Chapter 25
New Preparations
Visiting the High Galactic Council and the High Chancellery was in some views the pinnacle of for some with the tier of technology the ones on Equis have, in their case they had to stop by in the Chinese galactic sphere where they were accompanied by ambassador Ling Huey a polite and professional diplomat who had taught them how to do when around the Prime Chancellor and the High Dean. It was a surprise that they had found out that they were actually aliens. The Prime Chancellor a blue Eagle alien from a long line of nobles that were part of the military of their empire who were honor bound by a strict military code while the High Dean was a Peacock alien who despite the appearance was a strict and very non-flamboyant or with big riches despite his noble status. They had of course had to wait for a bit during which time they had also see how things are with regards to the many aliens from around, but after the introduction the conversation with them was of course straightforward to how things are while walking in the corridors.
"I believe your trip around the stars was both enjoying and very informative from what you told us this far." The Prime Chancellor said as he had his wings together under the long sleeves of his long black robe.
"It was indeed Your High Eminence. All had received us with open arms." Thorax started.
"And the experience that was shown was very informative for us, the sovereigns of the colonists really did honored us." Queen Novo said.
"We are glad to hear it." Started the High Dean with a friendly voice as they entered the office of the Prime Chancellor. "And what is your impressions do you have while you were here?"
"Well Your Excellency it is amazing this whole place that brings together so many species and peoples together." Ember started although she felt a bit uneasy about some who were talking. "However I have to say that there were some who don't seem to be…..very sincere."
"You mean representative Saras from the Vipers?" Asked the High Dean.
"Can't get out of my head what he was talking about, about wanting to gain a new mandate and become in the future Prime Chancellor or High Dean. Can't say I like him so much." Ember said.
"He is a young politician my dear, it will have a long way to go till that possibility comes. But this is something you must be aware of."
"That there are some who would do anything to secure a nice comfy post somewhere, the stuff of corrupt individuals who would not let norms and morality dictate their decisions."
"Besides him you noticed others?" Asked the Prime Chancellor.
"Once I heard talking about trying to reach a beneficial deal for his own or something and pretended to be a friend to one who was talking." Ember started.
"Hmm isn't it supposed to be the same thing now in your case?" The High Dean started with a smirk tracking her attention.
"What you said is exactly what politicians do, your highness. Politics mean finding the best deal they could, it is a normal occurrence. Everything is based on interest not on sentiments." Said the Prime Chancellor and from what they could tell it was not something they would have like.
"Your high eminence we have to tell that this approach is not something some of us had been thinking about." Pharynx started as the High Chancellor took his seat as his desk.
"Care to explain to us how you had been used to."
"Well, we mostly know about relationships in the ideas of Harmony and Friendship, that we should always be the way." Thorax started.
"We don't say those principals are not part of politics too, those are positive relations that could be used in diplomacy, however one has to also take into consideration the fact that alongside those there is always the interest for the relationship between peoples and states."
"Your High Eminence we do know about those aspects too, but from what we can tell you try to give us some message." Pharynx started as the Eagle made a more strict face.
"Indeed."
"We both do." Said the High Dean.
"We try to tell you that for some the situation that is happening right now is not something that is acceptable. The problem is that according to analysis and accounts things point specifically to one of the kingdoms on your world. A kingdom you are close allies with." The Prime Chancellor started.
"You mean Equestria it is true that we are close to them true. But what do you wish to tell Your High Eminence." Asked Prince Ruthford.
"We heard and probably you also did hear of the attacks that starting to happen there, don't you?" Asked the High Dean as they took the hint.
"We know that Your High Eminence." Said the Yak prince although he thought of this with suspicion. "Still you know what kind of colonists are there."
"You mean magical users." Asked the High Dean tracking their attention "We know about them, despite the times where science is prevalent, some people could still believe in magic and supernatural. The famous Imperial Inquisition of my species has a department dedicated to it."
"Isn't the Imperial Inquisition your, what some would term, secret police and information gathering organization?" Asked Grandpa Griff the Griffon stated.
"Some Inquisitors do have different ways some questionable, but they did give results and magical users are also employed in it, peoples, nations and species have their own ways to treat magic. However we are skipping the point, what we are trying to mention is the fact that we are aware of such things and the attacks are causing concerns." Rhan started.
"What we are trying to tell you is the fact that despite some who wish to keep the whole magical thing a secret is causing concerns. You might not know but when settlers no matter how small in numbers colonize a new world that could be inhabited had resulted in incidents due to many things, which unfortunately resulted in killings also due to different reasons." The Prime Chancellor explained. "And at some point you surely had some issues with them at some point, don't you?"
"Well there were small ones and it depended on…..who was the leader." Thorax stated.
"Well you probably had incidents but at least you had 'discovered' them but I believe that the Equestrians had not so far. And I am sorry to mention but according to analysis, it is possible that they could be the…. troublemakers that are causing it."
"That, cannot be true Your Excellency. They would never do that." Prince Ruthford stated with indignation.
"Princesses Celestia, Luna, Cadence and Twilight would never endorse actions like this." Declared Thorax.
"I am not accusing anyone, and neither am I accusing them. However, according to reports it could be the case. I am not saying that the leaders are promoting this or anything, but people are not monoliths, they always have different views to things." Started the High Dean.
"While the princesses you mentioned might not accept those, there could be a group that is doing this without their permission, a group that might have supporters in the government of Equestria that might do this from the shadows." Stated the Prime Chancellor Ran which made each of them think about this.
"Has there been a mysterious group that somehow appeared around the Princesses or something like that?" Asked the High Dean however the group of creatures was unsure how to answer.
"Well Your Excellency and High Eminence before we departed we heard of a group of ponies that banded together and started to talk about them, they did mention something but in more mysterious ways, some say in the form of rumors or something like that." Stated Grandpa Griff.
"Some rumor that we heard is that they could resurrect skeletons to serve them, implying robots, or that they have some powers that could make one suffer a lot. Which in essence could happen if one loses temper or things like that, but it is forbidden by their law to harm us, unless we do something stupid." Gilda stated.
"Are those are the only rumors this group told? Asked Ran.
"No, there were others, but can't keep track of all of them besides those are only rumors."
"Rumors that could cause trouble if institutionalized to be spread around." Said the High Dean tracking their attention.
"If this group spreads those kinds of rumors worse than the ones you gave example to us, this could very well cause lots of troubles. And if those people are in the government working behind the backs of the princesses I believe tough choices could be ahead of you to be made. Some choices I believe you might not be very happy to make." Said the Prime Chancellor.
"What kind of choices?" Thorax asked.
"How are the ways of the equestrians with regards to relations with you?"
"It depended on the situation, for us changelings when we were ruled by Queen Chrysalis we were the hostile ones. However they taught us that Friendship and love are the ways one could live better, back then we were doing things we admit weren't good." Thorax started of course that was the idea of feeding off the love of others and not give love to each other.
"In most cases they promoted the ideas of the magic of friendship in which when we work together and get along we will always solve problems, and fight the evils of the world." Ember stated.
"Evils whom from what we can guess were magical types."
"That was mostly case indeed. Chrysalis who wanted to feed on the love of others, Tirek who wanted to absorb the magic of all creatures, King Storm who wanted conquest and attacked us, we were able to stop him because of the magic of friendship." Queen Novo started.
"Hmm, as much as those things seem troublesome for you. I don't think that magic will be too much the answer to what the problem is in this case." The High Dean started.
"What do you mean by that Your Excellency?" Asked Novo confused.
"In this situation we do believe there is a shadow group within the Equestrian government who despite all that you mentioned, we told you no people are a monolith, and there is no possibility for one to accept such ideas unless it guarantees a benefit." Said the Peacock before Pharynx remembered something.
"Staying to think I do admit that there is a group, we had mentioned to the Tsar of Russia, that there could be a group that is making those acts."
"Is it the case?"
"Yes, the leader of this group calls himself Mislead, he is the one that is having some agenda of his own, the others are doing this for benefits." Said Prince Ruthford.
"In any case we know that he is culprit of this."
"Is this Mislead having political influence?" Asked Ran.
"By what we can tell for now, he does." Ember said as the Prime Chancellor stood up thoughtfully.
"This is, now a bad thing, if this group is making policy decisions behind the backs of the princesses, their agenda could be very problematic now and unfortunately this could have repercussions for the ones close to Equestria now by association." Started the Prime Chancellor.
"Meaning that in the eyes of some people your association with Equestria could not become a benefit while those attacks happen." Started the High Dean.
"But we can't. To not associate ourselves with them, many of them are our friends, we can't do that. They taught us about many positive things, this is what Friendship is about." Thorax started with a revolted tone.
"This will mean a total betrayal." Prince Rutherford stated.
"We don't say to not associate with your friends there, however you must realize some important lessons now in such a situation." Started the Prime Chancellor.
"And those are." Asked Ember.
"Politics are not personal, meaning that despite the feelings and the friends that you have, you must distinguish between personal friends and policies made at a certain time. Politics means interests; most importantly it should mean the interests of your people first and foremost. When a nation that you are friends with starts to act in a manner that is counter to what your people need you can't stay associated because it could be against what is the interests of you and your people. Friendship as much as you want to believe is the principle of good relations however politics must never be based on personal feelings, but on cold-hard calculated facts and reason. We don't say that you must not be friends with them anymore, but you must know while those acts happen you must keep distance otherwise you would be seen as endorsing such policies." Explained the Prime Chancellor and Novo gives a sight, she could not find a flaw in this logic.
"'sight' I do have to agree with that, such acts could simply not be tolerated. As much as it pains me to say it, while this group is making such policies, we simply can't accept that, despite what we think and what feeling we have for Equestria. It is simply not right to accept the things that they do. Especially when it comes to the repercussions." Novo said.
"Urgh brimstones and fire, can't say it is not a legitimate aspect." Said the Dragon Lord in defeat to this aspect.
"It is a sad reality but it must be understood." Said the High Dean.
"But those policies also are damaging to the ponies of Equestria also, this is damaging them as well."
"It is obvious that would be the case your majesty. In most cases now we have to discuss this aspect, when a nation has what some would call dishonest politicians who have an insidious agenda that try to cancel or push away what a people represents in terms of culture, way of thinking and act against the interests of the people are the most dangerous. Because they only think of themselves or the ideology that they have, ideology that for them it is beneficial but very damaging to the others." The High Dean said.
"How could we stop this; we can't let this continue." Thorax asked.
"Good thing you mentioned that, because you must know that there are some who I heard talking among themselves about how this could be solved. But for me as Prime Chancellor who usually should think about solving things at galactic scale, I would wish to know your opinion." Ran said as he went for a drawer to get out what look like a small grey marble made of metal that had small wings like a flying insect.
"This is a stealthy radical option which I don't know how good an idea is, not knowing how they or you would react for that matter, but I believe having the opinion of the ones from the planet would give a better view." Said the Prime Chancellor as Ember look at it.
"A small metal ball that looks like a glass marble with wings?"
"Look closely there is a small button." The Prime Chancellor said as he extended his wing for the blue dragoness to take it to look at it closely before noticing a small button, and immediately press it for a needle to come out.
"A small dart the size of a wasp? How could this solve anything?" Gilda the Gryffon asked.
"The answer will be a simulation on that computer." Said Rhan pointing to the holo-table that was in all cases a computer, Queen Novo took the dart and went there with the others, and she placed it on it before activating it and a bright hologram of the schematics were shown.
"Is this working with voice command?"
"It is and by the way it is a good thing this dart is empty." The high Dean started before Thorax thought for a moment and a sense of concern started in him as it was the same for the Hippogriff Queen.
"Computer, start simulation." She ordered and the computer complied "Regular compound of the dart." She started as a small container was now nearby with a symbol indicating toxic. "Human size." She ordered as it was shown an representing a human male "Initiate." She ordered and the holographic representation of the dart went into the human and the representation of what look like blood vessels or nerve system and a substance was spreading and immediately the figure was starting to contort and give signs of brain stroke as it fell down, and the simulation was done. And the ones present were shocked before Thorax pulled out a picture of a pony for the computer to analyze to make a representation of it.
"Pony size." Thorax ordered as the computer complied "dart." The image of the dart was shown "Initiate." The result was the same.
"T-this is."
"One radical solution that some mentioned, but not as an option for the moment, poison dart with a neurotoxin, we thought it is a good idea to tell you about this to know your view, the best way to know something should be from a reliable source to know if it will work or not." The High Dean started.
"You mean assassination? This will not go good there, in fact it could backfire badly, things like political assassination had in effect not happened for a long time there in Equestria, heck I doubt there was ever recorded such an event and if it was it was forgotten because it happened too long ago." Thorax said.
"Is that so?" Asked Rhan as he started to think.
"Well we don't know, but we are very certain such things did not happened from what we can tell." Rutherford said.
"So, this thing could backfire then."
"Like we said there had been no political assassinations for a long time, the reaction might not be positive at all it could cause more problems than it would solve." Ember said.
"So, this thing drops right away, as should have been expected with such a world." Said the High Dean but without disappointment in his voice.
"How many representatives think or endorse this kind of approach?" Queen Novo asked.
"This is only an idea murmured by one or two, it is not an official proposal to be applied, yet. It was merely talked about only in a casual conversation, it is not endorsed. It so happened to be talked in a casual way because your world is not considered important, even with that the news from such places could still come about in less important news. The wizards might not like it but it does happen because those things are a regular occurrence. And there are some who in casual conversations would start to talk about such ideas."
"But it could come at some point as official proposal and not only as a casual conversation murmured out of sudden or as jokes or anything like that." Pharynx concluded.
"It could indeed, we thought that you should know about this possibility not o mention since you were coming here, we wished to also find out what would be the result if this would be done." Said the Prime Chancellor.
"We are glad that you warned us about this but like we said it could backfire." Said Thorax before he thought of something else.
"Is there an estimate as to when this proposal could come in an official manner?"
"Those things don't depend on time; it depends on events. If this thing gets worse, it will start more action to be taken, and it will be not from here, but from the colonists. And in this case, it will be the choices that you do to prevent things from turning worst." Said the Prime Chancellor.
"How?"
"Well, with friendship of course, you said that you have friends there who are surely against this group lead by this individual, Mislead." Started the High Dean. "Officially you could contact your friends and collaborate with them to put this group down. Despite politics and friendship been at odds with each other, the connections you have in Equestria could be invaluable to stop this problem from turning worst."
"This is exactly the thing we wish to do. There is no way we can allow those things to continue." Prince Ruthford said.
"Then let's all hope this will be the case. But remember the worst things turn the more radical the solutions will become if this gets out of control." Said the Prime Chancellor.
"Once we return, we will get to work fast. There is no way we will accept this to go on." Thorax said.
"Hope you will manage. However, before you go how about you celebrate the winter holydays here, you will find the traditions of each species quite very interesting." Said the Prime Chancellor.
"I can't say no to such an offer." Thorax said with a smile.
"I am in." Prince Ruthford said.
"I would like to see." Queen Novo said.
"By the way Your Excellency what is actually with the winter spirits, in your holydays." Ember asked.
"They are almost like with the human story with the Snow Queen, you will be explained very soon." Said the High Dean.
Hogwarts
The second day after Christmas at Hogwarts was again a time for celebration, especially during the winter holydays, in most cases things are very calm despite yesterday's small prank with the snow boats that was eventually seen with humor. All in all nothing too problematic if you were with a certain title, Harry was in common room checking his trunk for him one of his valued position was the invisibility cloak that belonged to his father but also belonged to one of the Peverel brothers who Death gave different gifts for each of them the elder one the most powerful wand, for the middle a stone who can make one speak with passed away loved ones and the younger one the invisibility cloak. And if one has all those artifacts, he will be considered the master of death. And for some it is not very pleasant sometimes.
"Hey Harry, what are you doing?" Ron came with two cups of hot chocolate wearing his new scarf.
"Just checking some things." Harry said with a sigh before the ginger haired boy noticed what he meant, in his trunk was the invisibility cloak as well as two others the resurrection stone and the elder wand.
"They came back again?" Ron asked as he knows his friend's feeling about this.
"You can already guess what I tried to do." Harry murmured as he rubbed his eyes beneath his glasses.
"How many times have you tried to get rid of them so far? This must be at least the 8th time or more."
"'sight' It was the ninth time Ron, I threw the stone in the forest it came back I discarded it somewhere behind a stone in the castle, I threw it in the fire, I buried it, I threw it in the lake, it comes back. The same with the wand even threw it in the fire, same story." Harry said.
"Well the title of 'Master of Death' is surely something one should expect probably for this to happen, despite been a bit ominous hearing it." Ron said as Harry sink in while sitting on his bed.
"It is not like I am ungrateful or anything, however sometimes I feel.…."
"Overwhelmed?" Ron said as Harry leaned his head in affirmative resting his head in his arm.
"How much I would give to be able to give one of the titles that I have to someone else right now. Or at least change one of them for another." Harry said.
"Boy-who-live, Hero of the wizarding world, Master of Death, Co-Tri-wizard Champion, Chosen One to beat the Dark Lord, Hero of the British Wizard Colonies, with those many and probably what some fans might give you right now I can understand."
"And what about you and Hermione?" Harry asked with a frustrated voice now. "What titles did you have right now?"
"Like many who participated, Defenders of Hogwarts, recently I got the title Vanquisher of Dark Shape-Shifters or something like that, or the Fire Head that stood by the Hero. Not bad I would say and Hermione the Brain behind the Victory or something like that written in the papers. Of course, with how much things were written afterwards." Ron said as Harry pinched the bridge of his nose.
"At least anyone got something not just me."
"Well if you continue to not be around to avoid been the center of attention others would surely manage. In any case this was what you have been doing from the very start, since we met. And thinking how the problem with the natives is and sometimes you find in the newspaper you mention to be a possible solution if things go out of hand with them."
"As if dealing with them is like dealing with Riddle, the natives have their own motives for why they do this and unlike Voldemort it could be quite a reasoned motive if some thick heads did something to some of them. Besides you saw how generally they are, if they ever find out about my title as Master of Death for them it will be ominous as if I wish to do harm to them, probably thinking I will call death itself on them." He said as he made a face of frustration.
"Putting this logic on, one could now consider the title of "Paladin of the Moon" to be a bit more convenient."
"Can't argue against that excluding what Lavander and Parvati had gossiped around, like Harry Potter caught the eye of the Night Princess or Harry Potter found solace for his soul in the native night goddess." Ron said as he gave his friend a cup of hot chocolate.
"Somehow one of those gossips might be right, since from what it happened you want to forget some aspects of the past, although it is not something easy to do or not even possible that is and if you try to do with magic, it will still not go away." Ron said as he took a sip of hot chocolate.
"What are you going to do with the elder wand and the stone now? Since you tried to discard them 9 times now?"
"Professor Dumbledore still is declared master of death also. I will give the wand to him for safe keeping along with the stone, maybe in this way they will not come back again." Harry said.
"Maybe the wand might stay but I doubt the stone will or any of them for that matter. You know what professor Dumbledore said about how one gains this title, would not rule out them appearing again even after that. Again." Ron said.
"Personally, the only item I would rather use is the invisibility cloak since it is also what I got inherited from my father and I would not give it up in any ways." Harry said as he took another sip from his cup with the rest of the hot chocolate to finish it.
"I do agree with that choice."
"I do hope that until school starts again, we will not have troubles from here on out." Harry said.
"I doubt anything else will happen in those days, aside from that small prank or whatever with the snow boats here and there, made by the natives, don't know how they got inside, was not something too problematic anyways for us." Ron said.
"You believe things like this will happen on and off, because this could be a possibility now."
"I doubt those small nuisances will spark trouble or any alert for the ministry, the governors or the garrison for that matter. The only thing that will be trouble will be only if attacks will start. And I mean literal attacks, not childish pranks." Ron said.
"Like the small skirmishes we heard about from the security chief after the snow boat thing?"
"Been stopped before doing something both sides will regret, I don't see a trouble. Although I would be concerned if they did something totally stupid that could have harmed whoever was in those groups. That and also any action that might have caused a misunderstanding or anything like that, if they were only chased away, I doubt it would cause much troubles, which is of course if our old ones were the ones that did it and not the new ones that might have gone to literal extremes." Ron said.
"Yeah, maybe, but I doubt those new ones will not start to have more activity around the school when the term starts, which in essence would become quite problematic for us and the natives when they come around." Harry said as he took the wand.
"If that happens it will be something we might all regret." Ron said.
"Anyways I shall go to professor Dumbledore and talk to him about the elder wand to give it to him for safe keeping."
"By the way Harry, at the future DA meeting before the start of term, do you think we should try to figure a strategy on what to do if things become problematic?"
"The best strategy will be mostly now to take on the go what might happen, but in essence we should maybe start learning what we can do from the books on equestrian magic that are now in library alongside with what Professor Zecora mentioned about courses she will want to give us on using wandless magic and how Equestrian magic works."
"You know what was surprising for me, how small the section on Equis and Equstrian stuff in the library is." Ron started and it was true that after they carried the boats and Twilight was given the Prefect badge Ron and Harry were tasked into helping madam Pince with getting the new books on Equestrian magic, potions and local cultures, history and legends in their new shelves, Ron was a bit reluctant about how much they would have to move and possibly been asked by their zebra teacher to use, only to be slightly surprise that what they got was barely 4 boxes that were already emptied by their librarian and they had to only get them out of the library, the content barely filled only 3 shelves. The bookshelf as a whole was also small compared to the others around; it barely got a corner in the library.
"I wasn't an avid reader, but I do wonder why that section is so small, the others are as big as the walls reaching the ceiling. It looks more like Madam Pince's personal shelve. What we got will barely cover theory and basics, and I don't want to comment anything against Professor Zecora but without a unicorn or one that can use the magic written in the books like the ones when we were in the exchange program to show how it works, I doubt we will manage to do much especially when it comes to catching up. We would need literally the whole eight year only to learn about equestrian magic, ignoring the rest of the subjects." Ron commented.
"Probably they were not fully translated or something, according to professor Zecora the others are under inquiry if to be sent to the restricted section, although it could be quite problematic since some books according to her contain knowledge on magic and about dangerous artifacts, one of them is a literal catalogue that writes about artifacts from harmless to the most dangerous in order of how powerful they are."
"I doubt Madam Pince will accept a book that was ripped in two only to remove the parts with the dangerous artifacts to go into the restricted section. She will surely faint on the sight of something like that, although more convenient would be the whole book going into the restricted section." Ron said.
"You think we will be able to read at least some of them before the start of the year?"
"With Hermione and Twilight very likely because I really doubt, we will be able afterwards when the others return." Ron commented before Harry left to go outside the dormitory and out of the common room towards the Office of the headmaster, in most cases for Harry he would like to go for a small walk afterwords, he was having the thought of visiting Hagrid quickly after he solved this issue with Dumbledore, he would have gone there quickly till he nearly bumped into one of the teachers.
"Ooh, s-sorry professor Zecora." He started.
"Mr. Potter how lucky, for you I was looking." He started with a warm smile.
"For what reason professor?"
"Come with me." She asked as the wizard student followed her, to a room that she had literally retrofitted into her office with different local potions and some experiments she and Snape probably did together, it amazed him that she didn't started to see him in a bad light, and from the looks of it with different odd decorations reminding one of traditional African aspects and books on folklore and local magic.
"I see that you really have become quite accustomed to be a teacher here ma'am."
"Decorating it I did to feel as if at home." Zecora said with a smile as she showed him a chair.
"Wonder what the reason for you could be, been here is?"
"Yes."
"It was my own decision to do so, for a student needed help. Especially when the one in question is the famous Boy-Who-Live, Co-Champion of the Three-Wizard Tournament, Hero of the Wizarding world." Said the professor.
"Did the headmaster told you possibly of all the titles that I got?"
"Not just told as also heard and read. Headmaster Dumbledore told me of the struggles you have now, the fame for you is not something you seem to enjoy so much, especially with what one or two incidents that there are." She started as he looked at the student who just avoided her gaze while a cup of herbal tea was placed before him.
"And you are now trying to avoid, it is not something unusual, since I know also some who try the same to not think about the struggling past." She started tracking the boy's attention.
"Who might it be?" He asked as the zebra placed before him a tome with images the one that was opened was showing the celestial sisters.
"Princesses Celestia and Luna?"
"The night princess, when I did say about them, have I not?" She asked.
"About the fact that she is like a Goddess, capable of controlling the moon, while her sister controls the sun?"
"More than that, I did not mention the full legend of the Nightmare, I thought not necessary, but it might be necessary for you now." She started as the student now stood attentive.
"A thousand years ago, the celestial sisters had ruled together. Celestia has the responsibility of controlling the sun while Luna controls the moon and the night. However the situation turned sour after a time, the younger sister jealousy in her heart started to grow. She saw herself as the shadow of her bigger sibling and considered that the night was never appreciated. Tensions started to rise, and a fight started, her heart darkened and the magic of the dark took her, becoming Nightmare Moon, a fight between them started and the older sister had to banish her little sibling. A thousand years had passed till she returned she had been reformed due to the artifacts known as the Elements of Harmony. Those artifacts cleansed her of evil, but the memories and the past is hard to pass." Said the zebra professor as the young wizard moved through the pages of the tome.
"She regrets the actions that she had done in the past."
"A sad aspect, that one wishes to forget."
"But, what does it have to do with me?"
"Your situation is different, but the feelings are the same, you are haunted by the past. But not because you turned bad, it is because of the circumstances. That is why you wish to not talk about all that happened." Zecora said as he looked down at his reflection in his tea.
"That is why the princess of the night appreciates you a lot, because you do have a lot of things in common."
"Does she know all that?"
"One ability she has, to see into dreams of her subjects, she surely watched your dreams or rather the memories that you have. Did you feel odd during the night when you slept after your encounter?" She asked before Harry thought for a moment it was true that at one point, he did feel very down but he could not say if he felt an intrusion in his mind although he felt a glitch, but due to occlumency he managed to get it out.
"Can't say I did not felt a glitch, but I did felt odd at one point, I might have managed to get her out thanks to occlumency."
"Mind defense magic, indeed, the idea however is the fact that the princess has found someone who she can relate. Many personal students the sun princess had in the past and now the lunar princess would wish to have one."
"She sees me as a potential personal student, the gossip that was around involved me as rather her paladin."
"Paladin is a correct position for you in her view. This affection is not however from nowhere as I explained, she also sees you as a way to stop the madness that is going around at this moment." Zecora said confusing the student.
"What is she thinking I could do actually? I mean I know that the situation around is not quite the best due to the attacks. And I probably could tell that this is something done behind the backs of the princesses. But I am not even their subject much less part of the equestrian government or people." Harry said.
"The ways of magic here different there are, and so are the ways of thinking and of events. A plan might already be here, but only she would know, and so would you when the princess visits you again." Zecora said and somehow Harry felt a small knot in his stomach.
"Worry you should not, because ill intent she does not have, especially not to you or to Hogwarts. You surely no more want any other adventures especially after the situation with Voldemort." She said.
"Before coming back to Hogwarts I once said that I would wish to run and live among the locals, like you Professor. That is mostly to escape all the fame and all the things that come with it."
"Tell that I can, that you want indeed, my advice for you is however to live, life is full of unexpected and eventually what will come you will not have to be the sole hero, in every single person there might be a hero as well as villain inside. The decision one makes defy who the side it chooses." Said the zebra professor with an encouraging smile.
"Thank you for the encouragement professor." Harry said with a smile.
"Any time Mr. Potter." She said before they head a knock on the door.
"Mr. Potter a demonstration of healing magic would you want to witness?" Zecora asked.
"I would, but who is it?" Harry asked.
"One of your classmates, who help it needs the most." She started as she showed him a big tapestry that shows a landscape of the zebra lands, the boy had went behind the tapestry before the zebra opened the door and in came Daphne and Astoria Greengrass with what was surely their father along with madam Pomfrey.
"Greetings I give to you Lord Greengrass."
"Greetings to you professor." He started with a smile but also showing an aristocratic but very calm demeanor.
"So after reading about the healing of magic you had decided for little Astoria to take the treatment."
"I only hope the books are correct however." Said the matron of Hogwarts.
"Have what we need is right here." Zecora started as she pulled out from her desk the boxes that included the crystals from the far north, especially from the Crystal Empire.
"Officially crystals from the Crystal Empire have the ability of cure, what Astoria have could be cured with it, however for it to be lifted in this case a sacrifice to be done." Zecora started showing a book which contained images of what the sacrifice could mean, from dark and ominous to what one could term embarrassing.
"It is not something many would agree with what the sacrifice will be." Zecora said noticing their concerned expressions however the sickly girl Astoria had decided.
"I will accept this one." She started pointing to the image of what was in essence how the hand of one could look if done.
"You want to have a hand with scales?" Asked her sister not too fond of the idea.
"It seems the most unproblematic of all." Astoria said.
"This the less troublesome will be." Zecora started as the pulled out a bag with what look like white silver sparkling dust. "Another one would be this."
"What does this dust do?" Asked Lord Greengrass.
"On your hand you should pour." Zecora said as Astoria took a bit of it and poured it on her left hand which immediately changed color to forest green.
"W-what? What this should be?"
"The dust is enchanted for one to change color of the main and coat in this case, skin and hair. In your case this is the alternative to look like the ponies of Equestria."
"There are some with blood curses that might have this kind of effect, I heard of this. The problem is they are picked upon, they need to always have a spell on them to cover those traits." Said the senior Greengrass.
"Will be this the color I might get if I choose this?"
"Not necessarily, it is however not life threatening it is just a bit annoying for been picked upon like most of the others and from what I found, this could be considered a blood curse. This could work without trouble but not in her case." Madam Pomfrey said.
"Ominous hand then." Astoria said.
"Take a seat." Zecora said as the girl complied as she pulled a glass of water she with one crystal in it which made the water seem to emanate a bit of light to give it to the girl.
"Not all of it now Astoria." Zecora said as the girl complied taking only a sip before placing it back on the table, after drinking a little it felt a bit as if a surge of energy was in her body now.
"How is it feeling?"
"As if I drank an energy elixir."
"To strengthen you up this is. Now for the next part." Said Zecora as she placed two crystals one black one to the left and one pure one to the right.
"Now the hard part comes, which of your hands you use less, that to sacrifice we have." Zecora said.
"I am more used to the right hand."
"Madam Poppey if you please." Zecora said as Madam Pomfrey showed a small surgical knife and taking the right hand made a small cut to draw blood before doing the same to the other.
"Both Crystals you take, the pure one to the right, the black one to the left." Zecora instructed as Astoria complied.
"Elder Greengrass, pour some of the water with the crystal on the right palm of your sister." Zecora said as Daphne did what she said taking the glass and poured a bit in the right palm and immediately a surge of energy started to show going into the girl.
"Hold the two now in your hands very tight you must have them." Zecora said as the girl complied as she closed both palms holding the crystals, the sensation was very odd one, it felt like the curse was pushed all into one place in her left hand and then into the crystal she was holding, the more time it passed she felt like the power of the crystal in her right hand was strengthening her, all the weaknesses she felt were like pushed from her body. This sensation continued till she felt nearly all her body becoming stronger and healthier.
"Let go of the left." Zecora said and Astoria without even thinking dropped the crystal that went into a small wooden cup while the girl took some breaths.
"How do you feel Tori?" Daphne asked.
"As if a weakness had been drained from my body." Astoria said with a smile ecstatic "Didn't felt this well for some time." She said before her sister did what the Snow Queen would not do in public, she hugged her sister with tears in her eyes.
"I am glad for that."
"Thank you for everything professor I really am in your debt now." Said Lord Greengrass.
"No need for that Mister Greengrass, from where I am one can't let a little one suffer." Zecora said as she saw the now green scaled hand.
"Although side effects will still remain." Said the zebra as all were back to reality to see that Astoria now had what could one term a hand with green scales spurring talons.
"Well this will be an issue." Astoria said in a way it was a bit hard for her to look now at it.
"From now unfortunately, the solution shall be this when in public." Said Madam Pomfrey presenting her a black leather glove who Astoria took and covered her left hand now.
"You know it looks like how some alien reptiles have their hands." Astoria said.
"How do you feel about it." Zecora asked.
"It itches. It is a bit annoying." She said as she scratches it.
"It will pass in time but at least a difference it is."
"Better this one then an early grave." Daphne said before looking at the black crystal that is now in the wooden cup.
"What will happen to the crystal?"
"This crystal is known as an umbrum crystal, dark magic is in them, and unfortunately by such means one could drag a thing like a blood curse, this one absorbs, while the pure crystal in your hand pushes it out." The zebra said as Astoria remembered about the other crystal in her right hand and placed it back on the table.
"Local magic sure is a fascinating thing, how many things could it be done with it. The options could be limitless." Said their father.
"It can be done a lot but one must consider the troubles that are now around. And bringing more violent robots and droids are not the answer." Madam Pomfrey said.
"I heard of the incidents, and I assure you that this is not something that can be accepted. Really don't know why the ministry decided to take this lot the numbers we have I already considered enough." Said Lord Greengrass.
"The only proposal I would now have is trying if you can to prevent the situation from turning worst then it is now. I have to admit that this place also has evils, the ones that are right now are the ones provoking the situation for your to respond. But they are only using it against you."
"Can't deny this, many had already started to try to find solutions and we already convene somethings that we hope would work." He stared before turning to his daughter.
"Hope you 2 will be ready, from the second term, you will have new classmates from the locals. The start I would say a new chapter for Hogwarts and for Slytherin House." He started with a smirk.
"We can't wait." Daphne said before turning to their teacher.
"Thank you again professor." She said.
"My pleasure and Happy Holydays." Zecora said before turning to Astoria.
"Try drink the rest now."
"Ooh, of course." Astoria said as she drank the rest of the water before the father and the girls left.
"It is wonderful this when a student is healed only if they will not be some prawn to accidents." Said Poppy.
"Like Mister Potter in this case, many troubles and accidents he had come across." Zecora said as Poppy said to which Harry who was still in hiding felt embarrassed about.
"I just hope he will no longer have to come into near death situations." Madam Pomfrey said as she left the office, once everyone was out Harry came out of his hiding.
"Hope this early lesson interesting to be." Zecora said.
"It was Professor." Said the boy wanting to leave before a thought came to mind.
"Professor those crystals from the Crystal Empire are the same as the one that the cup was made from?"
"You are asking the question the answer you already gave. Those crystals are indeed the same and activated by emotion. One of the most powerful artifacts in the empire is the Crystal Heart." Zecora started showing a book an illustration of the Heart. "Legend says the Crystal heart is protecting the empire from the harsh elements that surrounds it, the heart itself is the most powerful, feelings of compassion and love are the essence to its power. Whom I believe it is your heart's desire." Zecora said as the boy smiled.
"You should go now to the Headmaster I believe you have a little business to do there."
"Indeed, thank you again Professor." Harry said as she exited the room and went straight to the office of the headmaster. Dumbledore was of course not surprised by the fact that again the stone and the wand appeared again in Harry's invisibility clock.
"Can't say I am surprised by this fact, in essence having only one of the hallows and the others might pop out." He said.
"I know that Professor, but I don't desire the others and from what I know, the wand still belongs to you I don't know why it comes back to me." Harry said.
"You are a full Master of Death Harry this is the main reason, and of course, the Elder wand been the most powerful wand. In essence even if Voldemort never managed to control it due to not having me killed it made it to never belong to him officially. Despite all that you by defeating him the wand in essence also belongs to you, it created a magical paradox in which the wand claim both me and you as its master and this is the conclusion of Mr. Ollivander in this regard when I asked him to analyze it."
"So this means that both claim the ownership of it, in essence both can use it. Still, I wonder however why it is appearing to me too."
"Because you are in its proximity to it, I admit that I did not use it for some time, a wand is the main tool for a wizard, and it is an object one has to use."
"I know, but I already have my own wand, and I don't want to insult anyone, but I don't think I should have a wand whose owner is still alive and never lost it."
"I know that." Dumbledore said as he smiled to his student "I shall keep both the stone and the wand here for safe keeping, in any case however you should not be surprised if the stone will appear again in your trunk."
"I had tried to discard it 9 times already I don't think I would, but maybe if it stays with another one with the same title of Master of Death might stop."
"Fame is taking a bit of a tall from what I had observed, you were never for such things like fame, who one could call reached the peak once Voldemort was defeated at last."
"I did told the others how I would like to give up one of the titles that I got."
"That is one of the reasons why I told our new teacher more about you." Dumbledore said with a smile.
"Professor Zecora?"
"You are not the only one who might have a struggle in your life, despite been a bit different. It is no wonder some started to gossip about you becoming the Paladin of the Night." Said the headmaster with a smirk.
"I did not want this to happen now."
"This title would be a good replacement still for one of them." Dumbledore said with a small chuckle that Harry also made.
"I know that." Harry said with a chuckle, one visit to Dumbledore really was making one feeling better After a light chat with the headmaster Harry left his office with more high spirits then before, walking back towards the common room however he bumped into Ron and Hermione.
"Hey where are you going?"
"It's lunch time Harry, have you forgotten?" Hermione asked.
"Sorry was in Dumbledore's office to discuss some things."
"I heard, the Elder wand and the resurrection stone came back again."
"Yes and I gave the two to professor Dumbledore."
"The wand might stay but the stone I doubt."
"We will talk about this another time." Ron said as they started to walk before Ginny came.
"Hey guys have you seen Twilight around I wanted to ask her to help me revise my charms homework."
"No, we didn't saw her." Ron said.
"I wonder where she could have gone, haven't seen her all morning." Ginny said.
"I didn't saw her either to tell you the truth. Wonder where she could be." Hermione said.
"I am sure she is somewhere around; she probably has something to do right now." Ron said.
"I wonder what it could be." Ginny asked.
"Probably a personal matter, she will come around, by the Ginny I can look over your homework if you want."
"Thanks Hermione but I really do wonder where she could be."
"I am sure she is around besides I doubt she went too far." Hermione said.
Ponyville Hospital
Twilight was in essence expecting something to have happened when she had received a letter from her friends regarding what has happened, in a way she was glad they had escaped alive and with news that there are now a few groups that want to counter Mislead however when she came she was in a state of shock when she saw what had happened to some of the guards accompanying them. Her feelings of concern had proven her right when she teleported to the Hospital in her pony form to discover the extent of the damage.
"This is not how I wished things to turn out." Twilight started after seeing the injured royal guards.
"Well the garrison really was alerted when we tried to see what they were doing. And the new ones really are no joke when in battle. But we dealt with them." Rainbow Dash said trying to show that things weren't that bad.
"I don't I like the new ones, but this is what we try to prevent from happening." Twilight started pointing to the injured guards in bed.
"Problem is this was a risk we had taken because we also needed to know what the garrison was doing Princess." Black Arrow said as he was resting in bed.
"And it was the case, they were guarding something." Shining Armor said tracking the attention of Twilight as she left the room to go to the hall of the hospital as she closed the door behind them to let the guards rest.
"How so?"
"When we arrived, the security was very light; the active battalions were concentrated on the roads to literally guard a transport of equipment. Some stuff probably with information either withhold by one of the security chiefs or with the other's knowledge." Shining Armor said.
"And what have you found?"
"They had been transporting by train new equipment and stuff and surely new troops to bolster the numbers, what we had managed to see from what was not taken due to a disturbance that was caused to make them leave for bit included new weapons they call sniper rifles, we saw a demonstration of how lethal they are." Spike said he did not like how it was.
"You were SHOT AT!"
"No, they put one to the test against a model of royal guard helmet that was destroyed right away." Rainbow Dash said.
"And what else was it?"
"Some things in the transport were odd however." Applejack started.
"Like what?"
"They had lots of digging equipment like pickaxes, jackhammers, shovels and things like that." She said.
"It's for the tunnels and catacombs they use but they could also be used to build defenses also anything else."
"Aside from medical equipment in one train cart that could not be considered something bad there was also in one cart a transport of barbed wire along with crates of explosives too." Starlight said.
"Usually barbed wire is used to make fences and stuff, this is what I would use them. However, it was a lot of it." Applejack said.
"Those can have a dual purpose in both battle and regular use, barbed wire is to make obstacles for attackers and from explosives it could mean bombs to make traps." Twilight said in a sense she knew the garrison was taking precautions for possible attacks, but it was very unsettling.
"Ooh they also have those things, which look like a different type of cannon." Pinkie Pie said showing the image of the gun with the projectiles they are used.
"Those cannon are used for artillery cover to fire upon incoming opponents with projectiles; they don't use them for parties. If you had used your party cannon Noble Squad would have surely interfered, they would have thought it was for military use." Twilight explained to which Shining Armor drew a conclusion.
"The garrison is bolstering defenses, they expect attacks, no wonder they wanted to keep quiet, it was for the wizards to not panic but also for possible attackers and trespassers to not find out what they are bringing in. We had a limited window to find out what they were doing. Unfortunately, we didn't find what kind of projectiles they brought for the cannon aside from a clipboard with files from another cart." Shining Armor said.
"And because of some things, they were alerted." Said the yellow unicorn doctor coming in tired, he was very displeased by what had happened, in essence he and the nurses were literally shocked by the wounds they had witnessed two of the guards had to undergo surgery to pull the bullets that had been in them out.
"Those weapons these machines have are diabolical; one can't have good nights of sleep when you see how much damage they could do. Three surgical operations in one day." He started as he took out a bottle of apple cider to calm his nerves.
"We assure you doctor what we did was a necessary thing to do." Cadence said, trying to reason with him before she thought of the last part he said. "Wait what do you mean 3?"
"The group that wanted to make the stunt came before you arrived."
"The group sent by Cruel Deed was here?" Applejack asked.
"They came and unfortunately the one who was badly injured was one who was reluctant to go into this misadventure, 3 projectiles, bullets as they are call were in his body, and luckily he is not dead, but he is in a coma because of this." He said as he went to another door where a bed was behind blinders, removing one of them showed a light blue unicorn connected to medical devices to keep him alive "And he only has Cruel Deed to thank for this 'Heart's Warming Eve present'." The doctor said as he put the blinders back as he took his cup to drink in frustration before closing the door.
"You remind me of the Hogwarts school matron Madam Pomfrey when you talk like that regarding wounds." Twilight said as she remembered how the very zealot school nurse was when she had summarized Harry's history of accidents.
"Meaning she does her job, who would not be angry if one sees patients get such wounds that are literally life threatening because of some wanting an illusion of glory that was spurred in them. He and the guards are lucky they are still alive. However, it was expected some would still fall for this game despite the exchange program that happened, due to the game of words that was played afterwards." He started before he pulled out a newspaper.
"What do you mean by that?" Twilight asked.
"This is what the nurses found on them when we asked why they tried this stunt." He said as Applejack looked over it which was mostly if not only the opposite of what happened in Ponyville and Canterlot.
"Snake Tongues hoof work with the support from Smooth Talk and helped by Mislead. Should have guessed, and it contains the pictures that photographer took, another one of Mislead's cronies was surely nearby and took them to put in this newspaper." Applejack said as she threw the paper to them.
"They distorted the whole battle Noble Squad was engaged in. Saying they had been ordered to beat ponies at random, which was never the case. Not even the new ones did this." Rainbow Dash said looking over the article as Twilight took a seat with her hoofs holding her head.
"I can't believe the program had backfired because Mislead and the others distorted everything." Twilight started ready to cry.
"Actually, darling it didn't backfire, it worked. Some groups had turned away from Mislead and the others. I had gotten the order to even make customized robes based on the uniforms of each house of Hogwarts." Rarity started as Twilight looked at her in surprise.
"They did?"
"They did both the quidditch match, the educational exchange program and the visit was not for nothing. There are some ponies who want to thwart what Cruel Deed is doing. However we found from the group that want to stop those acts some unpleasant news."
"And what are those?'
"It seems Mislead with Snake Tongue and Smooth Talk prevented the news about the events of the program, on the contrary it seems they did as much as they could to prevent the ponies from other places like Las Pegasus, Manehattan from knowing what had happened. It seems the attack had the official purpose of creating a story that would be unpleasant. Or twisted the events, the truth is coming out only because ponies found out about it and we said to give the official thing, but the damage is still done." Cadence explained.
"Ooh, we can't give up now, as long as Mislead is around, we must figure out ways to stop him and his lot."
"That is why those groups that we told you about are for. They want to do their best to prevent those attacks although they think that maybe the only way for Cruel Deed to not attack a place is to 'pretend, they attack', they think by playing some pranks and jokes to simply annoy would help in some way." Rarity said.
"I would not say I did something similar." Rainbow Dash said.
"When you had literally went overboard with the pranks, we remember." Applejack said.
"Do they really believe this will do? I don't say it didn't work, Professor Snape was not amused, and the security chiefs did not find trouble in that, but skirmishes still occurred, it is too risky. Isn't there another way?"
"No unfortunately, Cruel Deed is forcing members of groups to stay by using force and blackmail. The only advantage is they at least can give information about what is happening, and what targets will be." Fluttershy said.
"Maybe but I doubt this approach will do much in this case. Maybe the only thing that will do, when Hogwarts is targeted, will be only to show that there is no more need for robots to come in constantly, especially new ones. However, the security chiefs could still bring in more equipment, before the celebrations 2 robots placed an order of notice about curfew in the nights of 25 to 26 and 26 to 27 for the village. They surely brought another transport last night." Twilight said.
"Surely more equipment for the garrisons. And yes I am using plural because this is what is now the situation there, the initial garrison is compose of veterans and robots that have been here a long time and know the place plus are more cautious while the second one is formed by new ones who are from ill-fated places and are more reckless and overconfident in what they can do. And I am sorry to say it, but I am concern who will handle the equipment that is brought in, we saw from up close how much damage could cause." Shining Armor said.
"Officially they have to use the equipment equally; the security chiefs are the ones who decided how it is used."
"The two are also robots and are mostly administrators the first two who were with the veterans are surely competent but with a colleague like TB-6 who might be competent but if he withholds information from the others, sometimes because it was sent by one who wishes to use him as a bad example should raise concerns. And I am sorry to say but the organization that is implemented in which the new ones are covering a bigger area then the veterans who are only at the roads and the settlements, it might be to use the numbers to keep them satisfied, but we saw how they behave, they resent the veterans and vice versa, and how they could behave with the faculty and students don't even give much respect. The new ones and TB-6 without knowing are turning Hogwarts into a prison, the teachers, students and staff, are becoming prisoners in their own school without even realizing and the veterans are in the same position." Shining Armor said.
"With how they are treated I can understand, the veterans are put to feed the guard dogs even when they are angry. The new ones were looking in satisfaction and rattle their weapons, many students feel bad for them. Some even started to think that if things like this continue the veterans might do a mutiny." Twilight said.
"And can you blame them? No pony wants to be treated like that." Applejack said.
"This is barely a possibility; robots are programmed to not harm their superiors especially not their own."
"Seriously? Please, I doubt even they would like to be mistreated in this manner. No Pony wants to be made a laughingstock not even by their own. And what Noble Squad did when they were here, I would consider it as a small revolt with how the new ones behaved." Rainbow Dash said.
"Because they had overstepped what they were supposed to do, but I doubt this could be considered mutiny. Although some students try to find out if there was any instance when robots did a mutiny or something like that, but all of them doubt it would be case. However, there might be the case at some point due to one aspect probably."
"And what that would be?"
"Wizards unlike their non-magical cousins are late in adopting new things, many are with traditional stuff."
"Ay on the same page here." Applejack commented.
"They adopted robots because there is a law the humans have about establishing settlements on new worlds and that is that they must be accompanied for every eventuality by a robot contingent and many were reluctant to accept. However, there is one aspect to know, humans normally give memory wipes on the robots, meaning they erase their memories when they do regular checks. In the case of the wizards, it is not the case to make it on regular basis, however. And in this case, robots tend to form their own personalities. What is visible is that the veterans due to been here and the time been more peaceful for them they are more relaxed, calm and cautious, and they are used to be around the students and the teachers that respected their work. This been the case especially when Voldemort and the Death Eaters were causing trouble. And also, I do believe that they are used to us and the other creatures too from what we saw with Noble Squad."
"While the new ones from the more ill-fated places formed a more violent temper which would have not been the case if they were given memory wipes. It is way too obvious that they had been acquired and sent on purpose to sabotage the garrisons by one who wants them gone due to personal issues it had here. Which is both a useless and a stupid decision, especially now. They will be the cause of provocations and even harm for both sides, especially if they treat the veterans this way. I would not rule out them starting to behave the same way to the wizards, the ponies or whatever creature in the future if Mislead continues." Shining Armor said.
"In essence if it is this Dolores Umbridge, in essence she is helping Mislead without even wanting or realizing it." Cadence said.
"Problem is how are we going to solve the issue, starting to prank might not lead to the security to tighten. But if robots are destroyed, I don't know how it will be perceived." Twilight said.
"Well, I doubt they want more new ones or the existing ones to always interfere in their affairs if they cause more problems than solve them." Applejack commented.
"Maybe there is another method that the wizard had thought about to prevent incidents from happening that you probably don't know but the head boys and girls of each house found out about while you were here." Pinkie said as she came in with the student six.
"What are you talking about?"
"Tell her." Pinkie said with excitement and confidence in her voice.
"We had received letters from home; it seems that the wizards decided to allow different creatures to come to Hogwarts." Silverstream said.
"Each house will have to get one from each kingdom, griffins, hippogriffs, changelings, yaks and dragons they will be stay, sleep and eat with the students, heck they will in essence be students, but they will and also act as helpers to the heads of houses when they are asked." Smolder explained.
"It means Hogwarts is in its own way is becoming like the School of Friendship, accepting other magical creatures from here, this will be a test run to see how each will fair. Unfortunately, it will not be ponies due to the suspicion that they could be with Mislead. This will surely is with the hope that if ponies see that the wizards don't harm them they will make them abandon what he does." Sandbar explain which made Twilight feel more confident now.
"This now could work, if they see that wizards had accepted them it will be a positive thing now." Twilight said.
"Hopefully it will be the case with all the houses. Don't know how Slytherin will be." Rainbow Dash said.
"They will have to, because they will have no choice in the matter. Plus I doubt that they will have anything against this, they don't like non-magical stuff I doubt they will have anything with creatures that are magical." Applejack said.
"Well let's hope it will be without incident however." Ocellus started feeling a bit uneasy.
"What happened Ocellus."
"She is like that ever since the robots came, or more rather since the whole incident with the new robots that were sent during the student's visit to Ponyville." Gallus explained.
"When they rattled their sticks against their metal chests, making menacing sound Yona did not like." Yona said before Twilight remembered something.
"Ooh yeah, the changelings did not have the best interactions with the wizards because of queen Chrysalis in the past. Harry and the others told me of an incident in their second year when one had impersonated Professor Snape making him look like a fool giving out the answers to a test he was supposed to give the next day. From what I heard there was a group of 4 and 3 of them were caught by the droids and the other was discovered afterwords and were given memory wipes to not remember where they are. They were under the clocking spell at the time. Professor Snape never stopped resenting what the changelings did then." Twilight said.
"This was an innocent thing compared to others." Ocellus said feeling sick and sad about thinking it.
"What happened? Sandbar asked concerned but the changeling looked down.
"It is too painful to tell."
"You don't need to talk about this if you don't want to. But maybe if we know we could help you." Sandbar said with a reassuring smile and although reluctant to tell she caved in.
"There had been an incident at one point, the wizards were barely starting to come out, one settlement after the other in some places outside the continent and Chrysalis found out about them, thinking that they could be around on this continent also she sent scouts to see if that was the case and when they returned with positive news she thought that it would be an easy prey if they do a small settlement, however the wizards were not stupid, they had a spell that once casted could detect hidden things. The plot was discovered in a small village and a battle had started, the changelings had overrun the small droid force there, but the wizards fought back. It did not take long for them to counter it, the aurors were sent with a larger droid contingent in support to drive us out many were injured and captured. The inhabitants of the village were furious at what was done and wanted retribution and started to use curses upon the captured ones. The aurors might have tried to reason with them but to no avail until a man came, an important one. He put the droids to have some of the attackers sent to a place which we know as the Island of Nightmare while the others were declared that they could leave." Ocellus explained but for Twilight, she knew it could not be the case; the Island of Nightmare is one nickname for the wizard prison where one certain creature is. And the revelation Ocellus was telling was very troubling now as she started to have tears in her eyes.
"It was all a trap." Ocellus started as she started to sob.
"sob' they were lead in a forest where a mist was artificially created. 'Sob' as they stood there the robots came out from the mist as if living skeletons from a horror story, they were armed with canes and batons and with a signal they launched themselves against the group and beat them badly, 'sob' all of them were beaten some even losing consciousness and bleeding hard. All with one purpose, to leave a message, to never try something like this again. After that incident no changeling dared to try another incursion, the robots were placed to hunt every changeling that came by and once caught they could be allowed to do everything they would wish. Only when King Thorax came to power those directives were lifted. But for the ones who were there, the mental scars remained." Ocellus explained which worried them.
"We are sorry to hear this." Sandbar said with sympathy.
"This could have been a death eater, the one who ordered this. I believe all the changelings were horrified by such display." Twilight said.
"I had lost a cousin because of this. However, the wizards considered that because of this incident it might have been another reason why we decided to overthrow Chrysalis and accepted Thorax. In case she would try again something like this, I don't say she didn't consider it at some point in time." She said.
"Is this how they think was the case?" Starlight asked.
"Somehow, this point is legitimate too. Many were horrified by the retaliations that followed because of this incident and the response they had given. The problem is however that they got something else then robots that they could use if everything gets out of control." Ocellus said.
"What exactly?" Rainbow Dash said.
"Something one should be a fool to provoke." Ocellus said with dread and Twilight knew what it was.
"An all the more reason to try to stop what is happening. Robots even those who gain a personality if there are led by people with bad intent could do such things." Applejack said.
"Unfortunately, this gives me another reason to put the royal guards to training with the purpose of countering the robots especially if they could be used to make such acts." Shining Armor said with a sight "This is a terrible situation, who knows what directives they will be given in the future."
"From what I know professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall along with the rest of the staff and an auror decided what directives will be approved, the local governors also decide for the settlement what is to be done, for now it was not the case to take too drastic decisions, this thanks to the exchange program that showed that Equestria is not actually their enemy. And also in a sense according to Hermione and to others many wizards have relations with different creatures for many purposes and are against drastic measures try to not go to extremes like what Ocellus told."
"They been close to the action is a reasonable thing, and because of the program they saw that ponies don't want to harm them, well except for Mislead who manages to fool ponies for insidious purposes with different schemes." Rarity said.
"However, there might be a problem, the magical ministries from the home countries, they are far away from the action, and they do receive reports however the reports could be composed in different manners and depending on who composes them. Also, it seems that the security chiefs due to having to always communicate with Dumbledore and McGonagall they decide on what is to be done, this was the case when the new ones were sent in. It was actually an order from someone in the ministry. And from what I found out, the order was one that had some issues which prompted the security chiefs to actually water it down in consultation with Dumbledore. What was sent contrasted with what could have been, which would have been 3 squads."
"Water down as much as was possible but due to their bad memories, still overstepped." Pinkie said.
"If they figured it was from some pony that wanted to abuse power, they did what was right. However, this was only one order that was probably with issues. The thing is if other orders like this would come and would pile up I doubt they will be able to ignore or water them down if it is noticed by the ones who want more drastic action." Cadence said.
"This will cause a dilemma for all now." Pinkie said.
"We do need to be prepared for every eventuality. We can't afford the situation to go out of hoof; we need to figure out ways to solve this mess." Shining Armor said.
"I believe they think the same way and are hoping to do it, with their own ideas." Spike said.
"Every single one that tries to prevent things from going out of hoof is more than welcomed. However, due to the suspicion on ponies that now lingers because of Cruel Deed." Cadence said.
"It is a good thing then that they will now allow the creatures to come more into their settlements, we can tell them of the situation that is going on. I am sure this will be of great help now." Gallus said.
"As long as Mislead or one from them doesn't mess this one or part of it like it was when we did our program. If there are some who want more drastic measures they would try to make this one fail by targeting some of the creatures." Rainbow Dash said.
"I hope it will do for Hogwarts, especially since you were right, I really became prefect." Twilight started as she adjusted her uniform.
"We expected this will be the case with McGonagall." Cadence said with a smile.
"Yeah, but now I must make sure that I prove that I deserve it. Also, I hope to find out more from what is happening in the garrison, hopefully there could be a way to stop its degradation and to prevent it from becoming too aggressive for all."
"Don't think they will allow access to more sensitive stuff to prefects." Spike said.
"Maybe but what I could find out about I will send."
A.N. Sorry it took this long, there had been some things to do during this time and of course I had some other works that I need to attend to. Hope you all enjoyed the new chapter, please send me your revies to write more it helps to know your opinions. Cheers.
