A Diplomatic Visit

by Evilhumour

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

It was early in the morning when they were all assembled on the train station with everyone yawning, Applejack less so than the others, before Swift-Pad appeared from around the corner.

“Good morning!” he said cheerfully. “It is very nice to see you all here.”

“I see you’ve already had your coffee today,” Spike commented as he tried to stifle another yawn.

“Yes, her Grand Grace Luna was kind enough to ensure the kitchen staff knew to have it on hand very early,” Swift-Pad said. “And I also understand we will need to make a quick detour in Ponyville so you may all pack up your belongings for this trip.”

“As well as inform our friends and coworkers about our impromptu trip to your home,” Rarity said. Then she paused. “Oh dear.”

“What?” Twilight asked.

“I just realized, I shall have to inform my parents that they shall have to make other arrangements, should they decide to take one of their own impromptu trips this week,” Rarity said. “Since I will be away and will be unable to watch over Sweetie Belle as I usually do when they’re away.”

Applejack shrugged. “‘Tain’t no problem,” she said. “She’s always welcome to stay at the Acres if she needs to.”

Rarity looked at her gratefully. “Thank you; it is a weight off of my mind to know she has some alternative for when I’m unavailable,” she said.

Applejack nodded. “She’s your sister, and mah sister’s friend,” she said. “Ah’d never turn her down if she really needed it, an’ neither would the rest of mah family. Hay, Scoots is welcome there too when her family hasn’t made active arrangements.”

Twilight looked at her curiously. “I just realized, I never have met Scootaloo’s family,” she said. “I think I heard her saying something about her parents being away most of the time once, but that’s it. So who…”

“She’s got her two aunts who live just a few train stops away, and they come here to stay with her regularly,” Rainbow Dash said. “And when they can’t be in town, they always make arrangements for other ponies to look in on her. Like me, or Rares, or the Cakes.”

“Good.” Twilight smiled before she heard some faint growling. Turning her head, she saw that it was coming from Swift-Pad, whose eyes were pointed down in anger. “Um, Ambassador?”

Swift-Pad looked up. “Are you saying,” he said rather pointedly to Rainbow Dash. “That these ponies just ran off and largely just left their child to her own devices, rather than care for her themselves?”

Rainbow Dash looked down. “Yeah, kinda,” she said. “They do important science work for the crown, and there’s literally nopony else who can do what they do, so they can’t just find a different set of ponies to do it. And they don’t dare bring Scoots along and risk her life, so they made sure she has plenty of ponies to watch over her. They do write back and forth all the time, she’s shown me the letters, but… her aunts are more her parents than her birth parents, and they love her like their own.” She sighed. “I think that’s a big part of why she got so attached to me. And I don’t mind that in the slightest - my folks couldn’t have any more foals after me, so she’s the only sister I’m ever going to have.” She looked at the rest of the group. “She needs me, and I need her. More than she knows.”

Rarity nodded. “I quite understand,” she said. “I must confess that since our parents tend to go off and leave her with me, there are times when Sweetie Belle feels more like a daughter to me than my sister. But in their own way, Mother and Father do care… and Mother once told me that part of why they entrust her to me so often is because she feels I do a far better job with parenting Sweetie Belle than she does, and that I grew up to be the successful mare I am in spite of their parenting rather than because of it.”

Applejack bowed her head. “There are times when Ah only wish Ah had that kind of issue,” she said quietly. “Mah folks barely got the chance to raise Apple Bloom before they were… gone.”

“The circumstances that you found yourself in Applejack are a tragedy that could not be helped,” Swift-Pad said, sounding far warmer than he had a moment before. Then his expression turned more serious. “But parents who choose to effectively abandon their children to the care of others… there is no excuse for such a thing.”

“I… believe that this is just a difference of culture,” Rarity said, sounding a bit nervous which left Twilight feeling a bit off that she hadn’t tried to handle the situation herself. “After all, both my parents and Scootaloo’s have given their foals’ care over to family members whom they know and trust, and not just to strangers. Even when they do have little choice but to allow non-family to care for their young ones, they screen these caretakers very carefully first - for one thing, previous experience in watching over foals is a must. I will admit it is not perfect, but they do make an effort. And I… I, for one, cannot imagine what my life would be like without Sweetie Belle being around me as often as she is. She is my family, and I care for her.”

“They are lucky that they have someone watching over them,” Swift-Pad said with enough tone that caused Applejack to frown. “In any case, we should board the train and not make them wait any longer.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Twilight interjected before any of her friends could add anything else to the conversation, noticing a few other ponies nearby who appeared to be looking curiously at them. “Our car is this way.”

Leading them aboard, she let everyone get themselves settled in, before looking at Swift-Pad. “I am aware that your people are very protective of their children,” she said. “May I presume that they have their own rules when it comes to the parents caring for them, and that they do not approve of passing such responsibilities off to others except in the most extreme of circumstances?”

“You would presume correctly,” Swift-Pad said. “Along with honesty, we also view the familial bonds very seriously.”

“Because you’re on your own for so long?” Spike ventured.

“Correct, young drake,” Swift-Pad nodded his head gently towards the dragon. “While we do leave our young with members of our pack while we are out hunting, they are still considered our family and thus, no abandoning of the young cubs is done.” He frowned with his face scrunching up. “It might sound like what you do, but there is a difference, I assure you.”

“Namely that you wolfies do it out of some sort of cultural thing and you see Rarity and Scoot’s parents just dumping their responsibilities off on others?” Pinkie asked.

“Exactly,” Swift-Pad said. “While I do not doubt that you do care for your sister and are doing the best you can for her,” he said to Rarity, “The fact is that my people would never just give a child over to a relative for long periods of time so they can indulge in their own pleasures. Such a thing is highly frowned on, no matter how skilled the caretaker.”

“What about when the caretakers aren’t good; what happens then sugarcube?” Applejack spoke up.

Swift-Pad curled his lip. “To leave a child in the care of an incompetent is abuse on a criminal level, and would result in severe punishment by the pack leader,” he said. “At the very least, those you have described have been careful to avoid such a thing, which is one point in their favor.”

“And if the pack leader is the one who sets the trend of being harsh to your young?” Twilight asked with Swift-Pad grimacing, showing her that she’d hit on something. “What happens then? From what you have described, each pack leader has control over the pack which is comprised of different families and thus means each leader has autonomy over their decisions for their own people.”

Swift-Pad looked like he had swallowed something bitter as he replied. “In those cases, the other pack leaders would need to find out about it, which is difficult as trying to pry into the habits of other tribes is considered very rude. If it is found out, then the matter could be brought up in a Gathering, and if it gets enough support from the various pack leaders it will be brought up to the Elders who would then decide if action needs to be taken. If that passes, then we would intervene based on their decision.”

Twilight nodded. “So long as you have plans for such an occasion,” she said before shifting into a less stern position. “I don’t mean to be so harsh, but there are some points I feel rather strongly on, and making sure children aren’t harmed is one of them.”

“On that point, we can both agree,” Swift-Pad said. “And I… I did not mean to sound so harsh to the two of you,” he said to Rarity and Rainbow Dash. “It is clear that you both care for the young ones, and that you do what you must to ensure they are well-cared for; my frustration at hearing about their situations was not intentionally aimed at you.”

Both mares nodded. “We understand,” Rainbow Dash said. “Everyone has their own way of feeling about something, and sometimes they get a little strong about voicing those opinions. It’s perfectly normal.” She shrugged. “Besides, I could tell from the start it wasn’t me you were mad at. Or Rares.”

“And if I am being honest, your system is better at helping the young in those situations that I mentioned.” Swift-Pad hunched as he spoke. “There are a lot of opportunities for the whole measure to fail. On the other paw, we have seen that yours has had most of its loopholes closed by her Grace Celestia when she finds them, and is far more secure.” He frowned. “So long as those involved actually do their work,” he muttered. “She has reported to us of some who were purposely failing to do so in past centuries, and how they were arrested for it upon discovery.”

“Well, how about we go to more pleasant topics, shall we?” Rarity asked. “I think I will only need… hmm…” She considered.

“A week’s worth of supplies,” Applejack said. “An’ Ah think we’d better take an hour, hour and a half at most, to get it done and get back to the train station.”

“Then let me tell the conductor about this,” Twilight said as she stood up before pausing and shaking her head.

“Everything okay, Twi?” Rainbow Dash asked, arching an eyebrow.

“I was wondering if it would cause an issue with them but I realized that this would have been already taken care of.”

“You are quite right at that,” Swift-Pad spoke up. “I believe her Grace Celestia had made such arrangements before we set off this morning.”

Twilight nodded, then sat back down and began to contemplate, thinking over what she would need to bring and how much space she’d have for books.

---

Nearly two hours later, the entire group met aboard the train once more. Twilight had filled her saddlebags with necessary supplies for herself and Spike, along with a full suitcase full of books, while Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had a single duffel bag each, as did Applejack. Rarity, meanwhile, had surprised them all by appearing with nothing.

“Rarity? Where’s your luggage?” Twilight asked.

“Oh, Pinkie Pie was kind enough to store it all for me,” Rarity replied.

Next to her, Pinkie nodded and pulled a massive suitcase out of her mane, before hiding it back away, to Swift-Pad’s astonishment.

“How did you do that?” he asked, clear amazement on his face.

Twilight made a face. “Pinkie is capable of things that even I don’t understand, and I’ve learned not to try,” she said. “That way lies madness and insanity.”

“You don’t say.” Swift-Pad eyed the pink party pony. “Well, however you accomplish it, it is quite a feat.”

“Thanks!” Pinkie chirped at him. Then she reached into her mane again. “I’ve got my own stuff in there too. I even brought Gummy!”

Swift-Pad looked at the small alligator she was now holding, which eyed him calmly. “Miss Pie, you are truly a unique individual.”

You wouldn’t be saying that if you knew about the Crystal Mirror, Twilight thought to herself. Aloud, she said, “We’d better get on board.”

“Quite.”

Very soon, the eight (Gummy having popped back into Pinkie’s mane) had made their way to their seats again with the train beginning to pick up.

“So how far are the Packlands?” Applejack asked as she started to get comfortable on the seat.

“Fairly far, despite this being a direct line towards the Packlands,” Swift-Pad answered. “Perhaps by early noon, at the latest.”

“Doesn’t sound that bad,” Rainbow Dash muttered as she scrunched up into the corner of a bench. “I can get some more sleep if that’s the case.” Within a few seconds, she was already snoring away.

“Well, I think I will follow Dash’s lead, though not so...” Rarity paused, trying to come up with a kind word.

“Loud?” Applejack suggested.

“That is one way of describing it,” Rarity said as she pulled out the bench to rest on it more fully than her pegasus friend had.

“Perhaps the rest of us who aren’t planning on going back to sleep should move to the far end of the car, so they can rest without us disturbing them,” Twilight suggested. “And I can soundproof this area to be safe.”

Rarity gazed at her gratefully. “That would be much appreciated, thank you,” she said with a smile before closing her eyes again.

“Ah’ll be joining you Twilight,” Applejack said “Ah ain’t one to go back ta sleep - ‘sides, Ah get up earlier than this for chores every day.”

“Me too,” Pinkie said softly, though still giggling. “Gotta get up early if you want to get everything baked fresh before the customers come in.”

“I will stay here, if that’s okay,” Fluttershy said with a bit of a drowsy tone.

“As will I,” Swift-Pad said, yawning with his teeth showing. “I believe the caffeine from earlier has worn off and I was up quite late dealing with some background paperwork to arrange this diplomatic visit.”

Twilight nodded at him. “Spike? Are you coming?”

Spike yawned. “Nah, I think I could use a nap.”

“All right then.” Rising from her seat and moving into the center walkway, with Pinkie and Applejack following her, Twilight lit up her horn, producing a bubble around the seats. The trio then headed for another set further away.

Once they were settled in, Twilight looked at her friends. “So I know that Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy know something of the Packlands themselves, but they’re both asleep at the moment. Do either of you know more about them?”

Applejack shook her head. “Not me. Don’t have any family there, far as Ah know.”

Pinkie looked thoughtful. “I think Granny Pie told me some stories about them,” she said. “But they might have been about the Dire Wolves instead.”

Twilight looked at her in surprise. “That’s the second time I’ve heard about that group,” she said. “One of Cheerilee’s students said they took over the old pony lands after the great migration.”

“That’s the story!” Pinkie chirped.

Twilight nodded. “Swift-Pad already said the Packlands were somewhere completely different from our ancestral homeland though.”

“Aw.” Pinkie looked disappointed. “Sorry, don’t know about his people specifically then.”

“Ah guess you’ll just have to wait, sugarcube,” Applejack said. “Besides, remember what Princess Celestia said when she first told us about this? ‘Prepare for what you can and learn how to adapt to what you cannot.’ Look at this as an extension of that lesson.”

Twilight smiled at her. “You’re right. Thank you.” With that, Twilight began to pull out the rune book she’d been given and began to read it carefully.

“What’s that Twi?” Applejack asked curiously.

“That’s the book Swift-Pad gave me about runecrafting, the one I told Princess Celestia about,” Twilight said with a hoof sliding over the cover. “I’m not allowed to share anything from it though.”

Applejack nodded. “Ah understand.” She sat back.

Pinkie, meanwhile, was looking curiously at her. “Did you see what kind of rocks he used for his runes?”

“I’m… not sure,” Twilight said. “Why?”

“Just wondering.” Pinkie shrugged. “I bet my sister Maud would love to see them. She’s studying to be a rocktologist!”

“Really?” Twilight closed her book and smiled. “I don’t think I’ve heard much about your sisters. Or your parents, really.”

Pinkie grinned. “Oh, they’re loads of fun!” She began describing them all - Limestone, the eldest and grumpiest of the sisters; the stoic, rock-loving Maud; the shy, soft-spoken Marble; her old-fashioned and traditional but loving parents, and life in Rockville - in a discussion that lasted most of the rest of the trip.

---

It was around eleven when Swift-Pad poked his nose through the door.

“Hello your Grace,” he said, nodding his head towards Applejack and Pinkie Pie. “Thank you for letting us rest as long as we did.”

“It was not a problem,” Twilight replied, smiling at him. “Did you have a good sleep?”

“Yes, your Grace, thank you for asking.” The wolf remained in the middle of the door before tilting his head past him. “I thought you would like to see this; we are approaching the final bend towards the border and the view is exquisite.”

“I’d be glad to.” Twilight rose from her seat, with Pinkie and Applejack following her as Swift-Pad led the way with the rest of their friends looking out the window to see a wide blue mountain range, sweeping up past them. Trees marched up the sides of the mountains or bristled on their ridges - pines and maples for the most part, with here and there the startling white fork of a birch tree, and an occasional crag or horn of stone topping a mountain or jutting from its sides. It was a beautiful sight, and all of them stared in awe.

Applejack let out a long, low whistle. “Whoo-eee,” she said in clear admiration. “That’s one of the purtiest sights Ah ever did see!”

“Just wait until we are past the mountains,” Swift-Pad spoke with his chest filling with pride. “The view gets even better.”

“I cannot wait to see it Swift-Pad,” Twilight said, placing a hoof on his shoulder before frowning as she felt him tense up. “Is everything okay?”

“In... a sense,” he answered dodgily with all eyes on him now. Swift-Pad let out a sigh before looking at Rainbow Dash and Pinkie. “The view is spectacular, but we may also be seeing some of the… more troublesome members of Equestria’s border guard, or possibly those of the PVE organization.”

Twilight frowned, recalling what he and her friends had said about the latter group. “I wish there was something I could do to make them back off…”

“There is little you can do,” Swift-Pad said. “The former wouldn’t dare have anything out of place with yourself present while the latter... “ Swift-Pad hmmed at that, tilting his head to the side before shaking it. “I do doubt that the latter would try to appear in the border station and they are not truly welcomed in Bur Patch.”

“What’s Bur Patch?” Twilight asked, turning away from the sight to stare at him.

“That is the township where most of the ponies that supply the border station live,” Swift-Pad replied, tilting his head to the other side of the train car where Twilight could see the faint outlines of smoke and the beginning of a road further down the track. “In any case, you should all prepare yourself as we are nearly there.”

With that notice, everyone began to gather their luggage as the train began to slow down at long last. Before long, the train let out a final sharp whistle as it reached the station, and Twilight was prepared to walk out the door when she suddenly thought of something, realizing that this situation felt familiar. Taking a quick look out the window again, she could spot several guards standing at the ledge.

“Rarity, I am going to need a quick touch-up please!” she said, turning to face her friend who already had her brushes and combs out.

“Good thinking darling,” Rarity said as she began to straighten her hair and coat at a speed that was painful and Twilight resolved not to wait until the last minute ever again. “First impressions are important.” Rarity took a step backwards before nodding her head. “I’m afraid that this is the best I can do on such short notice, darling but hopefully it will be sufficient.”

“It will need to be,” Twilight told her friend while smiling. “And it is not your fault but mine for forgetting to get myself presentable.” She then looked at Swift-Pad and was about to ask him if she should be wearing her regalia before the doors opened up.

Standing in front of her was a unicorn in light blue armour with a circular patch on one side, the words Equestria Border Patrol on it. She could also see more ponies in the same uniforms, and a group of wolves by their side with a sash of the same blue across their backs, behind him.

Gazing into the train car, the agent nodded. “Your highness, Ambassador, and companions,” he said. “On behalf of the Equestrian Border Patrol, I offer you all greetings and good fortune on your travels and in all your endeavors.” He bowed to all of them with the ponies behind bowing low to her while the wolves merely dipped their heads. “I’ve been sent to act as your escort. Please follow me, and have your identification ready and present.”

Twilight nodded back politely, following him shoulder to shoulder as she recalled from her time with Celestia that it was a sign to show that ponies were equals, with her friends stepping in behind her. Swift-Pad had loped over to the other side of the unicorn, and was clearly used to this sort of thing as he fell into position, the trio walking in the direction their escort indicated.

It was a short walk from the station towards the gatehouse built into the mountainside but one thing puzzled Twilight. All of the forest had been cleared away, leaving a wide open, unpleasant-looking space of land and she was aware of how ponies loved to beautify their surroundings. The conundrum played in her head for a while before she recalled Shiny’s old O&O games, and suddenly understood. This was a standard denial tactic to prevent intruders from being able to hide themselves in the surrounding environment, and therefore make attempted stealth invasions that much harder.

One by one, they were admitted into the station and Twilight’s opinion on the border station shifted slightly.

It was an impressive station that had around ten queues for individuals to be processed and there were a number of guards present in the process of cleaning the station to a polished state, but the fact that they needed to do so suggested to her that the station hadn’t seen much activity in quite some time. In fact, she, her friends and the guards were the only non-wolves present. She also noticed there was a blank bulletin board that seemed to cause every guard in the station to have a look of concern when she stepped towards it.

“Your highness, please, if you would step this way,” the guard that had greeted them at the station move in front of her, doing his best to try to redirect her attention.

“What is that thing if ya don’t mind me askin’,” Applejack inquired, standing next to Twilight.

The stallion gulped for a moment before replying. “That is our criminal wanted list - known troublemakers who are currently fugitives from justice.”

“It’s blank,” Applejack said shortly with Twilight turning to stare at the stallion.

“...it was decided that such information would be too troubling for you to see, your highness,” the pony replied with Twilight frowning at his answer before she noticed the guilty looks the wolves were sharing.

“Is there someone in particular that you were afraid I would react poorly to?” she asked, a stern look on her face.

“Of course not, your highness,” the stallion said while shaking his head. “It was just done for your own sensitivity, I promise.”

Twilight nodded. “I appreciate your concern,” she said. “However, I have been in the presence of such lists before, including that maintained by our own Royal Guard. Seeing such things would not upset me.”

“As you say, your highness,” the stallion nodded his head and Twilight was aware he had not offered his name to her once. Normally, it would be one of the first things a guard would do as it could help their career if they got their name out to those higher up, as Shiny had once told her. The fact he hadn't done so meant he probably didn't want attention drawn to him which meant he was more than likely hiding things from his superiors. “If you would all step this way please,” he said, directing them back to the processing booths.

Twilight, still frowning, made her way toward the booth where the ponies behind them began to process her passport and those of her friends. Presenting their passports to the Border Patrol Agents didn’t take long, and once everything had been settled, the agent who’d greeted them bowed again. “Welcome to the Packlands, your highness,” he said. “We hope you enjoy your stay here.”

Twilight smiled back. “I certainly intend to.”

Comments

[Earthpatriot117]

Fast update! Yay!

[Evilhumour]

10099848
mhm.

[Asolem2]

“Of course not, your highness,” the stallion said while shaking his head. “It was just done for your own sensitivity, I promise.”

[Stainless Steel Fox]

10100278 Sure it was...

[SilverDiamond]

Hum... A coverup, without a go ahead from up the chain of command, but by own decisions? Don't like it one bit.

[link4]

10230857
going by luna's reaction later in the story? neither did she. luna took particular exception to this

[redmar]

That blank list is going to become a problem later on.