//------------------------------// // Embarrassment & Enlightenment: Second Pass // Story: Was there a memo I didn't get? // by Galaneth //------------------------------// A long amount of time passed before I could bring myself to gather the right words to say next. "Could you please elaborate on that point? I think it's safe to say that we might have enough time for it this round." "If that's the case then I hope your comfortable, this is going to take a while." He said while sitting on his own haunches. "I'm gonna have to begin by explaining my talent first, before I can adequately answer that question. You see, as Lunar Flare, when exposed to moonlight your body begins to absorb it. When absorbed, it converts into a type of energy unique to this body, they dubbed as Lunar Energy." "Wait, hold a moment there, who's they?" I interrupted. "The two unicorns that studied me, but enough about that. When Lunar Energy is converted from moonlight, the body begins to hold a charge. Usually the state of your mane and tail would be an indication of how much of a charge you're holding." "Okay, that's nice and all, but what does collecting energy have to do with what happened to me?" "I'm getting to that so please be patient. When a charge is present, the energy could be produced with the mane and tail as a conduit. Once out and present, this body can interact with it in a similar way pegasi can with clouds. Through the amount of tests I was run through, it was discovered I could use it for some very interesting things. In fact, if I had enough of a charge and got creative with it, I could actually go toe to toe with a full grown dragon as Lunar Flare." He said looking rather proud. "Though there are actually a lot of restrictions on that." He said visibly drooping in mood. "Like what?" I asked. "Well, there's all kinds of conditions and variables attached to how it behaves. Like how during the day, what charge I may have built up the previous night would slowly begin to release on it's own. On top of that, the amount of energy I receive is dependent on the phase of the moon and how long I stay in the moonlight. For a frame of reference, in order to do what I just said I could, I would have to sit out in the moonlight all night every night for an entire week and the moon would need to be full. When you factor in the amount I lose during the day and the varying amount from what phase the moon has. It can wind up taking, at minimum, about three months to get the charge necessary for that feat." "The way you're talking about it sound like you've actually pulled that off, what sort of situation would require that kind of thing to even happen?" "Well, it was kind of an emergency and Twilight kinda sorta got a special favor from Princess Luna." He said rather abashedly. "A favor, what kind of favor?" I asked now fully curious. "Um, if it's okay, I'd rather not talk about it, that was a weird night for most ponies involved." He said now visibly blushing. "Hold on a sec." I said now getting up and walking forward. "You got to witness several embarrassing experiences I had to go through, do you honestly think I'm going to let that one go?" I finished as I stopped just a few inches away. "Um, ah..." He stammered for a moment before straightening back up. "You still want to know how you changed right?" He said gaining his confidence. "You feather duster! You're lucky that one is taking priority right now, expect to explain that night at a later date." I said sitting back down. "Ah well, anyway." He began with a breath of relief. "First I would like to point out that even though Lunar Energy dissipates during the day, there's always a constant residual amount sitting in this body." He continued on. "That said, I can finally explain to you that it's unicorn magic that acts as a catalyst when introduced to the body to cause the same change you went through. You see, what happens is when unicorn magic touches this body, the Lunar Energy is converted into Solar Energy. When that happens, this body follows suit and visibly changes to reflect the nature of the new type of energy within." "Hold on, maybe that quip about the energy converting because unicorn magic touches it makes sense, but why would the gender change as well?" I interrupted. "That part was actually never fully examined, mainly because once the initial conversion happened, the energy itself changed in properties and how it behaves as well. They were so interested in that part, despite my protests, they never got around to the gender issue." He said with his ears drooping a little. "Either way, when the conversion happens and this body becomes Solar Glint, the playing field changes considerably. First difference being Solar Energy is more volatile and doesn't stay in a charge nearly as much as Lunar Energy. Even during the day it still dissipates, and the way it manifests kinda looks like the way heat reflects off things in that wavy optical illusion sometimes. Not to mention it doesn't do that unless I'm moving and the faster I move, the more it produces, making me harder to see. In fact, on one occasion I was flying fast enough to discover, that when coated in Solar Energy I could bypass the sound barrier. In order to compensate, the energy would produce a small flash of light to which viewers would simply see a glint of light instead of say, a sonic rainboom occurring." "Will I be able to do the same thing." I asked somewhat lightening up. "I'm not entire sure, it seems like things have changed when I came over to this world." He said taking one hoof and rubbing the other. "I don't like the sound of that, what do you mean changed?" "Well, there are two things that are off about the way things used to be. You see, while you did begin to hold a charge of Solar Energy, there wasn't as much that would normally be absorbed. Also, the conversion between Solar to Lunar had another condition." He said resuming a normal position. "You see, the change happened more as a reflection of the celestial body most present in the sky when unicorn magic is introduced. You changed from Solar Glint to Lunar Flare during the day, that's never happened before. If I were to take a stab in the dark here, no pun intended, the talent itself might have been affected by my journey to this world." "Well isn't that wonderful..." I said. "I think it's too early to say, but I'd guess that it would be something like when you put ice in a glass of apple juice. You know, how when the ice melts and dilutes the juice, but that's just my speculation at this point." "Right, at least I know what changed me now, I guess that can be a little bit of consolidation." I said now feeling rather defeated before something else occurred to me. "Wait a second, unicorn magic is what makes the energy convert." I stated plainly while he simply nodded. "Possibly not long ago, I left behind the only unicorn I currently know at that vet, and I'm quite possibly stuck like this for quite some time." I said slowly as a smile began to creep into his face. I took a moment to take a deep breath, knowing that I had reached a breaking point, I could only do one thing. "SON OF A B...!" Was all I could get out before being jerked awake, by some loud and obnoxious noise on the other side of my door.