Player's Real Name : Wade Watts. Username : Parzival. ID Tag : First to the Key #0000. Avatar Name : Z Pony.

Present Day: 100 years after the AIs took over.

Parzival was blushing, as the rest of the High 5 was laughing at him. They were in the private chat room, of their clan server. So the public debut, of his knew Avatar, would have to wait another day... Thankfully.

"This might be worse then when I caught you over Halliday's lap," Art3mis joked.

Had they really gotten so comfortable with each other? They could joke about what was the lowest point of their relationship.

"Come on Samantha!" Z blushed crimson. His fur changing colors.

She continued to snicker, but got it under control.

"I think he's cute," laughed Sho, in his favorite yellow-ninja-reptile Avatar.

Sho eagerly reached out, and pet Parzival's quills, making the foal's blush deepen. Parzival remembered when Sho was younger then him. And the, now pony, gamer never made fun of the tiny little Asian boy, for it.

Parzival groaned, as the petting made Art3mis burst back into hysterics.

Truthfully, the Avatar Aech designed, wasn't that bad. Parzival had a monkey tail, instead of a pony one. With blue splotches, in the gray fur. As well as long quills, for a mane.

He was a Saiyan pony, which ment (despite not having wings) he could fly, shoot ki blast, and turn "Super Pony", as part of his racial perks.

However, this was a level one Avatar, so he had to unlock all those abilities, as he leveled up... and he really doubted he'd keep this Avatar for longer then he had to.

After Copyright fell, in the 2040s, Hasbro had a field-day, ponifying practically every fictional race in the world, for Generation 10 of the My Little Pony franchise.

Saiyan Ponies weren't planet Busters (as nothing really was in the Oasis) but they were fiercely powerful Avatars.

"You know better then to touch someone without permission," Daito glared at his former apprentice.

Sho rolled his eyes, but stopped petting the pony child. "You're not my mentor anymore! Stop treating me like a child!"

Sometimes, it must really suck, working with people who knew you since you were a real kid. Parzival knew, sometimes, they forgot Sho had grown up, and wanted to stay a grownup.

Meanwhile, Aech smiled at all their friends. Although none of them were harrassing HIM, for wearing a ponified version of his Avatar. Like most things Aech designed, it looked bad ass, despite being a pony. His main Avatar was a Cyborg, so his pony version had cybernetic limbs, and was mostly hairless. Looking like he'd been badly burned... it was one scary pony.

"So what made you want to be a brony," Halliday couldn't hide his own smile.

"I'm being punished," Parzival muttered.

Aech explained, "He thought it was okay to publicly tease me about my 'cyber-pony' Avatar. So I decided to ponify his own Avatar."

The others snickered.

Thankfully, Sho spoke up. Looking at Aech, Sho asked, "Don't you think that's too harsh for a little teasing?"

"I use this Avatar," Aech explained. "to blend into the Brony fandom. To relax, without being swarmed."

The others nodded, they all had Avatars like that. So they could wander the streets, without being "The High 5".

Halliday's eyes widened, as he realized what this meant. "He didn't!!!" the wizard gaped.

"He did," Aech confirmed.

"You DOXXED Aech!!!" Halliday bellowed, glaring at the pony foal.

"I DIDN'T MEAN TO!!!" Z cried. "I just... posted some pics... and maybe made a meme about Aech's Pony Avatar-" Z hadn't realized the Avatar was for Aech's private life.

But before he could say as much, Halliday suddenly pinched Z's pony ear. Then began dragging him to a chair.

"Nooooooooooo!" Z tried to resist, but his ear hurt too much to do anything but follow. He had been in this position often enough, to know exactly where this was going.

"Please!!!" Z begged, as they reach the chair. "Aech already spanked me!!!"

"If you had doxxed me," Halliday glared, pulling the tiny foal on his lap, "I'd've spanked you every night for a week." the Wizard raised his hand, and crashed it into the little pony rump.

"OWwww!!!" Z cried, kicking all 4 of his legs. "But I'm already being punished." the foal cried, as the hand wasn't letting up. "Pony Avatar!!! Pony Avatar!!!" He reminded what his punishment was.

"That's not nearly enough!" Halliday insisted. With every syllable, another smack landed.

Parzival cried and cried. "It's enough! It's enough!!!" he assured. "Uncie Aech!!! Please tell him it's enough!"

Aech sighed, "Sorry buddy, but you know if your Papa thinks you need more lap time, there is little I can do."

Z just cried more, but accepted his fate. "Waaaah!"

Art3mis shifted uncomfortably. She might be more accepting of Z's lifestyle... but it was still weird as all hell, to be present for the few real punishments she had observed.

Aech was often called in, for baby sitting duty, and really got into treating his best friend like a little kid. Even Daito occasionally got into it.

Art3mis made up some excuse to Aech, and left the little family to their own devices. Leaving what was obviously a personal moment.

She might be a member of the High 5, but she didn't really fit into their family dynamic. Not since Daito and Aech started dating... and that was before Halliday began re-raising Parzival... or whatever those too were doing.

Honestly, after how Art3mis originally reacted, she was lucky they still considered her a friend. And she knew that started, as just a need to keep peace between their group.

"Should have kept my mouth shut," Sho followed her out of the room, "Poor kid."

Art3mis sighed, "Aech would have told him, eventually."

"True, but I remember how hard Daito's hand was, from back when he was my mentor." Sho shuddered. "And Halliday is a lot more harsh with him, then Daito was on me. But I think that's how people are with all age players. Versus real kids."

Example, Daito never would have smacked him on the bare, like Parzival was currently experiencing.

"Pleeeeeze Papa!!!" Z wailed like an infant. "It was an accident!!!"

"An Accident!" Halliday growled. Then an idea occured to him, "Well if your prone to accidents, we better get you in a proper nappy."

Parzival's eyes widened, "NOOOOOOOOO!!!!" he begged. And not for the spanking to stop. He'd gladly be over this lap all day, if it meant he didn't have to wear a diaper.

"Oh yes," Halliday glared, his hand still tormenting the bum bum. "Once I finish up here. We are getting you in a nice pink diaper, and you will wear it everyday, til I say so. I don't care where you are, it's staying on."

Z cried real tears at the thought.

It wouldn't be the first time the boy received a "Diaper punishment". However, the press always had a field day when it happened. They had come to understand, Parzival didn't like diapers, and they were used to correct bad behavior. So, much speculation was always done, whenever Parzival wore them in public.

It was terrible, all kinds of embarrassing, and worse yet... Parzival actually heard, the fact he was punished, encouraged a player's guardian to use him as an example. Things like "If Parzival still gets spankings, don't think you'll get away with it."

Z continued to cry. Even instinctively trying to run, despite his dangling legs. The hand came down, over and over again. Continuously slapping the little pony rump, and watching it bounce back.

Parzival did all the begging he could. Givng plenty of "I'm Sorries", once it was clear Aech wouldn't save him.

Another 'SMACK' got the boy refocused on his own, more immediate, misery.

The real issue with Virtual spanking, was their was no chance of going numb to the pain. Or any chance of serious injury, which would discourage harder smacks.

The boy could only cry, until his "Cyber Daddy" decided he had enough. With no limits on time, or physical concerns. Child Avatars were even designed, so that hitting their butt, had zero chance of zeroing them out. It was automatically non-lethal damage.

"Alright," Halliday sighed. Having tired himself. He began rubbing circles into the boy's back. "You don't dox people," He lightly scolded. Though spoke more gently, as he rubbed the little back... "Now let's get you on the changing table."

Z could only cry harder.

In the Real World.

Wade did his best not to rub his butt, as he blushed and squirmed over what was happening in the Oasis.

While his Avatar self, was experiencing the spanking more directly, his organic body was suffering more phantom pain.

Shaking his head, he tried to focus on the task at hand.

"This... is just weird," Aech commented, as they watched the small fetus in the tube. It was officially a month old, and looked it.

It was being grown out of all 5 of his clan's DNA. A pretty common practice, given clans were now more likely to live together, in the real world, then with their lovers.

Art3mis snorted, "We haven't looked after a kid, since sho grew up... at least, not a real one." sparing a glance at Z. Whom blushed.

Daito spoke up, "It's a rewarding experience." Ruffling Sho's hair.

The younger man rolled his eyes, "Try not to get off on changing his diapers."

Strangely it was Samantha, that knocked Sho upside his head.

"OW!!!" Sho yelped, "It was a joke!!!"

"One in poor taste," Insisted Aech.

Parzival just ignored them, staring at the developing life. "We're parents," he muttered. He was finally going to be a dad... just took a hundred years to convince his clan.

Aech laid a hand on his shoulder. The Cyborg's face bright with their own pride.

"I vote against spankings," Sho piped up.

"I second the motion!" Parzival agreed.

The two both having first hand experience with sore rears.

Sho, from his years as a child apprentice, and Parzival... from now.

"A motion has been seconded," Halliday's AI materialized next to them. What with him being their Home's main computer. Along with his duties as primary Optimizer. "I call for a vote."

Aech scoffed, "They weren't actually serious."

Both Z and Sho snapped, "I was so."

Aech just sighed.

"All in favor," The God Mod spoke formally. "Of denying Spanking as a form of discipline?"

Sho and Z raised their hands.

"All opposed?"

Now Aech and Daito raised their own.

Then all looked at Art3mis.

She shrugged, "Undecided."

"Voting is inconclusive," God Mod politely informed. "Another vote may be called for at a later date." then disappeared.

As everyone looked at Artie. She gave another shrugged. "I was never spanked as a child. And it never did me any harm. But I've seen what good it did when Sho was a kid... Parzival doesn't really count. Since he didn't start getting spankings until he was an adult... and I've seen him deliberately misbehave to get one."

Z blushed.

"I think we should wait before completely going either way," Art3mis advised. "We might wanna keep spanking as a last resort. Then see how the kid responds. All kids are different."

The boys hesitantly agreed to wait to see how the kid actually responded to discipline, before ruling out anything.

CODEX: New Family Dynamic.

The family dynamic had changed. As the AIs insisted clans live together, in the real world. Instead of with a spouse.

Children were generally born using the combined DNA, of all the clan. And grown in pods... it was actually impossible to get pregnant, as women did not enjoy child birth. So it actually became impossible to have children with a Spouse, unless they were part of your clan...

But that's what Ageplayers were for. They gave couples a chance to raise an immortal child.

The point is, all actual children, were grown through cloning, mixed with a good deal of genetic engineering.

With a "Hub Computer" designated to look after that child directly, and staying with them all their life.

There was also a "Home AI", that organized all the Hub Computers, ran the house, and care for the needs of the humans. With all these Synthetic Lifeforms, using holographic Avatars of their own. Although they weren't limited to the house. As they could project their Avatar, anywhere within the Dyson Sphere... potentially being billions of places at once. All guided by the same conciousness.

A "Home AI" isn't actually built for the house. But rather, a Service AI, or even an Optimizer, is chosen by the clan. Whom agree to let the AI care for them. Usually this is the Clan's favorite fictional character. Or, at the very least, one they can agree on.

After the kid turn 18, when they were allowed to get implants, and play in VRRPGMMOs, they would continue living with the Family, until they got a clan of their own... and stayed with that clan for at least 5 years.

Then they moved out, to live with their clan, in the real world.