There was a palace that appeared to be floating in the sky. It was massive, several miles around and the central spire stood at least two miles. There were many shorter spires and large garden filled courtyards as well as almost excessive amounts of plants hanging from the inner walls as well as water falls pouring down the side of the central spire. The palace hung peaceably within a perfect orb of clouds as the sun shone through a few small cracks.

All was peaceful as the coloring of the clouds turned copper, signifying it was the late afternoon. But in one small corner of a near empty garden there was a fearful whimper and the sound of a box thudding against the ground. This went on for about a minute before a figure emerged from a nearby bush to investigate the noise.

This figure was a human wearing a long dark gray cloak with equally dark gray shirt and trousers, covering the lower half of his face and hanging out of his hood was a long pink silk scarf. He approached the source of the noise. A small cardboard box.

The only defining feature of this plain brown little box was the words on the side of the box. The figure looked at them for a couple seconds before recognizing them as English; a language he knew hadn't been used for centuries. He studied the box and its massage suspiciously before a sob and whine came from within it and the box began to bounce a little and rock from side to side.

Making a decision the figure reached forward with light gray hands and opened the top. Within the box was at first appeared to be an oddly colored horse, a foal to be exact. Then he noticed several features that said otherwise.

The little foal's eyes and face was very "very" different from horses and foals he had seen in his life. They were not as… pronounced would be the word, as equines and were much more expressive as the clear curiosity it showed. Then was the coat, eyes and mane, they were all purple while the mane was a purplish blue with a pink streak in it. Not to mention how tiny it was, newborn foals were at least as big as large dogs but this one was as small as a puppy. Oh yes he had almost forgotten to mention the little horn on its head.

'A Unicorn foal?' The figure thought. 'How did you get here?'

Slowly and carefully so he did not startle it he reached in and took the little foal into his arms. The little thing began to fidget fearfully but he shushed it and ran his hand in its mane to comfort it. It worked and the tiny horse stared up at him with big cute curious eyes. He in turn stared back with equal curiosity and pulled down his hood and scarf, exposing his ashen features, bright pink eyes and charcoal hair, cut short.

He pondered the little foal in his arms as it began to prod his lightly smiling face with its tiny hoof. The expressions it had was far too… well, expressive for a mere animal and he began to wonder… His eyes glowed bright pink and elicited a small gasp of surprise from the foal. A second later the glow stopped and he smiled brightly at the little mare.

"Well, well aren't you a smart one!" He said cheerfully causing 'her' to tilt her head quizzically.

He had plunged into her mind and though he had not expected to find much because of how young she was he still found out a lot. Namely she was a sapient being capable of complex thought and reasoning as well as capable of communicating with him verbally… eventually, she was still very young after all. Oddly other than a few instinctive memories she had no recollection of anything beyond the box she awoke to find herself in.

He outstretched a hand waved dismissively at the small box which proceeded to disintegrate with pink sparks of electricity. The little mare in his arms gasped and her eyes sparkled with delight at the show of magic. He smiled and began to walk back to the main path of the garden.

-a few short moments later-

"What's that daddy?" A little boy asked with excitement.

With the foal still in his arms the man said. "She is a little Unicorn I just found abandoned in off in the bushes." He then put said unicorn down in front of his son.

The little boy stared at the tiny unicorn with big wondering eyes, an expression that the little unicorn was returning. He then reached out and stroked her mane and got a big pleased smile in response. Giggling the little boy turned to his father and with big soulful eyes pleaded. "Can I keep her? Pleasssssse!"

His father chucked in response but said sternly. "She is not a pet Conrad. In fact I want you to do something for me."

"Oh… ummm okay!" Conrad said with a little disappointment but got ready to do whatever it was his father wanted him to do.

"Remember that magic trick you're really good at?"

"The one you told me I wasn't allowed to use unsupa-unsuuupervise until I have Ethics class?" Conrad said stumbling a little in his pronunciation.

"It's unsupervised." His father corrected. "And yes I want you use it on this little unicorn."

Said unicorn was still sitting and looking back and forth between the two. Busy struggling to comprehend a language that was completely alien to her.

"Okay daddy!" Conrad nodded and focused on the tiny mare and put on his 'concentration face'. Namely he squinted his eyes and scrunched up his features and pursed his lips. It was as silly looking as it sounded but the little unicorn was delighted by it and squealed with laughter.

Conrad's blue eyes began to glow ever so slightly as he did the best mind plunge a five year old could do. His concentration shattered almost as soon as he saw into her mind but not before he realized something about the little unicorn before him.

"She's really smart daddy!" He yelled to his father with wide surprised eyes.

"Yes she is Conrad." He stepped forward and placed a hand on the unicorns head. "In fact she is capable thinking and feeling emotion and will also one day be able to speak to us. This is why she is not a pet, she is a person instead."

"Oh…" Conrad simply said, only getting the gist of it. "Well she can be my friend instead!"

Darting forward Conrad wrapped the unicorn in a tight hug. Giggling in response she returned the hug, wrapping her forelegs around him. The father smiled at this and thought back to the wording on the side of the box.

'Give to a good home hmmm?' He stared at his son and the little unicorn for a moment before coming to decision. 'Why not? Conrad had been asking for a little sister and I have been meaning to run the idea past Su Li and the others…'

"What's her name?" Conrad's voice broke him out of his revelry.

"Hmmm… She doesn't have one." Stepping forward he took the unicorn from his son's grasp and raised her up to his eye height. "… From now on your name shall be… Erika."

'Erika Gefallen' He finished in his mind.

'Erika' blinked tilted her head at him in confusion. She then blinked and again only this time her eyes stayed half open and yawned cutely. The father looked up at the sky and saw the clouds were darkening and more cracks appeared and revealed a starry night sky. Placing the newly named Erika in his arms he turned to Conrad.

"It's getting close to your bedtime." He stated. "Your lessons are going to be particularly early from now on and I do not want to her any complaints from you or see a lack of energy for the practicals, you understand?"

Conrad stiffened. "Yes, father." He answered obediently.

His father nodded in approval. "Come, let's get inside."

-the central spire-

"Conrad would you mind if Erika shares a bed with you?" His father asked. "At least until we get a room specifically designed for her."

"Sure daddy!" Conrad answered enthusiastically. "I wouldn't even mind if we kept sharing a room for years."

His father chuckled in response. "We'll see, she is a girl after all and may want her own room when she can ask for it." He then stopped and stared out a large window.

"Go get ready for bed Conrad; I'll be there in a moment to tuck you in."

"Yes daddy."

Once Conrad closed the double doors of his room behind him his father looked at Erika who had fallen asleep in his arms. He gave her a nudge and she woke up and looked at him sleepily, he pointed at the window in response. She looked at the window and immediately the cobwebs cleared from her mind as she took in the sight. The cloud cover had been reduced to only a few wisps and revealed not only a beautiful starry night but an entire planet before her.

Well over millennia ago the inhabitants of this world had called it Earth but now they all knew it by one name, Atlantis. The existence of not only magic but the city and continent of Atlantis itself came as a shock to the entire world. This shock served the Emperor of the Atlantean remnants as he went about a massive blitz against the United Kingdom or the 'Britainian Colonies' as he called them. By the time the world heard about this attack and the pertinent countries moved to deploy forces to relive Britain it had already fallen and was encapsulated by a massive shield. It remained this way for a year before the shield suddenly dissipated and massive flying castles the size of small cities poured forth from the occupied isles. When magic was revealed to exist governments the world over scrambled to find people who actually had the talent, they succeeded but even though they now worked to combine technology and magic the Atlanteans were already horrifically far ahead of them in that regard. It was a repeat of the blitz of the British Isles as the Europeans and the Americans desperately fought to drive the invaders from their home continents, they failed. The Atlantean Emperor gave the rest of the 'Free World' an ultimatum, either they surrendered to the inevitable or they would pay the price for resistance. The world answered with nukes which promptly and mysteriously flew into space. Needless to say the Emperor was not amused and the respective country leaders paid the price when their nations were eventually overwhelmed.

Erika Stared in awe at the beautiful sight before her, her little mouth gaping.

"This is your new home Erika." The man holding her said. "And we'll be your new family. Tomorrow I'll introduce you to the rest of us, and there will be a lot if they can make it. I'm pretty sure they'll be interested in such a unique new member of our family."

Erika stared up at him uncomprehending his words but listening intently.

"I'll be your father and your teacher." He continued. "I'll support you in any path you choose to take in life. Librarian, philosopher, soldier, assassin even a farmer I will support you completely. But I will push you to your very limits to became the very best you can be in any field you choose. There may be times you will question your judgment when putting up with the trials I will put you through. But know this, I will never put you through anything that is truly beyond you and at times I may seem cruel I only ever want the very best for you, as I do with all my children. Erika, we may be entirely different species and you may not share my bloodline but this day forth you are one of my children no one will ever change that. And with the entirety of Atlantis as my witness, I Ezekiel Gefallen Gott Morder will put down any who will say otherwise."

Erika did not understand him at all but on a subconscious level understood the heartfelt meaning behind them. She reached up and nuzzled him in response causing him to smile.

"Come on Erika." Ezekiel smiled at her. "Let's get you and your brother to bed."