Authors notes:Thank you Amethyst Dawn for editing
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A change for the better
""Of course you know who I am" Discord replied hastily, “I'm Vanishing Act, remember, and you're Pinkie Pie.” Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, he felt his muscles tightening, he was on the verge of a panic attack.
"Don't be silly" Pinkie replied coldly, “take off the glasses."
"Huh, oh no I can’t, I have a problem with my eyes,” he replied.
"I'll say, they're yellow". Discord mentally ran through his options, he could vaporize her with no effort, or teleport and spend the next three hours in hiding, even a simple memory wipe would take care of the problem.
“No,” he said aloud,” I won’t hide anymore!” With a flash his disguise was gone, and there stood Discord, in all his horrible glory. "How long have you known?" he asked, no longer caring.
"Since we met,” Pinkie replied.
"Then why in the Name of Celestia didn't you warn your friends about me?” he asked confused.
She smiled. "Well I didn't need to, I mean at first I saw you and I was like, oh my gosh Discord's back! But then you weren't trying to kill us all so I figured maybe you just wanted to be a good guy and you were trying so super-duper hard to be nice and…”
Discord put a strip of magic tape over her mouth. "So you kept my secret because you though I could be good?”
“Mmm hmm!” She said through the tape, nodding her head.
"Oh Pinkie, you’re the greatest!" Discord cried, grabbing her and flying into the air. He hugged her tightly and she hugged him right back. Discord pulled the tape off her mouth, "you're the nicest pony I've met in a thousand years!"
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Twilight lay in bed unable to sleep, the events of the day playing over and over in her mind. More troubling was the knowledge that somewhere in Ponyville at this very moment was a unicorn powerful enough, and indeed cruel enough to steal a cutie mark. Twilight ran through a mental list of every unicorn in town, there was Rarity, obviously it couldn't be her, nor could it be Vinyl scratch the town DJ. Trixie perhaps… No, that was ridiculous, she couldn’t possibly have that power, then something in Twilight's head clicked. There WAS a unicorn in town with that kind of power, Twilight had spent all afternoon with him.
“No, that's impossible!” She thought. “How could he be right under her nose the whole time without her realising?” But the pieces fit, he just shows up one day out of nowhere, his magic was even more powerful than hers; it was even green like in the memory. "Oh no, Pinkie!” She said aloud. Twilight jumped out of bed, ran past Spike who was snoring, down the stairs and out the door into the cool night air.
She ran furiously in the direction of Sugarcube Corner, fearing that it might already be too late. What would that horrible Vanish do to Pinkie? What if he stole her cutie mark? Or worse… Twilight's horn glowed with purple magic, ready to defend herself from whatever magic Vanish planned to use. "How could I not realize it sooner" she thought angrily to herself, she was supposed to be the prize student of Princess Celestia. Instead she had allowed this evil pony to infiltrate her group of friends, no doubt he was scheming to steal their cutie marks, perhaps as trophies to add to his sick collection. Twilight knew full well that she would be no match against Vanish, he would most like end her with a single blast of his sickly green magic. But if she was going to die, she would happily do it in defence of her friends. There was Sugarcube Corner up ahead, Twilight could see that the lights were on, maybe she wasn't too late.
Twilight burst through the unlocked door, "PINKIE PIE CAN YOU HERE ME!?"
There at the corner table sat Pinkie pie, and next to her was… Discord!? They ALWAYS wear clothes, a… and they walk on two legs!” he stammered, struggling not to laugh, Pinkie Pie burst into a fit of giggles and snorts.
"Wow they sound pretty silly!" Pinkie managed to say through her laughing. Discord noticed Twilight staring blankly at the two of them, she appeared to be unable to speak. "Oh, hey Twilight!” Pinkie greeted her cheerfully, “you're up kinda late.”
Twilight fell to the ground with a thud. “I think she fainted” Discord said, sounding slightly amused. “Help me get her upstairs?” he asked Pinkie, “without a unicorn body I can’t even perform levitation.” He motioned to the ring on his leg, “if only I didn't have this damned thing on.” Discord carried Twilight up the stairs with Pinkie’s help, and he placed her gently in bed.
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Twilight's eyes shot open, she wasn't in the library, the bed felt different, more soft and cushiony. Then everything came flooding back, she was in terrible danger, somehow Discord had escaped, and he had Pinkie under some kind of spell. Twilight jumped out of bed and rand downstairs, Pinkie was asleep with her head resting on Vanish’s shoulder. “What the hell is going on here!?” Twilight shouted angrily at him, “are you working with Discord!?”
"Please be quiet, Pinkie's asleep" he said quietly.
“What have you done to her!?” Twilight demanded, her horn glowing and ready to blast him.
"What have I done? Well we came here, chatted for a while, and then you burst in and fainted,” he replied.
"Ha ha, really funny, who are you?” Twilight asked.
“Oh you are a slow one my dear, I'm Discord.”He told her.
Pinkie opened her eyes, "feeling better Twilight?" she asked sleepily.
"Pinkie get away from him, its Discord!" Twilight warned.
“Well duh, I've been talking to him for like, two hours now,” the pink pony replied with a yawn.
“Alright Discord, you better tell me what's going on here, and lose the disguise.” With a flash he was Discord again, Twilight gasped when she saw him.
"Oh don't act so surprised, we've met before I believe," Discord said.
"Discord you look different” Pinkie said, also looking shocked. Discord looked at his left hand, it was black. He looked at his other hand, also black.
"Is there a mirror in here!?" he asked frantically. Twilight conjured a large mirror in front of him, Discord looked at his reflection in shock.
His whole body was black, his mismatched hands and feet had been replaced with dragon claws. He was significantly smaller, his neck and body had reduced in length. Gone from his head were the antler and twisted unicorn horn. His goatee was gone, His wings had become beautiful and bat like, now large and strong enough to allow real flight. His yellow eyes remained, though now they were correctly sized and stood out magnificently on his black face. "I look... I look…”
“Stunning” Twilight finished for him.