Harry Potter & the Ponies of Atlantis

by ColtKit Productions

Chapter 5: Mad with Power

Author's Note:

I decided to just tweek my old chapters, adding things and removing things, and post them.

If I keep doing this, I will be able to post more regularly. just with less contradictions to the story.

As Flash was out shopping with the foals, the newest princess proved herself worthy of her station. She had empowered the portal, and forced her way into the human world. After such a display, requiring power greater then her own... Sunset panicked.

As Twilight proved herself as stupid as she was powerful, by trying to give Sunset a friendship speech, the yellow mare quickly threw the crown onto her head. "I wanted this, there is no backing out now".

She felt her every dark desire, her every twisted dream, amplified by a thousand. All as her magic swelled inside her, bursting out through her mouth and eyes, even her finger tips.

She instinctively shifted to her Anthro form, in order to better handle the power, but it was difficult. Her fur turned red, her horn gained more then a few kinks and she grew wings of pure fire. It was her magic bursting out of her. The crown was trying to kill her. She could feel it roaring at her. Condemning her for daring to think such an "Unworthy" soul could claim it.

Sunset gritted her teeth, and pulled into herself. Ripping open her magic like an exposed nerve. Through sheer brute force she stopped the crown's attack. Through her sheer power of will, she commanded it to listen to her.

Her face turned into a twisted grin, as she commanded the forces of nature. She couldn't help but give a laugh of pure irredeemable madness, as the power completely corrupted her mind.

She turned her back to the pony, looking at the school at the town itself. A wicked smile on her face.

To the cars driving by, they saw a flash of light, which they assumed was an explosion... then... the entire town was gone. Nothing left but a crater with water spurting out of pipes... and a lone horse statue.

### •

• With the Wizards:

This was insane, millions of thousands of people just DISAPPEARED. The muggles immediately took notice, though they did not yet make the connection. The Aurors were running around, feeding muggles false memories of terrorists attacks, and scorching homes. It was as if something scooped into the muggle world and stole entire family lines from existence.

The sheer power was frightening... it didn't help that many wizarding families were gone as well. Not only lesser families, like the Weasleys, but families on the High Council of Wizarding Britain itself, the Wizengamot itself.

The Blacks, the Malfoys, the Longbottoms, the Princes... a connection was found when it came to the Wizards at least... they were all descendants of the Peverell line. Everyone still living, connected all the way back to a hundred generations of family divergence, was taken...

It was by no coincidence that reports of Harry Potter's death started this tragedy... the heir to the Potter throne, and most direct descendant of the Peverell family. Even the Squib families of the Peverell line, long since abandoned in the muggle world... were gone.

At first the wizards couldn't make out the connection between all the muggle family lines... then they realized... each of the families taken were related to at least one person from that town. Whatever was going on, the answers were there.

### •

• Back with Flash Sentry:

"Please," Flash tried to get through to his special somepony. The mare was obviously out of her head, bending the fabric of the universe as easily as she breathed... with just as little regard.

Sunset didn't answer. She just kept floating above the town she claimed as her own... not like she could even hear him from up there.

They were back in the domed continent of Atlantis. Smack dab in the middle of the Everfree Forest, too deep for any pony too dare venture, further in then even the Castle of the Two Sisters.

She just floated above a circle of 42 crystal trees. Grown from shavings of the tree of Harmony, itself. With as much chaos she was channelling, she needed these to keep cosmic balance.

Each tree contained an entire pocket dimension inside. Each with enough land mass to stretch across a Galaxy. With a portal in the center of the realm, leading out through the swirling vortex of energy, on the tree.

Each dimension held a different environment. Volcanoes, deserts, snowy mountains, lush forests, Swamps, salt water oceans, fresh water oceans, an entire galaxy per habitat.

With the humans, living in them all... but no longer as humans.

Sunset had traced back the lines, of everyone in the city of Konoha. Not just the troubled kids at the school, but everyone, even the tourists. As well as tracing their families so far back, that they could hardly be called related anymore... millions of humans, stolen from their homes, through one massive Teleportation spell...

Simultaneously, she altered their bodies, their DNA, their very memories. These humans weren't exactly human anymore... Flash wasn't sure what they were.

If he didn't know better, he would say they looked like the old Yokai myths... which might actually make sense, seeing how much Sunset loved those stories as a filly. Each family line was a different lower animal now... but with thumbs... and they talked... kinda...

The former humans just stared off into the distance... their eyes glowing green as they barely comprehended the world around them.

They had been seperated into the ideal environment, of their new species. With each individual species, given their own Estate.

However, they could hardly enjoy these lush paradises. As they just lay on a comfy bed, in a nicely furnished room, staring at the ceiling.

Flash had been running around some hours ago, trying to wake them up. He got a few of them to respond to his existence, but it looked like they were fighting against some pretty hard-core mind control... and lost not a second later...

Many of them were reciting magical theory in a dead eyed monotone... and that was when Flash understood what was going on. Sunset was teaching them... kinda. She was uploading information into their brains... but why? What was all this for? How was it even possible on such a scale?

The foals had been with Flash the entire time, and they kept asking him what was going on. Getting more and more scared the longer he refused to answer. But what was he supposed to tell them. "My girlfriend is being possessed by the most powerful artifact in the world, and is using it to enslave humanity."

When he left the estates, he just looked around the Ever Free Forest..

Flash could sense the Harmony wards, keeping the magical beast out of the circle of trees... but outside of that... there was just no way to get help.

Sunset was blocking his communication mirror, and he was in the middle of the Everfree. He was trapped here...

### •

• A few hours later:

Sunset smiled, as she finished uploading new memories into her creatures. From there, she began psychically contacting her Subpony allies, scattered all over Atlantis, and began bringing them here. Giving them a magical upgrade as well.

As her new species recovered, resting through the night, she began recruiting the various pony subraces that had resisted her. All of which where poverty ridden or suffering from overpopulation. As a result of being confined to their cities. It was more a willing, but encouraged, exile.

The Wendigos, Changelings, what remained of the Shadow Ponies, the Vulponies, those magical Android things known as "Clockworks", the Drakehooves (dragon / pony Hybrids that evolved with such numbers they had been able to settle their own city). Sunset even considered reaching out to the Lunar ponies but, as the name implies, they were fiercely loyal allies to Princess Luna. So she avoided them.

Sunset won most of the subpony races over, with a promise of fair treatment and even positions of power in her new order. Along with homes inside the Harmony tree they were most comfortable with.

### •

Right now, Sunset had reached out to the leader of the Time Pony Ghetto. Appearing before him, but really only being an Illusion in his mind... as she was simultaneously doing the same with a thousand other Subpony leaders.

Rassillion, Lord President of the Time Ponies, gulped as he looked below him. Looking out at rows of towers just under their hooves.

"The sheer amount of land here, is enough to house my entire city." Rassillion felt faint. Unsure how he could resist this.

Time Ponies live for as long as an Alicorn... and they keep regenerating after each life like a Phoenix. It was very hard to kill one permanently. As such they were often used as canon fodder. Which is honestly what Sunset wanted them for. Their sheer numbers, strictly because they couldn't die, combined with their powers over time... they were very useful canon fodder.

However they were the most loyal to Celestia, on account of how much aid she sent to their city. It would take something truly impressive to persuade them.

The immediate 10 miles around the central tower, was filled by mansions inside spheres (for the nobles). Each mansion having 1000 acres of land. Then, further out, were train stations with rail roads going in between buildings near a mile high. The buildings were even based on Time Pony architecture.

Rassillion gulped, "There are enough apartments for my population to grow for the next 10 thousand years."

Time ponies only really have an urge to reproduce once every hundred years. When they go through a "Heat" of sorts. They can still have children outside of this period, but they have such low sex drives it rarely happens. So their population increased slowly... but with no pony dying, they had over 2 million ponies living in the city of Gallopfrey alone.

Time Ponies were actually the reason for such vast advancements in techno magic. As the humans say "Necessity is the mother of invention"... and no pony knows necessity like a race of immortals, where starvation couldn't permanently kill.

Land and food was more precious then all the gold in the world to these ponies, and they were so poverty stricken because they practiced that philosophy. Often trading their skills, in engineering and enchantments, for food from the Princesses.

Sunset smiled, as Rassillion continued to look at what she built.... realizing each apartment, actually had an extension charm, big enough to make each of the billions of condos, contain their own star cluster sized city... this estate was, in the desert tree, was large enough so that not even his ponies could fill it... not ever.

He may very well join her just for the housing alone.

Still she sweetened the deal. "The instantly growing vegetation, in your new green house towers, makes it so you truly have infinite resources."

Other pony subraces were often shunned for being meat eaters. Time Ponies, and now Crystal Ponies, were more accepted strictly because they were herbivores.

Time Ponies also had further advantages then most subspecies because of their breeding habits.

It was unlikely that a foal of a Time Pony and a "regular" pony would be a Time Pony. Like all pony subspecies, Time Ponies had a third chromosome chain, where the magic that specifically turned them into that subspecies was stored. Both parents needed to have that specific third chromosome chain for their foal to be born that subspecies. Otherwise the child would likely be a regular pony.

However it was possible for the regular foal to become one of these subraces, later in life. So long as they had the dormant third chromosome chain, and forced it to activate by sheer magical power, before they gained their cutie mark.

Once they gained the cutie mark, the dormant chromosome chain was destroyed, and their DNA stabilized. So there was no chance they could pass the third (then non-existent) chromosome chain to their own children.

Ponies mostly chose Time Ponies to father their children strictly because of this... and the benefit that part of the Time Pony magic, makes it more likely a Stallion will give their Mares colts.

Regardless of all this, or perhaps because of it, Sunset wanted the Time Ponies most of all.

"Under my rule, in this home, your ponies will never go hungry again. They will each enjoy the luxuries of a king, in this near endless land. They will no longer suffer, due to the strains of a long life."

Rassillion swallowed. Then put on his poker face. However it was too late, she was fully aware he was willing to sell his soul for this Estate.

"You expect me to step down, I take it?" Rassillion eyed her. Although she got the feeling that his soul was one thing, his power was quite another.

"Certainly not," Sunset faked a gasp. "You can do with your ponies as you please. You will just be a clan that acknowledges me as the Queen. Your situation won't change much from what you have with Celestia. Only who you answer to will change."

Rassillion looked back at the housing district, then back at the demonic creature in front of him... He had never seen her species before (as far as he knew). He thought her truly a demon... so he made a deal with the devil...

With as little effort as it took her to snap her fingers, the Estate suddenly contained every last Time Pony, and their families. That was that... he left the loving embrace of Equestria's mother for an unholy beast... he could only hope future generations didn't condemn him for it...

### •

Changelings may have gotten their name from their ability to shapeshift into any creature, individual, or object. However they were far stranger then that.

Changelings all have a minor telepathic field. This allowed them to send thoughts through a mental link, and speak with their minds to all other Changelings of their hive. Well each changeling has their own thoughts and individuality, they are all connected by their queen. The Queen could even influence the thoughts of all those in the hive.

This telepathic field also let changelings sense the emotions of other creatures... and feed on them. With Love being the most nourishing of all the emotions.

Changelings have longevity, though anything that would kill a pony could kill a changeling outside of old age. There bodies just don't deteriorate with age. Which is how their population got so large.

Most Changelings are genderless, one in a million eggs being born female. Though they have no males, they frankly have no need of them as Females are Asexual.

Females, called Queens, grow in power as they get older, as well as lay more eggs. Well most of the eggs hatch into common worker drones, the rare one (though far more common then a queen) will be born as warriors. They look like drones but are more colorful, albeit darker colors.

Chrysalis had the most Warriors in her hive, but what do you expect. She was the All Mother. The first changeling ever born. She was born of a pony, as an odd mutation of magic... and cast out by her family as a monster... still this made Changelings technically a Pony Subspecies, despite not being able to breed with them.

That was near 20 thousand years ago. Quite a few Queens had been born of her since then. Even Queens born of her Queens... with a civilization of over a billion... all hungry.

Changelings don't eat food, although sometimes they eat other bugs for pleasure. Fact of the matter is, it provides no nourishment.

At first, at the revelation of what this Sunset could offer, Chrysalis grinned. There were near a hundred hives, all of them spread out in the lush planes of grass and flowers of the Housing district. Her new domain. A domain hidden, where no creatures could find it. Where all her hives could be safe together... where they would never go hungry again.

There were farms growing trillions of soda cans, containing a liquid substance made of concentrated... love. Love in a can as a kind of liquid energy. All the different kinds of love were growing this way.

The more obvious love between spouses, the love between friends, the love for a pet, the love for a cherished possession, a child's love for their toys... a parent's love for their child. The farm grew all the flavors. Even the flavors of other emotions in case they wanted "junk food".

Enough to keep her changelings full, enough so they would no longer have to hunt to survive... they would have to completely rethink their society now.

First thing, All-Mother Chrysalis walked through the farm, watching as she tested the formulas on a few expendable drones... and it worked... they could really survive off this. She would have to do additional testing to make sure their were no long term side effects... but she was starting to get her hopes up...

She was beyond happy... untill she learned her's was not the only changeling Domain.

### •

Thorax scrunched up his muzzle, as he looked at himself in the mirror. He looked like a cross between a fae butterfly and some kind of beatle pony.

"So... I'm in charge?" Thorax puzzled as he turned his head towards the nearby window. He was in a luxury floor, all his own... outside were dozens of hives. Not that many, in the grand scheme of things, but there were easily 10s of Thousands of changelings living here.

Mostly the younger hives and their "inexperienced" Queens.

Although, if he was honest with himself... they weren't exactly changelings anymore. They still had all the powers, but instead of stealing love, they survived by sharing it. They even had a few love based powers, which focused mostly on protection and healing magics.

... but most strange of all... they all had genders. Whatever gender they identified with was what they were... they could have real families now, and those families could have families.

The Queens, themselves, weren't even traditional Queens anymore. Instead of being asexual egg factories, they all had to have eggs the pony way... with far FAR fewer eggs (3 if they were lucky). However, they still had all of the powers of Queens. With a very Queen like appearance (what with their long hair and taller / skinnier bodies) but they were more colorful and beautiful... without the holes in their legs of typical changelings.

Currently, all of the Queens favorite / most influential, lings were a new breed of Changelings called "Royal Changelings". They were nearly as big as the Queen, and only Royal Changelings, or the Queen, could lay Royal eggs. If the Queen died, the oldest of the Royals would ascend into the next Queen or King. The Royals were intended to be a council of advisors for the Queen and handle the day to day operations.

As for the warriors... There weren't any. The hives were made purely of drones with a hoof full of Royals. With all the drones being talented in healing and love magic in addition to shape shifting.

Those House Elves, Sunset had given them, would handle most of the drones former duties. Each of the family of elves was attached to a different queen and her hive.

Thorax was just... he kinda just knew of all this, because Sunset wanted him to know.

The Sunset demon smiled at him. It was a creepy smile. Yet he wouldn't go so far to call her 'evil', as far as he knew she had done nothing outside the realm of benevolence. Thorax former body was proof enough that appearances could be deceiving... or that individuals from cruel races could still be kind.

"You were the first," The demon smiled that creepy smile. "The first to speak out against Chrysalis, when she got so many of your siblings killed, in her attack against Canterlot. The first to leave. You inspired other changelings to leave. Even Queens renounced themselves from her union of hives... because you gave them that courage.

"Now, all 41 of those hives are yours. With one extra hive made up of the drones that went rogue after you left. Hundreds of thousands leaving their Queens in mass to get away from Chrysalis. That will be your own personal Hive, while you act as Chairman on a Council of Queens."

42? That number was important. It was a magic number, though none knew why given it wasn't a Prime number. The very fact it held such power without being a prime number had intrigued scholars for thousands of years.

"They are all loyal to you," Sunset went on. "as the leader of this new clan. Their first king. Eventually others will ascend when something happens to the Queens."

Thorax frowned.

Sunset rolled her eyes, "You may not die of old age, but even changelings can die just as easily from anything else. It is not a matter of 'if' but 'when' your current Queens die. Even you will die someday, so I suggest you get yourself a girlfriend and have her pump out an heir."

Thorax blushed. He was pretty young by changeling standards, only 12... which they considered barely an adult. Changelings just mature faster then other races, due to them molting their shells. They reach adulthood much sooner, as a result and stop molting once they have.

"Regardless," Sunset moved on. "I will need your love bugs to act as my healers in the upcoming war."

Thorax frowned again... yet for some reason he felt compelled to honor her wishes... still... "Is war really necessary? I mean, we have everything we need right here. It's not like we need the resources or land the other creatures have."

Sunset smiled, before lightly patting his head in a condescending way. If it wasn't for his shell, the sheer heat of her skin would have blistered him. "I'm not asking you to endanger your clan. You will strictly be healers. Let the army worry about the fighting."

### •

Rain Shine, Queen of the Kirin, didn't know what to do... Her tribe was talking again. The demon had given them back their voice and emotions, along with this amazing Estate. All the houses were built with Kirin architecture...

Yet they were made of a magical wood that could never burn. In fact, everything in the Estate was fireproof... their Nirik half could never accidentally destroy their home again... yet that couldn't be the only reason for the sense of loyalty she felt for the demon.

Rain Shine didn't know why she felt so loyal to such a creature, that was obviously using her people for her own means... She had even taken the precaution to dispell brainwashing magics on herself... yet she found none...

Her loyalty was real, something on an instinctual level. It was a compulsion heavily rooted in her DNA... even knowing this, she still felt the loyalty just as strongly... she would do as this unholy mare asked... and send her Kirin to die for a pointless war.

Their Nirik half, that mindless fire beast Kirin became when enraged... they were going to burn Equestria to the ground... for no other reason then they were asked.

Yes, Kirin never had the best relationship with ponies. Rain Shine had been driven into exile by fearful ponies, back when her tribe was small.

As the originator of the Kirin chromosome chain, she was extremely long lived. Where her Kirin had typical pony lifespans of 500 years, plus a few decades, she personally had longevity.

Long lives are common in magical creatures. Which is part of the reason they develop so slowly, as a society. There is no need to make any advancement, either through culture or science, when you live so long. Their is no sense of urgency.

Time Ponies, who were very near immortal, were still very productive, strictly because they felt the passage of time with their every breath. It was part of their magic.

While other species felt no such worry about leaving their mark. This went beyond ponies. All magical creatures felt similarly unburdened by the passage of time. You can't live so long and fear death, not until you are already on your deathbed.

Rain had become something of a philosopher in her millenniums of life... she was a child when Atlantis first sank to the bottom of the ocean, some 2400 years ago. She had seen many things and hoped it gave her wisdom... but now... she didn't know what to do...

She could keep her kirin out of the upcoming fight... but then Sunset could get hurt... that thought troubled her, but maybe that is just what the demon needed.

"No," Rain Shine informed the demon. Much to the creature's shock. "I will not be aiding you in the attack."

Sunset stared a moment, obviously unfamiliar with the concept of "tough love"... maybe she was and just not appreciative of it.

Sunset then gave the Kirin a sinister grin, "Sure I can't change your mind?" the demon's eyes began to glow.

Rain raised a curious eyebrow, as she felt another presence creep into her mind. Still the queen showed no sign of worry, neither on her face nor her subconscious.

"I suppose you could dilute our senses, like you have others here, but then you wouldn't have your army. Our Nirik side can't manifest in such a state, and if you trapped us in a blind rage, we would be far more likely to attack the troops next to us, then the ones you wanted us to."

The demon's eyes stopped glowing as she hissed in irritation. She may as well have fallen to the floor, kicking and screaming, for all the good it did her.

Like a patient mother, Rain informed, "The Kirin will stay here, guarding our new home. We remain loyal to you Sunset, just as you designed, but that doesn't mean we will follow your every order blindly."

Sunset continued to act like a pouting child, but Rain remained unaffected. The demon looked like she wanted to hurt her, but was resisting that impulse.

"You will obey me," Sunset hissed, the entire act of being a benevolent leader forgotten.

Rain tilted her head, not for a second believing Sunset could actually hurt her, despite her appearance. The Kirin leader calmly stepped over, and looked into the fillies eyes, having too dip her head, given just how tall she was even in her Kirin form.

"There is a difference between loyalty and obedience. Sometimes, you must act outside orders to ensure the ponies you care about remain safe. That is what I intend to do. This war of yours will only result in pain for all those involved. So I will keep my Kirin out of it. We will remain here and look after the civilians... Unless, of course, you plan to march the children into battle as well."

Sunset's eyes widened, as if she hadn't considered the children. Her mind was so raw, she was having difficulty using her moral compass. She felt something dark inside her, telling her to unleash all of her citizens in one massive attack. Closing her eyes. Her head hurt, but she managed to power through the taint of dark magic.

"Very well." Sunset opened her eyes, looking at the queen of the Kirin, that was actually as tall as Celestia, "Your ponies will stay behind and tend the foals."

"Thank you, your highness," Rain bowed.

### •

Sunset's eyes glowed for hours more, before she finally closed them. Opening them again, they were no longer glowing... and a true god was floating in front of her.

"My my, you have been busy." Discord smiled.

He snapped his fingers and in a white flash the crown was in his hands. Sunset gasped as her wings suddenly disappeared. She began to fall, but just barely managed to catch herself in her magic.

Discord just continued to smile, "It was rather smart of you to hide here. I've been looking for you on the surface. Your constant surge of magic, even tricked me into thinking you were just one of the natural Hiccups of the forest. I'm impressed. Not many would-be-conquerors have a brain. They tend to forget about me entirely."

"I certainly didn't." Sunset held out her hands and activated her horn. Her fur may have turned back to it's normal yellow, but her magic had been permanently tainted by the crown... That much was obvious by her now angry red aura.

Discord's smile turned even more amused, as if he thought she would attack him with some kind of "Ultimate Weapon" and was eager to see what it was.

She was counting on that. The god of chaos was full of over confidence. In fact the very reason for most of his actions was none other then he boredom.

Can't really blame him given he really was an all powerful god. Still she supposed her plan was much of what he suspected, in a way. Her ultimate weapon that would ensure the obedience of a god.

There was a flash of light and Discord's smile suddenly turned to a look of amazement. "What... what is that?"

"You know what it is." Sunset smiled as her mind screamed 'Checkmate'. She held up the sleeping child, for him to get a better look at... a child... with a lightning bolt scar. Although the god could care less about a fancy rune.

"A Draconequus foal..." Discord gulped as he gently took the child into his mismatched lion paw and eagle talon.

The child had the same body type of a pony, just as he used to when he was so small. However, like himself, the boy had mismatched limps of various creatures.

In the child's case, he had a fox paw and a lizard claw, a scorpion tale and a pony's head, with a deer antler and a unicorn horn, and a single sabertooth tigar fang peeking out of his mouth, while his hind legs were another fox paw and a deer's leg. He was silver with green patches... one on the opposite side of his face from his scar. Then he had a messy black mane that turned red as it traveled down his back.

"I have thousands of them." Sunset explained. "One of many species really. As I needed versatility in my army."

Discord's eyes suddenly flashed red.

"They are completely loyal to me," Sunset smiled. "It is deeply rooted in their DNA. If you hurt me, act against me, even say an unkind word about me, they will never forgive you. They will curse you. Or," Sunset floated closer to him, "You could ignore me, ignore all I do... and they will love you.

"Each generation will be taught to admire you. Your own little race of Draconequus. Ones that will never think to betray you. Ones that will love everything about you, especially your pranks. I gave you a family Discord, all I ask in return is that you keep out of my way."

Comments

[Melody Song]

Fascinating chapter! I enjoyed seeing how Sunset persuaded each race, enticing them all with different motives. Tis rare we come across a smart villain, as Discord mentioned.