Chapter 1: You're a Freak of Nature Harry

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Harry sighed as he sat out in the court yard of the Konoha Reform School. It was a school for troubled children. Located in the small town of Konoha. Usually this school was meant for older students. It focused largely on Secondary Schooling, but they did have a small wing for Primary School kids.

Harry knew all of them, and most of them were his friends... Except for Sasuke, none of the Primary Boys liked Sasuke... and it definitely wasn't because the girls kept stalking him. WHO WOULD WANT THAT!!! No, it was because he was an arrogant know it all. One that took great joy in upstaging everyone. That wouldn't have been so bad, at least to Harry, if the boy hadn't also been a sneak. He was ALWAYS telling the teachers every bit of mischief the other boys got into. It was like he was trying to prove he didn't belong here and was trying to buy favor to get out.

Harry was originally here for... legal reasons. His desk... caught fire. Obviously he got blamed despite doing no more then glaring at it. The boy was convinced it was Dudley who set him up. His bully of a cousin was always framing Harry for his own malicious behavior... not like anyone would believe him, and his relatives would beat him if he accused their "precious Dudders'" of any wrong doing.

As it was Harry's uncle had slammed the boy against a wall before locking him in the cupboard for... for "letting his freakishness get out".

Harry sighed, Child Services had gone to talk to Harry and immediately took notice of his skinny body and shabby clothes, that the boy was clearly drowning in... yet, like always, they seemed to forget the moment he was out of their sight.

At the school Harry was put in a room, an actual room. It was a small room but, to a boy that had never had such a thing, he was still marveled by it. He didn't even mind that he had to share it with three other boys... he had a room... his room... no more cupboard...

That is where he used to sleep, and still did, whenever he returned "Home"... if he could dare call it that without being reminded that he was a "Lazy good for nothing that should be grateful" his "hard working relatives give him their table scraps and a roof over his head".

The people working here may be stern, but they were much kinder then the Dursley's... maybe... maybe going to an orphanage wouldn't be as bad as the Dursley's made it out to be. Maybe they were just terrible people and the rest of the world wasn't like that.

Harry was learning of humanity's kindness at a school meant for troubled youth. Here, he was always fed. Here, people treated him like more then a freak. Here, he had friends.

Yes, here, the kids got spanked, pretty frequently actually. It was the go-to punishment of the officers and school staff, but he only ever got punished when he genuinely did something wrong... no belting for every odd or imagined thing to happen to him... and they didn't come close to the beatings his relatives gave him. Most of the kids weren't even that bad. They were constantly being watched so that left no room for bullying. The Nurse even tested Harry's eyes and got him glasses that actually worked. He could see much more clearly then the throwaways his aunt got from the dollar store.

Harry even had clothes that fit, thanks to the school uniform. Yeah... it was embarrassing to be in short trousers but he would gladly take that over the rags he used to wear.

Harry's roomates had convinced him to set fire to his old rags... which got them all a spanking, but the next day, after school, one of the officers took him into town to the local Asda. He let the boy pick out his own shirts, underpants, even socks! Then the man bought Harry more short trousers, as some kind of punishment for burning his old clothes, but Harry could not have cared less. As far as he could remember, these were his first real clothes, all his own and not hand me downs, and so that made them the best clothes ever by default.

Harry had been grinning like a loon... until he learned the Officer charged the clothes to the Dursley's, as part of Harry's bill to them for his care. Harry figured his relatives would NOT be pleased they had to spend extra money on him (though later during the summer he realized they completely forgot about it). Still when Harry tried to tell the officer that, the man simply said "then you shouldn't have burned your old clothes, you little pyro maniac". However, even that had been spoken with a strange humor in his voice... an odd form of teasing kindness.

Now... Harry had been at the School for criminals for 3 years and... he was loving it... although he was usually very well behaved... he always made sure to burn something whenever his evaluation came up. That made sure they didn't send him back to the Dursley's. The shrink here was beginning to think Harry had some kind of mental disorder. As in she thought Harry was an honest to goodness pyro. They had called a proper head Doctor to talk to Harry, sometime next week.

They kept assuring the boy that they wouldn't send him to an institution regardless of what they found... but Harry had learned long ago not to trust the words of adults. These adults might be better then the Dursley's but they were still adults and therefore, not to be trusted.

So here Harry sat. A 9 year old boy, well... he would be in 6 months. He was leaning against the horse statue in the court yard. He was deep in thought, wondering how to avoid going to an institution. His sentence was long up, so he didn't technically have to be here anymore, but the Dursley's had decided to enroll him here permanently. That suited him just find, but he made sure not to let the Dursley's know how happy he was in these people's care.

The child still had to see those wretched people during break... he was wondering if he should give the institution a chance if it meant an end to that. If that was the case the Dursley's might do it just to never have to see the boy again and frankly that suited Harry just fine... the school for troubled kids wasn't so bad so maybe a school for the criminally insane would be better then the Dursley's to... but there were a lot of horror movies about those places.

That was another thing, this place even had a movie night every Friday after school. Where the kids gathered in the auditorium and devoured snacks while watching movies from a projector. Harry's roommates even let him watch their tapes with them on their awesome TV with a built in VCR player...

Regardless, a more qualified Doctor was coming by later this week to talk to the boy... and all this might end, depending on what the Doc told the Dursley's.

Harry leaned back, giving a startled yelp, which quickly turned into a scream. There was suddenly nothing behind him. Next thing he knew he was tumbling through a tunnel of flashing lights and swirling energy... maybe he really was crazy.

Harry gasped as he suddenly flew out of the tunnel and collided with something... or should he say, someone...

"Flash?" Harry groaned, rubbing his head as he realized he was laying on top of a similarly groaning teenager.

Flash shook his head and looked down at the child. He just stared at the child, before giving one of his weird not curses, "buck..."

Flash was an attractive boy all the girls in schools swooned for. The fact he somehow convinced the school staff to let him keep his rebellious blue hair only added to that. Despite that, he was actually a very sweet boy. He frequently helped take care of the younger children at the school. It was a wonder that such a polite boy was in a school for trouble makers... most of Harry's friends made jokes about Flash being a pedo-bear, but they didn't actually believe that given they still accepted his help and liked to play with him.

Most of the kids at that school would, at least occasionally, say things that proved they had a rebellious streak, but Flash was just so nice and charming. And as far as the Pedo stuff... while there were never even rumors that Flash was actually like that, just jokes from foul mouthed little brats that wouldn't admit they didn't actually know what that meant.

Flash might look the part of a boy seeking attention, but he didn't act like it. He was literally friends with everyone, and while he occasionally played or helped the younger kids, he spent most of his time with his fellow 16 year olds.

While besides the teasing he gave whenever someone, Okay admittedly only Harry ever bothered to ask as most didn't seem to care, asked for his real name. The teen kept insisting his name really was "Flash Sentry" and somehow even getting the teachers to call him that.

Harry heard a ringing of bells and looked behind him to see... a mirror? He was in a library of somekind... maybe a children's library, based on the bright colors.... yet everything looked like it was made of expensive Crystal. The furniture, THE WALLS, even the floor.

While Harry was freaking out about his sudden change of scenery, a girl walked out of the mirror. Harry's eyes widened.

It took him a moment to register who the girl was. Sunset? Another kid that used a stage name, while insisting it was her real name and no one but Harry questioned it.

Both she and Flash had legitimately yellow skin and again, no one questioned it... not even Harry as he knew it was rude to ask about Skin Color.

"What's he doing here!?" Sunset's bacon colored hair was suddenly standing on end.

Flash glared at her, "Obviously that spell you cast to keep humans away DOESN'T WORK!!!"

Sunset glared, "My spells are FLAWLESS!!!"

Flash rolled his eyes.

"Besides," Sunset admitted, or perhaps used as a defense for her own abilities, "It's not my spell. The portal automatically creates a magical field around the statue, which should repel anything without magic. It even has notice-me-not charms to prevent non magicals from seeing anything coming in or out of the portal."

"PORTAL!!!" Harry awed.

The two older kids looked at him.

Sunset sighed, "I'll just erase the boy's memory and we can figure out what went wrong later."

"LIKE HELL!!!" Harry felt something building up inside him... something... dark, yet warm.

Sunsets eyes widened as she felt it. Unknown to Harry, the boy was giving off a threatening aura of magic. Used mostly by magical creatures to scare off predators or intimidate other Sapients. Flash's eyes widened, as he too felt it.

Sunset raised her hand, which immediately burst into light. Harry was suddenly encased in some kind of energy as he floated up.

"WHAT IS THIS STUFF!!!" Harry screamed, trying to put out the energy as if it was fire, despite the fact it didn't burn. Felt a little warm, and moved like fire, yes but it didn't actually hurt him. Just startled him was all.

Flash gulped, "He... he sees it... he can see magic..."

"MAGIC!!!" Harry gaped, "Magic's not real!" He repeated what his uncle had, quite literally, beaten into him.

Sunset brought the boy over to her face. Her forehead began to glow as she gently touched it against Harry's forehead. Her eyes widened as she jerked away from the boy, yet still held him in her energy.

"... He has magic..."

"But... he's human..." Flash gulped.

"Completely human..." Sunset gulped back.

The way they said "human" caused Harry to scream, "Aliens!!! Please don't probe me!!!"

"We have to tell the Princesses," Flash insisted, ignoring the boy.

Sunset suddenly dropped Harry, "No!" She snapped.

Harry groaned, rubbing his now sore bum from hitting the Crystal floor.

"This is bigger then your childish need to run away!!!" Flash glared, "Humans are evolving into MAGIC!!! This changes everything!!! We might not even need to be in exile anymore!!! We can't keep this to ourselves!"

"It's probably just a fluke gene. The boy still has a primitive digestive system and he doesn't even have a focus built into his body, so he isn't capable of spell casting."

"MOST races can't cast spells!" Flash glared, "But they still have magic, it just comes out in different ways. Even if the kid has some fluke mutation it doesn't change the fact humans are becoming magical!"

Flash grabbed Harry's hand and started dragging him as he ran out of the room. At the boy's scream, Flash stopped.

The older teen bent down and put his hands on Harry's shoulders.

"You know me, Harry," Flash reminded, "Have I ever done anything to hurt you? Given you any reason to think I could?"

Harry bit his lip and didn't answer.

Flash stayed quiet a moment, giving Harry time to absorb his reassuring words, before continuing, "Yes, We aren't human, but that doesn't mean we are bad or out to get humans. It just means we are something a bit different, but we are still people."

"W-why were you at the school?" Harry dared to ask.

Flash rolled his eyes, and glared at Sunset, "I don't know. Why am I still illegally going back and forth between our worlds for a girl that abandoned me FOUR YEARS AGO!!!"

Sunset rolled her eyes, "Because you're a white knight. Besides I didn't abandon you!" she huffed that the over exaggeration, "You're the one insisting you keep a foothold in this hypocritical-"

"Anyway," Flash moved on, looking back at Harry, "I got complicated and personal reasons for going back and forth between this world and the surface."

"BUT WHY KONOHA!?" Harry snapped, "A school for troubled youths! Are you even a kid!?"

Flash blushed, "well... I really am 16, but I am technically an adult by my own people's laws. Most of our people graduate school at 15, and that's when we are acknowledged as Legally adults... Though our formal schooling starts at 3 years old. You can take an apprenticeship at any time during or after your formal schooling." Flash shook his head, realizing he was rambling. Though it seemed to be relaxing Harry, Flash continued.

"I was apprenticing as a guard, just so I could have access to the portal, that is, after my girlfriend disappeared through it." He sent another glare at Sunset, clearly her living on the other side of the Portal was causing issues in their relationship... Harry wondered, given the circumstances, why he should care about that right now.

"As for why Konoha... it's... it's just kinda what humans chose to build. It used to be an isolated forest, to my understanding. Humans just built the cities around it and dropped a school for delinquents around a 5000 year old portal. That was LOOOOONG before my time but that's what my mentors told me when they caught me researching the portal. I was trying to learn what happened to Sunset when she threw a tantrum and ran through it." Flash sent her yet another glare.

The young lady just sighed and said, "Are you ever going to let me live that down?"

"When I decide to stop enabling you is when you'll stop hearing about it!" Flash snapped. "YOU BELONG IN A TROUBLED YOUTH CENTER!!!" Flash suddenly blushed and looked back to Harry, "No offense Harry." He instinctively ruffled the boy's hair.

Harry gently smiled. The casual squabbling between Flash and Sunset, which they were known for at school, was actually making things easier to swallow... they were still their normal selves... they just happened to be a bit freakier then previously thought... which made Harry feel more comfortable around them.... after all, he was a freak to, if his uncle was to be believed... maybe aliens were a whole other ballpark of freak though.

Flash smiled at Harry again, "Please Harry, will you meet our rulers. You don't have to talk, fact is it might be better if you don't. I just need them to see how special you are."

Harry bit his lip, "But... I'm not special. I'm Harry, just Harry..." he was the freak that lived in a cupboard most of his life... the freak that never truly felt at home until he was sent to a school for troubled youths... the freak that couldn't even get his own family to treat him like a human being, let alone get them to love him back... he was a freak... not anything special...

Flash gently parted Harry's hair, accidently getting a glimpse of the lightning bolt scar on his forehead, "Harry Potter... you might very well be the most special and important child ever born. You're the bridge that could very well bring our two worlds together. The very fact you exist will throw tidal waves through our civilization. A human... with magic." Flash held his fingers in front of Harry's face and wiggled them. Sparks of electricity zapped between the digits.

Harry looked at his own fingers and wiggled them. He got a concentrated look on his face and tried to make the sparks come out. He groaned as he focused... but nothing happened.

Flash just smiled, "You will learn control... with time," he promised.

Then... Flash suddenly turned into a bright yellow horse, no bigger then a large dog (maybe a great dane). He bent down and stretched his wings to the sides, "Climb on."

Harry felt numb, but did as he was told... feeling the fur against his fingers and bare legs. It felt more like kitten fur then horse hair... not that Harry knew what horse hair was supposed to feel like but he assumed it was rough.

Sunset suddenly looked very uncomfortable as she said, "I better cast some mental magics on the school staff so they don't think to look for Harry."

Harry's eyes widened, remembering she also said she could erase memories and now alter how people think. While he should be horrified, he asked, "Can you also make the Headmaster cancel that shrink from the Asylum!!!"

Flash raised an eyebrow, "I don't know champ. I mean, if you legitimately have a compulsion that makes you want to burn things. The Doctor could help."

Sunset just smiled, "Sure kid, I'll cancel the shrink." Before stepping through the mirror portal.

Flash rolled his eyes, before stretching out his small wings. With just a few flaps he was off the ground and bloody well FLYING out the door, then through the hall.

There were a few yells from more horses, wearing silver armor, telling the "colt" to slow down.

In his years going back and forth between the portal, Flash had picked up a lot of human terminology. However he occasionally slipped back into his pony accent and slang, even while in the human world.

Not thinking long on that, or paying attention to his fellow guards, Flash flew faster and faster. He didn't stop until he burst into Princess Cadence's throne room... but the sight caused him to completely freeze up. His eyes went wide and his ears pinned... he had forgotten she was in session. It was the very reason he opened the portal to let Sunset through. Because they would have time for some privacy while everyone was busy with the summit.

"Cadet?" Shining glared from his seat by his wife. Dozens of races were seated with their own kind at large tables that now filled the throne room. The national leaders, of all Sapient species, were glaring at Flash as well, "What is the meaning of this?" Shining demanded.

Flash gulped. He slowly landed and began walking through the alley at an equally slow pace. He completely stopped whatever it had been they were discussing. While it might very well be a good thing all the nations' leaders where here for this revelation... he wished he didn't have to be the one to deliver the message.

Reaching the front of the room, Flash now stood before the 4 Alicorns. The sole Alicorns in their land. They were in their pony forms for this meeting, sitting on thrones. All the shifters were in there beast form. It was considered more formal and just polite for the races that couldn't transform, like the Centaurs.

Shining Armor, Captain of the Guard and husband of the Crystal Princess, sat on a pillow beside her throne.

The Crystal Empire was still not caught up with modern social norms. Stallions were seen as status symbols for females, little more then trophy husbands. To be seen, not heard. The fact Shining was effectively the commanding general of all Equestria's armies made little difference to the Crystal ponies... if anything they were offended at the concept.

Shining was a Stallion and so should be kept sheltered and safe and treated more like a pet then a spouse... the Crystal ponies were extremely traditional and while most Equine races viewed males as the weaker sex, they had long since earned completely equal rights...

The Royal guard was originally just a Harem for the Princesses, and the Crystal Empire still had that mindset. Cadence was trying to give them a more active role, much to the outrage of the nobles, but it was a slow process.

If it wasn't for the fact the Mirror was brought here, Flash never would have requested a transfer when they were looking for volunteers. This place might be beautiful but it was so traditional and stuffy it put the unicorn city of Canterlot to shame.

No, despite effectively being general and king, Shining still didn't get a proper chair, much less a throne of his own.

Shining was the face of equal rights in the Crystal Empire. So he had to show Stallions could be just as strong as Mares, while still respecting Crystal Pony traditions.

Flash gulped, as he realized one of Shining's guards barging into a summit for all the magical leaders... might not make him look very good.

"My apologies," Flash bowed, "But I knew the entire council would want to hear this immediately." Giving a little white lie, as he hadn't remember the summit was in session.

Celestia, The ruling matriarch of Pony kind, smiled at him. A smile of an amused mother at her child's immature antics. Flash was far from related to her, but as far as ponies were concerned, Celestia was mother to all. "What is so urgent my little pony? Could it really not have waited a few seconds to let your little brother crawl off your back?" She teased.

Flash blushed, and imagined it would look like that to the world leaders, "This is Harry Potter, your majesty. He... he is from the other side of the portal."

There was a gasp from across the crowd.

Celestia frowned and stepped down from her throne. Flash could hear the child gulp as the giant winged unicorn walked over to them. Thankfully, the boy followed his advice and stayed quiet. She was easily a few feet taller then a real horse... and she had lost her teasing grin, looking far more serious.

"Is there a reason you foalnapped a human child from the surface world?"

"I DIDN'T FOALNAP HIM!!!" Flash yelped, standing back up, momentarily forgetting himself.

Flash gulped and informed, "He came through the portal on his own... he... he has magic your highness."

There was a sudden uproar, large declarations of "impossible" and even one of "Blasphemy!" from the Yaks.

Celestia raised her hoof. When the crowd settled, she gently nuzzled the child. Both to calm him and to use her horn to sense his magic...

A moment later she stood up. "He is indeed a human," she confirmed the crowd, "And he, in fact, has magic." There was a large uproar from the crowd again.

While the world leaders freaked out, Celestia looked at Flash, "You did the right thing bringing him to us. Now, I need you to take him to my Anthropologist and get him a complete medical check up... my medical scan revealed some... disturbing things I need answered."

Flash nodded his head, bowing once more, before turning and leaving the room.

###

Throughout all this, Harry was just sitting on the winged horse, trying to make himself appear so small he was invisible. While they were leaving... he actually did will himself invisible. While not exactly. It was more like you could see through him but there was a trace of himself, like a sketch in a cartoon. Some of the strange creatures screamed, with some more outraged roars throughout the hall.

Horse Flash looked back and realized the boy was gone. He jiggled his wings a little to feel the boy was actually still there.

"It's okay!" Flash called as he walked down the hall, acting very frantically as he wanted to get out of there. "I still got him. He just cast a minor chameleon spell on himself. I'm sure it's just a magical surge from his nerves, like any other child, nothing to worry about." He assured as he quickly walked out the room.

The moment Flash was out the doors, he started hyperventilating.

"Blimey that was scary!!!" Flash declared, as overdramatically as possible, for Harry's benefit... "Sorry to just drag you along like that, but this is BIG!!! Imagine, humans with magic! I wonder if there are more of you."

Harry looked down at his see through hands. They glitched out and turned visible again... the fire on his desk... that one time he turned his teacher's hair blue... disappearing and then reappearing on a roof top... magic... was real... more so, if magic was real, and based on his relatives reaction to whenever something strange happened around him... they knew... the Dursley's knew Harry was magic... it's what made him a freak... it's what Uncle Vernon was attempting to "Stomp out" of him... magic was the reason his relatives could never love him... because he really was a freak...

"Where are we?" Harry dared ask. "Your space ship?"

Horse Flash snorted, "We aren't aliens. We evolved on this planet. Hummmm, how to explain?" he asked himself before inspiration clicking in his eyes, "You know all those stories of an island nation with advanced technology and magics? It sunk to the bottom of the ocean a few thousand years ago."

Harry's eyes bugged out of his head, "Atlantis..." he whispered.

"The continent is Atlantis, but your currently in the country of Equestria, in the City State of the Crystal Empire" Flash explained, "I would like to welcome you-" Flash walked over to a window and set his front hooves on the window seal, so the child could get a better look.

Outside... was the ocean. No, it was miles and miles, maybe thousands of miles, of land. However, just over their heads, miles into the sky... were fish. There was some kind of dome with swarms of fish swimming just outside of it.

"To the magical world." Flash grinned, finishing his sentence... if Harry wasn't so stunned he would tell the horse he waited too long to say that, as Harry had forgotten how that sentence started and had to think about it a moment.

Clearly dramatic pauses weren't the horse's specialty.

###

Lyra Heartstrings stood tall as she worked on healing the boy's scars. Her Anthro form seemed of particular interest to the boy as he wouldn't stop staring. She liked this form best as she had access to both hands and her horn. So her magic was more powerful and she had use of her fingers for more complex task. Sure her spells weren't as effective as if she was in pony form, but she liked having hands.

The 8 and a half year old boy was a bright red from humiliation. What boy would be okay with being naked on a table in front of a girl... even if she was a weird cross between a human and a horse, or the fact he was laying on his belly... also he still wasn't totally convinced she wouldn't probe him. Lyra said she needed to see the scars in order to treat them. Her horn glowed, as did the boy, while the scars slowly vanished from his back and (embarrassingly) his bum.

Lyra had been a licenced Anthropologist for nearly a decade. So she knew quite a bit about human anatomy when compared to ponies. This wasn't even the first time she had treated an injured human, as she had come across a few on her trips to the surface. Although right now she didn't need to worry about erasing his memory afterwards.

She loved humans. Yes they were a tad on the violent side but every civilization makes mistakes when they start out. Before the ponies came to Atlantis, they were all warring against each other.

Humans though, their was something special about them. They were brilliant inventors, and that was strictly because of their ambitious nature and short lifespans. Even when they were being lazy they came up with ideas no pony had thought of before... they were amazing...

Lyra was... a tad obsessed with their varying cultures and romanticized history. They were just so passionate about everything! She particularly liked their toys and would collect things like Barbie dolls.

Doctor Whooves, her husband, actually came up with some brilliant magical inventions based on the things she brought home from the human world. Her other herdmates even got a good bit of use out of the devices.

Lyra had been studying humans since before her official apprenticeship. Where she was trained in how to safely navigate the human world... the runes helped but they were only so effective.

All Anthropologist had to use special runes to make it so non magicals didn't notice their oddities. Well it was more like they didn't register little things: like their hair, skin colors, and unusual names. Any bigger differences (like walking around as a talking pony or Anthro) would be too much for the human mind to overlook. All Anthropologist had to wear the rune on a ring and were the only ones authorized to make trips to the surface to study how humans were developing...

Lyra's eyes wandered to Flash, as the young Pegasus looked with concern at the little boy. What the colt was even doing in the royal library (where the mirror portal was stored) was a wonder. Not to mention the portal had to be manually activated, for security reasons. The cadet had some questions to answer. Though she couldn't imagine he would get any more then a flogging for playing with the portal, given his profession and age. Still, she would have to have words with him all the same. The surface world was dangerous for the untrained.

Lyra finished treating his scars on the boy's back and (embarrassingly) his bum. Flash had looked with wide eyes at the scars, as he clearly hadn't known about them.

After the boy got all his scars removed she allowed him to pull his undies back up. Once he was seated more comfortably on the exam table, Lyra got to work scanning and untangling the spells on the child.

"Tangle" was definitely the right word. The spells just were piled untop of each other. Her scans could decipher what they were supposed to do, and how they were crafted, but most of them weren't designed to cooperate with each other. It was like half the spells were created by a completely different individual!

It wouldn't be so bad if they were cast by a competent (if perhaps overly paranoid) parent, but these spells were so primitive and inaccurate they wouldn't actually work, even went so far as to lessen the well crafted magics.

There were several different types of monitoring spells on the boy, and while they worked with each other, the caster clearly had no idea how to get them to work with the magics that actually protected the child!

Lyra assumed they were there for a reason, but they were so uncooperative with the protection spells they didn't even work. After a few attempts of untangling the spells, so they would better cooperate with each, she just thought "Buck it" and dispelled the monitoring charms. Whoever placed them would likely come looking, and Lyra hoped they would! She had some choice words for them!

When she went to dispell them... she realized these were far more complex then any pony could cast. They were far more imaginative in design then they had any right to be for some creature so limited in their understanding of magic... yet the sheer power in them was quite impressive... it worried her...

However, after a bit of concentration she was able to break the spells. If it wasn't for the fact she knew more about magic then the caster she doubted she would have been able to.

It was that rune on the boy's head that appeared to really trip up the other caster's spells. The lightning bolt was no mere scar but some truly impressive magicks. From what Lyra could understand from her scan of it, the rune actually bent the cosmic law of luck. It was so powerful, near impossible things would happen to keep the boy safe in life and death situations.

The rune was one of the most powerful she had ever seen! The universe itself would bend around this boy to help him meet any goal and keep him safe. It made him bucking Domino from X-Force is what it did!!!

So HA! Take that Bon Bon! Reading human comic books actually did give her a better understanding of magic... or at least, showed her the creative nature of humans to understand how they would try to develop their magicks.

This Rune was never even fathomed by pony kind! Lyra always did say humans were more imaginative then most creatures, and their ambitious nature (which made most creatures mistrustful of them) actually helped them bring the things they imagined to life through their inventions... few ponies were so creative and inventive. Lyra only knew of one pony so brilliant at invention, and the humans entire race was like that.

Shaking her head, Lyra got her mind back on track.

Unfortunately all the other spells on the child had actually lessened the power of the rune. Now that the monitoring spells were gone, it was back to full power.

Whoever made this rune, and the other competent spells, was clearly a fan of dark magic. There was the Luck Rune, some kind of brilliantly crafted blood protection spell (Which kept the whole family safe so long as they spent a moon together out of the year), and traces of a couple full magical transfers.

That last one gave the boy large magic reserves, he might as well have a cutie mark in magic! Who was used to transfered their magic too the child was a mystery, but that was definitely some dark stuff. However, seeing what fueled the spell, it was likely they made the sacrifice willingly.

Why would anypony go so far to protect a child unless there really was something actively hunting him? Or where magical humans just so paranoid about non magicals they used these spells as common place?... worse yet... were they actually in danger from the non magicals? It would explain why Lyra never found any other magical humans on her trips to the surface. From Lyra's understanding humans were very violent to all things magical. Particularly Dark Magic.

Dark Magic wasn't necessarily evil, in fact in many cases it was benevolent like what was on the child. Dark Magic just meant it was based on powerful emotions. Where Light Magic was fueled by a disconnect from emotions, by pure unfeeling logic. Both could be used for evil purposes but magic, in itself, was never evil.

This Rune, for example, was purely fuelled by the most benevolent dark magic, love.

This is also why those Monitoring Spells had to go. The dark magic of the protections contradict the light magic in the monitoring spells and gave false readings of happiness and safety. Whoever set up these spells didn't know the first thing about how to get the two types of magic to cooperate.

At least it meant whoever set them up was merely incompetent and not malicious... although there appeared to be one more light based spell... one that was most certainly malicious. It made it so no creature could remove the boy from his current guardians care, not even the Guardians themselves.

That is when the scars and sickly nature of the boy suddenly made sense. If the guardians didn't want him, if he was forced on them due to only a vague understanding of how blood protection worked... Celestia... the boy's own relatives likely inflicted all those wounds... maybe even his parents themselves... they would be magically compelled to since they couldn't just give the boy to a more loving home. Even if they didn't want the boy on a subconscious level, the improperly mixed spells would cause them to fully reject the child while not being able to send him away.

That spell, in particular, had been hard to break. The sheer power put into it. Lyra might not be as powerful as a unicorn with a Cutie Mark in magic, but she had the training to give her impressive skills and knowledge.

Lyra had graduated in the top 10% from Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. When you are already considered "gifted" with magical talent and you graduate in the top ten percent... well needless to say the sheer power in the spell near frightened her when compared to her own skills.

That kind of power, in the hands of a creature that didn't even have a basic magical education... it had some worrying implications.

Still Lyra was able to sever the spell. Though it left her rather drained and she had to have a unicorn come in to help her finish the Examination.

Vinyl, one of Lyra's herdmates, smiled at the human and used some hoof gestures at him.

Seeing the weird face on the colt, Lyra translated, "She asked what music you like."

Harry scrunched up his nose.

"She's mute," Lyra explained. "She can only communicate through gestures and expressions."

Understanding clicked in the boy's eyes and he started telling her about all his favorite music. He appeared to like Techno and Euro Dance the best, not uncommon for children growing up in England right now. Although Lyra got the impression, from the way he talked about it, that the boy liked it because he was supposed to like it. Oh well, he was sure to begin developing his own opinions soon enough. He was at the right age for that.

Vinyl's horn lit up as she continued to make hoof gestures while Lyra translated. It suddenly became obvious she was merely trying to keep the boy calm and chatty, that way he didn't notice what she was doing.

Vinyl had discovered some kind of magical leech spirit curled up in the boy's magical pathways. It appeared to be a new species but they weren't too concerned about that right now. Removing it had been easy enough, a tad on the tricky side when compared to other magical parasites but not too hard. Then they stored the spirit into a magical incubator.

They didn't want to hurt the thing, after all. Magical leeches were creatures to. Once it was strong enough to survive without a host she could have it move to Tartarus where it couldn't hurt anypony while living it's life in a peaceful habitat with other leech spirits.

All in all, the colt had a hard life. The very fact he was so undercared for that a leech spirit could attach itself to the boy, for what was obviously years, was extremely disturbing.

Vinyl was complaining to her that a magical parasite could have been discovered by any basic physical.

Lyra actually had to remind her, in hoof language as to not scare or offend the child, that humans don't have as advanced scans as ponies... Then telling her about all the conflicting spells she found on the boy so it was likely magical humans were just barely starting to understand magic. So they likely didn't know these spells either.

If Humans were evolving into magic, to the point they had functional tribes, it was likely the ponies own fault if they were so deep in hiding the magicals couldn't find them.

Ponies had only really even allowed Anthropologist to go to the surface within the last few decades (due to humans polluting their oceans and Ponies needing to study the issue to detect if they were at risk and how to counteract it). They learned the witch hunts continued even without magical creatures. Most Anthropologists believed humans were just naturally paranoid and that they were looking to blame their issues on supernatural forces instead of bad luck. Lyra had a different theory.

Lyra had long since speculated about the possibility of magical humans on the surface. She had been studying humans since she could crawl and it was plainly written in their history that their ancestors still had interactions with magical creatures after Atlantis hid away at the bottom of the ocean.

Lyra had even gone to countries where Witch hunts were still happening, though she had yet to have come across one and see if the human really was magical... and she stopped doing that because her herd mates were worrying about her too much.

The humans of Japan supposedly live in harmony with magical creatures, but Lyra couldn't get funding for an expedition that far from the portal.

No, Lyra was a laughing stock for her "outlandish" theories about the existence of magical humans... but this child proved she was right. The spells on him even proved their were multiple family lines of them, given the nature of the spells... this poor abused creature was her proof... and she wished he wasn't if it meant he didn't have to go through his hard life.

The various spells on the foal proved there had to be other magical humans to cast the spells. They were far to complex in nature to be created by accidental magic... so the boy wasn't a fluke... there were more of them... hiding somewhere on the surface.

Did all magicals treat their children so? Surely they approve of it for them to even CREATE spells like the ones she found on the boy.

At least he was doing much better in recent years. Although he appeared to still get the occasional beating.

Flash got their attention, after the mares went back and forth between themselves for a while. Flash did a few hoof signs, which didn't particularly surprised Lyra.

Hoof Signing was taught in most schools as a popular elective. Ponies don't typically have to learn foreign languages, at least to speak it. Ponies inert magic let them instinctively understand everything spoken to them (even as babies before they could actually talk themselves).

Although they still had to learn how to read and write the traditional way, and ponies education in Primary School included learning how to write every word in every known language. Hoof Signing and Sheet Music were particularly popular electives because they weren't just learning how to write the same word a thousand different ways. They were complex and so different, ponies loved learning them.

So it wasn't that surprising that a barely grown colt, still fresh out of school, would remember a popular elective.

Flash revealed, in hoof sign, that the boy had been a student at the reform school because apparently he was a pyro. Flash speculated that could just be flare ups of magic and wanted the experts to test to see if the boy had a fire affinity. That would result in the boys flare ups coming out as fire every so often. Apparently, Flash thought humans might be natural elementals of a sort. It wasn't the most outlandish theory about magical humans.

Lyra and her herdmate tested the boy's affinity and found he was more inclined to fire magic, but it wasn't enough to really come out in his flare ups. what's this... two affinities? He had a strong Wind affinity as well but it was unheard of for magical creatures to possess more then one affinity.

The boy didn't even have a magical focus to cast spells at all. Then Flash told them, in hoof, that the boy did cast a chameleon spell on himself. That implied he had a natural focus... but testing the boy for one revealed he clearly didn't... at least... not a traditional one.

On closer inspection the unicorns realized what the boy had in place of a focus. He had an extra magical core. All magical creatures had three major organs that produced magic. The Brain, which generated light magic, the heart which channeled emotion based magic, and the Stomach, which channelled their Elemental Affinity... but this boy... had an extra core which generated pure unrestrained magic.

The organ wasn't physically there, but rather a cluster of his magical pathways... it was made of pure energy... untamed and wild.

The boy would need a focus to better train his magic, or else it would continue to be wild and dangerous. Unfortunately, focus Crystals were rather expensive. While it was common to find Crystals that could be used to generate power, even Crystals to enchant armor... finding one that could withstand magic being actively powered into it, on a regular basis, was difficult.

Of course, given the circumstances, Lyra believed she could convince Celestia to acquire one for the boy. She was a rather understanding and compassionate leader.

After fixing the boy up, and giving him a basic physical on top of it. Flash took him for a tour of the Castle.

Lyra was bouncing up and down the moment she was in private with her herdmate.

Lyra awed, "I knew it... I KNEW IT!!!" She cheered, "Through studying magical humans we can finally unlock the Mysteries of the Origins of magic!!! It's possible this is how all our ancestors developed when magic first started to manifest! Possibly how all creatures began until their bodies adapted to their magics and it started coming out in specific ways in the species. If we can find a large enough pack of magical humans, we could learn so much by studying them! EVERYTHING I HYPOTHESIZED WAS RIGHT!!!"

Vinyl clapped her hooves, smiling at her herdmate. Octavia was going to be particularly thrilled about Lyra's studies being proven right... especially since Octavia was rather obsessed with high society and was rather embarrassed by the nobles comments about their herdmate's theories.

Lyra eagerly went to Celestia to tell her all about her discoveries.

###

Albus straightened as he felt it, all of his monitoring charms on young Harry severing at once. The old wizard immediately feared the worst. Could the boy really be dead? He jumped out of his chair and nearly Apparated, but he managed to remember the anti apparation charms around Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. That could have been... messy.

The old man was in near a panic as he rushed to his fireplace and threw the floo powder inside. He yelled the first location he could think of "The Burrow".

Molly Weasley gaped as Albus suddenly came barging through her floo. Before she could question the rudeness of his entrance he Apparated away.

Vanishing on the spot, Albus almost immediately appeared in the Dursley's living room... he heard... crying...

A walrus of a man was trying to calm a far too skinny woman and far too plump child.

Albus frantically looked around as he asked, "Where's Harry?"

The family suddenly took notice of him, "YOU!!!" Vernon Dursley left his family's side and stormed towards the old man, "What have you done to my family you FREAK!?"

Albus merely raised an eyebrow, not at all intimidated. "What happened?"

Vernon was starting to turn purple with anger, "I'm bloody well tell you what happened! One moment we were watching telly and the next, THIS HAPPENED! They just started crying for no reason! Then, not a moment later, YOU SHOW UP!!! THAT'S A HELL OF A COINCIDENCE, FREAK!!!"

Albus raised his wand, and Vernon immediately stopped talking. His purple face almost instantly turned to white. It took Albus a moment to figure out why. The man was scared he was going to attack him. Really now? Out of all the ridiculous ideas. As if Albus never dealed with an angry / confused parent before.

"It's just a diagnostic spell." Albus informed as he waved his wand... and the old wizard became sick.

Petunia's and her child's minds were resynchronizing themselves after being corrupted by magic for so long. It took Albus a few more wand waves to find the source... it was his own fault... Albus' spell to keep her on as the boy's guardian conflicted with her own desires to not have to deal with him... that could mean...

"Look, at me Petunia." Albus didn't really ask. The moment their eyes locked he looked into her mind... and became so horribly repulsed.

His spells... had backfired in an incomprehendible way.

She and her husband had brutalized the child because they couldn't be rid of him. Why hadn't his spells alerted him this was going on?

Looking at Vernon, the man's face was turning purple again. The Spell shouldn't have affected him. The guardianship spell was centered solely on Petunia.

Why didn't he stop it?

Looking into his mind... Albus threw the muggle into the wall.

"Petunia didn't have a choice," Albus observed, holding up his wand and gripping the handle tightly, "You did..." the very notion sickened him.

"Daddy!" the cry reminded Dumbledore there was a child present.

Albus dropped the man.

"Get out!" Petunia got up from the couch.

At first Albus thought she was talking to him, but no, she was glaring daggers at Vernon.

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE YOU BLOODY WALRUS!!!"

Vernon's eyes widened, before glaring at Dumbledore, "What have you done to my wife, you miserable freak!?"

Petunia took charge, "What he made me do was bewitch me to stay by a repulsive man like you!"

Albus blinked... he supposed his spell could have kept the Dursley's together. After all the spell was supposed to keep Harry under the same guardianship. As the spell being centered around Petunia, she couldn't leave Harry or Vernon.

Vernon was turning purple again, so Albus raised his wand, "I suggest you leave. Wizards aren't as forgiving to child abusers as muggles. The only punishment we have for it is death."

Vernon's eyes widened, "You bloody freaks! You dare threaten me in my own home! After you forced that disgusting little monster on us!"

"Where. Is. Harry?" Albus growled out.

###

Madame Bones, head of the Aurors (the wizarding police) appeared at the school for troubled muggles. She decided to come personally given the circumstances. She was always present at a missing child case but this... just who the child was might very well start a war between the muggle and magical worlds.

Sunset felt a surge of magic enter the school. At first she thought Harry was back, but the magic wasn't coming from the portal.

She traced the source and found 7 humans walking around in Halloween robes. They were waving around some sticks in their hands and casting spells through them. They had advanced "Notice-Me-Not" charms on them, that of course didn't work on a being as powerful as herself.

Sunset made sure to turn invisible so they wouldn't see her, as she followed them through the school. This could gravely interfere with her plans. The fact Harry had stumbled through the portal already complicated things but MORE magical humans? They were undoubtedly looking for the child Flash took. Did this mean Harry knew more about magic then he was letting on?

Regardless the last thing she needed was for a pack of magicals to be blundering about before she was ready... and they were getting closer to the portal. She couldn't allow this. If the magical humans made contact with the creatures of Atlantis it would surely prevent her plans from flourishing.

Sunset's forehead glowed a blueish green as she focused on the humans. They suddenly stopped, their eyes glazing over. Tartarus these mages had an impressive will. They were even fighting against her with their magic

Most ponies were rather weak when it came to magic. They could do a few simple spells but lacked the power or knowledge to put up much of a fight against her.

Ponies nearly always excelled at one thing and one thing only (typically directly related to their cutie mark.) However, these creatures were just as powerful as unicorns with a cutie mark in magic. She could feel the versatility and power. Yet, they were nothing when compared to herself. Sunset might not be as powerful as an Alicorn, but she was easily the greatest mage since Starswirl.

It took her only a moment to break through their defenses.

Once she was in, she began rewiring their minds with a simple lie they now believe was true... Harry Potter... was dead.

###

Gaara... didn't know what to do... they hadn't seen Harry since classes ended. It was just past curfew and soon it would be lights out, but there was still no sign of Harry.

He and his other roommates were laying in their beds, reading text books and writing out essays. They should be doing their homework at their desk but it was more comfortable on beds.

Kiba paused in his work to send a glare at the door, "That brat better get here soon! If the staff see he isn't here, and we didn't tell them, they are going to slaughter all our hides!"

"You don't think Harry ran away do you?" Gaara asked, in his usual monotone, yet there was a hint of worry to it.

Naruto poked his head down at him from his place on the top bunk. Harry was supposed to have the top bunk above Kiba... but that was currently empty... Gaara didn't like heights. They reminded him of... things...

"Of course not!" Naruto insisted, "That weirdo Harry actually likes it here! Why would he run away?" ignoring the fact that with the fences, and officers patrolling the grounds, it be near impossible to sneak off the premises.

Now Kiba was biting his lip, "He... he was pretty scared about that shrink coming to talk to him."

Gaara raised an eyebrow. He spoke, in that same uninterested tone with just an edge of emotion, "When one of those guys diagnosed me with Conduct Disorder, nothing bad happened. They just started sending people to talk to me regularly and I had to start attending those group therapy sessions."

Kiba snorted, "Even if Harry really is a pyro, it's not like he goes around stabbing anyone who slightly irritates him, like you do."

Gaara had a very calm, dispassionate personality... yet somehow he had a very explosive temper. It was hard for him to care about things yet he was very quick to acts of violence... anger was one of the few emotions he could feel with passion, and as such it was very intoxicating.

He could still feel... it was just lesser then what other people felt. His emotions were very dull, almost numb, just a small twinge when compared to how he understood other people felt. Empathy, in particular, was something he really struggled with.

Gaara did care about his friends but he tended to think of them as "his"... he was kinda possessive and had difficulty understanding they had their own emotions and opinions. He understood it, intellectually, but it was hard to care about that... he tried his best to make himself care about their feelings but he forgot to sometimes.

Conduct Disorder was what children went through before they become full blown sociopaths, and the school was putting a lot of effort into helping Gaara so he didn't develop into a serial killer or something.

They kept telling him how lucky he was that this disorder was discovered while he was young, when it could still be treated, maybe even have some of the damage done to his psyche reversed. His brain was still developing and adapting so the best case scenario is that they could help him feel again and come to understand social norms more easily.

He would always have trouble relating to others but a lot of the damage his Uncle did to him could be healed. Even though he would always be damaged goods, that didn't mean he couldn't have meaningful relationships or learn to function in society. Yes, he would have a much harder time of it, but he could still have a full and meaningful life... that's what he was getting from these sessions anyway.

There was a difference between a rebellious kid (like Kiba) and a legitimate mental disorder like "Conduct Disorder"... where Kiba could be cured with a spanking. Okays it was more like "Regular discipline combined with a nurturing environment". Gaara actually need that, plus talks with highly trained doctors... and medication to help dull his poor impulse control.

"Doesn't matter!" Naruto insisted, bringing Gaara back to the matter at hand. "Harry would NEVER leave without telling us!"

Gaara tilted his head to the side.

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Your supposed to at least say BYE to your friends when you run away. Is just polite."

Gaara nodded, another social nicety he didn't understand, but he would trust Naruto on this.

"If Harry REALLY ran away." Naruto speculated, "He would have told us. Then we would have done this big song and dance about not letting him leave without us. Then we ALL would have run away with him! Is basic friend code!" Naruto educated the sociopath in training.

Kiba snorted, "Then we would all come crawling back here as soon as our tummies rumbled and recieve the worst spanking of our lives."

Naruto scoffed, "I'll have you know, I made it a whole month on my own when I ran away from the orphanage... before the constables caught me." he reluctantly added.

Kiba rolled his eyes, clearly not believing him.

"Is true!" Naruto loudly proclaimed.

"Hum... Harry?" Gaara tried to get his friends to focus.

Naruto scoffed, "I'm sure he's fine. If he actually had any plans to run away, he would have told us. He's probably just serving a detention or something."

"That's a long ass Detention." Kiba commented.

Naruto scuffed, "Well where do YOU think he is."

"I think he ran away and didn't tell us because he has more trust issues then cats around Gaara." Kiba insisted.

Gaara scrunched up his nose, "I would never hurt a kitty."

"Oh yeah!" Naruto laughed, "Stabbing teachers with pencils is fair game. But harming something so cute and fluffy. Even Gaara understands that's a no-no."

Gaara nodded adamantly.

Kiba rolled his eyes , "It was just a lame 'your going to grow up to be a serial killer' joke." he told Gaara, "But if you want, you can go ahead and skip the 'animal mutilation' and go straight to people."

Gaara pretended to look thoughtful, just to mess with his friends. Thankfully, Naruto got the joke.

"Damnit Kiba!" Naruto laughed, sitting up on his bed and holding his sore sides from the laughter, "You shouldn't tell Gaara things like 'being a serial killer is a viable career path'! He might think your serious!"

Kiba sighed, looking at Gaara, "Killing people is bad, don't do that."

Gaara rolled his eyes, "I know that much." he just had a temper on him but it's not like he would actually go around killing people, and definitely not cats!... he liked cats... "But back to Harry?"

"We should probably cover for him." Kiba shrugged, as he got up and grabbed a pillow from each of their beds (they still had a couple more each). Before folding them under Harry's blanket's in a way that made it look like a boy was sleeping there. "This way he can at least get a full night's distance from here."

"He didn't run away," Naruto rolled his eyes as Kiba ruined his chuckles with his outlandish theory.

Gaara really wasn't sure who was right, but they both appeared to believe Harry wasn't in any actual danger at least.

###

● 3 Moons Earlier

Flash felt like crying. He had been caught messing with the portal, and gotten a very harsh caning as a result, but that was days ago so it wasn't what was bothering him now-- no-- they were moving the mirror portal. He wouldn't have access to the surface anymore... he wouldn't see Sunset...

He tried to act casual as he handed in his transfer request to Shining... The Captain's reaction was to bring him before Celestia. He knew they must be wondering why he was so obsessed with the portal... but he couldn't tell them. That he was sneaking off to see his special somepony was hardly a good reason for risking their world's exposure. There was a reason all magical life went into hiding...

Celestia looked at him a moment. Then turned her eyes to Shining. A strange seriousness to her. The usual playful mare had never looked so serious to the young cadet's eyes.

"Before you are transferred you must be made aware of the laws in the Crystal Empire." Celestia informed, looking back to him.

Flash blinked, was that all they wanted? To make sure he fully understood the implications.

Celestia continued, "The Crystal Empire has been missing for a thousand years. That means they are a thousand years out of touch with modern laws. Stallions are still very much treated, no that's not the word, they ARE second class citizens... that means there are many things you currently enjoy, and even take for granted, that could earn you a flogging for attempting to do over there. You will be constantly talked down to and not only treated but thought of as property. As far as the Crystal ponies are concerned you serve at the pleasure of their Princess, in ALL things."

Flash blushed, he was aware that the guard was still used as a Heram by the Crystal ponies... but honestly he doubted Cadence would ever make him do anything. Celestia was probably just trying to scare him.

"Don't get any notion that you would even have the option to refuse Princess Cadence, or believe that she wouldn't order such of you. By transferring to the Crystal Empire you are volunteering for her harem. She would be considered neglectful by the mares of her City State if she didn't 'tend to your needs'. To do so would result in the Crystal ponies losing respect for her as the caring Princess she presents herself as."

Flash blushed, part of him wondering, and worrying, how she knew what he was thinking. It was probably just a coincidence... still it was embarrassing to think about... he and Sunset hadn't even done more then kiss yet! Flash hadn't even let her get to second base yet! But he was supposed to let a stranger deflower him?

Shining was standing tall and looking stern, not arguing about his wife sleeping with ponies outside of the herd... well guess a Harem was kinda like a herd... it just involved a bunch of Stallions instead of a bunch of mares...

When Shining turned his eye at him, without moving his head, Flash snapped back at attention.

Once the colt was looking at her again, Celestia continued. "You will not be allowed to leave the castle without an escort. To the Crystal ponies you are a fragile creature that needs to be sheltered 'for your own good', and any notion that you are anything less then grateful will result in a foalish beating."

Flash's ears pinned.

"You are not an equal to the Crystal ponies, so you should not expect to be allowed to vote, nor even voice your opinion on any matters."

Flash hung his head.

"Whatever you are hoping to find in the Crystal Empire... would it be worth it?"

Flash looked up, and answered, without hesitation, "Yes," that indeed sounded like Tartarus but there was no question in his mind... it be worth it...

After he agreed, Celestia sent him to pack.

Once the colt was gone from sight, Shining looked at Celestia, "I thought you were trying to scare him. Why did you accept his transfer?"

Celestia sighed, "I was trying to stress the full implications of what he was asking for."

Shining stared at her in disbelief, "The whole point of moving the mirror to the Crystal Empire was so that THAT colt couldn't play with it anymore."

"He's not playing. I looked into his mind to see why he was so determined... Sunset is waiting for him on the other side... and he is trying to convince her to come back..."

Shining tilted his head, "Sunset?"

"Yes, that was a good few years before you were made Captain," Celestia remembered. "Sunset was my former apprentice before Twilight... I saw such raw power in her... and such ambition... I tried to sway her, even focusing her lessons more on ethics then magic, but that just resulted in her becoming resentful of me... originally... I had wanted her to achieve what Twilight later had. I wanted her to be my heir...

"I realize this may be selfish of me... but I failed that filly in so many ways, discouraging the darkness when I should have been focusing on nurturing the light. She decided to live down to my expectations, stole books on every dangerous magic I forbade her... then ran away to the surface... but it seems she is still reaching out to her colt friend... and he has been trying to convince her to come back... Like I said, selfish, but I want to see if he can do it."

Shining sighed, "I can understand you care for this fillie, but why not just force her back? Surely-"

"That's just it... I doubt we could. She has managed to stay hidden from my Anthropologist for near half a decade, despite apparently never going too far from the portal and even going back and forth between our worlds... besides, even if we did find her... she has grown too powerful...

"I know I don't look it Shining... but I'm old... Alicorns may get taller and more beautiful as we age... but we are still mortal. I have lived for over 2000 years... and I sense my time is coming. Is the exact reason I needed an heir... and why I acted so hastily with Sunset... I am old... and weak... The changeling Invasion proved that... I wouldn't be a match for Sunset anymore, not if her power progressed as I thought it would...

"I will not risk Twilight now that she has ascended into an Alicorn herself. She is still growing into her power, the same can be said of Cadence. Luna may be able to take her back by force. After all, she was in stasis all those centuries, so she is still at the peek of her power... but honestly the LAST thing I want is for my little sister to become aware of yet another of my failures... My ego is fragile enough."

Shining sighed, "Your highness... is it really the best option to let an untrained colt run around the human world?"

"No... which is why you are going to give him that training. Move him to the Anthropologist division of the Guard. Tell him if he is really so fascinated by humans he can learn how to properly interact with their world... then pretend not to notice when he sneaks through the portal. Keep your eyes on him but give him room... if he can succeed and convince Sunset to rejoin our world willingly..." she trailed off, as if she couldn't see how that would have any effect on their world other then making herself happy.

Shining sighed, before asking, "If the point was to have an Alicorn to one day take your throne... why not just train Cadence? Why take on Twilight? or even this Sunset before her."

Celestia eyed him a moment, wondering how much to tell him, "This does not leave the room. You will not even tell your wife... Do you still want to know?"

Shining bit his lip, then spoke up, "I am the Captain of the Guard. I need to know."

"Cadence ascended into an Alicorn on her own. Yet unlike the previous Alicorn Dynasty, she remained kind and pure. The power did not corrupt her... Seeing that I gained a new sense of hope. While I originally planned to just train her for my throne it became more and more clear she didn't want nor had the drive to make the big decisions. To hold lives of millions in her hooves with her every choice. She is too pure and wouldn't be able to handle that... at least... not alone...

"So I started looking for other exceptional foals that I could train to cooperate with each other. Believing if I trained them all myself, from a young age, they would grow up to have a greater moral compass then the Alicorns of old. While still being greatly respected by ponies for their power. I have not found many but I have found some. They are not yet ready to be made public, nor have most even ascended yet, but I am training them all to learn the art of politics with compassion."

"Your trying to set up a new Alicorn Dynasty?" Shining shuddered.

Celestia smiled, "Not quite, My sister and I helped fight against their tyranny, so we understand the need for safe guards. The current Government will still stand and act as a buffer to keep the Alicorns in check. The Alicorns will have some political power in the city states they protect but that will be their major purpose, protection.

"They will not have absolute power, as the nobles in their city state will be able to veto them as they can the city's Mayor. Then an Alicorn will not be permitted to serve on the Senate, where the Mayor of each city state meet once a moon to vote on national laws and set the budgets. The Senate will continue to keep Twilight in check, just as they do for me, voting on any law she attempts to pass through their opinion of what is in the best interests of Equestria. Well she to, will have the right to veto their bills. Then the Mayors will act as advisors to their own Princess well handling the daily operations of their city state. It will be a system with checks and balances to insure a safer Equestria."

"The Alicorns will mostly be spiritual leaders and champions to better protect the ponies... Once they are ascended and settled into their positions, I will retire and leave Equestria in their hooves. If all goes according to plan that should be within 10 years... Cadence actually knows all the Ponies I'm currently training. She was their foalsitter after all, to teach her responsibility and help guide them to unlock their destinies without realizing it."

Shining tilted his head, "But Cadence was Twilight's foalsitter for years before she became your apprentice."

Celestia smiled, "Alicorns have visions of the future. Vague though they may be, they are accurate enough for me to determine who had the power needed to become Alicorns. While I debated who would be who, I had Cadence watch them. Both to teach her patience and influence them with her strong moral compass. Not all the foals she looked after could actually be able to reach their potential, but I tried nurturing them all when the time was right. Cadence was vital in that. I'm glad she proved she is finally ready to take over her own City State."

Shining squirmed and Celestia picked right up on that. "You are not?" She asked, probing like a nosy mother.

"I am... just wish we could have settled in someplace not so... Traditional. Cadence has to work hard to keep both the Mayor and Governesses happy." The head of each noble family is called a "Governess" or "Governor". However they are usually a mare throughout most of Equestria, and exclusively mares in the Crystal Empire.

Shining sighed, "Honestly, that system you set up to 'keep Alicorns in check' makes it hard to pass any laws to give Stallions more rights, as the nobles keep vetoing her bills."

Celestia shrugged helplessly, "Democracy in action. This system may be harder to get anything done but it will result in fewer riots and gender wars then when I first attempted to force the issue, several centuries ago... hopefully Cadence doesn't try to use her power of emergency to pass a bill the Crystal Ponies aren't ready for. Social change is a dangerous process and the last thing any of us want is Stallions and Mares killing each other in the streets... Thankfully Cadence has more patience then myself at her age and seems to be keeping the peace well encouraging change. I heard she even got a bill passed against Stallions being married off against their will."

Shining shrugged, "It still doesn't prevent 'family duty' being used to pressure the Stallion. It's more of a baby step, but she was able to slip in that the Stallion could choose their own wife, even if the family doesn't approve."

Celestia smiled proudly, "More then I ever did, my first year on the throne."

"It helped that Cadence gave her guards permission to find lovers outside the harem. That made quite a few mares happy, although not exactly considered proper behavior, even the nobles are grateful their are some many potential baby factories now for any pony's use... the castle is more like a brothel with the frequency of the guards mare friends stopping by to visit." Shining blushed.

Celestia chuckled, "Cadence never was one to deny love."

Shining sighed, "You should have seen how the nobles acted when she performed her first Stallion to Stallion marriage. That nearly did cause riots... then she made that 'Stallion District' for them to interact with each other unsupervised by mares. Seeing how many gay Stallions moved in their permanently, and Cadence let them set up their own shops and recreation areas in there... well with how much Crystal ponies look down on working Stallions and consider gay Stallions as 'selfish deviants'...

"Well the nobles are treating the whole place as if it was a red light district, despite the Stallions mostly using it to just casually hang out and make friends. A few of the store owners set up areas for the sole purpose of discussing hoofball, comic books, O&O, and other Stallion focused entertainment. They really like the idea that they now have things specificlly catered to Stallions taste... It's easy to take that stuff for granted, with how common place it is now, but the Crystal Stallions definitely appreciate all of it.

"Things like O&O and enchanted comic books were originally made for Stallions and colts to have the fun of adventuring in a safe, mare approved, environment. So the Crystal Mares are letting them play, while shaking their heads in amusement... however they aren't too big of fans of the sports their Stallions are beginning to play.

"Many of the Stallions rather like the new sports, made just for them, that have popped up in the last few centuries. Still, the mares don't think Stallions are fit enough to compete in sports. They don't trust all the protection enchantments on the uniforms, as apparently those weren't nearly as reliable in their day.

"Cadence is trying to get the Stallion centered schools to get their own sports teams but that has been hard work. The mares are worried the colts might hurt themselves. I'm sure once we convince them of the safety of how magic has evolved, they will agree to letting Stallions form their own sports teams... ideally they will even let them join in the Stallion nationals. Right now they just play in secret in the Stallion district and their wives punish them if they learn of it... mostly they get punished if they are SUSPECTED of playing those 'dangerous games'."

Shining sighed again, "Cadence set up free taxis for Stallions, specifically meant to get them from their homes to the District... of course the nobles passed laws that say the taxi mare is to make sure the Stallion has finished their chores, beat them like errant foals if they haven't, and that all the shops and clubs in the Stallion district must be closed 1 hour before school gets out for the foals... that way the Stallions are still tending the children and taking care of the house...

"Cadence was going to Veto it, but with how tense things had gotten since the District has opened (especially since all the shops inside are run by the Stallions, with even more Stallions getting part time jobs there) Cadence thought she might be forcing them to move forward too quickly. To avoid a riot she let the Crystal ponies take a step backwards, to let them catch their breath. Thankfully she was able to talk the Nobles out of the Stallions needing permission slips from their wives, or mother, to even let them enter the district. That would have defeated the entire purpose.

"... we... we actually staged an incident where I talked back to Cadence in court, about the restrictions for the Taxi mares... Even if it was planned, her spanking me in front of all the Governesses was embarrassing as all Tartarus, let's not even talk about how much it hurt, but it gave the nobles a new found respect for Cadence, and strangely towards me to...

"A few days later, well we were in private, again Cadence asked if she could start punishing me more often, for real things... you know, cuz it worked so well to get the nobles on her side... I guess I'm lucky I was at least asked as Cadence still considers me her equal but most of the Stallions I have come to know never got that choice... so I kinda felt obligated to agree for their sake..." Shining blushed and squirmed a bit, "I know the Stallions really warmed up to me when they learned I got punished to... they were beginning to think me a bit spoiled and unrelatable. I actually got a lot of friends after that... they all think I'm brave now each time I question Cadence or give her my advice... which she allows so long as it isn't well we are in session... I've gotten it for real for 'speaking out of turn' during her meetings now.

"Anyway, it seems not even the Crystal Stallions approve of how lax Mares outside their empire are. Apparently they are so bucking brainwashed they actually believe all that hay about a Stallion's natural place being 'under the protective guidance of their mares'."

Celestia gave a serious nod, "It will take time to get them more accustom to modern thinking... and they may never fully adapt to our ways, but your helping make things better for their Stallions."

Shining gave a hesitant nod back. Looking back at the door, "I just hope that colt really thought this through."

###

● Present Day

Harry... had a fun day.

He felt tired after exploring the castle with Flash... despite the fact he had been on Flash's back the whole time. Still it felt amazing and awesome and so sad that it was over.

Flash was once again in his human form, as they stepped out into the smoggy night sky of the surface world. Harry couldn't help but notice how the air smelled different up here. Flash ruffled the boy's hair as they began their journey to the dorms.

"Remember, the princess wants you to meet Lyra at the portal, tomorrow." Flash smiled, as they took a few steps away from the statue portal. "You need to report immediately after school. Lyra wants to try to use some spells to trace your family line. We might be able to locate some magical family members. Don't get your hopes up, as we might not find any, but I promise. You will never be going back to the Dursleys." Flash had always known Harry didn't like his relatives, that was practically a given based on all the kids attitude at the school, but he had no idea the boy's homelife was so bad. Flash was always a tad overprotective of the little ones at this school... but now...

Flash suddenly stopped as he heard the sound of a branch break under a hoof.

His guard instincts kicking in, he subtly reached for something in his pocket. Spinning around Flash pulled out a large cross bow from his small pocket and aimed it towards the noice.

There was a scream of "Don't Shoot!!!" and thankfully Flash didn't.

Flash jerked his crossbow at a bush near the fence line, "Come out of there!"

Harry's eyes widened as a small gathering of ponies, that came up to about his waist, slowly came out of the bush.

One was a grey Pegasus colt with a dark grey mane and purple eyes. Another was a pale purple Unicorn filly with a yellow mane and matching eyes. Then an orange Pegasus filly, with wings so small, and a pinkish purple mane. Next was a small and pudgy white Earth Pony colt with patches of brown in his fur, and one over his eye. Finally was another Earth Pony colt, a dark brown with an orange coat.

Flash groaned as he put his crossbow back in his pocket. "What are you lot doing here? Your parents must be worried sick!"

The foals looked down and some of them scuffed their hooves, "We just wanted to see the humans..." Answered the unicorn.

The brown colt tried to explain, "Mama Lyra is always talking about how cool they are and-"

The grey Pegasus kicked him and the brown colt immediately started crying. "Way to go Button!" Snapped the Pegasus colt, "Now he knows who our parents are and he's totally going to tell on us!"

Flash groaned, "I'm not going to tell on you," it be pretty hypocritical if he did, "But you better get back through the portal before-"

The Portal suddenly sprung to life. The foals immediately ducked back into the bush.

Flash sighed at their antics. Then smiled at just who he saw come through.

"I must have just missed you." He smiled and started walking over to Sunset... then stopped when he saw what she was holding. He gulped, "Sunset... what did you do?"

Sunset scoffed, "I seized an opportunity. Thanks for sending the entire Summit into a panic, by the way. After talking all day about what to do with the little miracle child, they crashed into their beds soon after they called the meeting. Made it easy to sneak around and grab this."

She raised the crown, the element of magic itself, the most powerful artifact ever created.

Flash groaned, "Come on Sunny, that's a real nasty prank."

Prank? Sunset blinked, but decided to go along with that. She hadn't wanted Flash involved with her plans, after all. "Oh Relax, I'll return it in a few days. I just want to mess with that foal Twilight." She lied, "She'll think she misplaced her element, and get in huge trouble with Celestia!" Sunset laughed. She was a great actress, if she did say so herself.

Flash shook his head.

Sunset rolled her eyes, "Just let me enjoy this. I know it's petty but that bucking brat was given everything that was supposed to be mine! At least let me enjoy this tiny payback."

Flash sighed. Then he whispered into Harry's ear, in a not at all quiet voice, "Definitely belongs in a troubled youth center."

Sunset huffed while Harry laughed. Though secretly she was glad Flash bought it.

"Don't worry Sunset," Harry assured, "I think it's an awesome prank."

"Thank you Harry," Sunset smiled.

Flash turned his eyes back at the bush, "Go home! and feel free to tell on Sunset."

"We aren't tattletales!!!" screamed the bush.

Sunset blinked at the bushes.

An Orange Pegasus filly galloped out of the bushes and smiled brightly at her, "I can't believe your pranking the Princesses!!! That is so bucking awesome! Just wait until I tell Rainbow Dash! I bet she would get a kick out of this to!"

"Language!" Flash snapped.

Harry tilted his head, having not realized that was an actual curse in Atlantis.

"But you say 'buck' all the time Flash?" Harry gave his best look of pure innocence, while knowing full well he was making Flash squirm.

Which indeed Flash did, he was blushing and squirming at being called out.

Sunset looked over at the bushes as she saw something move behind them, "The rest of you lot better come out. If I have to go in there, I'm tanning all your flanks."

Just as she suspected, a group of children hesitantly stepped out of the bush. They appeared to be about Harry's age. The only thing that really shocked her was too see so many colts in one gathering. Colts were pretty rare in Equestria and by the feel of these foals magic they were all siblings, or at least had the same father. Their Dad must have some pretty impressive genes.

"We'll just be going now." The unicorn blushed as she tried to steer her brothers over to the portal. Worried they might catch it. The colts, being good colts, listened to their sister, and started making their way too the portal.

Sunset couldn't allow this. She was so close but now there was a large group of children who knew she took the crown. One of them was bound to tell Celestia and then all her plans would be for not. The orange filly even said she knew Rainbow Dash, even planned to tell her!!! From what Flash had told Sunset about the current state of politics in Equestria, Rainbow Dash was one of the new Elements of Harmony.

The Purple filly tried to walk through the portal and ended up connecting with the stone of the pedestal the statue was on.

Flash chuckled, "Here," he smiled as he walked over and touched the statue as the filly rubbed her sore muzzle. "There is a trick to it." he suddenly frowned as he tried to pour his magic into the portal to activate it... but nothing happened.

He looked back at Sunset, to ask for her help, when he noticed her forehead was glowing. He rolled his eyes, "That's enough pranking for one day, don't ya think?"

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.

###

● The Next Morning, in The Crystal Empire.

"How could you have misplaced the element of magic!" Celestia scolded as her hoof collided with the Alicorn filly's purple rump, turning it a deep red.

"I'M SORRY!!!" Twilight shrieked. It had been over a year since she found herself in this situation. Then when she had ascended into an Alicorn, she assumed it was no longer an option.

Twilight cried, and kicked all 4 of her pony legs as her flank was repeatedly struck by Celestia's hoof. The young mare's wings and tail were pinned to her back by the other regal hoof. All Twilight could do was cry as she was punished like a filly.

Ponies might be legally adults at 15, but all that meant was they were able to have sex, drink softer liquors (like Cider, beer, and most fruity drinks), move out of their parents, and work at a real job instead of just an apprenticeship. They couldn't actually vote or lick salt, and wouldn't be able to for several more years.

However these were all considered more legal "privileges" then "rights". It was up to Parents / guardians, and legally appointed mentors, to dictate if their charge was mature enough to handle these privileges. With the right to still punish them should their charge act against their wishes. Even most crimes were still punishable by spankings for anypony under 30.

Ponies slowly got more and more privileges that eventually became rights when they turned 30. This way they weren't thrusted into adulthood all at once.

Many parents trust the foal's mentor to look out for the interest of their child after they come of age, at 15. Other foals have mentors appointed for them long before that. With private tutors teaching them their desired trade and magic abilities in addition to school. Usually the mentor is a family member, or a close family friend.

Twilight might be legally an adult, of 16, but because of how adulthood works in Equestria most still saw and treated her as a child... at least until her wings grew in a few moons ago. Now many creatures ignored her age in favor of her title... it might have gone to her head...

Twilight yelped as she got a particularly hard smack.

"Don't start crawling into that head of your's," Celestia scolded, "I want you here, feeling every smack."

"Y-yes Princess!" Twilight cried.

That wasn't fair at all! Celestia usually didn't mind when Twilight started thinking about statistics, scientific theories, or laws. They helped her distract herself from the pain, though she still felt it. It just helped her cope with them better.

"Your highness?"

Twilight's face exploded as she heard a new voice, while Celestia didn't even pause in the beating.

A stuffy looking mare, with glasses and a clip board, just walked into Celestia's private room in the Crystal Castle. The unicorn didn't even bat an eye, seeing Twilight over her mentor's lap, getting a spanking. It's not like she hadn't walked in on this a thousand times before... regardless... it was embarrassing as all Tartarus.

Twilight was a Princess now. She definitely shouldn't still get spanked and under no circumstances should anypony be allowed to know she does.

"Yes Raven?" Celestia still wasn't letting up, but was willing to hear what her unicorn assistant had to say.

Raven never interrupted one of Twilight's punishments unless it was important.

"Lady Rainbow wishes to speak to you. She says it's urgent." Raven announced, "She is with a filly who claims to have seen the element of magic."

Chapter 2: A Relaxing Night, After a Little Theft

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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.

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.

###

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.

Chapter 3: In a Cozy Amount of Trouble

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Celestia had Twilight shamefully face the corner, as Raven let in RD and a small pink filly. The girl was young, yet had already earn her cutie mark of a chess piece.

"Presenting Lady Rainbow Dash." Raven announced, "And Miss Cozy Glow."

RD's ears twitched, and turned to the sobbing Twilight. The rest of her head whipped towards the sound... the sight of which caused her to immediately burst out laughing.

"Golly!" The little filly declared. "Maybe we should come back later, Lady Dash."

Celestia looked down disapprovingly, as Rainbow laughed harder. "If you would like to join her, I'm sure I could open up my schedule."

RD instantly stopped laughing. Her eyes wide, "Y-You can-can't do that!!! Princess or not."

"Oh really," Celestia eyed her.

"Y-yeah!"

"Last I checked, you weren't 30." Celestia commented.

"W-well y-yeah," Being too young was the very reason she couldn't join the Wonderbolts. She could have, if she had finished secondary school (where ponies learn how to control their racial magics)... but it had all seemed so trivial and boring.

Rainbow Dash wanted to do a bunch of awesome stunts, not learn about wing mechanics and the history of Cloudsdale.

So she dropped out... which had been the worst mistake of her life... She hadn't realized a Secondary School education was mandatory, for early entry into any branch of the military... while not the royal guard. As it was a less dangerous branch, Colts could apprentice for it, while in Secondary school. Dashed suppose it made sense, for the more dangerous branches, that they require finishing Secondary school, instead of just attending it. As along with all the boring stuff, they teach foals how to manipulate their racial magics...

Without a diploma from Flight Camp... RD had to wait until she was 25, just to join the reserve Wonderbolts... she needed a job until then, so she went to work on the Weather Team at Ponyville.

Her grandmother had left her a house, in the cloud district, so it just seemed like a sensible place to move... besides... Fluttershy had gotten a job working as the local animal ranger (though for some reason she started adopting out animals that she healed and couldn't release back into the wild). So it made double sense to move to Ponyville.

They were also looking for a new weather pony, at the time. So it was pretty easy to get a job... that she didn't care about in the slightest. From then on, Rainbow was free to do whatever she wanted. The Mayor didn't even complain. Cuz while Dash spent most of the day lazing about, or training for the Wonderbolts, it only took her a few seconds to do the work. 10 seconds at most, to be precise.

It been a long time sense anypony threatened to SPANK her, despite her still being young enough for that.

"B-but you still need permission from my parents, to-to do that." Rainbow Dash insisted, blushing. "You might be a Princess, but it's not like your MY mentor!!!"

Mentors were often employed, by parents that could afford it, to teach their apprentice their trade. That, combined with schooling, looked very good on a resume. You had to be certified, and that required it's own special education. Near 2 years of formal schooling.

The matriarch of Ponykind, looked back at Rainbow Dash, "Do you think I have you write me letters for no reason. Nor why I came down to Ponyville, so often, to go over the nature of Politics and control of the powers the elements grant you."

Rainbow gaped. Was it possible she had a mentor and didn't know about it?

Celestia continued, "After you, and your friends, proved yourselves worthy of the Elements of Harmony, I spoke to your parents."

Dash's ears flattened, knowing it was coming, but not for the life of her understanding how it was possible. Why hadn't she been told! It made sense, NOW, why a Princess would spend so much time with commoners. Rainbow thought she just wanted to make sure the new element bearers knew what they were doing... which, if that was the case, it would make even more sense that Celestia would request to be all the girls mentors.

Celestia was studying Dash closely, seeing her reaction as she explained what should have already been explained to the filly. "I granted you a seat of nobility, and a sizable stipend, before your parents would allow me to train you for so dangerous a field, as champion of Equestria. I then, extended the benefits for you, to the others."

"... Stipend?" Dash tilted her head. A little puzzled Celestia was paying her, for being her apprentice... and wondering where that money was.

Celestia sighed, then cast a disapproving eye at Twilight. "I take it you never gave your friends the legal documentation?"

Rainbow suddenly exclaimed, "What the buck Twilight!?"

The filly gasped, while Celestia raised an eyebrow.

RD blushed, "errrr... I mean... Golly?" Following the filly's lead.

"We will have a talk about your choice of language later," Celestia informed. Before turning back to Twilight. "I expect an answer, young lady."

The purple Alicorn gulped, "I errrrrr..." she had no defense, "I'm sure I did." she sniffled, not taking her eyes off the corner.

She did her best to think on it... knowing she was already in a lot of trouble. This certainly couldn't help. Celestia sent the scrolls, the filly's second week of her stay in Ponyville. After getting legal rights to train the Element Bearers. Celestia had worked hard to secure their noble status, as Governesses of Ponyville... and the stipend that went with it. Twilight, as the most experienced apprentice, was suppose to help the girls understand their role in politics... which she had been doing... but she never... actually... explained why, or even what, she was teaching them...

Applebuck season had happened around then, and the town was in disarray all week. What with Applejack running errands, causing a mess of everything, while trying to harvest all the apples herself (as Big Mac was injured and couldn't help). Twilight simply forgot to formally inform her friends of their role, and just got to training them. She hesitantly explained all that.

Rainbow quickly exclaimed "I thought all that work was to help YOU study!!!" she wailed.

Celestia sighed, knowing she had more to talk about, with her apprentice, then just misplacing important, possibly world ending, artifacts.

Celestia looked at the foal, "I believe you had something to tell me?"

"Well..." The pink filly's ears pinned against her head. She suddenly found the floor very interesting. As she made circles with her hoof. "I don't want to get anypony in trouble."

Dash interrupted, "She told me she saw Twilight leave her element on a park bench."

"WHAT!?" Twilight yelped. "I didn't even go outside yesterday!!!"

Rainbow glared, "Yes you did! I saw you!"

The pink filly looked over at her, "You were really distracted last night, but surely you remember going outside? Reading your book, taking off your crown thingy? I don't think you even noticed when you left it on the bench."

Twilight's eyes glazed over for a moment, suddenly remembering going outside to read... but that can't be right. She could have sworn she was so tired, after the meeting, that she went straight to bed. No, she clearly remembered picking up a random book, from her rooms, and going to read by the light of the Crystal Heart... but she couldn't remember what she read...

Dash continued, filling in what the purple princess now remembered. "You were carrying a book! Then you sat at the bench, by the Crystal Heart, for HOURS. Lots of ponies saw you. Cozy Glow even saw you walk off, nose still in the book, and the crown on the bench! Then a dragon caught sight of it, and made off with it!!!"

Celestia sucked in a breath. Before turning to the filly, "Is this true, Miss Glow?"

"Yes your Highness, Ma'am." Cozy nervously nodded, "I thought the dragon was going to return it to lost and found. I only knew he hadn't, when I saw the guards panicking this morning. I'll swear it in front of Lady Applejack!"

Celestia forced a disarming smile. Though her mind was going a mile a minute. "That won't be necessary. Raven-" she turned to her Assistant, who had been quietly standing at the side. "Please inform Dragon Lord Torch I wish to speak to him, urgently. We need to find the dragon that took the Element of magic, before he attempts to eat it."

###

Sunset groaned, waking up to the sound of ringing, as her two way mirror buzzed. This was almost immediately followed by a yelp, as her roomates threw pillows at her, demanding she "shut that alarm off".

Sunset cast a silencing charm around herself, if only to avoid getting hit by anymore pillows. Then flipped the compact open, "rrr- Hello Cozy?" she groaned looking at the image, her mind still a bit foggy.

"Please tell me your not still asleep." Came the sickly sweet reply.

Sunset groaned more. "Humans don't keep a 20 day, 10 hour night, universal schedule. There are more 'Time Zones' then I care to know. Due to the position of the sun, and bureaucracy."

"I don't need a lecture!" Cozy glared. "I just wanted to tell you it's done. While you were catching on your beauty sleep. I WAS RISKING MY LIFE!!!"

Sunset sighed, "Well, since you aren't dead, I assumed the plan worked."

Cozy huffed, "Yeah, the princess fell for it. Chrysalis had one of the other changeling Queens, with purple magic, personally impersonate Twilight, and read at outside for a few hours, while the real Twilight was kept under a sleeping spell. She even had the Queen leave a fake crown behind, and another changeling, disguised as a dragon tourist, took it. If any creature thinks to question the story, there will be dozens of witnesses backing me up.

"I even hypnotized Twilight, to make her think that's what actually happened. I burried the suggestion pretty deep, so she won't know her memories aren't real. Not even the element of honesty could see through it."

"Now every creature in the castle is hunting for 'the dragon'. I'm surprised your plan actually worked. I was sure I was on my way to the moon. Regardless, I resent you having me impersonate a foal. My ponies get enough crud for the way we look!"

Cozy Glow was part of a pony subspecies called "Kender Pony". They never grew to be any bigger then a foal, and always maintained their youthful appearance... they were also known for being extremely stealthy... and blatant con artist, with their very magic assisting them in such skills. They didn't even need to sing to activate their persuasion magics... but when they did... it was more like a true sirens call then the simple ability ponies had to make others more open to the conversation... They could practically brainwash any creature... the fact they had light hooves, and always seemed to find other creatures' things in their pockets, didn't help their reputation...

There were theories that Kender ponies really were as innocent as young foals. That they legitimately had lesser reasoning skills and couldn't judge right from wrong, so shouldn't be held to the same standard of the law...

Upon meeting Cozy, Sunset was sure, that was just Kender ponies using their natural charms, and appearance, to their full use. They knew exactly what they were doing... but their culture was just a symptom of a greater issue... no pony took a Kender pony seriously. No pony was willing to hire a Kender pony. They grew up knowing no other way to survive... because of Celestia... because she wasn't willing to put the senate in their place and actually help the subponies

"Cozy..." Sunset looked at her sincerely, "I'm sorry for that, but now we have the crown, and thanks to you, no one will think of where it really is... soon your ponies will have the same privileges and rights the mundanes take for granted... all subponies will."

Cozy eyed her suspiciously, "I don't have the same level of idealism as you... I'll settle for burning Equestria to the ground."

"Be patient, and you will get your vengeance against the Senate, and take your rightful place on the new one."

Chapter 4: Sunset's Motivation

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Except for that blip in World War 2, Britain had a strong relationship with the Japanese, going back hundreds of years. Konoha was actually one of the first towns, to be settled by Japanese immigrants. Though, since then, many Europeans moved in. This resulted in much interbreeding, which was quite the scandal at the time. It's why so many of the locals had a Japanese eye shape, and texture to their hair, but had more Caucasian coloring to said hair, and skin.

Most of the Japanese genes were deeply buried in their biology, having been bred out after 200 years of marrying Europeans, but they maintained a strong blend of the two's cultures. Especially in their architecture. With most of the older buildings, from the first immigrants, still standing. Then newer buildings were built with a flavor of both cultures, evolving together.

Sunset did love this town. The "School for delinquents" was a reflection of the goodness of this place. It was well funded, with various programs to help the kids. Rather then a place to shove them off until they aged out... it focused more on true rehabilitation, rather then punishment.

Mind you, while these kids were troubled, more often then not having a background of abuse, they weren't exactly murderers or rapists. At worse they got in too many fights, and vandalized one too many things... though that Gaara kid did set his uncle on fire... but he was sent here because the courts saw him more as a victim that snapped, then a lost cause...

Sunset... felt at home here. The school Counselor had assigned her to anger Management... and was working with her... Sunset even felt comfortable enough to tell the woman about Celestia. Obviously she left the higher details out... like Celestia being a demi god and ruler of an underground continent... but the core was the same...

How Celestia had taken in Sunset, a lowly orphan, purely due to the girl's sheer potential. Then drove her relentlessly, constantly working her to the breaking point. That Sunset was to carry on the title of "a great noble family". As Celestia was "barren" and had no way to conceive a true heir....

That when Sunset proved too much of a handful, Celestia abandoned her, and got a new girl to groom... after all the panic attacks, the constant state of pressure the girl was under... she was just thrown aside... Celestia never loved her, she said she did, but the girl was just a means to an end...

Sunset even told the human how she ran away... and was arrested for shoplifting, and sent here because she refused to tell anyone who her guardian was. Which was true. Sunset would never have been so willing to set up shop so near the portal... but it turned out to be the perfect place...

Although, Sunset had claimed, to the Counselor, that "Celestia" was an alias... Regardless of the fact the girl couldn't tell the Counselor everything, the therapy sessions were actually helping. She spent over a year just glaring at the Counselor... but eventually felt comfortable enough with her to talk to the woman about serious things... instead of the conversations they had about random things, to kill time until the session was over... strangely, those meaningless talks helped Sunset feel more comfortable. The woman hadn't even attempted to talk to Sunset about her background... not until the girl was comfortable sharing it.

This school specialized in helping troubled kids, after all... and they had gotten really good at it.

Konoha even had a "Lord Mayor", a very honorable title in Britain, awarded to only a handful of cities. He even extended his duties, to include being the Headmaster of the Reform school. Making a point to talk with the kids... even helping them pay for university, and getting jobs... though that was made easier by the fact most of the kids came to love this town as much as Sunset...

"Things really went downhill for me." Sunset told the counselor, early the next morning.

The disguised Unicorn, had forgotten she had a counseling appointment, but Flash had managed to remind her. The colt promised to take the kids shopping... Equestrian Colts were a lot better at that then human Stallions... a lot "better"... Sunset was worried the boy would spend all the money they had saved up.

Regardless, there was no helping it, and she needed to focus on today's session... seeing the foals... learning of their background... had triggered some unpleasant memories.

"When Celestia discovered my dad was black." The Counselor didn't even blink, merely continued to wear her compassionate smile.

It wasn't, exactly, true... but the spirit of it was. Sunset's father had been a "subpony", A Kirin, actually. It wasn't like any of the human races were "Sub" breeds, unlike with the ponies. Humans just had different skin colors, where Subponies had vast genetic differences from the creatures they magically mutated from...

However both were treated like second class citizens... both were oppressed and kept in poverty...

"I managed to track him down, using Celestia's resources... and learned he had been part of an interracial couple, but his wife, my mom, had died in childbirth... he had difficulty, a single black man... raising a white girl... he got accused of kidnapping me, more then once... so, hoping I would have a better life... he left me on the steps of an orphanage...

"Celestia only learned about him, soon after I did... of course she had, I had used her resources to find him... she forbid me from seeing him again....paid him a good bit in hush money. Celestia claimed that, if the nobility found out about my heritage....they would never accept me... they had a hard enough time grasping I wasn't Celestia's by blood...

"Of course, I tried to see him again... but he told me not to come back when I tried. That I had a good life, and I shouldn't risk my station by acknowledging him... Celestia only took me out of that orphanage, because of the potential I showed at school... she was all kinds of disappointed I was a half breed..."

Celestia had even bound the girl's third chromosome chain, to make sure Sunset couldn't accidentally activate it, and become a Kirin, herself...

Most Subponies had a third chain, it's where all their magical genes came from. Although half breeds tended to have the chain dormant, unless activated by a specific type of magical surge. Which was different per species. For Kirin, it was triggered by extreme anger... Celestia often blamed Sunset's temper on the filly's Kirin blood... the wanker didn't understand, that if you are constantly pushing a child, to the point of frequent panic attacks... well, it's a miracle Sunset was as well adjusted as she was...

Sunset had learned of the plight of Subponies, through meeting her biological father... Equestria wasn't the utopia ponies thought it was... not for every creature... bigotry and prejudice ran wild, just like anywhere else... and Sunset had made it her mission to save the oppressed... she would help them...

Celestia kept shifting the blame to the Senate. At least the humans had anti discrimination laws... but the Senate wouldn't hear of it. True, hate crimes were near non existent from such prey animals. However that didn't mean the Subponies were treated fairly.

They were more likely to be imprisoned, for even petty crimes. Employers could openly refuse to hire someone, on the grounds they were a subpony... Subponies were even forbidden from serving on the Senate.

Technically they weren't allowed to be elected into any office, even mayor, but there was no way to enforce that law. Not without causing riots in the subpony colonies (where few mundane ponies even lived)... most Subponies were forced into ghettos, within large cities... where they were denied even the right to vote. Or colonies, which were cut off from most modern conveniences.

It was not an exaggeration, to say subponies were being oppressed. Many choosing to live in primitive villages, rather then suffer under the hooves of pony government.

But now.... Sunset could finally make a real difference. Where Celestia refused, choosing the nobility's way of clinging to the status quo.... But with the Element of magic at Sunset's disposal, she could force the change... she just needed to figure out how to use it, without driving herself insane... it hadn't chosen her, it was going to fight her, but she could find other ways to exploit it. It was the ultimate power source. More energy radiated from this little gem, then a thousand suns. If... when, she found a way to tap into it... she could change the face of Equestria.

Celestia once wanted her to rule? Well now the filly was ready... and she would take the crown from Celestia by force... she would save... all the subponies...

Chapter 5: Mad with Power

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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."

Chapter 6: Wake Up

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• The following Morning, in the Draconequus Estate, of the Chaos Tree:

Harry groaned as he rolled out of bed. He fluttered his bat and raven wings and forced himself to rise out of bed with them. Yawning. Wow his mind was fuzzy this morning. He didn't usually have this hard a time waking up. After lightly smacking his face a few times with his mismatched paw and claw, Harry shook his head. Yawning again, Harry buzzed his wings out the door of his room, still feeling very sluggish.

In his daze he nearly collided with another of the Draconequus orphans. The orphanage was a rather large, and well funded, floor in the tower of the Housing Deck. The other clan's had a similar setup. Kage Sunset made sure all the orphans were well cared for, until they were old enough for their clan to assign them a house of their own. Harry had lived here his whole life and- NO!!!

Harry shot up... but he didn't know why. He felt wrong, as if the body he had always had was wrong in of itself. The Estate itself seemed far to bizarre and unfamiliar, yet he had never known anything else.

Shaking his head... the feeling passed. He landed on the floor, giving an apology to his fellow orphan, before flying out the nearest window.

### •

• Meanwhile, in the Time Pony Estate of the Desert Tree:

Doctor Whooves sighed with relief as he found his children. He had been panicking as he ran around the Crystal Castle all night long. Then all of a sudden he was standing in a luxurious mansion, with his children walking into the hallway from their own custom designed rooms.

The 5 foals looked around, wondering how they got here and where Flash went.

The Doctor ran to his children, gathering them all in a hug, "You're all grounded until your 42." He laughed with utter relief.

### •

• Back in the Chaos Tree:

The other orphans were floating along, talking and joking after giving a customary "Morning". It took Harry a moment to remember, as he followed the flock, there was a play park infront of the school. One where all the younger kids of Chaos Country gathered.

Maybe he would run into Naruto-

Harry blinked... who's Naruto?... Suddenly a blonde Uzumaki came to mind... but that doesn't make any sense. Harry never hung out with any of the fox clan. Clans rarely interacted at all... so who was Naruto?

Once they reached the play park, The orphans gave a eager shriek of "DISCORD!!!" before swarming someone. Harry blinked at the exclamation, as he slowly landed, looking around.

There were Abominations everywhere. Draconequus children eagerly attempting to get some play in before school. A swarm of little Abominations, from all over the village, where gathered around a-

Harry screamed in terror at the sight, moments before registering this is just what grownups look like. They were just longer then kids. What was so scary about that. Sure your average adult Draconequus was only a little taller then a pony, when on all fours.

Although with a much more skinny middle, that went on for at least 7 feet (usually with said middle sticking up so they're front and end were closer together)... but Discord... Discord was a good 15 foot long and taller then Celestia herself, even on all fours.

It must just be the fact that he was standing on his hind legs that scared Harry... but that couldn't be it either. Discord usually walked upright, and he wasn't scary at all... Especially not to kids-

Harry blinked, realizing he had been calling the children goats. Seriously, what did goats even have to do with anything? Draconequus children were called Abominations, not kids. Shaking his head yet again, Harry tried to focus.

All the abominations were looking at him funny. At Harry, they were used to Discord.

The sole grownup present, their god, looked over at him with a strange expression. Then he smiled as he floated over to Harry. The abomination blushed that he made a foal of himself in front of Discord. Then couldn't help but wonder who Discord was.

Shaking his head again, Harry reminded himself that Discord was the head of their clan, ever since he came back from his stone prison... but that can't be right...

"Interesting..." Discord smiled as he floated in front of the child, "By the spasm of your eyes you're actually fighting against it."

"Against..." Harry eyes snapped open. Sunset! She did this!!!... but what did she do? He couldn't remember. Something was... something was... something was wrong... Sunset did it... but why would their Kage ever do anything bad to any of the clans?

She was supposed to protect them all. That was the entire point of all the various races gathering together. The mere thought of Sunset acting outside the interest of the village was laughable.

Discord was smiling widely, "Very... very... interesting... None of these other sheep have been able to resist a grandmaster artifact."

Artifact?... ARTIFACT!!! She used some kind of magic whatcha muhoozle!!! She- She...

Harry quickly shook his head, the thoughts were hurting his brain.

Harry looked at the god of chaos, feeling nothing but trust for him.

"I... don't... feel... right..." Harry was shuddering.

"No," Discord smiled. "Not even the most powerful of your bloodline show even a hint of resistance..."

"Resistance?" Harry groaned, his head was hurting even more. The boy slowly sank to the floor, holding his head.

"What's wrong with Harry?" One of the branch family members asked. An older girl Harry had known since... never... Harry suddenly didn't recognize her. That's not right. He had known the girl his whole life. She helped him with his homework. She... but her name... what was her name...

For some reason his mind was fighting against the name, telling him he shouldn't know it. He started crying as he felt the pain in his head worsen...

Looking up at Discord, Harry begged, "Heeeeelp-" in a pained groan.

Discord frowned, "Of course." there was somekind of debate in his eyes... before he touched the top of the boy's head.

Suddenly everything made sense again. With a smile, Harry looking up at the head of his clan. "Thanks Discord!" Harry cheered. "I had a killer migraine there for a second."

Discord smiled, but there was something sad in that smile, "You're still recovering from that nasty parasite you had." He snapped his fingers, to further play with the delusion all the Draconequus had.

All the Abominations suddenly giggled out an "Ewwwwwwww." well one insisted, "Potter's got worms!"

Discord frowned at the children, "None of that! I won't tolerate bullying in my realm."

The children looked down, shame faced for having disappointed Discord.

"Off to school my little abominations." Discord ordered, his eyes lingering on Harry a moment before vanishing in white light.

"You sure you're okay?" The older girl, who had asked what was wrong, walked over to him.

Harry flashed her a reassuring grin, "I'm good, Tonks. Don't worry. That magical parasite really did a number on my pathways. I get pretty bad headaches every now and then, even though it's gone. The Doctors say it's normal until my pathways readjust."

Nymphadora Tonks tilted her head, "Doctor?" having never heard the word.

Harry blinked, suddenly not knowing what that word meant or why he said it. "Sorry, I meant the healers. Brains still a bit scrambled."

"You sure you're up to going back to school?"

"I already missed a week thanks to that nasty parasite." Harry scowled, "At least I'm out of the hospital."

"Still," The older abomination eyed him with concern.

"The healers really think I'm well enough. Just have the odd migraine and a tad scatterbrained." Harry smiled. "I'm looking forward to seeing my friends. I bet Gaara has been-" Harry stopped as an image of a Raccoon Dog came to mind. Shaking his head, "I mean Neville. Neville and Ron. They must be really worried."

Tonks' concern wasn't lessening.

### •

• Back in the Desert Tree:

"Whooves?" Rassillion eyed as he felt a familiar soul walking through his family compound.

A brown Stallion was shepherding a flock of foals, out of the Manor. "She really did bring every Time Pony here." Rassillion smiled. Meeting his son at the gates.

Whooves did his best not to scowl, "Hello father."

Rassillion smiled. Truthfully Whooves was one of thousands of children. Rassillion's middle child, at least for this newest generation, and as typical the most rebellious he has ever had. The colt even ran off to live with the more mundane ponies some 800 years ago. Rassillion was sure it was just a phase. The colt was bound to get tired of the lesser ponies dying around him, eventually.

Regardless, Rassillion smiled at seeing one of his children, before his face turned to one of concern, "You've regenerated quite a few times." the old, even by Time Pony standards, Stallion frowned at his son.

Whooves was too young to have regenerated once! Let alone 10 times! Like his magic indicated. Most of the colt's faces wouldn't even have lived long enough to enter their first heat!

Whooves sighed in exacerbation at his father's concern. The Doc was always rather reckless, and remained the adventuring type, but he had foals to look after now.

Rassillion took note of the foals, his smile returning. He could lecture his son later about his recklessness. No sense giving the colt a tongue lashing in front of his own foals. "Are these my grandfoals?"

"Hmmm?" Whooves blinked, then looked down at his children, a little confused by the sudden change of topic, "Oh... Oh yes, These are them. The Pegasi are Scootaloo and Rumble, the Earth Ponies are Pipsqueak and Button Mash, and my sole Unicorn filly is Dinky." he gestured at each of the children. When Whooves got to Dinky, he whispered conspiratorially, "She's the bossiest."

"DAD!!!" Dinky whined.

Whooves raised an innocent eyebrow, "Yes, my favorite Unicorn?"

Dinky huffed, childishly. During this exchange Rassillion frowned disapprovingly at his son's teasing nature with his foals.

Rassillion had been a far more stern parent by comparison, and didn't really approve of such informal behavior. However, whatever his complaints there, what made him forget his decorum was the sight of the foals flanks.

Time Ponies were supposed to have hour glass cutie marks, but these children still had completely blank flanks. They looked old enough for their cutie marks to manifest (those years between 8 and 12 being when it typically appeared for regular ponies). What was Whooves thinking!? "I hope you're taking them to the children's ward, to get their third chromosome chain activated."

Whooves sighed, "Don't start." he practically begged.

Rassillion glared, all the Stallion's decorum forgotten in favor of the foals' safety. "Don't tell me you would be so irresponsible you would risk your children's health!"

Whooves rolled his eyes, "If they want to become Time Ponies, when they are older, I'll be sure to-"

"What if their Cutie marks manifest before then!!!" Rassillion barked.

"Most of them want traditional Pony Cutie Marks, anyway," Whooves huffed.

"This isn't a game!" Rassillion snapped, "These are your children! Would you really watch them DIE!!!"

Whooves scoffed and started steering his foals around the Stallion. Rassillion wasn't having that! He bit Whooves' ear as if he was a wayward foal and forced him to listen to him.

"You don't understand what you're doing!" Rassillion released his teeth. "I was the first Time Pony ever born!"

"Here we go." Whooves muttered, rubbing his ear.

"Before we even knew there was a third Chromosome chain, much less how to unlock it. I HAD TO WATCH MOST OF MY CHILDREN DIE!!!"

Whooves ears pinned. Whatever he had been expecting, it hadn't been that.

"Only through pure dumb luck did some of them activate their third chain. I didn't even know why some of their powers manifested well others developed more traditional cutie mark magics."

Rassillion glared, "It was thousands of years before I learned what caused it. Thousands of years of watching my foals grow old and DIE... I'm telling you right now. You won't be able to handle that! However much you might want them to have a normal life, please consider what you will be putting yourself through!"

Whooves hung his head. Before looking back at his father, "I am truly sorry you went through that... but what you should know is not a day goes by I don't regret you activating my own chain. Maybe you should have considered how it would effect me instead of yourself."

Rassillion jerked back as if struck.

"My foals," Whooves insisted, "Will at the very least have a choice."

Said foals, who were confused as all Tartarus during this exchange, were encouraged to start walking again by their father.

Rassillion didn't try to stop him this time. He was too shocked by his realization. His son wasn't just being rebellious... the colt... actually hated him... his colt...

Rassillion managed to say one final thing to the colt, "At least see your sister before you go. Romana will have both of our heads if she learns you were here but didn't bothered to see her."

Whooves eyed his father a moment. The idea of staying and helping this new village flourish was very appealing to him... yet he knew he couldn't stay. He had to get back to his wives. Romana would likely try to convince him to stay to, and with whatever odd compulsion he was feeling right now... he might very well listen to her. No, he had to leave... sorry little sister.

### •

• Back with Discord:

Discord frowned as he appeared in a flash in the council chambers.

The leaders of several prominent wizarding families, now turned Draconequus, smiled at him. With such love in their eyes... it looked just as intense as the foals, but handled with greater maturity.

"Discord." Lucius smiled at him.

A well respected man in the wizarding world, and just as influential for the Draconequus. Although he technically had no more power then the other council members, they tended to listen to his opinions the most.

The council was made of the heads of all the "Pure Blood" wizarding families. Now they were the leaders of the most politically powerful Draconequus bloodlines, refered to as the "Main Houses". The nobles of the Draconequus.

"Lesser" bloodlines, such as those that were once non magical humans or closely related to such, were now considered "Branch Families". However, in the Draconequus Clan, they were still treated well, and respected in their own right.

"What brings you here?" Councilor Arthur Weasley smiled at the god of chaos.

The Council was what really ran the day to day operations of the clan. Although technically this was their first ever meeting, they didn't know that.

As far as they knew, Discord was more a figure head. Yes he had all the political power of a President, but rarely did he use it. He barely ever came to these council meetings, given their dull nature. He just let the council do their own thing while he floated around the Estate playing pranks.

As far as they knew they had been running things for a millennium, and were rather relieved that Discord hadn't tried to assert his authority over them since his return. The Potters had been the acting chairman in Discord's absence, and Harry Potter was supposed to inherit the throne himself after he turned 16. However, they still weren't sure what would come of that, now that Discord was back.

Discord looked around at all their smiling faces, then vanished from sight.

"Well," Frank Longbottom laughed, "That wasn't ominous at all."

### •

Discord appeared in the Guards' Locker. Looking around, as all the former Aurors, Order of Phoenix members, and Death Eaters... were smiling happily as they were pulling out there Shinobi gear, from their lockers.

Sirius smiled at Discord. "You going to help us train today?

Bellatrix Lestrange smiled eagerly, and a tad masochistically, "The obstacles you set up are always brilliant."

Discord frowned at them, before disappearing.

The cousins slumped in disappointment.

Sirius looked over at his cousin, "Better get to training. Hopefully Discord will change his mind and join us later."

### •

Discord wanted to sob as he sat in his quarters, an entire tower, just for him.

These creatures... they loved him... all of them really loved him... they loved everything about him... but it was artificial... Everything about them was artificial... yet was it so wrong? They had all been given better lives by Sunset. They were happy in their new lives... did it really matter if their memories weren't real? What even was "real"? They all remembered things happening the same way, and were truly happy in their new lives...

Discord had a hard enough time understanding mortal ethics. True, Fluttershy had been teaching him but they hadn't exactly gotten into brain teasers like this yet. What was the right thing to do... they were all so happy. Even their previous villains now lived as heroes.

Those that had been disabled, or even comatose, were now perfectly healthy and living luxurious lives. Sunset even promised him, he could keep his Draconequus out of the fighting when it came time for that.

Even the "Slave quarters", didn't have actual slaves, but House Elves. A race Sunset learned of, from the wizards brains. She not only brought the families here, but created dozens more, for each estate.

She had established laws for their fair treatment, protected them from abuse, and allowed them to wear clothes. Making it so they wore dog collars, with tags and all. That the only way to free them was to remove the collar.

They still bound themselves to the family lines... and lived in cupboards, but inside the Cupboard was a luxurious 4 bedroom condo. The Elves were very happy, living in comfort...

It helped that House Elves were magical creatures, that had a more symbiotic relationship with wizards then what true slavery really entailed.

House Elves loved working for a master, and felt it was an insult to accept money for the act. Especially considering they fed off the excess magic a wizard gave off. They felt they were already getting something out of the bond...

Draconequus were even more magically powerful. No where near Discord's level, but still gifted by powerful magics all the same. As were the other Yokai clans.

Their hands were their focus, channeling their magics through finger movements and hand signs... Sunset had taught them the theories of how their knew powers worked... now they just needed to practice using their new gifts... then... then she would attack Equestria...

For all their talk of friendship the ponies still shunned him... still feared him... still hated him... he was just a freak to them... Fluttershy was the only one that actually cared about him... and he could always just bring her here.

Maybe turn her into a Draconequus and erase her memories as well... Fluttershy said mind control was an Illusion... but was this really so bad. They were all so happy... so happy... with him... he had a family now...

Discord cried as he sat by himself, no idea what he should do... even if he did come to the conclusion that he needed to stop Sunset... his family would turn against him... they would hate him... he couldn't handle that. Not when he finally had what he always wanted... not after losing them all once already.

### •

• Meanwhile, within "Yggdrasil":

Flash blushed, he was still in his humanoid form, but that wasn't the problem. No the cause of his embarrassment was the clothes he was now wearing.

He was dressed in a chain loincloth, gold rings on his arms, with see through white cloths dangling from the rings... He looked like he was... well he looked like a typical Stallion in the Crystal Empire. They pretty much walked around half naked all the time.

The question, of how he dressed like this, was as easy a guess as how he got here... Sunset...

Flash sighed, looking at his clothes. He could worry about this later. He shifted into his pony form, now completely naked, but it didn't bother him anymore, due to his fur.

He looked around, his blush only deepened. There was a large plush bed, see through drapes everywhere, and a small pool with so many rose peddles it was hard to see the water... this looked like where Cadence made her guards... entertain her... Flash was blushing as he imagined what Sunset had in mind in a room like this... the clothes certainly weren't helping.

Cadence, on account of Flash being a virgin, hadn't made him do more then... well she played with his parts and... and made him please her husband while she watched... but Flash hadn't done the... the big thing... nor have it done to him...

Cadence was letting him get comfortable with her before she deflowered him... although she had made it clear that it was her that would do that, and he wasn't allowed to do that with anypony else until she took him... given how upset Sunset was that she couldn't be Flash's first... it wasn't that hard a stretch to imagine what this was about...

Flash walked over to the door and wasn't all that surprised to find it locked... and the windows had bars...

Still he walked over to the nearest one and poked his head through. There was just enough space between, for him to do so with little effort.

Looks like he was still in the forest... in some kind of... big... big... tree?... This tree was the size of the Crystal Castle. With hundreds of similar windows to the one Flash was looking through, which seemed to be grown naturally in the wood.

Beyond this tree were the 42 Harmony trees, growing around it in a wide circle... although they were the only trees in a large clearing of the forest.

However, these Harmony Trees appeared a bit different then the main one. They were still made of Crystal, instead of wood, but they were growing and shedding cherry blossom pedals, so fast that in a night, the pedals blanketed the ground.

Whatever Sunset had been trying to build... this looked like the end result....

### •

There was a click at the doors and Flash quickly pulled his head back in, just in time to see Sunset step into the room... still in that terrifying demon form. Her magic was still bursting out of her back like mock wings... like an Alicorn of fire. The drapes were pushed away from her. As if her very aura was creating a light breeze.

Flash gulped as he could feel the dry heat of that breeze from where he was.

Sunset smiled at him... in a far from nice smile. She waved her hand and suddenly Flash screamed as his pony body shifted against his will. His muscles and bones twisted, but thankfully not in unnatural ways. He was in his humanoid form again.

Flash was panting, even sweating from how much that hurt. As Sunset put a curved finger to her chin... looking the boy up and down as if appraising him... she was acting worse then the Crystal Mares, with how she was ogling him.

"Do you like your new clothes?" Sunset smiled as she walked over to him... it was getting hotter and hotter the closer she got.

Flash was blushing again, but still breathing hard. "Can I have my pants back?" the boy practically begged.

Sunset raised a mocking eyebrow as she got right next to him. She draped her arms over his shoulders and simply said, "No."

Flash hissed as her very skin burned him. He could hear the sizzling...

"I think it's important the Queen's consort stick to his uniform." She tried to tease.

"S-Sunny..." Flash trembled, trying to keep the pain out of his voice. Trying to remember his training as a guard to hold himself with dignity. "You're... hurting... me..."

The moment he managed to get the sentence out something shifted in Sunset's eyes. She practically lept off him. Grasping her head, Flash could see she was fighting against something... then... she lost...

As quickly as the shift happened, whatever doubt she was feeling faded away. She lowered her hands back to her sides and stood tall... she just stared at Flash a moment, before turning and leaving the room.

Flash breathed a sigh of relief, sinking too the floor... he sat there for several minutes, trying to recover... his mind kept coming back to the fight in her eyes... his Sunset... was still in there...

### •

• Later, With Harry:

Harry chewed on his pencil as he listened to his teacher ramble on about Discord's past... the boy had heard this story hundreds of times... yet for some reason, he listened like it was the first.

Their teacher, Severus Snape, smiled at the class. Technically he was the potions master, but Harry was lucky that he got the Draconequus for homeroom.

Uncle Sev had been close friends with his mother and told the child many stories about her.

"Today is our annual festival, honoring the Head of our Clan. This year is particularly important as it is the first since the return of our Lord. It is only right we go over what we know about Discord's early life. Who can tell me how Discord was created?"

That know it all, Hermione Granger, had her bat claw instantly shooting in the air.

Sensei chuckled as the little girl was bouncing in her chair. The teacher called, "Yes, Miss Granger?"

Granger started reciting, "He was born as a result of the seed for the tree of Harmony being planted by Starswirl and the other 6 Pillars.

"To keep balance, the Everfree Forest slowly began sprouting around the tree as it grew. The bigger and more powerful the tree got, the larger the forest became. Various creatures began appearing inside, including the Yokai.

"Such a drastic shift in order magic, like the tree of Harmony, made Chaos magic flourish in the area. That way the universe could keep the Cosmic Scales balanced."

Snape Sensei smiled, "The textbook couldn't have said it better." he praised. Then looked at the class, "However, instead of just leaving this be, Starswirl decided to use Discord and the Yokai to defeat the Alicorn Dynasty, that had been ruling the ponies with an iron hoof.

"The ponies were living in an era of poverty and cruelty, under their rule. Our tribes helped free them, working closely with the 6 Pillars and the Two Sisters (a pair of Alicorns that wanted to stop the cycle of oppression).

"Decades after the war, one of Starswirl's last acts, before he disappeared, was to leave his heir in charge of protecting the Everfree Forest, and all it's inhabitants. Sunset Shimmer is the latest we have had from that line, and as such is our current Kage.

"Discord was the biggest manifestation, to keep the balance for the creation of the Tree of Harmony, which later beared the Elements of Harmony. Discord is an entity of pure chaos, given life and conciousness, and godly power over chaos magic. During the Alicorn Dynasty, he created ourselves, the Draconequus. He made us from his own flesh. The 42 original Draconequus that would become the 42 main houses of our clan."

Didn't... didn't they die? Harry blinked, wondering why he ever thought such a ridiculous thing. Or how he even could have known that... his head was starting to hurt again.

"After Starswirl disappeared, Discord decided to have a bit of fun with the Ponies of Equestria... admittedly he may have been a bit too overzealous in his pranks, but he was only a teenager going through a rebellious phase.

"The ponies should have been more understanding. Instead they turned him into stone, which he was only recently revived from." Uncle Sev smiled at the children. Clearly glad Discord came back in his lifetime. "Of course, after Discords rebellious phase the ponies came to think of all dark or chaotic creatures as dangerous. They turned against the Draconequus and Yokai races alike." and.. the Crystal Ponies... they killed them...

"So our tribes went into hiding behind the Everfree."

NO!!! They died! The Crystal Ponies committed genocide against them all! Them and the Shadow Ponies!!! They were obsessed with cleansing the world of all things dark or chaotic.

It's what led to Sombra leading one final attack against them. In an effort to save the few survivors. After he was defeated, the cosmic balance of Harmony destroyed the Crystal Empire. Only to recently return it from the ether... with the vengeful spirit of Sombra, brought back to life as a shadow god. Again, to keep the balance.

"Our countries are actually a large helping of order magic."

Yeah, to keep the balance from the revival of so many species born of chaos magic. It was Sunset's way of making sure nothing unexpected happened... but she miscalculated on account of Harry.

Harry and his little prophecy and luck rune, allowed for some wiggle room. Harmony itself was centering on the boy. He was fighting against the brainwashing, and so the spirit of Harmony was whispering secrets in his ear, to help him break through. Unlike Discord, she could not yet take physical form, but she could still affect things.

Harry heard her only because of the strong Order Magics which these countries where made out of.

Harry clutched his head, he felt like he would pass out from the pain.

"Harry?"

Harry blinked, suddenly forgetting everything he was thinking. He looked at Ron and flashed a smile, "Just another migraine. I'll be good."

Ron nodded, still looking concerned. "That leech really did a number on you."

Leech... leech... leech... leech... LEECH!!!

There really was a magical leech attached to him, he realized. That one minor detail, bleeding in from his real life, helped him break through the mind control spell.

Honestly, it was just his luck that Discord would accidentally program the one thing that would wake the boy up.

The spells against Harry's mind suddenly snapped apart and he shot up from his desk.

Their Sensei frowned at him.

Harry blushed, thinking quickly, while figuring they would never believe him. Harry was always mistrustful of adults. He needed to find his friends.

Harry asked to see the nurse, on account of "his migraine" and the teacher raised an eyebrow, unfamiliar with the word. So Harry backtracked and said "healer". The teacher let him go, commenting the child did indeed look pale...

Then Harry made his way to the portal, to escape the Harmony Tree. He needed to get out of here... and find his friends.

Chapter 7: Ignorance is Bliss

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Harry gulped as he wandered the busy streets, outside the chaos tree.

It had taken him hours to travel to the portal, as it was located several miles outside the Draconequus village. However, Harry caught a break, as just as he arrived, the guards were changing shifts. So the littlest abomination was able to sneak through.

Once out in the real world, Harry's good fortune continued, as each time he got near a Shinobi guard, they were looking away from him.

This gave him ample time to hide in the fog. As the pedals slowly dissolved, they turned into a haze, as if made of dry ice, yet they didn't feel cold when touched. Regardless the strongest concentration of fog, was around the base of the trees.

He was just so bloody small it was easy for him to travel the fog without getting caught.

Although he knew nothing worse would happen then getting his flank smacked, before being brought back to his school... this place... kinda seemed like paradise... if it wasn't for the brainwashing...

The most magically powerful individuals, became the personal guards to Sunset. That's the various S ranked Shinobi (meaning superpowered magic ninjas of the toughest of the tough). The rest of the Shinobi took turns on patrol.

The countries DID interact with each other. Mostly through tourism and trade.

He had to convince Sunset to ditch the crown... or better yet, snatch it right off her, right off her head. Still he needed help... so here he was, looking for his friends.

### •

• Meanwhile, In the Crystal Empire:

Twilight groaned, waking up in the hospital wing of the Crystal Castle. First thing she saw, was Celestia by her bedside, sleeping in a chair. Most of her friends were here to.

Noticing her friend was awake, and looking at the Princess of the Sun. Fluttershy spoke meekly, "The Princess was really upset, when she learned her former student was responsible for taking the Element of Magic. Not just cause what Sunset did with it, but because she gave you a wrongful punishment."

Fluttershy blushed, but Twilight blushed even brighter.

"Where is Pinkie anyway?" Rainbow Dash looked around.

"I'm sure she is just exploring the Empire." Rarity assured. "After all, last time we were here, we couldn't do much sight seeing."

Applejack spoke up, "She probably just wants to make friends with all the Crystal Ponies."

### •

• Back in the Yggdrasil Orchard:

"But... what about my friends?" Pinkie asked.

Igneous Pie sighed at his daughter. "Thou shall makes new friends. Ones that understand thou." Igneous tried to explain.

Pinkie lowered her head.

The former rock Farmer shuffled uncomfortably... maybe this wasn't the best moment for such formal talk, "Pinkamena... Thee never told thy friends, what thou are." It was more a statement then a question.

Pinkie fidgeted on the spot.

"Thou scholde be proud. Would thy friends not understand thou is gifted?"

Pinkie tried, "That's not it..."

"Thou art Toon Pony. Kage Sunset has given unto us this Estate. So art ponies will thrive and grow. Thy foals will know not of cruelty or prejudice."

Pinkie sighed. She knew Toon ponies were a newer pony Subspecies. Just because their was a boom of Subspecies twenty thousand years ago, doesn't mean new ones don't pop up every now and then.

Toon ponies were basically living cartoons, with physics and logic being their playthings. Pinkie's father was the first of them, born nearly a thousand years ago, shortly after the disappearance of the Crystal Empire. It was the reason he spoke with Old Ponish grammar.

Toon Ponies were not widely known by other races... and well... they look like Earth Ponies, even gain cutie marks, so it was easy for them to blend into pony society.

Regardless, there were only 420 Toon Ponies living in this new Estate. All descended from Igneous Pie. Pinkie had been here, with her family, since last night.

Her mother might not be a Toon Pony, but she was brought with them. As Sunset understood the Subponies, whom were married to a member of the three main tribes, would want to stay with their families.

### •

• Within the Desert tree.

"There you are!!!" Lyra pounced on her husband, as the rest of her herdmates gathered around the wayward Stallion, and their foals.

Whooves had been halfway out of the village, when they found him.

Bon Bon gave a satisfied smirk, "And here I was, worrying my tracking skills were rusty."

Whooves gaped, "You're here? But I thought..."

Octavia sighed, "Honestly, dearest Whooves, could you not have checked the other rooms, before running off with the foals."

The Stallion blushed.

Vinyl Scratch snuggled her daughter, little Scootaloo, before picking up all the other foals into a hug.

Derpy exclaimed, "If the world wasn't ending right now, all of you would get such a smack!"

The foals' tails, instinctively, covered their flanks.

Octavia sighed looking at their Stallion. "I know you find it distasteful," She eased. "But regardless, it is best if we return to Rassillion's manor."

Whooves ears pinned, "He just committed treason against Equestria!"

"Yes, and by extension," Octavia reasoned. "We have separated from the Sisters' rule. We need to figure out what to do next... and rushing into Sunset's lair, isn't the way to do that."

Bon Bon nodded, "We need a plan."

Scratch signed, "Most importantly, we need to get these foals somewhere safe."

### •

• All Across the Yggdrasil Orchard:

There were thousands of elves, near a hundred in each Estate, and a thousand in her own tree. Sunset learned of the house elves from the minds of the magical humans.

This breed of elf didn't require food, but rather they sustained themselves purely by absorbing magic. Usually from the one that holds their metaphorical leash.

So Sunset gave these excitable, floppy eared, 2 foot tall creatures what they wanted most of all. Families to serve.

They were now responsible for handling all of the less appealing jobs, or the more mundane. That way her entire civilization could devote itself to the pursuit of knowledge, culture, and power.

The elves, not caring about money nor wanting it, were working as bankers, shop keepers, waiters, factory workers, maids, butlers, basically any and every job that didn't involve military duties, political power, healing, the various forms of art, invention, teaching, crafts, or the pursuit of science or magic. Elves cared little for such things. Elves wanted only to serve in any, and all, ways.

### •

They even tended the Farms of their estate. Channelling plant magicks, Sunset infused into them, that not even an Earth Pony knew. Allowing them to make infinite harvest, every day. Without threat of polluting the produce with foreign magics. Not even for potion ingredients.

Where each clan, within every estate, had their own personal green houses. Which, despite being the size of a regular green house, contained an entire orchard inside.

Each filled with hundreds of potted plants. and even more trees. Growing various kinds of fruits, Vegetables, berries, nuts, herbs, and spices.

With the Elves ripening them instantly, and keeping them from ever spoiling.

But from there, the Green Houses began to get truly absurd.

One such green house, contained an orchard of soda cans, growing on trees. Aluminum cans, containing every flavor of drink imaginable. Fruity drinks, sodas, punches, alcohol, even the various flavors of milk, and waters. With all the Hot drinks staying hot, and all the cold drinks staying cold. At least... until they are opened, then they slowly get closer to room temperature.

Emota-vores had an extra green house, growing cans of every flavor of emotion.

For Carnivores. Sunset gave them green houses filled with demonic trees... growing slabs of flesh. Cuts of meat, in every shape and style, from different kinds of animals. All truly cruelty free. As no animal needed to die to produce them.

Then there were candy trees in a different green house. Followed by pastry trees in another.

Although the green houses grew every food imaginable, some grew things that weren't actually food.

There was a number of green houses, growing potion ingredients. Separated by the danger levels of the plants. All ment to be brewed in potions, as medicine.

Then another green house, where various precious metals, grew on vines, in bar form. Gold, aluminum, steel, copper, platinum, all the way up to Daedric Steel.

Another green house grew various gems and minerals.

But Sunset's crowning achievement was the Crystal green house. As they could be used to power enchanted artifacts, even create them.

### •

Sunset's personal tree operated as the capital of her Empire. Now that everything was settled, Sunset was letting the various creatures out of their trees, to interact with each other. Coming to the market place, in her tree, to do most of their trading.

They wanted to trade their own contributions to the arts, sciences, and magics. Sunset made many of their ideas and inventions, they had imagined over the years, as real tangible contributions to her society. At least the ones that were actually possible. She even gave all her citizens the necessary talents and knowledge to continue to make such things on their own.

... She was doing good... It was hard to keep her mind focused, to keep doing good, but she was trying her best...

### •

• Within the Council Chambers.

Sunset sighed, as she sat on her throne, inside Yggdrasil. Her tree didn't have nearly as impressive extension charms as the other Estates... mostly because it didn't need them, due to it's sheer size. The Tree was just over a mile wide, with over 500 floors.

The floor just above her head, the very top floor, was her's. It had various luxuries and accommodations she fantasized about in her own ideal dream house... including a sex dungeon for Flash... where she hurt the colt...

What she intended as a romantic moment, to sweep the young Stallion off his feet... had resulted in her very touch burning him, as if she was some unholy beast... she hurt him...

Some of the Love Bug Changelings had to be called, in order to treat the burns from where she touched him... with Flash lying to them about how the wound happened, like a beaten down husband... she needed to learn better control of her power... or remove the crown...

Unfortunately, if she took the crown off again, Sunset doubted she could handle the strain of putting it back on a third time. No, she would need to wait until she conquered Equestria. Then she could take off the crown and return it to the tree of Harmony, that way none could use it against her.

... she could feel the Element of magic liked that idea. It missed the tree.

Sighing, she looked to the sides of her throne, at the other individuals sitting next to her. She was currently in the Senate Chambers, on a circular platform in the middle of the room, with various thrones beside her.

There were several other circular platforms perched on the walls of the semicircular room. Directly behind her were balconies, so commoners could see what the elected officials were discussing. The circular platforms could float away from their perch, in order to get closer to the thrones.

The Heads of Clans, or their nobles, could stand on the platforms with their senator... and today many of them were. Quite fitting for their first ever session, not that the Yokai knew that.

No, what was obviously on the minds of the nobles was the various pony subraces that now sat on their own platforms. New races which were moving into their own embassies located on this floor. Well the Subraces had yet to appoint Senators, their heads of each clan, and some of the more honored nobles, were present.

On the Platform with Sunset were other thrones, smaller and lower then her own. With a "new" one added just this morning (as far as any creature else was aware the other thrones had been there for near a thousand years).

These thrones were for the lesser kage. Her generals and personal advisors. The Protectors of each tree.

While Sunset was the main Kage, ruling over all, the other trees had their most powerful member, serving as a Kage of their own. From their, each Species had their own Senator. Then a head of each clan, to keep the senator in check... with each and every one of them getting a vote. To insure fairness, the vote of a clan head, held the same weight as a Kage. With Sunset having the added ability to Veto their decisions.

There was the old monkey Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage of Konoha, the forest tree.

Then there was the deer Onoki, the Tsuchikage of Iwa, the planes tree.

Then there was the alligator Yuki Shiro, the Mizukage of Kiri, the ocean tree.

Nearby was the Ushi-Oni, A. The Raikage of Kumo, the Thunder tree. While Ushi-Oni are Yokai, that don't really have an animal equivalent. They have a torso, arms, a monstrous head, and 8 tentacles in place of legs.

Nearby was the Raccoon Dog Gaara, the Kazekage of Suna, the desert tree... while still very much a child, he was the most powerful in his domain.

Then there was the white serpent, Orochimaru, Sonikkukage of the Sound, an echoing caves tree.

With a Kage for every tree.

Then there was Sunset, representing Everfree itself.

Finally there was a new Kage of the Midnight Tree, which enjoyed an eternal night. The Shadow Pony, Sombra, himself.

Sunset had not given the Night tree a Kage before this. With the nocturnal Yokai believing their last Kage willingly stepped down. In awe of Sombra's might.

These Kages were chosen by Sunset, as the best suited to rule their country... and gave them each the power to protect it.

Amongst all the Pony subraces of Atlantis. Sombra was by far the most powerful... and the most loyal to herself. He had been there, for every one of those thousand years.

He had seen the Yokai die, and the near extinction of his Shadow Ponies. Unlike the other creatures, Sunset had not needed to install false loyalty... she couldn't even if she tried. Sombra was just too powerful.

So every bit of his loyalty was real. He felt true gratitude towards her for bringing the Subraces together, and bringing back the Yokai... and he could care less if a little mind control was needed to do it.

Standing in the background, were the various S-Rank guard teams. Such as the Sanin of Konoha. The Seven Swordsmen of Kiri. The Akatsuki, a joint operation of races from all over Sunset's domain (The elite of the elite... and their apprentices).

A younger man, appearing just barely in his 30s, spoke on behalf of the Inu, the dog Yokai. "Your highness, well we do not question your judgement, I'm sure many of us are curious. Just what is the point of bringing the Ponies here?"

Sunset smiled, she made the Yokai distrustful of ponies on purpose. It would make it easier to get them to attack them once they are ready.

Another lord spoke up, "It's strange that we have remained hidden within an already secret society, for near a thousand years," as far as the Yokai, or even the newly arrived ponies, knew that was true. "Only to willingly expose ourselves now. Can we really trust these ponies?"

"He has a point." Another insisted, "It seems... strange, to invite these ponies into our homes."

Meanwhile, Sunset could see the pony subraces stiffen. Some glared while others wondered if they traded one form of oppression for another.

"These are not typical ponies," Sunset explained. "True they may be descended from pony-kin, but they have been just as mistreated by them, as yourselves. I am providing them the same sanctuary Starswirl first offered to you. I expect all of you to be respectful of that, and treat them as any other citizen."

There was a choir of "Yes Kage," as if the Yokai were in a school house. Acting like obedient children, after a scolding from a teacher. Magical creatures were a good deal more innocent then humans. So the Yokai reflected that.

However she left their tendencies towards greed and ambition in tact. She believed those would be vital traits, to make them just as inventive as humans, while lowering their capacity for cruelty.

Orochimaru stood, getting all's attention. "That's all well in good, and I am of course happy to welcome the Subponies, who knew oppression on the same level as ourselves, but there is the small matter that, with them, they have brought their more mundane family members, as well. Is this not a security breach?"

Sombra raised an eyebrow, before turning his head to Sunset, "My understanding is you want to rule the mundane ponies. So there shouldn't be an issue with some of them living in your boarders. Besides, not all the children you brought will ascend into their Subspecies. Some will undoubtedly stay as mundane ponies. So you will already have their lot walking around."

Sunset was in full agreement, there really was no harm. As she had already distilled the same loyalty she had in the Yokai, and the Subponies... She figured it would make things easier, if she had some regular ponies on her side. As she wished to use them as spies.

### •

• Later, with Harry.

Harry... had found the Fox Estate... the Kitsune were just through the doors of this tree.

Steeling himself he was about to walk through them, when the doors suddenly opened and something collided with him.

Harry groaned, rubbing his head as he adjusted his now lopsided glasses. Looking up he realized it was Naruto, human form and all, that he collided with. Talk about luck.

"Naruto?" Harry blinked.

"Damn it kit!!!" came a yell as an adult ran towards them, from inside the tree.

Harry quickly closed the doors, to brake the grownup's line of sight. Then he took Naruto by the hand and ran to the back of the tree, before pushing him down into the fog and making a "shhhh" sound while hiding next to him.

Getting the idea, Naruto shifted into his beast form, to better hide. Now he was a yellow fox, with more finger like paws. Ducking into the fog, it was easy for their small bodies to hide this way. Even with the bright as dandelions yellow fur.

Harry then heard the doors open, "Naruto Uzumaki!" the grown fox snapped. "It's bad enough you ditched school, but running out of the tree isn't going to make it any better!" The adult fox began sniffing but the smoke like fog, of the evaporating pedals, masked them.

Another adult fox poked his head out of the tree, "He'll come back when he gets hungry. For now just let him explore. It's not like he is in any danger in the Yggdrasil crossroads."

The first grownup sighed, "I suppose..." still sounding worried though as he wandered back inside, and closed the door behind him.

Immediately lifting his head above the fog, Naruto sighed with relief. Flashing the Draconequus a mischievous smile, "Thanks man. I was in for a world of hurt. My countries guards have been getting better at catching me whenever I try to sneak out. By Starswirl do they need to loosen up!"

... he didn't recognize him... Harry frowned, before looking at his mixmatched paw and claw. Remembering the bloodline power of his species (as he still remembered everything from the brainwashing. He just knew what was real and what wasn't). Harry raised his green fox paw in front of his friend's face.

Building up his magic into his fingers, concentrating hard on what he wanted. With middle finger to thumb... SNAP.

Something in Naruto's eyes shimmered, as a spell broke apart... next thing Harry knew he was on the ground getting punched.

"You selfish prick!" Naruto roared, "I was HAPPY!!! I had a family!!! Why the fuck would you wake me up!?!"

"It wasn't real!!! It wasn't real!!!" Harry repeated, protecting his vital organs in a ball. As he was used to beatings.

Naruto stopped punching, soon after he registered Harry wasn't punching back. Instead he curled up in a ball of his own... and cried... Harry had never seen Naruto cry... not in all the years he had known him... not once...

Harry uncurled and laid on his friend in a hug... it was hard to see him in the fog... "It wasn't real..." Harry repeated one last time.

Naruto sniffled as he tried to get his silent tears under control, "I know..."

### •

• Later Still, in Sunset's Private Floor of Yggdrasil.

"The war with the ponies might still not go in our favor." Sombra explained as he stood in Sunset's personal chambers.

She had stopped others from joining them, so she could speak privately with him.

"Their greatest ally has always been their cutie marks. They don't just show off a talent but magically enhance it... their greatest threat as always been the ponies with a cutie mark in magic.

"If you are open to advice, I would suggest tracing all such marks and bringing them here. Then giving them a bit of... an upgrade. As well as upgrade yourself, then, ditch the crown, it's starting to pollute your mind.

"Once that is done. It is a simple matter of training our forces to attack the Crystal ponies. They are currently having their summit, so it be the best time to get rid of all the world leaders."

"You just want to kill some Crystal ponies." Sunset observed.

"Regardless of my personal motivations. It is the best plan. And we only have a short window before the summit ends."

### •

• Even Later into the day, as the sun lowers, Harry and Naruto are still sneaking across the Yggdrasil Orchard.

"It's getting late..." Naruto observed as the sun quickly lowered.

"We just got to wake up Gaara and Kiba." Harry insisted as they traveled the fog.

"...Should we?"

Harry stopped, and looked back at his friend.

Naruto sighed, "Look I get that Brainwashing is bad but... So what!? Honestly I prefer the life I thought I had... and Gaara... you know the shit Gaara has been through... could you REALLY make him go through that again?"

Harry bit his lip.

"I realize you think you're saving us but..." Naruto trailed off. "Maybe we could just try talking to Sunset. If we get her to remove the crown-"

"Do you really think someone who forcibly transformed millions of people, then proceeded to BRAINWASH all of them, is really someone you can reason with!"

Naruto frowned, then looking up with determination, "I KNOW she is." he spoke with clear conviction.

Harry sighed. Part of him wanted to trust Sunset had their best interests at heart to. "That's just another thing she put in our heads... she isn't actually like that." Harry tried.

Naruto looked to the side, "We can trust her..." he insisted. "Everything she has done so far was to make us happy. Even the fake memories were designed for us to have the most realistic versions of our ideal lives as possible... it's what makes losing that so hard... don't you care at all it's not real? Don't you want to go back to that?"

Harry looked at the fox, "Everything I am, fought against that lie... I'm not even sure if any of them even really knew my parents. I want to know what is real... I NEED to know..."

"... no offense Harry, but if your willing to damn the rest of everyone else's happiness just so YOU know... maybe your the bad guy of this story?" it was more a question then an accusation.

Still Harry flinched... before looking up at the great tree in the center of the clearing... "I have to know..."

### •

• Later that Night, with Sunset.

Cutie Marks in magic came in a larger variety then she imagined... but Sunset couldn't help getting a sick pleasure out of capturing them all.

She stole Magical researchers, those that specialized in certain spells, even magical crafting ponies... these included many of the individuals Celestia had been training for her mass Alicorn plan. Sunset was weakening Princess Sun Butt's station, in more ways then one, with Sombra's suggestion.

Smiling widely she twisted and shaped not only them but herself, 'upgrading' them into a new pony subspecies... Ether Ponies...

### •

• Meanwhile, with Harry.

Kiba finally managed to compose himself. Standing up, the white dog was breathing hard...

"Akamaru... isn't really my brother..." Kiba felt like he would break down all over again.

Harry hung his head, "He's a puppy that wandered on the campus grounds... you snuck food to him."

Sunset brought everyone here, and tracked all their family lines... apparently that included random stray dogs. The entire Inuzuka clan was made up of both dogs, and people, that had been turned into the same species of Yokai

Kiba's eyes were watering, "But I remember. We played together in the parks. We celebrated our birthdays together... we..." Kiba's eyes hardened, "You're trying to trick me. I don't care what you say! THIS IS MY REAL LIFE!" He ran off towards a Shinobi. All the while screaming, "Intruders, villains, spies for the ponies!" and just Harry's luck, the Guards took Kiba seriously.

### •

• Shortly afterwards, in the Dungeons of Yggdrasil.

"I can handle this." Sarutobi glared at the shadow pony.

Sombra scuffed, "You don't even understand what's happening, and as Sunset is indisposed for the night, it is only right her second in command-"

"You are NOT her second in command!" Sarutobi growled. His long monkey tail hitting the floor in irritation. Leaving a dent in the hard rock of the dungeon floors.

"No consideration for the elves." Sombra gave a sly grin at the display of 'power'. He found it cute that the creature thought it could intimidate him, much less compare to him. "As creatures of Ether, Draconequus are technically under Sunset's domain, but as she is indisposed that leaves-"

"The Yokai will handle their own affairs!" The monkey insisted.

"As the Draconequus like to keep to theirs." a voice echoed around them. In a white Flash, Discord appeared.

Both Kages sighed in exacerbation.

Lord Malfoy was beside him, with a hoof full of Draconequus Shinobi behind them.

"I believe you have one of my subjects." Discord grinned.

"Discord!" The Hokage snapped. "Do try to control your miscreants. I realize you Draconequus are all about pranks, but this one went too far! That little brat BRAINWASHED children into thinking their lives weren't real. Honestly! Of all the malicious pranks your clan has pulled, this is the worst! The boys are devastated!!!

"The Inuzuka heir refuses to go near his brother without bursting into tears. Then the Uzumaki heir keeps insisting our rich history, of near a thousand years, never happened!"

LeStrange snorted, "That's a good one," she elbowed her cousin. Black snickered back.

The monkey glared at the Lords turned Shinobi. They were rather infamous for their pranks against other creatures.

"Sirius!" Lucius glared at him.

"What you scolding me for!?" Black gaped. "I didn't say it!"

"Harry is your Godson, so obviously you hold a great deal of sway with him." Lucius pointed out, "If he is coming up with such vindictive pranks, it is no doubt DIRECTLY caused by your influence. We can engage in our pranking culture without being so cruel."

Discord was frowning, deep in thought, "What do you intend to do to Harry?" he eyed the monkey.

Sarutobi stilled looked angry, but after a moment, forced himself to calm. It took very little effort on his part, thanks to his Shinobi training.

The Hokage informed, "I realize you have had a bad experience with the ponies for similar 'pranks gone too far'. However, we Yokai are not like them. We have gotten used to especially over eager abominations being a bit too vindictive with their pranks...

"The boy recieved a spanking when he was arrested. He will spend the night in the comfiest wing of the dungeon, down Juvenile Hall. Where he will receive another spanking at bedtime, then another before he is released tomorrow morning.

"This is just a scare tactic. So that he doesn't try to be so thoughtless with his pranks again, and puts more effort into making sure everyone involved appreciates them... although that never appeared to work with THOSE 2."

Halos appeared over LeStrange and Black's heads, actual floating rings of light.

Sarutobi sighed, "But it is a good deterrent for most... we try to understand the biological need for Draconequus to play pranks. However, we expect them to not be harmful, either mentally or physically. This prank outright scarred the recipients."

Sombra spoke up, "Maybe you would be willing to look over the Victims. Draconequus have very impressive mental magics. It is near impossible to detect. So you can imagine it is less then easy for even the Love Bugs to break."

Discord got what the Shadow pony was REALLY asking of him... but could he honestly reset the brain washing?

Discord looked over at Lucius, "Check on Harry, I'll be along shortly." then disappeared in a flash of light.

### •

Discord reappeared in the Hospital floor of the great tree. Where several colorful beetle ponies, were casting various diagnostic spells on the children. The mental magics Sunset originally cast on them were too powerful to be detected by even the most advanced healers, much less broken.

They were so naturally engrained in the former humans' brains that they might as well appear real... yet Harry woke up from it... then proceeded to break through not one but 2 other boys out of it... just how powerful was that child?

Wizards were naturally more powerful then ponies. Where ponies are great with their cutie mark magics, human wizards had far more versatile abilities, while also having larger reserves. They might as well all have cutie marks in magic... then the humans all got a power boost from their new anatomy, with their fingers acting as the focus for some truly complex spell work.

Draconequus were even more so. Well not to Discord's level, they could make much of what they imagined real by a snap of their fingers.

Just how powerful was that luck rune to make it so Harry got turned into the most magically powerful race, to amplify his already overwhelming magical power.

Sunset could have chosen any of the children from the school. She even could have picked a member of the staff instead of a kid... but no... she chose, by sheer fluke, the wizards to be Discord's Draconequus...

"Discord!!!"

The god looked over at the tallest of the Love Bugs. "King Thorax?" Discord acknowledged.

"Thank goodness you're here." Thorax sighed with relief, strangely not scared at his first encounter with the god of chaos. "I knew Draconequus were powerful but we can't even detect the slightest trace of the brain washing spell!"

"THAT'S CUZ I'M NOT BRAINWASHED!!!" The little yellow fox insisted from his place on a nearby table. "YOU LOT ARE!"

Thorax eyed the Draconequus, "The boy is so convinced, I actually tested some of the Yokai to see if they really are the ones who were brainwashed! I know it was ridiculous but he is just so sincere." Thorax blushed.

"Well?" Discord eyed. "Did you find anything?"

Thorax snorted, "No, and I have my doubts even an Alicorn would have the power to brainwash creatures on the scale the boy is describing." The Element of Harmony certainly could. While ponies only used it for parlor tricks and to banish their more powerful foes... likely because they knew using it the way Sunset was would have consequences to the Cosmic scales. "I imagine you could do it, but-" Thorax snorted. "Why would you want to?"

Discord resisted the urge to sigh. If there was one thing he wasn't, it was a liar. However he could omit the truth, or just not answer. "Let's see my patient."

Discord disappeared in a flash and reappeared a few feet away, in front of the fox child. "Privacy please!!!" whipping the curtains closed... curtains that had not been there a moment ago. Discord looked at the child, that was scooting away from him. "Do you want to go back?"

Naruto blinked, "Back?"

"I can do one of two things. I can snap my fingers, and make everyone remember their horrible lives. Lives of cruelty and poverty and abuse... or I can reset the reality Sunset gave you."

Naruto... blinked, "You're asking me?"

"I'm having trouble judging the right thing in this situation. I need a mortal's perspective."

Naruto got quiet, thinking long and hard, "It's not real..."

Discord scuffed, "How do you define 'Real'. Not to go all Matrix on you, but real is nothing more then electrical impulses interpreted by your brain. Your memories, Your Reality, your very history. That is all a matter of perspective.

"Should the rape victims that live here be made aware of what happened to them in their former life. Should the cripples be forced to lose the use of their legs because how they got them is 'unethical'. Should the mentally handicapped lose their now genius level IQs? Everyone here... they are so happy... blissful in the Illusion..."

"... does it have to be an Illusion?" Naruto asked.

Discord eyed, motioning his paw for the boy to continue.

"Well, Sunset only has one of the elements of Harmony, and look what she's done... despite that thing driving her mad... I mean... you're a real god, right? Couldn't you mess with history to make everything Sunset said really truly real?"

Discord sighed, "That would just create an Alternate Reality. The past is history that can't be altered, not even by gods, where the future is a billion trillion different possibilities, always changing. The present is what is actually happening. I can do a few cheap tricks with the flow of time, but I can't alter the functional laws of the universe... not without breaking it entirely and starting from scratch."

Naruto eyed him a moment, "And what's wrong with creating an alternate reality? Send us there, make it our history, give me my family... and my friends."

Discord nodded raising his talon, "You sure this is the right choice?"

"There is no 'right choice'," Naruto insisted.

Discord sighed, thinking on it a moment longer. "Technically, Sunset already created 42 pocket dimensions, in the trees of Harmony. I could rewrite each of them, making their history's more 'real'. But keeping the portals open to this reality."

Naruto shrugged, "Since your already bucking with reality, might as well give all of Atlantis its own pocket dimension. Maybe leave the horse statue as an anchor to this new pocket dimension."

Discord still felt this wasn't the answer... but there was no answer, Sunset had truly bucked with these people's minds, to the point repairing them would do greater damage.

"You won't remember this talk... but you'll remember your friends," Discord promised, before snapping his fingers.

Chapter 8: Gods' Plan, gone awry

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The Ether ponies were complete. They looked much like an Alpha Kirin. They had a Kirin's cloven hooves, bushy lion-like manes and tails, dragon-esque scales on their muzzles and backs, and a curved horn capable of casting magic.

However, they also had dragon wings, a tall slender body, a little less then a foot taller then Celestia. With their mane/tail made of colorful flowing energy. Like a mix of a shadow pony, and a mature Alicorn.

Their sheer power was on par with the Draconequus , although not Discord himself.

It was easy to changed their biology... their minds were another matter. That would take time... time she didn't have.

At first Sunset thought, it was because the Ether ponies were now too powerful, but she soon realized... this wasn't coming from them... There was some kind of... shield. A shield in their minds, specifically attuned to her own magic. Her own mental magics, and her's alone, couldn't work on these ponies.

Thankfully she was able to install the loyalty into them, as that was a biological need, and not true brainwashing. A genetic instinct to remain loyal to the Kage. It was part of their DNA, not a mental illusion... but even that twisted beyond her control...

They were now attracted to an alpha, the most powerful magic user of their species. That might, currently, be herself, but who can say when she takes off the crown.

Now that she was an Ether pony, it was unlikely she could be replaced. Her own power went up by a factor of 500. Where Draconequus were creatures of Chaos, Ether ponies were creatures of the more neutral force of magic, itself.

Sunset tried to break through, to twist their minds to her will, but something was stopping her. Could it be the Ether ponies themselves?... no... this wasn't coming from them...

Turning her head, she felt the surge of magic, as something broke all of her brainwashing spells. It didn't take much to guess what could cause this.

"Discord-" She growled out as the Ether ponies started looking around, confused and groaning. Just before they disappeared, along with Sunset, herself.

### •

Sunset groaned, rubbing her eyes, as she got out of bed. Freezing as she heard someone else groan. Looking back at her bed, she saw Flash, snuggled up in her covers... still wearing his "Uniform"... and sleeping soundly.

That's when it hit her, the full extent of everything she had done. Sinking to the floor, she began to sob.

She remembered everything. Everything Discord wanted her to remember, and much of what he didn't.

In this reality, Sunset had been alive 1200 years, as the first of the Ether Ponies. Taken on as an apprentice to Celestia... although on the insistence of Star Swirl the bearded.

Sunset had been watching over the Yggdrasil Orchard, ever since She ran away from Celestia... some 800 years ago.

Said Orchard was the only thing under the surface of the Earth's oceans. Each tree leading to a different pocket dimension. With the "Estates" turned into proper villages and cities, within their own Star Cluster sized continent for each species. Each separated by a vast ocean.

Atlantis had been cut up, and divided into their appropriate environment tree. With each of its own species, being given one of these continents, fused into their own country.

Each of the cities, were connected by a faster then light train network. With these trains even traveling between continents.

Each clan, within every estate, of every city state, had their own green houses, similar to the ones Sunset designed.

However, gold, with magical residue from being grown, could not, legally, be used to make currency. These bars were used for building material, or decoration, and were of much less value then mined gold.

### •

Each City State, was ruled over by a Prince or Princess. Where the continent itself, was ruled over by a King or Queen. Then the Tree's dimension, was ruled over by a Kage.

Each with a council, to keep them in check, made up of both Elected officials, and nobles.

Most of whom were the same as Sunset established, in her Illusion, but not all of them. As power level was no longer relevant to position. Although it played a role, more often then not.

There was a capital city, in the middle of the center continent, where the ruler of that tree lived and governed.

With the Yggdrasil Orchard, itself, being the capital of all Atlantis, and center of trade. Where global laws were discussed. With each city, of every species, having their own voice on the council, along with the Kings or Queens, and the Kages.

While Sunset ruled over them all, as Kami.

### •

Power Levels, from lowest to highest, were as follows: D Rank, C Rank, B Rank, A Rank, S Rank, Kage Rank, Kami Rank, and finally Deity Rank.

An S Rank could destroy a Moon, to a planet. Where a Kage could destroy a Solar system, to a Star Cluster. A Kami could destroy a Galaxy, to all galaxies. Where a Deity could destroy a universe, to potentially thousands of universes.

Most S Rank individuals, operated as champions of their species. With the majority living quiet lives. Answering the call when needed, then going back to their humble homes.

On their own, each of the Element Bearers were enhanced to S Rank. Then bumped up to Kami level, while wielding their elements together.

Usually a Kage Rank individual, ruled over their creatures' continent, though not always. Same with Kami rank, ruling over all of their Harmony Tree.

A Yokai's magic is directly connected to their physical power. Potentially that means their physical and magical limits, are capable of endlessly growing. There are many Yokai ranked at 'S' level. Such as the leaders of each clan... Which makes them as powerful as a fledgling Alicorn. Or a Draconequus Lord.

Those at Kami Level, would match thousand year old Alicorns. Whom were in their Prime, such as Princess Luna. Or King Sombra, blessed by the gods of Justice, into a spirit of Vengeance.

The only thing more powerful then a Kami, is a true god. Such as Discord, and the other deities that gained physical form, due to Discord tampering with reality.

Yokai might be powerful but they don't have the reality bending magics of unicorns. However, they can use hand-signs to channel their own internal magics, in quite destructive ways. As well as superior healing techniques.

### •

The Orchard was now refered to as "Atlantis", while the giant tree in the center is still called "Yggdrasil".

The subponies had always lived in their appropriate tree, having successfully used them to flee from the Crystal Ponies. But for the past 1000 years, they had lived in blissful ignorance of their former oppressors.

Beyond those, rather large changes, the dimensions were still as Sunset designed.

At the heart of each center continent, within each dimension, there was a Crystal Harmony Tree. Constantly dropping cherry blossoms, that dissolved into fog.

However each of these trees also grew their own version of "The Elements of Harmony". With each jewel representing different Cosmic Laws, powering their own Cosmic Force.

### •

● Cosmic Forces:
and the Cosmic Laws that Power them. There are 42 of these Forces, but they won't all come into play. These are just some examples.

• Harmony:
Friendship / Magic, Laughter, Loyalty, Honesty, Generosity, and Kindness.

• Chaos:
Luck / Magic, Choice, Fun, Creation, Destruction, and Change.

• Life:
Mind / Magic, Time, Space, Energy, Matter, and Physics.

• Love:
Restoration / Magic, Parenthood, Childhood, Marriage, Creativity, and Kindness

• Nature:
Electromagnetism / Magic, Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Darkness.

• Peace:
Forgiveness / Magic, Justice, Law Enforcement, Change, Free Will, and Fate.

### •

Each of these Crystal Trees, stored not only their elements, but a portal, in their trunk, leading to the Atlantis Orchard.

Within each pocket dimension, a cosmic entity manifested. Representing the Cosmic Force of the Tree. Although the Entities are more then capable of leaving the tree that birthed them.

While the horse statue, on the surface, still leads to the mirror portal. It is now kept in the vaults of Yggdrasil, itself.

### •

"You don't have a right to cry," Discord glared, suddenly standing over Sunset.

"I..." Sunset gasped, "I remember everything!"

Discord sighed, "As does Harry, and myself, and Sombra, and about a few dozen other people, in a population of a billion, but no one else. Not even your Flash."

"Why?" Sunset begged.

Discord shrugged, "Your magicks are too powerful, your protections too great. I could influence the reality around them, but the minds of Kage power levels, and higher, couldn't be affected. I'm visiting them all, right now, to make sure they don't do anything stupid.

"I may have taken the element from you. But you used its to permanently boost your power level, and those that deeply wanted it, as well. I was able to alter your history, but not your Awareness that it was altered.

"Unfortunately, I couldn't repair the mental trauma, without destroying more of their lives. So I rewrote reality instead. Everything you wanted are within these connected dimensions..."

Sunset sobbed, unable to comprehend how that power boost could compromise her morals so entirely.

Discord sighed, "I'm not a monster. So I'll give you a gift." He snapped his fingers, and Flash suddenly sat up in a... well, in a flash.

Before the Stallion could even register What's happening, Discord disappeared, in his own flash. This one of light.

### •

Flash gulped, hesitantly looking at Sunset... who felt her heart yearn for him.

... Flash... her Flash... in this reality, Flash had been a gift, from the Crystal Ponies. Sunset never met him before that. He had forgotten all their history, no, it never happened to begin with... having him with her, like this, was some kind of Divine punishment.

Flash looked at her, with a surprising amount of comprehension in his eyes. A familiarity, this version of him, hadn't earned. Taking another gulp, Flash spoke. "I... I remember..." and those words somehow made it both better and worse.

### •

• Meanwhile, within the private Wing of Yggdrasil, for the Forest Tree:

This "Celestia" was easily as tall as a half giant, while in her human form. Though most ponies seemed to be average human height, while in such a form. The very fact they had a human form, was what made the Wizards more accepting of these creatures. It's not like there wasn't a precedent of Wizards giving beings, with human forms, full rights as wizards. Such as the Veela.

These ponies were just as beautiful, with magics that were well respected by all beings of Atlantis.

This woman, had once been Kami Level, in her "Youth". However, her power had greatly waned, in the thousand years since her prime. But She retained her position as "Kage" over the Forest Tree.

Albus had requested this meeting with her, in an attempt to get her approval, of allowing the Wizards to move into one of the uninhabited continents, of her tree.

It was of great fortune, that beings of Atlantis, were having a Summit, to discuss global matters.

The Wizards had discovered a portal, hidden in a statue, after the destruction of the City of Konoha.

Soon after, they had gotten into talks with the residents of Atlantis, for near a week now... with fear gripping their hearts, as salvation was in sight.

Albus smiled, his grandfatherly smile, at the tall woman, getting one such smile in return. She was just as skilled with words as himself... perhaps better, given she had thousands of years of experience.

### •

Albus lost his smile, and choked on his tea in shock. "You can WHAT!?"

Celestia, however, continued to smile, "All creatures of Atlantis have a higher understanding of magical genes. Through our treatment of the fallen child," Speaking of the wizarding child that first stumbled into their world...

Harry Potter, as far as Wizards knew, had appeared to make one last act of Sacrifice. Accidentally getting in touch with the beings of Atlantis.... which led to muggles growing fearful, and killing the child, when the Atlanteans returned him. Which led to King Sombra, annihilating the entire city.

Harry... simultaneously revealed the Wizarding World, and brought them a true escape from Muggles. These beings were near desperate to save wizards, as the wizards desired to be saved... although there were complications... That the residents of Atlantis were equally desperate to solve.

Celestia continued, "We learned of Wizards affliction with a recessive gene. My ponies can turn it into a more dominant trait through magical gene therapy. We can do the same for all 'Squibs' and their 'muggle' descendants. This will make it far less likely, a child will be born without magic. And if one is, we have treatments for such afflictions."

Yes... wizards would bow before what this woman could promise them. It was far more tempting then even what the Dark Lord promised. Both Light and Dark wizards would lose all resolve at such an offer. Albus just hoped the price wasn't too high.

"What would you like in return?" Albus asked, warily... while knowing if she asked for his soul he would gladly surrender it.

"You are the... 'Supreme Mugwump' of this 'International Confederation of Wizards'. You are the leader of all the wizarding nations, correct?" She smiled at him as she drank her tea, oddly holding the cup in her magic with far more grace then fingers.

Albus admitted, "I am more along the lines of a chairman. I act as a guiding voice for order, but can't really dictate the votes."

"Still you hold influence over the Confederation?" Celestia asked.

"A good deal, I will admit." Albus confessed.

"Then I would like you to put that to work," Celestia shrugged. Somehow even making that look graceful. "I am having a bit of trouble, convincing your nations to allow us to bring them down here. Many of them refuse to give up their power over the other surface creatures. They want to join us, but don't want to allow the others to leave your rule. I would ask you to make them... reconsider."

"And if they relent? If we agree to bow down to your Summit?-"

"I think you misunderstand the Summit. We are much like your Confederation. We are a union of nations. While we have agreed upon laws, we are largely independent creatures. What we want is all the creatures, you recognize as beings, to be allowed to return to their racial counterparts governments. If you hoofed over these creatures, we would be most grateful"

Albus nodded, then finished his sentence. "You will put an end to children being born without magic if we relent?"

"We can't fix everything. Deformities in the magical pathways are still near impossible to treat, but making a single gene more active? That is well within our knowledge. It's a good deal trickier with 3rd chromosome chains, but your genetics aren't nearly so complex. Equestria would be willing to activate the gene, across your entire species, after bringing you here. Then, you can rule over your nation as you see fit."

"We are a cast based society-"

"Which is exactly why the Summit is so adamant, you agree to let the other creatures return, where they actually belong, before we admit you into our domain."

"What I mean is, we would have to completely rethink our government," Albus sighed. "This would be worth the trouble, but it would be madness to set up.

"While most would merely struggle to maintain power, others might try to elevate themselves. This will cause massive in fighting, when we need to be prompt in evacuating before the muggles find the rest of us. Not to mention we would have to think what to do with the House Elves. Quite frankly, they don't WANT to have their own government apart from wizards."

Celestia smiled, "I understand that you originally built this system to protect yourselves, from the non-magicals, but in our world, such a goal is obsolete. The Summit would be willing to help you, and all creatures that part from your rule. That includes making a smooth transition as separate societies."

Albus sighed, "Why are you so adamant that we cannot just continue as we are?"

"Because most of those creatures you rule over, have powerful governments down here. And those governments want their surface counterparts back. It's about reuniting civilizations, not tearing yours apart." Celestia insisted.

### •

• Over the next 6 Months.

The Wizards finally agreed to the terms, and almost immediately, did the real work begin.

The various races of Atlantis gathered their surface counterparts. Placing runes around the surfacers' territories. So that Elder Dragons, and other Kage Class beings, could fuel the magic, and teleport them down in their own countries, in newly spliced together city states. A new city state, representing each country. Given how small the populations were, it was easy enough to settle them.

The Wizards had more complete maps of the entire surface world... places the Atlanteans just missed when they first left the surface. Magical environments that the Wizards had forced creatures into, for their own protection from the muggles.

Ancient runes could move cities, even entire forest... new ones can transport entire family lines, if need be. Starswirl made them, in case they ever had to evacuate to another dimension...

This spell had helped the Atlanteans worked to bring all species to their own private continent, within the Crystal Trees. Then, they placed runes around all the towns, shopping areas, neighborhoods, farms, and lone buildings that belonged to them.

That way The Kage Level ponies, could splice them together into cities, separating them by country.

The Wizards were the most work... and the ones to complain the most. On their insistence, separate cities were built for the Squibs of each nation, as well as the muggle descendants of each nation. Despite them now having magic. However, the Wizards were forced to acknowledged these as proper city states, with governments that could vote on Wizarding Law.

Afterwards the various Element Bearers, for each tree, cast a calming spell on the citizens, and used some mental magics to explain what is going on. It didn't hurt that the Atlanteans offered to build their dream businesses, complete with a fully stocked inventory and House Elves to work them.

Later, they had healers come into the cities to treat the Wizard's dormant and recessive genes. They also upgraded their digestive system, and better balanced their magical genes... the Anthropologist were not particularly happy when they learned about that.

It wasn't as if they wanted humans to suffer through gross stuff coming out their butts. But They wanted to spend the next few millenniums studying the natural evolution of magic.

However, the residents of the Forests Tree (Where the humans moved to) felt it better not to use the magical humans as guinea pigs.

Regardless, the Wizards, and their muggle descendants, were soon flourishing. As were the other races. They were able to adjust well, into the paradise that was Atlantis.

The ponies were particularly helpful, setting up a new government for the humans, similar to their own.

One with nobles on a council 'advising' the elected official of each city state. Then the officials ruling on a Senate of advisors to their Supreme Mugwump, elected by the nobles.

While all the creatures the wizards once ruled over, reunited under their Atlantean counterparts.

Yes, Evolution had altered the tribes a bit, but they were all welcome and met with open arms...

It was a shock, that house elves insisted on staying with the wizards, instead of returning to their fellow mer... strange little things but it is not polite to judge another's culture.

The surface Goblins have been creating House Elves, based on some secret Cauldron Brew. Well the ponies may not approve, all other creatures have indulged in their purchase.

The wizards insist the use of House Elves allows their creatures to devote themselves to the study of higher things, such as art and magical pursuits...

It would be worrisome, if one never spoke to a House Elf. The very notion Celestia wanted to take them away from their wizards frightened them to their core...

Unfortunately, while Atlantis entered a new golden age, human muggles did not react well at the disappearances of so many environments and homes... especially since such complex teleportation magics leave craters behind.

It was likely the attacks on the Wizarding families weren't done by any government, but rather a Rogue terrorist faction... The muggle governments decided to go to war.

Nukes were not launched, thankfully, but other bombs were used, which destroyed every major city on the planet... and even a good few smaller towns near military outpost. The humans now live purely in unorganized, warring, city states. As they compete for resources... all the governments of the surface were lost.

### •

• Within the Ether:

"DISCORD!!!" a majestic unicorn raged, as she fired magical blast at the Draconequus god.

Discord yelped, as he was repeatedly hit by spells powerful enough to destroy solar systems. Yet to him they felt more like a childish Stinging hex.

"OW!!! Destiny!!! Really!!! Control yourself!!!" Discord yiped, as he attempted to dodge the spells... Every one that missed him, ended up causing a star in the Andromeda galaxy, to go Supernova.

However pissed Destiny was, she was making sure not to fire, if Discord got to close to an inhabited system. Noticing this, Discord hid behind a planet she particularly liked.

"COWARD!!!" Destiny raged, her horn glowing.

"I really don't see what you're so mad about." Discord waved his lion paw.

"You caused World War Three 167 years before it was supposed to happen!!!" Destiny roared, "You have any idea how many fates I crafted that will simply NEVER come true now. You're worse then CHOICE!!! At least when he messes with my things it isn't on a global scale!"

Discord rolled his eyes, just as a snake slithered between them. "I wouldn't go that far." smirk the Snake, "What about that Hitler fellow. Didn't you want him to be a famous painter? I thought I did some pretty impressive work with him." smiled the spirit of free will.

Destiny screamed.

"Look it wasn't me!" Discord swore. "I have been trying to limit my collateral damage!"

Choice rolled his eyes, "You used to be fun, man." before slithering to the far side of the realm. That way Destiny couldn't see him give an evil dictator the opportunity to repent... he probably wouldn't take it but the option was there... and if he did something so unexpected, Destiny would be all kinds of pissed. Nothing made Choice happier then outwitting the goddess of fate.

"If it wasn't you then WHO!?" Destiny demanded, not noticing Choice slither off. That bastard was too sneaky for her.

"Why don't you ask Lady Luck over there!" Discord glared at a spot that suddenly flashed white.

There now stood an albatross, goddess of luck. An entity just as unpredictable as Discord and Choice.

"Fortuna!!!" Destiny glared.

The albatross waved a wing dismissively. "Collateral damage, I assure you. There is a child with legitimately endlessly good luck!!!"

Destiny rolled her eyes, "What's that got to do with anything."

"Well, after he had an abomination sucked out of his head. Which remind me to tell Grim." The god of death. "He'll be thrilled to learn where that wretch that cheated him got to."

Fate was most certainly NOT going to remind her, because Voldemort was part of her design... Grim wouldn't be too happy with her, if he learned she deliberately created a mortal to 'cheat' him.

Voldemort was supposed to cause another wizarding war, which would have led to wizards being discovered by muggles, which in turn would have led to a utopian paradise. With Harry Potter leading over a golden age, as Sorcerer Supreme of the world.

Harry was suppose to be this generations Merlin, doing what Dumbledore failed, and paving the way for a better future for the entire planet. World War 3 was SUPPOSED to be about things falling to shite, after Harry died of old age. Only for another savior to appear a few decades later. It was an important and meticulous cycle that Choice kept interfering with!!!

"Anyway," Fortuna waved off her thoughts of Grim. "I had a lot more free range with the boy. Been having fun with that. Led the wizards to stumble on the portal and then brought them down to Atlantis. This way they have a few years to learn true magical theory, so they can teach Harry more advanced spells, in an easier to understand way. One could claim it was all extremely lucky."

"What about the billions that died!?" Destiny raged. "I had such PLANS for them. Plans millions of years in the making!!! With Trillions of possible paths for each, and let's not forget their descendants that will now never be born!!!"

Discord frowned, "Maybe I should see if Grim needs any help. I imagine he is rather busy." before disappearing in a flash of light.

"Look," Fortuna tried. "All I did is help Harry. It's hardly my fault if the muggles overreacted and chose to-"

"CHOICE!!!" Fate raged and disappeared in a flash of her own, looking for Choice.

Fortuna sighed.

"Technically, it was all three of your faults." Fortuna stiffened and looked behind her. The white Alicorn of Fausticorn was suddenly standing behind her.

"They did seem a bit... unlucky." Fortuna smirked but, seeing The spirit of Harmony's disapproving face, she switched gears. "Look, you're the one that is always talking about 'cosmic balance'. That's all I was doing. With all the fortune that hit the magicals, someone had to be... unfortunate. But it was their leaders choices if and where the bombs dropped... and if Discord hadn't been grooming that Potter boy against his destiny-"

"As I said, all of your faults." Fausticorn shook her head. Then with a sigh, "Sometimes I feel like the mother of the gods."

Fortuna smiled, "Well it is your job to show us 'balance'. Sounds like an apt title for you."

"And is that what you think you did by killing all those people? By bringing the wizards to Atlantis. By destroying Destiny's tabistry for the next 200 years?" Fausticorn eyed, much the image of a disappointed mother.

Fortuna muttered, with a smirk, "More like the next 5 billion." But seeing Fausticorn's added displeasure, the goddess of luck sighed. "Perhaps we did go a little Overboard..." she admitted, "But it was just the one planet!" She defended, "There are trillions more!!!"

Fausticorn gave her... THE LOOK!!!

Fortuna crumbled, "I'll help Destiny set up a new 'cosmic plan', even push things in her favor." 'So long as it doesn't involve Harry Potter... that boy is MINE' She thought with a huff. Discord and Destiny kept trying to claim him, but the boy was literally marked by luck... it wasn't like it was uncommon, for gods to fight over champions.

"You also realize, that Naruto boy, wasn't suppose to achieve magical Awareness until his 42nd reincarnation." Fausticorn didn't really ask.

Fortuna held up her wings as if they were hands, "Now that was all Choice!!! He's the one that gave Sunset the idea to go all psycho and bring back the Yokai."

Fausticorn smiled, "You sure you want to give your brother 100% credit for creating us by way of Paradox?"

"...Well maybe me and Discord helped to... YOU KNOW DESTINY WANTED TO HAVE TWILIGHT FOLLOW SUNSET TO THE PORTAL!!! That would have ruined EVERYTHING!!! We would have lost our bodies!!!"

"She just believes it would be more difficult for you, to interfere with her designs, if you couldn't physically interact with the mortal plane... and she has a point. Though I am grateful, these forms offer a lot of temptation. Try to be more understanding, instead of proving her right, by breaking her toys."

Fortuna groaned, "Yes Ma'am"

"Now go get Order, and help Destiny reestablish some kind of balance for Earth."

Fortuna groaned more. Then said, with equal parts sarcasm and endearment, "Yes Mum." While contemplating what a kill joy Order was.

Chapter 9: Talk of Crystal Ponies

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• 6 Months Later:

"Your Highness?" Shining Armor asked, as he stepped into Sunset's study. "are you okay? You've been kinda out of it lately?

Sunset sighed, "You needn't worry Shining. It's more personal matters." She didn't look up from the reports she was filling out.

Shining smiled, "you know, you could always have Shadow Clones fill out the paperwork." A spell she perfected, thanks to the Element of Magic.

"It helps me remember," Sunset insisted.

"Remember what?" Shining asked.

"My Sins," Sunset wanted to say, but kept it too herself. Scribbling down on the scrolls.

Shining sighed, "Anyway, I'm here to inform you, the Kages have started to arrive, for tomorrow's Gala.... along with their various nobles, and elected officials."

Sunset stopped writing. Looking up, she asked the Stallion. "Is the Crystal Princess with them?"

Shining blushed. "Yeah, along with several important nobles and ambassadors from the Winter Tree... along with a bucking town's worth of guards. My guard is showing them to their quarters, and I'll be leaving shortly, to convince the Night Tree to meet with Cadence, and allow her an Embassy in their capital."

Sunset studied the detached Stallion. "Aren't you happy to see your wife?" she asked.

Shining Armor shifted, "I am... but I don't know, something just compels me to stay here."

Sunset groaned. Leaving her table, her long dragon wings stretched out, before folding back in place.

Shining, in this reality, had been born in Yggdrasil, like his sister, Twilight Sparkle, and their parents before them. However, Twilight was born a regular pony, and didn't have her chromosomes activated. As she got her Cutie Mark first.

Then Twilight went to Celestia's school, as a transfer student... while Shining went to a college there. There, he met Cadence... one of many Alicorns.

Sunset might have taken all the ponies Celestia intended, in the original reality, but in this one, Celestia, to, got her dreams answered. That included a more benevolent, second, Alicorn Dynasty.

Cadence and Shining later got married, without the Changeling invasion, and later still went to the Crystal Empire. This time, when it returned, it appeared in the Winter Tree. Cadence became the Crystal Princess.

Soon after, Cadence got the Crystal Empire recognized by the Yukikage, the Snow Kage, herself. A majestic Ice Maiden, named "Koyuki Kazahana"...

Although outside the land of snow, others were hesitant to trust the Crystal Ponies again. Mostly due to Sombra's influence.

Cadence was trying to reintroduce the Crystal Ponies, to the rest of Atlantis... particularly trying to make Peace with the Nocturnal Tree.

Shining was in Yggdrasil, as the Ambassador for the Crystal Empire... and, more recently, as Captain of Sunset's royal guard.

Neither Cadence, Nor Shining, knew this reality was any different. Cadence believed Shining had followed the Ether ponies to improve relations with the other races. which the ruling class were reluctant to allow.

"Don't lie?" Flash smiled, Skipping into the room. "You practically hugged her to death when you saw her."

Shining sighed, "It's hard, only being able to see her through potion calls."

Flash gave a knowing smile, only for Shining to burst his bubble with, "Shouldn't the royal consort, be getting ready for the Gala? I hear it takes an entire day, to brush his fur."

Sunset got a lustful blush, as she imagined Flash wearing his uniform.

Flash just groaned in embarrassment. Then glared at Sunset. "Can't you PLEASE add some pants to that get up!" he more demanded then asked.

Sunset continued to blush, as she imagined the unaltered uniform... as only a virgin could... despite having memories of bearing quite a few children. She was 1200 after all.

"Would you be so willing to disregard our traditions?" Sunset teased.

Flash threw up his arms, and started to march out of the room... looking upset.

"You can throw on some white briefs, to wear under the loincloth." Sunset allowed.

Flash gave a sigh of relief, as well as a single nod, before leaving to get dressed. As his biggest complaint about the "Royal Consort Uniform" was every creature could see his... EVERYTHING!!! While in Pony form, those parts were internal, like a reptiles. As well as being covered by fur... such parts were well hidden.

A Consort's uniform hid none of that!!! so undergarments were much appreciated.

### •

• Later, that Night.

"I know Crystal Ponies," Sombra growled as the Night Council went over their monthly discussions. These usually lasted a week.

In a rare sight, all who could be present, were. All the Kings, Queens, Princes, Princesses, elected officials, and even the clan heads.

The Nightmare Kage, was sitting on her throne, staying largely neutral in this. Luna, in this reality, had never turned into Nightmare Moon, and so had never been banished. Instead, she went to the Nocturnal Tree, and was welcome to rule over their eternal night.

There she practiced dark magic, and found a way to give herself eternal youth. The ritual didn't actually extend her lifespan, it just made it so she would stay in her prime. Once she reached the age she was destined to die at, she would just drop dead. However, until then she would stay in her prime.

She had ruled for a thousand years, and would rule for a thousand more.

Sombra, King of the Shadow ponies, might be equal in power to Luna, but he actually agreed. She made a much better Kage... as it allowed him to focus on his fallen children, brought back to this new reality... His Shadow Ponies... returned to him.

The other rulers were debating the vote, before they were expected to make it, at the end of the week.

Shining's proposal was tricky. The entire Nocturnal Tree, was split. King Sombra, was having trouble, convincing the other rulers, of the folly of Shining's plan.

As with all decisions, the topic was debated, until there was a 70 percent majority vote, on either side.

Shining had been pushing this for weeks... and it looked like he was slowly convincing the council more and more.

However, every time Shining made a good argument, Sombra would openly reject it, and no progress would be made. The discussions seemed to be strictly between those two. With the rest just listening, trying to understand why both were so adamant.

Still, Sombra was a proper King over a respectable country, where as Shining was merely the acting ambassador, not even an officially appointed one. He merely spoke for the Crystal Ponies, because he just happened to be the only crystal citizen brought here. That he just happened to be an Ether pony gave him slightly more credibility.

Then he just happened to be the husband of the Crystal Princess. It was a lot of coincidences that gave this Stallion a voice.

"There is a reason Crystal Ponies have been excluded from Sunset's court." Sombra scoffed. Speaking with a great deal of disdain, at the very idea of allowing Shining to open an Embassy in the Night Tree.

"Yes," Shining Armor eyed him. "Because YOU asked her not to."

Sombra gritted his teeth, "The Crystal Ponies are cruel creatures, obsessed with purity and light magics. They despise anything 'grey' in their presence, and are outwardly violent to anything 'dark'. They make no distinction between that and Evil.

"The Yokai are born of chaos magic, as are most of the sub ponies. The Crystal ponies believe this is an affront to their purity. They exterminated us once already. I will not allow them to devour this new generation of chaos sapients."

"YOU!" Shining Armor nearly forgot himself. "You only have one vote. It is not up to you if the Crystal ponies set up an embassy."

Sombra tsked, "It is a matter of common sense that their should not even BE a vote." The rulers looked affronted.

Sombra attempted to recover. "Shining muddies the issue. He claims, because the genocide was a thousand years ago, that you should ignore their crimes. I must remind you that the Crystal Empire was displaced in time during those thousand years.

"The ponies that waged war against your predecessors are still very much alive and, for them, no more then a year has passed. They may have a new ruling government, to keep them in check, but they are still the same ponies who killed off hundreds of races, for no other reason then they were born different to themselves.

"I fought these ponies, in a war that I inevitably LOST. From that experience I can tell you it is not wise to open dialogue with them. They do not wish to conquer. They do not want your land. They want to purge EVERYTHING that is not baked through sunshine and rainbows. They are bigots of the worse kind.

"You just need to look at how they treat their own males to see their cruelty. The fact Shining Armor is still here, instead of back in the Empire with his dominatrix of a wife, should confirm that much to you.

"Even now, I guarantee you, his words are that of an obedient Stallion of the Crystal Empire, beaten into submission. He has no more desire to get us involved with the Crystal Ponies, then he desires to return to them."

The Nobles looked to Shining, their expressions calculating.

Shining stood tall, "I assure you, mighty King Sombra. My words are my own. I am not some beaten down Stallion, too scared to speak my mind. I am the general of Atlantis' armies. The only reason why I am here is to try to open peace talks between our creatures. Because I genuinely believe there is much we can learn from each other. We are better off as allies then enemies.

"But, to address Sombra's other points, I will call my associate. Professor Lyra Heartstrings." Shinning went to the side of the room, and walked past Lyra as she came to stand in front of the council.

Many of the lords looked surprised, as this was the first time Shining got an expert to talk to them as well. Sombra looked annoyed.

"Lords of Nocturne," Lyra opened. "Everything Sombra said is true. However, he neglects to inform you, that The Crystal Empire was not merely moved through time. It was trapped in the Ether, being punished for their horrible crimes."

Sombra scuffed but didn't contradict her.

"It was magic itself which imprisoned them. Using none other then Sombra to inflict their punishment. However, magic released them, because it believes they have paid for their crimes."

"THEY CAN NEVER PAY ENOUGH!!!" Sombra raged.

"It is the pony way to forgive those that wrong us, no matter their crimes. They are punished, and then reformed, through the will of the spirit of justice. If we did not attempt this, then Discord would not be here to look after his Draconequus .

"It's true, the Crystal Empire has committed many atrocities. They are much like the Nazis of the human world in their quest for purity. And, like the Nazis, that government was deposed. Like the Nazis, the Crystal ponies themselves were just as much victims of their cruel government as the German people. Victims of circumstance.

"Unlike the Nazis, these ponies were ALL punished and have repented for their crimes. They suffered in the Ether, tortured by a spirit of vengeance for the atrocities they committed. They have been punished enough, and would not attempt to do that again.

"They wish to make amends, and it is the pony way to give them a second chance. I realize most of you aren't ponies, but as Discord has said. We have the lowest rate of repeat offenders in the cosmos."

### •

The council reached an impasse about what to do regarding the Crystal Ponies. They simply could not agree with this "70 percent majority" rule, it was a wonder they could ever get anything done.

However, Shining did manage to get one minor victory. The council agreed to meet with the Crystal Princess. And conceded to opening trade with the Crystal Ponies. That would (hopefully) lead to a proper embassy. It was a baby step, but it was still a step forward.

"I suppose you will be leaving now?" Sombra grumbled as he walked beside Shining Armor.

Shining did his best not to glare, "While trade is a big step. My ultimate goal is still getting the Crystal Empire an Embassy."

Sombra smirked, "Of course. You have quite the ambitious goal. One might even say 'unattainable'. I wonder how long it will be before your wife calls you back to her, and appoints a more permanent ambassador."

Shining couldn't stop it. His ears pinned, and of course Sombra picked right up on that.

"You are a proper citizen here," Sombra reminded. "It isn't even a matter of requesting it. Your clan would protect you. As your village would defend you."

"You misunderstand." Shining insisted, forcing his ears back up... and maybe getting them to look a tad too perky as a result, "I do not fear my wife-"

"Of course not," Sombra interrupted. "Crystal Stallions never fear their wives, only the lash." Sombra sighed, with false sympathy.

"I. Am. Not. A Slave," Shining glared. "Cadence values my opinion. Don't think I don't know what you're doing. If I choose to stay here, then you get your war. The Crystal Ponies would never tolerate their Crown Prince defecting. I have no wish of allowing that. I have every intention of returning on my own."

"How selfless of you." Sombra looked sympathetic.

Shining scuffed, "We are done here." and begun walking away.

However, he couldn't block out Sombra's final comment. "I suppose that is why you accepted a position as a Captain for the Ether Ponies."

Shining managed to stop himself, from pausing in his steps. He just wanted to pull his weight while he was here... that was the only reason...

### •

• Several Hours Later, at the Gala:

After giving a speech, as part of the opening ceremony to the Gala, Sunset hid in the crowd of ponies... mostly so she wouldn't have to deal with awkward conversations, with Celestia. Princess Sun Butt, wouldn't dare break her image, by risking Sunset making a scene in public... as the 1200 year old filly had done, last time Celestia tried to speak to her.

Unfortunately, not even that was safe, as a far worse pony then Celestia, approached her... Shining Armor's Mom. Oh, Princess Cadence appeared to be with her... lovely.

"We need to talk, your grace." Twilight Velvet looked at her with disapproval. While Cadence shuffled uncomfortably, next to her.

"I'm not sleeping with your son, Misses Shining?" Sunset blurted out with a blush.

In pony society, you were supposed to address a friend's parent by their child's Family Theme. It was supposed to show respect, for both the parent and their child... while also implying the one saying it, acknowledge the other as an authority figure.

That might be improper, for a Head of clan to label herself as beneath a friend's parent. Especially when, both the friend and her parent, were a member of her own clan. But it just kinda slipped out... by the way Velvet's face relaxed, it was clear she appreciated it all the same.

Regardless, Velvet spotted her son and signalled him over. Shining's ears pinned, seeing his mother with his wife and Sunset... that couldn't be good. Families were important in Atlantis, so parents always retained some rights over their children, despite how old they got. Parents were expected to step in and correct their child, even as adults.

Shining had been getting his own lecture, from his dad, for not returning to Cadence sooner. That he was a big Stallion, and couldn't just run away. Especially since there wasn't even a problem with the marriage, but rather the location. That he chose to marry a Princess, and should understand that came with some restrictions...

Dad actually said, that if the restrictions were too much, then Shining should just divorce Cadence. However, at Shining's insistence that he loved her, his dad informed, that meant it was Shining's duty to make it work.

Shining gulped, when he saw his mother wave them over, after she found Sunset. Then the older Stallion, and father, got to work steering Flash and Shining towards the group of mares.

Flash was far more reluctant to get near Cadence. For some odd reason, only Sunset understood. In this reality, Flash had been offered as a gift... but in the original, Flash had basically become a deserter.

Once the Stallions joined the mares, Velvet informed, "We are in quite the pickle here. The Crystal ponies believe that YOU, Kami Sunset, stole two members of Cadence Harem. They have only kept it as rumor so far, but they are getting twitchy. The nobles don't want to bring it up yet, as they consider it a private matter, but if this goes on, it could very well result in riots.

"Especially amongst the Stallions," Night Light sighed. Shining's dad was always one for details. "They believe their Prince, their voice to the throne, was stolen. Appearing to run off with a mare is purely viewed as the mare's fault."

If she wasn't a noble, this would have resulted in decades imprisonment for her... and if this had been a thousand years ago, the Crystal ponies would have demanded a war between tribes. Thankfully the Crystal ponies are trying to be more accepting and forgiving. They still viewed this as a terrible crime, but they want to keep it as an inhouse matter.

"Luckily," Velvet smiled, "We have an idea." then looked at Cadence.

The Princess of love sighed, looking at Sunset, "You need to join my herd."

Sunset blushed, "I'm really not sleeping with your husband!!!" she yelped.

"I know," Cadence nodded. "I trust my Shining, but that doesn't change the public appearance.

"Shining originally stayed with you, to discuss opening trade and establishing an Embassy. but... it's been 6 months without the Crystal Prince in the Empire.

"Rumors have started, that you persuaded the Stallion to join your own Heram. This makes me look weak to my ponies, even if Shining did return with me today... the damage is done.

"However, if you became a legal Mistress to my Heram, it would seem, the reason Shining stayed with you so long, was because we were courting each other.

"The Crystal ponies will believe I was bribing you to enter a political marriage, by letting you... test my favorite husband, along with my earlier gift of the young virgin I recently acquired."

Both Stallions blushed right along with Sunset.

Velvet explained, "Really dear, if you want to keep your special somepony," looking at Flash, then back to Sunset. "this is the only way... without causing an international incident, between two governments that just barely started accepting each other."

Sunset looked at Flash, who was fidgeting. "What do you think?"

"I don't want you to get in trouble," Flash blushed. "Besides, mares are expected to share Stallions... it wouldn't be THAT weird to share you with other Stallions. Plus it would help relationships with the Crystal Ponies..."

Sunset sighed, "Sombra isn't going to be happy about this..."

### •

• After the Gala, At the Ether Pony Compound.

"My apologies if I overstepped." Sombra gave a brief bow to Sunset.

"I get you don't want our civilization interacting with Crystal ponies." Sunset sighed, as she begun walking through the garden, of her estate. Sombra quickly followed her. "But if you attempt to manipulate my ponies like that again, I will take it as an act of aggression towards my clan."

Sombra raised an eyebrow, "I can assure you. I have no such intention. I spoke purely from a place of concern."

"Shining Armor is my responsibility," Sunset assured him. "If he ever decides to stay with my clan, permanently, is between himself and me. You do more harm then good by stepping in like that."

Sombra looked at her a moment, "You allow other leaders, myself included, our independence when it comes to our ponies... I suppose it is only fair I give you the same courtesy."

"I don't allow anything." Sunset insisted. Then sighed, "Sombra... I couldn't attack the Crystal ponies for you. Not after everything that happened."

Sombra shrugged, "My shadow ponies are safe in my borders. The Yokai, and various subponies, are thriving. I am content with what I did get... but I would prefer it, if you stopped Shining from speaking in my council room, about this Embassy business.

"I will sit back, and allow trade with the Crystal Ponies, if only to keep my fellow leaders happy... but this talk of embassies... it worries me... I see nothing but a repeat of history.

"Before the Crystal ponies attacked, they presented themselves as friends. Then, when they learned of our locations, they attacked without mercy nor warning. It takes great cunning and ruthlessness to exterminate an entire race... and they massacred hundreds of them...

"I know your Shining thinks me cruel, but all I want is for the continued prosperity of the Yokai and Subponies. I know no good will come of dealing with the Crystal Empire."

"... I told you, in confidence, about Shining's internal debate about remaining in Yggdrasil... and you chose to use that as a way to attack and manipulate him."

Sombra's ears pinned, once again. "Forgive me, All Mother, I was acting purely in the interest of our creatures."

Sunset eyed him a moment, he was still bowing to her. With a sigh, she asked, "Please stop doing that."

Sombra quickly got up, ears still pinned.

"You proved to me I can't depend on you as a supportive-" She began to say.

"You can!" Sombra insisted. "It was a one time thing! I swear to Fausticorn, I won't betray your confidence again!"

Sunset sighed, "I don't know why you hold my opinion in such high regard."

It wasn't a question, but Sombra answered regardless, "You brought back a long dead civilization and gave birth to the gods... and you can't see why I think you holy? Magical Artifact or not, you are nothing less then a Prophet!"

Sunset groaned. Sombra remembered everything as well. And true to Discord's belief, knowledge of the former reality proved problematic, in his hooves.

Harry Potter & the Ponies of Atlantis

by ColtKit Productions

Chapter 1: You're a Freak of Nature Harry

Chapter 2: A Relaxing Night, After a Little Theft

Chapter 3: In a Cozy Amount of Trouble

Chapter 4: Sunset's Motivation

Chapter 5: Mad with Power

Chapter 6: Wake Up

Chapter 7: Ignorance is Bliss

Chapter 8: Gods' Plan, gone awry

Chapter 9: Talk of Crystal Ponies

Chapter 10: Villains of Atlantis