It was a long night for everypony involved that night when Fluttershy saved Kamina, and possibly Animak too. Fluttershy and Zecora managed to spirit them into town all the way to the library without being spotted, and when they got there, it was a good bit of explaining that got Trixie to call the search off, and send a message to the princesses with Spike to arrange an emergency meeting the next morning.

With his mom, aunt, and new cousin Nyx there, along with all his friends and Vinyl, who was contacted beings she's his sister; Kamina and Animak spilled the beans. Kamina had been having incredible difficulty controlling his urges to follow his aspect, conflicting constantly and even contradicting himself. Animak told them he started becoming aware when Kamina refused to accept parts of himself, when he conflicted with himself too much, and so he was created to prevent Kamina from genuinely losing his mind. This all backfired horribly however; because of one thing that everyone forgot to consider.

Spiral Power.

Animak had the right mindset for a species on the fast-track to evolutionary dominance, but Kamina had the right mindset for a species that was already at the top, that didn't need to go further unless prompted. It empowered them both, but because Animak desired dominance, it gave it to him. Animak almost killed Kamina, something that scared everyone, especially Animak, who didn't want to kill his...brother? Yeah, brother. He didn't want to kill his brother, he wanted him to become better, to be better.

And that was the issue. Kamina's talent was to “bring the best out of others” while Animak's talent was to “bring the best out of oneself”. This, of course, applied to their own relationship. Kamina constantly made Animak stronger, while when Animak attributed himself as being Kamina, he made Kamina stronger. Sound's good? Wrong. Because this cycle was what was happening, and it drained Kamina more, and more, while Animak continued to become dominant. It resulted in what happened, and Fluttershy was just in the nick of time in saving them both; because Kamina would have faded away, and Animak would have become a cold, cruel beast, serving only himself.

They figured this all out, because Kamina and Animak could now more intimately commune, and search themselves for answers after stabilizing due to Fluttershy's Stare interrupting the cycle. This however ultimately involved the matter that they could not coexist in one body; they were a constant threat to one another, whether they wanted to or not. And for now, until the issue could be resolved; Animak's griffin body was stuck being dominant.

Imagine how hard it was to pass that off as being not-at-all-suspicious to the general populace. Suddenly the search is called off, Prince Kamina reported found, and well, and a tiger-hawk griffin, which is notorious for rarely even leaving the highlands of Griffonia, takes up residence with Kamina's herd? Yep! Not at all unusual, suspicious, or unbecoming.

Oh, wait, yes it was.

In just a couple days; reporters from every major newspaper mobbed the library to get the scoop. The scandal. The sudden disappearance, followed by seclusion, along with a new male staying with his mares? Anyone for some hot coffee gossip? “Get off Twilight's lawn or I will eviscerate you all!” Not Animak. That sent the skittish ponies running. At least in Equestria; the reporters tend to know when not to push buttons, and a pissed griffin three times the size of the average pony was a button you didn't press.

Animak closed the door and grumbled as he stomped around the first floor in anger, the other occupants of the library looking on worried. “Ka-Animak, that was unnecessary. Now they're going to say you're some kind of bodyguard.” Twilight stated, making Animak let out a heavy breath, not exactly a sigh, but close enough.

“Whatever, they can say I'm porking you all and I wouldn't give a damn. They're like vultures, and there are ironically vulture-panther griffins, so yeah, kinda pissed off about them all.” Animak was much more direct, vulgar, and generally offensive than Kamina, his regular swearing and brash speech often putting others off. 'Animak, could you try to contain yourself?' {I'm not you mister proper pansy pony. I don't have months of etiquette lessons to draw on.}

“Well I'm just glad you got rid of them! Good riddance! Now I can leave for Rarity's.” Spike stated as he went for the door. “See ya later everybody!” Spike left, and suddenly, the remaining people noticed that there seemed to be an orange elephant in the room, as none of them really knew what to do with themselves right now.

“Um...I shall be upstairs, brewing potions to see if I cannot devise a way to separate your minds.” Zecora turned and trotted upstairs.

“Trixie has some chores to do.” Trixie ignored her verbal tick and trotted to the kitchen to clean up breakfast, which notably had a surge in meat for their new resident griffin.

This left Animak and Twilight awkwardly shuffling about, avoiding eye contact. Twilight already apologized for her stupidity, and Kamina and Animak already apologized about distressing her, but now there was a whole new realm of awkward. Twilight hasn't scratched that itch in a while due to her foolishness, and both Kamina and Animak love her the same. But...Animak wasn't the original male of the herd, not to mention he was, notably: THREE TIMES HER SIZE. Animak apologized to Zecora for the rough treatment, but she easily let it go, and he asked her how it was he didn't hurt her too much. She responded he was ironically about the same in the undercarriage as Kamina was.

That prompted an embarrassing talk with Gilda on the birds and the bees about griffins, as much as Gilda didn't want to talk about it, she knew Animak and Kamina needed to know some things. For one; Animak was special considering his size, but his body was perfectly normal, even down there. She said it was because any bigger and he wouldn't be able to safely reproduce. However, griffins are notably much, much rougher in bed than ponies; proven by what happened with Zecora, and Gilda admitted to taking a nibble or clawing a bit too hard on Blitz.

Twilight wasn't into that. Sure, she could go for some rough foreplay, but what Animak would do would end up being genuine sadomasochism for pony standards, and Twilight doesn't like that. So, an impasse was reached. They both wanted each other, but couldn't do it on account Animak didn't want to hurt her, and she didn't want to be hurt.

But....

“Um...I've been...practicing a new spell from The Living Body the past couple days....” Twilight smiled sheepishly, and Animak blinked at the sudden breaker of the awkward silence, of course, being a spell from the most perverted book in existence.

“Well, what is it? I'm not Kamina, but I'm totally open to trying something interesting.” Animak replied, and waited for her to do it. Twilight swallowed nervously.

“T-Trixie knows it too, but in reverse to counter it, since I won't be able to cast it myself.” Twilight's horn began to glow, and in a flash, she was replaced by an elegant and regal purple on purple griffin. She was a tiger-hawk like him, but being female she was decidedly smaller, and was normally sized unlike him, but that wouldn't be a problem. Her feathers were the darker purple her hair had been, her body the same lavender, striped with the pink that once accented her hair, her purple eyes were still gorgeous, and Animak's wings fully extended as he gaped at her. “D-do you like it?”

“Bed, now.” Animak wrapped his tail around her neck and began running upstairs, taking the surprised and pleased Twilight with him. {Holy crap this is hot!} 'Damn right!' {Would it be awkward if I said I love her?} 'Not at all man, not at all.'

“Okay, just slow down he, he!” Twilight was very happy with this reaction. She might have to rely on Trixie to change back, but for now; she'd try to enjoy a new experience.

===//////>

After that interesting experience, Trixie changed Twilight back to normal, and Animak decided to go about the town, since it seemed he scared most of the reporters off for now. Of course, almost everypony was scared of him, and treated him like they did Zecora before they forced them to interact with her. But Animak understood better now; he was a dangerous, powerful alpha predator, and they were herbivorous herd animals, in short: prey. It was a natural defense against his presence to hide from him. They didn't treat Gilda like this because she was about their size, and their minds registered that since she wasn't a completely unknown quantity of threat like he was; that hiding from her was unnecessary.

He was a clear danger however, and their minds instinctively sent them into a herd mentality of “hide, stay safe, protect the children” etc. “Oh, there you are!” Animak's musing on pony psychology was interrupted by Rarity and Spike coming up to him. “I've been looking all over for you!”

“Why would you be looking for me?” Animak asked, only to suddenly find himself levitated into the air. “Hey!”

“You've just got to stop growing dear! My measurements are all off now! I'll have to redo everything; you're current suit is useless right now!” Rarity trotted him to her boutique, and set him in her fitting room. “Now, just wait here while I get my measuring tape and notepad.” Rarity left the room, and Animak sighed as he laid down on the floor.

“Great, THIS again...why do I have to keep getting bigger?” 'Technically, it's me who keeps getting bigger.' {Right, yeah, this is your body. I keep forgetting that.} 'Don't, it'll make things worse.' {You think I don't know that?} 'You seem to forget these things every moment.' {...It's hard....} 'I know....' Animak and Kamina shuddered together, gasping, and taking deep breaths. Trying so hard to contain a sudden panic attack. {I'm sorry...I'm so sorry....} 'I know...I know....' {STOP FORGIVING ME! I'm killing you!} 'I KNOW!' Animak let out a few tears, trying to hold himself together. {I don't want us to die....} 'I don't either Ani.' {Can't you resent me JUST a little Kami?} 'I've accepted you completely, you know I can't.' {But it would make it so much easier...if you just got rid of me.} 'I won't let anyone down. Especially not myself, or my brother.'

“Tch...you big softie....” Animak smirked as he sniffed, and tried to straighten up. They were keeping a bold face in front of everyone, but it was getting harder to remember they weren't a griffin, or at least Kamina wasn't. It was getting harder to remember they were separate beings as much as they were the same. Hopefully Luna or Celestia got back to them soon about either dividing them or stabilizing them more, they didn't know how much longer they could hold on.

“I'm back~.” Rarity declared as she entered the room, leaving Spike outside for privacy. “Alright dears, I'm going to have to do the full gauntlet again.” Animak and Kamina both groaned, one audibly, the other internally. “Oh come now, it isn't that bad.”

“Rarity; you actually enjoy these kinds of things. We're males. The most male males on Equus in fact.” Animak stood and posed regally. “We are the epitome of testosterone, the scions of sexiness, and the idols of female's idles.” Animak posed in a languid stretch, flexing his muscles, making his fur ripple, which got an astounded gape and explosive blush out of the mare. “Admit it; you know you want us.”

“...Stand still please, while I get your measurements.” Rarity surprised them by suddenly regaining full composer. In fact, she seemed a bit cold to them. She didn't speak to them unless it was a direction on how to be standing for the measuring, her face a stone facade of a pure businessmare.

{What happened? We had her eating out of our talons, her eyes couldn't stop eating us up.} 'We think we know, but we'd have to test it.' Animak, nodded just slightly in confirmation, and he felt silly for doing that when Rarity quirked an eyebrow at him. “Um, a song popped into our head.” Animak blinked. {When did we start speaking in plural?} 'We don't know, but that's not important right now.' “Rarity, something we've been trying to let run it's course has come to our attention, and we feel we need to address it with you.”

“Well certainly darling, what is it?” Animak scared her with what he did next; grabbing her by the throat and pinning her to the nearest wall as they glared into her eyes.

“What is your stance on Spike's love for you? We have been patient, and quiet about it, trying to let him make a move on his own, but we aren't seeing any progress. We won't stand for it if we find you are just stringing him along.” Animak clicked their beak in her face, and Rarity looked appalled.

“Abuse Spiky Wikey?! How DARE you even think I would do such a thing to the sweet dear! I'll have you know that I love-!” Rarity gasped as her forehooves flew to her mouth, her face exploding in a vibrant blush as Animak smirked in victory. “Not a word! To anyone!”

“Why won't you tell him?” Animak demanded gently as he let her down from the wall, and the fashionista gathered herself, before becoming bashful, even idly kicking a hoof.

“W-well...he is so young, for one. I know it is unfair, beings he's mentally my age, but I don't want to be “robbing the cradle” so to speak. I...I can't...I can't bring myself to get his hopes up too far. What if something causes a relationship, let alone a physical one, to be impossible? What if...if....” Rarity sniffed, before bawling and burying her face into Animak's chest, the griffin calmly putting a talon to the back of her head in reassurance. “I don't want him to lose his beautiful heart! If he actually falls in love with me I'll...I'll die long, long before he does. He already has to look forward to everypony he knows dying of old age before he's even considered an adult. But...I'd break him. I can't do it. I can't be the one to break his heart....” Rarity sniffed as she grabbed at him with her hooves. “What should I do~?”

“Tell him anyway.” Animak told her, and brushed her mane out of her face. “A dragon's heart is something most profound. It is tied to their magic, and is the source of their power. Some say it is their hoard, those fools are blind. A dragon gathers a hoard not out of greed; but out of need. They do it to try and fill a hole in them that they feel they cannot fill otherwise.” Animak put his talon to Rarity's chest. “What you feel in here; what you feel for him, is that great thing missing from their hearts. If you told him you loved him, if you told him you wanted him, then he would spend the rest of your days loving you in return.”

“And I want that, so much, but that's just it; MY days. I'll only live to a hundred if I'm very, VERY lucky, and that's when a dragon is finally considered an adult. I've been thinking about this for several months dear, and I just don't see a way to be fair to Spike about this.” Rarity shook her head. “I want him, so much. But of course; my knight is the dragon guarding me, and I cannot let him know I pine for him, or he won't ever let me go.”

Animak sighed, they were disappointed at this, but knew it was better than her denying it. “We understand. But please, don't keep him waiting too much longer. He might decide it is just a silly crush, and we don't want that.”

“Yes, I will let him know soon. Now then let's get...wait...why are your referring to yourselves in plural and not singular?” Rarity asked in worry. They all decided they'd keep a watch on Animak to make sure they weren't getting worse.

Animak blinked. “We are? Sorry, should we stop?” {What's...going on?' 'I don't know, it's hard to focus.} “We...I....” They started sweating, he? They? The griffin cringed and hissed as they grabbed his head and shook head, can't, think.

“Animak, Kamina! Stay with me!” Rarity screamed, clapping her hooves together to get their attention. “Stay. Calm. I am getting Twilight. Stay, here.” Rarity teleported away, leaving the scared and confused griffin alone in the organized chaos of her fitting room.

{Why does this have to be so hard?' 'It would seem luck isn't in the cards.} {To be fused, to be divided.' 'While in our friends we have confided.} {Torn apart, it seems are we.' 'Just, why, this way, it has to be...?} Animak curled into a ball, rubbing their temples to try and sooth a massive migraine as the stripes on their body glow the tell-tale blue of Spiral Power, revealing Animak's striped pattern was actually a complex series of spirals. {Are we one?' 'Are we none?} {Are we done?' 'This child of the sun?} {Before the moon.' 'Do we swoon.} {Praising her beauty.' 'For doing her duty.} {We plead salvation.' 'From this soul-splitting castration.}

Animak looked up from the floor, all his immediately available friends, his lovers, his mom, and his aunt all burst into the room, and gasped as he looked up at them, tears in his mismatched eyes, one red, one blue. “Help us....”

Author's Notes:

Identity crisis are not fun things to have, and unless we're lucky; we all have one at some point. Kaminak is having FUN learning how painful it is with two people in one head.