Twilight Sparkle sat nervously in the empty throne room, with neither Luna or Celestia in sight. The latter had approached her late that day, after sending off Distant Shores and Prism that morning; with a stern demeanor she hadn't seen a while, the Princess had ordered her all the way from Ponyville to the room to talk. Presumably, she had learned about Shores' expedition, and while Twilight wouldn't have announced it without cause, she felt it was entirely within her power to fund such an endeavor.
. . . still, Celestia looked pretty disturbed. Not angry, just unsettled. Maybe there was something else wrong? It didn't have to be Shores; Tirek had certainly taken them by surprise.
"Twilight Sparkle," a regal voice said. It was Celestia, strolling in from the main doors. To Twilight's relief, her former mentor refrained from adding "Princess" before her name. To her even greater surprise, however, were the nature of the two royal guards that followed her in, pulling the gilded doors shut as they did so. As they took up positions on either side of the door, Twilight recognized Solstice and Barbell, both with the Captain's Star emblazoned on the front of their armor.
Two of Celestia's highest-ranking officers guarded her. That meant she wanted secrecy.
Oh, right. Celestia had spoken to her. "Hello, Princess Celestia." she said, rubbing the back of her head awkwardly.
Celestia nodded to her by way of reply, and then did so with words. "Twilight, it has come to my attention that you've organized an expedition to the East."
How did learn about that? Twilight wondered, but said, "I have. The mapping of the East, and learning about its cultures first hand, will be great steps in filling in the gap in Equestrian knowledge for that area."
"Twilight . . ." Celestia trailed off, getting that disturbed look again, "do you know the dangers of the East? For ponies?"
"Well," Twilight began, before biting her lip.
Celestia sighed. "You could have asked me, Twilight. You're a princess now; there's no need to go around me."
"Exactly!" Twilight exclaimed, then gasped then covered her mouth with a hoof. "Oh, I'm sorry. I mean, I am a princess. That's why I thought I could order this."
"But to use government ponies," Celestia said.
"No, not government ponies." Twilight corrected, a little sheepishly.
"Oh?" Celestia cocked her head slightly.
"Distant Shores, mapmaker and adventurer, and Gleaming Prism, an Academy student." Twilight said.
Celestia frowned. "I think government ponies would have been better off, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt."
"For what it's worth, Shores said she was the daughter of Compass Rose, whoever he was."
Celestia perked up, almost imperceptibly. "Is that so? I knew that pony, many years ago . . . I didn't know where he went to after the Heights."
"Wait, 'the Heights'? If I might ask, Princess, what happened? I've read that Compass Rose was a great adventurer, although few know his name these days."
Celestia sighed deeply, turning her eyes away. "I'd rather I not."
Twilight opened her mouth to speak, then paused, unsure of her place in the situation, before Celestia continued. "But, if only for the sake of knowing what you've gotten your ponies into, I will." At that, Twilight held back an eager grin, mindful of the dark look that crossed Celestia's face.
"Thank you, Princess." she managed to say.
"The reason your ponies may be in danger, is not the uncontrollable weather or harsh living in the East, although those will present formidable challenges. Ponies are far tougher than the griffons think." Celestia began, then paused at Twilight's curious expression.
"Well, then what's so dangerous?" Twilight asked.
"I was getting to that," Celestia smiled grimly. "Not a 'what', but 'she'. Crown Princess Vaernya, I'm afraid, remembers the past as her father did not."
"Isn't she the heir to the throne of Eas?"
"Indeed. Her father, High King Graesl, is dying; she will be High Queen soon. While that title used to confer leadership of the Griffon Empire of old-"
"-the Empire collapsed seventy-five years ago, its citadels and cities forming their own states." Twilight finished, "Which is why we have little contact with the griffons, as most of these are too busy with their own troubles to bother with the West."
Celestia smiled again, this time a hint of warmth at her former student's knowledge. It far surpassed any of her own ministers in this field, at least. "Right again, Twilight." She darkened again quickly, however. "The fall of the Empire is one of the reasons Vaernya is a danger. The other happened quite recently. The past and the present have conspired her against us, you might say."
Seeing her former student's expression of absolute curiosity, Celestia quietly chuckled and elaborated. "We'll do the present first, it'll be very easy to understand, considering you played a major part in what happened."
Twilight looked horrified. "What did I do, that turned Vaernya against ponykind-"
"Nothing, Twilight. And furthermore, Vaernya isn't against ponykind, strictly. She was here in Canterlot on a diplomatic mission several months ago, her first time in Equestria."
"Oh, no," Twilight breathed, "that was during Tirek's reign of terror . . ."
"Right before and during," Celestia said gravely. "You should have seen her - the future High Queen of Eas, rushing into this throne room with her guards, gun in hand. Excuse me, do you know of guns . . ?"
"Black powder, is it? Matchlock? Yes, I have." Twilight affirmed. "Distantly. I'd love to get my hands on one . . ."
"Well, she offered to help defeat Tirek. Whatever anypony says about Vaernya, she's one of the bravest creatures I've seen, always leading by example."
"She seems nice enough, then. I recall the Saddle Arabian Embassy stayed locked during the crisis." Twilight said.
"The Saddle Arabians, however, knew they couldn't do anything to stop Tirek. Vaernya still thought in the terms of the East; if it threatened you, you could kill it."
"Their guns wouldn't have been effective?" Twilight asked.
"I wouldn't say that. The first time a griffon shot me with one their guns, the shock and sound took me entirely by surprise; the wound it caused was the first time I'd truly bled in a century."
"I've never read about that-"
"In time, Twilight. That's the past that I talked about, the Heights. Unfortunately, Tirek had grown so strong at that point that the relatively small guns the griffons carried could not have possibly been fatal to him. Had they had a battery of cannon with them, I would have accepted in a heartbeat, but alas it was only Vaeryna and a few guards."
"Ah,"
"At the time, you were at the Tree of Harmony; me, Luna, and Cadance were discussing our options. We'd just received word that the Wonderbolts and the Wonderbolts Reserve had failed against Tirek, and other reports of Appleloosa drained. Canterlot itself was recovering from Tirek's devastating debut at that play. Luna was for confronting Tirek, of course, and she was all the more adamant when she realized we would do so alongside Vaernya."
"And yet you gave up your magic to me."
Celestia exhaled deeply, visibly troubled. "I was equally adamant that Vaernya should seek refuge, and if necessary, flee Equestria. I explained our plan, and she was outraged; as you arrived, I had to teleport her and her guards out."
"Oh, no," Twilight breathed.
"We decided that ridding ourselves of our Alicorn magic was ultimately the best option, of all our dreadful prospects that day. And while it worked out better than I could have possibly hoped, I'm afraid I made an impression on Vaernya that will last a lifetime. It was for the best in the end, but even the happiest of outcomes has a loser."
"I see," Twilight said.
"Not quite yet." Celestia laughed sadly, "It was the same exact thing in the past, seventy-five years ago. I did what the best for almost everyone, and it worked, except for the griffons. Except for one griffon in particular, each time."
Seeing Twilight's inquisitive look, Celestia raised a hoof. "Soon. Vaernya left right after. We . . . we met briefly, before she boarded her airship."
"What did she say?" Twilight asked eagerly.
"She barely bothered with diplomatic protocol, and went straight to her real message. A few hushed words. She said that she never thought the past would relive itself, and that the Kingdom of Eas would never make the same mistakes as the last time I tried to restrain it; that she would never back down from the Saddle Arabians, and . . . that the Empire of old would be reborn."
"Wow," Twilight said quietly.
Celestia frowned. "And as she strolled away with that arrogant swagger she gets when she's angry, she turned and said one more thing. That while we may control the sun and moon, in her own words she'd 'learned Equestria is helpless without control over the most basic things as griffons would be without the sun and moon'." Celestia's frown deepened, and she continued, "The first time we met, a few days earlier, she was respectful and even a little awed by me and Canterlot's majesty. When she left, she was haughty and condescending. I'd said the same things to her I'd said to you. Without the pegasi's magic to control the weather, we'd have no rain; without the earth ponies' magic to strengthen them, they wouldn't be able to grow food."
"Why was she so angry at that? Those are true points." Twilight observed.
"Exactly," Celestia said mournfully. "She saw us humbled, and took that we were weak. When we see harmony through controlling the weather, the animals, the seasons, Vaernya sees unforgivable weakness. To her, if you haven't struggled against the raging elements of the East, against the storms and waves, against short and unpredictable growing seasons on rocky soil; if you haven;t done any of those things, then you're weak beyond measure. She looks at our use of magic as a crutch, and prides herself on her griffons' ability to survive without innate magic. It's a house of cards she saw tumble down thanks to Tirek, and I never got to try and change her mind. However . . ." she trailed off.
"However . . ." Twilight mimicked
"Most galling of all to Vaernya was our very act of transferring our Alicorn magic to you." Celestia said, sighing softly, "To her, giving up you power to another is unthinkable - indeed, such a thing is horrifying to almost any griffon."
"Wait," Twilight exclaimed, "she doesn't have magic! She can't possibly understand the context of you actions!"
"She'd heard of the battle you'd fought with Tirek, and immediately believed we had you fight our battle."
"I didn't even want to fight him!" Twilight exclaimed even louder, waving her forelegs in above her.
"I kept quiet, Twilight. At least Vaernya does not believe you're a coward, which is what she now thinks of me and Cadance. What if she knew your mission was to hide with all that power? At best, she would be left liking Luna's rather belligerent spirit. Better she respects two of Equestria's four Princesses, even if I'm commonly seen as the absolute leader of Equestria."
"So she, a princess, doesn't like you or Cadance, but she likes me and Luna? Only based on how we fought, or wanted to fight?" Twilight asked, a little incredulously.
"She cares little for most protocol, but respects her griffon's tradition. It's one of the reasons many are looking forward to her reign."
"How could anypony- anygriffon root for a princess who dislikes the pony who raises the sun?"
"Twilight, Vaernya isn't a tyrant."
"Still," Twilight trailed off.
Celestia sighed. "All the opponents you've dealt with so far have either been absolutely evil; Sombra, or Nightmare Moon. That, or redeemable from their unarguably bad ways, like Discord."
"The buffalo," Twilight began.
Celestia shook her head. "Well, you showed them the error of their ways, did you not? You've always had a clear solution, and your opponents have always been in the wrong, evil or not."
"Well, isn't Vaernya wrong?" Twilight frowned.
"Perhaps. But the source of her distaste for us is complicated and not without justification."
"Couldn't I try to change her mind?" Twilight asked, "We change the Embassy staff in Eas pretty often."
Celestia shook her head again. "I'm sorry Twilight, but Vaernya will never be swayed by words. Not in a day, not in a week, maybe never."
"I can try." Twilight stomped a hoof bitterly, "I'm the Princess of Friendship, after all!"
Celestia sighed deeply. "I'm sorry, but one cannot be friends with everypony - or griffon - that they meet, even you. Harmony is a distant ideal in the East. Vaernya respects dominance, power. Better for you to remain the powerful pony that defeated Tirek, than the pony who wants to show the dubious, to them, virtues of friendship and harmony."
"I- oh, that evil griffon! Why can't she appreciate harmony, like us? If the pegasi could do it all those years ago . . ."
Celestia held up a hoof sternly. "Vaernya is not evil, Twilight. She may not be one of Equestria's friends, but she's hardly of the same fold as Nightmare Moon or Sombra. She has her own motivations, dreams, and desires. Why, if things were different, you two may have even been friends; apparently, she has a voracious love for knowledge."
"I-" Twilight paused, biting her lip. After a moment's silence, she spoke up again quietly, barely audible. "What's she like?"
"Excuse me?" Celestia blinked.
"What's Vaernya like? As a griffon? Past her title and her image?" Twilight asked sofly. "She sounds so majestic and regal, maybe I could take a few lessons. Even with her opinions on you and all."
Celestia smiled. "She's surprisingly unexceptional at first glance, actually. She's rather average physically, and a rather dull soot grey. Always has a green cloak around her."
"Oh," It was Twilight's turn to blink.
"But, beyond that, is what makes her a leader. She's extremely brave, exceedingly stubborn, and abrasive when she forgets her diplomatic etiquette, which is often. She's very determined when it comes to things she holds dear, and she'd rather die than back down to another. . ." Celestia trailed off.
"And?" Twilight pressed.
"Beyond all that, she's a sapient creature with motivations, emotions, and doubts. I'm sure that when she sits alone and awake at night, staring at the ceiling, she has the same doubts that I do."
Twilight nodded slowly.
"But remember this, Twilight Sparkle. A lesson for your future as a Princess." Celestia said locking eyes with Twilight, "not everyone who opposes you is evil, is without a sensible cause. Best that you know that earlier than later. I learned that lesson only with great difficulty."
"I see," Twilight said solemnly, the gasped, "wait, how could Vaernya be a threat to Shores and Prism?"
"We certainly skipped that part, didn't we?" Celestia frowned, "It depends, actually. Did you send them off in the name of Equestria, Celestia, or yourself?"
"Uh . . ."Twilight closed her eyes, racking her brain for answers. "Ah! I commissioned the expedition in the name of Princess Twilight Sparkle."
Celestia sighed in relief. "Good, then this conversation was moot;your ponies should be safe from her, provided they do not boast of being Equestrians. There are ponies in the East, you know; the fact that they aren't Saddle Arabians will probably be good enough for most griffons."
"But . . ." Twilight trailed off, sensing Celestia's hesitation.
"You never know with the East, and I don't know how far Vaernya will take her disdain for Equestria."
"Ah," Twilight breathed worriedly. "Well, I didn't give them too much money; they probably won't make it past the Eastern Reach, Vaernya might not even hear of them."
"Good to hear. Twilight, when - if - these ponies get back, you'll hardly recognize them. This journey will change their lives, in ways we can't possibly anticipate. Ultimately, what happens to them is your responsibility." Celestia grew somber, "Your burden. It is part of your growth as a princess; learning to accept the consequences of your actions. For this reason alone, I let you send our little ponies into the East. I always supposed a restless soul would be brave enough one day "
Twilight nodded soberly. "Thank you, Princess."
"Ponies are strong enough for the East, I trust that. And the daughter of Compass Rose? No wonder, the East's in her blood." Celestia mused. "Well, I'm sorry to have taken you from Ponyville this long. Good day, Twilight."
Twilight nodded as Celestia turned and started out of the throne room, lost in her thoughts. Right before Celestia made it out, Twilight jolted and ran after the princess. "Wait, Princess! What about the Dalaen Heights?"
Celestia sighed. "I was stalling, Twilight. That's for another time; it ought not to matter now. If they'r only cataloging Morcoast, then Vaernya won't even hear about them." She sighed. "Anyway, I'm taking time out of an important meeting. If you really wish to know, come to me later. Always a pleasure to see you, Twilight."
"Likewise." Twilight said, sighing herself. She trudged out of the throne room, barely acknowledging the salutes of Solstice and Barbell as they opened up the doors.
"Shores, what have I gotten you into?" she muttered.