Chapter 2
Ponies: The Final Frontier
The Changeling Queen smashed her hoof into the the table, screaming, “That is extortion! You know that I cannot afford tariffs that high! I so saw this coming. You are using our want for peace to force your agenda on us! Well-”
Here, Princess Luna bolted up. “How dare thou accuse us so!” she yelled, reverting to her old habits of speech.
Princess Celestia jumped to back her sister up, saying, “Chrysalis, we-"
She would have said more, but here, Twilight, who had up until now been watching this train wreck known as diplomacy silently, decided to step in.
“Ladies,” she said. When nopony listened to her, she yelled, “Hey! Does anypony still care about the spirit of this meeting??” At this, the three other leaders shut up and listened to her, but they still shot each other glares every now and then.
With a good portion of the council's attention, Twilight continued, “Now, this is absurd! We came here to end the war, but it's about to recommence because we can't agree over a fraction of a percentage point! Now, neither nation can afford to continue our little quarrel. But may I remind you, Queen Chrysalis, that even though your forces currently occupy Appleosa, Equestria is in control of many of your territories. If hostilities resume, Equestria holds the clear upper hoof.”
“Well...”
Captain's Log, Supplemental
Having just been thrown across the galaxy by Q, we are over ten years from Federation territory. On top of this, we have found ourselves at a very strange system with a just as strange dominate species. I would be lying if I said I wasn't interested.
“Horses, micro-brain?” Q shot back. “Watch your mouth! Those are ponies, and you should refer to them as such. Now, where to begin?”
“You can start,” said Commander Riker, “with explaining to us what we have to do here before you return us to the Federation.”
“Oh, yes, that,” said Q. “Right now, I want you to go down to meet the equine population.”
There was a stunned silence. “That easy?”
“Oh, no way,” replied Q. “No, no, there's more, but you'll have to figure it out yourself.”
“Q, you know we can't do that,” replied Picard. “That is a clear violation of the Prime Directive!”
“Ha! Ha!” Q laughed. “You seriously think I care? If you refuse, I can simply put you down there myself. However, I think I would like to see how these kinds of things are done on a starship. You know, as long as it doesn't become too boring. Oh, and one more thing. Picard, I really think you should lead this one.” With that, Q snapped his fingers and disappeared.
“Captain, we have received a set of coordinates,” said Data. :They seem to point us to a city in some kind of frozen tundra. There is an anomaly high number of creatures there, and not all of them are equine, like the ones we saw a moment ago.”
Picard blinked a few times, then said, “Onscreen.”
Data tapped the com, but nothing happened. “Sir, there seems to be a type of atmospheric distortion that is interfering with our visual scanners. I can not seem to get a visual lock in it.”
“Curiouser and curiouser. Recommendations?” asked Picard.
“Captain, I recommend-” Commander Riker didn't have a chance to finish, though.
Suddenly there was another bright flash of light, and Q reappeared. “Well, since you won't do it, I'll just have to introduce you people myself!”
“No! Q! Wait!” yelled Picard, but too late. Q snapped his fingers, and the bridge vanished, replaced by a snow-covered landscape. Looking around, Picard saw Wolf, Riker, and Data with him.
“Report,” he said, suppressing a shiver.
Data pulled out a tricorder and began scanning. “We appear to be near the coordinates given to us by Q.”
Worf patted his belt, only to find his phaser was missing. “Captain, we appear to be unarmed.”
There was yet another bright light, and Q materialized beside them. “Greetings, mon capitaine. Now, shall we begin?”
“Yes! Let's get this foolishness over with!”
“Temper, mon capitaine. I can guarantee that, in a few minutes, you will not be so eager to leave. Now, listen closely. You are within the Crystal Empire, a small nation of ponies that, for some reason, decided to settle in a frozen tundra. Their reasons have escaped me, but I think it has has something to do with the fact that this is relatively near the ancestral home of their kind. To the south is the much larger nation of Equestria. Despite their rocky history, these two nations cooperate very well nowadays, even forming a very tight alliance. In fact, many outsiders even consider them to be one and the same. Big mistake, if you ask me. Both nations are very patriotic and proud to be of their respective nations.”
“Your point, Q?”
“Well, you've only heard part of the story so far. Like all nations, Equestria has its archenemy, a loose collection of city-states known as the United Confederacy of Changelings. Things were under control until...hold on!” Q's eyes lit up.
“What? What is it?”
Q gave a knowing smile. “Why am I telling you this? Far more interesting if I just let you figure it out on yourself. Go now. A kilometer or so north will bring you to a city. It's the capitol of the Crystal Empire. Figure it out from there.” With that, he snapped his fingers and disappeared.
“Well, that was interesting,” said Riker.
“Q,” Worf spat, but quickly composed himself. “Captain, we cannot trust a word he said.”
“I am aware,” said Picard. “However, I doubt Q would lie to us like that. In all of our dealings with him, Q has never openly lied to us. Bend the truth, maybe. But lie?”
“Either way, to be safe, we should assume most of what he said is false. At least, until we prove otherwise,” replied Commander Riker.
“Agreed. Now, what to do from here? One this for sure, we can't stay out here,” said Picard, suppressing another shiver. “And if I know Q at all, he won't let us beam up to the ship until he is satisfied that we have done what he wants of us, and possibly learned some kind of lesson.”
“What 'lesson' do you think he wants us to learn this time around?”
“I don't know.”
As the four Alicorns and one Changeling left the building, the tension in the square spiked again. This time, the guards for both factions looked slightly uneasy, as if they thought they would be would be ordered to attack each other.
A guard stepped forward and barked, “All those present, rise and show respect for the leaders of the Principality of Equestria and the Changeling Empire!”
The talk throughout the square died as if it was cut by a knife.
Princess Cadance stepped forward. “I, Princess Cadance, am overjoyed and proud to announce that Equestria and the Changeling Empire have come to an agreement!”
There was a stunned silence, as everyone present absorbed this news. As each side started to shift about, still somewhat disbelieving, Princess Celestia stepped forward, clearing her throat. “Speaking for all the royals,” she said, “I order all armies carrying the banner of Equestria to stand down. Any land captured by the Equestrian forces during the course of this war is to be withdrawn from. The trade embargo passed against the Changeling Empire is, as of this moment, officially repealed. No pony within Equestria or any of her allies is to harm a changeling. More directions to follow.”
Her piece said, Celestia stepped back. Queen Chrysalis took her place and addressed her subjects: “As Queen of Queens, I order the following: All military operations against Equestria are to halt. All forces occupying pony territory are to withdraw to pre-war changeling territories immediately. Killing or otherwise harming a pony will be punished by death. More orders to follow.”
Princess Cadance took the queen's place and announced, “This historic agreement will recorded as the Treaty of Crystals, to be signed by both parties. Messengers, carry the news. For, as of this moment, the war between Equestria and the Changeling Empire is over!”
The stunned silence lasted for a second or two more. Soon, the weight of what had happened set in, and both ponies and changelings alike began to tentatively put down their weapons and mingle amongst each other, talking about various things. Twilight noticed from the shifty eyes and the tense behaviors of both groups that the two sides didn't really trust each other. She pointed this out to Celestia, who smiled slightly.
“Of course they don't trust each other,” she said. “Both sides did terrible things throughout the war. It will take some time for the wounds left to heal. But until then, we have won peace. Maybe not a smooth peace, but a peace nonetheless. Go. I know you want to be with your friends. Luna and I will deal with a few technicalities with the queen.”
Princess Twilight hesitated for a moment, then nodded and ran – with as much dignity as she could muster, of course – to where she saw her friends talking amongst themselves.
“Well done, Twilight!” said Applejack.
Rainbow Dash gave her a light nookie, and Pinkie Pie jumped up and down in excitement.
“So, that's it, huh?” said Fluttershy. When everypony looked at her, she shrunk and and stammered, “I-I mean...the fi-fighting is over? I-It's jus-just kind of h-hard to believe. T-two years of it...”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, but patted Fluttershy on the her back, saying “Yeah. It's over!”
“No more making those bland uniforms for me!” chimed in Rarity.
“Indeed, or dealing with the crop levy,” added Applejack. “I am getting reimbursed for that, right? That was several hundred bits worth of food.” she asked, glaring in Twilight's direction.
Twilight raised her upper hooves, saying “I'll bring it up at the council, but I don't know. Right now, let's not worry about that. For now, peace has returned to Equus.”
“Hear, hear!” exclaimed Rarity.
“You know what this calls for?” asked Pinkie.
“Let me guess: a party,” said Twilight, silently rolling her eyes.
“That's right, a PArty,” said Pinkie, stopping in mid air despite gravity, her eyes fixed on a point directly behind Twilight. Suddenly, she let out a gasp. “There's somepony new! But, wait...I don't think that's a pony...”