Discourse
I think I chose wrong, Ray thought to himself as he entered the castle, Twilight beckoning him in. The suit he had ultimately chosen was a white shirt that had a black coat to compliment it. The cuffs of the coat were embroidered with emerald green thread, as well as the inner panels of the piece. The collar of his shirt had a sharp V shape to it that went down to his breast, and while it did feel a bit open, there had been stranger options to choose from. The suit had felt right to him, given it had a notably darker air to it than any of the others Rarity had designed. Choosing such an outfit, on that was forbidding with the colors of death and decay ornamenting it would most definitely draw attention. After all, the whole point of tonight was to introduce a whole new world to the leaders of Equestria. Enough would be said tonight to take the hours up, and he would do his best to keep it away from him as much as possible.
Still, standing beside Twilight in her bright purple and gold gown, he felt that the resemblance and symbolism was a bit too distinct. The Princess was casually leading him to the ballroom at the moment, even though there was still several hours until the ball actually began. She had said that there was still plenty of preparation that needed to be done for the both of them there, and thinking about it, there was. He frankly had no idea how the night was supposed to go and if he was even supposed to speak, at least, in the sense that he needed to give a speech. He hadn’t even thought of that possibility until just now, but the realization of how much he didn’t know concerning tonight was troubling now.
They didn’t need to say a word to each other, both knowing at the very least where they needed to go, but the awkward silence between the two provoked Twilight to ask, “So, why that get-up in particular?”
Slowing to give a demonstrative spin, allowing the loose overcoat to flow a little, he shrugged his shoulders and counter inquired, “Why do you think?”
Scoffing slightly, the mare intelligently responded, “Well that’s rather grim, don’t you think? We want to spread more hope and peace tonight, with our main goal to tell them the plan and situation we’re in, and of course introduce you to them.”
With a slight cringe, he agreed, “Yeah, I kinda had the same thought, but at the same time, we don’t have all night to talk, so best to keep everything unnecessary out of the conversation.”
“I’d consider your attitude towards the war of the utmost importance, comparable to the support of the leaders for our plan,” Twilight pointed out. “Wearing such a foreboding costume could easily be misinterpreted as this being a hopeless endeavor.”
“If anybody asks, I’ll just tell them it’s foreboding for the minotaurs, not the Fallen and I,” Ray retorted, a smirk on his face. Letting the cocksure smile slide off, he asked, “What do you think their attitude towards me will be?”
Twilight had several different expressions cross her face, from a hesitant chuckle to a somber raise of her eyebrows, before she finally answered, “Well, it’ll be as varied as the different species that attend tonight, but I can prepare you for what you should expect. Skalos has been training you on etiquette as well as magnitude alongside everything else, correct?”
“Yeah, he has,” Ray said, nodding in confirmation. With a subtle turn so he could see the mare a bit better, once again smirking as he remembered the excruciating process Skalos had gone through to better Ray on how to act. Even though it was only hours away from when that particular training would be needed, Ray found that he had an uncharacteristically profound memory of every word. “It was a bit painful for the both of us, as you could imagine.”
Cringing slightly, Twilight cleverly commented, “I’d rather not.”
Ray chuckled at the joke as Twilight opened a pair of large doors that barely reached above his head with her magic. The alicorn shared a smile with him, and thanks to the quip, he felt the both of them relax just a little more. As they entered into the new room, the commotion and clatter of servants and other administrative staff working on adequately cleaning and decorating the ballroom disrupted the quiet they had just established. Bustling ponies moved back and forth across the room, dozens of them with frantic speed going about their tasks yet somehow retained their stoic expressions.
Ray moved against the wall of the room, which was spotlessly cleaned already, ornate flags representing each nation hung from the domed ceiling to the ground already. He was currently standing next to the one that represented the griffon nation and -being reminded of the species by their emerald and gold flag- he mentally reviewed their behavior, or at least what he’d read and been told it was. Hotheaded, headstrong, and very blasé. Kinda like Dash but without the temperament of knowing better.
He still hadn’t met any species besides the ponies and singular dragon of Ponyville, but now that that was about to change, he wanted to be prepared. If tonight was going to end well, however, he needed to balance appeasing each species and getting his point across. It wasn’t very often that he felt too scared in Equestria, especially considering the inherent peacefulness and loving nature of the equine species, but the prospect of meeting the leaders of the world rightly had his nerves on edge.
Twilight was busy quickly explaining something to a passing servant, which he had correctly predicted she’d do based on her fanatically devout attitude of perfection. As she finished her conversation with the butler, sending the stallion off, she gestured to Ray with a hoof, not even needing to look to know he was watching nearby. They hadn’t talked too much since the night they had planned this whole event, only seeing each other once at Fluttershy’s when the alicorn happened by during Thursday tea, in which they’d only exchanged passing remarks. The other time was at Rarity’s, when the white mare had “accidentally” scheduled them at the same time. Regardless, they had broken into a quick discussion to relate how training was going for Ray as Rarity fetched Twilight’s gown, in which they had solidified a time when Ray would appear at the castle using the dayport. In spite of this, they had somehow developed a silent knowledge of each other’s tendencies and thoughts, making communicating without talking much easier. Ray credited her knowledge to having studied him before bringing him to Equestria, and his own to his intuition of frantic and OCD people.
Dutifully following the mare across the room, where an elaborate table had been set up beside the large, spotless glass window that took up most of the wall. It overlooked the entire land west of Canterlot, the view only stopping at the distant mountain range surrounded by tame forestry. The table itself was waxed and polished already, with maids carefully settling a large, ornate tablecloth over it using their magic. Almost everything that was being moved around the room was levitated to it didn’t receive any hoof stains or scratches in the chaos.
“We need to go over some things about the other kings, queens, and chiefs,” Twilight informed him as she stepped aside to allow a few more servants to pass with a large painting to pass. “There will be a lot going on tonight, both in front of and behind the curtain, so to speak, and all of it will decide their opinion of you.”
“Comforting,” Ray commented, watching a pair of whispering servants pass, having finished setting the cloth for the table. “Who should I be the most worried about?”
“Honestly, I’m not too sure exactly,” Twilight thoughtfully told him, tapping a hoof against her chin. “The griffons and yaks will both be more concerned about your physical strength more than anything else, so act tough around them, I guess. Queen Nova from the hippogriffs will be concerned about her intelligence, but I don’t think we’ll have any problems proving your worth to her. Oh, Dragonlord Ember -and yes, it’s best if you actually use her title- will also want to know about how strong you are. Be ready for any sort of challenge they might put up to you. Honestly, I think the two that will give us the most trouble about our predicament will be the bison and changelings, especially King Thorax.”
“I thought they were the friendliest nations to Equestria,” Ray said, confused.
“Oh they are, but the both of them are also heavily pacifistic, considering their past in which they did fight against us, and us them,” Twilight explained. Biting her lip, she warned him, “Every nation of Equestria will be present and represented tonight, and each of them need to be satisfied with what they see and hear. I’m not sure exactly what I can do to help you be the best of all sides, because I’m not really even sure what I’ll do myself, but act like you usually do.”
“Which is,” he questioned, curious about how she saw him.
“Intense, brutally honest, stubborn, compassionate, passionate…” Twilight trailed off for a moment in deep thought, prompting Ray to raise a brow inquisitively. Looking away from the ground she’d been intently staring down, instead turning that intensity to him, she firmly stated, “Be human. Show them who you are. Screw trying to appease them all. We monarchs think alike. They’ll see exactly what I do in you, once they look past their own prejudices.”
Ray smiled past set eyebrows, nodding in agreement. “It’s gonna be a night then, isn't it?”
Taking a deep breath, Twilight let out her tension in a long sigh before agreeing, “Yep, it certainly will be.” Looking away from him to one of the walls, she yelped and practically yelled, “One that starts in five and a half hours.” Turning back to him swiftly, she cried, “Clean up your hair and whatever else humans do to look nice! We can expect that the first guests will show up in two or three hours!”
Before Ray could respond, the alicorn had already taken off through the opposite set of double doors the table had been brought through. Even though Twilight was well out of sight by now, and probably out of earshot, he called back, “I never do my hair anyways! What does it matter?”
Knowing that there would be no response, the human turned from the door, facing into the room. There were still a few servants bustling around, adding little intricate decorations in the style of each of the nations to the flags and seats where their leaders would sit. It was then that he realized there wasn’t really anything he could do but stand there and wait for Twilight to return, seeing as how he didn’t know who to look for and where to go for “cleaning up”. Frowning slightly, he remembered the small duffel bag he still carried, completely forgotten in the chaos but still firmly in his grip.
Heaving the bag over his shoulder, he simply walked out of the main ballroom, back out of the door he had entered. He hadn’t really noticed the room coming in, but it was obviously built and decorated to be one of the more resplendent parts of the castle. The foyer was large, with two separate staircases leading into different parts of the next floor crescenting around the doors to the main ballroom. Everything in the wide room was made of white marble or embroidered in some gold, though the pillars that were carved into the walls connected to the entry doors were each a different color of stone. Red, pink, purple, green, salmon, and gray were on one end, while on the other orange, yellow, lavender, teal, brown, and a very light shade of black decorated the other.
The ceiling was several feet higher than Ray’s head, and could’ve even passed for a normal ceiling to humans, which was rather rare in pony-land. Considering he had to duck through the grand doors into the ballroom, he appreciated the extra space for him, the feeling of being in a normal confined space rather than an enclosed box. The ceiling was painted with all sorts of abstract symbols that were somewhat similar to the runes that marked the lightports and darkports, though he figured that it was because they both came from around the same ancient era. Stepping further into the foyer, he spread his arms out, noting that there was still plenty of space from the tips of his fingers to the doors of the left and right wings. Fingertip to fingertip, about three of him would be able to fit in the room lengthwise, and considering the perfect symmetry of ponies, he guessed it would be the same widthwise.
Looking out at his right arm, the one holding his bag of clothes and minor utilities, he smiled, appreciating the slight density of muscles that had built up. His bag probably weighed something around fifteen pounds, but he didn’t even feel the weight. Thanks to all of the different handlings of the weighty spear and it’ abnormal dimensions -accredited to the hook it sported- he had been challenged from the start with wielding it in the flowing style Skalos had been attempting to train him. Though he knew it was far from perfect, and from time to time he still nicked himself with the hook or tip, he was able to use it much more precisely now. The constant training with the spear and bow had also come with some benefits to his arms, which had been twiggy even by equine standards when he’d first arrived. Now, his arms were probably twice as thick, in fact, he felt twice as strong as he did.
Flexing slightly, he was able to see the slightest bulge beneath the loose black robe he wore. Allowing himself a few more moments to appreciate the muscle he’d developed, he decided he had given himself enough praise. Letting his arms relax and drop to his sides, he turned back around to the doors, frowning at the two oak panels that were shut. It was probably best to try and stick somewhere close by, considering Twilight would almost literally tear the castle apart looking for him should he vanish for too long. Rubbing his chin, he tried to think of anything helpful that might also pass the time.
As his hands brushed over his face, he felt a rough, prickly texture to his skin, and retracted his hand in surprise. He had almost completely forgotten to shave the past few weeks, and nobody had mentioned his growing facial hair to him. Besides, he rarely checked the mirror these days, and usually he didn’t pay much mind to his own face. The combination of negligence and time had led to a scruffy little mustache and beard to begin to grow, the hair wiry and short. It certainly wasn’t true facial hair, like the beard his dad grew out, but it wasn’t just peach fuzz anymore.
Smiling slightly, he realized he had found something to fill the time with, rushing over to the left hallway, towards where he had been kept as a guest the previous month. He knew there was a bathroom in that area, or at least there would be a guest room with a mirror in which he could check the growth out. He had a knife concealed in his bag, as Skalos had been teaching him during the more mundane and repetitive drills to always keep a weapon of somesort around, even in Equestria. If not for defense, then for the sheer utility of it as a tool.
Only halfway through the doors, he found one of the guest rooms, which had its door slightly ajar. Peeking in, he looked around for any signs of somebody inhabiting the room and -seeing no luggage at all and no signs of the room being used- he entered quickly. Having caught sight of the bathroom from the door, he headed straight to the mirror, trying to be hasty enough that he would neither be noticed nor missed.
Standing in front of the mirror, he found himself slightly surprised by the sight of himself in front of the mirror, the first time he’d truly paid attention to himself for weeks now. His skin had tanned even more from the many hours he spent in the orchards, and even though the air had cooled, and sun had dimmed a little, it had still darkened his skin slightly. His hair too had darkened from a sandy brown to a much darker brown, a color like apple tree bark, and it was much longer now, drooping past his ears and down his neck. He had even grown bangs; it had been so long since he had received a haircut.
The most shocking feature he found, however, wasn’t the darker hair or growing facial hair, but the way his face shape itself had developed. He had never been a particularly meaty kid -his living conditions ensured that- but his face was generally more rounded. Now, however, his jaw had jutted out more, his jawline setting shape and his cheekbones squared out. Looking at himself, he realized that this was the face he would now maintain for the rest of his life, the face of a human that was nearly identical to his father’s. The reveal of his own physical appearance was also alleviating, in a way. No matter how far he strayed from Earth, even entire dimensions away, he would maintain the features native to his species.
Smiling, he got to work, setting his bag on the low sink and zipping the bag open. He started the water before pulling out his knife, which he had kept on top so he wouldn’t accidentally cut himself when reaching into the bag. Splashing his face and dipping the blade into the water, he ran his hand through the bristles to unsettle them and make it easier to cut. Carefully, he began to slide the sharp blade across his chin, the knife blade cleanly shaving away the growing hair. Focusing on ensuring he got the tiny stubs as well as the large ones, he meticulously continued to use the knife to clean up his face.
After a few minutes of carefully cutting away the stubble, he was completely clean shaven, his face feeling cool from the water and steel. Setting the knife aside, he reached over to where a small hand towel was hung, grabbing it and beginning to dry his face. Using his hand, swept some the shavings that hadn't fallen into the sink to their proper place, running the water for a few seconds to send the hair down the drain. Then, with the same swift carefulness he had shaved with, he grabbed the knife and used the towel to wipe away the water on the blade and hilt until it was bone dry. Tenderly, he set the knife back into the bag, zipping it closed before drying his hand.
It was strange, he found himself thinking as he set the hand towel back on its holder, that he was both doing something so humanly normal, yet completely alien in this world. It was as if everything he considered human, the simple things like being a bipedal, wearing clothes, shaving, even having uncovered skin, all were benign and unfamiliar in this land. No matter how adept he was becoming to this world, it would never share the same similitude with him as he did it. There was just too many abnormalities with his nature in the world, and even though he had come to terms with it long ago, he still found it funny that this universe hadn’t.
Throwing his bag over his shoulder, he turned around and suppressed a yelp. A young pony, possibly no more than five, was standing in the opening into the bathroom, her little mouth agape and eyes wide as she stared at him. She had a white coat, but her colorful hair made up for her blank coat. The curly hair was puffy with lavender and rose-pink highlights, her big eyes contrasting her small, button nose. Almost completely hidden in the mass of hair was a splash of gold that ringed a white horn, which he presumed by her sudden appearance inside the castle was a crown.
Before he could say anything to reassure the child, she released a loud yell, in which he could vaguely make out, “Found it!”
In an instant, Twilight popped into existence within the entrance of the bathroom, looking frantic and disheveled. She had teleported into the room facing the filly, requiring her to whip around wildly to face him. The action sent her crown flying at his head, but instead ducking, he reached out and caught it with both hands, wincing slightly at the force of the hard gold whacking against his palms. Shaking out one hand as he handed the crown back to the alicorn, he said, “Guess you missed me?”
“There’s no time for jokes,” Twilight exclaimed wildly. “How could you just disappear like that? And why are you even in one of the guest rooms?”
“I had to shave,” Ray explained calmly, pointing to his smooth face. “See?”
Squinting slightly, Twilight silently shook her head, muttering, “Nopony would notice the tiny bit of hair that grows on your face! You have so little of it anyways, what does it matter if you grow some more that isn’t on your head?”
“Oh, I have hair in other places,” he replied smartly, walking towards her, only remembering the child in the room after the risqué comment escaped his mouth.
“Whatever,” Twilight dismissed, waving him over even though he was already moving, completely ignoring the comment. Wrapping a hoof around the much smaller pony, she pulled her closer, saying, “This is my niece, Flurry Heart.”
“Hey kid,” he said to the little pony, crouching over so they were roughly face to face. It was only then that he noticed something rather large underneath her long, puffy curls. “You’re an alicorn too?”
“Yep,” Flurry replied fearlessly. The young alicorn wasn’t anything like the other foals Ray had met in Ponyville. Those ones had been afraid of him, even after he’d been around for several weeks, hiding behind their mothers or running away with wide eyes. This one, however, didn’t seem to regard him any differently than as another pony, which he found himself respecting. The little mare pointed at Twilight and explained solemnly, “She really wants you ta meet me.”
“Oh really,” Ray asked, feigning surprise. Sticking out a hand to give the little mare a cross-species handshake, he proclaimed, “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you! My name’s Ray.”
“I know a filly named Sun Ray at school,” the filly squealed excitedly. “Maybe you're her crazy uncle she tells us about!”
Both Twilight and him laughed at that, the inside knowledge giving the innocent filly’s comment a much sadder -albeit comedic- undertone than she could have never known. Giving her niece a slight squeeze, Twilight explained, “Well, Ray here couldn’t be your friend’s uncle. They’re two different species entirely! They could be friends one day, though.”
“Like him and me,” she asked, her big eyes intently on Twilight.
“Yes, like you and him,” the Princess confirmed, and while the filly couldn’t pick up the slight distress in her aunt’s voice, Ray did.
Attempting to ease the conversation away from him, he jokingly reiterated, “‘No time for jokes’, huh? What was that rush then?”
“Bah, I guess it doesn’t really matter now anyways,” Twilight admitted exasperatedly. “I was trying to find you because my brother and his family arrived, and as you know, they are the rulers of the Crystal Empire. I was hoping to give them a formal introduction to you, but I guess surprise visits are more your style. My sweet little niece heard that I was looking for you and decided to do my job for me.”
“He must be pretty hard to lose,” Flurry interrupted. “He’s bigger than you are! Noisier too.”
Twilight couldn’t keep the smirk off her face at the filly’s comment, though she quickly recovered, telling them, “We should go find your Mommy and Daddy. They need to meet our friend as well.”
“Okay,” the filly agreed, turning around and darting from the room, yelling for her parents. Neither Ray nor Twilight moved from their place however, watching the filly go running for her parents.
As soon as she was out of direct earshot, they both turned to each other, knowing the other had something to say. “You first,” Twilight offered.
“Alright,” Ray agreed with a nod. “First off, I knew that the Crystal Empire was here and that they were your family, but why is your niece here? Second, I know I vanished -I was just shaving myself to look cleaner. I haven’t really looked at myself in the mirror much, so I wanted to make sure I looked like what I should.”
“Bah, you have hair on your head already, why is shaving going to make you look better,” Twilight asked, before catching herself. “Nevermind it. If it makes you more comfortable, then that’s all that matters. What’s more important is that the dragons have arrived in Canterlot. They’re probably only a few minutes away, so whatever you have to do to be prepared, do it very quickly. I want you by me when they enter, regardless of your facial hair status.”
“Alright alright,” Ray exasperated, using his hands to smooth out his suit, brushing away any dust that may be there. “I’m done anyways. Let’s go.”
“Of course, but first I need to introduce you to my brother and sister-in-law,” she instructed. With the statement, the two finally went to leave the room, Twilight pulling the door open magically so Ray had no troubles exiting. With a small nod of thanks, he left first, followed closely by the alicorn, who made sure to shut the door behind her. The two silently retraced Ray’s steps back to the hallway and out to the foyer.
There was a pair of new ponies standing in there, with Flurry Heart standing in between them, beaming brightly. As soon as he entered the room, the little filly squealed, “See, my big weird uncle!”
“Oh ho ho, that makes sense now,” the stallion, a white unicorn with a stark blue mane stated in relief. He rolled his eyes as he explained to Twilight, “She came running to us about her new big weird uncle that was in Auntie Twilight’s room, and Cadence and I had a moment of panic. We thought we had missed something pretty major, and, well, Cadence had to keep me here with her magic!”
Twilight laughed nervously while she went to hug her brother, tensely replying, “Well, that wasn’t my room anyways, and Ray isn’t like that with me. Hay, we’re hardly even friends. You know I don’t want to get a coltfriend or anything…”
“Anyway,” Ray exclaimed, attempting to completely disperse the heavy awkwardness. He stepped forward and gave the pair of rulers a small bow, though his head was still a few inches above theirs regardless. “My name’s Raymond, but please, just call me Ray. It’s a pleasure to meet some of Twilight’s family.”
Coming out of the bow, he watched the blue maned stallion stick out a hoof, and taking the appendage in his grasp, the two shook each other’s limbs hardily. “My name’s Shining Armor, Twilight’s older brother. I’m glad to finally meet the brave human who is willing to help us in something we ponies can’t do…”
“Well, it did take some convincing, but hey, I got a spirit for adventure,” Ray joked, turning to Twilight momentarily. “She just knows how to twist my arm the right way.”
“Well, whatever reason you’re doing it, we’re glad of it and honored to meet you,” the mare, Cadence, said, speaking for the first time. “My name is Princess Cadence of the Crystal Empire, but please, call me Cadence. You’ve met our daughter Flurry already, so I guess we can skip introductions on her part. It truly is a pleasure.”
Ray smiled, suddenly feeling bashful by the amount of attention that was being drawn to him by such important strangers, but luckily the moment was interrupted by the ever-enthusiastic Flurry Heart, who proudly claimed, “I knew him before you, Mommy!”
A sudden blare of trumpets and racket of drums from out of nowhere caused everybody to jump in surprise, Ray whipping around, his duffel bag nearly taking off Twilight’s head. The doors became enveloped in a bright blue magical aura, slowly beginning to open and let the noonday sunlight enter the foyer. Everybody hurriedly turned to the doors and formed a line, attempting to give the illusion of uniformity and formality.
The door opened the entire way, revealing two shimmering, reptilian creatures. One was a resplendent blue, standing only about half as tall as Ray, though that was a good few inches taller than the average pony. He could almost immediately tell the dragon was a female because of the may it held itself and its vaguely familiar facial features. The dragon was holding a strange staff in her sharp, silver claws, the blood red ruby on the tip of it giving her a dangerous air of authority and danger. Her sharp, triangular eyes were a strange cross between snake eyes and mammalian eyes. However strange the shape, though, they still projected the fierce stubbornness and judgment he had read about dragons having.
She immediately turned her horned head to him, noticing the much taller human in an instant, and even her furious resolve broke for a moment, though rather than the shock or surprise he was accustomed too, the dragon smirked. Her eyes scanned him up and approvingly, before turning away from Ray, stepping aside and allowing her compatriots to enter. The dragon was much larger than her, a few inches taller than Ray even, black scales only interrupted by a dark red underbelly and spinal blades. His eyes, in spite of his imposing structure, were less intense than the female dragon’s. He also gave Ray a glance, surprise betraying his otherwise stoic upholding, as he also looked Ray up and down. Judging by the dragon’s sheer size, he probably wasn’t used to running into large creatures like Ray, which gave him a sense of pride.
Both dragons turned their attention away from Ray, giving Twilight a courteous bow as the female stated, “It is, as always, a pleasure to be welcomed to your palace, Princess Twilight. My companion and I are grateful for the luxurious and wonderful welcome we’ve received.”
“The pleasure is mine, to be able to host you and your second, Dragonlord Ember,” Twilight formally declared, bowing to the Dragonlord in return. As soon as she had exited the bow, the two rulers stepped closer and gave each other a quick embrace as well. It was Ray’s turn to be slightly surprised, completely oblivious of the pair’s friendship. He had guessed the stiff formalities were a realistic depiction of the interactions between the two governments of the differing nations based on the history of the two species in question, and he had assumed incorrectly.
“This is my second for the evening, my mate, Czardar,” the Dragonlord introduced, putting a hand on the much larger dragon’s back and pushing him forward slightly. Noticing the sudden shock and worry on Twilight’s face at the introduction, she quickly added, “This was a recent development. You didn’t miss any important news or events concerning it.”
“Oh, thank Celetia,” the alicorn breathed with relief. “I would hate to miss out on anything so important to you, both as a ruler and friend.”
“Do not worry,” the black dragon boomed, his deep voice intimidating, though it held a sense of humor to it. “If there had been a formal marriage, you would have heard the dragons roaring from the Crystal Empire!”
The rulers all shared a laugh, leaving Flurry Heart and Ray as the only ones who were confusedly not chuckling at the joke. It only took a few seconds for the laughter to die down, the formalities resettling as the rulers calmed down. Twilight gestured behind her, silently presenting the door to the ballroom to the dragon pair, another magical grasp that wasn’t her own enveloping the doors. They pulled the doors open much quicker than they had for the dragons, the splendor of the spectacle of what lay behind the door not requiring the same respect.
“Welcome to the Royal Castle of Canterlot,” Twilight presented, sweeping her hoof over the sights inside the room with grandeur. “May you find it to your liking and permit you to stay longer.”
“Very lovely indeed,” Ember agreed, stepping into the room right beside Twilight, the two major rulers walking side-by-side. Ray watched them enter, along with the Royal family from the Crystal Empire, leaving only him and the large black dragon in the foyer. The doors shut quicker than they had opened, the formalities dropping from the two as instant tension replaced the calmer relations of the rulers. Ray gave the black dragon a sidelong glance, attempting to gauge the dragon, who was doing exactly the same.
Knowing they had caught each other, they turned to face one another, each stone faced. Ray couldn’t quite guess exactly what Czardar was planning or doing, but he could tell it was preplanned, possibly by both rulers. The dragon began to step closer, bidding Ray to curl his fists, noting that the dragon did the same. He cocked his head slightly to the side, giving the dragon a slightly cautionary stare. The dragon was much more relaxed than Ray, taking another slow, casual step closer to the human. There was emotion on the Czardar’s face, however, Ray could tell he was both curious and distrusting of him, a sentiment that was shared.
Suddenly, the drake began to raise his clawed hand at an even pace, not abrupt, but not slow either. Czardar raised the hand in front of Ray’s face, spreading the fingers wide. The hand could have easily covered his entire face, the dangerous digits on it able to wrap around his head at least halfway. Ray remained stoic and attempted to ease himself out of his tense upholding, releasing his fists and lifting his chin as he breathed in deeply.
With an abrupt lurch, the dragon moved his hand forward and grasped his head, his other clawed hand moving up to reach Ray’s throat. Even though he was unable to see past the cold, black hand of the dragon, he was able to predict the movement and catch the hand by its wrist. This must have been unexpected, as Ray was easily able to handle it and push it into the black dragon’s other arm. The heft behind the push wasn’t enough to budge Czardar’s firm arm, and in an instant, the drake had shoved him all the way back against the marble wall. Though Ray still grasped the dragon’s arm, Czardar had his head, and they both knew he had won this surprise attack.
Grunting, he released Ray, dropping him to the ground and stepping back. The dragon grunted, crossing his arms with a clearly distasteful frown to him. “Disappointing. Would you have been so lackluster against a true enemy?”
“Would I have to fend myself from the betrayal of allies,” Ray spat back, his voice dripping with venom.
“You and Twilight have barred the dragons from fighting beside you in this war,” Czardar replied, his voice hard. “We are the most capable for defending this continent, not some flesh heap on two twigs.”
“You wonder why we keep you from the front lines when all you do is prove that you’re just hotheaded, lawless creatures, insulting everyone else,” Ray convicted, pointing a finger at the dragon. “You may be physically superior -and I do mean may be- but certainly if you dragons were the perfect candidates, you wouldn’t have left me with this?”
Whipping out the hand that hadn’t been wrangling with the dragon’s wrist, he swept his knife across the dragon’s chest, cutting deep enough to pierce the scales and draw blood, but not enough for the wound to cause true damage. The dragon took a step back too late, looking down in surprise at the scratch he had received. Watching as a thin line of ruby blood appeared, Czardar patted a hand against the wound appreciatively, holding up his claws to his face.
“I’m guessing you lizards don’t have feeling in your scales,” Ray remarked, taking a cloth from his open bag and cleaning the small spatter of blood from his blade. “I was holding that knife against you for a good five seconds before you let me go. If you had started squeezing, your Dragonlord would have had to go home without a companion.”
“You talk adequately for your size,” the black dragon complimented with a slight smile, dismissing the minor wound on his chest. The dragon reached out a claw, this time inviting him to give it a firm shake. Although he still didn’t have the utmost opinion of the dragon, considering their nature and how little Ray actually knew behind the scenes, he took it anyway, shaking it firmly. “You know me as Czardar formally, but please, human, call me Redar. It is my casual name.”
“You can call me Ray, then,” the human responded, uncertain of exactly what point the drake was attempting to make by giving him his casual name. “This isn’t the first time I’ve drawn blood from someone who was meant to be my ally, and with the course this war is taking without fighting even having begun, I doubt it will be the last.”
“I apologize if I did end up wounding you, my claws tend to harm you flesh creatures unintentionally,” the dragon politely apologized. He held his digits up to the light, studying them and their slightly bloodstained claws intently. “Consider this as a precursor to the event that is going to occur tonight. You see, Ember instructed me to challenge you in a sort of duel, the kind we dragons consider a pass-time, in front of all the other rulers and magistrates. Twilight has no idea of this, but I believe you should, since I doubt you’ve had to physically deal with a dragon my size in combat. Everyone here, regardless of their stance of if there should even be war, has or will have some questions of your physical prowess, and seeing as we dragons are the most similar in structure to you, it would be the best representation of your combative aptitude.”
“Well, thanks for the warning,” Ray said unsurely. Having cleaned his knife thoroughly, he wrapped it in the cloth and set it back into the bag, realizing he was probably going to have to carry it around regardless. With that thought, he left the cloth on the bag and slipped the knife into its scabbard before proceeding to attach it around his waist. Czardar watched him pull his black silk jacket back around him, hiding the blade behind the fabric.
“Come on now, the others will surely be awaiting us,” Czardar -no, Redar- instructed, gesturing broadly to the closed doors.
“What about that,” Ray asked, pointing to the drying blood on the drake’s chest. The dragon looked down, apparently having forgotten he was even wounded, before shrugging the words off.
“Ember will know,” he answered carelessly. “The rest can wonder.”
With that affirmation, the two each pushed a door open and entered the ballroom, taking a moment to look around for their respective parties. The dragon and ponies were all congested near the window, save Flurry, who was wandering around underneath each flag, staring at them in amazement. Ray and Redar both walked over to the others, who were talking softly while staring out the window. Shining Armor noticed them approaching, pointing it out to the others, who also turned to look at them. Their semicircle spread, allowing Redar to stand beside his Dragonlord and Ray to stand between Shining and Twilight. Redar crossed his black arms underneath the ruby bloodstain on his chest, not attempting to hide it, but not mentioning it either. In spite of this, Ember raised an eyebrow at the drake, giving the wound a pointed look before glancing at Ray, their eyes meeting for a brief moment.
“So, what took you two so long to join us,” Ember asked keenly, a slight curve upward at the very edge of his lips as her claws began to trace Redar’s elbow.
“A friendly bit of business, getting to know each other as important figures of one another’s nations,” Ray answered with an even smile. The fact that it was the human who had answered first seemed to have surprised the Dragonlord, as her head had preemptively turned to her mate for a response.
“So, the human does speak,” she exclaimed pleasantly.
“Quite eloquently as well,” Redar added on Ray’s behalf, a slight nod acknowledging Ray respectfully. Ray returned the gesture, crossing his arms as well as he stepped forward slightly, angling himself to be in a better position to communicate with Ember.
“Now the only question is, who does he speak for,” the Dragonlord inquisitively stated. The challenge caused the entire ensemble to give their full attention to Ray.
“I speak for myself,” Ray replied evenly, feigning ignorance as he rocked slightly on his feet. Then with a little tilt of his head, he added thoughtfully, “Well, I speak for myself and the Fallen.”
“The Fallen,” Cadence questioned from behind.
Ray turned to face her, allowing a bit of his earnest confusion to show. “I guess you guys wouldn’t know about them yet though,” Ray presumed. “Don’t worry, we’ll catch you up when everyone else has arrived. This may or may not come as a surprise, but I’m not the only one who’ll be fighting the minotaurs.”
“Fighting the minotaurs,” a little voice asked, Flurry Heart popping up around her mother, her big eyes staring at him. The human had forgotten the young alicorn, who, in all likelihood, had no clue of the true nature of her parents’ visit with Twilight and him. Gritting his teeth, knowing he made a critical mistake in mentioning his purpose so casually, he struggled to find an excuse for what he had said.
It was Twilight who came to the rescue, sounding surprisingly calm considering the major mistake Ray had made, explaining, “Oh, your crazy uncle just doesn’t get along very well with some of his neighbors. You know, there’s a special room a few rooms away from here, and there may be one of your friends over there…”
“SUNBURST,” the little filly screeched, causing everyone else in the room to cringe. In an instant, everything said before was forgotten to the filly as she took flight, soaring past the group and out the doors, shoving them open magically. The echoes of her repeating screeches of the stallion’s name rang for a few more seconds before the doors slammed close.
There was a collective sigh of relief from virtually everybody in the ballroom, the terrible truth of the fate regarding Ray and his Fallen avoided from the filly. Smiling sheepishly, Ray managed to muster the courage to joke, “Crisis averted.”
“Yeah, no thanks to you,” Twilight replied sharply.
“Well, one day or another, she’ll know,” Redar stated simply, turning to the large window and walking towards it. The dragon stared out the window for a moment, watching the sun that was now beginning to dim, with Ember quickly joining him. “You know, I believe that once the dragons learn of it, there will be a mighty uproar that they won’t be allowed on the battlefield…”
“They can battle all they want, but not on my battlefield,” Ray clarified firmly. “I don’t know much about dragons, but Twilight does, so I’ll put my full trust into the integrity of my friend.”
The dragon pursed his lips, turning ever so slightly to glance at Ray, but nodded thoughtfully. “Well, it is truly the ponies’ war then…”
“No, it is the war of all nations of Equestria,” Twilight interjected darkly, stepping up in between the two bipeds. “However, it is Ray’s war, fought with soldiers he controls, on battlefields he commands, and with weapons he kills with. We are simply responsible for the supporting and funding of him and his army. The war as a whole is ours, but the fighting will be his responsibility entirely, and everything we do must be in accordance with whatever he deems correct.”
“And in that charge, we will support him,” Ember confirmed, resting a hand on her mate’s elbow. “The dragons may not be known much for their honor, but they will understand the concepts of this war, beyond the potential for fighting. I will give you my assurance that not one of my dragons will disrupt you in your endeavor, for better or for worse.”
“The Crystal Empire will bear witness to this pledge then,” Cadence surmised, stepping in to complete the small circle of monarchs that had formed. “This promise will be full and upheld, and at this moment, the Crystal Empire will also promise the nation of Equestria and the army of Raymond that there will only be support from our nation. Not a hoof will be raised to harm the cause of either nation; this pledge upheld by the witness of the Dragonlord and her lands.”
“Papers will need to be drafted for this occasion,” Twilight muttered, shaking her head slightly. “I only wish we had awaited the arrival of the other nations before we had begun such politically charged promises, that all nations had knowledge of what was occurring. My main goal tonight is to establish the support and trust of every nation in each other in this strife-ridden time. I want nothing to be behind closed doors when it comes to the matters of the minotaurs and the war that will soon be waged against them. But nevermind it for now, we must wait to discuss this over documents and a proper discussion table.”
All sides nodded in agreement at the sentiment, but before another word could be said, a servant rushed through the doors, announcing, “Gilda Griffon and her entourage have arrived to represent the Griffon Kingdom!”
In an instant, everyone was once again scrambling into a coherent formation to welcome the group formally. The ballroom doors remained open to allow the newest guests in, which they did. Ray had to restrain himself from snickering as he watched one stoically enter the room while another, much younger one entered with its beak agape, eyes wide as it stared at the room it had entered. Ray had only seen griffons in the book he’d read on behavior, so meeting one in person was rather intriguing. He had expected them to be taller, but he found that the older -which he assumed was Gilda- was probably shorter than Twilight was. The features of the griffon were as he had seen in the book, an eagle’s head and beak, with her two front limbs the talons of the mighty bird, and the back end the feline build of a lion. Golden fur and white feathers alike gleamed ever so slightly in the abundant light of the ballroom, the griffon’s tail swishing ever so slightly with each step.
Surprisingly, the younger griffon looked a good deal different from her superior, black feathers and a rounder head much like an owl’s instead of an eagle. Her back half was also different, still feline, or at least he guessed, but darker gray instead of the golden of a lion. Regardless, the two of them were griffons as he had expected, though the younger one seemed almost too young for such an occasion as delegating a war. In spite of himself, he found that the benign ignorance and naivety of the younger griffon caused a twinge of pain in his heart. Seeing one of the reasons he was willing to follow through on Twilight’s plan awoke the slumbering pain and longing within him, and he had to look away before he allowed his defenses to relax.
“Well well well, Twilight Sparkle,” Gilda called to the mare, displaying that the cockiness of griffons wasn’t a misconception. “It's good to be back in the land of ponies and parties. I brought Gabby with me this time since Grandpa Griff couldn’t make the trip. He isn’t feeling too good with the winter weather kicking in up in the mountains. Besides, Gabby’s young and spry, ripe for a good long trip and some education on political etiquette.”
“Well, that certainly explains a few things,” Twilight agreed unsurely, looking at the younger griffon, who beamed brightly back at her. This one wasn’t nearly as young as Flurry Heart, Ray realized, probably near or even in her teens, but definitely not anywhere near an adult like the other rulers and magistrates. Ray feigned rubbing his mouth thoughtfully to wipe away a growing frown. “Um, Gilda, you do know what this meeting is supposed to be about, though. Right?”
“Um, no, the finer details were never explained to me,” she responded, tapping a claw on her beak. “Come to think of it, that letter you sent must have been the shortest letter you’ve sent me, especially concerning any sort of party. This is what I think it is, though, right? When all of the rulers of Equestria come together to have a small ball just for themselves and to talk casually.”
“Well, yes, it’s still that, but there’s a few things that are necessary to talk about as well,” Twilight explained tentatively. Everyone else who knew the course of how the night was supposed to go and the delicate subject of discussion watched the two tensely, knowing full well the brick wall the griffons were about to blindly ram into.
“You say it like the fate of Equestria is in danger here,” Gilda joked, although the griffon did glance at Ray warily. Seeing the apathetic curve of Ray’s mouth, her casual demeanor diminished greatly, her smile dropping subtly. “Whatever. Nothing we can’t and haven’t before. Let’s enjoy the ball first, though.”
“Agreed, the politics can be reserved for the later hours of the evening,” Shining Armor spoke, stepping forward welcomingly to the female griffon. The two shook each other’s limb lightly, followed by a similar gesture from Ember, the tensions of everybody else easing.
“Hmm,” a chipper young voice said from almost directly beneath Ray. He had casually noticed the approach of the younger griffon -Gabby- though he hadn’t figured she would start talking to him. He looked down at her as she peered up at him curiously, her bushy brow furrowed in thought. “Y’know, I don’t think you’re from Equestria. I’ve flown all over the world, even in the Everfree, and I have never seen a thing like you before!”
“Well, I’m not from Equestria,” he assured her, stepping sideways a bit to put space between himself, the griffon, and the other monarchs. “I’m a human, and we’re kinda the rarest type of thing you’ll ever see. In fact, I’m the only one in the world!”
“Wow, that’s pretty cool,” Gabby replied, entranced. “I woulda liked to be the only griffon in the world, but then I wouldn’t have any other griffon friends, which would be kinda sad.” The young catbird realized the potentially rude thing she had said, a flash of panic overtaking her cheerful demeanor as she apologized profusely. “I’m sorry, that was rude of me to say. I get my beak running and then it outruns my little birdbrain. I didn’t mean to come off like that, I swear! “
“No, it’s fine, I get it.” he patiently nodded, waving the words away. His guarded attitude around the others had paid off, as the words meant nothing to him, and he felt nothing about it. Still, to reassure the small griff that no harm had truly been done, he told her, “Besides, I have many friends among the ponies, so I don’t feel lonely at all. Equestria is a kind place, and I find that many of the creatures that live here are welcoming and truthful.”
Gabby gasped, sitting on her hind legs so her talons could cup her head as her eyes once again widened cartoonishly. “That’s exactly what I’ve been saying for years now! Wow, you really are a great guy! …Um, you are a guy, right?”
Chuckling lightly, Ray informed her, “Yes, I am a guy. My name’s Ray, by the way. Gabby, isn’t it?”
“Uhuh,” the gleeful griffon answered with a hearty nod. She stuck her talon out, which he had to bend over to shake, as she proudly exclaimed, “Gabby Griffon, at your service here!”
“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” he returned respectfully, careful not to drop his shield of formality, even in front of one as inexperienced in the art of politics.
“So, what nation do you represent,” Gabby asked obliviously, remaining seated in a rare display of calm control.
“Well, I’m a representative for the ponies this year,” he lied easily, though he knew that technically, there was a vast amount of truth to it. “Since I’m somewhat of an anomaly, in that I’m a friendly strange, giant creature that the Elements of Harmony don’t have to deal with, I’ve been invited to live with the ponies nearby in Ponyville. I was asked to represent the ponies this year so I could be introduced to the new world I live in and its many unique and intelligent species.”
“That’s pretty neat,” the griffon stated, her full focus dedicated to the half-truths spilling from Ray. “I’ve met every species in the world at the School of Friendship, which is actually in Ponyville! Although I wonder why I don’t see you around town at all…”
“Ah, yes. You see, I usually am in Canterlot, at the castle, or in Tartarus, dealing with some of the inmates there,” he explained. This lie caught the griffon totally by surprise, her eyes widening and beak dropping open in shock.
“You work in Tartarus,” Gabby asked hushly, leaning in towards Ray.
“Oh yeah,” Ray enthusiastically restated, crouching closer to the griffon. “Since I’m bigger and stronger than most creatures here, and since I’m smarter and more strategic than Cerberus, I was appointed to guard some of the more dangerous inmates, although they aren’t that bad, really.”
“Really,” she inquired, tilting her head slightly in confusion.
“No, a lot of them are just lonely and need somebody to talk to, which is another reason why I’m great with them,” Ray continued to fib. “You see, since I’m such a strange creature that none of them have ever seen before, I have a whole bunch of unique and outlandish stories to tell them, and since I’m new to this world, they can tell me a whole lot that I don’t know. Most of the time we just talk, although occasionally we have arguments about ethics. Some of them still hang onto some hope of coming back and conquering the world, but most of them aren’t bad. Some even want to change and become better!”
“So why don’t we let them out,” the griffon once again asked.
“Well, just because a person wants to and does act better, it doesn’t mean they’re excused from their past,” the human explained sadly. “The past is set in stone, and everything a person’s ever done stays there, along with the consequences of those actions.”
“Well that’s sad,” Gabby muttered, looking down at the floor. In an instant, though, her sadness was gone, replaced by her usual cheeriness. “It’s pretty cool that you get to meet all of those guys, though! Someday, I want to be a mail griffon and pass mail all across the world, not just between the griffons and ponies! That’s part of the reason I wanted to be here as well, so I could get to know more of the ‘inner mechanisms’ of Equestria.”
“Well, we’re glad to have you here,” another cheerful voice graced, causing both parties to turn to the newcomer. Cadence gave the two a welcoming smile as she joined them in their conversation. “It’s wonderful that such a young griffon such as yourself has huge and amazing ambitions.”
“Oh, why thank you, Princess,” Gabby said, bowing to the monarch. “I only want to travel the world though, which doesn’t really help ponykind in any way I can really think of.”
“That’s crazy,” Ray replied. “I mean, to some point, I’m a traveler, and there was and will be a huge amount of change to the world that I might cause. I mean, already I’m one of the strangest biological creatures in the world, and there is a whole bunch that ponies and I have to discover about each other and me in their environment. Not only that, but I also present a whole slew of opportunities for the workforce in producing and consuming parts of the economy. Real complicated stuff, but that’s beside the point. In this world, there is endless opportunity to make friends and have a successful, enjoyable life.”
Both the griffon and Cadence smiled at the statement, causing Ray to think to himself, And that’s why I’m going to protect it.
“That was very well put, Ray,” Cadence complimented. Then, with the same soft smile, she told him, “Twilight sent me over here to ask if you could join her privately for a minute. She says it’s not an urgent matter, but she would like to get it off her chest before more representatives arrive.”
“Okay, thank you for telling me,” he replied, standing up to head towards Twilight, wherever she had ended up. “I’ll have to finish this conversation with you later, Gabby. It was nice to meet you and have a short conversation with a fellow inspirationist. Until later.”
“Alright, see you later then,” the young griffon dismissed with a polite, but cheerful bob of the head. Cadence moved closer to Gabby, replacing Ray as he stepped around the alicorn, walking towards the long, covered table. He assured that she was still somewhere in the room, but when he looked around, he couldn’t catch sight of the mare. Shining Armor was talking with Redar and Ember discreetly in the corner, while Gilda shared some friendly conversation with a member of maid staff that had entered at some point.
As soon as Ray noticed, however, the mare instantly jumped, almost as if she had been startled by something. She recovered from whatever shock she had received, waving a hoof wildly at the human, beckoning him closer. He did, and as soon as he was close enough for the mare to whisper, she informed him, “Princess Twilight is awaiting you not too far from the doors into the castle. She said to meet her where you were found.”
“Thank you, I’ll be right on my way,” he replied curtly, turning to the direction he knew Twilight would be. As he did, however, he noted the way Gilda had eyed him up and down, recognizing that, thus far, she was the only leader he hadn’t spoken to directly. Still, he gave her a courteous nod, acknowledging her and whatever sway she might hold with the griffons. The move seemed to sate her curiosity as she turned back, Ray continuing to walk towards the double doors he had frequently crossed through already.
Retreating from the room with even, intentionally slow steps, he attempted to see if there were any new surprises awaiting him in the grand foyer of the castle. There wasn’t, the large room strikingly silent for all of its beauty, only the soft tapping of his hard, black shoes striking the stone echoing in the chamber. He frowned and turned right, towards the area where he had shaved his face. It had to have been at least an hour since then, but already it felt like yesterday’s news, and he knew that by the end of the night, there would be a lot more solved questions, and even more unanswered ones. Still, he planned to milk every minute with the other leaders of the world for knowledge and respect, both for and from him. It was still strange to think that, to some degree, he was a major leader, but alas, he knew that it was a truth and so would act like one to the best of his ability. He was armed with his own blunt human nature and the lessons Skalos had given him, both directly and discreetly, and he would fight his first battle at the dinner table with them.
His thoughts were set aside as he entered the guest room, where, as he had guessed, Twilight was waiting impatiently, pacing across the floor with her head down. Her head snapped up to him as soon as he entered the room, stopping her pacing in an instant. Instead of her usual snapping, however, she let out a sigh of relief, sitting down as she said, “Well, there’s one less straw on my back. How have you enjoyed the evening so far with the others?”
Raising an eyebrow, he asked, “You called me aside urgently to ask how I was doing?”
“Well, yes, and no,” Twilight admitted, shrugging her shoulders slightly. “I’m sort of delaying you for a bit, giving the others a chance to say what they think of you without risk of you overhearing them, as well as let you say your thoughts on them as well. Also, the changeling brothers, Thorax and Pharynx, will both be here shortly, so I wanted us to be in private when you met them.”
“Oh,” Ray muttered, rubbing a hand over his chin. “Didn’t you say that the changelings would be our biggest adversaries, since they’re heavily pacifist?”
“Yes, I did say that, although the fact that Thorax brought his brother Pharynx suggests that he isn’t blind to the possibility,” Twilight consented. “You see, Pharynx was the last changeling to give up their love-eating, violent ways. He’s still very militaristic, in charge of the defense of the hive against any threats that may pop up. The two have very different thoughts of ruling their nation sometimes, so bringing him when talk of war on the table shows that, at the very least, he considers it an option, though one he’ll certainly vie against. Bah, that’s talk for later on. How are you liking the others?”
“Well, they certainly aren’t annoying to be around, and they all clearly have some sense of respect, even Gabby,” Ray thoughtfully remarked. “Not a single one seemed intimidated or frightened by me, and nobody made any real comments on my strange size and hairlessness. Whether they were simply being polite or not, even Fluttershy has described me as strange at some point. Also, the dragons aren’t nearly as bad as that book you gave me mentions they are. Maybe that was also just formality coming before their opinion, but Ember seemed genuinely relaxed around us, like it was a picnic.”
“Well, I’m glad you aren’t having a terrible time,” the alicorn replied gratefully. “I know the others well enough to tell that they don’t dislike you, but I’m not sure if they like you too much either. You see, we Equestrians have suffered a lot at the hooves, claws, and hands of strange, alien creatures before, so the others won’t trust you, or at least not yet. Hopefully that all changes by the end of the night.”
“Yes, hopefully,” Ray agreed, his thoughts beginning to drift.
“The only thing that’s actually gone wrong so far is Gilda bringing Gabby,” Twilight muttered, trying to sound hopeful. “I mean, I guess one way or another, she will end up knowing, so we just have to gauge her reaction and hope for the best. At the very least, we’ll be able to tell how our younger citizens will react to the news.”
Ray hummed softly, trying to collect his thoughts for a second. Before anything else could be said, however, a loud blare of trumpets announced the arrival of yet another group of courtiers, presumably the changelings. The two of them stood in silence for a moment, listening to the doors begin to wing open. Then, with an almost zany smile, Ray quickly reached down and withdrew his knife, tipping it to Twilight and then himself.
“Here’s to a night of silent conversations and empty lies.”
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For the princesses of friendship she seems to having trouble with the trust aspect of the job. Any relationship requires trust but she seems afraid to trust that when the time comes everyone will do their part without convincing. These folks are allies and friends who she helped at one point or another surely they would would do the same for her.
11157372
It's a bit of both. They need to be convinced that this is the correct path, but also informed on the true facts. Besides, it isn't that she doesn't trust them, but that they don't trust Ray, as depicted in the last conversation between Ray and Twilight. She's giving them the option of supporting the cause or not, even though the ponies will regardless of what the other nations may think.
11157479
Considering friends should be able to trust that their friends friends won't purposely hurt them and if twilight is their friend then they don't have like just trust that he wouldn't willing hurt twilight and will try to save the day. Personally I be more concerned about how and why we end up in a war in the future and if bringing the human here has more consequences than is plain to see.
11158468
Earnest problems to be concerned of. Dragons, while better than they used to be, are still prideful and mistrustful. Griffons are much the same, though less intimidating. Hippogriffs will need to know the integrity of this new human, considering they know first-hand the affects of forceful invasion. The changelings trust Twilight and her judgement, but she had put responsibility of the actual fighting and running of the army firmly in Ray's hands to prevent any sort of problems that may arise. The changelings are simply wary of Ray, unsure of how a human acts and reacts, especially considering their own villainous past. Yaks don't have much care for it naturally, but the prospect of meeting and testing how strong this new thing is is perfectly in their nature. The bison will also be pacifists, but much more understanding of how contention might resolve to a better future. This will all be addressed next chapter as you might had presumed. Just to clarify, though, it isn't fear of being harmed by friends' friends, but concern of their part or piece in it, and how to best prevent any accidental issues between all realms while running their kingdoms and supporting a distant war. Thanks for the comment, though! Thought provoking stuff going on in this comment section.
Esto se puso bueno 😎
11161493
Indeed
11160172
Considering that nobody seems to have a clue how the war started they really expect a plan in place beforehand. Nobody can plan for war until it happens. You deal and hope for the best.