//------------------------------// // Chapter 15: The Endlings of Equestria // Story: The Equestrian Chronicle // by Souldrainr //------------------------------// As Andrew rushed towards Dragon's Rest, he began to notice movement in the air around the mountain. What at first could be confused with flocking birds were now revealed to be dozens of pegasi guards frantically preparing a large bench in the mountainside with patches of carpet. Just as he got close enough for the ponies to take notice of him—though it seemed he was being ignored in favor of their labor—a pegasus placed a square piece of red carpet into the corner of the ledge adjacent to three other pieces that themselves were a part of a larger whole. The end product was a ground mostly devoid of dirt or rock, covered instead by the rich fabric, the outermost edges lined with gold. "Andrew!" A voice called up to him. Looking for the source of the sound, his eyes caught that of Celestia's. She stood at the mouth of a cave several feet beyond where the fabric ended. Behind her were half a dozen Earth pony guards lifting an incredibly long wooden table out and into the center of the hilltop. He floated down toward the mouth of the cave and touched down in front of the alicorn. "Hey," he greeted as he looked around at the number of ponies trying their hardest to make the area fit for literal kings and queens. "The carriage was taking a bit too long for me, so I thought it would be faster if I just came on my own." Celestia made something akin to a grin as she looked up and seemed to examine her sun. If it was burning her retinas, she sure didn't seem bothered by it. She looked back at the human. Her eyes having to look up at him as—disregarding her horn—she only came up to the human's chin. It was not often that she found herself conversing with a taller being, that typically occurred with minotaurs, diamond dogs, and dragons, all of which she seldom had the pleasure of interacting with. "I'm fairly certain," she began, "that I stated you could expect it to arrive sometime after nine," she raised a brow, "it has barely been twenty minutes..." Andrew shrugged. "Well, I knew where you would be, and it's not like I actually need to rely on some slow bumpy ride when I can just fly over over here myself in a lot quicker." "I highly doubt that bumps in the road would be a problem when you are traveling far above it," Celestia replied with a hint of sarcasm. Andrew tsked, "You know what I mean." "I suppose so, but please at least send advanced notice at least twenty-four hours prior next time." Andrew was about to reply when he heard a guard coming their way. The sound of hoofsteps were muted against the soft fabric below, but the clanking of metal against metal caused by the shifting armor earned their attention before the stallion spoke. "Your highness," the orange coated—as opposed to the uniform white of the rest of the guards present—guard said with a modest bow. He looked to Andrew and gave a curt nod of his head, "Human." "Pony," Andrew replied seriously with a nod of his own. Celestia grinned as the stallion's ears splayed slightly in embarrassment. "Um, yes well," he faced his princess and cleared his throat, "the preparations are complete. Also," he lowered his head, "if I may speak freely?" "Always, Flash Sentry," She replied warmly. "Thank you," Flash said before continuing, "I would like to suggest that mandatory inspections be done on royal cargo carriages prior to each use." He looked back at all the guards hurrying about. "We don't want anything like this to happen again." "I couldn't agree more." Celestia answered back. "Why? What happened?" Andrew asked. Flash Sentry took a step forward and explained, "just as we were about to reach the mountain, the back of the cargo carriage opened prematurely, spilling everything down onto the rocks along the base." He rubbed a temple with a hoof and sighed. "They were damaged beyond repair, and we were forced to rush back to Canterlot to get more. The whole thing ended up setting us an hour and a half behind schedule." "Oh," Andrew nodded his head, "and here I was thinking I was just too early." He turned to Celestia and asked, "so is this summit thing supposed to start at ten then? Your letter only told me when my ride was supposed to pick me up." "You are correct," she said, "but we still have over half an hour until then; I am simply thankful that the area has been furnished on time, despite the setback. "And not a moment too soon." Flash sentry added. The comment earned him Celestia's and Andrew's attention, and when they saw him looking to the east, they followed his gaze. About a hundred yards away was a chariot, pulled by no less than four griffons. As it drew closer, more and more pony guards made themselves scarce, the pegasi among them strapping themselves into the harnesses in front of the various carriages as the unicorn and earth ponies stepped into the vehicles. Several of the guards near the edge of the cliff moved aside, allowing the vehicle to touch down silently. All the other carriages were already in the air, leaving behind about a dozen royal guards of mixed races who stood at attention along the ledges. They were clad in their golden spartan-esque armor and each holding a single spear held upright against the joint of their right fore hoofs. The griffons that were pulling the chariot were adorned in steel plate armor that covered their chest, front legs, and trailed across their back and sides before tapering off at the base of their tails. There were, of course, two large slits for their wings. On their sides were leather sheathes that held what looked like broadswords. The group swiftly relieved themselves of their harnesses and moved as one to the left side of the chariot that faced the center of the area. Standing two on either side of the entrance to the chariot, covered by gold trimmed royal blue curtains, the griffon guards stood facing each other before unsheathing their swords in synchronous, practiced fashion. They proceeded to then thrust their weapons up and forward, crossing blades with the griffon directly across from them in a flurry of sparks. They held their positions as they shouted at once. "Presenting his royal highness, King Flavius!" The curtains finally parted, revealing a gold armored dark-gray griffon as he stepped down, gold-tipped feathers held against his sides. There were a few bald spots on his body where various scars marred the otherwise pristine coat, the most prominent one being on his face where a vertical scar extended from his forehead to where a crack began on his beak. The crack, although thin, extended outwards, forming an eye-catching spiderweb along the smooth beak. Celestia and Andrew closed the distance to the king as he took in his surroundings. The alicorn nodded at the griffon before speaking, "Greetings, King Flavius," her eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, her smile unwavering as she asked, "I do not recall seeing you in any past summits. Pray tell, when did Griffonstone elect a new ruler? And why was I not notified of such a noteworthy change in administration?" The griffon stayed silent for a moment. Eyeing the princess, then moving on to Andrew. He looked into the human's eyes for a long while, and Andrew only stared back, unsure if the griffon was doing some silly staring contest as a means of sizing him up, or just curiously examining the alien creature before him. "Flavius?" Celestia said. The griffon moved his head an inch toward the alicorn, as if only trying to show that he heard her, and nothing more. His eagle eyes narrowed as he continued to stare at Andrew. He snorted, then looked at the alicorn. "Do not speak to me about Griffonstone." He spoke the name with palpable disgust in his voice. "Griffonstone is nothing but a shell of its former self.” He stood up straighter. "Until such time that the Idol of Boreas is recovered, and the griffon in question rightfully takes up the mantle of ruler, I am in charge. My kingdom is east of Griffonstone, and the citizens of the fallen city have made it known that they are not against being under my extended rule for the foreseeable future." Celestia was about to open her mouth to speak, but the griffon continued, "I also could not help but see that you wait until the last possible moment to get your affairs in order, and on a day of such import no less." The king shook his head ashamedly. "And here I expected somepony as long lived as you to have learned some organizational skills." If Celestia was angered or otherwise offended at the king's words, it did nothing to sabotage the motherly smile on her face. "Yes, I admit that we did unfortunately happen across a problem that set us behind schedule. Regardless, you did not answer my question, how exactly did you come to your current position? You say you founded a kingdom of your own east of Griffinstone, but why not simply help your homeland regain the splendor it has lost?" Flavius's eyes narrowed and he scowled. "I know exactly what you are thinking princess," he snorted, "I spilled nary a drop of blood in my rise to power. They needed a leader, and I gave them one. I didn't see Griffinstone coming back from its sorry state anytime soon, so I left with every griffon that shared in my vision of a better home. With me leading the charge, we found fertile land and forests full of fresh game just waiting to be hunted. We immediately began to settle the area, and have prospered since. Naturally, I assumed leadership, and not a single griffon was opposed to the idea." One of the griffon guards stepped forward and spoke loudly in a gruff voice, "Were it not for King Flavius, I know not what would have become of my children. I have him to thank for lives and health of my family." "As do I!" Another guard stated adamantly. "I would follow his majesty to the depths of Tartarus and back in a heartbeat if he so commanded it!" Another guard yelled. Flavius nodded to his guards stoically, who saluted and stepped back into position next to the chariot. "Very well," Celestia relented, "for the time being, I shall recognize your claim to the throne. We may speak about the specifics at a later date perhaps. For now, let us shift our focus to the main subject of the summit." Celestia gestured to Andrew. "Yes," Flavius said, "the..." "Human." Andrew said, answering the unspoken question. "Andrew Detmer, the human." "The human..." the griffon repeated. "How very interesting." he grinned, "How very Interesting indeed... And I would presume that you are an adolescent of your race, yet you must be quite the capable warrior for your age." His grin grew another inch. A look of confusion crossed Andrews face as he responded, "Warrior? Me?" He tried to picture his thin frame clad in plate armor, complete with a sword and shield. The very idea itself sounded ridiculous to him. "No, I'm not a soldier or anything." He dismissed the idea with a wave of a hand. "I'm just..." He paused, looking for the right words. "I'm just human... granted, one with powers but still..." The king frowned at Andrew's words, as if disappointed. "Not a warrior you say?" The griffin chuckled, as if Andrew had just made a clever joke. "Surely you jest?" Now it was Andrew's turn to frown, "Umm, no, last I checked I was still just a teenage student." Celestia cleared her throat, earning their attention. "Andrew, I am sure you have been wondering why I chose this location for the summit instead of Canterlot." She received a mildly suspicious look from the human, to which she only smiled and looked to the eastern sky. Following her gaze, Andrew saw the thing he had been most looking forward too since meeting spike. A full grown black dragon. The great beast flapped its wings in a slow but steady rhythm as it drew ever closer, partially shrouded by the clouds it pierced as it cut its way through the sky. Andrew's heart thumped in his chest like a drum. Was it Excitement? Apprehension? He didn't care. This was it, he was actually going to meet an honest to God dragon. There was something else that he noticed as well. Two carriages were making their way towards them from the same direction, but were much closer, only now visible because they had risen to be level with the plateau floor. They must have been traveling just above the treeline until now. Just as the gentle swish of the dragon's wing beats became audible, the guards cleared the area to the left and right of the griffin carriage just before the next two touched down. The pegasi that were pulling the vehicles stood panting, their coats glimmering with a sheen of sweat. From one carriage exited a brown-robed zebra and two guards, one of which carried a tray with glasses of water to the parched guards, who thanked the zebra and eagerly gulped down their respective glasses with glee. All wore a a collection of golden necklaces around their necks and rings around their hooves. Were it not for the robe and lack of a spear, Andrew wouldn't be able to tell who was in charge as they all looked the same in his eyes. The robed zebra had a soft smile on his face, and the guards were somehow looked content, yet stoic at the same time. From the other Carriage exited some sort of gray, bipedal dog-like creatures. Diamond dogs were what they were called, if he recalled correctly, having spent the overwhelming majority of the previous day reading. It wore a black leather vest and a golden collar spiked with various gems and precious metals. Behind it followed two large mutts with iron vests, complete with studded shoulder plates and spears. The eyes of the guards were hidden under iron helms, and their faces were expressionless. As the carriages emptied, the pegasi wasted no time as they turned and took off, taking the vehicles with them. The new arrivals walked to within speaking distance of each other. Andrew was about to ask if everyone actually planned to arrive within minutes of each other when the robed Zebra broke the silence. "Greetings everypony," he began in a pleasant tone as he scanned the attendants, his eyes looking at Flavius and Andrew a moment longer than the rest. "Please, allow me to introduce myself to the new faces here," he bowed slightly, "my name is Zuberi Imari, but I would prefer to be referred to as Imari." He looked warmly from Andrew to Flavius and asked, "Might I ask for your names?" Flavius introduced himself, then Imari turned to him. "Andrew," he said, "Andrew Detmer." He looked around, he was in a sweater and jeans, surrounded by gold and gem-wearing royalty... "I'm not a king or prince or anything like that though," He shrugged. He caught a glaring look from the diamond dog, who huffed and introduced himself next. "Rox," he stated in a gruff voice. "Just Rox." Andrew waited for the alpha to say something more, but no more words were spoken. According to Twilight, diamond dogs, while capable of being just as intellectual as the next pony, did not pride themselves on their ability to hold a conversation, or stay in school (if they even had schools). Diamond dog society was split between many underground cave networks across Equestria, each one dominated by an alpha, of which there was one alpha that was, in turn, in charge of all the others, making sure peace was kept between them. Common sense would dictate this was that very alpha. The wind was beginning to pick up as the dragon got closer, the flapping of its wings being felt even from this distance as it crossed over Ponyville, a large shadow encompassing the town for a moment. If the townsfolk weren't already aware of the summit, they were likely in for a startling surprise when they went outside. Everyone present turned towards the jet-black drake, watching in silence as the dragon closed what distance was left. Whether they wanted to wait until the dragon arrived to continue, or were just as enraptured as Andrew himself, he couldn't say. The turbulent wind brought forth by the dragon brought the trees and grass below to life. The drake began to descend as it reached the final stretch, gliding toward the mountain with ease. After a few moments, the dragon flared its wings and hovered next to the mountain. If he looked large from a distance, he was absolutely gargantuan up-close. Its frame was easily half the size of the mountain itself. It grasped the mountain with its large, scaled claws, the action causing the ground below them to shake in protest of the added weight. One set of talons bent over the cliff, the curved, pointed tips—longer than Andrew himself, even with the curve— digging through the red fabric and finding purchase in the rock below. Its wings, stretching wide enough to touch wingtip to wingtip around the peak if it so desired, gave a few more hearty flaps as the dragon settled itself into a comfortable position. As the great dragon lord relaxed, it folded its vast gray wings to its side, then craned his long, muscular neck back as it looked toward something below and out of view of those who stood in the clearing. As it raised its head, its slick black tail followed, coiled around the handle of a giant tankard fit for a beast of its size. It manipulated the cup towards its mouth and eagerly gulped down its contents, the rest splashing across its neck and down its body. Their was long stretch of silence as the dragon caught its breath. The tankard lowered back down to its original location, much lighter now than before. The action of breathing alone caused the fibers that made up the carpet that covered the plateau move to and fro. After a sudden intake of breath that slightly pulled at the those present, and almost making Andrew lose his balance and fall, the dragon turned its head skyward and yawned. The rows of impeccably white fangs glinted in the light of Celestia's sun, its forked tongue extending out of the large, narrow mouth as it filled the lungs within with fresh air. Out from the back of its head extended two long, straight horns, their length matching that of the head. The dragon didn't seem to mind the fact that the sharp tips of its horns were pressing into its neck. Black smoke accompanied its exhale as it brought its head back down. As it completed the action, Luna flew in from behind the creature's right side and touched down onto the carpet, then hurried to her sister's side, exchanging words that Andrew couldn't be bothered to care about at the moment. He gaze was fixated on the magnificent creature looming above him. "I apologize if I was unable to fully quench your thirst, Kethitus," Celestia apologized. "We were unable to bring a second tankard. Keth only gave a deep grunt and nod as he continued to catch his breath. "You are very welcome." Celestia replied, despite the fact that The dragon said no words. The dragon locked its ruby red eyes with Andrew's. He could see his own reflection disappear against the rapidly narrowing pupils as they peered at him before they relaxed again. Keth continued to stare at him, as if searching for something. The dragon opened its mouth, revealing rows of sharp teeth again. Andrew wasn't very versed in adult dragon facial expression, as spike's face was relatively flat, much like a human's, as opposed to the elongated snout of the beast that loomed above him. However, he had a feeling that the dragon was grinning. "Do I amuse you, creature?" Keth said in a deep, rumbling voice. The vocalization sending a thumping vibration through Andrew's body similar to that of deep bass. He noticed that his eyes were wide and his mouth was open, he must look ridiculous. He shook his head to clear it and tried—and failed— to put on his best poker face. Glancing around, he saw that everyone was looking at him now, including a pink, candy-maned alicorn mare―who could be none other than Cadence―stood behind Luna and her sister. The third alicorn must have arrived from behind the mountain when his back was turned. The dragon made a rumbling sound in his throat, causing Andrew to snap his head back to face the dragon. The human stumbled for words before stealing himself and speaking, "S-sorry, it's just that where I come from..." Andrew paused, failing to find words as the dragon leaned forward, expression now hidden among the uniformly black scales that made up his face He took a step back, not so much out of fear as much as respect. The dragon moved his head left, then right as he examined the human. Luna trotted forward next to him and interjected on his behalf, "I believe what Andrew is trying to get at is that on his world, humans are alone in their sapience, not only is he not accustomed to speaking with other thinking creatures outside of his own species, everypony here today was literally a creature of fantasy to him just a few days ago." She swiveled her head to glance the rest of the leaders. "If anything, it would be more strange if he wasn't nervous around so many strange creatures, at least from his perspective." She smiled, looking back at the dragon lord. "And he, like many others of his kind and age, is quite fond of dragons in particular." She winked at Andrew, who scowled defensively, the expression downplayed by the flush in his cheeks. The dragon gave another toothy grin before saying, "I suppose it is to be expected that I would incite such awe.," He lifted his claw from the cliff's edge and brought forth a curved talon to Andrew. "I am Da'kethitus, current stand-in as the lord of dragons. You may call me Keth if you wish." Andrew gripped the tip of the talon, even then unable to reach completely around, the entire piece of keratin probably weighed more than him, and he resorted to using telekinetically enhanced strength to give it a firm shake. Keth's claw rose and fell in tandem with the human's, causing Keth to sharply pull back his claw. "What is this...?" He asked, peering down at the human with curious suspicion. Before Andrew could even attempt to answer, Luna spoke again. "Telekinesis." She stated, earning a few hushed murmurs from the gathering. "On Earth, Andrew's world, there is no magic of any sort. Despite this fact, Andrew and two other humans recently acquired this power. From what little we know, his ability is very likely connected to his arrival in Equestria, though we know not the how nor the why." "But we fully intend to learn, if at all possible," Celestia added. "But for now, we should focus on other matters." Celestia made her way to the foot of the roughly fifteen foot table, directly across from Keth, who loomed over the ledge of the mountain bench. Following her lead, everyone else found their own spot at the table and stood, as there were no seats in sight. Luna took the corner to her sister's right, while the pink alicorn took the other. Imari stood next to Cadence while Rox stood by Luna, followed by Flavius. Andrew himself stood next to the royal griffon at the corner of the table, to the left of Keth. "A real life alien." Imari quipped with a chuckle. "That's quite an interesting development, even for Equestrian. Where to even begin..." "I believe the start will suffice for the time being," Flavius said, looking toward the human. "Under what circumstances did you find yourself in Equestria? Celestia believes that your abilities have something to do with it, so start with that. How did you get them? How did you use them? Tell us as many relevant details between then and now as possible." Andrew debated with himself on whether or not he should reveal the circumstances surrounding his death. How would they react when they find out how he was wrecking havoc across Seattle before having to essentially be put down like a wild animal by his cousin? Would they throw him in prison? He wouldn't think so, in the same way that committing a crime in America probably didn't matter once you crossed the border into mexico. The truth would come out eventually, right? It was only a matter of time until his silence about his past would cause more problems than simply telling the truth now. Perhaps it would be prudent to deal with the potential fallout now rather than later? Keth's presence certainty eased his mind somewhat, surely he wouldn't be judged as harshly from a dragon. "I..." He started, but hesitated. "I did something that, if I didn't end up here, would have put me in—" He was interrupted by the sound of several sets of flapping wings, followed by the sight of yet another carriage appearing on the other side of the cliff, directly across from him. The pony and zebra guards that were near the edge moved away as the carriage landed, the wheels somehow unhindered by the carpet as it came to a stop parallel to the edge. The pegasi that were pulling it were facing him, and noticeably fatigued if the shine of their coats were any indication. Unlike the guards that brought the zebra's however, their expressions conveyed only stoic calmness. He could see the confusion etched on the faces around the table. It didn't seem like anyone besides Celestia, Luna, and himself were aware that there would be an extra dignitary in attendance. The right door opened towards the table as a stoic-faced guard trotted over and offered a hoof to the passenger. There was a loud smack as the offering hoof was presumably slapped away. "We do not need your help, pony! I don't want you so much as touching us!” Chrysalis seethed, the disdain clear in her voice. The guard's professionalism held as he stepped back. His eyes lowered, looking at something as he spoke a few unintelligible words to the queen. "I hope you are merely jesting." Chrysalis said through gritted teeth. "You would bring me to my enemies, then DARE to take away my lone guard? My first line of defense!? Do you plan on ridding me of my only protection to more swiftly take my life!? If not, then WE DO NOT NEED YOUR HELP!" The door shuddered as it was struck, the queen still hidden behind it. The stallion's stoic face made way to confusion. He opened his mouth to speak but Chrysalis practically screamed. "Say another word!" She threatened. The stallion failed to suppress a snort as he stepped aside, making way for the queen as she strutted past him. If the depictions of changelings he had seen while reading were accurate, a hideous, bug-like monstrosity of a being should have been what exited the carriage, something worthy of a place in the nightmares of the mares and fillies of Equestria. Those books couldn't be less accurate. What stepped from the carriage, on shaking, bandaged hooves, was a black, green maned, emaciated creature. What would otherwise be perceived as smooth skin betrayed its true nature as spidery cracks ran along portions of the carapace. Despite the state her body, her face glowed with disdainful pride as she slowly made her way to the table with a slight limp in left hind leg. Where most ponies came up to about Andrew's belly button in height, Chrysalis was about the same height as Celestia, coming up to just under his chin not including the horn. They locked eyes for a moment before his traveled downward to the large, brown, tattered cloth that was tied around her neck, forming a bundle around her chest like one might make for an infant. Except there wasn't a child, but a much smaller changeling wrapped tightly in the material. Only the head of the youngling was visible, facing upwards and toward Chrysalis, the rest of the body hidden beneath several layers of the cloth. A small, makeshift spear―essentially just a sharp rock tied to a stick with split string―was held in place between the queen's body and the bundle, pointing up and to the right. Next to the spear, resting above the cloth, was a tiny, dark blue-hued helmet. All the while he could feel the changelings eyes mirroring his own as she examined him with equal interest. "What in Tartarus is SHE doing here!?" Cadence spat with venom in her voice. She turned to her aunt with a glare, "Celestia! What is the meaning of this!?" Chrysalis's eyes shifted to look at the angered princess, lips contorted into a snarl. "Cadenza..." she said in a tone thick with disdain. Cadence's head snapped back to face the Changeling. Her face contorted in a rictus of disgust. She moved her head only slightly as she glared back at the solar alicorn. "Explain," she said authoritatively. "I'm sorry," Celestia started, losing her smile. "It was on extremely short notice that I extended an invitation to the summit to Chrysalis, but it was at the request of Andrew that I did so." "Have you already forgotten what she did to Canterlot!? To me!?" Cadence yelled. "She foalnapped me, imprisoned me beneath my own home. She set her army on your city, she—" "I understand your concerns Cadence," Celestia interjected, having to raise her voice to do so, "but it was only out of respect for Andr—" "You brought a Changeling queen to the summit out of respect for an alien!!?" Cadence practically shrieked. "For all we know, she may have dabbled in dark magic to bring him to Equestria. For all we know, her army could be well on its way to—" "SHUT UP!" Chrysalis screeched, earning everyone's attention. She glared at Cadence from across the table, her sharp, white fangs creating a stark contrast next to her dark carapace. "You foal-brained. Selfish. Arrogant. DEVIL! Are you truly such a fool that you believe the words you speak!?" Her anger only rose as she continued to speak. "Do you truly fear the monster you think me to be, or are you just oblivious to what you did to us that day." "Yes," Cadence shot back without hesitation, "my husband and I banished you back to the land from whence you came, a place just as rotten as yourself!" Cadence smirked triumphantly. "I often find myself thinking back to it when I am in a less than stellar mood." Andrew could see Chrysalis trying desperately to suppress herself from shaking with anger. "YOU DOOMED US!" She screamed at the pink alicorn, holding the bundle against her chest with a hoof. "Did you even take a moment to consider what would become of us after you blasted us away, did you even realize the power behind that very spell? My children closest to you were killed instantly from the shock wave alone!" Chrysalis reared up and placed her fore hooves on the table. As she did so, the spear fall into the bundle, where the thin fore hooves of the changeling grasped it, and held it tightly. It hadn't so much as said a word thus far, with the only signs of life it gave off being slow, shallow breaths. "They were the lucky ones." Chrysalis continued. "By the time I regained consciousness, it was already night, and I was surrounded by my dead and dying children. Bodies broken to pieces from the fall, some hanging over the branches of the dead trees. I looked down with horror to see that, in my unconscious state, dozens of my children sacrificed themselves just to break my fall. When I refused their help, they forced me to the ground as one by one, they transferred the last of their love to me to prevent my own death," Chrysalis began clapping, resting her elbows on the table. "Bravo, Cadenza, bravo. By your own admission, you enjoy reminiscing on a genocide of your making, proving yourself to be the very villain you see in me. How does it feel to be worse than a harmless love consuming Changeling that just wants to stay alive? How does it feel to nearly eradicate an entire race?" Chrysalis's tone was sarcastically triumphant, but her expression was sour. There was pregnant pause in the air as everyone took in the exchange. Keth simply loomed overhead in silence, expression unreadable. Rox and Flavius were stoic, as were their guards. It was a different story entirely for the ponies and zebras present. Imari uttered something under his breath in his native tongue as his guards exchanged hushed words as they looked at Cadence with dismay. Luna was in a state of open mouthed shock, and even her sister's ever present professionalism was shattered, a grim frown replacing her otherwise ever-contented features. Cadence held a hoof over her mouth, ears splayed tight against her head. The revelation of what she had done shocking her to the very core. How could she have known? The last thing she would ever want to do is to cause harm to others. She even considered Sombra to be a victim, falling prey to the black magic that he coveted. If there was any other way to stop him, she would not have hesitated to do so. To now realize that she had a direct hoof in the deaths of what was likely over a hundred lives—even if they were changelings— was too much to take in. She felt sick, disgusted with herself. "What is wrong Cadenza? Are you just know second guessing your actions?" Chrysalis mused. "A little late for that don't you think?" No one said a word, whether that was due to being at a loss for words themselves or because they enjoyed watching the exchange Andrew couldn't tell. They looked to Cadence expectantly. "No..." Cadence said weakly. "I had no idea... I- I thought that—" "Thought what!?" Chrysalis spat. "That we would all land safely in the badlands, well within sight of each other, and simply mope about in our defeat for a few days before shrugging and moving on with our lives, living a life full of food in the desolate wastes that we call our home?" "I'm so s—" Cadence started, but was immediately cut off again by the changeling. "What? Sorry? Feeling empathetic for once, are we?" Chrysalis snorted. "You couldn't even begin to understand, not without children of your own." The changeling queen finally lowered herself from the table and scowled. "I will speak of this no more, the only reason I am even here is because my guard insisted I come." From his position and angle across from the queen, Andrew could see a weak smile spread across the changeling guard's face before it winced, as if simply the act of smiling caused it pain. Following the painful reaction was a dry coughing fit, which drew the attention of everyone present. By the end of the fit, small splatters of blood coated the cloth. When she saw the blood Celestia wasted no time in shouting out, "Guards, ready a carriage, that changeling needs medical a-" "Don't you DARE touch him!" Chrysalis shrieked, holding the bundle protectively as the two guards closest to her began to move. They stood in place when she yelled, looking over to their ruler for permission to proceed. "I don't understand," Celestia pleaded, "how can you possibly deny him help when it is clear tha-" "There is NOTHING you can do for him!" She spat at the alicorn. "We did not come here to partake in your revolting pity, we are here because of this thing." She pointed a hoof at Andrew, and then looked at the human. "So stop feigning worry on us, and get on with the summit." "But wh—" "We will speak of this no more." Chrysalis hissed. "Fine then, have it your way," Celestia relented, then looked to Andrew. "I apologize for the interruptions, I believe you were speaking about something that you did..." "Oh, right." Andrew stumbled for words, nearly forgetting himself from the heated exchange he had just witnessed. He thought silently of a way to explain everything without... well... "Ughh," Chrysalis groaned with her nose scrunched up in disgust, "There is enough repugnant guilt in the air as is without you saturating it any further." Andrew looked at the changeling skeptically. He knew that Changelings fed off of love, but he didn't read anything about them also picking up on other emotions as well. Not to mention the fact that he was supposed to be immune to magic. Then again, his magic immunity meant nothing when it came to Luna's apparent affinity with dreams, but even then, he could easily just exert his will as he pleased in his own dreams. His emotions however? There wasn't sure what he could do there... He pushed his skepticism away for the time being, lest he get caught up in his own thoughts. "Know this, human," Keth said, his voice booming from the close proximity to Andrew. "Crimes that you may or may not have committed on your world, no matter how severe, will hold no weight here beyond giving us insight into your past. You may speak freely." Andrew nodded with a sigh. He was about to begin when Luna spoke. "Andrew, you are not being forced into this,"Luna said. "This is your own choice to make, are you absolutely certain?" the lunar alicorn asked, giving him a concerned look. "It's alright sister," Celestia said. "What Keth says is true," she directed her attention back to Andrew. "While in Equestria, you are just as bound to our laws as everypony else, and extradition would most definitely be on the table under normal circumstances." She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Of course, our current situation is anything but normal, and I refuse to even consider the possibility of returning you to your world. Not while knowing what would become of you..." She grimaced, the expression looking rather alien on Celestia's face. "I couldn't possibly condemn anypony to such horror." Andrew caught Chrysalis shooting Cadence a cold look, the alicorn refusing to meet the changeling's gaze. She was still frowning from the revelation of what she had done, and he was surprised she didn't have to leave and compose herself. "I do not understand." Keth said. "Why should he not be sent back to his world?" "Because," Andrew began, "The first thing they would probably try to do is kill and dissect me— and maybe not even in that order—to find out the secret behind my powers." "So he believes." Celestia said. "According to Andrew, his race is extremely inquisitive by nature, and—at least away from the eyes of the public—would readily throw ethics to the side if given the opportunity to study something they previously believed to be impossible. Of course, there is no way for us to prove him wrong in his assumptions, but I would rather refrain from taking the chance." "Besides, Andrew wishes to stay in Equestria by choice." Luna added. "Indeed," Celestia affirmed. "And even if he did wish to be sent back to his world, he has shared with my student and me information regarding his race that make me less inclined to bridge our worlds together." Imari was visibly surprised by the statement. "Is that so? What ever could you have learned? I would expect you more than anypony here to jump at the chance to establish relations with another race." "True," Celestia nodded in agreement, "but humans, for the overwhelming majority of their history, barring the last several decades, have been a conquering, war-faring race." "So what?" Flavius questioned. "That didn't stop you from negotiating a treaty with us? And I am sure if you can convince dragons to sign a non-aggression treaty, what's one more race?" "I have not finished," Celestia continued. "I can certainly, at the very least, attempt to connect our worlds together by studying exactly what caused Andrew to appear in Equestria and potentially reverse engineering it with magic, but I believe the potential disadvantages of such an act outweigh the advantages. For starters, humans, being the only sapient race that they are even aware of, would no doubt suffer from severe culture shock when suddenly learning of an entire planet full of other races. Not to mention that most of those standing here are quite literally beasts straight out of their fictional literature. There is simply no way to predict the outcome of beginning such a relationship. If we were to suddenly 'open our doors' to them, I can imagine the hundreds of human countries competing with each other over their need to curry more favor with us than their neighbors." She gave a moment for the information to sink in before looking to Andrew. "Although I would like to hear how you believe it would play out." "Well," Andrew started, carefully considering the implications of alien contact. "I don't really know politics, but I think more than anything they would probably just want to trade for your resources. BUT, all it really takes is one xenophobic country to declare war on you for everything to go to shit on both sides, since there’ll be countries that think likewise, and others that want to keep the peace. And I've noticed that bits are made of gold, so that, along with all the gems you have..." he shrugged. "Those things are a lot less common on Earth, so some people are going to want to fight each other and you for control of it. "I see..." Celestia stated simply. "OR," Andrew emphasized, "Everything will turn out just fine." "and how likely do you think that is? Keth asked. "We have a saying back on Earth, 'don't poke the dragon'." He replied. Keth snorted, black smoke jetting out of his nostrils before catching on the wind, "A wise saying." "Very well then," Celestia started. "I will take your advice to heart. Now then, I believe you were going to..." "Yeah, right..." Andrew took a deep breath as he began to retell his story, starting at the cave entrance and the accident, up until his last night on Earth. He didn't reveal anything too personal—the fact that he threw up on the girl he was about to lay would go with him to his grave—but he fully admitted to his pain and vengeance-fueled rampage across Seattle. He wouldn't give too many details, but he certainly gave enough to damn himself ten times over in court. All he could do to even remotely justify himself was the fact that it all started with him trying to get money for his mother's medicine. He could have sworn he felt Chrysalis's gaze on him intensify when he brought that up. The entire story took him about twenty minutes to go through uninterrupted. He wasn't used to talking for so long without pause, and he relished in a moment of silence after he mentioned his spearing by his cousin Matt. He raised both arms and crossed them behind his head as his shirt raised itself up to his chest, showing off the circular scar between his chest and stomach, then he turned around to show the scar on the other end. He turned back toward the table and lowered his arms and shirt. "Next thing I know, I wake up in Ponyville hospital, by all rights my guts should be on the floor and my spine should be broken. I don't know why or how I'm still alive, or what I'm doing in Equestria." He shrugged. "I should be dead, but I'm not, and for now, that's all that matters." There were many hushed murmurs from the surrounding guards, but the summit table was completely silent. "Those are grave actions indeed," Imari said softly. "And by one so young no less." Flavius added. "How old are you, Andrew?" The griffon hummed for a moment before adding, "For that matter, what are your days and years like?" "I'm eighteen," the human answered promptly, "and our days and years are the same as yours, even some of our holidays are similar." And I was only a month away from graduating, too, he thought. "And how does Luna play into this?" Imari asked. "It seemed like she already knew about your situation, whereas Celestia did not." "You are correct,"Luna admitted, "due to the mystery surrounding his initial arrival, I went through his memories while he was unconscious to help ascertain whether or not he was a threat." She gave the human an apologetic look before continuing. "Since then, I have known of his violent past and chose to keep it to myself in fear that he would not be given the same mercy as I was after my return from my banishment. I do not know how many lives were lost due to Andrew's actions, but..." She paused, biting her lip. "A thousand years ago, I threatened the entirety of Equestria when I let jealousy and loneliness consume my heart. If my sister had failed to stop me, it is very likely that none of us would be standing here today." She extended a hoof toward the human. "I know that Andrew is a kind soul at heart, even if he himself would think otherwise, for I have seen it through his own eyes. I am by no means justifying his deplorable actions, but the hardships that he has personally gone through that led him astray far exceeds what it took for me to fall from grace. I only ask that he be treated with the same mercy as I." There was a short pause before she added, "Besides, as far as I am concerned, he has already payed for his crimes with his life, whether he stayed dead or not is immaterial.” Celestia's features softened at hearing her sister's words. She said, "Very well Luna, I trust your judgement. I admit I have had my suspicions about Andrew since the beginning, but I can sense the sincerity in your words. I would also like to add that, due to an unfortunate misunderstanding, there was an altercation between Andrew and my royal guards, and he was careful not to cause permanent damage, even as he faced down their spears." "Well," Andrew began, "in their defense, they couldn't really touch me if they tried." This earned him more than a few raised brows from the table, and Luna gave him a look that said 'you're not helping yourself.' Keth said, "While I believe your words, human." The dragon turned and lowered his head, observing Andrew with a single eye that looked him up and down. "I fail to see how that is possible." "How else?" Andrew said sarcastically. "If bullets can't get past my telekinesis, what's ancient stuff like spears going to do?" "Ancient!" Flavius exclaimed. "Do you mean to tell us that your weapons are better than ours?" Imari asked. "How so?" "I am also rather curious," Keth grumbled Looking around, it was clear to Andrew that everyone present was curious to hear his answer or at least, all but two. Celestia cleared her throat to get everyone's attention and said, "I cannot say I am fond of the idea of introducing new weapons into Equestria. I believe it would be best hold the first vote of today's summit." "What? Why?" Flavius questioned, glaring at the solar princess before looking to Andrew with a toothy smile. "You are more than welcome to visit my kingdom human, I can make it worth your while if you would divulge to me your secrets." Andrew wrinkled his forehead and rolled his eyes at the offer. First Twilight, expecting him to have impeccable medical knowledge, and now the rulers of Equestria expecting him to be a trained engineer. Then again, as he thought about it, if he supplied enough general knowledge about guns, it wasn't entirely out of the realm of possibility that they could be recreated in some fashion here, and who knew what could be added or changed now that magic was on the table. For now, he chose to keep his mouth shut and see where this went. "We will hold it to a vote, Flavius." Luna restated with authority. The griffon glared at her from the corner of his eye. When the king finally stayed silent Luna said, "As usual, Cadence, my sister and I will count as a single vote, so as to not easily manipulate the outcome. Should the vote end in favor of Andrew keeping his knowledge a secret, he will be bound by law to do so." She looked to Andrew expectantly. "I understand." He said with a nod. Not like I'll talk either way though, he mused. Even if he was free to give up everything he knew about guns and such, he would probably just use that to have everyone try their best to stay on his good side until they eventually found out his lips were sealed and they gave up. Besides, it was in his best interests not to, as even if he could block bullets if he tried, the last thing he needed was the possibility of getting shot at when he least expected by some—admittedly, though he wouldn't be caught saying it out loud—adorable looking talking animals. Celestia began the vote with, "All those in favor of Andrew withholding any and all knowledge of the detailed workings of his worlds weaponry?" Andrew assumed that he didn't have a say in the matter, so he simply looked around, if the alicorns all counted as one, and he wasn't included in the vote, that meant there were a total of six votes. Imari was the first who placed a hoof on the table, followed by Luna with no protest coming from the other two princesses. After a moment with no further votes, the zebra and alicorn withdrew their hooves. That made two votes against. "A-all those in favor of allowing Andrew to freely sharing his knowledge." Celestia asked with a tinge of worry. Rox rested a paw on the table, and Flavius a claw. After several seconds passed with no further actions, they withdrew their limbs, exchanging muffled words between themselves. "Those who are withholding their vote." Celestia stated. Keth simply raised a talon from the ground and rested it on the edge of the table, while Chrysalis did the same with a bandaged hoof, but only for a moment before she withdrew. That made two for and two against. "We need at least one more to come to an agreement," Celestia said. "Is there any reason in particular as to why you two wish to abstain?" Keth was the first to speak, he huffed, black smoke streaming from his nostrils. "Petty squabbles between your races do not concern us," he stated in an uncaring tone. "I do not care one way or the other." Chrysalis looked from Flavius to Cadence and turned her nose upwards with a huff, "If you all wish so dearly to find better ways of killing each-other, what do I care." She gave Cadence another glaring look. "I have had my fill of death." Imari shot the diamond dog and griffon across from him a glare and asked, "Of all the ideas that Andrew could share, why is it that you are both so intent on those that can only bring about strife?" He gave the predators across from him a stern gaze, which they both returned in kind. "Human," Keth grumbled, the deep, overpowering voice instantly earning him the spotlight. He leaned his head forward again, looking directly at Andrew. "Your... weapons...," He spoke the word with audible disgust, as if the very idea offended him. "What are they capable of?" He grinned, jet black making way for a trail of porcelain white. "What would become of these creatures if they are given these shiny new toys.?" These creatures? Andrew thought to himself curiously, Keth said that condescendingly but seemed to exclude him from the insult. Was he held in higher regard by the dragon than the others? Was he simply over-analyzing the question? He looked into the dragon's eyes again, feeling strange... exposed, as if Keth was looking at him naked through the prolonged eye contact. He looked away sharply, playing it off by scratching the back of his head. "Umm, hold on," he looked around the area idly, thinking of a way to explain guns without actually going into detail. "I-I guess you could say..." He paused, grasping his chin in further thought. "Well, it depends. The most simplest of them could..." he looked around the table, then made eye contact with several of the guards standing at attention along the ledge, "could, in the hands of a kid, or colt or whatever, probably kill everyone here and very much annoy me and Keth." He chuckled at his own joke, then coughed into his hand awkwardly when he noticed no one else found it amusing." "You seem to find that idea humorous..." Rox said. It was the first time Andrew could recall the giant dog actually speaking with him. "But you are not kidding, are you?" The Diamond dog looked at him stoically, and with the same intensity that Keth had only moments ago. It made him uncomfortable. "Ughh, no," Andrew assured, wiping the smile off his face and choosing instead to mirror the same seriousness as those around him. many of the guards were giving him mixed looks of disgust and bewilderment, while those at the table refused to let their emotions show. "You say that it would naught but annoy me,?" Keth said, "if that is what you believe, then I assure you it would do much less to the celestial princesses. The Dragon snarled slightly. "And what of the more advanced weaponry? Keth asked, talons scraping against the carpet as his grip strengthened. "The the simplest of them can wipe out dozens of trained guards and their rulers in the hooves of a mere foal, so what would the best of them do to a full grown dragon. There was the slightest tinge of anger in the drake's voice, as if he was daring Andrew to come up with something that could harm him. Lucky for him he didn't have to think very long at all, and he already knew the perfect way to describe it without using words, well, maybe just one word. Trying his best to hold back a grin, he asked Celestia if she could create a map of Equestria using her magic. With a confused nod, she turned around and lit up her horn in a golden aura. All present looked on as the entire mouth of the cave became completely obscured by a golden hued map of Equestria. It only took a fraction of a second for the map to finish materializing, and the detail on it was striking, complete with borders, railroads, and labels floating just in front of the map and pointing to their corresponding cities in Equestria. From the South Luna Ocean on the bottom left, to the Crystal empire in the far north, even Dragon's Lair was labeled on the bottom right with Griffonstone across the sea to the north. So large and tall was the map, that Andrew had to turn his head to examine the corners. Looking around, he noticed he was the only one that looked impressed. This probably wasn't the first time Celestia had to do this, and her age alone could easily explain her familiarity with Equestria's geography, let alone the fact that it was in her job description. Celestia turned her head to look at the human and asked, "Might I inquire as to why you nee—" She was interrupted by the loud sizzling behind her. She turned her attention back to her spell. In the center of the map, where Canterlot, Ponyville, and even the Everfree Forest were supposed to be, was now a perfectly circular hole, the cave behind it visible through streaks of misty white. The surrounding aura pushed against the circumference of the hole, attempting to repair itself, but the action only served to further produce a continuous, hissing stream of the short-lived smoke. "I don't understand?" Imari said with a look of confusion. A few seconds of silence passed before Keth pulled his head back with a deafening, seething hiss. His long tail showed itself as it was raised over his back before slamming back downwards and out of view. An instant later there was a loud crash followed by the mountain shaking violently from the violent blow. "Da'Kethitus!" Celestia commanded with a magically amplified voice, "Calm yourself at once!" Andrew stumbled where he stood, having to grab onto the edge of the table lest he lose his balance. He noticed Chrysalis eyeing him, maintaining her balance on three legs as she affectionately stroked the underside of the bundle with the fourth. She looked away indifferently when they made eye contact. "Impossible! Keth barked, much to the confusion of the alicorn princesses and Imari. Cadence looked at the hole in the map skeptically before giving Andrew a confused look. "Apologies, but I don't understand, what are you-" She was interrupted by an annoyed shout from Flavius. "Do you ponies need everything spelled out for you! It's supposed to be an—" "Explosion..." Keth finished with a snarl This earned him several more skeptical looks, but mostly from the surrounding pony guards. Andrew shrugged, "Sorry, I thought it was obvious?" Before Andrew could clarify, Rox did so in his stead. "Ponyville, the Everfree, Canterlot, the surrounding territory, this mountain included. All gone, wiped off the face of the map." Celestia turned her attention from the now composed Keth to Andrew and cleared her throat. "Your race is capable of such a devastating creation, and yet you also claim that there are hundreds of countries, with thousands of cultures between them all.” She closed her eyes and thought for a moment before opening them again and continuing with, "Am I right to assume that there are many countries in possession of such... items? It is the only reason I can fathom for why—considering your history—you have not fought yourselves to the last few nations.” Andrew rolled his eyes, "We're not bloodthirsty killers looking for any reason to murder each-other princess. Sorry we can't all be grass eating horses like you." The insult earned him a few chuckles from around the table. He saw Celestia was about to say something, but cut her off before she could apologize. "And yes, there are several countries with... them. I don't know how many, but not a lot. Also, that's just an extreme example of what we're capable of, we haven't used it in like eighty years or something. Nothing really happens these days beyond regular crime and the like," he rolled his eyes, "Okay, maybe one or two countries might be in active conflict, but the rest of the world is at peace, I guess." He was met with a doubtful look from the solar princess. "What!? I'm sorry for not reading up on world news, and even if I did, I wouldn't know how to make the things that do that," he pointed to the smoking hole in the map. "That's something I would have to go to school for four more years to learn. And even if I did know, I certainly wouldn't be sharing." He stayed quiet after that. The diamond dog alpha and Griffon king both shared a look before the former said, "Regardless, I change my mind." Rox followed with, "I would like to change my vote as well, may any and all knowledge the human possess die with him." "Agreed." Flavius said. "I also believe it would be pertinent if Andrew would keep to himself any and all technological advancements, not just those pertaining to weapons." "Very well," Celestia said. "Before we move on, would anypony like to vote against the proposed?" Not a hoof or claw was raised. "Then it is decided, Andrew Detmer is to withhold all information regarding his world's technology if it can be used to reverse engineer it in Equestria. She looked to the human. "Lips are sealed." He assured. She nodded, then disabled the spell behind her, the aura fading away quickly. "Speaking of the human dying..." Flavius began. "How are we to handle the fact that he is the only one of his kind?" Ahh, Andrew was wondering how long it would take to reach this topic, Twilight had touched on it, but he was still interested in the details. "I am also curious," Imari added, "I do not recall there ever being an endling of a sapient race." "You wouldn't," Celestia agreed. "That is because the last endling was Discord." Celestia stated. "Discord?" Rox questioned, "But he's the god of chaos, is he not? A one of a kind?" "Yes, A god of chaos, one of what were once many." She frowned and shook her head. "Though not even I know what befell his race, as he is the only draconequus I have personally met. He never speaks of them, and I choose not to bring it up. But coming back to Andrew, I do have an idea I would like to propose. He will, of course, be granted full Equestrian citizenship, but I believe it would be more prudent to instead grant him universal citizenship across all our nations. Being a stranger to our world, he has already made his plans of prodigious travel open to me, and I believe that this would make such a journey much easier for him.." There was a short moment of silence as the Summit considered the proposal, then Cadence spoke. "So long as he remains in good legal standing, he will be treated as an honored guest should he choose to visit the Crystal Empire." Cadence put a hoof to the table. "Likewise." Imari stated with a nod, repeating the gesture. "Forgiveness is a powerful virtue, and all the more important for those who have yet to forgive themselves. My people would welcome him with open hooves, and would be honored to help him find within himself the peace he may not know he seeks." Andrew raised a brow at the Zebra, who's eyes were closed at the moment. He wasn't sure what to make of the statement. Flavius rolled his eyes and placed a claw on the table. Rox only gave a huff and shrug, but from Celestia's nod back at the mutt, it must have somehow been a shrug of agreement. "He may enter our lands as much as he pleases," Keth began. "But it is up to him to fend for himself." "I expected as much." Celestia replied. "In addition, due to his status as an endling, he is to be afforded the best possible medical care from any and all hospitals and clinics in Equestria as well as being exempt from the bills that come with them. Said bills are to be sent directly to Canterlot instead." She stopped to make sure everyone was paying attention before continuing. "Furthermore, Andrew does technically represent all of the human presence on our world. Due to this fact, although he is no diplomat, his status speaks for itself and I would like to grant him the same privileges. Such rights include free travel by way of train and carriage, discounted lodgings, should he choose to stay at any inns. One last thing, per a piece of legislation that was passed nearly a millennia ago, all sapient endlings have the right to receive a monthly stipend for the remainder of their natural born lives. It is my own personal belief that, devoid of the possibility of ever seeing his kind again, Andrew should have the flexibility to do with his life as he pleases. As the last of one's kind, an Endling should have the time and freedom to make their mark on the world, as whether they wish to or not, they will be remembered forever as their race's last legacy. Does anypony object to granting Andrew these rights based on his being the first and last human in Equestria?" There was a long silence in the wake of her words. Andrew definitely perked up at the thought of free money, but his excitement dwindled as Celestia seemed to emphasize the weight of being the 'last' human. "Very well," she looked to the side and nodded. A few moments later a tan, black maned unicorn mare trotted over with a large scroll and quill and levitated them over to Celestia, who took them in her own magic. Where did she come from, Andrew thought. Has she been here all this time? It should come as no surprise of course, it was commonplace for someone to transcribe something as important as a summit, much like in a courtroom. It was more so the fact that he was completely unaware of the mare's existence until then that impressed him. Celestia laid the parchment on the table and began to write something. When she finished she then passed it to Cadence, who did the same before passing it to Rox. It was clear to Andrew now that they were signing the document, which either meant it was being drafted as they were all speaking, or Celestia had somehow prepared it beforehand and didn't expect to encounter any difficulty, which he doubted. Celestia caught Andrew's eye and said, "I will refrain from boring you with any further details now, but you can expect to receive mail within the next few weeks that address any and all privileges you have been granted. If you still have any questions after that, feel free to send me letter, or, if you truly wish, ask Twilight to bring you to Canterlot so that we may speak face to face." Andrew only nodded in response as Flavius signed the document, then made to hand it to Andrew when he was stopped by Rox, who mumbled something to the griffon before the document was then handed to Andrew. As he took the parchment in his hand, and began to examine it, he believed less and less that it could have possibly been drafted live. The small, precise calligraphic lettering held no room for error, and yet there it was in front of him. 'Andrew Detmer, unless otherwise permitted through no less than a three-fifths majority vote by the Equestrian summit, is to withhold all knowledge pertaining to his native technology, should such knowledge be able to be used to reverse engineer said technology.' Celestia had no idea what humans were capable of until this summit so that could only have been added recently. The three-fifths vote wasn't mentioned on the floor though, so he could only assumed that was a common loophole they used. He grasped the quill in his hand and went to sign the line reserved for him. Or at least, he tried to sign it, as when he did so, only faint streaks of ink were left behind by the quill-tip's movements. He looked at quill skeptically before frowning at Celestia. "Ughh, I've never actually used a quill before..." He admitted. "Oh?" Imari said, "then how do you write if not with ink?" The zebra seemed genuinely curious. "Oh no, we use ink, we just haven't used quills for centuries now..." Again, he was probably exaggerating a bit, but he couldn't be expected to know exactly when pens became obsolete. "I see," Celestia said as she brought forth and inkwell and gently dipped to tip of the quill into the container, only just barely grazing the surface of the black liquid. While he wanted to say something about how he could have just done it himself, but he probably would have overdone it with the ink. He took the now refreshed quill and went back to signing the paper, only this time, he was a bit too forceful, but by the time he had noticed the thickness of the ink, he had already committed himself to signing his name, so he simply continued to finish. He felt like his rough, messy signature clashed with the finely written letters of the rest of the document. He couldn't help but notice the lack of any signature s belonging to either Chrysalis or Keth, though it at least made some sense fro the latter, who couldn't grasp a quill if he wanted to. Chrysalis tsked from across the table as Andrew handed the parchment back to Celestia, who took it in her magic and gave it to the same unicorn mare that brought it. "With that out of the way, is there anything anypony would like to add or bring up before we move on to discussing the situation regarding Chrysalis? The changeling huffed at the mention of her name. When nobody said anything for a moment, the alicorn continued. "Andrew Detmer is now a recognized dignitary of the human race, and will now be allowed all voting rights for the remainder of the summit. “Now then,” Celestia directed her attention to Chrysalis, who looked back disinterestedly. “I cannot possibly say anything to excuse what you have went through.” "Please," Chrysalis hissed, "I know better than anypony that you wish Cadence would have finished what you started all those years ago. After all, it is ultimately because you refused to aid us in the beginning that we stand here today." "Chrysalis," Celestia began in a regretful tone, "I am not the same ruler I once was, I freely admit that at one point I thought less of your kind due to your... dietary nature... but I understand tha—" "That what!?" Chrysalis bellowed Andrew blinked in surprise as an upward draft hit him in the face. He looked to his right to see Keth was sniffing the air curiously, the lung power behind the intakes of air enough to pull on him slightly. "That we aren't parasites?" Chrysalis continued. "That just because we were born as creatures that feed on love doesn't mean we live lives of debauchery!?" She was beginning to raise her voice. Andrew was looking back and forth from Chrysalis to Keth, who continued to search the air for the source of the smell before the dragon looked toward the changeling and spoke. "Chrysalis." He said in a low tone, only exaggerating the already low, natural boom of his voice. "That maybe I didn't deserve to feel firsthand the deaths of all my children?" "Chrysalis..." Keth repeated. "That perhaps I don't deserve to have been left sterile at the hooves of your accursed niece!!?" Chrysalis choked on her words as a thin trail of tears streaked down her face, only visible as they glistened in the noon sun. "Chrysalis..." Keth repeated, noticeably louder than before. "That I don't deserve to be alone!?" Chrysalis yelled, slamming a bandaged hoof on the table. The action caused a hoof to fall from an opening in the bundle, and it swung back and forth limply for a few moments, unnoticed by the Changeling queen. There was gasp from both Luna and Cadence as they saw the hoof. "Chrysalis..." Keth said again, returning to a conversational tone. "I know." The queen replied without turning her head. The next moment, her horn became wreathed in green, the magical aura flickered intermittently as she lowered lowered her hoof from the table and placed the limp limb back into the bundle before covering it completely. The inside glowed a subdued green for a few moments before Chrysalis cut off her magic and undid the knot behind her neck. She dropped the bundle, where it opened and was promptly taken by the wind, along with the cloud of ash that it contained within. "Well?" Chrysalis asked as she noticed everyone looking at the cloth as it disappeared under the bench of the mountain. "Do I deserve this?"