//------------------------------// // Rad: Treaties of Old! // Story: Dan Vs. The Magic of Friendship(Season 1) // by Barrobroadcaster //------------------------------// While the Team Galactic buggy was not the best car, it did fairly well to shield them from the flames. Again, Team Galactic's space dorkishness had paid off; the vehicle's quasi-starship construction made it very heat-resistant. The buggy absorbed the first fireball with ease and by the time the second one hit, the flames just rolled off of it. "We're alive! We're still alive!" "Oh gawd please help us!" "Relax, Nicky, I know what to do." "I'm fine. It was the Doctor who yelled," Phoenix said. In the backseat, the Doctor had already assumed the fetal position. The hot dog foodimal hopped on him gleefully. "So exactly what are you going to do?" "Well, luckily, the nerdmobile is equipped with a car phone!" he said, holding up the receiver. "We'll just call the donkeys right now and tell them we're here on a diplomatic outreach program. They'll let us in." Meanwhile, the Doctor had gone from fetal to panick and was using the foodimal to try to break out of the car. Rarity was forced to remove it from him for both the sake of the creature, the Doctor and everyone else. Dan dialed a number. "This is K-Rok Miami, your all-Gator sports call-in show, are you calling to say you're a Gator fan?" "GRD-DRRGGRRRN, AGGRRRNRRGGGNNNAANNRRR-RRR," Dan yelled... something at the phone, and ripped it from its housing. "Lot less durable than the one Blueblood had." "How are we going to get them to stop shooting us now?!" Whooves asked. "This ENTIRE plan has revolved around using the international relationship between two sovereign nations, one of which doesn't even exist any more! AND NOW WE CAN'T EVEN TALK TO THEM." "Doctor..." Doctor grabbed Dan by the sides of his head. "How do you KNOW ANY of this will work?! How can you just... just... go off of so little?" Dan quirked an eyebrow at him. "What're you asking?" "How do you... how do... how do I..." Whooves panted slower, his chest slowly rising and falling to a pace that could be described as calm. He released Dan's face. "How do I do it? We're..." "We're NOT the same," Dan stated flatly. "But we do have similar methods." Whooves' face went blank for a long moment. "What methods, specifically, are you referring to?" Dan smiled that little way he does. "We both get by with a little help from our friends." "R-right." Doctor Whooves felt a hard, cold lump form in the pit of his stomach. "Attention outsiders! Exit your vehicles at once or you WILL be fired upon." *Kirrrrzt* "See? There's our invitation." "They're threatening to kill us, I wouldn't call that an invitation!" Phoenix patted the pony on the back, which nearly made him jump out of his bow tie. "Believe it or not, this is exactly the invitation opportunity we're looking for." (People usually would consider talking about shooting at you to be a step in the wrong direction, but talking at all is a step further than actually shooting.) Dan got out first. Phoenix joined his side, followed by Rarity who had to levitate the Doctor out of the vehicle. The foodimal came with them, unaware of what was going on. Cap and the crew form the other car filed out as well. "State your business," boomed the voice from the wall. "We seek help from... uh, you guys," Dan said, projecting his voice. "Moment of truth, Dan, you want me to take this one?" Cap offered. "We're from Equestria." "Nah, I got this, thanks Stevie." "I don't think my shield can block... whatever it was they shot at us." "They stopped firing already so I think we'll be pretty good for-" Another fireball soared through the sky. It impacted the second car directly. With the doors opened, the vehicle was exposed to the full force of the flames. It exploded. "Equestria is gone. Your status is not recognized. Your entry is not permitted. Leave this vicinity or you will be fired upon!" "Can those cars seat 8?" Chris asked. "Some of us may have to ride on top." "Oh dear," Tuxley said. The group backed away from the wall. Except for Dan and Phoenix. "Hold on, hold on!" "Leave this vicinity now! This is your final warning!" Dan pulled out something from his pocket. It was his royal guard badge. He held it high before the wall. "I am Dan, Captain of the Royal Guardsmen of Equestria, Knight of the Sparkle Order and representative of Her Royal Highness Princess Twilight Sparkle. On behalf of Equestria, we seek your aid." He spoke firm and loud, unflinching as the dark and impenetrable surface eyed him. It was as though Dan was a man on a sandy beach demanding that a tidal wave bend to his will. But nothing happened. "Well, we're screwed, now," Whooves said. "I wonder how many regenerations I get as a pony. Ugh, I hope they don't make me a griffon. Can't stand feathers." The foodimal honked, as if to respond somehow to what the Doctor had said. "Umm... is this good or bad?" Rarity asked, hunkering down. Very slowly, Cap raised his shield and the others proceeded to carefully hide behind it. "Nicky?" "Yes?" "You might want to do something with one of your badges because I don't know how long I can keep doing this." Phoenix nodded. "I would, but I don't know if they'd accept my Equestrian attorney's badge or my royal guard badge." "Get both out; it can't hurt us at this point." But he wouldn't have to. A violent pulse shook through the ground, so strong it even shook them standing meters away from the wall. A split appeared in the wall right in front of the railroad tracks as if it had been made by magic. The wall parted, sliding rather than bending either wary in front of them. A wave of relief flooded the senses of Dan and the gang. The welcoming starry skyline and the outlines of buildings beyond beckoned them, like a form of divine deliverance. Dan still stood with his badge outstretched. "Umm... does that mean we can go in?" "Yeah you can come in." "Cool." "Wipe your feet." "On what?" "WIPE 'EM!" They each brushed their feet off on the sand before taking the final steps into New Troy. At first, no one was there to greet them. And then, their welcoming party appeared. Ten donkeys flew down on jetpacks from the top of the wall. Unlike the other welcoming parties Dan had encountered before, these donkeys were armed but did not point their weapons at them. Instead, each of them bowed. A final donkey jetted down right in front of them, right in front of Dan. "The Knights of Donquestria acknowledge the Royal Guards of Equestria as representatives of the Kingdom of Equestria," the yellow donkey said, very official-sounding. "You invoke the rights of the Sunset Treaty?" Dan and Phoenix exchanged a glance. "Uhh.. yeah?" The yellow donkey reached into his own saddlebag pocket. He pulled out his own badge, a bronze shield, and held it before them. Dan touched his Royal Guard badge to the donkey's badge. The symbol of Twilight Sparkle's cutie mark, and the Element of Magic, fit inside the symbol of Donquestrian Unity, the Stalwart Compass. The badges locked in place as they connected. The yellow donkey stood firmly, chin held high. "As the sun sets for one, so shall the other venture through the night to help both reach the dawn," he recited. "To the dawn of the new day," Phoenix said. He had no idea if that was part of the ritual; it had just been something he read. But it seemed to have worked. "Very well, Captain. What aid do you need from us?" "How has your kingdom survived?" Rarity asked. "Yeah. Every other country has fallen apart but you guys seem to be doing all right," Dan said. "Do tell us your secrets, pretty please." "Ah. Well, about that-" "Sir?" One of the other donkeys passed the yellow captain a scroll. "Oh. Good." "It's been three months and Vice Grip has had the run of the planet. How have you guys survived? I mean, that wall is one thing but I've seen what that guy can do," Dan said. "Not that I've ever been impressed. Even once. Ever." "Oh, that's simple. They're attacking from the other side of the wall. There's usually more guards here. We've been under siege for weeks and our capital's already fallen," he said, matter-of-factly. "Oh..." Dan said, feeling his hopes sink. "What was that note about?" Phoenix asked. "Ah, yes, Vice's army is on its way here." "WHAT?!?!" they all went. And then Dan asked, "THEN WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT'S A GOOD THING?!" The yellow donkey smiled slightly. "Because you're here to help us. You'll be our reinforcements." "Oh yeah? What makes you think we'll do that?" The donkey held out his shield. "On behalf of Donquestria, as Captain Lucid of the Knights of New Troy, I hereby-" "I'm going back to the other side of the wall," Dan said.