//------------------------------// // Chapter 10: Villains of Atlantis // Story: Harry Potter & the Ponies of Atlantis // by ColtKit Productions //------------------------------// Voldemort felt it. One of his Horcruxes had finished building him a body. When he was still a school boy, he had learned a ritual to slice off pieces of his soul, and use them as not only anchors to this world, but a way to retake physical form. The soul shards, or rather Horcruxes, would consume another person's soul and use it's energy to build a new body for his wraith. It had been over 7 years but his spell finally alerted him that one of his Horcruxes had done it's job. The world seemed to have forgotten how he died... but he hadn't. His spell... backfired... the sheer odds of a healthy wand backfiring was unfathomable. His death was purely a result of bad luck. He couldn't stand that that mudblood bitch was getting credit for killing him... a mudblood... He was the greatest Dark Lord who ever lived! He couldn't be bested by a mudblood! A backfired spell was more dignified!!! Although he supposed it hardly mattered. Death was more an inconvenience for beings as powerful as himself. Regardless he followed the magical link towards his new body. Traced it back at top speeds like a moth to a flame. he traveled to the other side of the world, to the Pacific Ocean. It had taken him over 2 months to fly here, but time was irrelevant to one such as him. He was forced to dived deep into the body of water, hoping his new body would be undamaged from the sea. He continued to follow the link to the very floor of the ocean, wondering how he could safely get his new body out of here. He assumed the victim must have been lost at sea, a sunken boat, with likely an air bubble, if the body was still alive. Such a stressing situation would, no doubt, cause the victim to pour itself out to the Horcrux, with much greater efficiency. Hopefully the body had enough strength to Apparate such a great distance, back to dry land... It came as a shock when he realized the link was telling him to go even further down, into the crust of the Earth. He followed that for several miles. Just as he began to wonder if his own spell was taking the piss, he was suddenly next to a huge glowing crystal. He didn't even have eyes and it blinded him!!! Flying away from it, as fast as possible, he quickly readjusted his senses... only to realize he was in a massive cave. Miles below him, there was an entire civilization. No, an entire WORLD, a blaze with magic and brightly lit by the collection of crystals. There were lush forests, mountains, deserts of both sand and snow, even small oceans of their own... a true hidden world of magic instead of just a secret society... how did one of his Horcruxes get here? However much that puzzled him, he continued to follow the link to an odd type of animal sanctuary. Dangerous creatures, of all kinds, were kept here. In large habitats, like an expensive muggle zoo, with no patrons. He wondered what made this sanctuary any more special then the others. The entire continent seemed to be used as a magical creatures preserve. With no signs of intelligent life... outside those ridiculously large trees, which contained galaxy sized pocket dimensions. The trees were left in a clearing, near this... prison? So that's what it was. The cave, with the massive door, was in reality a prison. For things too dangerous to wander the flourishing landscape. Voldemort... was in awe as he explored the caves, seeing the habitats filled with magical beasts... and occasionally Magical Villains. When he saw what the Horcrux had made. It was a beautiful yet revolting thing. A creature, as small as a house elf, with a large head like a humanoid serpent. Yet it was so skinny it legitimately looked like skin and bone... yet somehow... it radiated power. The body might not be nice to look at, but it certainly was intimidating. It was behind a glass wall, in a type of serpent habitat. It was laying in on it's belly, filled with eel like... demons? No, leeches. They were magical leeching, yet their was enough magic being channeled into the exhibit, the parasites could survive without host. The creature raised it's head at his approach. Right now, the body was purely a mindless beast. Fueled by his dangerous instincts of hate and rage. It was an empty vessel, with no soul yet filling it. It was waiting for him, even seemed happy at the approach of his wraith. Something told him this body would be very useful to his cause. The Wraith tried to enter his vessel, but gasped as he flew back in pain. The glass was heavily warded, by spells he didn't recognize. Voldemort looked at it a moment, before deciding to explore the rest of the facility, in order to understand the wards better. He could hear his vessel scream, desperately wanting him to come back and fill him... the sound actually made Voldemort feel bad. He promised to return to it shortly. ### • • Underground, hundreds of miles outside the Yggdrasil Orchard. Under the forest of Atlantis: Kurama... remembered. She remembered not only the old world of Atlantis, but her former life as a human, even the days she spent in mindless bliss under Sunset's care. Outside of that bliss... she was miserable. She had left the Yggdrasil Orchard, but stayed in Atlantis, taking with her a large group of followers... that had become much smaller, by her own design. Making her home here, with the Help of 8 other, Kami level, Shinobi. All of whom remembered, and accompanied by their own low level followers. The papers had gotten wind of their "Cult" and had named the leaders "The 9 Tailed Beast". The Tailed Beast had one thing in common, they each wanted power. To never again feel as helpless as they used to, in their human lives. Unfortunately the rest of the Yokai didn't seem aware of their past life. Their followers believed them, that the world was not always this way, but they didn't actually remember it. They were just easily convinced, conspiracy theorist, that flocked to anti-government anything. AKA, they were expendable pawns. Kurama wanted power, so Sunset gave her true power, tangible power, and more magical knowledge then even the Draconequus knew. Sunset gave that to each Tailed Beast. Who later found each other. Including one of their less expendable followers... someone who was helping them ascend further. Soon, with the knowledge and raw magic they were harvesting from the weaker minions, they could make an Army of Kage level gods... like Orochimaru himself. Orochimaru was useful, as he not only knew of what the world was like before, but he was exploring ways for them to step beyond their station, into true godhood. She heard Orochimaru start to whistle as he worked. The Kyubi studied the serpent as they stood over a table. Various creatures, from the Orchard, lay dissected on others. Many carved up and their parts organized into jars... there were even... a few Kitsune on those tables. Kurama understood she was not truly connected to her fellow foxes. At most, she was an extremely distant cousin to them... but their was the unfortunate instinct, infecting her, that she should not be doing this to kin. "Do you know were the majority of humanity's medical knowledge came from?" Orochimaru removed an organ from the victim on his current table... "Nazi Germany. Their experiments on the jews didn't just teach us the limits of the human body. They also gave us a deeper understanding of chemistry. Which we still use today. Oh to be a Doctor in those days. Being given free range to study medicine to it's true limits." The Kitsune on the table suddenly coughed up blood. Looking at Kurama pleadingly. "Please... my lord... let me die..." "Now don't be silly." Orochimaru waved off. "However will we unlock the true limits of magical medicine without pushing them." ### • • Tartarus: "I brought you an extra cookie today, Tirek." Double Tap smiled, as he set the food tray on a narrow counter in front of the glass. "My wife made them special." "How kind of you." Tirek spoke with the gentlest of silk. He set his new book down by his bedside table, as he got out of bed. "So where do you wish to start? Where we left off yesterday?" Tirek turned around and faced the wall, before Double Tap took the badge off his chest and touched the glass with it. The wards temporarily fell so that the Stallion could push the food through the meal slot, onto another counter on the other side of the glass. "I believe you were attempting to manipulate me into revealing the purpose for my latest escape attempt." Double Tap sighed, "I wasn't trying to manipulate you. I just... It's not like it is that hard to get out of here. You just need to let your guards reform you. Instead you conned these last ones into letting your wards down before stealing their magic and trying to escape... They were sincere in their desire to be your friends, Tirek." The Centaur scoffed, "Sincere you say. They only wanted to use their supposed friendship to chain me. Not like you Double Tap. You show me true, honest, kindness." Double Tap smiled, fidgeting on the spot as his yellow fur turned red from a mixture of happiness and embarrassment. Suddenly the Stallion yelped as a wraith came out of nowhere and attempted to latch itself onto him. Luckily the magic in his armor repelled the spirit. Double Tap spun around to fight the Wraith. Never even thinking to reset the wards on Tirek's cage before turning his back. Within a moment Tirek was in front of the glass, punching through it and grabbing hold of the guard. Tirek's hand pulled Double Tab through the window, shards of glass flying everywhere. Tirek didn't waste a moment as he pinned the Stallion to the floor of his cell. Wrapping his hands around the foal's neck, Tirek watched with a certain satisfaction as the young Stallion struggled to breath. "T-Tirek..." The Stallion tried as his struggles became weaker and weaker, "F-frie-nd?" Tirek gave a cruel chuckle... before snapping the pony's neck. Then gave a sigh at the now lifeless body, "Such a waste of magic." Unfortunately, in his weakened state, the Centaur couldn't absorb Earth pony magic. Standing tall, Tirek smiled a devilish grin to the wraith, "You won't be able to escape on your own. I should know. I have tried many times. However, together, we may stand a chance. Take his body. The kill is fresh so you should be able to control it for 24 hours, and now you don't have to worry about fighting against his conciousness." ### • • The Everfree Forest: Many of the Yokai were pleased with living in a magical world under the Earth's crust. From this side of things, they could see through the ocean floor, at the whales and various fish swimming above their sky... it was a beautiful sight, above the Crystal sun. Nagato remembered his life on the surface, as a human... but had decided to stay in Atlantis, because he believed it was a better world... Although he moved out into the mountains, with some like minded Kage level individuals... and the lower level followers of Madara. The Kami decided to keep his distance from "the 9 tailed Beast", and decided against telling the former humans of their past lives. Instead, promoting the idea of helping the surface. As time went on, Nagato realized more and more how selfish Atlantis was. The world above them was dying, yet they did nothing... nothing at all... their wasn't the slightest desire to save the surface world from it's own destruction... Madara promised to change that... Wanting to bring the Humans together, in a way they never knew before... by conquering the surface world. ### • • Tartarus: After Voldemort joined the Centaur, in what he assumed was a temporary alliance, the pair went back to his true vessel. The moment he pushed the badge to the glass, the beast charged at him. Quite literally jumping down his throat. It burrowed inside in order to get to the Wraith. Voldemort hummed happily at being made whole again. Yet he was still in the dead pony... this could be a useful vessel indeed, as he realized he could better control host, devouring their magic well controlling their bodies. This... was going to be fun. The other parasites slithered out of the cage, wanting to follow him to freedom. Reunited with his body. He remembered everything the leech knew. Learning of this worlds politics and factions... and some ridiculous theories a group called "The 9 Tailed Beast" had. This place might seem like a Utopia, but it was spinning out of control. The destruction of the Muggle World, and the introductions of so many new species of magical beings, had caused frictions. "Come my friends," Voldemort had the corpse grin, having seen what the Centaur does to his friends. Regardless, the leeches eagerly followed him, wanting to claim the pony guards as their own. "We have a world to conquer." Voldemort gave a cruel laugh, an Tirek shared a chuckle.