at me! If anypony saw me, it'd be torches, pitchforks, and the royal guard! Tartarus, I'm surprised you didn't go straight for the elements of-!" Another memory surfaced, and Light jumped up. Whirling around, he once again saw the two ponies present.

Seeing his reaction Twilight quickly raised her hands. "Wait!" She said, "we don't want to hurt you! We came to help her"

"You've been living in the past for too long Light... Discord is reformed. But you were never him, you're you. You don't need to be afraid anymore." Sunny pleaded him to listen.

"Indeed," said Discord behind Light, startling him once again. "We don't know what you are, little chaos chimera. It'd be Oh so fun to get to know you," He said, curling around Lux, examining every part of him in a somewhat uncomfortable manner. A look of new worry crossed Light's face as he looked to Twilight and Fluttershy. Fluttershy gave an apologetic gaze and Twilight looked at Discord with a look of mild annoyance, though he gave no notice.

"Anyway," Twilight began, "your magical signature is unique, and we'd like to study it. It could mean a new revolution for Thaumatical discoveries."

Light's right eye flashed from green to a fuchsia color, giving a slight glow, as he looked at Sunny.

"Would that be okay with you, Light?" Sunny said as if asking permission. "I won't let them do anything you don't want them to." She said to him softly.

Light looked away in thought, his eye flashing again. This time, however, it flashed a scarlet red more than fuchsia, though that too made a few appearances. His face scrunched up in a tight grimace as he kneeled to the ground, pressing a claw to his temples.

"What's wrong? Are you in pain?" Sunny cringed slightly, moving a bit closer to comfort him.

Light waved a hand, attempting to look otherwise. "No, no, I'm-" he grunted once again, "I'm fine..."

"Talk to us then." Sunny still seemed worried. All she cared about was if he was okay.

Light shook his head forcefully, grunting a few more times before taking a few deep breaths. "I-it's nothing," he said, calming himself. "I'm fine," he stated again. Both of his eyes had now returned to their original green color.

Sunny took Light's hand and smiled. "Okay." She said. The tender grasp, aside her perfect smile and freckled dimples... Light hadn't realized until now how cute Sunny looked.

Light felt the tension melt away from his body. He felt a new kind of comfort when he was with Sunny, one he couldn't quite understand. They stared at each other for a few moments, until another thought crossed his mind.

Turning towards the other ponies present, he asked, "what kind of tests would you be performing?" His voice had an undertone of nervousness, though not the panic it was earlier. More like a cautious approach one would have when trying to learn something about someone new.

Twilight responded. "They would mostly be tests about how your magic interacts the world. Your magical signature is different from Discord's."

"It wouldn't be anything too… Invasive, would it?" He asked the nervousness still in his voice. Twilight shook her head, and a small burden seemed to be lifted from his shoulders.

He hesitated for a few brief moments, before sign and said "I – I think I can do that, that doesn't sound too bad..." He only sat there a little longer, thinking.

Later

Light and Sunny were on the road back to Ponyville. The short mare was wrapped around his right arm, leaning into his body as they walked. Light was once again the pony he was before the incident before, hoping to avoid a confrontation.

"I'm glad to have you back, Light. Don't ever do that again." Sunny said softly to him, her grip around his arm tightening a bit more.

He looked away, a little guilt welling up in him. "... Lux". He said, almost inaudibly.

Sunny cocked her head back to look up at him. "Pardon?"

"... My real name is Lux Volans. I'm a Draconequus, like Discord. " he said, feeling ashamed.

"Oh! What a pretty name." Sunny complemented, paying his embarrassment no mind. She in no way wanted to make him feel any more uncomfortable, and she certainly knew how to be nice. Nothing seemed to surprise her, and she never really questioned anything he said either. She just sort of... believed him. And Lux noticed.

Noticing her belief, he felt a brief moment of worry/confusion. He was never very good with emotions, preferring to just interact with simple joy. Sunny, however, made him want to explore his other emotions. "You... You're not mad?" He asked.

"Why would I be mad? I'm happy as ever! I thought I lost you, now I have you back." She closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder.

"But... I lied to you. I lied about who I am, what I am, even my name itself." He said, befuddled at the seeming lack of thought to that.

Sunny stopped, causing Lux to stumble to a halt. "Lux, please..." She cooed gently. Motioning him closer, Lux kneeled down to get eye-level with her. "You've had to hide you are for the longest time. Who you are, what you are, out of fear. You have nothing to apologize for, you kind... wonderful pony. I am just so happy that I could be the one to take that fear away. No pony will ever want to hurt you again..." She finished, leaning close and giving his cheek a kiss.

Lux looked away, deep in thought about the recent events. He stood up, took her hand, and they continued walking.

Sunny walked arm-in-arm with Lux, her head cocked to the side and resting on his arm as they continued on down the path.

Lux continued to walk in contemplative silence. The recent events were proving a lot for him to handle. At the same time, unknown to Sunny, multiple voices were thinking at once inside his mind. To Sunny, it looked like Lux was almost arguing with himself in his own mind.

"Is there anything you want to talk about?" She asked.

"I-" his head and face twitched "Not right now. Maybe some time later..." He said as they reached Sunny's house.

Sunny walked him inside and locked the door. "Now turn back into your real self."

A surprised look crossed his face, which was replaced by a look of acceptance. He took a deep breath, as if about to plunge into an iced river. Snapping his fingers, a bright light and loud Pop engulfed the room, almost as if a flashbang had gone off where Lux stood. When it subsided, there stood Lux in all his Draconequus glory.

Sunny spent a full minute looking his form up and down. Suddenly, the biggest, happiest, beaming smile lit up her features.

Lux's eyes were closed, expecting perhaps the worst, though when screams of any kind weren't heard, he cracked an eye open. He found himself surprised not only by the smile, but by the intensity. Perhaps even a bit frightened, but for a different reason now...

"Promise me that whenever we're alone... you won't hide your beauty from me." Sunny approached, putting a hand on his chest.

He looked at Sunny in shock. "You mean-...But-" He gestured at himself. "I'm-..." He started his incoherent stuttering babble once again.

She shushed him with a hand to his mouth. "I already know, Lux. There's no reason to hide around me. Especially for a creature as beautiful, and unique as you. You don't have to hide anymore..."

Lux could only stare forward in bewilderment. He'd never had such affection and acceptance from what was almost a complete stranger, and it arose such emotions he'd never felt nor looked for. The emotional overload only left him able to stare forward.

Sunny took his hand and lead him to his room. "You just lay down. Are you hungry?"

Lux sat on the bed. "uh, yeah, I am just a bit hungry, but..." A thought came to mind, but he thought better than to mention it at the moment.

"What can I make ya?" Sunny sat beside him and tapped her feet on the floor.

Lux startled. That was what he was something that he was hoping she wouldn't ask that. "Uhhh, anything you make should be good. Just don't make too much..." he said with an almost panicked expression.

Sunny would normally try her hardest to keep him calm, but the reason of his panic made her smile grow. In fact, she was trying hard not to laugh. "Oh don't worry. I'll make a moderate amount" She choked as calmly as possible.

Lux nodded. "Okay, that's fine..."

Sunny stood up and left the room, finally giggling aloud as she left his sight.

When she left, he let out a large sigh. He leaned back on the bed as he mentally prepared himself for the multitude of conversations he knew would likely be unpleasant, if not painful. Closing his eyes, he laid down in wait.

Not long later, she returned. This time she was holding a small tray of sodas and set it on his nightstand.

Noticing her come in, he sat up and saw the sodas on the tray though he couldn't quite make them out. "What soda's that?" He asked with a hidden hope.

"Root beer. That okay?" Sunny beamed.

At that moment, it appeared as if Lux had stars in his eyes, each of them wide as dinner plates. He stared at the tray like a puppy would a treat. All Lux could do was nod rapidly.

Sunny giggled. She pet the top of his head. "I'll be right back with some food." She assured before heading back out the door.

He was unable to respond, aside from a small grunt of appreciation as he immediately dived into the root beer, downing can after can.

A mere five minutes passed before she returned. She sat down. Again, without a word.

To her surprise, she found Lux inside the room surrounded by empty root beer jugs. However, all other jugs were a more off brand, rather than the brand Sunny brought in. He completely missed her, too busy chugging a jug of root beer until she sat down. He very suddenly became aware of her presence, and could only stare at her with a deer in the headlights look. Unsure of what to do, he took one last large gulp.

Sunny sputtered out a quick giggle before speaking. "Spaghetti is on the stove."

Still with the jug in his mouth and in a prime chug position he nodded and gave another swallow. He lowered it and took a breath. Blushing profusely, he said, "sorry, but.... I really like root beer..."

"I can tell." She chuckled, raising a finger and booping his nose.

He blushed once again. He desperately looked for some way to divert attention from the current subject. "So! Uh.... Spaghetti!" He said frantically.

He was greeted with a cocked eyebrow and crossed arms. "Mmhm?" She nodded for him to continue.

"Yes... You're making it..." His eyes darted around, trying to avoid his embarrassing obsession.

"Lux. Tell me." Sunny droned, not even bothering to dance around as to what.

"Okay, so I Really Like root beer..." He said, his blush so red it almost looked like his coat had gone from a light grey to a beet red. He looked at her like a child with their hand caught in the cookie jar...

"And?"

"It... Might be a bit of an obsession of mine..." he said as he looked at the multitude of jugs, and even a few kegs strewn about the room.

"And with the power to pop anything into existence at will, I don't see how that's a problem." Sunny laughed.

"It's just a bit embarrassing, that's all..." he said, as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly,

Sunny just continued to laugh, her face turning a bit red as opposed to the pale white it normally was. "You silly thing!"

Unable to think of an intelligible response, he simply blew a raspberry.

Sunny leaned over and hugged him, catching Lux utterly off guard.

Now, Lux liked hugs. Cuddling was one of his favorite things to do, but he had never been hugged in his current true form, and was so surprised by it that he failed to respond for a time. As Sunny hugged him, he slowly started to raise one of his dragons arms, and started to return the hug.

"It's okay, Lux. I'll never judge you for something like that. I promise." She said softly to him as her body sank further into his.

A chuckle left Lux. "Oh, that's not what I was worried about, it's just a little embarrassing. I know that it's abnormal to like something like root beer {i]That much."

"If it makes you feel better..." Sunny hopped up and grinned back at him. "I like it too. It's all I have in my fridge." She gave him a wink and left the room once more.

"Don't tell me that!" He called as she left, "Else you won't have any left!" He chuckled as he leaned back once more to gather his thoughts, his mood now improved.

The smell of pasta hit him. He could smell the cooked noodles, awaiting his favorite part. Lux started smiling as it finally happened. The sauce. The smell of sauce being drizzled over freshly boiled noodles. It had him drooling already.

Lux stepped out of his room, ducking just slightly due to his larger height in his true form. Poking his head into the kitchen, he said, "It smells delicious. Is it ready yet?"

"Yep! Just take a seat and I'll have it ready shortly."

Lux made his way to the table, but became distressed at a notion that occurred to him as he tried to sit. His tail and larger wings proved to be uncomfortable, with both being much larger and the chair was not made to accommodate either. With a sheepish expression, he turned to Sunny. "Um... You have a cushion or something? The chair doesn't quite fit me now. I could change it, but I wouldn't want to impose that..."

"My home is your home. So make yourself at it!" Sunny waved him off without even so much as an assured glance. She was acting so casual about all of this, so much in fact that it weirded him out. Before he knew it, however, a bowl of spaghetti was in front of him. And she was sitting beside him.

An expression of impression appeared on Lux's face. He gave a quick snap of his fingers and the chair changed to fit his non-pony features. He saw the plate, and a small expression of guilt left him before he forced it down and started to eating. "It's delicious. I like the addition of the hayburger into the mix." He said between mouthfuls.

"I was thinking of making big meatballs, but I thought 'hey!'" She snapped her fingers as in a moment of clarity had washed over her. "Why not make bits of it? Have some in every bite!"

"Mhm." Said with his mouth full. After swallowing, he said, "My mother had similar thoughts. That said, it's good to have bits of all sizes in my opinion." He said, nearing completion of his plate.

"Oooh I'd love to meet her. Sounds like we both love to cook. I think we could both give each other some tips." Sunny giggled as she took a mouthful.

A heavy shadow covered the Draconequus's face. "I..." he hesitated, and finished the last of his plate silently.

"Hm?" She slurred through her food.

A sigh of acceptance escaped him. "I... Finish your food first, there are some things I need to tell you, and you shouldn't be eating when I do..." He said, dipping his head.

Sunny gives him a stern stare for only a few moments before nodding. It seemed she was more eager to hear about him rather than savor the food she made. The plate was empty and licked clean in a new record that would put even Lux to shame.

Mildly impressed for a moment on her speed, he braced himself for the conversation ahead. "*sigh* Let's get the most disturbing out of the way first..." He snapped his fingers and new contents found themselves on the plate. They looked like cooked hunks of meat, some with bones inside them of a ribcage. Unknown to Sunny, a spell was also placed on her stomach to help keep her current contents down. "You know what this is?"

Sunny could only blink as she stared, shaking her head.

"... It's meat. " he said almost inaudibly...

"And...?"

Taking a fork and a knife, he began cutting one of the larger chunks of meat with only a single bone. "Specifically, a cut from a cow and the ribs of a pig. I need to eat meat to stay alive. The various non-herbivore species my body is comprised of need it for nourishment," he said.

Sunny merely blinked for a few seconds. "So you were nervous about telling me... that you're not a vegetarian?" She smiled at her joke.

He nodded. "Though that's amongst the lower of my concerns..." He leaned back and took a deep breath. "You mentioned my mother..."

Sunny was leaning in. "If she's carnivorous too, I'm not going to judge."

"No... She's dead. She died about 200 years ago..." he said, letting that statement hang.

This was the first time that Sunny genuinely cringed. The mare sank back in her chair. "Oh... I'm so sorry."

"It's alright, I've grown to accept that." He looked at her. "You want a romantic relationship with me, don't you." He said, not a question, but an observation.

Sunny looked like she was hit in the head with a baseball bat. Her eyes were wide, and her usually pale pigment started to flush. "Oh! Um..." She looked away shyly.

"Do you realize what the news of my mother's death implies?"

Sunny blinked rapidly, her entire body entering a state of bewilderment. "Ummm..."

"I'm immortal, Sunny. I've been alive for somewhere over or around 250 years..."

"And that's 250 years I regret not being a part of." Sunny almost blurted.

Lux was shocked at her sudden response. It warmed his heart, yet he felt it sadden once more. "I-... Thank you for that... " a tear gleamed in his eye, "but do you realize what that means? I'm immortal Sunny."

"Of course I know that. I know that I won't live forever, and I can only imagine the pain of watching me grow old. But that's part of life, Lux. And I want to grow old beside you." Sunny seemed to shrink even more, starting to sadden herself.

He saw her sadden, and placed a claw on the bottom of her chin. Orange eyes met green in a moment of connection between two minds and spirits. As they shared this moment, Lux poured his very soul into this gaze, creating a bond of empathy between the two.

"Sunny, if you were to do this, if we were to be a couple together, You'd live this life together, but when you pass beyond the veil I couldn't follow. I would live this life forever without being able to see you, and you would pass to the next one knowing we could never meet again. Could you handle that? Would you be able to live and love knowing that eventuality?" He asked.

Sunny's eyes seemed to glisten with tears. "This life is all I can give to you. If it hurts you, then I won't..." She put a hand on his and finally smiled. "But you already know what I want."

The emotions through their brief connection rang crystal clear, and the longing Sunny had for Lux was undeniable. He felt his heart ache for a similar longing, and a flicker of hope sparked inside him.

"Then... If you understand what it means... I believe..." He struggled. This was something altogether new to him in the first place. He had never quite felt something like this. He had felt connections with other, possibly romantic, even, yet he had never experienced emotions in such strength and passion as he had from her. The Draconequus wanted it. He wanted to feel these for her as well. His own fear of the unknown path of this form of love proving to be a barrier, but one he was willing to and wanted to break.

"I believe I could do it. I've never done it before, as I became a Draconequus rather young, and a romantic relationship is something I've never really had. If you're willing, then... I'd be your special somepony...." He said, taking both her hands into his and lowering himself to her own level.

Sunny seemed to blush a bit more, followed by a giggle. "So you do like me?"

He nodded. a mild blush on his face as well. He smiled somewhat nervously. "I admit, I only think it's the kind of like that you have for me. I've....well..." He gave a sheepish smile "...I've never really had a special somepony like this..." A timid chuckle escaped him, hiding the fear he was experiencing. This wasn't a feral fear, it was the kind of fear or anxiety one may get on their first day at a new job.

Sunny beamed at that. Then she did something finally. Something that Lux probably was never expecting. She kissed his cheek.

Lux froze, too shocked to react. Due to his stupor, he failed to notice that a cartoonishly red hue overtook him from the tip of his tail and made its way to the very tips of his ears. He went as stiff as a board and fell over, bouncing on the floor and making the sound a wooden plank would make when hit.

Sunny burst into laughter and bounced happily. Her entire demeanor seemed to be back to her old self. "I can tell I'm going to have a lot of fun."

The Draconequus only remained on the floor with an expression best described as ‘.EXE has stopped working.’

Sunny found he was as light as the object he was acting as, lifting him easily under her arm. She walked past the guest room, making his brain go into overdrive as she took him into her room.

He regained control of himself. 'Damn Chaos…' he thought to himself. As he got his control back, gravity reasserted itself on him as it should. He stepped out of her grip so he could walk and stopped. "Umm... What are you planning on?" He asked, a mild nervousness in his voice.

"Just lay down silly!" She nudged him toward her larger, queen sized bed. This was the first time he had really seen her room, and it was surprisingly plush.

He blushed in embarrassment and had a minor sigh of relief. He walked in with her and enjoyed the pleasant vibe he got from her room, nice and inviting.

Sunny climbed into the bed and scooted over, playfully kicking her feet into the air.

Lux himself joined her in the bed, though the tips his hooves and his tail slipped off of the edge. He scooted around, getting closer before looking at Sunny. The reality of the situation began to sink in. He had never been so close to someone in his current form. A mildly awkward shuffle appeared in his motions, as he was unsure of how to continue.

She rolled over, her arm flopping onto his belly and wrapping around him in a cuddle hug.

Taking his dragon arm, he scooted one under her, and the other over, holding her close. A warmth enveloped his body and soul, and he felt content holding her so. Leaning over to her ear, Lux whispered, "Thank you, Sunny..."

"After all this... I can finally just hug you. When I first saw you, there were a lot more things I was thinking about than just cuddling , In my bed..." Sunny giggled gently.

A deep blush ran rampant on Lux's face. "Thank you Sunny, but I don't think I'm ready for that just yet..." He said, holding her close. "You're a beautiful mare, Sunny, but this love is so new, we shouldn't rush it." He gave her a gentle kiss on her head.

"I wasn't suggesting. Just know, you probably drive dozens of mares crazy. Everytime you walk down the street." Sunny nuzzled his chest, relishing the warmth of his real body.

"Not tonight, Sunny, Soon, but not tonight." He said, "it's been a rough night, and we both need some rest." His bat wings closed over the two of them, wrapping them in a cocoon of warmth. "I love you, Sunny."

Sunny closed her eyes. Her smile became almost warmer. "You know... In all honesty. I didn't approach you because I was a fangirl, or because you were cute." Her voice softened, turning more genuine.

Lux laid his head over hers, being cautious with his horns. "I could tell, but why? Why were you so interested in me beforehand? And... Why were you so accepting of me like this?" His tail moved around, slithering about the bed here and there.

"Because despite being surrounded by friends and fans. You..." Sunny's voice dipped, falling to a more sympathetic, yet sorrowful tone. "I'd never seen a pony look so alone."

That comment struck like a sledgehammer. It was so painful, so shattering, so needed that he was stunned. Tears formed at the corners of his eyes. Lux held her closer, his arms tightening. "Sunny," his voice barely above a whisper, "Thank you, so much." The Draconequus's voice cracked.

Sunny stayed silent, merely breathing into his chest. The lack of response was confusing. It took almost too long to register that Sunny's breathing told him that she was asleep.

The realization came to him, and he merely held her close, and let sleep come to him as his tail coiled the two of them.