//------------------------------// // Episode 5 // Story: Vulpine Diplomats from the Far East // by Lord Shadow Eclipse //------------------------------// At the Castle of Friendship Twilight and her friends had made themselves ready to travel to Kihon with Emperor Sato and the other Kitsune. They had been anticipating this trip along with the students standing beside them. Sato and his guards entered the room with Sato preparing the gate talisman to open the portal to Kihon. ***** The Imperial Palace - Edo City, Kihon Beyond the portal was none other than the capital city of Edo, with the Imperial Palace visible in the portal. Sato looed behind him and took stock of everyone gathered. "Are you all ready to head to Kihon?" Sato asked. "Yeah!" the gathered ponies and creatures shouted. The armored Kitsune went through the portal first before motioning for the others to follow suit. Twilight and the others followed Emperor Sato through the portal and found themselves standing in the main courtyard of the Imperial Palace. The ponies were in awe of what they saw. The Imperial Palace was a beautiful and ornate structure. The roof had spikes at the ends of them that pointed upwards, the walls were paper paintings of landscapes and animals, and there was a lush garden with large rocks, trees, and a clear fish pond in the center. Several servant Kitsune came out and greeted their sole monarch as well as his guests. "Welcome to Kihon, travelers!" the servants greeted all at once. Sato gestured to Twilight and her friends. "Please show them to their guest rooms and prepare a feast for them." "As you command, Sato-sama!" the servants said with a bow. After the servants left, a smaller fox with golden fur and four tails wearing a beautiful red and white kimono ran up to Sato and wrapped her paws around him in a tight hug. Sato laughed and hugged the smaller fox. "I'm so happy to see you again, Onii-chan!" the small fox squealed. "You've been gone for so long!" "I'm happy, too, dear sister," Sato said. "Please control yourself, we have guests from another land here." The small vixen seemed to finally notice that the ponies were even there. She released Emperor Sato and gave a respectful bow to them. "Greetings travelers! My name is Princess Kunou, and I'm the younger sister of Emperor Sato," Kunou said. "Welcome to Kihon!" Twilight and the girls all gave Princess Kunou the same bow. Spike was simply staring at Kunou with awe on his face before he finally managed to bow his head. Twilight raised her head to Kunou. "I am Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Equestria. It is a pleasure to meet you, Princess Kunou," Twilight said. "I hope we can be good friends." "I think we just might, Twilight-hime! Hey, would you like me to show you around Edo?" Kunou asked. Sato stepped forward and stood next to Twilight. "I'm sorry, dear sister, but me and Twilight won't be able to attend." Princess Kunou seemed to be quite unhappy about that. Her ears and tails lowered and she puffed up her fuzzy cheeks in an attempt to pout. The ponies and dragon tried not to show it, but they were aww-ing inside at the cute display in front of them. "Why won't you come with us?!" she asked in a high-pitched squeaky voice. The cuteness was over nine-thousand with this vixen. "Because as Emperor, I have to have Twilight here attend a meeting with the daimyo to establish relations with them," Sato replied. "It is simply a formality. Shall we go, Twilight?" "As much as I'd like to see the city, it seems that my duties as a ruler come first," Twilight said. Twilight followed Emperor Sato into the palace to go meet with what the ponies guessed were the government officials of the land. With them gone, Princess Kunou turned to the rest of Twilight's entourage. "Would you like to accompany me, then?" Princess Kunou asked. "That sounds lovely, darling," Rarity said. "I'd love to see what this city's like," Applejack said. "That sounds awesome!" Rainbow Dash said. "I'd love to see what the food here is like!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "A tour around the city sounds nice," Fluttershy said. Spike was trying to look at anything but Princess Kunou but eventually settled to look down at his feet. "I'd like to see the city as well, Princess Kunou," Spike said. The others there noticed Spike's change in behavior and giggled silently. Princess Kunou was oblivious, thankfully for Spike. Applejack nudged Rarity with her elbow. "Looks like you ain't the apple of Spike's anymore, Rare," Applejack said. "It's fine, Applejack. It's not like our friendship's changed," Rarity said. "Besides, I can see how Spike might be attracted to her." "Are you all coming or what?" Rainbow Dash called to them. Both Applejack and Rarity looked and saw that the others were already leaving without them. They hurried to catch up to the group and followed them to a uniquely ornate carriage with two beautiful white horses. The Princess was greeted by four strong-looking Samurai who bowed before her. "Your Highness, it's so good to see you up and about," one of the warriors said. "I trust these are the diplomats we've heard so many rumors about?" "These are. I want to take them on a tour of the city," Kunou said. "I take it you're coming along?" "Indeed, Your Highness. Is your brother coming?" the Samurai asked. "Sorry, but no. He and the ruler of the ponies are meeting with the daimyo," Kunou replied. "I guess the rest of us will have fun without them." "Then shall we get underway, Princess?" the Samurai asked. "Yep, let's go!" Princess Kunou said. The Kitsune Princess and Twilight's friends all piled into the carriage and waited until their Samurai escorts mounted their own horses and flanked the carriage on all sides. With that settled, the carriage drove beyond the palace gates and into the sprawling metropolis that is Edo City. ***** With Twilight and Sato Twilight was in total awe of the palace as the Emperor led her through its halls. She saw paintings, artistic vases of lovely flowers, suits of Samurai armor, and walls that looked to be made of some kind of paper in some places. This place was somehow even more beautiful than her own castle in Ponyville. The pair of monarchs had been walking through the palace for what felt like eternity until they finally arrived at a pair of large blue wooden doors. "This is the gathering hall where the daimyo should be waiting for us," Sato said. "Don't be intimidated by them. Most of them are really friendly." "Most of them?" Twilight asked. "Some are stuck in the old ways. But they know that you're my personal guest so they won't be mean to you," Sato said reassuringly. "Don't worry, I'll be right there beside you." Sato then draped some of his tails over Twilight's head and back. Once again, Twilight lost herself in the sea of fluff and warmth that was Sato's tails. This act was all Twilight needed to calm down. "Okay, I'm all good," Twilight said with a slurred voice. "Good, now let's go in," Sato said. He pushed open the doors to reveal a large room with a long table in the center of the room that was pretty low to the ground. Sitting on special cushions were several well-dressed Kitsune that stopped their previous conversations and turned to face their Emperor. They all stood and gave Sato a respectful bow. "Welcome home, Your Majesty!" they greeted. "It is indeed good to be home, my friends," Sato said. "Speaking of which, I have returned with a friend of my own." Sato then gestured to Twilight. "May I introduce Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship and the sole sovereign of Equestria." The gathered nobles looked at Twilight with different degrees of interest. It made Twilight slightly uncomfortable to be looked at with such scrutiny, but she was guilty of looking at them with the same interest. The daimyo all bowed to Twilight with respect. One golden vixen with five tails wearing a purple and gold kimono gave Twilight a sweet smile. "Welcome to Kihon, Twilight-hime," the vixen said. "I am Lady Tamamo no Mae of the Southern Clan. It is an honor to have heard that our beloved Emperor was made friends from another land." "It's an honor to be here, Lady Tamamo," Twilight said. "Now then, may we begin discussing how to proceed with international relations?" Emperor Sato asked. "Of course, Your Majesty," Lady Tamamo replied with a bow. Emperor Sato sat down at the head of the table and gestured to a cushion next to him for Twilight to sit. Once she sat down, the meeting was officially beginning. They would have much to discuss about the future of their two countries, but it would all be worth it in the name of friendship. And Twilight was looking forward to it.