//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: Attacks And Consequences // Story: A Political Crisis // by Deep556 //------------------------------// Twilight flew all the way from the Wonderbolt Commune to the Canterlot Reich, holding the secret information that the socialists in the Commune were hiding from the public, more importantly, the press conference. She placed her hooves on the ground at the front of the castle and walked inside. When she got in, the same old strategy tables and military officers were there, including the autocrat. Fasces had a little and actual smile because of the meeting going well. Not a big smile because of what's below the other news, "Do you have what I requested?" "Yes, here it is", Twilight pulled out the file from her suit and gave it Fasces. With the information now on his hooves, he read a few pages thoroughly to make sure it's legit. After its confirmation, he commanded his officers, "Analyze the file and find the press." The officers grab the file and started hosting the topics about the file on the table, along with some other ponies. Fasces then looked back at Twilight, "I am impressed by your diplomacy skills, it has quite achieved the trust of an opposing ideological nation. If you can do that, I can destine you to a new location." Twilight already felt tired through all the talking in her first duty as a diplomat of a fascist country, but because she was talking to a friend, it made the discussion worth the exhaustion. "Your next location places you in the Communist Two Sisters, lead by Pinkie Pie. As you may now from the newspaper, the castle has been fully renovated into a monarch-looking government building. Some of the citizens here left the country just to join a socialist-ruled castle. I believe when I sent a spy there, he informed me that all the information could be kept in one of the peasant's house", Fasces said. Twilight looked surprised when she heard the last statement, he had sent a spy to look for anything suspicious in Pinkie's land, "Although, Pinkie booked a meeting with you when she heard my declaration of the Open Door Policy." Fasces had his head thinking for a while on what to do, 'Every pony is expecting for Twilight to be in the castle, if the citizens there see her in one of the houses, they would discover our real doings. Not at night time, the militarization of that country is very strong, so strong, that they could hold their position for weeks when we declare war.' After a few seconds of planning, he had an idea. Fasces commanded Twilight, "You may go now and proceed with your job." Twilight obeyed the order, but before she could walk out of the castle, one of the guards gave her a Passing Through slip for when any pony asks for verification that she has been sent by an authority. The slip contained the following: I, Fasces Pride, leader of the Canterlot Reich, wold hereby humbly ask for permission to let this sent pony walk through your territory for the purpose of Diplomatic Relations. It also had the hoof signature of Fasces Pride, not bad, really. Twilight now wonders through the woods of the Everfree Opposition. There were no borders, apparently, but the rest of the forest still looked dark and creepy, looks like Fluttershy might be a conservative kind of fascist. During the long walk to the castle, she can see a distant figure of a few ponies talking to some animals. One of the ponies had a long mane and tail, it could probably be the leader of this state. The animals were then sent to the direction Twilight is currently heading to. Finally she reached the borders of the castle, it was very tall, and made out of wood, unlike Ponyville's and Wonderbolt Commune's wall. Hope it lasts for a long time when an invasion arrives at them. When Twilight walked to the small entrance of the nation, she was stopped by a pony guarding the entrance. The guard asked Twilight, "What are you doing here?" "I was sent by Fasces to hold a diplomatic meeting." "We didn't expect you until tomorrow", The guard replied, "Well, better inform the president. Follow me, the meeting is just a few kilometers away." Twilight followed the guard and now entered into the fully repaired castle. After she walks for a few minutes, she accidentally stepped on a newspaper, it has a different picture, but it dates today. Twilight grabbed the newspaper and read it along the way. Daily News Divided Ponyville States Expand Their Territory Rarity, leader of the Ponyville Empire, wishes to expand their land and train reinforcements for backup. She looks around the map and spots the perfect place, Manehatten. For the sake of no violence, as soon as Rarity literally shouted her claims on the city, the peace activists inspired the ponies inside Manehatten to just submit themselves to her order, so that no war may happen. They aren't the only ones wishing for more land. The leader of the Republic of Ponyville, Applejack, wanted to increase its military both in quantity and quality, so she started politely asking Apple Loosa to integrate with them. With no inspiration from the peace activists needed, and due to their reputation with them and Applejack, they agreed to the integration. The two divided countries still remain balanced as their tension still grows on each other. Let us wish that no war will happen in any country. The newspaper had Twilight to agree, if war does break out, who knows what evil can rise from it. They finally reached to the table to where they will have their meeting held. The guard then told Twilight, "Wait here, I'll get the leader." Unlike Rainbow Dash's Foreign Relations Office, Pinkie Pie's office was a size of an average house, the quality of the architecture and engineering of this place is poor, but at least the lighting was very bright indeed to read a book. Twilight looked through an imperfect oval hole that's supposed to be the window, but there are no window frames to officially make it a window. Anyways, the houses look modern, just like Rarity's nation, the ponies were smiling, not in a way where they were forced to smile. If the conditions of the houses are good, why not this place?! After a long while of waiting, the same guard showed up, this time with the Pinkie Pie. She said to Twilight with a little hyperventilation "Hi, Twilight! Don't you just love this super fantastic great country? It's what I envisioned ever since I heard that a party needed someone to lead this place!" Twilight replied, "Do you even know what party means inside politics?" "Sure I do! First meaning, it's when a pony who is into politics have a happy birthday, and two, when a group of ponies share similar beliefs and ideas work together to change the country on how they like it." 'It's close enough', Twilight thought to herself. She now has to focus on the what's really happening, the meeting, "So, Pinkie. What topic to improve relations do you want to start with?" Pinkie replied, "What about.... Your method into making your ponies happy?" "Well...", Twilight hadn't really thought about having that question to be given to her. How does fascism make ponies happy? She then found her answer, "All fascists are always pro-nationalists. If a fascist rules a country, that fascist will do whatever it takes to improve everything about the nation, because of that, the ponies will start to put their faith and hope into the country, therefore making them feel both secured and happy." "Wow, I never knew fascists were like that! Anyways, you know how I make my ponies happy? Do you have a guess?" Pinkie jumped in excitement. Twilight shook her head in response. Pinkie answered, "Of course you wouldn't know, I didn't tell you yet! Our way of feeling happy is by knocking on their doors and hosting great parties for them!" That method does seem efficient, but that seems like a waste of time visiting ponies individually. The two started talking about their daily routine, what ponies would like, and a few debates on which is better, which they ended in a tie. "That was a fun conversation!", Pinkie stated, looking happier than ever by just a few minutes of talking. Twilight answered, "It certainly was." Before Twilight can get on the real mission of gathering secret information by asking Pinkie Pie for general plans, a soldier quickly ran over to Pinkie Pie breathing very heavily after the intense running. "What's wrong?", Pinkie asked. The soldier still looks very tired, "The... borders... are being rammed..... by animals...", the soldier soon fainted due to the long run. Pinkie screamed very loudly, "We are under attack by the Everfree Opposition! All armies into position!" Twilight went outside of the meeting area to see the event. it was true, some large animals started ramming the walls that protected the castle, all animals that could fly over the wall started pecking on the soldiers and citizens, while the animals that can go under the wall already made a few tunnels for the small animals to enter in. Pinkie commanded Twilight, "Get out of here now, before they get you!" Twilight felt concerned towards Pinkie, "What about you? Will you be safe?" "Don't worry! I prepared for things like this!" With Twilight trusting Pinkie Pie that she would be okay, she flew away from the castle. The strange thing is, the pegasi in the air were being attacked by birds and bees and all sorts, but when they saw Twilight, they did not bother her at all. Twilight safely reached to the Canterlot Reich, in front of the castle. Looks like Twilight now has to confess to Fasces that the real mission was not a success. She entered into the throne room where she would find the autocrat. Fasces asked Twilight, "Do you have the secret information?" Twilight looked sad, "No, sir. The state was under attack by the Everfree Opposition." Faces does not look disappointed at all, he just continued to look like a normal leader as he told Twilight, "I expected that." Twilight could not understand, he expected me to not get the information because of the attack, meaning he expected the attack to happen after all? Fasces told Twilight, "I planned the attack. I knew it would be very difficult for you to grab the data without being suspected, so I ordered my officers to inform Fluttershy by taking the risk and attack the Communist Two Sisters. What I really expect is to have the information given by an animal." And within a second after the period, a group of birds flew down to the throne room, giving Fasces the secret file from the castle, "Your succession will be noted", Fasces said. Twilight questioned Fasces about her duty, "What about me? Did I fail or succeed?" Fasces replied, "Hmmm...... Since you improved relations with them, being the whole point as a diplomat, sure, you have done your mission as well." Twilight felt relieved to hear that it was at least somewhat successful, she didn't want to fail on her job, she would have probably been detained by the guards and be exiled from the country, or worse. The officer of Fasces walked into the room and gave him the recently published newspaper, "That is one fast newspaper service", Twilight looked at the newspaper as Fasces was reading it. Daily News Everfree Opposition Raids The Communist Two Sisters During a meeting between the Canterlot Reich and the Communist Two Sisters to improve relations with each other, an unexpected attack from the Everfree Opposition raided the civilian houses of the castle. The are reports of minor to severe injuries by one of the unharmed soldiers, saying that the Everfree Opposition might want to spread influence in a more violent way. Luckily for the socialists, minor damage was done to the structures, also proving that the wooden wall is is very strong in terms of defense. Pinkie Pie, leader of the Communist Two Sisters, states that it will only take a day to fix everything because they had excellent engineering skills. We do not know if this will affect how the Communist Two Sisters have their perspective on the fascists, particularly the Canterlot Reich due to the recent meeting they had. Fasces commanded Twilight, "You can have a break for tomorrow, and expect a newspaper on your front door." Twilight then walked all the way to her own castle very sadly, a friend raided her friend for another friend, that does not seem right at all. ..... Today is now yesterday's tomorrow. Twilight woke up and did her everyday hygiene to start her break from her job. She remembered Fasces telling her that she should expect a newspaper on the front door, so she walked to the entrance and opened the door. Indeed, there was a newspaper lying there. So she picked it up to read what has happened so early in the morning. Daily News Communist Two Sister Take Revenge Yesterday, the Everfree Opposition raided the Communist Two Sister so that they could collect resources for their own. Now, Pinkie Pie forced her officers to make a revenge from yesterday's event. When Fluttershy, leader of the Everfree Opposition, noticed that they were still low on required resources, she went outside of the forest to learn that the Communist Two Sisters had sanctioned the forest from trading any resources. Pinkie sent a message to Fluttershy saying that if the Communist Two Sisters can have 1/3 of the forest, the one where there are most resources, the sanction would be over and they can start to trade again with other nations. Fluttershy has an intense choice to make, if she disagrees, a potential war an occur. If she says yes, all of their resources would be zero.