//------------------------------//
// Chapter 32: Laid To Rest: Part 4 
// Story: The Unity Pact 
// by Truthseeker 
//------------------------------//

The rest of lunch was a pleasant affair. Razor and I chatted about a couple of different things while we ate. The turnip, potato, and beet pie was excellent, even without all the sour cream and cheese. We finished eating and lacking anything else to do, we decided to head back down to the meeting area. Once there, I slipped off my shoulder bag and sat down on the edge of the stage. Razor hopped up and laid down to my right.

It was almost time to continue so I opened up my shoulder bag and removed my notes,
"Let's see here," I said reading down the list, "The next topic is racism, specism, sexism and fair and equal treatment. After that we have medical science and burial rites, then laws about magic, then citizenship, and we'll close with the election of the emissary and the open floor."

"I still don't understand about the laws involving magic. Why have them at all? We Ponies have a few laws concerning magic but they are more for the safety of the practitioner than to keep a Unicorn from doing dangerous things. If anypony became a threat, the Princesses would step in and stop them, it's happened before, though it's extremely rare." Razor asked.

"It's a little complex. See Humans have fantasized about wielding magic for as long as we can remember. Stories of powerful wizards, witches, warlocks, sorcerers, and enchanters are all very common among Human literature. These people who could wield magic often did terrible things with it. They would raise armies of skeletons and zombies, level entire cities, call down meteor showers from the sky, toss around lightning bolts that slaughtered hundreds and thousands, and enslave others to their will by taking over someone's mind." I paused for a breath before I continued, "Human beings are very creative, but our creativity can quickly and easily be turned toward selfishness and destruction. Magic represents the perfect opportunity to bring that darker aspect of our nature to the surface and believe me, the LAST thing you want is a bunch of Humans who learned how to toss around fireballs and lightning. I can see the headlines now, 'Fireballs and lightning are raining from the sky, chaos and bloodshed while all the people die.' I don't want that any more than you do and if we're to avoid it, we need very strict laws governing the use of magic."

Razor looked beyond me,
"Well, let's hope the rest of the Humans are willing to cooperate. They're coming back, we'd best take our places."

I followed her eyes and beheld a long line of people heading back down to the meeting area,
"Looks like you're right." I said rising to my feet, "Let's finish this."

*          *          *

I waited patiently until everyone had sat back down before continuing,
"Welcome back everybody." I said in a friendly tone, "Let's not tarry, these laws won't write themselves." I shuffled my notes one final time then began, "The next item on the list is a series of laws concerning racism, specism, sexism and equal treatment of all persons in Equestria. To make sure I am clear, this law will strictly prohibit negative or unequal treatment of anybody due to skin color, species, gender, sexual orientation, religion, eye color, hair color, fur color, breed, creed, background, place of birth, parentage, financial status, marital status, or social status. This is to ensure that a financially destitute person is treated equally as a rich baron. This will eliminate bowing and scraping as a necessity when in the presence of royalty. It will still be an option, but it will be a choice as opposed to an expectation and there will be no repercussions if you chose not to. It shall be an unlawful act to discriminate negatively against any sentient individual because of any of the things I already stated in reference to employment, election, determining guilt or innocence in a trial, or acceptance for volunteer work." I turned to Twilight, "Do you have anything to say?"

"No, I agree completely." she said.

I turned to Celestia,
"Do you have anything to say?"

"No, I agree completely." she replied.

I then turned and addressed Luna,
"Do you have anything to say?"

"Not at all, I agree." she said openly.

I then turned to the crowd,
"Do any of you have any questions, concerns, comments, or anything you would like to change about this proposed law?"

A Unicorn mare stood up,
"Yes ma'am, on the right side, fifth row back."

"Golden Cusp, this new law would allow mares and stallions completely equal opportunity to work in the same fields together? Wouldn't that be an unwise decision? Everypony knows that stallions are much more prone to act before they think, especially toward violence."

Her statement caused more than a few angry mutters among the crowd.

I leaned over the podium,
"A sexist comment if ever I heard one." I said bluntly, "Then by your own logic, wouldn't it be better for mares and stallions to work together so the mares could instill more self control into the stallions by example? Efficiency and skill are not bound by gender merely by opportunity. Does that satisfy your concern ma'am?"

"No." she said loudly, "History shows that stallions are best suited for specific tasks such as Guards or manual labor where as mares are best suited for more important tasks." she said.

The murmuring in the crowd grew louder.

"Tell me then, which would you rather perform a life-saving operation, a mare surgeon who has a record of fifty-fifty or a stallion surgeon who has a record of ninety successes and ten failures?" I asked.

The mare snorted,
"That question is irrelevant. Only mares are allowed to be surgeons."

"It's a hypothetical question ma'am." I said evenly.

The mare sighed,
"FINE, I would chose the mare, since the stallion would have to be lying. Stallions just don't have the capability of performing the same tasks at anywhere near the same skill level as mares."

The murmuring in the crowd was growing in volume and intensity.

"Are you aware that both male and female Humans fought in the Battle For New Humansville? How about the fact that a group of weather Ponies used clouds to rain down lightning on the Diamond Dogs during that same battle? Those Ponies were both mares and stallions and the original idea was that of a mare? Can you honestly argue that stallions or mares are more suited to only certain tasks with such evidence?"

"Yes I can!" she shouted, "This is ridiculous! It's a proven fact that stallions are inferior to mares . . . "

The crowd exploded into angry shouts as Ponies stood up and began yelling at each other. I noticed that the vast majority of the ones yelling at the Unicorn mare were Earth Ponies and Pegasi while the Unicorns seemed to be siding with the mare.

"SILENCE!" a thunderous voice behind me bellowed, nearly knocking me over, "Thou will still thine tongues to we will remove you from this meeting!"

The Ponies quieted instantly and I turned my head and nodded my thanks to Princess Luna, 'Wow that's some set of lungs!',
"Now, are there any more questions, comments, or concerns?" I asked.

Not a soul stirred,
"Very well. All in favor of the equality law, please stand."

Well more than two-thirds of the crowd stoop up,
"Scribes, let the record show the law has been passed."

"This is an outrage!" the Unicorn mare shouted as she stood up.

"Ma'am," I said calmly, "You are dismissed from this meeting."

"You can't do this to me you male! What authority do you have!?" she shouted.

I felt three distinct presences behind me half a second before I heard the voice,
"He has mine." Celestia said.
"And mine." Twilight confirmed.
"Mine as well." Luna stated.

The mare's jaw worked soundlessly, and Twilight wasted no time,
"You have been dismissed. Now that the law is in effect, should you continue, you will be subject to judgement with more than a few witnesses. I would suggest you leave. Immediately."

The Unicorn mare ground her teeth but turned and stormed away from the meeting.

I breathed a slight sigh of relief as the three Alicorns laid back down on their couches,
"Next is medical practices and burial rites. The laws of Equestria are very specific and stringent on disturbing the dead. Humans have a similar practice breaking that law is called, 'Desecration Of Sacred Remains' oddly enough, the Equestrian law is identical, it's called, 'Desecration Of Sacred Remains'. That law will still be enforced as it was before. The medical practices have been included in this discussion because one of the best ways to learn about any creature's anatomy is to dissect it once it is dead. To that end, Humans have created an allowance for an individual to donate their remains to science for doctors and scientists to use for experimentation. I believe that Equestrian medicine will be able to benefit from this practice and perhaps even learn how to perform transplants. To that end, I propose that any individual may, 'Dedicate Their Body To Science' if they so chose. They will have the option to sign a form stating that they have done so." I turned to Twilight, "Do you have anything to say?"

Twilight shook her head,
"Nope, I think it's a morbid idea, but I can understand the reasoning behind it. I agree with this law."

I turned to Celestia,
"Do you have anything to say?"

Celestia shook her head,
"No."

Her short response concerned me, but I shrugged it off and addressed Luna,
"Do you have anything to say?"

Luna smiled and nodded,
"I do in fact."

I stepped away from the podium and let her take my place,
"I agree with this idea wholeheartedly. I believe it will allow for great leaps and bounds in the fields of medicine and science. I ask that all of you please keep an open mind about this. The idea of dealing with the remains of the deceased is disturbing, however think of all that can be gained through this new course of study. I humbly ask that you allow this law to pass."

She trotted back to her couch and laid down as I took the podium once more,
"Do any of you have anything to say?"

A young blond woman stood up,
"Yes ma'am, on the twentieth row on the left."

"Rachel Dobson, I would like to request an addendum to the law. The form to be signed by the individual who is dying must be witnessed and signed by at least two witnesses of sound mind at the time of signature. I would also like to ask that parents of young children be allowed to determine how their remains are dealt with in the same manner."

I nodded,
"Well spoken, I should have added such a clause in the first place." I looked around again and to my surprise, despite how morbid the subject was, no one else was standing, "Very well. All in favor of this law please stand." two-thirds of the crowd stood, "Scribes, let the record show that the law has been passed."

I braced myself for the next one,
"Next on the agenda is laws concerning the study and use of magic. It has now been acknowledged that at least some Humans are capable of using magic. Equestrian law states that no Unicorn may learn, study, or use Mind magic because of the possibilities of misuse. The law also states that only members of the Guard are allowed to know any sort of offensive spells. I would not only like to keep those but also impose another law. The practice of magical study has great potential to be extremely dangerous to the practitioner, their environment, and others. As such, I believe that the study and development of magic should be strictly limited to a certain, specific location to limit the amount of possible danger to people and things. I would also like to have a law that prohibits using magic on others for pranks, jokes, or other mischief." I turned to Twilight, "Do you have anything to say?"

"I do." she rose from her couch and approached the podium as I backed away, "Magic is the essence of life but it can be used for nefarious purposes as well, however a complete restriction of study and practice, I fear will have two negative side effects. It will stymie creativity and too strict a restriction will be much more likely to be ignored. I believe that personal study of magic should be allowed so long as the prospective student has a license to do so. The license would state that the student has a working knowledge of magic and has been trained in and has the capability of incorporating proper safety measures during their practice and study. The idea has never been to halt progress but to encourage it through safe methods of study." she turned to me, "Is that acceptable?"

I nodded,
"Absolutely. It solves the problem while encouraging independent thought. I approve."

Twilight the turned to Celestia,
"Do you have anything to say?"

Celestia shook her head,
"No, I agree."

Twilight then turned to Luna,
"Do you have anything to say?"

Luna nodded,
"Indeed I do." she and Twilight switched places, "The discovery of the Human capability of using magic is a phenomenal one and one I do not intend to leave untapped. I have already sent word the the School For Gifted Unicorns to have a cadre of volunteers come here and test the Magerium of every Human. In this way, we will be able to determine the individual capability of each person and in so doing, we will improve awareness of power. During the Battle For New Humansville I personally witnessed at least two Humans display impressive magical power. This power, if left unchecked, could be accidentally called upon by an individual and have untold horrifying consequences." she turned her head and motioned me to the podium.

I walked over and stood next to her,
"Yes?"

"I am aware that Twilight scanned your Magerium earlier today. What are you capabilities with magic?" she asked.

I scratched the back of my head nervously,
"She said I was 'blind' to a great many Nouns and Verbs. I don't remember everything I have but I'll relate what I can remember." I took a breath and took the plunge, "Apparently I have two Noun and Verb combinations that are passive, they are always functioning. My hands specifically, have a Destroy of four and a Magic of five. I can cancel out any spell that has a Noun and Verb total of nine or less if I touch it with my hands." Luna's eyes bulged but I carried on, "My other passive is Repair and Flesh, Repair one and Flesh of three for a total of Repair-Flesh of four so I heal like I have a healing spell active on me at all times.  I have Change, Comprehend, and Control at a one each and I have a three in Earth, a four in Plants, and a one in Spirit. I'm 'blind' to everything else." I said.

The crowd was unnaturally still, 'Apparently Twilight and her friends weren't exaggerating when they said my Nouns and Verbs were potent.'

Luna cleared her throat and turned back to the crowd,
"As you can see, Humans have a new and very different type of magic. Anybody with so much power has a personal responsibility to learn to control it. As you can clearly see, the kind of power Humans have is nigh unfathomable and I believe a mandatory period of instruction would be for the best. I loathe forcing anybody to do anything, but the potential for a single Human to accidentally do unimaginable damage is far too great." she smiled brightly, "Besides, who wouldn't want to learn about their potential with magic? I will oversee this period personally and I will take every possible step to ensure it is as enjoyable and exciting as I possibly can." she turned to me, "Is this acceptable?"

"I don't have any problem with it, but forcing any Human to do anything they don't want to do will be like pulling healthy teeth from a raging dragon. How about a compromise? The ones who wish to undergo the training have the capability to do so, and the ones who don't will have their magic blocked. It is possible to block magic isn't it?" I asked.

Luna nodded,
"It is indeed. We use enchanted rings called 'Nullifier Rings' to stop Unicorns who have uncontrolled magic, there is also a second possibility. There is a drug that is a Thamaturgic Nullifier. You take the pill once per day and it completely nullifies all the magic in your body. There are also 'Nullification Collars' but those are very rarely used except in cases where the Pony is completely insane. Are those acceptable conditions?"

I nodded,
"They are certainly much more reasonable." Princess Luna nodded and returned to her couch, giving me the podium again, "Alright, do any of you have anything to say?"

More than twenty Humans stood up,
"Yes sir, in the fourth row, on the left."

"Andre Jacobs, what if some of us don't want to be taught or have collars put on us? What if we want to find out on our own? It isn't anyone else's business what we do with our magic." he said.

"So you would risk accidentally giving yourself third degree burns and endanger other people's lives because you were too stubborn to accept the offer of training?" I asked.

The man nodded,
"Yeah, all I see is another way to control people."

"So if you had a stomach full of nitro-glycerin you wouldn't want to know how to live safely with it? You would be a danger to everyone around you and while YOU might be alright with that, everyone has the right to live safely, without fear of setting you off and having you kill them by accident. How would you feel if you saw someone walking down the street with a loaded pistol in their hands pointing at everyone around them and claiming it was fine because they claim they wouldn't pull the trigger? It's the same thing, only less visible. No one is really trying to tell you how you use it, only how TO use it. To a point, it IS a restriction of personal freedom, but only for a very limited time and common sense tells you it is for the best. Murder being against the law is a restriction of freedom, but it's one that benefits everyone. This is the same thing, just from a different perspective. Would you let a five year old drive a car? No, because they would cause a wreck. You teach people to drive, this is nearly identical. Does that satisfy your concern sir?"

Everybody else sat down except the one man,
"It's still a restriction of freedom." he said.

"That it is, but it's one we can all live with." I said, "You are entitled to your opinion sir, but I'm afraid we're going to have to agree to disagree on this matter." I looked around the crowd, "Does anybody else have anything to say?" everyone stayed seated so I continued, "Very well, all in favor of this law, please stand."

Nearly everyone rose to their feet,
"Scribes, let the record show that the law is passed. Next up is citizenship. This is not so much a law as it is an allowance. Since civilians who are not members of the Equestrian citizenry face a great many restrictions, I would ask that all Humans found to be on this world be offered dual-citizenship, both of their native country and Equestria. This dual-citizenship could be revoked by any two agreeing members of Equestria's rulers on a case by case basis provided sufficient evidence is presented to indicate the individual no longer wishes to remain a citizen or that they present themselves to be an unmanageable threat to Equestria or her citizenry. This will finally align us all together as equals in the sight of the law. Every Human who is here now and every Human who arrives from here on out, will be held under this understanding, this pact, that we are all equals and we will work together toward our final goal of a peaceful life for everyone, no matter what species or planet we called 'home'. This is a final declaration of unity for our two great peoples and will be in effect until all the Kavim and Humans decide to formally discard it in a recognized public setting such as this. This is the decision of the Princesses only." I turned to Twilight first, "Do you agree to this?"

She nodded,
"I give my consent."

I addressed Celestia next,
"Do you agree?"

She nodded also,
"Yes, I give my consent."

Since two of the three were already decided I didn't technically have to ask Luna, but I did anyway,
"Do you agree to this, Princess?"

Luna smiled and nodded her head vigorously,
"I do indeed."

"Scribes, let the record show that dual-citizenship has been allotted to all Humans in this world. Label it as . . . The Unity Pact. Scribes, draw up a single piece of parchment to be signed by the Princesses and I, that paraphrases everything I just said."

I took a deep, steadying breath while the Scribes began writing and turned to the crowd,
"Before we continue, Princess Celestia has offered me the position of Royal Human Emissary." I turned to Celestia, "Would you please come up here and explain to everyone what such a position would entail?"

Celestia looked mildly surprised but she quickly smoothed over her expression and smoothly rose to the podium as I stepped back,
"Scribes please notate what I say. The position of Human Emissary will place on the Human holder of the title, the responsibility to act as a mediator between Humans and the government of whatever nation in which the represented Humans are dwelling. The position will allow the Emissary to draw upon reasonable resources from the Equestrian government in order to provide for the efficient accomplishment of their tasks as well as select a small staff, of no more than ten, to accompany them to aid in the completion of said tasks. The Emissary and all subsequent selected staff shall receive a monthly stipend in the amount of one hundred Bits per day while on assignment and thirty Bits per day when not on assignment as well as any bonuses freely donated by the citizens of any given nation. The duties of the Emissary and all accompanying staff will entail all aspects necessary to the successful and peaceful integration of Humans into any given nation. I have letters stating confirmation of compliance and cooperation from the following nations: Gryphonvale, Saddle Arabia, Zebrica, Minotaur Heights, Buffalo Run, and the Diamond Dog City/States of Resin Claw, Keen Tooth, Barrow Downs, Blackenvale, and Glitter Hold. The Emissary shall chose and design a badge of office to be carried by themselves and all staff members while on assignment. The Emissary must select a single individual to represent the best interests of the native people in the same capacity as the Emissary represents the best interests of Humans. The Emissary and all staff members are free to resign at any time and a new Emissary will be either elected by the Humans of Equestria or chosen by the governing body of Equestrian leadership which includes Princess Twilight Sparkle, Princess Luna, and myself." she stepped away from the podium and laid back down on her couch as I approached the podium.

I cleared my throat and addressed the crowd,
"The offer of the position of Emissary has been given to me, but I feel it should be the decision of the people who they want to represent them. As such, I will be asking for a vote to decide who bears the title of Emissary. Any other Human may volunteer for the position to be chosen by election if they so desire. Should you elect to volunteer, please stand, state your name, and state your mission statement now."

No one stood, so I decided to wait for a full minute in hopes of that changing. After a full minute, it did not.

"Very well. Humans of Equestria, by show of hands, please elect your candidate. Daniel Pering, a.k.a. Artex Rias." every hand shot up and my fate was sealed, "Very well." I said looking down at the oath of office I had written down, "I, Daniel Pering, will make every possible effort to represent humanity to the very best of my ability, forsaking all thought of self for the preservation of Human life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness until the end of my time as Human Emissary. So help me God."

I ended my short acceptance speech to a standing ovation I knew I didn't deserve.

I waited until the people had sat down again to continue,
"At this time, the floor is open for any and all ideas that any of you may wish to voice. Please form a line to the right of the stage and be patient. Once you are called, please outline your idea as clearly as possible to minimize misunderstandings. After your initial presentation you are free to stay with me at the podium until a vote is taken. Razor Wit will translate your words for the Ponies. Are there any questions?"

A young woman stood up,
"Are we allowed to ask for clarification and information about Equestrian laws that may not have been discussed already?"

I nodded,
"Absolutely ma'am." seeing no other people standing I made the call, "Form a line please."

A large number of Humans and a much smaller number of Ponies began forming a line on the side of the stage. The first one in line was a sandy blond young Caucasian man. I motioned for him to come up onto the stage.

He walked up and I shared the microphone with him,
"Will you please state your name?" I asked.

"Robert Silverman." he said, "How does the Equestrian Criminal Justice System work and what are the maximum penalties for crimes?"

I turned to Twilight,
"Would you please answer this one? I don't know enough about Equestria's Criminal Justice System."

Twilight rose from her couch and approached the podium,
"Certainly. The system works as follows: a crime is  reported, the suspect is taken into custody by the local Civil Guard, the local Civil Guard conducts a thorough investigation of the alleged crime collecting evidence and witnesses, the suspect is taken to trial as soon as possible, a trio of Magistrates are presented with the evidence and witness testimonies then confer and determine guilt or innocence based on a unanimous consensus. If the three magistrates cannot come to a unified consensus within five hours, the suspect is released from custody. In rare cases, the Princesses will act as Magistrates and in such a case only one Princess is needed. If the suspect is found guilty of a crime the Magistrates decide upon the appropriate punishment for the crime and the punishment is carried out. Punishments can range from very small fines to banishment. Does that satisfy you?"

The young man nodded,
"It does and I would like to propose additional possible punishments. The additional punishments are being beaten with a whip, public humiliation by placing the criminal in stocks, and execution. The choice of which punishment to mete out will still be determined by the Magistrates and the punishment of execution will only be viable for attempted rape, rape, attempted arson, arson, attempted murder, murder, and treason."

I could see Twilight biting her bottom lip as she turned to the crowd, 
"Do any of you have anything to say?"

A Unicorn stallion stood up,
"The practice of executing criminals has been forbidden from Equestria for several hundred years because of the Rehabilitation Program. It's one of the only uses for Mind magic. Why would we slide backward in progress?"

Twilight stepped out of the way so Robert could answer the stallion himself,
"The threat of physical violence is a terrific deterrent against the commission of crimes."

The stallion nodded,
"That may be, I don't know because I've never lived in a land where I could witness it. My point is that it is unnecessary given the success rate of the Rehabilitation Program. We don't need to execute anypony since the Rehab Program has a one hundred percent success rate."

Robert was awestruck,
"A perfect rehabilitation rate?" he asked, "How can that be?"

"In the very rare cases of serious crimes, a designated member of the Rectifiers is assigned to the case to rehabilitate the offender after the three Magistrates decide on the necessity of the Rectifiers. In every instance, the offender decides to devote an amount of time in service to the victim's family. The offender is monitored consistently for ten years but an offender has never relapsed and committed another crime in their entire lives." the stallion said, "The method the Rectifiers use is they retrieve the memories of the last week of the victim's life and transfer them to the offender, including the experience of their death. The effect is said to be extremely profound and none can argue the success rate."

Robert looked surprised,
"Be that as it may, I respectfully maintain my position." he looked around, "I ask for a vote then. All in favor of including whipping, stocks, and execution as options for judging Magistrates, please stand."

I wasn't too surprised to see that only about one fifth of the group stood, Robert sighed but looked as he expected it,
"Motion declined by vote." Twilight said.

Robert walked off the stage but he looked like he was willing to accept the defeat, even if he wasn't very happy about it.

Twilight stepped away from the podium and I took my place again,
"Next please."

The next person was a dark orange Pegasus mare with a mane and tail of chocolate brown,
"My name is Evening Crest, I would like an explanation of why Humans eat fish please. It is . . . unusual."

I knew I could easily handle this one,
"There is a very good reason for it actually. The Human body needs specific proteins and vitamins that can only be found in meat. Now we usually eat many more types of meat than fish, but here in Equestria, we can stick to fish because Humans will never even think of eating any creature that is sentient or even might be sentient. It is simply a necessity of our survival. If Humans stopped eating meat completely, we would grow lethargic and sickly without some very significant vitamin supplements. In the same way, Humans need Vitamin C and a whole lot of other vitamins to stay healthy. Our bodies aren't capable of making the necessary vitamins on our own. Does that satisfy your question?"

The mare looked moderately disturbed but she gave a strained smile and nodded,
"Yes it does."

I leaned against the podium,
"Next please."

The next person was none other than Kaneesha,
"Hey Dan." she greeted me as she walked up to the podium, "I'm Kaneesha Edwards and I'd appreciate some clarification regardin' how New Humansville is gonna be run. Like how independent are we of the Equestrian government an' how much the Princesses can order us around."

I turned to Celestia,
"It's all yours Princess."

Celestia rose from her couch and approached the podium as I stepped away,
"You bring an interesting topic Mrs. Edwards. The autonomy of New Humansville has not been broached yet. I had been operating under the assumption that it would be the same as any other town in Equestria, but now that you bring it up would you like to take the lead on the decision and determine by vote?"

Kaneesha smiled mischievously,
"Aw hell yeah." she inched closer to the microphone and her entire demeanor changed in an instant,
"Now then," she cleared her throat, "The autonomy of New Humansville should be determined not by preference, but by logic. From a logical perspective, the necessity of a governing body of elected officials stems from the prevalent persistence of a constantly fluctuating population and a distinctive lack of income inasmuch as at the moment, New Humansville has no financial legs to stand on at all. As a town, we rely solely upon the donations and contributions of the Princesses." 

Kaneesha lightly slapped the podium with her right hand, "We need a solid financial base as a starting point to work from as well as determining import and export on a local level. We've discussed many other things however I have yet to hear any mention of a Mayor, Treasurer, or any other elected official and if we are to run on our own, we will most certainly require such individuals to serve the better interests of the township at large. This is our town and we have a responsibility to ourselves to make it work. We've been given a bit so far but we need to stand on our own. I ask that the citizens of New Humansville consider holding an election for local officials. Once the construction of New Humansville is complete, we need to gather and hold a proper election."

She pointed outward at everyone,
"We can't keep expecting the Princesses to coddle us, we have the capability of working for ourselves and we need to. This is the first step of growth for us as a mixed township and we should take every opportunity to embrace it. Our success will help determine how other cities, towns, and villages see us. If we do well, they will be willing to copy what we do and the acceptance of a mixed citizenry will become all that much more appealing. On the flip side, if we rely on the Princesses too much, others will see us as weak.  As such, I ask for the Princesses to withdraw from interfering with the governing of New Humansville and turn it over to the citizens as soon as a Mayor is elected." she stood behind the podium like a queen, "Are there any questions, comments, or concerns?"

A Pegasus mare stood up,
"Gust Rush, who will be allowed to run for Mayor?"

"Anybody." Kaneesha said, "Pony, Human, it doesn't matter. If they screw up badly enough we will reserve the right to impeach them with a majority vote though." she put on a determined grin, "What do you say New Humansville, let's show the rest of Equestria what we can do, together! Stand as a yes!"

Nearly every soul stood up and a great many cheered, 'Well well Kaneesha,' I thought, 'Seems like there are some hidden depths to you.' I was silently proud of her, 'If she runs for Mayor she'll win by a landslide.'

Kaneesha turned to Celestia and said,
"Motion passed your majesty." then turned and walked off the stage, strutting victoriously.

As Celestia walked back to her couch, I approached the podium again,
"Next please."

A young athletic African/American man stepped up,
"Desmond Jennings, I hear Princess Luna can watch people's dreams. Is that true?"

I stepped aside and Princess Luna took my place,
"Yes it is. It is my realm, Tel'aran'rhiod. I guard dreams and share my wisdom with any who are in need. I have NEVER spoken of what I see in those dreams and I never will. A person's dreams are their own even if Tel'aran'rhiod is my domain. None need EVER fear any sort of judgement for what they dream. When I walk in Tel'aran'rhiod, I am drawn to those whose minds are in turmoil and I bring them such peace as I am able. If you wish to ask that I stop doing so, I'm afraid I would have to disappoint you. I can chose to refrain from an individual if they wish it, for I will not go where I am not wanted, but Tel'aran'rhiod was given to me and I will guard my domain jealously. No other Pony in history that I'm aware of has even manifested such an ability and I use my great gift to the benefit of all. Does that satisfy you?"

"Yes it does Princess. You can monitor my dreams, I just wanted to know." Desmond said, stepping off the stage.

Luna headed back to her couch and I motioned for the next person to come up,
"Next please." I smiled when I saw who it was.

The man stepped up to the podium and leaned over to the microphone,
"I'm Alex Ludwig, I heard Princess Celestia say earlier that as soon as New Humansville was finished, the rest of Equestria would know of us. An announcement like that seems to be all but asking for hundreds of Ponies to come here out of curiosity. It seems reasonable to think that the announcement will cause quite a stir, so instead of having hundreds, if not thousands of curious Ponies here potentially getting in the way, how about we make it a type of Cultural Exchange Celebration. It could very well be a wonderful, family-friendly environment where Ponies and Humans could learn about each other."

I was intrigued,
"What did you have in mind, be more specific."

"Stands, booths, example houses, tours, unique foods, small crafts, demonstrations of all kinds, and all kinds of cultural music. It would be a sort of educational, celebratory fair. Something that says, 'Come see your strange new neighbors, talk to them, experience their culture, try some of their food, and talk with Ponies who already live with them.' that kind of thing."

I turned to the crowd,
"Do any of you have anything to say?"

No one did, so I called the vote,
"All in favor of the Cultural Exchange Celebration please stand." I watched the numbers stand and smiled, "The decision seems to be completely unanimous."

Alex smiled and inclined his head,
"I'll be organizing this so if you have any ideas, please come speak with me." he descended the stage to a small swarm of people and walked off talking to them.

The next person didn't even have to be told, she walked up and spoke into the microphone,
"Cessily Richardson, I'd like to know what laws there are 'bout alcohol, drugs, and narcotics."

I smiled, it was one of the ones I had paid special attention to,
"Any drug or medication that could be considered even close to prescription strength is kept in pharmacies and there are no cartels in the known world that make any sort of drug that could be considered recreational, even tobacco. Alcohol is available in the form of wines, some very limited beers, and a few strong spirits. Equestrians enjoy a wide variety of wines occasionally but very few drink heavily. Some bars do exist but they are fairly rare. I have also learned that Equestria imports the Gryphon version of mead regularly. Apparently the Gryphons are very fond of it. The Equestrian legal age for alcohol is twenty. Does that satisfy you?"

Cessily nodded happily,
"Yep. Thanks Crash."

As she walked off the stage, an Earth Pony mare walked up,
"Hello my name is Potato Singer," I couldn't help but to quirk an eyebrow at her name, "I wanted to know what kinds of plans for expansion are in place for New Humansville."

I turned to the three Alicorns,
"Princesses, would you be so kind?"

Luna rose from her couch before Celestia could and approached the podium,
"There are many possibilities for expanding New Humansville, especially regarding fields for growing food. I will make a point to draw up appropriate plans for expansion but as of right now, New Humansville is free to expand to the North and to the East for a distance of an additional twenty-three thousand Leagues beyond the edge of the forest. The original expansion plans for this town list the maximum area covered to be close to five hundred thousand Leagues. Is that sufficient?"

The mare's jaw hung open for a brief moment before she shook her head,
"Yes, thank you Princess."

I did the mental calculations and I was quite impressed, 'Nearly fifteen additional miles to the North and East? Wow, that's a TON more space.' Luna stepped back to her couch and I took the podium just as the next person stepped up.

"Hey yall, my name's Walt River. I was jes wonderin' 'bout slavery an' all that cause we ain't never covered it." he said.

"Good question sir." Twilight walked up without any prompting, "According to Equestrian law, any form of forced servitude, kidnapping, or slavery is very strictly prohibited. If any being is found to have been forced into any sort of slavery, servitude, or kidnapping they are immediately taken into protective custody. The ones responsible for their state are dealt with by Rectifiers. Cases like that are fairly uncommon although you do hear about them from time to time. The Guard takes such claims very seriously and even a rumor of it is enough to spark a thorough investigation. Does that satisfy your concern sir?"

The young man nodded, looking satisfied,
"Yeah, sounds good to me Princess."

Twilight and I both looked, but the line was gone, 'I guess some folks had questions that were already answered. That was much faster than I anticipated.'

Seeing the lack of further petitioners and concerned citizens I turned to the scribes, 
"Is the document ready?"

Celestia levitated a length of parchment over to the podium as she and Luna joined Twilight and I,
"Would you like me to read it out loud?" Celestia asked.

I nodded,
"I think that would be for the best. Everyone should understand this."

Celestia cleared her throat,
"Ahem, 
'This pact, written and signed, is a declaration that all sentient beings, specifically Humans, found in this world are welcome to live in peace within the nation of Equestria so long as their intentions are peaceful. Their rights and treatment shall be equal in every sense to native Ponies of the same nation. The Ponies of Equestria welcome Humans to work and live among them in peace and harmony, as a unified people bound not by appearance, diet, or belief, but by the infallible truth that to welcome one is to welcome all. Any nation grows stronger as more diversity is infused within it. Equestria always has and will strive to be a shining beacon of an example for the rest of the world to follow. This Unity Pact is the physical manifestation of the strength of such a truth and will hold true for time immortal. 
Signed:
Celestia
Luna
Twilight Sparkle
Daniel Pering"

I smiled warmly, holding up the Unity Pact,
"This is a victory and nothing less."

Celestia turned toward the crowd and spoke into the microphone,
"All of you are aware of the trials and difficulties the Humans have faced since their arrival but there is one event that stands out as a debt from Equestria to you, the Massacre. At this time I would like to make a formal, public apology for our negligence in allowing such a thing to occur. There was no reason for it and we feel horrified that our subjects would or even could have perpetrated such an atrocity in the first place. As a final good-will token for the heinous crime, we offer a single boon to every Human present. This boon must be reasonable, however we will take all possible steps to ensure it is done to your satisfaction. In this we humbly ask your forgiveness. Peace be unto you and yours we pray. Thank you."

And with that, the entire field erupted into wild cheering. I looked out over the Humans and Ponies and smiled. The Humans, my people, had been stripped of literally everything that could be taken from them and left in the middle of a foreign land. They had picked themselves up and fought tooth and nail for their survival. Along the way they had suffered a great many trials and tribulations, but now they stood before me spread amongst new allies and friends, stronger than I could have ever imagined, and I could not have been any more proud, 'There will always be difficulties, but together, there's nothing that can stop us.' For the first time in months I felt a powerful surge of a rare emotion: hope.

The End