Nopony in the whole Equestria would question why ministry mare Fluttershy was going to visit the frontline. Nopony in the entire Ministry of Peace would doubt that she requested a copy of every document related to the megaspell project for the greater good. And none of those who knew the ministry mare personally would consider her night walk in a forest something unusual. The only problem was poor sentry colts who were ordered to be suspicious about everything, but at that time they usually were sleepy, so even if somepony notices the minister’s absence, it would be too late. Such were Fluttershy’s thoughts when she sneaked among the tents late at night when the sun had already set and everything went dark. If nothing delays her, she would arrive at the appointed place right when she was told to do so.
Not so long ago all this could be done much easier. Ministry of Peace always stood for arranging negotiations, and while Flutterhy herself never participated in them out of fear, these meetings allowed to get to the zebras without risking somepony’s life. But after that impossible assasination attempt at the Shattered Hoof all peaceful contacts were cut off, and the ministry’s most loyal field medics had to search for their zebra colleagues on the battlefield to pass the good news.
They called themselves the Healing Church and like the Ministry’s medics they helped all soldiers, ponies and zebras alike. Both organizations treated each other with great respect and soldiers even now refused to harm any of them. This unofficial healer brotherhood was alive even now, despite all laws, orders, hate and propaganda, and it was Flutterhy’s last way to enact her plan.
The ministry mare asked her most trusted ponies, but they all refused in fear. Some even tried to convince Flutterhy to abandon the project and spread crazy rumors about Pinkie Pie’s Ministry of Morale dark secrets, which supposedly spied on all Equestria and could jail anypony on the slightest suspicion. But Flutterhy did not believe that her friend could do something like this and continued to seek a way to contact the Healing Church even if it meant crawling in the trenches herself. And while some zebras also fled in fear upon hearing about the megaspells, after almost a year of searching Fluttershy received a note of agreement which contained a time and a place to meet.
***
The Moon fully rose above the horizon, surrounded by the four stars — her constant companions — as if they watched the ponies below with some intent known only to them. Fluttershy trembled in the cold of the night, or perhaps from fear of something unknown surely hiding deep in the dark forest, and then suddenly she heard an unfamiliar voice from behind her.
— Are you Fluttershy? — The voice said, — Of course you are: it is your colors which all equestrian medics wear.
The pegasus screamed, turning towards the sound, and what she saw was definitely not something she expected to see. Under the moon, surrounded by its light as if it was some magical aura, stood a zebra in a cape with a hood which had been folded back. Most part of his body was hidden under the enchanted fabric of some elusive color, but his face and stature gave away something alien for common soldiers and equestrian zebras. He looked like princess Celestia, but while the equestrian princess radiated with kindness and warmth, his majesty was cold and impassive. Fluttershy felt like she was in Cloudsdale historic museum, looking at some ancient pegasi statue devoid of any imperfection of a living pony. And this statue looked back at her, waiting for something with a hint of curiosity on its face.
— Hel-hello, — said the pegasus, barely getting the word out, — Are you from the Healing Church? I have everything you requested and even more.
— No need for haste. This is not some smugglers’ deal, but a secret negotiation, isn’t it? Allow me to introduce myself: I am proconsul Jaspis, and I indeed speak for the Church here. And before you do the irreparable, I want to ask you: what do you plan to achieve with it?
Hearing these words, Fluttershy suddenly felt herself a criminal. It was only for a second, but long enough to make denial impossible. The zebra statue watched her from beyond time, and under this gaze the pegasus thought she was going to do something horribly wrong which would not help anypony and would only make things worse. But the ministry mare knew it was not true.
— I want to stop the war, — she said firmly, raising her head to the towering stallion, — So ponies and zebras would not die. And to let us all live in harmony.
— You want to stop soldier killing by any means?
— Yes, exactly, — there was pride in Fluttershy’s voice she did not expect.
— But winning the war stops it too, — said the zebra and made a couple of steps towards the pegasus, — why don’t you want to help Equestria win?
Proconsul acted like she was not behind the enemy frontline, but on a splendid zebrican soiree which appeared in equestrian newspapers a couple of times before all contacts except armed ones were cut off. He did not look like someone who would do it out of carelessness, but Fluttershy in turn was not used to notice such details. Instead she felt that her kindness had been challenged, and answered with fervor which only her closest friends usually see.
— Because war is evil, and you can’t stop it by killing even more zebras. They are as good as ponies and have their right to live too. Wars can not lead to anything good because nothing justifies such… such…villainy!
— Does it not mean that the Caesar is a villain? Or is princess Celestia who refused to surrender to save her ponies a villain too? Or was it someone from their courts who advised them to do this?
— I… I don’t know. But I’m sure that princess Celestia wants only to protect her ponies and restore harmony. Everypony wants to protect Equestria and nothing more!
The minister of peace realized that she had just spoken with propaganda. She never seriously accused anypony directly… and anyzebra too, but this explanation at least sounded believable. The statue named Jaspis, however, surely had a rich expirience of declaring villains and tried to lead Fluttershy to a thought she already did not like.
— Indeed, this is true, — responded the zebra, — And harmony you speak of, is it the way of life that was before the war?
— Yes. — the pegasus nodded, — It would be nice if we could live like before the war.
— But then almost all ponies and zebras would die. From age or from disease. It would be a matter of time. And all that they had, including their labor of love, their friends and their family, they would lose forever just like when they are killed by enemy soldiers.
— What?
It was so weird that it could come only to zebra mind.
— It is totally not like war. War can not be compared to the peaceful life of ponies and zebras no matter how it ends. And what does it have to do with enmity between ponies and zebras?
— You see, Miss Fluttershy, before the hate and fear there were unfair trade deals, and before them there was a long story which we prefer to not tell to outsiders fully. The point is you ponies have everything from your birth. You have unicorn magic, wings and weather control of pegasi, strength and diligence of earth ponies. Equestria has powerful, wise and immortal princess Celestia, but what have you been striving for throughout the thousand years of your history? Nothing. You lived. In harmony. — The way Jaspis combined his words into sentences hinted for mockery, but his voice was calm as always, — While everyone around you tried to survive among predators, plagues, famines, heat and cold, little ponies lived happily under the wing of their loving mother.
Equestrian minister of peace gasped. She could not imagine life without the weather factory, winter wrap ups and the Running of the Leaves, or, perhaps, even without the ability to carry carts and plows by yourself. Like in the Everfree forest, generation after generation. Ponies indeed could come and help like they help equestrian animals and, of course, each other. But Appleloosa, which shared its harvest with local buffalo people, was founded only a short time ago. If during all thousand years of equestrian history there was indeed only harmony, how could this be that noponony did something about this all?
— But once, — continued the proconsul, — seven zebras turned their eyes to the east and promised to make themselves better, to to equal the prosperous ponies and then surpass them. They achieved eternal life and shared this gift with everyone who was able to pay their price. This was the origin of the Golden Tribe of Auri, united not by blood but by spirit and leading a new empire built ont the ruins of mortal kingdoms of old. Seven immortals are better than one, and several hundred were better that seven, but this was still not enough. Then the Founders appeared before the princess Celestia asking her to use the pony might to aid their course. But the radiant princess ruled alone for centuries and at that time she had… an excuse for her position among mortals. She refused, cursing the whole tribe, and said we are doomed to fall into chaos.
— But why? — Fluttershy could not believe her ears, — Princess Celestia is always so kind to us… I mean, to everypony.
— I did not understand it either, but now I think she played a game. You are her little ponies and she is your loving mother. Little ponies should live in harmony, be careless and seek nothing beyond their cozy little world, and then you can remain their almighty goddess. Do you remember, Miss Fluttershy, how the princess gave her sister a magic school built so recklessly close to the border and frontline? And then, when the war reached it, she left you by abdicating the throne. She was not prepared for what happens to other kingdoms when they meet an equal opponent.
Fluttershy made a step back: not this zebra scared her for real. He was saying right things that nopony should suffer from hunger or disease, but at the same time… one does not accuse princess Celestia and all ponies of her Equestria as if they did something bad when they did not do anything.
— Probably there was some mistake, — said the mare, smiling as cute as she could, — you told me about very good zebras, and, perhaps, you could just ask the princess once more, or speak with some other ponies.
— Indeed, I made a mistake. All recent years could be traced to it if you wish to do it. I told you of the world where I lived, where was Celestia’s maleficent inaction and powerful magic which would make the spark-energy a matter of short time. And there were little dreams of little ponies who cared about these distant and strange zebras for as long as their coal is needed. And there was despair gnawing great minds like a plague. While our people fret, tired from waiting for the promised ascendance, senators started to whisper that we should stop and deny them from it. That the empire is already perfect for everyone who matters — for the few, for the chosen ones, for us. And then, Miss Fluttershy, I suggested that we declare a war.
Everything fell into place: the strange and uncanny proconsul was one of those few whom Fluttershy called evil in her rare moments of anger, though still not implying any person she knew — those who thought that this war could do something good. This insidious zebra even convinced her, albeit for a moment. But nopony like him would join the cause of Healing Church, could it be that he was lying all the way? But why would he? But during the confession the stallion's sculpture mask of a face broke and changed for expression of sorrow, which meant…
— You realized that you were wrong and came here to apologize before me? — Fluttershy asked, stepping back. The zebra almost made her flee in anger several times, but she still thought that for him this question would be too impolite.
— Almost, — said Jaspis and continued to pour out his soul before a pony whom he saw for the first time, — I strived for a small and victorious war, which would take few lives we would be still unable to save by peaceful protraction. But as time went on, zebras and ponies gave more as if they were trying to buy the victory from some infinitely greedy spirit. And eventually the Caesar demanded that the Church should give up one of its secrets — almost as powerful as yours, Miss Fluttershy. But they refused, and then… Panacea… my duty called me to destroy the most precious thing in my life, and I answered. As a member of the high court, I sentenced the purest soul to be expelled from this calm and safe world and watched it burn alive in a burst of enchanted dragonflame.
— You… lost a friend? I’m so sorry. And you want to befriend me?
Jaspis’ face distorted as if he was torn between agreeing and denying the offer. The uncanny coldness was gone, and before FLutterhy stood a common, living zebra who could never see an enemy soldier with his own eyes and still gave everything to this horrible, terrible war.
— I lost everything of value in the empire, and with this memory I would live forever. The dead can not be replaced, Miss Fluttershy, but you’re a wonderful pony by your own. I accept your offer and it means a lot to me.
The pegasus opened her saddle bag and pulled out the documents. The moment of truth was close.
— Here, take this — she held out a thick folder, — And when everything ends, you can visit me in Equestria. Maybe we could find a solution for your problems together.
Jaspis touched the folder but did not take it. He stared closely, trying to find some important answer in the mare’s soul. Perhaps, he was looking like this during the fateful court.
— Are you firm in your faith, Miss Fluttershy? — He asked, — This night could deprive you of everything, and would you regret if your deed would be uncovered? Will you accept your fate humbly or curse the magical land which betrayed you?
Of course the ministry mare feared. Especially now when she heard of what the war made zebras do to their own healers. Scary stories about Ministry of Morale came to her mind, but this all was too wrong to happen in Equestria. And even if something like this would ever become real, there were her ministry and her friends to protect her. None of them would believe that their dear Fluttershy could intend to do something bad.
— Our ministry created a doctrine for using the megaspells, — said the pegasus, — If both sides would have healing magic of such power, the war would become impossible to win, and ponies and zebras would have to negotiate. We can do this.
— Here’s how? — Jaspis finally took the folder and somehow started to turn pages despite holding it with one hoof, — I see what you did in your ministry, but I fear that too many would want to be not able to lose.
— Is there a difference? — The zebrican strangeness suddenly returned as a gust of cold wind.
— Nobody starts a war to wage it forever. This burden is too heavy. The question is, what can they give to end the war they started and joined. Today, equestrian ponies live in a world where all zebras are devoid of friendship virtues, and zebras live in a world where all ponies willingly serve Nightmare Moon. We can think differently, but if majorities were like you, this war would not even begin. For the others, victory is the only way to save their people from the war and their enemies from their evil rulers, or even just zebras from ponies or otherwise. Nobody would agree to give up whatever they gain after their victory and would not believe that the other side would stop warmongering except when facing complete destruction.
— But then the megaspells mean an advantage, and if you would not use them, Equestria will and then ponies win. This is the point of C.A.R.E. doctrine. — Fluttershy even felt smug saying this. Finally, she was smarter than this zebra.
— Yes, but does Equestria deploy your megaspells as they are? We surely would receive reports like after your first tests.
— Ow. I don’t…
— Do you remember the ever-hungry spirit of war I told you about? Its servants ignored your spell and will continue to do so unless they find a way to twist this power to its accord. For them, the only way to end the war is to harm their enemies more than themselves, which can’t be done by healing everyone equally. Have you considered this?
— I… I don’t know, sorry. But I think, in the end, healing is healing, so even if ponies will heal only ponies and zebras will heal only zebras, nothing changes and everypony still will be healed.
— Perhaps you underestimate its power, Miss Fluttershy, and I warn you that magic alone would not be enough to stop the war truly. Neither the megaspells, nor even the magic of friendship. Purifying our countries would require a miracle, and as shamans of old put it, all miracles… require a sacrifice.
Jaspis hid the megaspell folder somewhere under his cape, and for a moment, despite all darkness of night, a gilded sword handle flashed from under it.
— Remember, that if the war ends with nothing, everyone will die, — He said, turning back into statue, — But we will remain.
The zebra put on the hood of his stealth cape and disappeared. This was the end of secret negotiations between the head of equestrian Ministry of Peace and proconsul of the Auri Empire. Fluttershy stood alone in the forest, tormented by vague doubts. She made a mistake in her doctrine, and did not predict something right. But in the end, the zebra accepted her gift which meant everything was fine. Healing was healing, and there was only one way to use megaspells, the one which should stop the war inevitably. Enjoying the fresh night air, the pony walked back to the ministry’s camp while the Moon and the four stars watched the world below with some intent known only to them…