Sunset's eyes began to tear up. She had promised herself she would never do this to her Flasher... but she couldn't let the foals go.
"I'm sorry, Flash..." Sunset trailed off, "But you never really understood me... you always saw the best in me and I wanted to believe it was possible... but I'm not that good filly... If Celestia taught me anything, it was that..."
Flash frowned, even now, not understanding.
Her eyes began to glow, "It's time I embrace the truth." she wormed her way into all their minds... even Flash's. She had come too far to leave anything to chance.
Unlike with the magical humans, she felt little resistance, at least nothing that could give somepony of her power any trouble. She needed to get this done, so she erased the memory of them seeing her with the crown. She even altered their memories to make them think she walked over to them from the school, as she stuffed the crown in her pocket.
###
Flash shook his head, feeling a bit dizzy. He smiled as he looked up at Sunset, "You came to meet us!" He grinned. Skipping over to his girlfriend... before giving her a gentle peck on the lips. The boy immediately blushed, while hearing the children snicker.
"This is my special some pony." he explained to the foals, "She's... an anthropologist." Covering for her was almost second nature at this point.
Sunset gently touched his cheek. When Flash looked back at her... he saw... something.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
She shook her head, "It's nothing." At his disbelieving look, she sighed, "We'll talk about it, after you get these brats." She gestured at the foals, "Back to their parents. I'll get Harry back to his dorm."
"... alright." Flash still looked hesitant. He gave her another kiss, but then did as he was told... he was a good Stallion after all. "You heard her brats!" Flash smiled at the children's groans, and mutters of defiance, even as they obeyed him. They turned back to the portal. Flash turned around to look at her. "I'll be right back." He promised... unaware he wouldn't be able to even leave.
The oldest of the foals, by a few days, bumped into the base, not able to walk through it.
Flash chuckled, "There's a trick to it." He walked over to the statue. All the while getting a horrible feeling of deja vu.
He gently touched the statue ... and attempted to channel his magic into it... only for nothing to happen.
"Sunset?" Flash looked to the magic expert for help.
Sunset pretended to look annoyed, as she investigated the statue... though truth was, she already knew what was wrong with it... When Flash first attempted to go through it, she had cast a spell to suck all the energy out of the Crystal that powered the enchantment. Basically... she broke it... Though she couldn't let Flash know that.
"The enchantment is just a little strained." She informed.
Flash blinked, "That can happen?"
"Too many people have been moving through it." She lied, sending a glare at the foals, for added measure. They gave their best "Innocent" faces. "It will take a few days for it to recharge.... maybe even a couple weeks." Which was true.
Flash groaned, "I'll inform Captain Shining Armor."
The foals blinked at him, as he pulled out a compact mirror. "I'm going to be in SOOOOOOO much trouble." Flash couldn't believe he exhausted the mirror, just when the Anthropologist needed it the most... right when they discovered humans with magic... he was never going to sit again.
"It could be," Sunset thought quickly. Trying to come up with a lie that could hypothetically happen. "It could actually be a combination of things." She tried, really not wanting her Flash to get in trouble. If her plan didn't work, Flash would be caught in the middle of it... If he returned to Atlantis. "The wild magic of little Harry here," she gently patted the human's head, "Could have taken more energy out of the portal at once. Combine that with a stampede of foals. It could have just been too much in a few short hours."
Flash sighed, "I'll be sure to relay that... might get me out of a flogging... but I doubt it..." He opened up his compact. It started making a ringing sound.
"What's that?" Harry asked the orange filly. "A horse phone?"
The filly began snickering at the foul language. Though Harry, unaware of such, blinked at her in confusion. The little pony shrugged, while still snickering. "Nuh," Knowing what a Phone was from her Mama Lyra, "It's a two way mirror. The glass is made out of a Crystal, which let's ponies talk to any other mirror it's linked with. They are expensive as all Tartarus. So only real important ponies have them. Guards, Ambassadors, World Leaders, each get their own-"
"Hush," Sunset lightly scolded the children.
The voice of Shining Armor finally picked up. His image appeared on the Crystal glass.
"Do you have any idea what time it is, cadet?"
Flash's ears pinned. "Sorry Sir. I know your exhausted from the ruckus I left you with... but this is important-" He proceeded to tell the older Stallion how the portal shut down, and Sunset's theory on why that happened. Though he didn't include Sunset being with him, but did tell him about the foals.
Shining groaned, "You just can't let things be easy, can you cadet?"
Flash blushed, "S-sorry Sir."
"The Summit was really hoping to make contact with the magical humans, before returning to their homeland. This means the Crystal Empire will likely be hosting the Atlantian leaders for longer then expected. We might even have to stay in session for a full month... no sense sending everyone away, for journeys that will take weeks at best, just to call them back when we finally DO make contact with some kind of tribe for the magical humans." He gave yet another groan. "We'll also have to put in more research into how the portal reacts with untamed human magic.
"I'll tell Madam Lyra, her children broke the mirror and got themselves stuck on the other side."
Flash nearly sighed with relief he wasn't being blamed.
"Until then they are your responsibility. Have Sunset put a Perception Filter on them."
Flash suddenly stiffened at that, as did Sunset.
"Colts." Shining shook his head in amusement, "You really think we don't know where you sneak off to all the time? While I normally allow you your privacy, this is too dangerous to keep up the pretense. You're stuck on the surface world, with foals. You need to be willing to use every tool at your disposal to keep everypony safe."
"I-I'm not in trouble?" Flash blushed.
Shining sighed, "Just remember, you officially belong to Cadence. Until you allow her to pop your cherry, you better not get up to anything too risque with your marefriend." Flash's fur turned beet red at this. "You wouldn't get anything worse then a Flogging, but with the Crystal Empire's laws, Sunset could face jail time for taking the virginity of another Mare's Stallion."
The Foals were giggling loudly.
"What's that noise?" Shining asked.
Flash gulped, "You kinda just... gave me the 'Stallion's duty' speech in front of foals... they seem to think it is hilarious... sir," Flash added as an after thought.
Now it was Shining's turn to blush... he hadn't realized Flash was still around the children, when he called.
"J-just get them too bed, Cadet." Shining ordered.
###
"HARRY!!!" Gaara somehow exclaimed, while his face remained blank. He quickly walked over and hugged the boy.
Harry just blinked, as he was hugged. He wasn't really used to physical displays of affection, and Gaara flat out hated to be touched... so the ginger must have been very worried.
Harry couldn't help but catch sight of the burn scar on Gaara's own forehead... the Japanese symbol for love... It was still kinda disturbing to know his uncle did that to the boy... and even worse to know that was one of the less creepy things he had done.
"Told you guys he didn't run away!" Naruto looked smug, while Kiba rolled his eyes.
"I'm taking back my pillow," Kiba informed, getting up and climbing on top of Harry's bed... just to throw a bunch of pillows at them all.
At Harry's questioning look, Gaara explained, "We were covering for you. That way none of the officers saw you were out after curfew."
Harry felt a warmth in his chest, and a smile spread across his face... still amazed that he had friends willing to look out for him.
"Thanks guys." Harry smiled.
"Where were you?" Naruto asked. "I had to keep assuring these guys you wouldn't run away, not without telling us."
Harry's smile grew wider, "If I ran away, I'd be dragging you lot with me."
"Told ya!" Naruto looked a touch too smug to his other friends.
"So where were you," Kiba asked as he jumped off Harry's bed. Doing a superhero landing, and trying to pretend he hadn't hurt his knee.
Harry allowed him to maintain his dignity. "I was in the magical land of Atlantis."
The other boy's snorted, save for Gaara, who looked interested.
"You mean to tell me-" Kiba glared, "You risked all us getting the cane, cuz you couldn't put a book down in the library?"
"A library may have been involved," Harry smirked, thinking of the library the portal was in.
He was toying with the boys, wanting them to guess more. That way they would be floored when he told them about the Magical world in the ocean... all thoughts of telling them where he had been, was quickly abandoned. As his roommates started assaulting him with their newly retrieved pillows.
###
Scootaloo blinked as she, and all her siblings, walked into a spare room. They were stumbling a bit, not having much practice with their human form. It was by far, the most inconvenient form. You could barely use your racial powers (Even unable to use some of a ponies natural abilities). And if you really wanted fingers that badly, you could just switch to Anthro form. That was also much easier to walk in, thanks to the half hooves / half feet to walk on. It was like naturally occurring shoes, humans wear... regular feet hurt to walk on.
"Tomorrow, I'll pick you fillies up some shoes... and more appropriate clothes." Sunset eyed the tunics the girls were wearing, right out of Ancient Greece. "Stay in this room til I come for you. I cast a Perception filter on the door, so no one will notice it... What's your names?"
The orange filly scuffed, "About time you asked!" While the purple filly shot her sister a look.
Sunset had the good grace to blush. She got a bit distracted for social niceties. Wiping her boyfriend's mind and then lying to him... had been a good deal further then she thought she would have to go... which just reflected the foalish idealist she was. She couldn't believe she actually did that... but she honestly saw no other way... She couldn't risk Flash reporting she took the crown, nor the foals telling their parents (as she was sure Flash would let them talk to their parents first thing in the morning)... but she didn't want to let Flash leave, either... she might never have seen him again...
"I'm Scootaloo." Said the orange filly. Easily the most outgoing of them alll. "These are my younger brothers."
"I'm only a week younger then you!!!" Yelled the gray Pegasus.
"Rumble." Scootaloo pointed out the interrupting colt. Then pointed at the others. "Pipsqueak," the white and brown pudgy runt. "Button Mash," The brown colt, with an orange mane... that looked like he was about to cry... he must be missing their parents already. "And our oldest sister, Dinky," the other filly. "-But she's only a few hours older then me!" The Filly defended her own age.
Sunset smiled, Closing the door behind her, and sitting at one of the desk. "I take it your parents are in a herd?"
Pipsqueak grinned, "That's right, our parents all wanted to have foals around the same time." He was the only one to speak with a Gallopfrian accent... but it was enough to speculate why there were so many boys.
Unlike mundane ponies, Time Ponies have a 50/50 shot of having a boy or a girl... when breeding with another time pony. If they take another type of pony, as their spouse, the odds were good they would be born with the time pony's gender... still... it wasn't considered socially acceptable to mate with a "sub pony" species... foals like this where what she was fighting for.
"You promise the Portal will be open in a few days?" asked the brown colt, Button Mash... though all the other foals looked at her expectantly.
Sunset frowned, "It may take a couple weeks, but you will see your parents soon. Until then, Flash and I will look out for you..."
The foals hesitantly nodded, looking glum.
Sunset frowned, "Now, Flash told me one of your moms is an Anthropologist?"
"Do you know her?" Button perked. Assuming things couldn't be so bad, if they were with at least a friend of their parents...
"Sorry, but no," Sunset gave a helpless shrug. Then watched as a little more hope was stolen from the foals eyes... she was really bad at this...
###
Sunset sighed as she got back into her room. Her roomates were sitting on the couch, in the little sitting area, in front of the TV.
"One of these days," Anko grinned dangerously. "You're going to have to tell me how you're able to wander after curfew. We must have been checked on three times, and Miss Yuhi never even acknowledged you weren't here."
"I help the teachers grade papers," Sunset lied... sorta but kinda not, as she took a seat at her desk. She cast a quick spell to make the other girls think she was working on Homework, as she got out the crown.
"Seriously!?" Temari gaped, "They keep your ass working this late!?"
No, but the teachers thought they did. Sunset just cast a duplicate spell, she invented herself. Though if the real her was out longer then normal, the clone would alter the teacher's perception, to make them lose track of time and not realize how late it got. The Perception Filter Amulet she wore, aided her in the Staff not noticing where she was, or wasn't... they had a harder time fooling the developing brains of children, however. At least the kids didn't notice her odd skin or hair colors.
Though Temari was aware of none of that. "Why do you put up with that shite?" the blond girl sneered.
"It counts as a College Credit." Haku reminded. "Plus I imagine it pays better then working at McDonald's."
Temari sneered at the reminder of her summer job.
"Not much better, actually." Sunset carefully studied the Crystal in the crown. She only had a week to figure out how to safely use it... just having the Element wouldn't be enough to rally the Sub-ponies... they would need to know she could use it... that they actually had a chance of winning the war she wanted to start. "They just have kids do it so they don't have to pay actual secretaries." She would have to carefully pick apart which spells she wanted this crystal to fuel.
She pulled a book out of her backpack. She carried this with her everywhere. It was a magic book which mimicked any book you requested, so long as a copy resided within the Royal Canterlot Library... Celestia had given this to her... back before the Princess began treating Sunset like a ticking time bomb... not all her memories of Celestia were bitter. This book was a reminder of happier times...
"You just spent all day grading papers," Temari eyed her.
"And a good portion of the night." Anko added.
"Why don't you take a break and watch a movie with us?" Haku smiled. Patting the empty spot on the couch.
"Sorry but I really got to-"
"You work too hard," Anko insisted. "You need to learn to relax every now and again."
"One movie won't kill you." Temari agreed.
"Really I-" Sunset began, but was interrupted, again.
Haku just smiled, "You know they are just going to keep pestering you, until you agree."
Sunset sighed, then reluctantly admitted, "I suppose one movie couldn't hurt." she did feel exhausted from everything that happened in the last few hours.
Her roommates cheered, as Sunset took her place beside them.