Ch. 28 — Reflections
Ch. 28 — Reflections
Twilight paced around the blackboards, tables, chairs, and mirror that cluttered the room in the Princesses’ Castle in Canterlot. Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Starlight Glimmer and Trixie watched wearily. They had arrived shortly before dinner and had been at work ever since. It was late at night now, well after midnight. They had been going over their calculations and spell-work without pause almost the entire time. Spike, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy had sacked out earlier and now slept in a corner on a princess-sized cloud-bed.
“Okay,” the purple princess said, “The numbers all check out just fine.” She glanced at the mirror in the corner that flashed red once a minute, like some kind of bizarre Nightmare Night decoration. “All we have to do is substitute Sweetie Belle’s Nightmare costume for Harry’s trainers in the chalked search-star. After that, it should take only a few seconds for the spell to winnow down the possibilities to the one world that has both Equestrian and Harry’s magical signatures. Because we’re only searching for a trace of Equestrian magic, all the parallel Equestrian-like worlds are automatically skipped, right?” She turned and looked at Trixie and Starlight questioningly.
Trixie and Starlight nodded. The others, those awake, that is, all nodded, too. Primarily because whatever Twilight said sounded good to them — she was the magical expert, after all. And if Trixie and Starlight were satisfied everything was right, then who were they to object?
She gave them a tired grin. “Setting it up will only take a minute. I just have to disable the current search, first.” She turned to face the mirror and her horn started to glow. She was about to cast the spell cancelling the search when the mirror’s surface suddenly started to flash green and a klaxon spell began going “Ah-ooh-ga — ah-ooh-ga — ah-ooh-ga!” loud enough to cause the mirror and chalkboards to shake.
“AHHH!” came the combined screams of the dragon and mares in the room. The door flew open and two guards rushed in. For several moments it was complete pandemonium as Twilight calmed the Guards and shut off the alarm spell. Then it took several minutes more to apologize to Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, who had bounced off the ceiling when they jumped to their wings at the alarm, help Spike off the floor where the suddenly dissipated cloud had dumped him, and reassure Applejack and Rarity that everything was under control.
It was only after taking several calming breaths, herself — as Princess Cadance had taught her, years ago — that she noticed the confetti slowly settling to the floor, the banner across one wall that said “Congratulations — You Found Harry!”, and the magnificent cake that Pinkie Pie was now passing slices of to the Guards.
She closed her eyes and shook her head, but everything was still the same when she looked around, again. Except now everyone had a slice of the cake and Pinkie Pie, with a slightly manic smile, was holding one out to her.
Her smile was a bit brittle as she said “Thank you, Pinkie.” She took the plate and fork. She knew better than to ask how or why.
Munching on the cake and staring at the green flashing mirror, she could only sigh. Of course, it would find Harry at the very second she was about to use a new search that would find him in seconds. That was one of the penalties for having Discord as a friend. Coincidences that simply beggared the mind were common when he was involved. And Fluttershy had talked with him. She rubbed her forehead with a hoof. She was quite familiar with the Observer Effect. Many magical experiments had to be especially engineered to avoid it — and many others couldn’t. The researchers had to make allowances for it, no matter how impossible that seemed.
On the other hoof, perhaps she should talk with Discord about that cat that belonged to Schrödinger. She frowned. That was a very unusual name for a pony.
She shook her head again. Now was not the time to get distracted. She had her son to rescue! And then they would do the same for the Cutie Mark Crusaders. It was well past the time for the things those three got involved in to reveal where they were!
She took a look around to make sure everypony was calmed down and mentally prepared. Fluttershy was shivering at the back of the group and practically sandwiched between Rainbow Dash and Applejack. With a sigh, she resolutely turned to face the mirror. Twilight took a careful step forward with her shield spell at the ready. She was prepared to jump back immediately.
She stumbled to the floor. Ah! Yes! Harry had said he was a biped. Fortunately, the mirror spell had made the proper adjustments. She slowly looked around as she stood up. She was in a stone corridor of some kind, lit by torches at periodic intervals. Behind her was a large, wall-mounted mirror. From the darkness outside a nearby window she knew it had to be night here, just as it was in Canterlot.
She was wearing some kind of robe, she could see in the mirror. She appeared as she had when she had visited the bipedal world after Sunset Shimmer had stolen her crown. The clothes provided by the mirror, however, were markedly different than what she was used to in that world. It was a black robe of some kind, and certainly didn’t match the clothes worn by Harry when he first arrived. Especially the pointed hat she wore.
Not seeing anything immediately dangerous in the corridor, she stepped back through the mirror to tell her friends what to expect. She wanted to do this by herself, as she had in Sunset’s world, but the others refused to let her go by herself.
“Harry told us a bit about his world,” Rarity explained patiently. “It’s too dangerous for just one pony, especially if you have no magic to call on!”
“Ah ain’t gonna let you go by yerself!” Applejack stated, unequivocally. The others nodded agreement with varying degrees of enthusiasm.
“Trixie’s Great and Powerful magic may be necessary for the successful completion of this mission! She will not stand by idly,” declared the prideful mare.
Twilight looked down for a moment, worried and yet happy that her friends wanted to help. No, needed to help, she realized. She took a steadying breath. “Remember,” she said, “You’re on two legs, so your balance is going to be off a bit from what you’re used to. It’s much easier, though, than simply rearing up as we sometimes do. Plus, we’ll be wearing clothes and they sometimes get in the way, so be careful walking — especially on stairs!” She took another big breath.
“And, for Celestia’s sake, be quiet! We don’t know what we’re walking into. Wherever this place is that the mirror takes us, it’s close to Harry, so we should be able to find him fairly quickly and get back. On the other hoof, Harry never mentioned torch-lit stone buildings!” She shook her head and worried a moment over the discrepancies.
As soon as they were through, Twilight cast a protective-shield spell over the mirror — they didn’t want anypony to accidentally fall through the portal, after all! After several minutes examining their clothes, each other, and their surroundings, they started slowly walking down the corridor in what they hoped was the correct direction to find the missing colt.
After not too much walking, they arrived at an intersecting corridor. Spike pulled on her arm and sidled up close to her. “Uh, Twilight? I think the paintings are watching us,” he said unsteadily.
Twilight looked to where Spike was looking. A painting of a distinguished looking man was frowning at them. She was about to tell him that it was merely a trick of light and the way the painting had been painted when the man looked away from her and Spike and towards Rarity who was bringing up the rear of the group. Her breath caught in her throat as he leaned forward and turned his head back and forth, examining the group. Noticing the two staring at him, he said, “Your robes use the Hogwarts cut but you are acting lost and unsure of yourselves. You are too old to be First Years. And you seem to have a pet . . . dragon?”
Spike straightened and glared at the painting. “I am not a pet,” He said defiantly, “I am Princess Twilight’s Best Assistant Ever!” He nodded firmly. “And she’s my mom!”
The man in the painting leaned back in surprise and stared at Spike with his eyebrows raised almost to his hairline. “My word!” he said incredulously. “A talking dragon!”
Spike rolled his eyes, his claws on his hips. “Of course I can talk! Do I look stupid?”
The man gave him a hard look, the shrugged. “I suppose not. However,” he paused as the group gaped at him. Before he continued, he again looked over the entire group carefully. “You are clearly not students, despite your robes. Your hair colours, if nothing else, would have brought you to my attention long ago. Are you trying to sneak into the castle? Visitors, especially muggle-born, are not allowed to wander Hogwarts unaccompanied,” he said disapprovingly. “Stay here while I call for assistance.” He looked over their heads at a portrait on the opposite wall. “Victoria? Victoria?” The woman in the other painting looked to be sleeping. “Victoria!” the man yelled.
The woman jerked her head up, “What!? What!?”
“We have unaccompanied visitors,” he glanced down at the dragon and eight women crowded together in the middle of the corridor. “Would you please notify Professor McGonagall?”
She looked down at the group, peered closely, then looked back at the painting. “Certainly, Edward,” she said politely, curtseyed, and then walked out of the painting’s frame. Twilight caught a brief glimpse of her in another frame farther down the corridor.
The Equestrians stared, astonished. “No magic?” murmured Rarity, “I don’t think so.”
Trixie nodded uncertainly and studied the paintings carefully.
Twilight took a step closer to the painting, staring at it intently, squinting slightly as she examined the magic woven into the canvas.
“Now then, young ladies,” Edward said to them, “and dragon,” he nodded at Spike as he settled comfortably back into his chair. “My name is Edward Rabnott, perhaps you could tell me yours while we’re waiting,” he inquired politely, tilted his head slightly, and raised his eyebrows, again.
Twilight looked at her friends, who were just as wide-eyed as she was. She quickly decided that cooperating would be best in this situation. “Er, um,” she said, turning back to the painting. “I’m Twilight Sparkle, and these are my friends,” and she proceeded to introduce them.
The man sat up straight. “Ah, did you say . . . Sparkle?” He tapped his short chin and looked thoughtful. “Are you any relation to Prince Harry James Potter Sparkle?” he asked cautiously.
While Twilight was talking to the painting, the others were staring at the formerly empty frame on the opposite wall. It was now crowded with half a dozen men and women, pushing each other to get a better look. They muttered and mumbled to each other to get out of the way, interposed with exclamations of “My word!” “Merlin, a dragon!” and “What have they done to their hair!” “Uncouth muggle-born!”
Trixie and Starlight were practically noses to canvass, studying the magic. “Astonishing,” Trixie murmured.
“But they’re not really alive,” muttered Starlight. “Still, a remarkably complex magic!”
“You know Harry?” the girl with two-toned, purple-hair exclaimed excitedly. Finding her lost son had just gotten much easier. “He’s my son! Where is he? Is he alright? I’ve been so worried.” She wrung her hands and moved up to the wall the painting was on.
Edward raised his eyebrows as he looked down at her. “Are you really a princess?”
Several of the others snickered as Twilight looked down and blushed. She sighed and said. “Yes, I am a Princess of Equestria,” she said reluctantly. There were gasps from the frame behind them.
Rarity spoke up. “She’s one of the rulers of Equestria, right behind Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,” she said proudly.
“Indeed.” The man stared at her a moment. “I don’t believe we’ve ever had actual royalty in Hogwarts, before.”
Rapidly approaching footsteps alerted them that someone was coming. The tall boy came to a stop in front of them. “Hello, ladies. I’m Jeremiah Smith, one of the prefects on duty tonight. Madam Smythe passed me on her way to Professor McGonagall and told me you were lost. Are you alright?” he asked solicitously, looking over the eight.
“Yes, yes,” interrupted the painting. “They are merely new here.” He then introduced the Equestrians. “And, yes,” he concluded officiously, “This is Prince Harry Sparkles’ adoptive mother, Princess Sparkle.”
Jeremiah stared at Spike, stunned. Spike frowned back him with his arms crossed, and tapped his foot irritably.
Twilight stared back and forth between the portrait and the boy. She was torn between the fascinating portrait that was behaving as if it were an intelligent being, and finding her son. Finding Harry took priority, she decided. She turned to the Prefect. “Can you tell me where Harry is?”
“Oh! Of course, you don’t know.” he said. He had quite forgotten her on seeing the dragon accompanying them. He eyed their hair colours and nodded. “Harry Sparkle won the Triwizard Tournament this evening, and captured a dangerous criminal. It was quite shocking, I assure you.”
The Equestrians exchanged horrified looks. Harry had captured a criminal?
“He’s currently in the Hospital Wing with his three girlfriends,” Jeremiah said calmly.
While Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow all mouthed the word, “Girlfriends?” and looked at each other incredulously, Twilight frowned and narrowed her eyes. Hospital?
The three Equestrians also narrowed their eyes. It was plain to see that as far as Harry was concerned, he had better have a very good reason for having three girlfriends when he had to know Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo pined for him in Equestria. Spike and the other four Equestrians tried to hide smiles at the three’s reactions.
“Madam Pomfrey said she expects him to make a full recovery.”
They all startled at that revelation.
“He’s asleep right now, Madam Pomfrey managed to stop the poison in time,” he happily went on.
Poison? Twilight’s eyes widened, as did the others.
“She said she expects that the nerve damage will take a few more days and a special potion regimen to repair.”
Nerve damage? The purple Princess began to hyperventilate. The Equestrians exchanged worried looks.
“And she said the dittany should take care of the scars nicely in a few days,” he continued, consolingly, oblivious to her distress at the news, and the others’ alarmed expressions.
“His fur should grow back without a problem, she said. Although she thinks the fur over the scars might be a lighter shade. She’s not sure if that’s just temporary.” He smiled broadly and looked at them, happy to deliver good news. “She’s never had to deal with venom from snakes big enough to swallow a person whole, before.”
Twilight’s jaw dropped open, as did everyone else’s.
“So, she expects a full recovery.”
Twilight lunged forward and grabbed the prefect by his lapels, “Where is he?” she hissed in his face.
Shocked at her reaction, he didn’t notice the painting of Edward face-palming. Nor the men and women in the other painting shaking their heads sadly. He leaned his head back. “I told you, in the Hospital Wing,” he said defensively.
She didn’t loosen her grip in the slightest. In fact, she pulled him closer as she growled out menacingly through gritted teeth — a trick she had learned from some of the villains she had faced — “And. Where. Is. That?”
“Oh,” he said, the light dawning on him. He leaned his head back a bit farther. “Of course. It’s this way. It’s on this floor, this year.” He waved his arm down the corridor.
She let go of his lapels, and patted them smooth. “Good. And you’ll show us the way right now, won’t you?” she said sweetly and glared at him with her arms crossed, clearly daring him to say ‘no.’
“Er, yes, of course,” he said tentatively, and took a small step back. He suddenly realized that he was very out-numbered, and the magic rolling off the girl in front of him made it clear she didn’t need a wand to hurt him. He cleared his throat. “Tinky!” he ordered nervously.
The Equestrians jumped as a strange creature popped into view beside the boy. “Tinky here!” it said proudly.
“Find Professor McGonagall and tell her that I’m taking the nine visitors to the Hospital Wing,” he ordered. “One of them is Princess Sparkle and she wishes to see her son.”
“Tinky do!” the creature said, before popping out again.
They immediately set out to find the Hospital Wing.
There were two men and a woman waiting for them underneath the sign “Hospital Wing” and beside a set of closed double-doors. The woman was tall, black-haired, and had a stern, no nonsense expression, and wore black robes as the Equestrians were. One man was tall, thin, and very old. He had light, bright, blue eyes behind half-moon spectacles, framed by silver hair and a beard, both of which were long enough to tuck into his belt. He wore long purple robes and a short round hat the same colour. She wore emerald-green robes and with a very wide-brimmed, black, pointed hat. The other was also tall, but his hair was long and shiny, greasy appearing, even. He, too, had a severe expression. He did not look happy to see, just the opposite, in fact.
The older man smiled kindly as they approached, then said, “Hello. I’m Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, this fine establishment in which you find yourselves. This is,” he turned to the woman beside him, “Professor Minerva McGonagall, also my Deputy.” He nodded at the other man. “And this is Professor Snape, Hogwarts’ Potions Master.
They nodded and said, “Hello.”
“Unless I’ve been misinformed,” He gazed at Twilight, “you are Princess Twilight Sparkle, and Prince Harry Sparkle’s adoptive mother?” His eyes were twinkling, something she had never seen anypony do. It immediately made her suspicious. Harry would have told her if peoples’ eyes normally twinkled like that.
She smiled. “Yes, I am, and these are . . . ,” and she introduced everyone. Both the Headmaster and Professors seemed especially interested in Spike, as their gazes lingered on him.
The Prefect, seeing that the Headmaster and Professor didn’t need his services, anymore, left to return to his castle patrol. Not to mention that the farther he was from an angry and magically powerful princess, the happier he would be. And he needed to warn the other prefects.
“Before we go in and disturb the sleepers,” Dumbledore began, “I wish to assure you that Harry will recover completely from his ordeal.”
Twilight stiffened.
“He is currently in a magical sleep and will not awaken until morning,” the old man continued softly. “His three girlfriends are with him and refuse to leave. Madam Pomfrey, our Healer, here, decided it would be better for them to spend the night with Harry rather than return to their rooms, so she allowed them to use the beds beside his.”
Unsaid was the Command/Parental Rule they all knew, “Never give an order you know will be disobeyed; it undermines your authority and fosters rebellion.”
Three of the Equestrians were exchanging dark looks. His new girlfriends were that serious? Words would be spoken!
“I wish to see him, right now,” Twilight announced in a no-nonsense tone.
“Of course,” Dumbledore said, “I just wanted to warn you why he will not respond to your presence. And there are other patients in the Hospital Wing, so Madam Pomfrey would appreciate it if you didn’t disturb them.”
He turned and the double-doors opened. He led them inside, the doors closing softly behind them. The room had a row of beds along each wall, and several were cordoned off with curtains for privacy. It reminded the Equestrians quite strongly of their own hospital wards in Equestria.
A woman in red and black robes, with an apron over her front and wearing a white hat, stood beside one set of curtains. Her hands were clasped across her waist, and she waited for them with a steady gaze, which sharpened on seeing Spike with the group. She didn’t say anything, but opened the curtains as they got close.
They stopped dead on entering the small area set aside for four beds. Three beds had been pushed together to form a larger bed and Harry’s pony-colour and shape were barely visible underneath the blanket and three girls snuggled and sprawled across him.
They all stared, flabbergasted. Rarity broke out of her paralysis first, “Sweetie Belle?” she said incredulously. A moment later, Applejack blurted out, “Apple Bloom?” After glancing at the three girls, shaking her head, and staring again, Rainbow Dash finally, said “Scootaloo?”
The girls on the bed sleepily shifted. Apple Bloom’s mumbled voice came from the pile, “Jest five more minutes, AJ.”
Sweetie Belle’s voice was only a moment behind hers, with a half-groaned and slurred, “Is it mornin’ already?”
Nobody moved for a moment, and then Apple Bloom twisted sideways and sat up, eyes wide. “AJ!?” Followed almost instantly by a loud thud as Sweetie Belle rolled over and off the bed. The adults all winced in sympathy. A moment later, two hands grabbed the edge of the bed and a pink and light-purple haired head popped up beside them. “Rarity?” came the whispered exclamation.
Although in different shapes, the eyes and hair colours were dead giveaways, not to mention the large pink bow askew in one girl’s hair. Seconds later, the two astounded adults each had a deliriously happy sister wrapped around her. Rainbow Dash rubbed her hand on her neck, and she sheepishly admitted, “Scootaloo always was a sound sleeper.” This was punctuated by a soft snore from the aforementioned individual.
Twilight walked to the side of the bed, pulled up the sheet and blanket, and carefully examined her son. The only visible marks were two long cuts going vertically from his back to his belly, easily seen because the Healer had removed the fur to expose them. As she had been told, the cuts already looked to be days old, and not just recently received that very day. The skin around them was a nasty light-purple, like bruises that were also several days old. A quick scan with her magic showed her the true extent of his injuries.
If not for some very fast action by the doctor, Twilight had no doubts she would be looking at a corpse instead of a softly-breathing, sleeping, loved son. Fortunately, too, the venom hadn’t had the opportunity to do any real damage to his thaumic pathways, so his ability to do magic would be unaffected.
She leaned over and kissed his cheek before she turned, walked over, and hugged the hospital Matron. The other Equestrians quickly joined in. Madam Pomfrey was clearly overwhelmed and didn’t know what to do. Finally, Twilight let her go and they all stepped back. “Thank you for saving my son. The Sparkle family owes you a great debt of gratitude,” she said formerly as she bowed. “If there is anything I, or Equestria, can do for you in the future, you have only to ask. If it is within Our capabilities, it shall be granted.”
The woman in question blushed. “I was just doing my job,” she demurred, glancing at her patient. “It was Professor Snape who brewed the special potions that saved the boy . . . colt.”
Twilight and the others immediately and repeated their hug with the obviously uncomfortable man, who glared, for some reason, at the hospital doctor. Twilight repeated her thanks and promise to the man.
Twilight straightened. “Would you consider coming to Equestria,” she said looking between the man and woman, “and consulting with our doctors on healing methods during the summer vacation? I am sure that there are many things about which you could teach us. This . . . dittany . . . seems like a very worthwhile medical treatment. And the potions you have used are . . . unique.” She glanced back at her son. “You don’t have to answer immediately, of course. Take your time. The portal is quite stable.”
A scroll drifted in the air beside her, a quill making notes.
The Healer nodded uncertainly, “Thank you for the invitation,” she said softly. The man murmured assurances he would give the matter great thought.
Twilight nodded and turned back to the Headmaster. “Harry has been missing for ten moons, can you tell me what’s happened since he arrived here? Do you know why? Or how?” Her voice turned frosty. “And how he ended up in this hospital bed?”
The Headmaster looked at her, his eyes twinkling. “I think, perhaps, we should adjourn to my office. Rather than merely tell you what happened, The professors and I can show you our memories of the pertinent incidents.”
Twilight hesitated. The fillies wouldn’t leave Harry, and, right now. Applejack, Rarity, and Dash wouldn’t leave the fillies. Nor was she inclined to leave Harry. Spike had already climbed on the bed and was sitting beside his brother. “No, I think it better if we stay here.” She looked back at him, calmly.
He stroked his beard in thought for a moment. “Very well. Dinky!”
The little creature appeared almost instantly, and said, “Dinky is here!” almost as fast.
“Dinky, please retrieve my pensieve from my office, and its stand.”
“Dinky do!” was the instant response, followed by the creature disappearing.
Dumbledore pulled his wand and began to cast a spell around them. “We don’t want to disturb the others in hospital, so I’m putting a silencing spell around us,” he explained.
The creature reappeared with a shallow stone basin on a tall table that was indented to hold it. The basin had odd carvings around the edge, symbols that Twilight, naturally, did not recognize. Inside it was a bright, whitish silver substance that was impossible to tell if it was liquid or gas. The surface moved ceaselessly, ruffled like water beneath wind, and then, like clouds, separated and swirled smoothly.
Dumbledore dismissed his creature and conjured a vial with his wand, which made both Trixie, Starlight, Rarity, and Twilight raise their eyebrows and exchange looks. They watched, and furrowed their brows in concentration and consternation as he lifted the silvery substance from the bowl with his wand and placed it inside the vial. Then, equally surprising, he held his wand to his forehead and drew out more of the silvery substance.
He smiled at their expressions as he placed the substance in the stone basin. “These are my memories of Harry arriving. It starts the day before with the lighting of the Goblet of Fire.” He drew and placed several memories in the basin before nodding to Professor McGonagall. Once she had contributed to the basin, he tapped it with his wand. “Rather than immersing ourselves in the memories, I believe it would be better to project them.” An image of a large hall, packed with people at tables, appeared above the basin.
They watched in silence as the terms of the Tournament were described, skipped to the next day when the Goblet was once more placed on the Head Table. They saw the names drawn, Harry’s arrival, and what had happened from then until Harry headed up the stairs to his new sleeping arrangements.
Twilight looked at him with more than a little hostility and narrowed eyes. “Couldn’t you have simply made the three tasks tic-tac-toe, pin the tail on the donkey, and hide and go seek?”
He stroked his beard. “Alas,” he said sorrowfully, “one of the preliminary steps is to put into the Goblet a brief description of the intent of each of the three tasks. Once wizards and witches begin to drop in their names for selection, the tasks cannot be changed.”
At Twilight’s dubious expression, he explained. “There is a specific set of predefined magical symbols for the Goblet of Fire placed on three pieces of parchments that describe the tasks. For example, the third task had the maze, monsters, and Championship cup symbols on its parchment. This is how the Goblet knows that a task has started and finished. And how it knows whether or not a champion has participated, as required.” He shook his head with a wry expression.
Starlight and Twilight slowly nodded, but neither looked happy. “And your investigation into how Harry became involved?” The princess asked.
“It was inconclusive until this final task.” Dumbledore shook his head sadly. “I discovered that the individual to whom I had entrusted the investigation was an imposter. He, himself, was the one responsible for placing Harry’s name in the Goblet, and confunding it into believing there were four schools participating, not three. He is currently at the Ministry in an interrogation cell.” And then he explained what Barty Crouch, Junior, had confessed to doing.
“These tasks, what were they?” was her next question.
The memory displayed of the first task had Spike hiding behind Twilight, and Twilight livid. Fluttershy was beside her, practically vibrating with outrage.
“You chained and forced the dragons to participate?” Fluttershy yelled at the Headmaster in what others would have called a normal tone of voice. The Equestrians all took a step back. The Wizard and witches merely thought she was asking a question.
Dumbledore shrugged. “We did not know they were intelligent. They had never indicated that they had a language, so we assumed they didn’t,” he said gloomily.
The Equestrians once more exchanged incredulous looks, with the three fillies nodding affirmation.
“No one could get close enough to use a translation spell a thousand years ago when wizards first tried to control their depredations. When we could get close enough, the dragons did not seem interested in discussing things, only in killing or driving off the wizards.” He glanced at the sleeping pony. “However, Harry told us he could speak to the dragons, and proved to us that they were intelligent just a few months ago.” He chuckled. “Our relationship with the dragons is somewhat rocky, at present, but evolving.”
Twilight snorted. “Relationships with dragons are always rocky,” she stated, then looked over her shoulder at Spike, who was still hiding behind her. “Except for my Number One Assistant, here,” she said, the warmth in her voice clearly apparent to all. She twisted and wrapped an arm around his shoulders comfortingly.
The wizard and witches watched with looks of wonder. Only Hagrid had ever considered the dragons with anything approaching kind regard. That the Equestrians could get along so well with a dragon was a real eye-opener.
“The next important event you will be interested in, I’m sure,” the Headmaster said, “Is how these three witches arrived not long after the first task. You clearly did not know they were here.” He stroked his beard meditatively. “Which is rather a surprise, given that they were delivered to us directly from your world.”
Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow immediately took a step forward. “Ohhhh?” said Twilight her eyebrows hiking up a significant distance to her hairline. The quill was making more notes at Twilight’s side.
Rarity interrupted at that point. “Yes, just how did my sister get involved?” she said testily. Twilight looked at her friends and noticed that Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle exchanged guilty looks.
“Yes,” Twilight echoed, “just how did the Cutie Mark Crusaders get involved.” She knew something was up when both girls attempted their wide-eyed innocent look at her.
The Headmaster chuckled at the byplay. “Again, it is better that I show you.”
Five minutes later, a furious Twilight leaned her head back, her arms rigid at her sides and hands in fists, and screamed, “DISCORD!” only seconds before the adults in the three sets of sisters did the same.
The three teenagers winced at the volume, and sighed.
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A bad draconequs will be punished when they return... And why suddenly I imagine him in one of his star apparitions
Well, it looks like we're just about done here. It's been quite a trip, now we're just waiting on the conclusion.
...So she just bypassed Hogwarts' wards and protections. Great; yet another security flaw.
How many are there, now?
My god, Hogwarts is far from the "safest place in Britain". Also, there's no anti-bullying wards? Wards that prevent spellfire in the corridors, or notify staff when bullying is occurring? Ugh.
Aww. I was almost hoping harry had ascended.
9948925
Yeah, he might not have lied, but he did deliberately misdirect them, and that isn't gonna fly with a number of very upset Bearers.
Discord: "Why, Twilight, you're howling at the moon! And it's not even the middle of a summer afternoon!"
Discord better hide. Mama's gonna have words with him.
9948927
To be fair, it seems unlikely the founders and/or whoever added to the the castle's defenses since would have considered interdimensional travel as something needed to be defended against. Heck even Equestria doesn't, considering Sunset was able to use to the portal to infiltrate the Crystal Empire's castle no problem.
9948925
Whatever any of the other girls have planned as punishment, nothing will be more agonizing to Discord than Fluttershy's look of hurt and disappointment.
Look on the bright side, you three: at least Discord gets the lion's share of the blame for this particular crusade!
Let's be fair here. Dissy did say he had nothing to do with Harry's arrival... nor that he never did anything dangerous with the CMCs.
Exact Words, huh?
I wonder if Dumbledore realizes how deep a hole he's digging for himself? Or if Poppy/Snape realize how valuable Twilight's offer to them is. Especially since Harry's broken the British economy.
9948966
To be pedantic Sunset used an existing portal that was suspiciously unguarded. We don't know one wsy or another if Starswirl put wards up against other people/ponie's portals.
9949008
Honestly Sunset using an existing portal just makes it worse, since at the time said portal opened for a limited time at predictable intervals, and through which at least one rebellious student of Celestia's had gone through, all of which was known to Celestia. Plus, given Starswirl's predilection for using other universes as dumping grounds for Equestrian problems, something he passed on to Clover who did the same, the only reason the portal should have been unguarded would have been at Celestia's command, which, given her own tendency towards being a reckless chessmaster, is something I wouldn't put past her.
I see what you did there.
Yet another piece of nice world building that too far too long for someone to think to do.
Discord: Hey, you only ask whether I had a hand in Harry's disappearance or not. And you never actually ask if I know where the CMCs are.
Discord, YOU FOOL! You absolute buffoon! You may not care about the opinions of other ponies but you dare challenge Fluttershy’s?! You think you can abuse her kindness?! You hope to show your face again after this slight again her friends and expect everyone to be fine?! You thought you were safe behind your armor of chaos and dimensional barriers. All that esoteric wisdom and yet you forget the golden rule that heaven nor hell hath no fury like a woman’s scorn. She may forgive, but she will never forget this second slight. Running won’t save you. It’ll make it worse. I suggest prostrating yourself now and hope you get off with some leniency. She didn’t want war, but she didn’t start it.
Yeah Discords getting an asswhooping.
How could Twilight cast a spell in her human form? If this form is the same as the one she took in Sunset's world then she should not have access to her magic here. (same thing happened to Sweetie too) And I don't believe the mirror already provide the wand along with clothes.
*Meanwhile in another universe*
KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAANN!!!!
Hmm I quite doubt Twilight would leave the Goblet existing after it has shown potential for killing from universes away. That's one hell of a dangerous artifact to leave around, specially after what it did.
9949039
Except they did and he twisted it by protesting he'd never HURT them and making Fluttershy feel too guilty to realize he hadn't answered her question.
9949039
Was thinking the same thing
9949078
Cue Bart "I'm in trouble." From Discord.
The thing about Discord is that he always means exactly what he says, unless he doesn’t.
9949074
Since magic exists there we can assume it didn't got blocked when they were transformed into magical humans and Twi knows a lot about magic so we can assume she felt her magic and foun the new body's magical focus, since wizards can use wandless magic it must exist, and is just chanbeling magic through it like she would do with her horn but likely having to use more mana than normal to use the spells.
All expeculation but seen plausible enough to me.
This confuses me, the middle quote has just Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell, which I expected, but the first and last quote has all three crusaders, but when did Scootaloo wake up? I thought she was still asleep. Oh well.
Run discord run, the angry siblings are going to make clothes out of you(and one angry sibling is Rarity, enough said) for what you did.
I wonder if we will see the mane six's reaction to the crusaders all being able to use magic.
Is it bad that I still hope Hermione, Ginny, and Luna, meet up with everypony(and Spike) before they leave, and go with them when they go back to Equestria, probably, since they seem to have been ignored lately, though since they took OWLs with them they might (or so I hope)
Discord: And that is my cue to go somewhere no pony has gone before.
It occurs to me that they'll be seeing Harry's actions first from Dumbledore's (literal) perspective. He's not exactly been the most diplomatic colt, I wonder what Twilight is going to think of him swinging her good name about like a cudgel?
9949152
That won't help him any.
That won't help him at all.
And that definitely won't save him from Flutter's state of severe disappointment.
Willing to bet those early wizards were more interested in gathering the dragon's hordes for themselves rather than communicating with beasts
9949074
Sunset's world didn't have magic until the former royal student brought it in; Harry's world already had magic.
Not to mention this likely isn't the same mirror as the one leading to Canterlot High, unless I'm forgetting part of an earlier chapter.
So different portal with different enchantments leading to a different world with different properties.
Discord: Whelp they found out. Time to use the strategy patented by one of the most Bizzare families I've seen in other universes.
thumbs.gfycat.com/SlipperyUnacceptableLcont-max-1mb.gif
Thus the god of chaos shall descend upon the mortal realm.
Thanks for the update!!!
9949078
"Valerie…"
"Bob?"
"Catherine?"
"Heathcliff!"
“Dorothy?”
"Auntie Em! Auntie Em!"
"Janet!"
"Dr. Scott!"
"Janet!"
"Brad!"
"Rocky!"
"ADRIAN!"
"STELLA!"
“KHAAAAAAAAN!”
"And what about… Naomi?"
9948927
That's not a bug, that's a feature. Remember that Hogwarts is intended to come across as a British public¹ boarding school, something that was bad enough when J.K. Rowling was young² but she was also making it one that was stuck in 'the bad old days'. Bullying would, at best, be seen as harmless 'kids being kids' and more likely seen as something that 'builds character'. Now combine that with a culture that very much has a class system and a desire to enforce it and you get a situation where many of the the school authorities actively want bullying to go on, (so long as it keeps 'those people' in their place), and may even participate in it.
1: Private in North American terminology, it's 'public' as in 'paid for directly by members of the public.'
2: Stories about schools are almost always about how they were like when the people writing them were that age.
9949158
I see it more like Ralph's "*giggle*, I'm in danger."
...i wonder if thats why u have a draconiquis in my freezer<hes not dead just really small and has made an igloo outta my icecream its really difficult to make a sundae with him there>
"HEY! YOU TRAITOR! YOU SAID YOU WOULDNT TELL!"
"I SAID IF YOU WERE NOT A NUCIENCE I WOULDN'T TELL! AND YOU KILLED MY MARSHMALLOW FLAVORED DARK CHOCOLATE MOCHA ICECREAM!
the best way to punish Discord is to let Fluttershy talk with him.
Think hard where CMC went
9949496
I'm thinking the school in the Dr Who episode "Human Nature"
Public School Boy Hutchinson: "What did I tell you sir, the stupid boy's useless. Permission to give Latimer a beating sir?"
Dr Who in role of teacher who likes Latimer: "Permission granted."
Hutchinson drags Latimer off to adminster a beating to teach him it wrong not to want to shoot natives with spears.
9948927
Actually the Crusaders found a hall with a mirror matching that one in an earlier chapter implying that Hogwarts just has its own inter-dimensional portal. Meaning all they did was come though the castles Inter-Dimensional Floo... and the administration didn't know it was there to 'lock' it the way they did the regular Floo. Although, in all fairness, you almost never see a lock on an ID Portal.
9948927
While I would say there should be spells that alert about spellfire in the corridors, I disagree with the notion of antibullying wards. Not because they wouldn't be useful - no, I would have loved something like that. But what would they consist of? Procedures to make sure no physical harrasment occurred? What about verbal? When does this cross into making sure a person cannot speak into something that someone didn't want someone to say? (If there was such a spell to throw off saying things it would probably be used more maliciously elsewhere.) And if the spells existed then there would certainly be ways for bullies to come up with new phrases to bypass it or more indirect ways of bullying.
... and yeah wizards probably saw them as kids being kids. Gotta love classism.
9949253
Hahaha. Probably..."Ponyfeathers .. looks like bluebloods absolutely necessary lessons in his opinion on how to behave like a conceited nobel and political maneuvering were good for him afterall. Looks like i owe him 50 bits." Watching Dumbledores memories shes gonna see them sick dragons on him spear chucking merfolk and a maze through her prior conversation she knows is filled with monsters. So to herself " These wizards have enough common sense between them to fill a thimble. I gotta take harry back to where these people can't get to him." *chuckle*
They mentioned that their hair color is "normal" Technicolor but no one is reacting to their colourful skins. Twilight said she had the same body as her eqg school body... Which is both purple and inhumanly stretched and thin with a huge head.
Frankly the eqg "humans"are more alien than ufo 'grays'
9949603
9949041
A certain draconequs is going to be sleeping on the couch for the forseeable future.
9950710
you mean the one on the ceiling right?
Well TKepner, I just found this little gem of yours and spent the last few days catching up.
Well done. Its different from your previous story, but in my opinion, its a bit better in some ways.
Keep up the good work, and I very much am looking forward to more.
Oh, and 10 points for giving BlueBlood some actual depth. I always felt that he got a bad rap sole based on how he responded to an obvious gold digger.
The Monk
"Knowledge is power and power corrupts, so study hard and be evil." - Reykan
9949896
I think that the mirror mentioned is the Mirror of Erised.