//------------------------------// // Enemies Across the Sea // Story: State of Compromise: Socialist Union of Equestria // by Serov //------------------------------// Outside Sunset, Commonwealth of New Mareland, 1019 ALB, January 7th. River Swirl was not a happy mare. She had come to New Mareland in haste to represent the River Federation. She would have preferred to resolve domestic issues, but the world situation was dire.  Harmony had prevailed in the Riverlands, Hindia, and even North Zebrica. But Equestria had fallen to Communists and the resurgent Empire had triumphed over the Entente. It had been believed by some, before the madness, that Harmony would inevitably triumph.  Recent history had proved that false.  So, little more than one year ago, Queen Skytar had addressed the Arisian Parliament, requesting that the body push for a military coalition of free nations. It had been seen as naive, but the new Queen pushed on. Now, across the sea, the idea was close to reality. Hope had swelled in River Swirl when she first heard the list of nations attending: All nations within the North Zebrican union, Kasa, Hindia, and even Macawia. River Swirl arrived at Sunset 12 days ago, to a less than happy reception. She expected much from New Mareland, but sadly, expectations were not met. As she entered the city, she saw protests against the proposed coalition. “Let the Riverlands Fight Its Own War”, “Neutrality for New Mareland”, and even “Down with Alicorn rule”. When she exited the car, one protester had thrown a rotten tomato at her, narrowly missing her face.  Jet Set had met her at her hotel and had assured her the protesters were a minority, though he'd also admitted New Marelanders weren’t completely sold on the Coalition. The next day, the representatives and heads of state had met in a cramped conference room. Princess Celestia had been absent, something about an experiment. The first topic, of course, had been the Empire. River Swirl had expected Celestia to run the conference, but in her absence it’d been River Swirl who took the lead. The following was the result of one of the most intensive information gathering campaigns in history. Spearheaded by the OHS and various Equestrian/New Mareland agencies, the Empire’s ambitions had been made clear. Troop estimates, industrial capacity, weapons development, air force size, all were laid bare to the delegates. If half of it was accurate, it was clear the Empire was not headed towards peace.  In particular, the Empire had started the largest naval buildup in world history. An aircraft carrier every three months, a cruiser every 2 weeks, and a destroyer or submarine every week. Combined with the fortification of islands it seized from the Karithianian Empire, it was clear the Empire’s ambition lied not only in Griffonia.   With that done, the final plan was unveiled: A defensive pact between all signing nations. Technology and intelligence sharing schemes. Military modernization aid.  Joint land, sea, and air command. All of this done under a new supranational organization, the “Coalition of the Free” River Swirl knew it had been an overzealous plan; but in politics, it was better to aim high.  When she had finished her speech, the problems began.             11 days later, none had been solved. The Macawian representatives outright rejected the idea of a defensive pact. They insisted on an open pledge of “mutual assistance”, whatever that meant. Many representatives from Zebrica were more worried about internal Leftist threats than the Empire. The fall of Equestrian business had hit many hard. They wanted the alliance to also guarantee against internal threats. The Kasan representative was radical, stating that the Coalition’s goal should be to liberate peoples across the globe.   Hindia’s leader, Ivar Hoeversholm had been among the world leaders present at the conference and he… rubbed River Swirl the wrong way. Was it his disrespect of Princess Celestia, someone not even at the conference? Was it his clear narcissism? Was it his natural ability to antagonize the other delegates? Whatever it was, Ivar was, beyond a doubt, the most insufferable politician River Swirl has ever met.  Debates with Nova Whirl seemed like a nostalgic dream in comparison… At the very least, Hoeversholm was supportive of a defensive pact. However, he opposed joint military command and even opposed some aspects of the intelligence sharing scheme.  But even his unpleasantness was not the worst thing about the conference. Front and center to all delegates was the River Federation's occupation of Hellquill and half the Evi valley. It was the most difficult decision River Swirl ever made, but occupying the land east of the Evi river gave the Federation a far, far better position against the Empire.  To many, it seemed the likeliest place for war to break out. Even many of those who supported the Coalition wanted the occupation to end. River Swirl explained it was only with a coalition that the Federation could negotiate on equal footing, that conceding to the Empire would only make it more powerful. The delegates had been skeptical.  “Miss Chancellor, we’re here.” River Swirl jolted, having not realized how much time had passed. She hastily opened the car door and almost stumbled out of the vehicle.  In front of her was a fine, stately palace, built in the Canterlotian style with tall towers and curved tops. Lining the path leading up to the gate were rows of guards, still wearing old royal guard armor but carrying the latest automatic rifles. It was a jarring sight to say the least. Before long, the gate to the palace was opened. A… unfamiliar pony stepped out. He was an old unicorn with pale brown fur and a neat white mane. His attire was nothing special, just a plain business suit typical in New Mareland.  “Chancellor River Swirl, I apologize that Princess Celestia could not meet you right now, there was an unexpected call you see.” “I understand… and you are?” “Ah well, my name is Water Wynn. I’m the head representative of the Royal advisory council.” River Swirl cursed herself. The advisory council had been officially assembled less than a month ago, something of an Equestrian parliament. Of course, with the Equestrian government in exile, it had not made too many waves. River Swirl had known of it, but other things had prevented her from learning the specifics. “I apologize for not learning sooner, when will Princess Celestia be available?” “She should be finishing up quite soon, let us go to her study and check.” Wynn led River Swirl through the palace. The interior was just like the exterior, regal white lined with purple and gold. It made River Swirl nostalgic of her time as a student in Canterlot.  She also noticed, however, that the palace was remarkably silent. Compared to the royal palace in Canterlot, there were very few ponies going about their business. River Swirl had only been to the old palace for a few occasions, but she always remembered it to be a lively place. This isn’t Canterlot. River Swirl reminded herself of that fact. Instead of being in the center of Equestrian civilization, this palace was in the New Mareland countryside. It was a bitter pill to swallow. Eventually, representative Wynn and River Swirl made their way up the main tower. They stopped at the door. Wynn gently knocked on the door only to be met with an awkward pause. “Come in,” said the voice on the other side. River Swirl recognized it, barely. Wynn opened the door and awkwardly stepped in.  The room was a grand library, walls enveloped by shelves filled with books and scrolls of all shapes and sizes. There were grand windows allowing for natural light to illuminate the space. Standing in the center of it all was Princess Celestia. She had not changed one bit since River Swirl last saw her. Taller than any other pony, the Alicorn stood as dignified as ever, with lustrous white fur and a beautiful multi-colored mane. Her eyes spoke to a reign of wise rule, intelligent but also empathetic.   Wynn bowed and River Swirl followed. “Please, Chancellor, there is no need.” River Swirl raised her head to the monarch smiling. It was not her usual dignified smile but something much softer. It eased River Swirl’s nerves more than anything. “Head Representative Wynn, could me and the Chancellor have a private conversation?” “Of course, your majesty.” The old stallion bowed slightly before exiting the study. The two ponies left did not speak for some time. River Swirl expected Celestia to lead. Sure enough, the Alicorn spoke first. “River Swirl, you’ve done well. I apologize if this sounds condescending, but I’m proud of you.” The Chancellor was taken aback by this statement. Surely, Celestia knew how badly the conference was going? “N-not at all your majesty, but I have to disagree. The conference is-” “No, no one expected it to be easy. You’ve made the best case for a coalition you could, you made sure the conference stayed on task, and in other respects you have done wonderfully.” “Your majesty?” “The Riverlands are united because of you. Hellquill and its horrible plague have been vanquished. This conference would not have the same weight to it without you attending. River Swirl, you’re more than worthy of leading this conference.” Celestia’s warm smile and words made River Swirl’s heart melt, but the doubt didn’t go away. “Thank you, truly, your majesty… but you could have done it better. You should have led the conference.”  Celestia looked surprised.  River Swirl looked away from her own teacher. She normally wouldn’t do this but meeting her old teacher for the first time in years had made her more emotional. To River Swirl’s surprise, she heard a light chuckle a few moments later. “Would that be appropriate? I’m barely a world leader at this point. Even if I attended, you still would have taken the lead.” River Swirl was shocked at Celestia’s words. She turned to Celestia, looking at the Alicorn with frantic eyes. “Your majesty, I assure that no one, not a single soul at the conference, recognizes that Communist abomination! To everyone who believes in harmony, you’re still the ruler of Equestria.” “Thank you, but still-”  “You don’t understand!” River Swirl surprised even herself with her tone. “...Millions, so many before this madness, looked to Equestria.” The normally calm politician was losing herself, but she didn’t care. “That land was the hope for the entire world. For creatures living under tyranny or inequality, Equestria showed that all could prosper. It lives on in me and in countless hearts. No one, not even you, your majesty, can say Equestria is lost!” River Swirl was almost out of breath. “People across the world still look to you for guidance. I’m imploring you please, please lead this conference, there is simply no one better for the th… job…” “...” “...” “...” “I understand you, but I would like to politely disagree.” “Yo-” As if to cut the chancellor off, Celestia shook her head.  Then, Celestia turned to a bookshelf, using magic to levitate a book in front of River Swirl. “Think of this as my last lesson. River Swirl, what is the point of this book?” It was an old dusty book titled General History of Equestria Through the 8th Century. It seemed like nothing special to River Swirl. “The ideal of all historians is to create an accurate retelling of the past.” “Why do we use books to hold the past?” “Written records are generally more reliable than oral history, it doesn’t rely on faulty memory.” “Yes… because people forget so easily.” At that moment, River Swirl saw in Celestia’s eyes something surprisingly rare for the monarch, reminiscence. To River Swirl, Celestia seemed to always prioritize the present. Now, it was different. “I’ve lived for a long time. I’ve witnessed events no pony alive today can remember. What I thought was monumental in one generation was forgotten by the next. Glory, defeat, prosperity, poverty - if gone, all can be forgotten. Without something tangible to remind us, the past is just the past.” Celestia sighed. “There are many alive today who will remember what Equestria was. But after they are gone, each proceeding generation will sail further and further from that beacon. The ideal of Equestria will disappear.” Finally, Celestia turned to River Swirl. Before, the princess seemed sad but now, there was only hope in her eyes.  “That’s why now, I ask you as your old teacher and friend, to create a new ideal. Proudly lead the harmonic nations of the world, bind them together so that none will face threats alone. Become to the world what Equestria was. Never let the creatures of this world forget what Harmony means.” Celestia was confident, that was plain to see. River Swirl wondered how she did it. “May I ask this of you, Chancellor?” “...” The unicorn, now silent, still doubted her ability to accomplish what Celestia hoped for.  The free nations of the world had little in common; all were far apart nations with limited contact with each other. Most of them were new to democracy, some had been ruled by despots only a few years ago. Fragile nations only bound by ideals- it was not a good combination. Against the ruthless despots in the Empire or the Union, River Swirl doubted their chances. But in her long years of governance, River Swirl knew that even an ill-founded hope was powerful. If there was the tiniest chance for a grand alliance to form, River Swirl would take it. “Yes, thank you Princess Celestia.” … … … Right after that touching moment, River Swirl will be handed a file by Princess Celestia. It will contain the reason why Celestia had not attended, for the weapon New Mareland had developed will change the world. In the short term, the revelation will light a fire under Chancellor River Swirl. By the end of the year the Coalition of Free will be formed.  It will be in a somewhat compromised state. There will be a pact of mutual defense but with exceptions for Macawia and no guarantees against internal threats, joint naval command but nothing else, and a modernization scheme mostly funded by the River Federation and Aris. Furthermore, after its ratification, there will be a slew of conveniently timed economic aid packages to the more difficult members. Opposition parties the world over will call this bribery. But no matter how it happens, powered by the ideals of Harmony, the third pillar of the century will be formed.