A knocking came from the office door before they opened on silent hinges to admit Celestia. "Good morning, Ambassador Watch. I trust you're ready for the events today."
He wasn't, not fully, but he nodded despite that. "I've run a panel before, just not on this topic." He licked his lips. "I would ask for more time, but I'm about as prepared as I'm ever going to be."
Celestia gave a gentle nod and looked towards Night. "I don't predict any major issues, but when do we ever?"
Night saluted with a folded wing. "I'll be at his side."
"With the foals?"
Night had their foals strapped to her, one to a side. "They're safe with me, and seeing so many different ponies will be good for them. Will there be other species?"
"Predominantly pony, but there should be a visible portion of griffons, and perhaps a minotaur or two." Celestia turned for the door. "Twilight has been working very hard to get everything in order and I should see to her. I'm afraid she'll collapse at this rate."
Silver quirked a smile. That sounded like the Twilight he knew.
Before he could verbalize, a new head poked in the door. "Can I help?" Samantha smiled brightly, only to have her head pushed down a few inches as Nefertari appeared beside her.
"This is a delicate situation requiring diplomatic skill. What would you know of it?" Nefer smiled a tilted smile. "I would be a better selection."
Celestia slipped out around the two arguing females and was gone off to other duties that required her attention. Night advanced on the two. "You want to help?"
That caught both of their attentions, then squarely focused them on the lead alpha female.
Night smiled. "Good. Now, Nefertari is correct, she does have more diplomatic experience, which is why she will assist Silver directly. But that doesn't mean you're being ignored, Samantha. The foals know you well, are you up to caring for them today? That would be a big relief for me."
Samantha's face split into a manic grin of joy. "That sounds lovely!" She reached with her magic and plucked the entire harness that held the twins into the air. "Come here, my favorite little subjects. We're going to have so much fun today, aren't we?" They cooed their agreement and soon all three were gone.
Nefertari walked smoothly into the room. "You've made a wise decision. Should anything go foul, I will also be there to deflect it." She smiled down at Silver. "Now what is this 'panel' you plan to deliver?"
Silver pulled a collection of papers free of his desk. "The importance and benefits of cross-species and cultural collaboration." He cleared his throat a little. "I plan to bring up humanity and how they're doing as an example. Since you're here, it'd be nice to use your people as an example as well. We could learn a lot by bringing in Anubians to the mix."
Nefer raised a brow curiously. "I doubt you have many examples of my people working alongside yours."
Night pointed at Nefertari. "Besides right now?"
That got her eyes to roll. "There is now, and besides that?"
Silver reached up and tapped his horn. "Clashing and learning from your magic helped push forward my own magic. I wouldn't suggest every unicorn go throwing themselves at an Anubian, but then I wouldn't suggest every unicorn get into construction either." He flipped through the papers held in his magic before he set them down carefully. "Cooperation and mutual growth is the focus of the panel. We're lucky, blessed I'd say, to have so many extremely diverse cultures."
Night glanced up at a hanging clock. "We should get moving. The hall we're scheduled to use should be just about clearing out from the last panel."
They got moving, only to have a bundle of papers swat Silver upside the head lightly. It was his notes. "Forgetting something?" Nefer was holding the bundle with a triumphant smirk. As he took his notes in his magic, she easily kept pace with him. "I find it fascinating that ponies would draw so many, some quite foreign, right to the heart of their governing. If I were an enemy agent, this would be the time I would strike, while there are too many new faces to keep track of and so many to become lost in."
Silver cleared his throat even as a chill ran through him. The idea of someone attacking one of the princesses was a worrying one. "The ponies don't have many enemies. It's... also a bit of a show of confidence and power that they do things just like this."
"Ah, this I understand." Nefertari nodded as they emerged from the castle into a transformed Canterlot, transitioned into readiness to hold the summit they were part of. "A show of strength and confidence to discourage thoughts of even attempting a move. I would still be wary, but their fate is not my concern today. Today, I watch over you." She put a paw squarely on Silver's head, his horn trapped between two fingers that scratched softly through his mane.
It felt better than it had a right to. Damn fingers...
Night gave Nefertari a bump with her wing. "Easy there. There are proprieties to be obeyed, and petting your fellow Ambassador in public is certainly not on that list."
Nefer was quick to withdraw her hand at Night's request, even if she looked faintly sour about it. "My hand will be the only that graces Silver this day," she growled in a vicious promise of martial efficiency.
Silver was faintly colored in the cheeks as he shook his head. "Let's get to the hall and set things up ahead of time. Hopefully this goes nice and smooth and maybe it'll provoke some new thoughts in a few heads."
The hall, once they reached it, looked mostly ready. Some of the chairs were out of order, and there were more tables than he needed, but it wasn't too hard to get those moving with the help of Nefer and Night beside him.
A quick peek outside showed a fantastic explosion of colors as ponies from all over Equestria strolled around. One of them wandered up towards their hall and poked his head inside. "Is this where the panel on interdisciplinary policing is going on?"
Silver tilted his head before he grabbed one of the schedules with his magic and quickly flipped through. "Ooo, sorry. Right hall, but that was a few hours ago."
The stallion made a soft tsk noise of annoyance and wandered off. Fortunately others arrived for the right place and time and began to fill the hall with eager faces. Many were equine, but a few weren't. Silver nodded with satisfaction as he took his place at the front to speak to the crowd. "Just remind yourself, they're just like a bunch of people curious about Ponyfinder. There's nothing to be nervous about." He took a few calming breaths and flashed a smile at the crowd.
Nefertari was suddenly beside him. "Are you prepared?" When he nodded, she was gone, and the door to the outside suddenly closed before she reappeared. "Let us begin."
"Varied people of Equestria," began Silver, nodding pointedly to each race he could find. "We are a blessed people. Not for our natural resources, which are grand as well, but for the simple fact that we have so many different kinds of people, all together. Equestria is a land of many cultures, even within a species, all unique and vibrant, and there is a strength there." He rose up, his forehooves on his table. "I look out over this crowd and I'm filled with joy, but I want to encourage us to make use of this power. Different perspectives means different approaches to a problem. Where one of us might get stuck, another holds the key."
Nefertari leaned forward against the same table. "Ambassador Watch speaks truth. Since my arrival in Equestria, my ways of thinking have been challenged. Sometimes I find my own ways to rise to the top, but other times, I am humbled. To remain closed to this influence would be a loss of potential, to say nothing of my own offerings." She wriggled a few fingers. "Give and take."
After giving their preliminary speeches, the conversation opened up and began to bounce around the room as attendees spoke their mind or asked questions.
A dark purple griffon cleared her throat as she stood before the amplifying device. "Ambassador. We're informed that you are very aware and familiar with the 'human' presence that has become more frequent in recent years. Naked of fur, lacking wings or magic, or even the brute strength of either a griffon or an earth pony, what use are they?"
Silver was faintly surprised at the question, but it was a fine one. "It varies a little depending on the specific human, but they tend to be clever, and come equipped with dextrous and sensitive fingers. They are also wildly variable, with some strong enough to at least put up a show against griffon or earth pony prowess. If we're focusing on physical abilities, stamina is also high on their list of natural abilities. In their homeland, they would regularly perform extended races even longer than the Running of the Leaves, just to challenge themselves. They are not accustomed to magic, but that can be turned to an advantage. They are used to thinking up solutions that don't use magic as part of the answer. Another culture, another key. Together we can open all doors."
A human stood up next. He wore the brightly colored attire that suggested he had lived in Equestrtia at least long enough to get the local fashion. He had darker skin, but not too dark. Maybe Spanish? Silver was never the best at picking out ethnicities, and that acuity had only gone down as he learned and was exposed to Equestrian varieties. "Excuse me, but how do you know anything about humans? You're just a unicorn making assumptions."
Silver considered how to reply to that a moment. "My knowledge comes firsthoof. I've been to Earth, homeland of humans, and visited their nation of America. In technology, they far eclipse us, but those who come here do not have that advantage. This sudden transition l--"
"What about the rest of Earth?" asked the human, still standing. "Do you know anything about that?"
Silver blinked softly. "I'm afraid my experience is limited largely to that one nation. May I ask which nation you are from?"
"If you've been there, you can help us get back." That wasn't an answer to the question, and set Silver's teeth on edge.
"I don't have that ability." Silver's ears rolled off to the sides. "We're here today to--"
The human made a gesture he didn't immediately recognize and moved to walk off. Was he just flipped off in a new way? He assumed that was the case and let out a little sigh as the human departed. "Many humans did not choose to come here, and are scared, alone, and desperate. What they need is friendship and understanding. They already have a door in front of them that they need to get through. Some of them throw it open wide on their own and come to embrace all of Equestria with a good natured readiness, others less so. We shouldn't think less of them. As I said, they didn't ask to be wrenched out of their lives."