Gabby flew over the rocky terrain, of the Dragon Lands. Her herd beside her.

She was in her Anthro Form, despite her Griffin shape, probably being better suited to handle the hostile environment.

Gabby just preferred her Anthro state. The ability to cast spells, even if they were more Elemental in nature, and not the reality warping of Unicorns... well it tickled her own nature.

Yes, Gabby preferred being an Anthro. For the physical strength it gave, and the magical spell casting she dabbled in. A Equuleus's human form might have more powerful magics, but she preferred a combination of strength and magic. Plus the Anthro form was a more familiar shape.

Griffins' original form might be even more familiar... but it didn't have access to their spell casting powers. Just their Sonic Shriek ability. Which the Anthro form had access to both, albeit to a lesser degree.

•

There were only slight changes to her Anthro form. With the largest being her spine. Which was naturally positioned so she had to walk on 2 legs. However, she could do that, in her Griffin form, anyway. It just felt more comfortable in her Anthro Form.

She also had... rather obvious breast... Which she wasn't a fan of. Why does a bird need such ridiculously large breast? Griffin chicks don't even need milk!

Her dick was even more obvious, though that might just be because she was walking upright.

Like Ponies, Griffins had evolved to be mostly intersex. While they claimed to not be part of the Equuleus Animal Kingdom, their biology was nearly exactly the same.

Their bodies appeared no different, then pegasi Sub-ponies... although Griffins had long denied any evolutionary connection to pony subraces.

The Hippogriffs claimed the fact Griffins changed with them, was proof that Griffins were, in reality, a splinter race off Hippogriffs.

Such a claim nearly caused a war. As Griffins are quite touchy that they were a completely separate species... even when the evidence was staring them in the face, they would rather kill the messenger, then tolerate the facts.

Gabby was more open minded, but largely kept her opinions to herself. She didn't want to upset anyone, after all.

Griffins, unlike ponies, put their rare males in positions of reverence, while females often worked as guards or hunters. The intersex population, who made up the vast majority of Griffins, were the blue collar workers, as well as handling manual labor.

A good thing about these mutations, completely ignoring the fact Griffins were basically immortal now, was their spell casting abilities. That led to innovation, within Griffin culture, and with the ponies help, they were able to rebuild their society.

Griffin Stone was a thriving empire now, having an entire Mega system, as their territory.

•

Regardless, the residents of Equuleus Star Cluster, were all nudist. While the other races tolerated it... even appreciated it... Gabby never could figure out why so many aliens, seemed to think the lack of clothing, was an invitation to stare at their private areas. That was just rude... even if most aliens, had their head at the perfect height for her cock.

•

Meanwhile, Thorax was walking on Spike's other side, opposite Gabby. And was nearly as big as Gabby... despite being a quadruped. He was absolutely HUGE!!! But that was a matter of course, with Royal Changelings.

Changelings were the only Sapient creatures, whose form wasn't altered by Harmony. As, given their nature, they could already turn into anything they wanted.

A Changeling's form, or rather their already flexible form, was deeply rooted into their magic. Just like how Griffins maintained their hoarding instincts. It was a powerful mutation of their magic. Harmony couldn't override that, without going too far into chaos.

Changelings already branched off into hundreds of subspecies, back when they ascended into their "Reformed" State. They absorbed the magic, from the environment around them, and transformed into different species of bug horses.

Hives such as the Forest-Lings, with wood branches and moss growing out of them. The Moth-Lings, who were very Fluffy and cute... whom held an obsession for lamps. With even more lings based on Crickets, Bees, Wasps, Spiders, Butterflies, and much more.

Although, due to Chrysalis hive being so infused by dark magic, during the Changeling Civil War, they couldn't fully transform. Instead, when they finally did start sharing love, they mutated into something... a little different.

Their holes were filled, and bodies became more colorful. However, they were darker colors, while they maintained their fangs. They grew hair for their mane and tails, even among the males. Though their hair remained thin, and almost web like in nature. These Changelings were called "Doppelgangers".

•

There are no longer any "Unreformed Changelings". However, when lings are starving, they regress to a similar appearance.

If their species has hair, it falls out. While their body darkens to black, and holes develop in their legs.

This started with Banished changelings, who had no hive to support them. However after a while, these Banished Lings began to group together.

Unfortunately, Banished Lings had no love to share. As it is a punishment reserved only for the most irredeemable of villains... which may have been the undoing of the rest of Ling-kind.

As these Banished Lings resorted to the old ways of harvesting love... by deception, manipulation, or even force. Often leaving their victim a heartless husk.

But with no Queens amongst their numbers, these lings needed to find some other way to increase their population.

Instead, they began to capture "reformed" changelings. Although it's been so long, they no longer think of themselves in those terms. As "Reformed" Changelings are the norm.

These "banished" lings will drain all love out of a changeling, forcing them into their starving state... and making it impossible for them to feel love at all.

These Banished hives have flourished in 5 billion years. Some even managing to kidnap royal changelings, to give them grubs born without mercy, pity, or even love.

•

Thorax was a "Fae Beetle". As were all the lings that came from him. As Royal Changelings laid eggs of their own subspecies.

His little drones, his children, were far more spoiled then what Chrysalis had put Thorax through. Yes all still worked for the good of the hive, but their ability to share love had resulted in them becoming more self efficient.

Each race of lings, still had Workers, Drones, and Warrior lings. With each breed having different characteristics, unique to both their station and species. However, no Queen had any use of infiltrators anymore. Those had been reassigned as "Cuddle Bugs". In order to spread love around to those who needed it.

Unlike the olden days. When Newborn queens were forced from the nest. They now held the title of "Princess". Laying eggs for the Hive, and directly helping care for them.

All Lings maintained their shapeshifting, though that was mostly used for playing games and defense now. They could change into near anything. From people, to inanimate objects, and even creatures that only existed in their imagination.

With each race having their own quirks, with the occasional unique abilities beyond transformation magics.

Most Changelings didn't have genders, unless they wanted to have specific parts... which they normally didn't have, given they couldn't reproduce or use the bathroom... or even need to drink. Anything they ate was atomized by their magical pathways.

Only Queens could even get pregnant, and they reproduced asexually. Laying a dozen or so eggs, once a month, with no need of a father.

What Harmony did give the Changelings, was the ability to become wisp, and a boost to their spell casting powers, but that's about it.

The important thing was, both Gabby and Thorax were here, as they always were.

•

As For Spike himself, he was where he usually was, in between Gabby and Thorax... and feeling dwarfed by them.

Equus Dragons were usually about the size of Anthro Griffins. Maybe a foot taller, on average, but Spike was a mere 5 feet.

Poor nutrition, in his youth, stunted his growth. The ponies thought they could feed the baby dragon high protein plants, like tofu and beans, but what he needed was the left over magic, found in meat.

The ponies learned this, after Smolder yelled at them.

Spike had learned a lot about being a dragon, from Smolder.

He learned Equus Dragons, were called "Equus Dragons". And that they were third in the hierarchy of the Dragon nation.

Adult Equus Dragons naturally stand between 7 and 8 feet. Rarely smaller or bigger.

Although they could change their size, to as big as a skyscraper, or as small as a flee. They could all breathe fire, and fly with their tiny wings.

One in 100 eggs were female... to the point it was considered a genetic defect. The fact all Dragon males could get pregnant, helped this bigoted belief fester.

Each clan had their own unique trait, a physical characteristic other Equus dragons didn't have. Such as Ember's tusk, gems in the scales, Smolder and Garble's stronger scales, sharper claws, blades on their tails... or in Spike's case... softer features and shorter bodies.

So Spike actually had two reasons to be so short.

All of them were a different trait, from a clan. With the Father's clan usually determining what the trait was. Although, sometimes, the whelp would be born with both parents' traits. Which they would then pass to their own children. And signify the beginning of a new clan.

Like Smolder, who was actually a member of both Spike's own clan, and the "Ironscales" of her brother Garble. This meant she was smaller, and more beautiful, then most Equus Dragons, but with scales so hard, few things could penetrate her hide.

Spike's clan was called "Curse Spewers", as it was believed they were Smarter, with spell casting coming easier to them. Although some argued that could be a cultural characteristic of their clan. It was notable that all Curse Spewers breathed green fire. Which was part of the belief of why their magic was superior. As it was a flame of pure, raw, magic.

Curse Spewers were rare, with most of their eggs being female, they had trouble passing down their traits.

Regardless, Smolder was recognized as nobility, for having both her parents traits... even if she didn't have the majestic green flame of a Curse Spewer... nor could she, naturally, pass down the traits she did have, due to her being female.

The Zebric potion, to allow anyone to give birth to their own species, with just a drop of blood from the father... well, it made it so Smolder was able to lay enough eggs, to develop a proper clan of dragons.

Previously, it was thought Smolder would have a purely ceremonial position. Which is why she was chosen to attend Twilight's school. To learn how to be Ambassador between their races... much like how Spike was selected to be the ponies own Ambassador to the dragons.

Smolder, forming a herd with a bunch of nobles, from other races, helped her develop relations with those races... and originally had the dragons looking down on her, for mating with "Sapients"... which was eventually forgotten, as Harmony blessed the creatures of the Equus Cluster, as true entities.

•

Equus Dragons were different then "True Dragons". Who were second in command, in the Hierarchy. These are what creatures thought of, when "Dragons" came to mind. Powerful spell casters, as tall as mountains, with the strength to lift continents.

Unlike Equus Dragons, These dragons coloring determined what clan they came from. As well as what type of element they could unleash with their breath attack (not just fire).

While some clans mattered more then others. Such as the Black Dragons, the White Dragons, the Silver Dragons, and the Gold Dragons. Those were the most influential of their clans.

There were fabled myths about "Platinum" Dragons, but such dragons supposedly went extinct, millions of years before Spike was hatched.

At the very top of the Hierarchy, were the Eastern Dragons. Long reptiles, with 4 short legs. They could fly, without wings, and crush worlds with a passing thought. With some effort, they could destroy entire Star Clusters.

Although they never would, for these dragons were known for their Wisdom and Mercy. Though rare, they were praised to the point of near worship, by all lower dragons.

•

A few miles away from Thorax's herd, Ocellus own herd was going exploring.

Ocellus was a royal changeling, which is why she was sent to The School of Friendship. After all, it started as a place for nobles of all races, to come together, and learn about Friendship. She wasn't even the only changeling princess sent to Twilight's school, at the time.

Although she was where the traditions of keeping all royal lings, at their birth hive, came from.

Most of the hooved races had gone to the School of Friendship. As they took up the majority of the Sapient population.

They might not have all evolved from ponies, but they had originated as the same Equine species. Which branched out into several other races.

Yaks, Deer, Buffalo, Giraffes, Donkeys, Goats, and Cows. These races were apparently close enough to Ponies, that Harmony Magics had the same effect on them.

Before the Tree of Harmony was destroyed, however, plans were in motion to get all races together. Not just the various sub-ponies, and their evolutionary cousins, but Dragons, Minotaurs, and Beast Folk as well.

The goal was to get all the races together. And to learn to love and tolerate each other. To even go so far to build friendships with between other races... this lead to the unforeseeable inevitability, of different races joining into pony herds.

Herds might not be mandatory, but ponies were instinctively polyamorous, and preferred marrying multiple partners... usually to share the same male, but their were no laws saying it had to be that way... mostly so gay Stallions could marry, and not be forced to include females.

Nowadays, gay Stallions were put into the care of farms, So their sperm could be harvested, and sold as a popular drink. Although they were allowed to still be gay with each other, even marry, they were watched over by the Farm hands.

Or gay Stallions would be married off, to a herd of mares, anyway.

But that's beside the point.

Ocellus, and the rest of their friends, agreed to form a herd of their own... to protect their male friends. That took nearly a billion years to realize the necessity.

Author's Note

● Notes:

• Hippogriffs and Seaponies are two different races. As such Terramar is not Silverstream's brother, but rather a Seapony that is part of the Student 6 group, now the Student 7.

• The Mane 6 were not Teachers, at the School of Friendship. Rather they were occasional Guest Speakers, and over saw Field trips. Twilight was the headmare, and the school was her dream. The rest of the Mane 6 helped when they could, but they do have lives of their own.

• Teachers included OCs from all races. While the Background 6 made up the pony staff members. This was before Clockwork opened the Fog Watch, and became the Doctor again. As he and Derpy were working at this school, and how they befriended the others of the Background 6. Including: Lyra, Bon Bon, Octavia, and Vinyl Scratch.