Starlight Glimmer knew she wasn’t going to enjoy the tournament.
She hadn’t intended to go at first—some parts of Accipian culture just weren’t meant to be appreciated by ponies. They weren’t the only nation like that. Thanks to her connection with Twilight, she’d visited Yakyakistan at least once, and been thoroughly appalled by the time she left. But the yaks enjoyed it, so who was she to judge?
This was different, though. This wasn’t just slavery, something that deeply upset most ponies who heard about it even though they had little cultural analogues to compare against—these were slaves fighting. She had almost written a letter to Celestia the moment she heard about this but learning that it was more an athletic event and that contestants didn’t die cooled that desire somewhat.
She tried very hard to enjoy herself as things got underway. She enjoyed her Accipian food—much more flavorful than most Equestrian dishes, though she couldn’t bring herself to dare anything made of meat. Once he learned she intended to come, Velar had invited her to attend in the emperor’s personal box—another way to reinforce the rule of his family, but Starlight didn’t mind that. Given all she’d seen over the last several months, Starlight Glimmer wanted house Virtue to be the one that kept ruling.
If Vengeance takes over, Equestria is doomed.
At first, she had elated in the purpose of this tournament—slaves who competed here could actually earn their freedom! But not very many would win today. Many more would be beaten bloody, bringing glory to the clan whose color they wore. The birds called it a tournament of freedom, but it was really just another excuse to get drunk and fight a lot.
At least the yaks only break objects, instead of each other.
“There are griffons down there,” Starlight pointed out, after the first round had finished and she noticed the contestants grouping up by species. Velar had already explained the next round would involve teams matching up different species, so not unlike the Equestria games. “Why?”
“Birds can be slaves,” Velar said, in that uncomfortable voice he always used when answering questions he didn’t want to hear. “Why wouldn’t they?”
She struggled to form a coherent response. “Don’t you… isn’t it wrong to… do that to one of your own?”
Velar laughed. “Species doesn’t determine station, Starlight.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “I don’t see many who aren’t griffons in the citizen box.”
“Well…” he floundered. “Alright, it’s not that common. Mostly it happens when someone can’t pay their debts. If they get high enough, and you don’t have a family to pay, then you pay it yourself. Most birds don’t let themselves get into that position, though. It’s more common for… for others. But it’s not as bad as it sounds. It means not fighting for a job, it means food, and shelter, and membership in a clan. It’s often voluntary. Everyone wants security in their lives. I know it might be difficult for you, but imagine you were born into a bad situation. Your family has poor land to farm, and not much of it. Your crops fail, and winter comes. Either you can starve, or you can sell yourselves to a good family. I know which one I’d choose.”
Barbaric, she thought, but was smart enough not to say. Everything Velar said to justify this only made it seem worse to her. The tabloids back in Equestria were going absolutely crazy with slave stories. The most persistent rumor was that griffons had already broken the treaty and were keeping pony slaves. She’d never seen any, and yet…
As Starlight looked down at the arena floor, she could make out a group of a dozen or so ponies—smallest by far of any of the racially-divided masses, but still greater than zero. She felt her whole body tense. “Not-prince Velar,” she said, unable to keep the twinge of anger from her voice. “Didn’t you say that only slaves could compete in this tournament?”
He nodded. “Even former slaves are unable to fight, yes. Not unless they’ve been invited to a shared bout… It’s sacred law.”
“Then why…” She rose from her chair, horn glowing off and on, but she didn’t actually cast any spells. There was no spell that could help her escape from this. “Why are there ponies down there?”
Velar seemed confused by the question. “Because they’re… because they’re competing? Because they want a chance at—”
“Freedom,” she said. Then she had a spell. Her horn glowed, and something appeared in front of her, hovering in the air. She saw a few of his house-guard tense, but then they saw she had only brought paper and they relaxed. Maybe they realized that if Starlight intended to kill someone, there wasn’t anything their stupid swords could do to stop her. “Right here, Velar. Do you recognize this?” she pointed at the scroll.
Starlight was aware of eyes on her—her volume had attracted the royal family’s attention, as well as several of the guards. She ignored them all.
“No,” Velar said, as oblivious as ever. “That looks long, whatever that is. Is it something to do with combat in Equestria, maybe?”
Of course, stupid! He can’t read! So, she read for him. “Upon arrival in Equestrian territory, the people of Accipio will forfeit all ponies they own, to be returned immediately by airship to any port of call. Any earth pony, pegasus, unicorn, crystal pony, or thestral shall be considered free, regardless of the depth of their debt or the seriousness of their crimes.” She looked up, snapping the scroll closed. “Explain to me how you haven’t violated the treaty, every last one of you?”
“Because…” Velar seemed to be catching on slowly. His family still watched, though they didn’t interfere. Perhaps they would, if Velar didn’t have an answer. She was very curious what this emperor might have to say about a violation of Equestrian trust. “Because we aren’t in Equestrian territory, Starlight.”
For once, she was the one who was baffled. “W-what?”
“This is new Accipio,” Gaius said, speaking before Velar could. “Ambassador, there is another section. Further down, I believe. Guinevere, do you remember?”
She nodded. “Land rights are point sixteen. You’ll find it there.”
Starlight opened the scroll again, scanning down as fast as she possibly could. But the empress didn’t wait for her to finish reading.
“This is our territory now. Every acre is an Accipian province, this whole blasted dry rock you gave us down in the Badlands. Ours until the end of the treaty’s terms, at which point we agree to return this territory to you without violence. Well, Accipio is still buried in ash and worse, and we both know we won’t get ordinary growing seasons for a decade if we’re lucky. The ponies down there never left Accipian territory. That treaty was signed before any birds landed here.”
It hit Starlight Glimmer like a physical weight then. Ponies were experts with all forms of conversation and diplomacy, it was true. Even the griffons acknowledged it. Yet somehow, impossibly, they had found a way to hide something in the treaty that even Celestia hadn’t noticed.
Of course, she didn’t notice, idiot. She was busy trying to keep the world from ending. She trusted you to be the one to read the treaty. Even Twilight, who had less power over the land (and thus more time to follow current events), had largely trusted to her judgement. “B-but… when you got here, there were… there was a whole airship full of pony slaves you gave back!”
Gaius shrugged. “We never signed anything saying we couldn’t voluntarily free any slave we chose. It is the right of any master to grant freedom to the slaves, releasing them from his household.”
Starlight barely heard as he continued. She could see the truth in it—a diplomatic ruse. The ponies returned to Equestria had been wretches, the descendants of distant Equestrian colonies that had been slaves for many lifetimes. They had been sickly, hungry—not abused, perhaps, but not terribly skilled either. Not strong earth ponies, or powerful unicorns, or fast pegasi. Only the weak.
They tricked us, Starlight realized. Send the ones they don’t want to take care of anymore, and we might not get specific with our investigation. And they hadn’t. Starlight hadn’t bothered being on the ground to do enforcement. As a matter of fact, that was very much against the terms of the treaty. Violations were to be reported and mediated by the emperor’s house and the princesses directly. The birds had not been willing to tolerate constant supervision in their midst, as they had been with the constant threat of volcanic death looming over them.
“I should… I should go.” Starlight backed away, banishing the text of the treaty with a flash. “I think I… I think I need to write a letter.”
Velar shrugged, though she could see from his expression he was disappointed. “The most interesting contests always happen on the second day. Will you be back tomorrow at least?”
Stupid not-prince has no idea what this means. Starlight shifted uncomfortably from one hoof to the next. “I, uh… I’m not sure.” She vanished in a flash.
Tucked away in the back corner of new Scythia was a stone building made to look just like the newer ones slowly rising around it. But Starlight’s secret retreat didn’t have a door—only airholes that even a foal might have trouble getting through.
The proper embassy was elsewhere, with a staff of half a dozen ponies and guards provided by the emperor. Starlight Glimmer had considered herself lucky to have them—even joked with those guards, grateful that the patches on their uniforms meant she was in the presence of reasonable birds.
They were griffons, but they would give up their incivility. They’d given up keeping pony slaves, eventually they would let go of the practice entirely.
Yet, they hadn’t. Everything she’d thought—the common defense she always sent to the tabloids when they wanted comment from the Equestrian ambassador—had been wrong. Griffons did have ponies as slaves. Their agreement to free them was meaningless, at least in their eyes. It would only be enforced if they entered Equestria.
Or so they thought.
Her safehouse wasn’t actually hard to find, considering it was in the center of the pony quarter. This was where the weather ponies and farmers they had sent were living, so long as they served in New Scythia. Half of them probably suspected what the sealed stone shell was used for. Inaccessible shelters were a long-time tactic of skilled unicorns.
But none of them were unicorns, so she couldn’t be disturbed.
Starlight Glimmer started down at the empty scroll in front of her. A dozen half-written letters were already burning in the hearth, crackling a rhythm to her distress. In the distance, she could hear metal banging, the stomping of hooves, an occasional cheer. Some of the slaves fighting in that makeshift arena were ponies. She had left the event behind, so she wouldn’t be able to see for sure if none of the later fights got ponies killed. A good reason to go the next day, perhaps. If ponies were fighting to the death for entertainment here, well… maybe the tabloids would be justified in their outrage.
Eventually she settled on the simplest possible response. Starlight Glimmer would have to own up to her mistake, and to be certain that the princesses learned about it immediately. It would be worse for all involved if this information made it back to Equestria using a different channel.
So she explained the treaty—explained how she’d been fooled. Gave her estimate of the number of remaining slaves based on the ones she’d seen in the stands of the tournament.
She had told Velar that she didn’t ever want to be a princess, and she meant it. Whatever terrible decision might be waiting to be made vanished with the scroll in a puff of magical flame. Wiser hooves than hers would be the ones to make that determination, with the fate of Equestria weighed in the balance of their choice.
Weak chapter.
Interesting, Velar seemed genuinely baffled by Starlight's interpretation. It may not have been a "trick" per se.
OH, well, that answers the question I posed in recent chapters. Amazing that Velar doesn't even see why he's upset Starlight. I like that she was able to call him out on his "species doesn't decide station" bullcrap. Should be interesting to see how the princesses respond to this twist.
... You really know how to make a pit of anger form in my stomach. I suppose that's the sign of a good writer. I am desperately trying to see this from the griffons' point of view, but the fact that it is an argument to keep slaves is short circuiting my ability to do so.
Ah. Welcome to real diplomacy Starlight! Loopholes, loopholes everywhere.
Well, that ship's hit a mine. Possibly along with the ark that ponies and griffons have been riding through the ash....
This will not end well.
8761659 I hate comments like this.
Yes, it's okay to not like the chapter. Some chapters will, inevitably, be better than others. How about suggesting improvements? Making the next chapter not so bad?
There is no good reason to keep slaves.
Ai carramba.
Madre de dios.
Sic Semper Tyrannus.
Illegitimati non carborundum, Starlight.
This ain't gonna be pretty...
Not at all.
At least the writing is in good hooves.
Good work so far, Star. I could not do a scene like this.
8761934
Apart from the Whole part where a lot of them are voluntarily in that situation. Even I can admit, If I had to choose between Volunteering as a "slave" and starving, I'd volunteer in a heartbeat.
I cannot see the reasoning behind Gaius' deliberate deception with regards to the treaty agreement about slave ponies. Inevitably it would be discovered and just as inevitably would enrage the ponies of Equestria, not to mention the princesses. For the sake of a few slaves, Gaius is risking the tenuous good will of the nation that offered them sanctuary when it would have been to Equestria's greater benefit to ignore the fate of the Accipians. Does he actually have long-term plans to provoke Equestrians until the griffons get an excuse to battle them?
And this is how wars start.
8762165
So deliberately choosing not to have a welfare system or employ people justifies letting people sell themselves into slavery. Flawless logic there.
There's a few points where stuff like New Scythia or New Accipio isn't capitalized.
I humbly request war.
8762352
I didn't say if was flawless, but it's still better than starvation
Partial eclipse upon the griffin's territory, in place indefinitely during daylight hours. Station equestrian armies all along major border towns and trade routes, with at least once alicorn patrolling between them all in secrecy. Cease any and all equestrian assistance, yet don't engage outright. Even if the first measure is impossible or ineffective, the others will not be. To any who say this provokes war, the griffins already did that. This situation has damn near completely deteriorated past the point of polite diplomacy, now we're upon measures of impolite diplomacy.
Excellent chapter, though it has me fuming.
8762210
That's a good point. It's one thing to clearly state 'look, X is going to continue, moving or not' but purposefully hiding/deceiving...to a nation harboring you that could just let you starve.
...or, you know, bring a piece of the sun down to say hello.
Is generally a bad idea. Or, it might be true ignorance, considering how set in their ways these gryphons seem to be.
Either way, some explanation will be greatly needed; either hinting at reasons for future chapters (leading to the full reveal) or a blatant one, I think. It all seems too haphazard for just being taken in by a foreign nation. (Or, perhaps the leading house isn't nearly as powerful as they appear, and are holding on to rule by a thread, hence the rough and odd practices/disregarding equestrian views...)
So Griffins can choose to enter a kind of indentured servitude, but judging by the lack of other species in the citizen box, I'm guessing for ponies, zebras, minotaurs, etc. that option doesn't really come up much.
Assuming that any children born to a slave are considered a slave as well, then the system definitely seems to be set up to keep as many non-griffins in slavery as possible. Given that, if they're not slaves to pay off a debt, then there's really no way for them to actually become free.
And they still have the audacity to claim Equestria's extremely minor caste system is the same thing as what they're doing.
8761687
The fact that the griffons went through the trouble of releasing a bunch of useless ponies pretty clearly suggests they knew they were pulling one over on their hosts.
8762547
8762210
Or it's staggering, continent-sized arrogance.
Judging by Velar's complete lack of self-awareness, I nominate arrogance.
This is something I really didn't like to hear coming from Velar, but I can't say I found it terribly surprising. His wording says a lot -- if "most birds don’t let themselves get into that position" and "it's more common for [...] others", then the unstated implication of what he's saying is that the species routinely enslaved in Accipio -- zebras, minotaurs, ponies and whoever else -- do let themselves fall into that position. In other words, they're slaves because they couldn't look after themselves and put themselves into situations where they couldn't evidently pay for their right to be free, whereas the griffons are of course better able to look after themselves and not put themselves on the route to bondage.
This is a very common rhetoric in highly stratified societies. For all intents and purposes, these societies determine the position of their citizens by their birth, whether de jure -- you're born to slaves so you're a slave, you're born to nobles so you're a noble -- or de facto -- anyone can theoretically join the upper echelons of the economic elite or the priesthood or the landowners or what have you, but only those born in high society realistically possess the means, time and opportunity to do so. This of course doesn't sound good, so the rhetoric goes that the elite is where it is and the lower class is where it is because they've all done something personally to warrant it. There may even be some system in place -- formalized exams, rewards for military heroism, the good old "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" nonsense, the ability for slaves to buy their freedom, whatever -- to present the appearance of upwards mobility. Most people in the underclasses will never be able to use these in any capacity, of course, but a statistically insignificant but still visible amount will make it through to keep the illusion going.
The really insidious thing is that this actually manages to blame the underclass for their own suffering and disadvantages. If you applied yourself -- says the elite -- if you worked hard, if you fought properly and sought honor in battle, if you passed the exams for the priesthood or bureaucracy, you would be able to be a big man in town too, like I am. But you aren't, so you must not be working hard -- perhaps you're lazy, or unmotivated, or can't manage your money, or are not very competent. But if you had better integrity and morals and work ethic, you wouldn't be where you are now. So you see, it's your fault that I'm oppressing you.
8762384
>implies stationing armies and killing birds indirectly is equal to using a diplomatic loophole
Welp. It's not a violation of the letter of the treaty, but it is clearly a violation of the spirit of it, and that has the potential to cause an immense amount of trouble.
8764099
It's meant to be a threat. They knowingly made their side of the treaty that safeguards their entire civilization in bad faith. Political tap dancing, particularly that which furthers their agenda of keeping their pony slaves during a time of severe crisis is an incredibly arrogant and stupid idea.
8764305
>continues to imply the death of thousands is equal to exploiting loopholes
>also implies that extra labour isn't that big of an impact when your entire fucking civilization collapses and you have to start again.
8764358
>continues to imply exploiting loopholes to keep slavery in place is fine
>states slaves are just "extra labour"
Sorry, but while I agree in general that military actions should be last resort and the sun and moon should be off-limits, sanctions of some kind are definitely warranted. And harsh sanctions at that. This is some serious crap the birds are pulling. It's like they want to go to war, that or they are incredibly stupid not to foresee how much trouble they're putting themselves into. Nevermind that it even only works if none of their pony slaves was transported through any Equestria territory at all, ever.
8764358
It would only result in the deaths of thousands if the griffins continue to keep pony slaves. And their civilization hasn't collapsed yet, thanks to their Equestrian hosts. Adhering to the treaty without their "selective interpretation" is a not unreasonable expectation. Griffin reliance on continued Equestrian assistance for their crops, while still keeping their kin in chains, however, is. On that note, I'm sure once the consumption of veal comes to light, you'll argue on the griffins behalf too, since the eating of sapient flesh probably wasn't explicitly forbidden in the treaty either.
8764625
1. Griffon cows aren't sapient.
2. How would keeping pony slaves result in the death of thousands? You literally suggested going to war over a loophole in the treaty. That's fucking stupid. Exploiting loopholes is a part of politics, not some outrageous crime.
3.
Equestria had three options:
1. Go to war with the Griffons because they didn't want to die, so they would take over Equestria in order to survive.
2. This.
3. More or less watch everything except Equestria die a painful death of fire, while refugees trickled in.
You seem like a person who thinks Equestria can do no wrong and is obviously the best country becuz EVUL GRIFFOUNS
8764833
Got a source for that?
I literally said that the ponies should not engage directly. What the griffins(I find this spelling of the word to be very strange, anyone else?) are doing is an act of hostility that falls short of direct conflict, I'm suggesting Equestria respond in kind, albeit with greater force, so to speak.
As to your third point, you're right in that Equestria is not some upstoppable juggernaut here, at least they're certainly not portrayed as such in this fic. But that doesn't mean they should let this newly vagrant, and unfriendly foreign nation dictate to them that they will continue to keep pony slaves, despite the fact that this conflicts directly with the spirit of the treaty. What's more, the griffin people are not at their best now, with most(I sincerely doubt all, especially in light of this BS) of their firearms destroyed, and the fact that they are hauling ass to set up functioning cities. Whereas before they were likely a match or greater for whatever passes for Equestria's might, they are now in a much poorer situation, yet somehow seem oblivious to that fact. Meanwhile Equestrian assets still exist in as full of a capacity as they did before, after consideration of these dire times.
Don't get me wrong, if it came to total war between the newly dis-firearmed griffins and Equestria, the ponies would be bloodied and battered, and all of Equestria would suffer an even harsher crisis than before, but I'm inclined to believe the griffins would not survive the engagement with enough citizens to constitute a nation.
8764876
1. I'm quite sure the Griffons aren't going to eat sapient animals.
2. a) who said clan vengeance didn't sneak in the blueprints for firearms and are producing them in secret, as they are the only ones recruiting a military force?
b) Slowly starving the birds to death and placing troops on the border more or less is an act of war.
c)
The Griffons would fight to the death and the ponies would be more than "bloodied and battered". The Griffons would treat an Equestrian invasion as an attempt to destroy their culture. The ponies would, of course succeed but probably with 70-80% of the military force gone and a large amount of civilians dead..
8764883
I wish I was as sure of that as you were. I'd point out to how I remarked in the chapter that veal was mentioned how Gilda didn't even know what it was. Do you think that kind of ignorance is truly innocuous, given the context?
Err... not me? I literally suggested that the griffins probably had firearms still, given their level of trustworthiness shown thus far. Clan Vengeance of all clans would obviously find a way to keep or produce more.
[Edit] Admittedly, going back to read, I left out that the conditions set by my hypothetical would be a bargaining chip, to force the griffins to free their ponies. After which, things go back to an extremely tense "normal". That being said, withholding pony aid in food production is hardly starving them to death. The griffins would still be free to farm on their own, it would just likely result in terrible harvest seasons. Also, guarding border towns and trade routes isn't an act of war. It's logical.
Not sure why you're picking that remark out. I was underselling it a bit sure, but my point is Equestria would survive, albeit with terrible casualties.
8764883
That's absolutely true! Equestria shouldn't do anything here! Trying to strongarm the Griffons, why, that would be like forcing them into a situation they don't want! Keeping them trapped in a situation with no real escape, like they're... not actually free anymore! What kind of monster would deprive anyone of their freedoms?!
Sarcasm aside, the Griffons will be worse off now that Starlight sent her letter. Princess Celestia should now understand how untrustworthy their "guests" are, meaning it's time to strengthen your own forces. Accipio earned itself a bloody nose with just two Alicorns protecting Equestria; right now, there are at least three stationed there, plus freaks of nature like Starlight and the Elements of Harmony. Plus they have more allies than ever, with the Changelings and the dragons and the Yaks, never mind the Crystal Empire and its Alicorn, plus another Unicorn powerful enough to shield a city for days all by himself. I'm deliberately not counting Discord because he's a wildcard, no idea what he might do.
The point is, the hawks probably have no idea what they're messing with. Celestia remembers quite well.
As it is, any piece of Newcipio's industrial capacity not used for infrastructure and farming will hurt the Griffons immensely. What good will weapons do you when your soldiers are sick and starving? They'd need to blitz Equestria, raid for food, or they will collapse after a short while. Mind you, an Equestria on the alert after Starlight's letter. And if they try to sell their weapons... well, it's not the ponies who enslave other species with gusto. Not the best idea to give a gun to someone with good reason to despise you.
War is on the horizon.
I guess it's a case of different values, societies and the existence of several sapient species that Starlight is bothered by the slavery, but reacts really badly with the pony slavery.
8777536
It's a case of the Griffons circumventing their treaty with Equestria using vague loopholes. Their arrogance is paving the way to war, after Equestria gave them the means to survive at all.
I really can't imagine Celestia or Twilight missing a loophole like that. Like, that isn't a thread loophole, it's the kind you fly airships through.
So they completely understood the 'spirit' of the agreement, but chose to only interperate the letter of the agreement. Still a blatant misdirection and deceit proving their disrespect and disregard to everyone who is not them. So we can add dishonest to their list of undesirable traits.
However, it was a cunning move against Equestria. If/when the Princesses catch wind of this, their reaction be swift, certain, and severe. The reaction will be the perfect time for the murder turkeys to claim that the Ponies are breaking the agreement, because in the letter of the law, they might be. This would be a perfect springboard for them to form up and attack their hosts with the weapons they have smuggled in somewhere.
Worse yet, then the murder turkeys figure out what is going on, they are going to capture and enslave every Pony who agreed to come help with the weather and hold them hostage to make sure Equestria doesn't attack. This has been their plan all along. They never intended to honor the spirit of the agreement.
huh wow they play'd the princesses like a fiddle xD
Lmao. I think the ponies underestimate the sheer cunning of these predators