Prologue

Strange Visitors

The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

March 21, 1806

All was peaceful and normal in the nation of Equestria, as the sun rose over Canterlot. The light slowly brightened as the moon yielded its position in the sky to the sun, and the white marble of Canterlot gleamed as the sun asserted its position in the sky, gently chasing the moon back to rest. All and all, it was a rather remarkable sight. Standing beside the Royal Princess Celestia was her younger sister, returned after her terrible thousand-year banishment. Remembering that terrible time of war and hate, Celestia shivered. It is good that I no longer have to worry about that, she thought to herself, relaxing and focusing on enjoying the present moment, the heat that accompanied the heavenly body. Luna mirrored her actions, and the two Alicorns stood in silence and simply enjoyed the moment.

After what Celestia guessed was about ten minutes, Luna broke the silence. “I wonder how Twilight and her friends are faring,” she muttered, almost to herself.

If anypony else had said that, Celestia would have responded with a comment about how strong Twilight was, and how she could watch out for herself. However, this was Luna, her little sister. Celestia did not have to be strong around her.

“Honestly? Sometimes I worry about that too,” admitted Celestia. “Everytime I send her on a mission, I worry that, maybe this time, I gave her too much. Then again, this mission is nothing like Tirek. And the King guaranteed me that she would be protected and kept out of harm’s way.”

“Indeed,” replied Luna. “But there are so many things between here and Griffonia. So much could happen to them in that distance.”

Deciding that the time to share her emotions had past, the Princess of the Sun stood up a little straighter and said, “Now, we need to stop worrying and trust Twilight. She knows what she is doing.”

As if on cue, the door to the internal chambers flew open and a guard charged out. “Princesses!” he said, in between pants. “News...from the...Kingdom...of Griffonia.”

Celestia jumped, ever so slightly. Re-composing herself, she asked, “Well, what news is this?”

“Princess, Twilight...has...returned. She wants...to speak with you...right away. She says its urgent.”

(Two days earlier [March 19, 1806]…)

The door to the Griffon King’s chambers boomed shut behind Twilight, who sighed. Negotiations were never easy, and the Griffon King - King Odrynn - was the most stubborn creature Twilight had ever come across. With the possible exception of Applejack, of course.

“So, how did it go?” asked one of the ponies in front of her. Unsurprisingly, the young Princess’s five dear friends had waited for her right outside the door.

“Not too bad, but not very good, either,” answered Twilight. “King Odrynn has an annoying habit of knowing what he wants and pursuing it to the end of the world, though.”

Nopony commented on that as the group slowly left the King’s palace and walked into the courtyard. Despite a somewhat more primitive style than Equestria, the Griffonian buildings managed to communicate a rough splendor. Instead of white marble, like Canterlot, the capital of Griffonia was constructed out of wood taken from the massive sequoias that dotted the nearby landscape. Stone buildings were rare, with the only ones of note being the walls that surrounded the capital. On a normal day, the streets of the capital were mildly busy with various griffons attending to their affairs. Business would be open, and griffons would be out and enjoying the sun, with their families.

Apparently, though, this day was no ordinary day. The streets of the city were completely devoid of any trace of business or civilians at all, really. Rather, a large-looking army of griffons, some six thousand strong, was mobilizing, grabbing weapons, and the like. The six pony friends looked at each other uncertainly, then ran over to the mobilizing troops. In the front, there was a griffon with a helmet that had a red plume, who Twilight assumed was the general or some kind of officer.

Arriving next to the general, Twilight asked, “With all due respect, what is going on here, sir?”

The general turned to Twilight, saw that she was a pony, and snorted quietly. Then, he said, “Your Highness, it appears that someone has built a fortress on Griffonian territory. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”

Slightly shocked that the general would suggest that, Twilight said, “No, of course not.”

“Now, now, General Tailfeather,” said a deep, commanding voice to Twilight’s right, “let’s not start throwing accusations around. Princess Twilight and her friends are our guests. It will not do to start accusing them when even I barely know what is happening.” There was no doubt. The voice belonged to King Odrynn. “Besides, it’s highly unlikely that this is some military operation by the ponies. It’s rather close to the capital. No force of ponies could have possibly founded a fort so close and reminded undetected. No, this is most likely some small expeditionary force by an unknown power. Changelings, maybe?” He stared off in the distance for a moment. “The point, General, is do not instantly blame the ponies for this.”

“Of course, sir,” said the general, bowing his head slightly in shame. “My apologies, Your Highness.”

“No offense taken,” said Twilight, though she was slightly disappointed in the blatant racism and suspicion shown in the comment, while she was impressed with the King’s open-mindedness. “Now, shall we proceed?”

“Of course,” said the Griffon King smoothly, walking forward to the head of the army.

Before Twilight followed, though, she turned to her friends. “Stay here.”

“What?”

“NO!”

“Ain’t happening, sugercube.”

Cutting off other protests, Twilight raised her voice slightly and said, “Yes. You guys need to stay here.”

“Why?” demanded Rainbow Dash.

“Because,” Twilight said, “this could quickly become messy if it isn’t handled with a level head. Most of you all lack that. And Applejack, you have to make sure Rainbow here doesn't sneak off and follow me anyways.”

Rainbow Dash grinned sheepishly, no doubt because she planned to do just that.

“Forward; March!!” call the call, and the army slowly started to depart.

“No time to debate! Stay here!” said Twilight, then ran off to join the troops, leaving her friends behind, shell-shocked.

Forty-five minutes later...

“There it is,” muttered the King, mulling over the scenario. Twilight followed his gaze and saw a small wooden complex standing in a semi-thick forest. It did not have any walls, but was compact. Based off of what little Twilight new about military history, it beared a slight amount of resemblance to temporary camps that the ancient earth pony tribe had constructed while on campaign. In the middle of the fort, there appeared to a large flagpole that had a rather unique flag on it. In the upper-left hoof corner, there was a blue field with fifteen white stars on it, Outside the field, starting with red, there was alternating red and white horizontal stripes, fifteen in total.

“Form up in a defensive formation.” General Tailfeather said.

“Do not attack," said the King. “Only strike if they do.” After a moment, he turned turned to Princess Twilight. “What do you make of that flag?”

“Changeling trickery?”

Again, Twilight shook her head slowly. “I...I doubt it. If this was a changeling maneuver, we’d be under attack by now.”

“True, I suppose,” muttered the King. “Shall we make our presence known?”

“I suppose,” said Twilight. “That would answer the question if they hostile or not.”

A griffon to her left raised a bugle and sounded a call. It was very simple, only two notes, the second higher than the first. It wasn’t an order to the troops, rather, it was more like a metaphorical “tap on the shoulder,” letting the occupants of the small fort know that there was an army at their gates.

Through the few small windows, Twilight saw the light flutter as there was an explosion of movement. She bounced up and down on her hooves, anxious to see who these new players were.

After a moment, King Odrynn turned to her. “Behind me,” he said, stepping in front of her. He motioned, and troops moved forward until they blocked the sight of of the pony princess.

“What? Why?” demanded Twilight.

“I promised Princess Celestia that no harm would come to you. A griffon never breaks his word. Now be silent! There’s movement!”

Twilight opened her mouth to protest farther, but an officer of Griffonia stepped forward and gently covered her mouth. She thought about fighting, but decided to bite her tongue for the moment.

Peeking around the griffons standing in front of her, Twilight had to stuff her own hoof in her mouth to stop from gasping.

Walking towards them, barely hiding a look of shock themselves, were two...odd...creatures. Most obviously, they were bipedal, walking on their back legs only. Their front legs split at their ends, forming digits that looked like claws, but were softer and much more flexible. Very little fur covered their bodies, excepting their heads, which had an odd surplus of the stuff. They wore rugged-looking clothes that smelled profusely of dirt and sweat, and looked as if they had been pulled through several miles of mud and dirt. They stood slightly taller than Twilight herself, while the griffon king was a bit taller than both of them. They carried pieces of wood and steel that looked rather like rods.

As they approached, the Griffon King pulled himself up to his full height and said, “Greetings. I am King Odrynn, sovereign ruler of the Kingdom of Griffonia. I would ask you, why, in the name of all things under the sun, did you establish a fort on my territory??”

The being on the left, one that had a head full of black fur, said in a cautious voice, “My name is Meriwether Lewis, and this is William Clark.” The one on the right, Clark, bowed his head. “We are the leaders of an exploratory group named the Corps of Discovery, sponsored by the United States.”

“The United States...what is this?” asked the King. “I have never heard of it before...this that it’s flag?” he asked, gesturing to the flagpole.

“Yes, that is the Stars and Stripes of the United States of America,” supplied the one named Clark. He grinned, then said to Lewis, “And we thought staying at this fort would be all dull. Ha!”

“Excuse me, if I may,” said the King, sounding more than a little annoyed. “You still haven’t answered my question: Why did you establish a fort on my territory? I do not appreciate having this kingdom violated in this way.”

Both of the other creatures became more serious. Clark said.”My apologies, Your Highness. With all due respect, we had no idea that you were even here. To us, this looked like an empty plot of land.”

“You managed to settle down only forty-five minutes from my capital! You expect me to believe that you came here by accident?”

“It’s the truth.”

The King mulled for a few moments, then said, “Alright. Let’s say I believe you. What do you want? What is the mission of this so-called ‘Corps of Discovery?’”

“Well, our nation, the United States of America, has recently purchased a vast tract of land from another nation, France. We were sent by our leader, President Thomas Jefferson, to scout out and learn exactly what this territory consisted of. We have left the territory our government purchased, and were just charting the nearby area. I image that the President will want to speak to you soon after we return, to open more formal relations.”

“Of course, as one leader to another, I would be happy to receive him. I look forward to opening discussions with a new neighbor.”

“How about you stay at our fort for a little while?” asked Clark, earning a sideways glance from his companion. “A demonstration of our goodwill.”

The King blinked, then said, “Well, I don’t suppose it would hurt.”

Clark nodded, saying, “It pains me to suggest this, but I ask that if you bring some advisors or generals, you limit them to four. Space is not very abundant in the fort.

“I understand,” said Odrynn, scratching his chin. After a moment, he said, “General Tailfeather! Councilor Moonquill! And...Princess Twilight Sparkle, if you will join me, please?”

Twilight jerked slightly in surprise, then slowly walked forward. The rank of griffon soldiers parted before her, and she felt the surprised eyes of the two oddities on her. She suddenly became acutely aware that sweat was starting to gather at the base of her crown, but there was nothing to be done about it now.

“Well,” she heard Lewis mutter, “that’s the second huge shock today. Do we still have any beer left?”

Directing his words at King Odrynn, Clark asked, with a slight note of suspicion, “Is there a reason you were hiding her?”

“Yes,” returned the King. “I wanted to make sure you were not hostile, for I had promised her mentor that she would be kept out of harm’s way. And if you anger everybody on the coastline, make sure you do not anger her, for her anger can be...hot.”

With that, he led his small party into the wooden fortress, with Lewis and Clark following close behind. Twilight could make out a few yells as officers distributed orders, calling for the troops to pull back and reorganize into a more relaxed formation.

As they entered the fort, Twilight looked around. All in all, the fort was not all that impressive. It was poorly lit, the structures were not quite waterproof, and the parade ground in the middle of all of the buildings was rather small, not well taken care of. It was clear that the fort was thrown together rather hastily, with little regard for aesthetics or looks.

Rarity would throw a fit, she thought to herself, chuckling quietly, as she eyeballed the huge pools of mud that had formed from the ongoing rain.

“Now,” said Clark, drawing Twilight’s attention away from the fort, “Princess Twilight Sparkle, am I right?”

“Yes,” said Twilight, nodding.

“Well, Your Highness, welcome to Fort Clastop. May I ask, how are you related to your brethren?”

Twilight stood stock-still for a moment, feeling a furious blush build up on her cheeks. Related? Stammering slightly, she said, “Oh, n-no, I have no relation to King Odrynn. I-I am acting as an ambassador to the Kingdom of Griffonia. I come from and help lead the Principality of Equestria.”

Clark gave a low whistle, whispering “Just how many nations are there on this coast?” Pulling his thoughts together, he smiled and said to Twilight “Well, I am pleased to be made your acquaintance, Princess. Now, shall we begin?”

“Begin? With what?” asked King Odrynn.

“Well, my men have a demonstration for you and your ambassador. If I could just have one moment to get the lazy boys out here…” With that, both Lewis and Clark left what passed for a parade ground and started barking out orders to what must have been other members of their expedition,

There was a long pause, then King Odrynn sighed heavily, saying, “Well, what do you think?”

Councilor Moonquill was the first to speak. “I don’t like it,” he said, with confidence. “They seem to be hiding something. What, I don’t know. But they are definitely hiding it from us.”

General Tailfeather nodded his assent, adding, “Maybe they want something from us. Perhaps tribute, maybe some form of territorial concession, I don’t know, though.”

Twilight thought it over for several moments before saying, “I hate to suggest this, but the General and Councilor seem correct. They do seem to want something out of us. If this was just a simple misunderstanding, as they claim, why did they invite us into their fort?”

The King nodded. “I am inclined to agree,” he said, “which is why, Princess Twilight, I recommend that you refrain from telling these creatures about the location, size, or anything else about Equestria. Such information would probably only be used against us. As for the rest of us, we should avoid giving away any more information if it can be at all helped.”

Twilight wasn’t exactly comfortable with the idea of keeping information away from the seemingly-friendly Lewis and Clark, but it was necessary. She nodded her assent, but stilled her tongue as she saw a large group of the creatures filing out of the various buildings in a precise, mechanical way.

As they marched out of what Twilight assumed to be a mess hall, or maybe a barracks/quarters, she noticed that they all carried the long pole-like objects that Lewis and Clark held. Something in the back of her mind, an idea from a book she had read, began to stir. Are those…?

Her question was answered for her when the creatures lowered their rods, pointed at a small stone wall, and triggered them. There was a loud explosion, and large bits of stone flew off of the wall, which bared several new holes in it.

Guns. Twilight had read about them in a few books on military theory. The proposition that explosions could fling bits of metal fast enough to destroy stone was not a new idea, for military researchers had been tossing around the idea for years. However, Equestrian attempts to divine the secret of these weapons was only followed half-heartedly, as the nation had little to no need for them. That isn’t to say the gunpowder initiative had completely failed, for the Royal Guard did have a few cannons, but the design of the smaller, hoof-held weapons had eluded Equestrian scientists. And again, with no real need for them, the nation had not aggressively pursued their development, preferring to invest more in education and administration.

Wary, the griffons and pony looked to each other, and nodded once.

King Odrynn stood up, saying, “Well, that is very enlightening,” he said, “What is the purpose of this demonstration?”

Lewis responded, “We wished to show you that we can be valuable allies. An alliance between us could be greatly...beneficial.” Was it Twilight’s imagination, or did she detect a hint of something more sinister in his voice?

The King must have heard it too, for he said “I see...May I have a moment with my council?”

Without waiting for a response, the King returned to his fellow, and, together with Twilight, trotted over to the far corner of the field, where they discussed in hush tones.

“It is clear,” said Moonquill. “They wish to intimate us into servitude!”

“General?”

“I agree,” said Tailfeather. “We must strike! No matter how strong their weapons are, we can just overwhelm them with the troops we brought. If we defeat them now, maybe others won’t be as foolhardy.”

“Wait!” interjected Twilight. “Maybe they are trying to intimate us. Maybe they aren’t. But if we strike now, even if we win, this ‘United States’ will simply send more missions. Let them go, but we should end these talks soon.”

King Odrynn nodded, saying, “That makes sense. Okay, let us finish this.”

The party slowly returned to the expedition’s leaders, where they stood expectantly. King Odrynn said smoothly, “A situation has arisen in my kingdom that requires my attention. If you will excuse me, I must return to my capital. I...look forward...to meeting from representatives from your ‘United States’ again.”

The two leaders looked at each other, then Lewis said, “You’re leaving? Before you go, accept this gifts as a token of America’s friendship.” He then yelled over his shoulder, “Get the gifts, maggots! Let’s go!”

The explorers scrambled over themselves to move to a building at the left. When they came out of the building, the explorers were laid down with many trinkets and items they carried.

“Now,” Lewis said, “we have three muskets and fifty bullets. Give them to whomever you wish, but use them sparingly, for bullets run out fast.”

Just how often do they use these guns?

“Also, we have medal for you, from the President of the United States, as a gesture of his desire for peace and friendship,” added Clark. “We also have one for you, Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

Somewhat reluctantly, the griffon King bowed his head and accepted the silver medal that Lewis placed around his neck. Twilight followed suit, and she was given a bronze medal. On one side, there was a bust of a similar creature to Lewis, but Twilight assumed that it was this President Jefferson that the explorers spoke so highly of. She turned it over, and saw that the back has a bust as well: this one with two clasped arms.

The explorer stepped back with a pleased expression, they had only one gift left. “Now, please also take this,” he said, extending a triangle of cloth.

King Odrynn took it carefully, as if it might explode. Slowly unfolding it, he asked, “...Wha...Why...Why did you give me the flag of your nation?”

The cordial atmosphere vanished instantly, replaced with one that made Twilight shiver apprehensively.

The two explores looked at each other warily, then back at the King, also conscious of sudden shift in the diplomatic atmosphere. “We…” began Lewis.

“This is an outrage!” exclaimed General Tailfeather.

“We are no one's property! We cannot be claimed!” added Councilor Moonquill.

“Be still, both of you!” King Odrynn said sharply. He turned to Lewis and Clark and said, “Against the advice of my council, I gave you a fair hearing. Despite the fact you violated Griffonia’s territory, I listened to your side of the story. I trusted you with both my life and that of Princess Twilight Sparkle. And now, you go and betray that trust by trying to impose yourself on me and my kingdom by forcing this on me.” With this, he threw the flag of the United States on the ground, earning a gasp from the creatures, Twilight would later learn that they were called humans. He threw the muskets, bullets, and finally, his medal on top of it all.

Clark quickly snapped up the flag as the King concluded his angry tirade. “I ask you, give me one good reason that I shouldn’t take the three thousand loyal troops stationed outside this fort right now and storm it. Quickly.”

To their credit, the humans recovered quickly. Clark turned to Twilight, with something of a pleading expression on his face. “Your Highness, we simp-”

Twilight, making a split-second decision to follow the model of Princess Celestia, held up a single hoof to silence him. Quietly, her mind is turmoil.

What now? Dang it, we were this close to making it out safe, and they have to go spring this on us. Well… Princess Twilight, doing her utmost to maintain an outward appearance of calm, turned to King Odrynn and said, “Your Highness, I do not approve of your threat.”

The King, having calmed down somewhat, nodded slightly sheepishly. “Yes, my apologies for my outburst.”

Twilight was not yet done, though. She turned and fixed a glare on Clark. “This doesn’t mean I approve of your actions. I actually think what you did was a direct attack on Griffonia’s sovereignty. However, I really do not want this day to end in violence.”

Clark bowed his head slightly, but neither Lewis nor Clark said anything.

“Let’s get out of here,” Twilight muttered, taking off her medal and dropping it on the ground.

March 21, 1806

“...and that’s when I left,” said Twilight.

Princess Celestia sat back, mulling over the situation. “Are you sure? Nothing else transpired, no matter how minor?”

“...No, Princess, nothing.”

Celestia felt a flash of light-humored irritation at Twilight’s formality. “Now, now, Twilight, you don’t need to call me Princess anymore. After all, you’re one too.”

Twilight blushed, but said nothing.

“Back to the matter at hoof, though,” said Celestia, continuing to mull. “This is rather discontenting.”

“I’ll say,” Twilight said. “I talked with King Odrynn. He seemed to agree that some kind of answer to this threat needs to be prepared, but was reluctant to open talks with me, saying that he felt it best if either you or Luna helped me.”

“He’s wiser than I gave him credit for,” said Celestia. “Alright. I suppose I will go open diplomatic talks with Griffonia soon.”

“Princess?”

Celestia sighed, but gave up. Clearly, Twilight was not about to change her ways.

“Yes?”

“What are we going to do about those Americans?”

Princess Celestia was expecting the question, but she still didn’t like hearing it. Letting out another heavy sigh, she stood up and walked over to the newly-installed stained glass window, this one depicting Twilight and her friends triumphing over Lord Tirek in the Great Battle of the Everfree Forest. Gazing past it, she saw the sun shining brightly, and the entire city of Canterlot seemed to shine back.

So beautiful, she thought to herself. In the streets, the ponies of Canterlot were out and about, doing business as usual. They were totally unaware of the threat that hung over them, greater than any that had come before.

Suddenly, unbidden, her subconscious woke provided her with one of the most horrifying images she had ever seen.

She was in the castle. The normally bright skies that provided Canterlot with a beautiful view had been shrouded. Not by clouds, though. By something far more sinister: smoke.

The normally busy streets of Canterlot were still busy, but with something totally different: hairless apes that covered themselves in rags were storming the streets. In the distance, the normally bright and proud walls had been reduced to rubble, laid low by the humans and their gunpowder.

The city was ablaze, that much was clear. Where else would the smoke be coming from?

But looking around, Celestia could not see any fire. The she realized: the smoke was not coming from the city at all. Rather, it came from the human’s guns.

The human troops were advancing. Forming a bristling line of death, they shot anything that moved: cats, dogs, ...ponies….

“Princess! CELESTIA!”

Princess Celestia jerked in surprise as Twilight poked her, shaking the alicorn out of her out of her daydream/nightmare.

“Are you alright?” Twilight asked, concern in her voice and face.

Blinking dumbly for a few seconds, Princess Celestia managed to regain enough control of her brain to function semi-normally again. Immediately, her thoughts went to the vision she had seen.

An alicorn’s nightmares were never false. Over the course of over a thousand years, Princess Celestia had experienced precisely six nightmares. Each one turned out to be a fairly accurate measure of things to come. But if this one was true, too…

No, came the thought. I will not allow that to happen. Not in a million years. With the thought came a grim determination. As long as I’m Princess, no human will ever wield a gun in Canterlot. No, forget that. No human will even set hoof in Canterlot!

Princess Celestia turned to her former student, allowing a stern posture to be let through.

“If they come,” she said, attaching great weight to each of her words, “then may whatever God they believe in have mercy on their souls.”

The Years Before the Storm: Part 1

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The Years Before the Storm: Part I
The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

September 23, 1806
St. Louis, Missouri

A cheer came from the thirty-odd explorers as the town of St. Louis came into view. The tired, hungry, and filthy explores suddenly felt an explosion of energy as they saw civilization again. Lewis and Clark were barely able to control the people under them as they re-entered what they thought of as civilization.

After another hour or so of walking, the explorers finally entered the town. Lewis quickly started looking around, looking for the postmaster general. After a few minutes of looking around, he found him in a new, but rather poorly built building.

Walking in, he looked at the older gentleman and asked, “Are you the postmaster?”

The other man looked up, took in Lewis and his clothing, then looked back at his work and said, “Yes. What of it?”

“Hold the mail for a few hours. I have an urgent message to write to President Jefferson.”

January 3, 1807

“Meriwether Lewis,” said the man across from him, gesturing to a piece of paper that sat on the desk that separated them. “Is this true?”

Lewis stiffened his spine a little. After all, it was probably a good idea for his future career to show respect to the President of the United States.

“Every word, so help me God, is written exactly as it happened.”

President Jefferson let out a long sigh. “So it is true, then, that the Corps of Discovery encountered a nation of ‘griffons,’ torn straight from ancient Greek mythology?”

“Yes, sir,”

“It is also true that you also encountered a talking, sentient horse, one that looked like a cross between a ‘pegasus’ and an ‘unicorn,’ who claimed to be from a neighboring land, Equestria?”

“Yes, sir.”

“So then it is also true,” said Jefferson, a harder note entering his voice, “that, in discussions with them, they reacted poorly to the show of guns, exploding when you tried to give them an American flag?”

Lewis, feeling a single drop of sweat roll down his forehead, nodded once, slowly. “...yes...sir.”

Jefferson, in an uncharacteristic display of anger, slapped the desk. “Dammit, Lewis! That was foolish!”

The President stood up violently, tipping his chair over. He walked over to the window, looking out of Washington, DC. After a long moment, he turned to Lewis and asked, “Do you know where this ‘Equestria’ is?”

“No, sir.”

“Very well. I suppose I’ll go to Congress, ask permission to outfit another two expeditions. You are to be thanked, you have performed a valuable service for your country. Dismissed.”

The explored started to leave, but the President called, “Lewis?”

He paused.

“Not a word to anybody about what you discovered. Not a single word.”

Back in the Kingdom of Griffonia, August 12, 1807

King Odrynn sat on his throne, as his aides gave him all kinds of reports.

“Any word from our scouts?” he asked.

“No, sir. No expedition to date has found any of these creatures.”

Odrynn sighed, holding his face in his claws. “And Equestria?”

“Princess Celestia is just outside, patiently awaiting entry.”

“Fine. Send her in.”

The aide rushed off, and the King heard the door boom shut behind her.

What is happening? Two years ago, I was planning to attack them! And here we are…

His thoughts were interrupted by the door opening, and not one, but three alicorns walking in. Princess Luna and Twilight walked alongside the Princess of the Sun, and the King somehow managed to get both more angry and calmer at the same time.

Bringing Twilight was a wise maneuver, for King Odrynn almost thought of her as a friend. Plus, Twilight was the one who had managed to somewhat thaw the chilled relations between the two rival powers.

Rising, the King paid his respects to the rulers of Equestria, even as they did so to him, as well. Once that business was completed, he remarked, “I didn’t expect to see all of you.”

“My apologies,” Princess Celestia said smoothly. “But any treaty made by Equestria has to be ratified by all of us. It seemed only prudent that my sister and former student accompanied me.”

King Odrynn stared for a moment, then burst out laughing.

“What is so funny?” asked Princess Luna.

“Irony. Just two years, probably fewer, ago, I was gathering my troops, planning to strike while you were still weak from Tirek. And now, here we are. Civilly meeting, maybe even on the verge of a historic treaty.”

“Well, that was an interesting experience,” remarked Princess Celestia.

“You did not exaggerate, Twilight,” added Princess Luna. “King Odrynn really is as stubborn as your reports said.”

“Well, at least that is over with,” Celestia said, as she watched the sun go down. “Now, we can get back to Equestria, continue with...oh, no.”

Twilight blinked, following her gaze. Once she saw what Princess Celestia was looking at, she also felt the same sinking feeling as her former mentor.

For, walking through the city, there was a full dozen humans. Ten of them carried those guns, and they walked swiftly, and with a purpose.

“Well, crap,” muttered Luna. “I presume these are the creatures you spoke of, Princess Twilight?”

“Yes,” said Twilight, more shocked then she probably had a right to be. After all, the humans did say that they planned to open diplomatic ties.

As the humans approached the building, griffons of all kinds shied away from the strangers. Thus, their path was fairly unobstructed as they approached the capital’s doors.

The doors opened with a somewhat loud protest, as if they knew that nobody inside wanted the humans to enter. Regardless, enter they did, and they quickly found themselves snout-to-beak with two guards, who blocked their way.

“Pardon me,” said one of them, slightly sarcastically, “but you do not have an appointment with King Odrynn, do you?”

One of the unarmed humans on the left quickly said, “No, sir. However, we respectfully request audience with your King.”

The soldier grunted, then said, “And who shall I say has come?”

The other human replied, “I am President Jefferson, of the United States of America.”

The griffon guards blinked, then the one on the left said, “I shall inform the King of your petition. In the meantime, we ask that your troops remove themselves from this area, in the name of cooperation.”

Jefferson nodded, then gestured. Somewhat slowly, the armed humans retreated. As they did, the griffon on the left slowly backed away, going deeper into the palace. Soon, he returned, wearing a perfectly passive look, and said, “King Odrynn will see you now. He requests that you leave all weapons you may have at the door. Also,” the griffon turned, addressing Celestia, Luna and Twilight, “he requests that the delegation from Equestria joins him in these discussions.”

If Jefferson was irked or irritated at this, he hid it well. “Very well,” he said, walking forward and following the lead of the soldier. Princess Celestia followed, with her two equals right on her hooves.

When they entered the throne room, Celestia caught the eye of the King. He hid it well. A lesser diplomat would have never seen it, but Celestia’s eye had over one thousand years of diplomatic experience. She could clearly see the first traces of fear in the King.

“Greetings,” the King said smoothly. “How may I be of service?”

The two humans hesitated for a split second, then Jefferson seized the lead. “Good day. I am President Thomas Jefferson, and this is my Secretary of State, James Madison. We represent the United States of America.”

The Griffon King bowed his head slightly, saying, “And I am King Odrynn. Pleased to meet you.” After a moment, he said “Welcome to Griffonia. I would like to ask, What is the purpose of your coming here?”

“To establish a diplomatic presence in this...fine nation,” said James Madison. Twilight and Celestia both noticed a slight change in the human’s inflection.

King Odrynn noticed it as well, then gave Celestia a subtle look. Princess Celestia smiled very softly, then nodded almost invisibly. She then stepped forward, cleared her throat, and said, “You are from the United States?”

“Yes,” said the President. “And I would, right now, like to apologize on behalf of the United States for any...rash...actions performed by the Corps of Discovery. Know that they were a long way from home, in territory alien to them, confronted by a species that we have always thought to be myth.”

The griffon softened slightly, then said, “I understand. I suppose we can look past the incident. Hopefully, neither of us will have the misfortune of an incident like that ever happening again.”

President Jefferson nodded, with a somewhat relieved expression. Celestia, however, didn’t quite buy the look of relief, Something was wrong.

Putting her misgivings aside, she stepped forward, only to draw the attention of Secretary of State Madison. He turned to the Princess Celestia, saying, “And what of you Princesses? We also wish to open discussions with your ‘Equestria.’ Where is the nation?”

Celestia blinked, then responded, “All in due time. First and foremost, we would like to know what this ‘opening of relations’ entails.”

“I would like to know that as well,” added King Odrynn.

President Jefferson nodded, saying, “Traditionally, it means opening an embassy on your soil. This embassy would be considered part of the United State’s territory, and should be treated as such.”

The King appeared slightly offset by this, not that Celestia blamed him. Noticing the slight change in the griffon’s posture, President Jefferson quickly amended his statement, saying, “This would give diplomats of the United States the authority to act without fear of influence from any armed forces or governments. Please, do not take this as an insult on your independence. It is simply standard procedure.”

The King didn’t look very reassured, but he nodded anyways.

Trying to break the awkward silence, the President said, “Well, I suppose that we need to form plans to build the embassy.”

The King nodded somewhat absentmindedly, not doubt attempting to come up with a valid excuse to deny the request. After a few minutes, he appeared to have failed to divine it, as he blinked, then said, “Very well. I must, however, insist that you allow a detachment of troops to be posted at the site of the work at all times. As well, I wish to see the plan for the embassy before work begins. This should be agreeable to you, yes?”

The President hesitated for a brief second, then nodded. “It is agreed.”

“Very well. Now, if you will excuse me, President, I must hold council with the Equestrian delegation. Good day.”

The doors of the palace boomed shut, echoing forebodingly across the hall.

“So,” the King said, shifting in his throne. “What do you think?”

“I think it is strange that the head of their nation traveled, by my calculations, all the way across the continent just to open diplomatic ties,” mulled Luna. “Isn’t that a job for a much lower-ranked diplomat?”

“You come all the way from Equestria to meet me,” pointed out King Ordynn.

“True, but that’s different. It’s not a very long trip, especially as the Alicorn flies. At the rate these humans walk, though, it must take several weeks to arrive here.”

“Hmm,” replied Celestia, filing the thought away in her mind for future pondering. After a few moments, she said, “Well, now King Ordynn, now are you open to idea of a non-aggression pact? We do have bigger threats than each other.”

The King’s expression soured, his eyebrows coming together into a line. As this expression grew, Celestia held up a hoof, saying, with a flash of irritation, “Please, spare my fellow Princesses and myself the displeasure of listening to your upcoming essay-length rant and tell us, in as few words as possible and minimum shouting, why you cannot even consider a diplomatic understanding with us.”

The King hesitated for a moment, his mouth open, as the momentum of his tirade was brought to an abrupt and sudden halt by Celestia’s oddly blunt question. After blinking in a matter ill-suited for a king for a few moments, he quickly closed his mouth, trying to recover after having his mind somewhat blown by Celestia.

“Well,” he said, slowly, “to put it bluntly, my population neither trusts nor respects you or your realm. In addition, I am not certain that these ‘humans’ pose a threat to this realm. No, the Kingdom will, for now at least, weather this change on its own.”

“Fine,” said Luna, almost spitting the word out. Before she could say more, though, Celestia gently put a hoof on her shoulder, stopping her words. While this was unfolding, Princess Twilight watched it all, with something of a disappointed look.

Damn the griffons and pride! thought Celestia. So close. Holding these thoughts back, though, she said, “I believe our business here has concluded,” turning to the door. Her two fellow Princesses followed her.

In the Congress of the United States, May 22, 1808 (closed session)

“...and Senator Samuel L. Mitchill, of New York.” Having finished the roll call of senators, Vice President George Clinton looked around at the thirty-four representatives of the states, then said, “Before we began formally and open the Senate to public observation, we have news. The expedition that this Senate authorized over a year ago has returned home, finding nothing, and with over half dead. It appears that they encountered the Wichita savages, and had a...slight misunderstanding.”

The room seemed to let out a collective sigh.

“As such, our search of this reported ‘Equestria’ has, de facto, been cut short.”

“We cannot afford to continue this foolishness,” said Democratic-Republican Samuel Maclay. “Whether this land exists or not, we need to worry about Great Britain now. In addition, we can no longer afford to throw precious money at this fool’s errand!”

“I am inclined to agree,” said the Vice President. “As such, I propose the following: the Senate will table this issue until our disputes with Great Britain are addressed. All attempts to make contact with this ‘Equestria’ will cease. However, the United States will maintain a diplomatic presence in ‘Griffonia,’ and keep a proverbial ear to the ground. Let us address the threat of Great Britain first.”

There was much nodding from the Democratic-Republicans. There was less enthusiasm from the Federalists, but they also seemed to accept the fact that other needs had to come first.

“We will put the matter to a vote next session. Do remember, this is a closed session of the Senate, and all topics discussed are classified.”

“Now, if there is no other business to discuss behind closed doors, the Senate will now enter open session.”

The Years Before the Storm: Part 2

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The Years Before the Storm: Part II
The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

January 10, 1809
Canterlot, Equestria

As the Sun once again finished rising over Equestria, the Princess of Harmony wandered throughout the streets of Canterlot, alone for once as she considered everything that was happening. She had just left an intense meeting with her former mentor and co-princess, and was lost deep in reflecting thought.

The Kingdom of Griffonia has maintained a stony diplomatic silence ever since the incident, Twilight thought to herself. Like it or not, though, I am certain that the griffons will need us, and us; them, before this is all over.

“Twilight!” came the yell over the wind. Turning around, she saw Princess Luna flying to meet up with her. She bared an air of exhaustion with her, and Twilight felt a slight feeling of foreboding in her gut.

“We are calling for the Royal Council to re-convene,” said Luna. “Something has come up.”

“Glad you’re here,” smiled Princess Celestia as Twilight entered the regal throne room.

“I just left,” replied Twilight, trotting over to stand near her former mentor. “What is it now?”

“We have just received word from one of the pegasi scouts assigned to Griffonia. Yesterday, a crew of humans arrived in the nation, and have started constructing the embassy the United States and Griffonia agreed upon.”

Twilight nodded, saying, “Alright. What, if anything, should we do about it?”

“I am not certain,” admitted Princess Celestia. “Technically, they are not doing anything wrong, and I do somewhat agree with King Odrynn: Are the humans really hostile? They haven't attacked or attempted to subjugate Griffonia or us. Maybe we should back off our fears, for now at least.”

“Maybe,” said Princess Luna, “But I propose that we, temporarily at least, bar immigration to Griffonia, and deny all vistas to the nation. We should do our utmost to maintain calm throughout Equestria.”

“Agreed. Also, I think I should attempt to fix the spell across Equestria.”

At this, Twilight looked up. “What? What spell is this?”

Celestia sighed, then said, “Of course, you wouldn’t know. This spell is one of the best-kept secrets in Equestria.” After a few moments of silence, she sighed again and said, “Over a thousand years ago, my dear sister, as you know, openly rebelled against Equestria.”

Luna winced.

Noticing it, Celestia nodded, saying, “It was a dark time for us both, sister...I hold nothing against you. Anyways, when the Nightmare was defeated at the Battle of Sun and Moon, and subsequently sealed in the moon, I took it upon myself to seal the borders of Equestria, in an attempt to keep the Nightmare - and any other threat to Equestria - out. Beings approaching the borders of Equestria would - and still will - get a near-irresistible urge to turn back. And even if someone managed to cross the borders, or look upon one of our towns, they would see not but empty territory. It is thanks to this spell that Equestria has enjoyed the past one thousand years of peace and posterity.”

Shocked, the young Princess blinked twice, then said, “But- what about the missions to Griffonia? And Tirek? And the Nightmare’s return?”

At this, Celestia grimaced, saying, “Well, clearly the spell has been...imperfect. It appears of have weakened in the recent past, allowing some powerful creatures across the borders. As for our diplomatic missions, the spell is structured to allow both ponies and griffons to freely cross the border with minimal interference from it.”

“Then…”

“Yes, Twilight. Much like the spell that bound the Nightmare and the one that petrified Discord, this spell is also weakening. Maybe it is due to the transfer of the Elements to you and your friends, but all spells cast by the Elements of Harmony have been going defunct lately.”

“But, now the Elements are in the Tree of Harmony,” objected Twilight “Do we even possess the magic force necessary to repair this spell without them?”

Celestia acknowledged Twilight’s doubts, saying, “I am not certain. If all three of us, and Cadance, pool our resources, then maybe, just maybe, we can pull it off. If not, then...we’ll have to improvise.”

After reflecting on this revelation for a few moments, Twilight slowly spoke, “So...this spell was not applied to Griffonia?”

“No. At the time, Griffonia and Equestria were on the verge of war. Since then, the griffons have not expressed interest in joining this spell, so I did not amend it.”

“Hmm…” said Twilight. “So, what now?”

“Now? For now, we wait, and we hope.”

January 15, 1809
Kingdom of Griffonia

King Odrynn woke to the tapping of hammers, for the fourth consecutive day. The humans were already up and working.

Oh, great. I wonder how many complaints I’ll have to listen to today.

Keeping his eyes determinedly closed for a few moments, the griffon King thought back to the meeting he had with the leader of the humans a few days ago.

* * *

The building crew was mostly made up of what the other humans called “negroes.” These people had darker skin than the others, and remained silent while working.

Not that he met with any of them. No, rather, he met with a lighter skinned individual. Just a little taller than the King, the human had an ego that towered above him.

“Greetings,” said the King.

“Yes?” said the human, turning around. “Oh, hello...Your Majesty.”

The King got the feeling that the human didn’t like him that much. Swallowing a slight resentment, he said, “With all due respect, you're working incredibly early hours and it’s disrupting the sleep of my subjects. Today alone I received fifteen complaints.”

The human shrugged, then said in a somewhat bored tone, “Well...Your Majesty...I’m under orders to build this structure as quickly as possible. The fact that your subjects are lazy is not my problem.”

The King bit his tongue to stop himself from biting the human’s head off. He gazed into the human’s eyes for a moment, then said, “As King of this realm, I am responsible for the well-being of my subjects, as I am also responsible to represent them. As such, I order you, as a temporarily resident of this nation, to cease your disruptive activities.”

“With all due respect, Your Majesty, you do not command my allegiance now, nor will you ever,” replied the human, a hard note entering his voice. “I will not bend my knee to you now, and I highly doubt that I will ever.”

The King bristled, saying “You are living in my realm. That puts you under my rule and binds you to my laws, whether you want to or not.”

“Oh, but that is where you are wrong. I am acting as an envoy from the United States. As such, I claim diplomatic immunity.”

* * *

That had ended the conversation, for it came apparent to the King that the human would simply refuse to acknowledge his authority. Thus, the early morning hammering had continued over the griffon’s protests.

Sighing, King Odrynn slowly got up to face the coming day. Already mentally bracing himself, he looked outside his window to the nearby site of work. And there, he saw something he could not condone.

“What in the name of all things under the sun is going on out here?” the King demanded, flinging the palace door open.

All the humans stopped what they were doing. The more pale-skinned of the group looked confused, while the darker of the group simply looked relieved.

“...Your Majesty, what do you mean?” asked the human’s leader, slowly lowering the whip he had raised over one of the darker-skinned individuals.

“I saw you whipping one of your own! Explain yourself!” commanded the King, his voice rich with outrage.

The leader’s eyebrows came together in a look of confusion. For a few moments, he stood there, working through the King’s outrage.

“King...I am installing discipline in my workers.”

“By whipping them?!?”

“Of course. How else should I show these slaves their place?”

King Odrynn’s eyes widened. “Slaves?” he whispered. “You keep slaves in your country?”

“Why, yes,” said the human, confused at the griffon’s outrage. “Not all of it, but about half the states in the Union allow their citizens to hold slaves.”

For several moments, the King stood there, almost - but not quite - sputtering in rage. After he managed to re-assert control of his brain, he said, in a very soft voice, “Give me that whip. Now.”

“But-”

“NOW! Or I’ll have my armies take it from you!”

Glaring, the human tossed the device over to the King.

“Good. Now, do you have any others?”

The human hesitated, but when the King raised an eyebrow, he walked over a pack, pulled out three of the vile instruments, and gave them to the King.

“Good. Now, I have no control over what you do at your home country. But while you are in my domain, you shall never beat another living creature. Ever. For any reason. I will be in correspondence with your ‘slaves.’ If I get wind that you are treating them badly, you’ll have to deal with me. Do I make myself perfectly clear?”

The human glared at him, then said, “You have no right.”

“This is my territory. I have every right. And if your United States has a problem, then they can talk to me about it. But slavery is something neither I nor the rest of Griffonia will tolerate. Not now, not ever.”

Looking away from the leader, the King addressed the darker-skinned humans, saying “I will return every morning and night that I can. If you have a problem with him, talk to me then. If it’s urgent, find one of my soldiers.”

Turning away from the scene, he stalked off before giving any of the humans a chance to respond.

As he stormed back into the palace, he turned to a courtier and said, “Prepare a mission to Equestria. There is something they should know.”

“Yes, sir! Shall I send for Envoy Featherwind?”

“No. Well, yes, he should come, but I will lead this one personally.”

“Very well. I will also assemble your guard-”

“No guard,” said King Odrynn, remembering how the Princesses always came alone. “In fact, forget Envoy Featherwind. I go alone.”

“Sir?”

“I go alone,” he repeated. “It’s high time the Princesses and I stop foaling around.”

January 21, 1809
Canterlot, Equestria

Trumpet blared in the streets of Canterlot as the lone griffon landed on the ground. Wincing slightly at the noise, the King touched down as elegantly as he could,

Facing him was all four Princesses of Equestria: Celestia on the far right, then Cadance, Twilight, and finally Luna on the far left. As he walked up to them, he bowed slightly.

After the four ponies returned the gesture, the griffon remarked, “It’s been a long time I’ve seen you, Princess Cadance.”

The pink alicorn smiled and nodded, saying, “My apologies. I was on a mission that ended only two days ago.”

A mission that lasted years? What kind of mission is that? wondered the King. Pushing the thought aside, though, the griffon said, “I have most urgent news for you. Is there a place we can talk in secret?”

“Are you sure?” asked Celestia, while pacing about her throne room.

“Yes,” replied the King.

“So, you’re certain that these ‘humans’ keep slaves?” asked Luna, with a faint note of skepticism.

“Yes! The human told me to my face! There’s a dozen witnesses.”

“Sick,” muttered Cadance.

Twilight nodded her agreement.

“Slavery…” whispered Celestia. Slavery. Of all things, it had to be slavery.

“What did you do?” asked Princess Luna.

“The only thing I could do: I took the human’s whips and instruments of cruelty and brought them here.” At this, he opened the bag he brought on this voyage and threw the four instruments onto the ground in front of the Princesses.

All four of the ponies recoiled in disgust at the sight of them. After a moment, Celestia reached out with her magic and grabbed the whips. Feeling sick, she nevertheless brought them up to be level with her eyes and gave them a quick once-over. Thanks to a remarkable amount of self-control, she managed not to gag when she saw the dried blood on them.

Princess Twilight, however, was not so lucky. Upon seeing the whips, she quickly excused herself with a shaky voice, quickly sprinting out of the throne room. Thirty or so seconds later, Celestia dimly heard retching noises, followed by a wet splat. Cadance didn't really look that much better, for her normally bright pink coat had a tinge of sickly green about it. And while Luna did not look sick, her normally centered air was shaken to the core.

As Twilight returned - still looking somewhat green around the edges - Celestia dropped the whips and said, “Alright. So, they hold slaves. What do we do about it?”

There was silence for a long moment.

Shifting uncomfortably, the King said, “These human’s embassy is still under construction. According to what the crew keeps saying, it should be fully constructed by the end of the year, probably sooner.”

Celestia nodded, an idea forming in the back of her head. “So, King Odrynn,” she said, as casually as she could muster, “now do you recognize the need for a non-aggression pact?”

The King again shifted uncomfortably. After a long moment, and heaving a heavy sigh, the griffon bowed his head.

Sensing his resolve wavering, Celestia quickly pressed her advantage: “King Odrynn, you have always been more open-minded than your fathers. It’s a trait I have long appreciated. Now, I have to once again call upon it. Think! All Equestria is asking for is a simple treaty of nonaggression. No territory claims, no costly alliances, no trade favors, no obligations to your nation. With this new development, I need to know my northern border will be secure. And I am certain that you need to know that your southern border will be safe, as well. In addition-”

“Fine,” muttered the King, cutting Celestia’s lecture off. In a louder voice, he said, “Ancients take me, I’ll do it! Curse you, but you’re right. While we griffons and you ponies have had our fair share of disputes, these humans-” Here, he broke off, only to start again: “These...animals...that keep slaves...such barbarism must never be allowed into Griffonia.”

Celestia nodded, saying, “So, we have an arrangement?”

“We do.”

(Text of the Equs-Grifoni Pact of 1008 CYP)

The Princesses of Equestria and the King of Griffonia, desirous of strengthening the harmony and peace between their respective nations, have came to the following agreement:

Article I: Both the Princesses of Equestria and the King of Griffonia shall refrain from any act of violence or other aggression between their two powers.

Article II: Should either of the signatory powers become the target of hostilities, the other power shall not in any way assist the aggressor.

Article III: Both powers renounce any territorial claims they may have on territories that are possessed by the other power.

Article IV: This Treaty shall not prevent either of the two signatory powers from defending themselves from aggression.

Article V: This Treaty goes into effect as soon as it is signed in Canterlot, and will remain valid for one hundred years.

Signed this day, the Twenty-Second Day of the First Month, One Thousand Eight Years after the start of the Celestial Years of Peace.

King Odrynn

Princess Celestia

Princess Luna

Princess Cadance

Princess Twilight

The Years Before the Storm, Part 3

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The Years Before the Storm: Part 3
The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

January 31, 1809

The sun yet again slowly rose as the citizens of Equestria, as Celestia yet again watched from the palace in Canterlot. With a sigh, she slowly turned away from the beautiful sight to rejoin the other three Princesses at the council table.

“We seem to be spending a lot of time here, lately,” she remarked, half amused. Indeed, all four of the Princesses of Equestria had noticed that they had been getting considerably less sleep since the signing of the Equs-Grifoni Pact. Looking around, Princess Celestia noticed everypony had dark circles under their eyes. Poor Twilight even looked positively dead on her hooves, though she would deny it to everypony.

She’s still little more than a filly, Celestia remembered, deciding that the young Princess deserved a twenty-four hour block of sleep when their session concluded. After a piece of cake, of course.

Turning her thoughts away from the new Princess, Celestia sighed and turned to Princess Cadance. “What news?”

Princess Cadance cleared her throat and said, “As everypony here knows, I spent the last two or so years exploring this continent, looking for human activity.”

“And?”

Cadance hesitated for a long moment. Breathing a heavy sigh, she said, “As I headed east over the land, I did find several small villages with these humans.”

Both Celestia and Luna let out a heavy sigh.

“That’s not all,” Cadance warned. “The farther east one travels, the denser these humans are packed. As one gets farther and farther away from Equestria, cities become more and more numerous, and more and more dense. I saw at least two cities that could rival Manehattan in population.”

Princess Celestia looked down, running a few internal calculations. “So, you didn’t go south?” she asked.

“No,” replied Princess Cadance.

“Alright,” said Celestia. “Estimate on human population?”

Here, Princess Cadance shifted uncomfortably, then said, “In the regions I saw, at least three million. Probably a lot more, though.”

“Hmm.”

Princess Luna spoke up, saying, “And...and their military. What did you get on that?”

Cadance grimaced. “Strong. Exactly how strong, I can’t say, but I estimate at least twenty thousand troops. The country also possesses many thousands of cannons other artillery pieces. More are produced each day.”

Luna let out a low whistle. Celestia didn’t blame her. All of Equestria had only fifty-three cannons at the time, and half of them were falling into disrepair.

“Should we be alarmed?” asked Celestia.

The Princess of Love hesitated for a moment, considering everything she had seen. “...Most likely not,” she said, carefully weighing what the deployments had looked like. “Most of the troops were stationary, with a few moving north. I don’t believe I saw a single unit trekking west.”

Luna exhaled heavily in a sigh of relief, a sentiment that Celestia shared. “Well, that’s good,” Luna said. “Now, what are our next moves from here?”

“Fixing the ward around Equestria should be a priority,” said Cadance.

“It should,” agreed Princess Celestia.

“But. Princess, didn’t you say that fixing the spell could very well be impossible? We still don’t have the Elements,” said Twilight.

“Indeed,” said Celestia. “But it should be said that there is also a chance of the spell succeeding. However…”

“However?”

Here, Celestia allowed something of a sheepish grin to shine through her armor. “However, I put the spell in place so long ago that I barely remember its structure, or anything else of note about it. It...it might take some studying and analyses to replicate.”

“Just how much analyses?”

“Oh, not too much. One or two years should do it.”

October 10, 1809
Kingdom of Griffonia

The humans, sweating prolifically, shifted one of the wood planks on the top of the building they had been laboring on. When the group leader had decided that it was in the proper place, he barked out a quick order, and the humans grabbed a hammer and set of nails each. Then, they proceeded to position the nails over the board and drive them into the wood with the hammer.

As the Griffon King observed this, the thought occurred to him that the humans were almost done. As far as he could tell, the building had taken a definite shape, glass windows were in place, and a large flagpole had been constructed in front of the structure.

Standing and watching, he dimly heard one of the humans yell, “It’s done, boys!” and the subsequent cheer. Taking slow steps, he started to investigate the exterior of the building.

He quickly ran into the human leader, as the building crew got down from their position of work. Before the human could say anything, the Griffon King quickly asked, “It is done?”

“Indeed,” replied the human. “The Embassy of the United States is fully built. All that’s left is to raise the flag over it, and it’s official.”

“If only it was a little farther away from the palace,” the King muttered. He didn’t anticipate the building would be so large. Pushing the wish aside, the griffon opened his mouth and asked, “When can I expect the diplomatic mission to arrive?”

“I sent for them three and a half months ago, in anticipation of our completion. If they departed right away, they should arrive within a few weeks. More likely, though, that they will arrive a bit later.”

“So, what will happen with you now?”

“Us? We will return to the United States. We have done our task.”

“Good.” The King turned away without another word and returned to the palace.

About three and a half months earlier…

Robert R. Livingston, age 63, knocked on the door to the office.

“Come,” came the call from within.

The elderly man opened the door to reveal the newly elected President of the United States: James Madison. The fellow Democratic-Republican stood at the sight of Livingston, saying, “Mister Livingston! Welcome.”

Livingston walked in, saying, “You asked to see me, Mister President?”

“Yes. But before we began, I should tell you that everything we are about to discuss is absolutely and completely confidential. Any discussion about this with anyone else can and will be prosecuted as treason.”

Livingston blinked, then said, “I understand.”

“Good.” The President studied the other man for a moment, then asked, “What do you know about the Pacific Northwest?”

December 22, 1809
Kingdom of Griffonia

“Remind me, why are we doing this?” asked King Odrynn.

His counselor looked at him, taken slightly aback. “Sir, it is polite to receive diplomats in a formal ceremony.”

“Polite. Ha!” the King grumbled. After a moment, he turned to face the doors, saying, “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s get this over with.”

With that, he walked out the palace doors into the streets of his into the blaring of trumpets. The human stood across the road, flanked by a Griffonian honor guard. It should be noted that the honor guard was armed with real, standard issue swords and spears of Griffonia, not with the ceremonial weapons usually issued to guards operating such situations.

The King still had his doubts.

Watching the proceeding was Princess Celestia and Princess Luna of Equestria. The King had invited them to witness the ceremony, as friends of Griffonia.

As the ring of the trumpets slowly faded away, the human diplomat slowly moved forward, stepping in concert with the guards. The griffon studied him intently as he approached. He stood a little taller than the King, and carried himself proudly. To the griffon’s eye, he looked rather old.

When the human was about arm’s reach from the King, he stopped. Livingston then pulled a small bundle of papers - bound by a sheet of leather - out from one of the many folds in his clothing. Inclining his head, he offered them to King Odrynn, saying, “I present these, my letters of accreditation to you, Great King Odrynn, in hopes that my service here will lead to lasting peace and friendship between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Griffonia.”

Reaching out, the King grabbed the papers. He then made a show of examining them. In reality, the papers had already been carefully examined by him. But ceremonies were ceremonies, and the demands of courtesy had to be met.

After looking at them for the appropriate interval, the King lowered the papers, made eye contact with Livingston, and said, “I, King Odrynn of the Kingdom of Griffonia, accept your letters of accreditation and acknowledge you as the resident ambassador of the United States of America. On behalf of all of my subjects, I welcome you to Griffonia, and hope that your presence will lead to bright future for both the Kingdom of Griffonia and the United States of America.”

His bit said, the griffon bowed his head, as the human did the same. When they straightened, the griffon looked into the human’s eyes, trying to find some hint to the human’s attitude towards him.

Nothing. This human could give Celestia a run for her bits, King Odrynn thought grimly. The idea of dealing with two master diplomats, one from the south and one from the east, did not appeal to him.

The accreditation ceremony over, the trumpets sound one last piece of fanfare. When the last note had finally ended, the crowd slowly started to disperse. As they did, the man looked to the King, asking “Your Majesty, permission to withdraw?”

“Granted.”

The human turned and walked away, heading towards the embassy.

“Glad that’s over,” muttered the King, watching as the two Princesses of Equestria talked amongst themselves. Discarding them from his mind, he turned back to re-enter his palace.

If he had looked over his shoulder, he would have seen the two ponies following the human.

Celestia walked after the human, named Livingston apparently, fervently hoping that the King was not watching. Not that they were technically doing anything wrong, but she couldn’t help but think that the griffon would not approve.

The elderly human soon took notice, and turned around. He had, of course, seen the two Princesses at the beginning of the ceremony. Before, he had simply put them out of his head, as the ceremony was about begin. But now, the human’s curiosity was aroused.

The Princess of the Sun saw him stop, and also noticed the slight curiosity on the edges of the human’s eyes. For her part, the pony recognized a master diplomat when she saw one.

This will be interesting…

Whispering to Princess Luna, Celestia said “This one is skilled. This will be nothing like our discussions with Odrynn.”

“You take the lead,” camed the muttered reply. “You have more experience than me.”

Celestia gave a small smile, but did not answer, for the human was now within earshot.

“Good morning,” said the human. “I do not believe that we have been formally introduced.”

“I am Princess Celestia, and this is my sister, Princess Luna.”

“How do you do? I am pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“I am as well.”

“My name is Robert Livingston. I assume you know I am the ambassador to Griffonia.”

“Of course.”

The human paused for a moment, doing what the Princess assumed to be gathering his thoughts.

In reality, though, the human was considering exactly what he was seeing. It was apparent to the man that the horse on the right, the one that had identified herself as Celestia, was no stranger to the nuances of diplomacy. This one will bear watching, he thought to himself, as the two species continued to watch each other. Now, the one on the left, though, seemed to be less experienced. It was hard to gauge, however, because she hadn’t said anything.

Hoping to maneuver the conversation into a position where he could learn more, he asked, “Am I correct in assuming you have no position of leadership in this Kingdom?” The scant reports given by Lewis and Clark had suggested as much.

Celestia heard the question, phrased in an almost perfectly smooth tone. Deciding that answering the question would not cause any substantial harm, she said, “That would be correct. Neither Luna nor I possess any authority over this Kingdom.” After a moment of pause, she decided to amend her statement by saying, “No, my sister and I jointly rule the Principality of Equestria.”

Now that had an effect, she noticed. The human hid it well, but Celestia’s trained eye noticed the human’s eyebrows go up by a fraction of an inch. While he quickly recomposed himself, the motion was still noted by Celestia.

To be fair, the news did not terribly surprised him. After all, the reports did mention Equestria. However, the one Princess discovered by the Corps of Discovery was lathender, which means…

“If I am not mistaken, your country is ruled by at least three individuals.”

“Something like that,” said Celestia evasively, trying to avoid disclosing too much about the political landscape of the region.

Livingston noticed the evasive answer, but decided not to press the issue.

As Celestia looked at the human, she felt her mind racing a million miles a minute. As she was still considering her next move, the human spoke.

“May I enquire as to what your species calls itself? I cannot help but think that ‘horses’ is incorrect.”

Celestia nodded, saying, “Yes. My species is known as ‘ponies.’”

There was fleeting look on the human’s face that Celestia could not quite identify. Humor? No, not exactly. Confusion? Not really that either. Something in between?

Whatever it was, the human recovered remarkably fast. His diplomatic mask back firmly into place, Livingston decided that he had learned everything he was going to, and moved towards business. “Well, how may I help Your Highnesses?”

Celestia noticed the shift in attitude, and mirrored it in kind. “With all due respect, Ambassador, your nation, the United States of America, is something of an unknown to us. What can you tell us?”

The human, remembering the policies of secrecy invoked by the Equestrians before, replied, “Certainly...as long as you answer one question I ask for every that you ask.”

Here, it was Celestia’s turn to let something through her diplomatic armor, as she gave a small grimace.

This is the turning point, she thought. Either prolonged secrecy, or knowledge of this nation.

Princess Luna, noticing her sister’s indecision, said, “Will you allow a moment to discuss?”

“Certainly,” the human said. He then withdrew dozen or so steps away.

The two Princesses huddled together, and held a quick council.

“Sister, why are you even considering this?” hissed Luna. “We cannot allow Equestria to come in contact with these foreigners. ”

“Luna. Look. These humans...I don’t really like these humans. However, we must consider the very real scenario where we fail to repair the ward surrounding Equestria and the humans come for us. This is our best opportunity to learn something in case they do come. If we do fail, then we are ready. But if we succeed in repairing the ward, then nothing is lost.”

Leaving the her sister behind, Celestia walked back to the human. “We accept your deal. You are welcome to ask the first question.”

“Very well. First, then, what is the official name of your country?”

Celestia sighed. “We lead the Principality of Equestria.”

Livingston nodded.

“Ok. Now, what is a ‘President’ and who is the current one in your country?”

The human ambassador nodded, then said “The President is the head of the state of the United States. The current one is James Madison, a member of the Democratic-Republican political party.”

“But a man named Thomas Jefferson claimed to be the President when they established the embassy in Griffonia,” Luna objected.

The human nodded, then said, in a slightly confused tone, “Why, yes.”

“You mean to say that your country has experienced a change in leadership in the past few years?”

“...yes…” he said, still sounding confused.

“Was there a coup or…” Celestia’s question trailed off as she remembered the name of one of the Six Founders of Equestria...Chancellor Puddinghead…

“Is the United States of America a democracy? Or maybe a republic?” asked Luna, obviously on a similar train of thought.

“The United States is a democratically-elected republic, in which the people elect parts of their own to represent their interests,” replied the ambassador.

“Like the ancient Earth Pony Republic. Or the pre-Discord Equestrian Republic,” muttered Princess Luna.

“You are familiar with this system of government?” asked the human.

“We are aware of it,” replied Celestia. “It’s been thousands of years since an independent democracy or republic has existed in this territory, though.”

“Interesting,” replied the human, making note of that in his mind. Knowing that it was now his turn to ask a question, the human asked, “When was the Principality of Equestria founded?”

Celestia raised her eyebrows slightly, for she was certain the human was going to ask about the location of Equestria. Either way, she answered, “That is a difficult question answer. The Principality as it exists now, with four ruling Princesses, is less than a decade old. However, the Principality of Equestria was founded - oh, when was it, Luna? It must have been founded over thirteen hundred years ago, after the Harmonious Revolution and the overthrow of the tyrant, Discord.”

“You speak as though you were there at the end of this ‘Harmonious Revolution,’” said Livingston.

“But we were,” replied Celestia. “We organized the revolution, oversaw the mobilization of our nation, encited the rebellion ourselves, and administered the final coup de grâce against Discord himself. After, the ponies offered the crowns of Equestria to us, and we accepted.”

The diplomat struggled to contain his incredibly. “You...you mean to say that you and your sister are both other one thousand, three hundred years old?”

“Yes,” replied Celestia. She was actually finding the human’s surprise incredibly entertaining.

As for Livingston, the poor human was suffering of something akin to total mental shutdown. As well-versed in diplomacy he was, nothing had prepared him for anything quite like this.

“Princesses,” he said, after a moment, “are you immortal?”

The good-natured smile that had formed on Celestia’s face in reaction to the human’s shock vanished instantly. “That,” said Celestia, speaking carefully, “is a question that, when answered, may possibly rip the social and political fabric of Equestria apart. As a result, I will simply refrain from answering, and I urge you to never ask that question again. Or share it with any of your colleagues.”

The human blinked, then bowed his head, deciding to obey the Princess’s wish.

With that, both species determined that the discussions were effectively rendered defunct. When the human took his leave and entered the embassy, neither of the Princesses tried to stop him.

Discovery

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Discovery

The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

June 18, 1812

“Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That war be and is hereby declared to exist between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the dependencies thereof, and the United States of America and their territories; and that the President of the United States is hereby authorized to use the whole land and naval force of the United States to carry the same into effect, and to issue to private armed vessels of the United States commissions or letters of marque and general reprisal, in such form as he shall think proper, and under the seal of the United States, against the vessels, goods, and effects of the government of the said United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the subjects thereof.”

James Madison stared at the declaration before him for a moment, took up his pen and attached a graceful signature to it. When he finished, he put down the pen and looked up, saying, “God help us all.”

June 30, 1812

Robert Jenkinsons, newly elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, sat at his table, pouring over the reports of troop movements from France.

“Napoleon's acting up again,” he muttered. As the reports said, thousands of French (and allied) troops were moving towards Russia.

Of course, the Prime Minister had no way of knowing that the United States had declared war. It will take weeks more before word of the declaration would reach the British Isles.

As he poured over the scouting reports, he slowly became more and more depressed, seeing the need to organize yet another coalition to put down the French menace. Remembering the humiliating defeats dealt to the last five coalitions assembled against Napoleon and the French, it was not something the new Prime Minister was eager to do.

Deciding to move onto less depressing subjects for the day, the man shifted from the stack of scouting reports to maps of the British colonial possessions. Nothing was strange, per se, until he reached the map of British Columbia.

“This is interesting,” he muttered, studying the map intently. Quite frankly, he was surprised that there was a large area south of the established colony that looked simply blank.

Deciding that this could not stand, the Prime Minister picked up a pen and started writing:

By order of the Prime Minister of Great Britain, the United Kingdom now offers a reward to the one who charts the territory south of British Columbia…

July 18, 1812

Kingdom of Griffonia

“What?”

“I said that the United States is at now at war, and I am obligated to inform you as such,” replied Livingston.

“At war? With who?” asked the griffon King.

“With the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.”

The King hesitated for a moment, filing away the name of this other nation for further investigation, before saying, “Over what?”

“This is a copy of the declaration of war, and the an explanation of the casus belli,” said the human, passing a sheet of paper over.

“‘Violation of international shipping rights...illegal searches of American vessels...violent impressment of American citizens.’ These are dire charges,” noted the King.

“Indeed,” replied the diplomat.

“So, why did you make a point of telling me this?” asked King Odrynn. “As far as I can tell, this does not concern my nation in any meaningful manner.”

As the human considered his response, the King took another moment to annoyed by the fact that all the diplomats the humans could have sent, he had to get the master of diplomacy, rivaled only by Celestia herself.

He pushed the irritation aside as the human continued by asking “Do you agree that these are things that threaten the very foundation of international civility?”

Feeling as if the question was a trick, the King said, somewhat nervously, “To a degree.” After a moment, he decided to amend the statement with a pointed question: “Where are you going with this?”

The human looked at the griffon sideways, as if he was calculating his next move. After a moment, he said, “Perhaps our nations can come to an agreement. Maybe an exchange of technology for a donation of troops?”

In later days, King Odrynn would hang his head in shame at the memory that he considered the offer. For a whole ten seconds, no less.

But, he could also draw comfort in the fact that after he snapped back to his senses, he said:

“How foolish do you think I am? If I send my troops to aid yours, they will get slaughtered! We have not seen war for hundreds of years!”

“But I thought that you have said that the Kingdom has had...issues...with the Principality of Equestria. These never escalated into war?”

“Once, yes, there was war between us. That was over seventeen hundred years ago, before the War of Discordian Aggression and the following Giffonian Uprising. And over the years, we have had our shares of diplomatic crises. But for the most part, Equestria could trounce us in any war...at least, until recently.”

The human diplomat mulled this revelation over for a few minutes, then nodded. “Very well. Is this your final answer?”

“Yes. Go fight your own wars. Griffonia has neither the resources nor the inclination to fight them for you.”

July 23, 1812

Canterlot, Equestria

“War?” asked Celestia, standing next to her window, glaring out into the clouds.

“Yes,” replied the griffon King.

“Why?” asked Princess Twilight, appearing incredibly confused.

“Something about neutral shipping rights and impressment of American sailors,” replied the King.

“I hate to be the one to ask this question,” said Luna, “but what, if anything, do we do about it?”

“What can we do?” asked Celestia. “Let’s face it: we are not only ill-equipped, but we are also completely in the dark. We don’t even know anything about this ‘United Kingdom,’ aside from it being a kingdom, united with others, and apparently hostile with the United States.”

“What are you saying?” asked Twilight.

“I am saying that in the face of war and violence, Equestria is at the mercy of these creatures when gunpowder and professional militaries...ever since the Lunar Rebellion, Equestria has been a demilitarized state. Our only standing army, if it deserves such a term, is the Royal Guard, and, let’s be honest, they are outdated by a few hundred years. And with all due respect King Odrynn, your forces are not much better.”

The King bowed his head. As humiliating as it was, he was honest enough to not try to dupe the ponies otherwise.

“Princess, are you saying that we need to strengthen ourselves? Adopt this war-like posture? War and violence runs counter to the core ideas of harmony and Celestialism,” pointed out Cadance.

Here, Celestia hesitated. While she recognized Equestria’s weakness, she was loath to re-introduce the ideas of suffering to her nation of innocent ponies…

“I am saying,” she said after a moment, “that someday, sooner or later, we will need to ask some hard questions. And if we cannot...then I fear for the future.”

August 29, 1812

Kingdom of Griffonia

“Your Majesty, the human diplomat wishes to speak with you,” came the perfectly neutral call from a royal bodyguard.

“Very well,” the King replied. “Send him in.”

The doors to the palace opened, and in walked the elderly human.

“You appear ill, Mister Livingston,” King Odrynn noticed. “Should I send for a healer?”

“No,” replied the human, in a somewhat quieter voice than he had used in the past.

“Suit yourself,” the griffon muttered. In a more audible tone, the King asked, “Then, what can I do for you?”

In a similarly subdued voice, the human said, “Something very disturbing has come to light recently. It has to do with the conduct of this Kingdom in the building of the United States’ embassy.”

“Oh?”

“It has come to our attention that your kingdom violated the property rights of the workers building the embassy, specifically regarding enslaved persons.”

“The Kingdom of Griffonia reserves the right to intervene in the affairs of a subject if the government feels that basic rights are being violated,” replied the King, in somewhat brittle tone.

“For your subjects, maybe,” replied the ambassador. “But the humans that were working on this projects were not your subjects.”

“Irrelevant. As the sovereign ruler of these territories, I am charged with protecting all who reside in Griffonia, even those who only reside temporarily. And this applies to your so-called ‘slaves’ as well.”

“The slaves are the property of their owners,” replied the ambassador. “As such, if the owner of the slave wishes to beat him, then he can. In the-”

The King held up a claw. “I do not care how you do things in your United States,” he replied, now getting angry. “In this nation, every single sentient creature will treat each other with respect and dignity. And if you cannot do that, then I will ensure that you are punished to the harshest degree afforded by Griffonian law. No exceptions. At all.”

“...Very well,” said the human. He slowly got up and walked out of the building. He paused at the door, however, and said, “The United States does not think highly of those who disrespect property rights...I urge you to reconsider your position.”

“Over my dead body.”

The door boomed shut.

December 12, 1815

Kingdom of Griffonia

“What now?” growled the King as heard the alarm bells sound. Getting up from his throne, the griffon ran across the room to speak with his guards, asking, “What news?”

“We’re not yet sure, sir,” replied the one to the right.

The King made a violent gesture, saying, “Well, then find out, idiot!” After a moment, he amended his statement, saying, “And assemble all the troops you can scrape together, while you’re at it.”

The guard quickly left to spread word of his orders.

The King paced for a few minutes, but soon decided to follow and see what was going on for himself. To this effect, he threw open the doors of the palace to a maelstrom of activity, as troops assembled and couriers carried messages.

Of course, it was downright pouring.

Gathering up his breath, the King, for the first time in several years, put his vocal chords to use in the full potential.

“WHERE IS THE GRIFFON THAT SOUNDED THE ALARM? BRING HIM TO ME!”

His yell, that echoed of the buildings, mountains, and was actually heard all the way to Ponyville in Equestria, caused everybody in his capital to temporarily stop what they were doing and look in his direction. After a moment or two, the hustle slowly resumed, and a single griffon, his head down in the traditional pose, presented himself to the King.

“Rise,” said King Odrynn. As the griffon did, the King saw that he was barely of age, and that he was clearly terrified of his King. Moderating his posture and tone, the ruler asked, in a tone that was not really gentle, but was far from harsh, “What did you see, lad?”

“...A ship, sir,” replied the youngster. “A ship larger than one I’ve ever seen.”

“What is going on here?” asked a rather sick-sounding voice. Turning around, the King saw the elderly human diplomat from the United States.

“When I find out, I will be sure to tell you,” replied the King, slightly annoyed.

“Anyways,” he said, turning back to his subject, “I want you to lead me to this ship you found.”

“Right away, sir. Follow me!”

After fast-walking through chaos for about fifteen minutes, the two griffons finally arrived at the edge of the town. And much to the dismay of the King, the young griffon was not mistaken. Indeed, a large vessel, made mostly out of wood, was crashing through the waves as it approached the beach. As mighty as the vessel was, though, the storm had reduced its speed to a slow crawl.

“More humans?” the King asked under his breath. “And they’re moving south…towards Equestria...”

After a moment of consideration, he turned to the youth and said, “You have keen eyes. Well done.” As the griffon flushed with pride, the King said “Dismissed.”

The youth retreated, as the King turned back around and ran as quick as he could towards the palace. When he arrived, he barked out orders, “Muster as many troops as possible!”

The reply of his generals, however, was lost to him. For in that moment, from the south, there was a brilliant surge of red light, brighter than the sun. The light lasted for over one whole minute, and by the time it faded, the King was left with no doubt as to its point of origin.

Neither, apparently, was the ship. After a moment, the vessel changed course. Instead of heading for the beach, the ship turned to its right and started moving towards the territory south of Griffonia.

“Well, it appears we dodged the problem here,” said General Tailfeather.

“Don’t party just yet,” said King Odrynn, his eyes fixed on the ship. “For now, without a doubt, they know.”

“Know of what?”

“Equestria.”

Earlier that day

Canterlot, Equestria

“Are we ready yet?” asked Luna, slightly impatiently.

“Yes, yes, one minute,” replied Twilight, frowning as she completed the final calculation. Quickly glancing over her hoofwork, she nodded to herself, then turned to the other Princesses.

“It’s ready.”

“Good,” replied Celestia. “Let’s repair this ward, then.”

“Let’s.” Closing their eyes, the four Princesses focused on the spell, in an effort to patch and repair the ward protecting the Equestrian mainland.

As Twilight channeled her magic, the alicorn did her best to monitor the flow and check for any discrepancies. When it comes to repairing such an ancient spell, one must make sure that absolutely everything is in place, else the smallest irregularity might spark a destructive chain reaction.

As skilled and well-studied Twilight was, though, it simply was not enough. For after about thirty seconds, the energy input from the four Princesses spiked, to levels far above what the spell’s ancient framework could support.

This would not have been a problem, if it was not for the fact that the archaic spell did not immediately show the warning signs of a spell spiraling out of control. And by the time any of the Princesses had noticed it, the spike had set off a cascading chain reaction that could not be stopped by any of the Princesses.

Recognizing the signs, Princess Celestia opened her eyes and shouted “Stop!”

Again, too late. The damage was done, and the reaction took place a few minutes after the last Princess, Cadance, had terminated the flow of magic.

After a moment of silence, a loud screeching noise was heard from the ward over the nation. At the same time, the ward flared red, brighter than the Sun. Twilight felt the temperature increase a few degrees, and realized that the magic stored in the ward was being released.

After almost two whole minutes, the light slowly faded away.

“Well,” said Cadance, “that happened.”

Princess Celestia quickly casted a spell, looking for traces of the ward’s mainframe. Failing to find any, she said, “It appears that...we have failed. The ward has been destroyed.”

As the impact of those words set in, Twilight curled up into something resembling a ball and said, “I’m so sorry! I was certain that-”

Princess Celestia cut her off, saying, “It’s not your fault. I should have foreseen this, myself. I should have realized that the ward would have been overloaded by all four of us.”

There was a knock on the door to the throne room, and a white-coated unicorn guard charged in, saying, “Your Highnesses, what happened? Are we under attack?”

Princess Celestia quickly pulled her mind together, and gave her best shot at a reassuring laugh. “Under attack? No, no, my little pony,” she said, in as reassuring of a voice as she could.

“The nobles are demanding to know what happened.”

Of course they are. “We will talk later,” Celestia said to her fellow Princesses, following the guard out the door.

December 25, 1815 (Hearth’s Warming Eve, 1014 CYP)

Canterlot, Equestria

Now the sunrise lifts us up from the dark,

The dawn bringing light, bringing hope

We will rebuild, for our spirit is strong,

And Harmony will be restored!

As the choir and the orchestra faded into silence with one last piece of fanfare, the crowd rose, as one, their hooves and gave a thunderous outpouring of applause. It was the premiere of the new opera, Moonrise, which told the story of the Lunar Rebellion, if in a somewhat simplified form.

Rising from her seat, Princess Celestia glanced over at her sister. As far as she could tell, the midnight-blue Alicorn had enjoyed it. Despite this, however, the Solar Princess could not help but be slightly worried. After all, the Lunar Rebellion was still a somewhat touchy subject with her sister.

As far as she could tell, though, Princess Luna had put the whole incident out of her mind, for she was applauding just as heartily as any of the other ponies. Relaxing, Celestia resumed her applause with the rest of the crowd.

The roaring applause only doubled when the performers stood and took a bow. In the roar, the Princess leaned over to a nearby guard and said, “Arrange a meeting with the performers, conductors, and organizers. I want to congratulate them face-to-face.”

The guard nodded.

As the roar slowly faded, the ponies started to mill about. for the night was starting to grow old, and the celebrations for Hearth’s Warming the next day were sure to be demanding. Slowly, the crowds began to file out towards the exits, but not before many of them stopped to shake hooves with the performers.

Shaking her head slightly, the Princess slowly began to turn towards the exit from her private box. She would deny it to everypony, of course, but Celestia was looking forward to sleeping in and not having to raise the sun until a luxuriously late 7:23. Granted, most of the nation would have risen by then and started to celebrate the Great Warming that had united Equestria, but what good is being Princess if you weren’t allowed to sleep in once in a while?

Princess Celestia’s comfortable thoughts, however, were interrupted by a member of the Royal Guard that trotted up to her, with an air of urgency about him. He was a pegasus, and his pale gold armor marked him as one of the Day Guard, undoubtedly one of the last ones up, considering the late hour.

Letting loose an internal sigh - she did not dare allow it to show, for the newspapers would have a fit - the Princess asked, “What is the matter?”

“Ma’am, I think you need to see this. Your sister too.” The guard looked anxious and somewhat...almost skittery.

“Very well. Luna, if you will join me?”

Her sister nodded, and fell in behind Celestia. Together, they followed the guard out the building. The pegasus took to the skies, and the two Princesses soon followed.

He pointed with a hoof towards the sea. The Royal Sisters followed it, and for a second, they saw nothing. But after a few moments, the Princesses finally caught it.

“......shit,” muttered Celestia, allowing herself a curse word. Very unlike her, but sometimes “clean” talk just does not do.

Recomposing herself, the Princess said, with a note of urgency, “Sound the alarm! Cancel all leave and recall all members of the Guard. I want all the forces you can muster to report to Captain Shining Armor as soon as possible, and I want him to report to me for further orders. Do it now!”

The guard flew away, towards the ground. A minute or so later, she dimly heard yells and blowing horns as the pony carried out her orders.

“AND GET ME PRINCESS TWILIGHT AND PRINCESS CADANCE! NOW, FOR THE LOVE OF THE SUN!”

Shining Armor’s residence (Same day)

Canterlot, Equestria

“Aww, sweetie,” sighed Cadance, as she unwrapped the perfume Shining had caught her eyeing a few days ago. “You know I don’t need gifts! Especially not from you!”

“It’s Hearth’s Warming Eve! Everypony deserves a little something from the ponies that care about them.”

Cadance smiled warmly at him, and Shining felt his lips raise in return.

Knock, knock, knock.

Of course. “Who is it?” asked Shining, more than slightly annoyed at the disruption in his evening with Cadance.

“The Royal Guard!”

“I thought I said I didn’t want to be disturbed!!!”

The door opened, revealing a gray-coated member of the Day Guard.

“My apologies, sir. But by order of Princess Celestia herself, all leave has cancelled, and all members of the Royal Guard have been recalled. In addition, the Princess has ordered a general mobilization of Canterlot, and orders you to report to her the number of troops you were able to muster as soon as possible.”

“A general mobilization? On Hearth’s Warming Eve?” asked Shining, somewhat shocked. Then, his eyes narrowed and he said, “If this is some kind of joke, or a drill I was not made aware of, I swear on all things under Celestia’s sun-”

“No, sir! All these orders came directly from the Princess.”

The unicorn groaned, then started to move towards his armor, saying, “A general mobilization on Hearth’s Warming Eve. I hope she realizes how few troops I’ll be able to scrape together…”

As Shining moved towards the door, the member of the Day Guard said, “Princess Celestia also requests your presence, Princess Cadance.”

“Of course she does,” Shining heard his wife mumble, as she got up as well.

The Canterlot Suites (Under loan to Twilight Sparkle and friends)

Canterlot Castle, Equestria

“Awful nice of Princess Celestia to let us use these rooms,” said Applejack.

“Indeed,” replied Twilight, who had declined the invitation to observe Moonrise in favor of having a private party with her friends in Canterlot, shielded from the media and prying citizens. Of course, Princess Celestia had called for Twilight’s assistance in the following celebrations with the nobility, but for now…

“PILLOW FIGHT!!” called Pinkie, throwing one of the such projectiles at Rarity.

For now, the six friends would celebrate the way they alway have: with each other.

The party quickly fell into chaos, as alliances in the Great Pillow Fight where made and broken, the fluffy objects flew everywhere, and everypony quickly gathered up a set of minor bruises from the impacts. Even soft objects can do damage when they are thrown fast enough,

The fight, however, was interrupted by a loud knock on the door.

Quickly, all of the ponies stopped what they were doing and stashed the pillows out of sight. Quietly hoping that the Guard had enough sense to turn away prying citizens, Twilight walked up to the door and opened it.

She was partially relieved when the door opened to reveal a member of the Night Guard (Twilight’s division of the Royal Guard had not yet been created).

“Yes?”

“Your Highness, Princess Celestia requests your presence. Right away.”

“We’re coming too!” yelled Rainbow, and the five other ponies quickly joined Twilight’s side.

“I’m sorry, but no. Princess Celestia has also issued a general mobilization of Canterlot and ordered that all civilians stay in their homes.”

“Screw that, we’re coming,” replied Dash. Noises of assent sounded from the other four ponies.

“No, Dash,” said Twilight, feeling kind of bad. “You and I both must still follow the rules. They are there for a reason, after all.”

Not allowing her friends a chance to respond, Twilight followed the guard out the door.

As Princess Twilight flew towards Celestia, the elder Princess smiled. The Alicorn adjusted her course to intercept Celestia, no doubt with an array of questions for her former mentor.

As she arrived, Celestia held up a hoof, cutting off any questions that Twilight had before she could start. Instead, she simply pointed.

“Oh, dear,” said Twilight. Celestia nodded grimly.

Aboard the HMS Majesty

“Captain! The hull was badly damaged by that storm we passed through! We can’t hold her together for much longer!” yelled the first officer of the HMS Majesty.

“Well, do you see a place we could possibly go ashore?” demanded the captain, a man named Elijah Walter. He was a little-known man who saw the reward money promised by the mother country, and decided to take his chances and scrape together a ship and crew.

Little did he know, at the time, at least, that this expedition would change the course of history.

“Sir! You...you should see this…” called the man in the crow’s nest, pointing off towards the coast.

Sighing, the captain pulled out his spyglass and looked in the direction the man had indicated. After focusing it for a moment, he saw it.

It was, beyond a doubt, one of the most splendid cities the man had ever seen. The city - no, city was too common of a name for the collection of structures. The vast collection of structures that stood before him could easily rival the palaces of Versailles and Westminster themselves for the title of grandest buildings. The buildings were made of a brilliant white marble that caught the moonlight and reflected it, giving the entire city a soft glow. The buildings were laced with a metal that looked a lot like gold, and they were capped with a purple substance that reminded the captain of amethyst.

Two things immediately became clear to Walter:

1. The residents of the territory were rich, almost beyond measure

2. And they were nothing like the so-called American Indians, for building such a wealthy set of buildings would require a degree of political authority that the vast majority of the chiefs of the natives simply lacked

When he realized this, the question became, What should he do? On one hand, in his mind, a civilization this wealthy was sure to have formidable defenses. And if he listened very carefully, he could just barely make out the sounds of horns being blown, which means that the inhabitants had seen his vessel. Perhaps a hasty retreat and regroup was the best option available to him, before going forth.

And yet...while logic told him that retreat was wise, the adventurer in him was having none of it. A small, but loud and persistent part of Walter knew that he was standing at the brink of history, and wanted to push on, to find the masters of this splendid territory and to explore the great unknown.

Of course, the adventurer won.

“Forward!” yelled the captain, pointing towards the city. “Full sail! And look sharp boys, for today we are changing the history of man!”

He was half right. For, yes, they were changing history. But not just that of humanity. Millions of lives were about to be changed. And before the century ended, his name would equally praised and cursed.

First (Official) Contact

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First (Official) Contact
The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

Hearth’s Warming Eve, 1014 CYP (December 25, 1815)
Canterlot, Equestria

“What should we do?” asked Twilight, nervousness clear on her voice.

Behind her mask of calm, Celestia’s mind was on overdrive. “Where’s Shining Armor?” she asked, with a barely hidden note of urgency.

A pink Alicorn flew up alongside the informal Royal Council meeting. “He’s down on the ground, waiting for you to give him orders,” said Cadance, for the pink Alicorn was, indeed, Princess Cadance. “I may add that he’s more than a little ticked over being forced to mobilize the guard on Hearth’s Warming Eve. And I doubt that he’s the only one.” Her last sentence was rather pointed.

Celestia felt, for a second, a pang of guilt. They must have been having a special evening.

The guilt vanished quickly, however, when she saw the ship changing course. It was heading right for them.

Celestia, seeing this, dived quickly, without a word to her fellow Princesses. Spotting the Captain of the Guard, she landed beside the white unicorn.

“Captain Shining Armor, reporting for duty!” said Shining, snapping to attention. Underneath his professional mask, though, Celestia picked up on the anger that Cadance had been speaking of.

Pushing the issue aside, though, Celestia adopted a business tone and asked, “Report on the Guard and it’s current readiness, Captain.”

“Yes, ma’am! In response to the general mobilization of Canterlot, five hundred soldiers of the Night Guard have reported for duty, under the command of Lieutenant Starry Scale. As of now, one hundred fifty members of the Day Guard have reported to myself. We await orders, Your Highness.”

Making a few quick decisions, Celestia said, “Have the Guard follow us. Keep a distance while we meet with these...what I presume are humans. Be ready, just in case.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“And get me a retinue of a dozen guards, purely for ceremonial acts,” added Celestia, as an afterthought.

Turning around, the Princess motioned to the other three Princesses, who quickly joined her on the ground. As one, they marched to meet the humans.

HMS Majesty

“Brace yourselves!” ordered the captain. “We’re running her aground!”

The crew grabbed onto anything that was relatively stable as the ship headed towards the beach. The city that they would later know as Canterlot had a port, of course, but it was much too small for vessel the size of the Majesty.

The ship was moving moderately fast - over ten meters per second - and the stopping was rough, sufficient to shake most of the crew loose, including the captain himself.

“Well, here we are,” said the first officer, somehow still standing.

Quickly breathing a very quick prayer of thanks to his God, the human captain slowly started moving...only to find he was wedged between two large planks of wood. Getting out seemed to be quite the trick.

“Crap!” he heard the first officer exclaim, presumably as he noticed the captain’s entrapment. “Where’s our ax?” he yelled, undoubtedly looking for a way to cut the captain out.

“It...It must have flown overboard!” came the anguished reply. “It’s nowhere to be found!”

“Damn! Well, then the natives must have one! We need to get them to help!”

Here, the captain gave a small groan, as he did not want them to speak with the natives of the region without him. But the wood absorbed the groaning, and the crew did not notice it.

“Humans!” said Luna, as several of them appeared in her view.

“So it seems,” replied Celestia. And thus, my fears are confirmed…

“There’re almost frantic,” observed Twilight. “I wonder if something is-”

As she said this, the humans noticed them. Now, as nobody on the Majesty (except the captain) was an officer in the British navy, but rather a group of colonists seeking an easy fortune, they lacked discipline that officers would. The second they saw the ponies, the group of five did a collective double-take. They took a step back, hesitated for a moment, then, as if compelled against their will, resumed their run towards the Princesses, but at a slightly slower pace.

“Something is wrong,” noted Celestia.

When they came within a few meters, the Royal Guards crossed their spears and looked at the humans suspiciously. The humans stopped, and one of them started to speak. “Look, I don’t know who or what you are, but we need your help!”

“Who are you?” replied the foremost guard.

“Who is in charge here?” demanded the human, the desperation now clear to Princess Celestia. “We need help!”

Making a snap decision, Celestia walked forward and said, “Thank you. Stand down, guardponies.”

The guards turned and looked at her for a minute, then slowly parted for the Princesses.

“I am Princess Celestia, co-ruler of the Principality of Equestria. This is my sister, Princess Luna, my niece, Princess Cadance, and a former student, Princess Twilight Sparkle. We are the ones ‘in charge’ around these parts. You require assistance?”

The humans took a step back, undoubtedly because the Princesses’ imposing presence. Gathering his thoughts, the first officer of the Majesty spoke quickly, “We do, Your Highnesses. Our ship is damaged, and our captain is trapped in-”

“Say no more,” replied Celestia, nodding to Twilight.

The former student stepped forward and said, “If you will lead me to the site, I might be able to help.”

Normally, the first officer would have scoffed at such on offer. Really, in a normal situation, he would be convinced that he had finally gone insane, with the colorful horses speaking and having wings and whatnot.

But this was no normal time, and the captain was in danger. Questions would have to wait.

“Follow me,” he said, and started to jog back to the ship. Twilight followed, and when the vessel came into clear sight, she had to stop herself from gasping at the grand ship.

Excellent design. Maybe we could get some ponies to study this, see if we cannot build one of our own…

Pushing such thoughts from her mind, she trotted to a stop beside the place the humans claimed their leader was stuck. Opening her mind, she immersed herself in rivers of magic that she knew oh so well and began to reach out with her mind, trying to find the life-force of the human.

She found it, and quickly began magically probing the area around the human. To her, it seemed that the human was simply stuck in a massive pile of debris. As she analyzed the wood, it became apparent to her that almost every one of the pieces of wood were much too heavy to be lifted by muscle alone. Something akin to a mast had fallen on him.

But where brute strength may fail, magic and fitness may yet succeed, Twilight had learned. As such, she quickly applied her knowledge of physics, fulcrums, and force magnification to her knowledge of magic and used rudimentary machines to enhance her mechanical advantage over the debris.

The work took some fifteen minutes, as Twilight had to make sure to triple check each of her spells before she cast a single one, in case she moved too fast and destabilized the whole pile.

Finally, as she moved out the final large piece of debris, the human buried within moaned. The first officer sprung forward and helped him up, along with most of the crew.

As Captain Elijah Walter got to his feet, he was not quite sure if he was hallucinating or not. For he saw a colorful pony with wings and and a horn...but surely the myths of the unicorn were false! And were they not supposed to be pure white, instead of this shade of lavender?

Princess Twilight, for her part, felt the scrutiny of the human and shifted uncomfortably under it. Attempting to break the awkward silence, she asked, “Are you hurt?”

The human jumped slightly at the unexpected words. Quickly composing himself, he said, “A few bruises and cuts...nothing more.”

“Good,” said Twilight, feeling relieved.

Now that the conversational block was broken, the human felt more comfortable plowing forward: “My apologies, but I have never seen a creature like you before…”

“Of course. Where are my manners? I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, co-ruler of Equestria,” said Twilight.

“I am Captain Elijah Walter, of the ship Majesty. We are from the British Empire, or the United Kingdom.”

Recognizing the name of his country, Twilight quickly said, “If you will follow me, I can introduce you to my fellow leaders…”

“I would be pleased to meet them.”

“...and this is Princess Cadance, my sister via marriage,” finished Twilight.

“I am honored,” said the human. “I lack nearly as noble friends as you, but come simply as the servant of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, George III.”

Princess Celestia shifted position and spoke for the first time, saying, “You said you are from the ‘United Kingdom?’”

“A colony of it, but yes. Do you know of it?”

“Very little,” she said carefully. “Only that there was war between it and a republic named the ‘United States of America.’”

“Yes...that war ended several months ago,” replied the human. “All and all, it was something of a foolish distraction, over a few miscommunications and poor decisions on the part of both parties. “

“According to our knowledge, the United States declared the war because your nation impressed their citizens into service and cut off their trade,” said Princess Luna. “Is this true?”

The human shifted uncomfortably, but said, “Well, that is partially true, but only a part of it. What you should know is that the Americans are very good at selling half-truths as fact.” After a moment, he said, “While, yes, the Kingdom did impress a few American citizens, these were accidents in the system. Most of the sailors forced into service were deserters from the Royal Navy, and the United Kingdom does not grant the right for British subjects to relinquish their nationalities and hide like cowards on foreign ships when their country calls upon them to serve.”

Celestia nodded slowly, noting the contempt the human had for the alleged cowards he referenced. “Now, as to their grievances regarding disruption of trade…”

“Of course. You should know that, at the time, the Kingdom was at war with a country named France, attempting to constrain their aggression against another state named Russia. And American merchants traded with France, making them stronger and more difficult to fight. I am not saying that the actions of the United Kingdom were completely in the right, but please, see it from our point of view before you pass judgement.”

“Very well...how did the war fare against this ‘France?’”

“Hmm? Oh, reasonably well. After two bloody years, we were able to force the warmongering Emperor off of his throne and strip his country of much of its ill-begotten territory. Of course, he returned this year and started up some more trouble, but was stopped by another coalition of nations...enough European politics, though.” Here, he paused shifted his bottom hooves - feet? - and then said, “You will forgive me if either I or my crew stare, I hope. We have never seen horses-”

“Ponies,” cut in Luna.

“Pardon?”

“The correct name for our species is ‘pony.’” she responded. “There are also sub-species.”

The human paused for a minute, then shook his head slightly and said, “Right then, my apologies. As I was saying, we have never seen hor-ahem, ponies quite like you...ever. There have been a few myths of similar creatures in the past, but little more.”

“Interesting…” replied Celestia, mentally filing away this knowledge. After a moment, she said, “Well, I must say that you have intriguing timing. Today is Hearth’s Warming Eve, and the ponies across Equestria are projected to throw some of the largest celebrations in our known world - which, granted, is apparently not as large as we thought it was. If you wanted to see an example of Equestrian culture, this night and tomorrow are definitely the times to be here.”

“That’s another interesting coincidence,” replied the human. “Today is December 25, a day celebrated throughout the civilized world as Christmas, remembering the birth of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.”

Perhaps he did not mean it as an insult, but not one of the Princesses of Equestria failed to notice the implication that those who did not celebrate this ‘Christmas’ was not civilized.

Mentally brushing aside the implied meanings for now, Celestia said, “It is interesting to see such cultural similarities. Perhaps we could discuss this more later. But it is late, and I assume that your ship will need repairs and the such before you can travel back to your home, correct?”

“Umm...I will have to look at the ship, but I would assume so, Your Highness.”

“Very well. I suppose that in the mean time you will need to rest and relax. Guards!”

The Royal Guards snapped to attention. At this, the humans flinched, then relaxed.

“Make whatever arrangements are necessary for our...guests. See to their comfort, and ensure they get plenty of food. Answer their questions as you see fit, and allow nopony to disturb them, except those under orders from one of us.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

“Now, if you’ll excuse me,” said Celestia dryly, “I need to go explain to the press why I ordered a general mobilization of Canterlot during a holiday, while avoiding a panic. That should be fun.”

“Good luck,” replied Luna, dryly as well.

“I’ll need it,” muttered Celestia.

“Well, this is impressive,” said Captain Walter, as he walked through the city of Canterlot.

The guard that was escorting him said, “This is Canterlot, the seat of Equestrian power. It was built just over a thousand years ago, and is the shining jewel of the realm.”

“A thousand years…?” asked the human.

“Yes. Founded just after the devastation of the Lunar Rebellion, it was build to replace the Castle of the Two Sisters, which was destroyed in battle. It’s construction nearly bankrupted the nation, but since then its position has made it develop into a massive trade hub for all of Equestria.”

“So it has paid for itself.”

“Many times over, by now.”

The human’s pace shifted slightly, as he noticed something interesting in the pony’s previous answer: “The Lunar Rebellion? What is this you speak of?”

A shadow fell over the guard’s face, and the human noted that he missed a step. “The Lunar Rebellion...one of Equestria’s darker moments. It occurred just over a thousand years ago, and is remembered to this day in the Summer Sun Celebration. The Rebellion was the...the end point of a very complicated political and personal dispute between Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. It reached it’s height when Luna, corrupted by dark magic, brought up the moon to cloak the sun and attempted to administer a coup against Princess Celestia.”

“And?”

“She failed, of course. Princess Celestia banished her to moon for exactly one thousand years, and the troops she lead were either destroyed or disbanded. Still...ponies fighting ponies…” The pony shuttered.

The human nodded, but he felt that something was wrong with that statement. It should be noted that he dismissed the claim that Luna controlled the moon as pure superstition. After mulling for a moment, he found it. “Did you say that this rebellion involved both Princess Celestia and Luna?”

“Yes.”

“The rulers I just met?”

“The same.”

“And...it happened over a thousand years ago?”

“...Yes.”

“You mean to tell me,” said Walter, “that those Princesses have been alive for over a thousand years?”

“Actually, closer to thirteen hundred years, but yes.”

“I...I...Excuse me if I find that difficult to believe,” the human replied, experiencing something like what Livingston felt when he learned of the Princesses’ age. “Are they immortal?”

The guard stopped dead in his tracks for a moment, tilting his head thoughtfully. “You know what? I don’t know. Nopony does for sure, except maybe the Princesses themselves. I think by now, though, everypony just assumes that the two sisters will live and rule forever.”

“That doesn’t sound right,” muttered the human.

“Hmm?”

Trying to find a diplomatic way of saying what was on his mind, Walter said, “No monarch, king, queen, princess, whatever, should live forever. Even if they’re not held accountable to their subjects, ultimately, they can all be held accountable to death. An immortal, however...they hold no allegiance to anybody.”

“Well,” said the guard slowly, “I see what you mean, at least theoretically. But Princess Celestia, and recently Luna, have ruled with an even hoof for all of their reign. They hold themselves accountable to the ponies underneath them. We have nothing to fear from them. Plus, every time one of your rulers dies, what happens then? Is the crown arbitrarily passed on to a relative of the ruler? Or, better yet, what if there is no heir? The crown is up for grabs, and the strongest claimant takes it, right? What defines the strongest claimant?”

“Well-”

“The military, of course. Civil war. Chaos. Distruction. No, this way, Equestria remains a stable and harmonious state.”

“Huh.”

“Any other questions about the political landscape of Equestria?” asked the guard.

“Actually, yes. You said that Princess Luna openly rebelled against and attempted to overthrow her sister?”

“That is correct.”

“And yet, she was allowed to retake her throne?”

“Yes.”

“...After committing high treason and leading ponies up in arms against her sister.”

“Correct.”

“Excuse me, but that makes no sense. Shouldn’t she have been imprisoned? Or exiled? Or executed?”

At this, the guard recoiled. “Executed? Why in the name of all things under Celestia’s sun would we do that?”

“Because that is the penalty for high treason...at least, where I come from, that is,” replied the human.

“And you will note that this is not where you come from,” came the somewhat biting reply. “Here, we do not dole out punishments that cannot be reversed. Here, Equestria is concerned with remedying whatever caused the crime and then re-integrating the criminal back into society, so that they can continue on with their life. Also, it should be pointed out that Luna first had to endure one thousand years of isolation and banishment. I think that warrants punishment enough. And, finally, even if we wanted to execute her - which we don’t - we don’t even know if Alicorns can be killed.”

“Still, to allow a former rebel to retake such a prominent position of political authority...are you guys sure that was a good idea?”

The guard sighed again. “Yes, I suppose I get your meaning. Which is why, for the first year or so after the Lunar Restoration, certain nobles insisted that restrictions be installed on her. For instance, the Night Guard was not reformed right away, but rather a wing of Celestia’s guard was assigned to protect her. She was also barred from holding an independent court, making most public appearances, and every major decision that she made had to be ratified by her sister or a small council of nobles. These rules lasted for about a year, then when the nobles petitioned for their extension, Celestia herself struck them down and restored Luna’s position.”

“Exactly how much power do these nobles have over the Princesses?”

Here, the guard laughed. “Actual, real political power? Absolutely none, despite what they would have you believe. No, the nobility is little more than a bunch of big names. Occasionally, however, the Princesses listen to a few suggestions from them, if only to keep the nobles from getting too uppity and annoying. But don’t let that fool you. The only one that may have any kind of legitimate claim to political power is Prince Blueblood, who claims to be very distantly related to the Royal Sisters. Any kind of familial link has never been conclusively proven, and the sisters have never confirmed nor denied the connection.”

For several minutes, the group of humans and ponies walked in silence. The humans reflected on what they had learned.

As they approached the larger spires, the guard said, “Do us a favor. Make our job easier and wait out here while we sort out your lodging.” Not waiting for an answer, the guards entered the nearby building, leaving the humans unattended.

“So, what do you think, boys?” asked the captain.

“Well, they seem polite enough,” replied the first officer.

“I find the politics of this nation...interesting,” said the ship’s cook. “Immortal rulers wielding absolute power?”

“Yes, that seems rather dangerous,” agreed one of the other crew members.

“It seems to work for them, though,” replied the captain, musing over it.

“I find the fact that this nation is made of sentient ponies, some of them ripped straight from Greek mythology more shocking, though,” said another crew member. “I mean, come on! They don’t even have hands! How did they develop a civilization??”

“True,” Walter replied. “But, obviously, here they are. We cannot wonder with the ‘why’ or ‘how’ at this stage; rather, we must concern ourselves with what precisely we should do. The facts of the matter are that we are stranded here, until we can either repair the ship or secure an alternate means of transport.”

“So, what now, Cap?”

“Now? For now, we wait. We learn what we can, and observe. Who knows? This ‘Hearth's Warming’ holiday may be interesting.”

"Are you sure we can trust them, sister?" asked Luna.

Celestia sighed. "I wish I knew, Lulu. I wish I knew."

After a moment, she continued, saying "However, until I know that they cannot be trusted, I will give them the benefit of the doubt. I don't want to assume that they are bad people. With luck, this won't end up like the Lewis and Clark incident."

More Discoveries

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Chapter 7: More Discoveries
The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

The human’s night passed without incident. Princess Celestia had assigned them a rather luxurious suite of rooms, complete with plush pillows, drapes on every window, and a set of enormous beds with even more fluffy pillows, one of such bed for every member of the Majesty’s crew. Being the explorers that they were, they could have easily made do with much less, but they did not complain.

The next morning, the crew awoke to a knock on door of their rooms. Slowly shaking off the dreams of the night, the first thing that Elijah Walter noticed was that the Sun was just starting to peak above the horizon; it was barely past dawn.

Getting to his feet, he mustered the willpower to walk to the door and open it a crack.

Facing him was a white unicorn with a bluish mane, wearing a decorative purple armor.

“My name is Shining Armor,” said the pony. “I am the captain of the Equestrian Royal Guard, and have been assigned to be your...escort...for today and the foreseeable future.”

He sounded none too happy about it, either.

“I am Elijah Walter, captain of the HMS Majesty,” replied the human. “If you will allow me a moment, I will get my boys up and ready to see this grand city of yours.”

The unicorn nodded.

Closing the door, the captain took a deep breath. Then, he yelled in his best military voice, “Let’s go, boys! We have places to go, people to meet, and things to do! Get up, you lazy bastards!!!”

Getting the sailors up and moving was a struggle, but in the end, the captain’s authority was enough to get them into shape. While still moving somewhat sluggishly, they seemed to function more or less normally as they got dressed and prepared to depart their comfortable rooms.

Leaving the suite behind, the humans followed Shining Armor, noting that two other guards came up behind to escort them.

For a holiday, the streets seemed rather empty, noted Walter.

“Oh, right now, the ponies are just celebrating the first step of Hearth’s Warming Day,” said Shining Armor, when the captain voiced his observations. “Traditionally, the first few hours of the day are reserved for private celebrations for families. It isn’t until hours after sunrise that the public celebrations begin.”

Was it Walter’s imagination, or did the guard sound rather annoyed when saying that?

Pushing the observation aside, the human asked, “What do this familial celebrations entail?”

“Usually, they involve the exchange of small gifts and the like,” came the reply. No, Walter was not imagining the note of irritation.

“Is there a problem, sir?” he asked, deciding to attempt to defuse the irritation that he could not help but feel was pointed at him.

Shining Armor walked in silence for a few paces, then said, “This is Hearth’s Warming Day...and I am here, escorting a bunch of strange creatures around Canterlot. Yeah, I would say that something is wrong.”

Walter was many things, but stupid was not one of them. He heard the bitterness in the guard’s voice, and, based off of his experiences he had with his ‘Christmas,’ he filled in the gaps.

“You have a family,” he observed. “One you want to spend this holiday with.”

Shining Armor hesitated for several steps, but then said “...Yes. I do.”

“And you’re stuck on guard duty with us,” continued the human.

“Yes,” came the stony reply.

“Tell me about them,” said Walter, genuinely curious.

“Well,” replied Shining Armor, sounding as if he was not expecting the human to care and pleasantly surprised that he was, “I have a wife and a little sister. Though, I suppose she’s no longer little…”

“Though I suppose that she will always be, in your heart, your little sister,” replied the human. “What is her name?”

Shining Armor chuckled to himself, then said, “Why, you’ve met her already. Her name is Twilight Sparkle.”

Walter missed a step as his brain processed exactly what this meant. Recalling what Twilight had said about the other Princesses, he said, “Which means that your wife is none other than Princess Cadance.”

“Correct.”

“A lot of royal blood flows in your family,” observed one of the other crew members.

“I suppose,” replied the pony.

The tour of Canterlot definitely started to go smoother after the conversation, as Shining Armor warmed to the humans.

A few hours passed, as the party explored the city under Shining’s guidance. As the sun continued to rise, the Captain of the Guard eventually decided that enough of city had been seen, and brought the explorers to Canterlot Castle.

Opening the doors to the throne room, Shining Armor led the humans into the chamber, which awed and impressed all of the humans.

What really blew Elijah Walter away, however, was the presence of enormous stain-glass windows. Portraying what appeared to be groups of ponies committing feats of legend, they drew Walter’s eye.

“Welcome,” said Princess Celestia. Following the human’s gaze, she saw that he was staring at the stain-glass windows.

“Ahh,” she observed. “Enjoying the art?”

Walter snapped out of it, and gave a small smile. “Yes,” he said. “They are simply beautiful.”

“All of them depict an important event in Equestrian history,” reflected the Princess. “Be it the regime of Discord-” she pointed to a window depicting an odd creature controlling three ponies- “to the Lunar Restoration-” here she indicted a group of six ponies defeating a pony that looked like a dark version of Princess Luna- “to the ascension of Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

“Just how old is this nation?” asked Walter, in awe of how much history stood before him.

“Difficult to say,” replied Princess Celestia. “Equestria may be old, but this nation does see its share of political changes. Plus, there was that...unpleasantness...with Discord that destroyed many ancient records. But as far as we know, Equestria has endured in one form or another for over two thousand, two hundred years.”

“Wow,” muttered the human, somewhat impressed by the tenacity of the country.

“Enough of that, however,” said Princess Luna, shifting the conversation. “We must ask you to try to avoid interacting with the common populace. We don’t want them to become...distressed...by your presence.”

Walter considered it for a moment, then nodded his assent. “If I was in your position, I imagine that I would not want word of totally different type of sentient animal leaking out without being prepared for it.” After a moment, a thought struck him, and he asked, “But, what of our ship? Surely it would draw some questions?”

“Already addressed,” replied Princess Twilight Sparkle. “If you look in the place that the ship is, you will find nothing.”

“What did you do with it?” he asked, slightly alarmed.

“I cast a powerful invisibility spell on it,” she replied, then grimaced. “It was far from easy, but should keep prying eyes away from it.”

“You...did what?” asked Walter. His crew had, of course, filled him in on what happened while he was in that pile of debris on the Majesty, but he did not quite believe them.

“I used an invisibility spell. It’s simple magic, really.” Here, Twilight grimaced again. “I’ve just never done it on such a large scale before. Rather draining.”

The human took a few minutes to be shocked, then he remembered what he said to his crew earlier. We cannot concern ourselves with the ‘how’ or ‘why’ right now.

Deciding to just roll with it for now, the human closed his eyes for a moment, then re-opened them. With that, he asked, “Well, Your Highnesses, what do you have in mind for us?”

“You’ll see.”

Manetown, Equestria (On the eastern border of Equestria)
Hearth’s Warming Day, 1014 CYP (December 26, 1815)

“Now what do we have here?” asked the mayor of Manetown.

He had been aroused by the sounds of the town awaking at a strange time. And when he came out, sure enough, the entire town was up in arms, so to speak.

The mayor’s question answered itself, as he saw the citizens of the town had surrounded a group of...creatures...that the mayor had never seen before.

Turning around, the earth pony spoke to one of his aides, saying, “I need you to send a message to Canterlot. Quickly.”

Canterlot, Equestria

“...Interesting story,” said one of the Majesty’s crew members.

The captain, however, held onto his skepticism. “You mean to tell me that this country was founded after a three-way war between the three tribes of ponies?”

“Yes,” replied Princess Celestia.

“That hardly sounds like a recipe for a stable country,” he said.

“And yet, here we are, two millennia later.”

“And yet, here we are, still managing to defy all logic and reason.”

Princess Celestia, along with the other princesses, raised their eyebrows at that statement. Personally, Princess Twilight took a second to be insulted. After all, she fancied herself as logical and rational, and the story of Hearth’s Warming made perfect sense to her.

Discarding the statement, Princess Celestia opened her mouth to resume speaking, only to be cut off by another peculiar sight for the humans. A flame, green in color, appeared out of the air in front of her, and a scroll materialized in the flame.

Levitating the scroll in her ‘magic,’ Celestia quickly broke the seal and opened it.

The humans took a moment to be dumbfounded, then Walter asked, “Excuse me, but, what, precisely, just happened?”

Princess Celestia ignored the question, and continued reading.

After a moment, she looked up and said, “An emergency has arisen in Manetown that requires our immediate attention.” Directing her words to the Royal Guard, she said, “I hereby declare a quarantine on the township of Manetown. Nopony is to enter or leave the town or its associated holdings until further notice.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

“As for you,” she said, turning to the humans, “keep your heads down, and out of sight. The guards will see to your needs.” Addressing the guard again, she added, “And call off the Hearth’s Warming celebration with the nobility. Tell them that an incident has occurred, and it demands our immediate attention.”

“What is going on, Princess?” asked the human, with a note of utter confusion.

Celestia paused for a moment, then said, “A group of strange, bipedal creatures have arrived in Manetown. And I will bet that they’re humans.”

With that, the four Princesses left the room, and began their nine hundred kilometer flight to Manetown.

Nine hundred kilometers is not very far, as the Alicorn flies, but it is long enough that by the time the four Alicorns had arrived, it was almost time for night.

As they landed near Manetown, Princess Celestia took a moment to examine the area around it. To her satisfaction, all of the roads to and from the town had checkpoints on them, staffed by the Royal Guard. There were also air patrols, who kept the skies clear of wandering pegasi.

Now on the ground, Princess Celestia led her fellow royals into the town’s perimeter. She could not help but notice a large amount of general discontent with the ponies there. Clearly the mayor did not do a good job keeping the humans under wraps.

Upon arriving at the township’s center of government, Celestia knocked on the door to the mayor’s office.

The door opened and revealed the earth pony mayor. “Princess! I didn’t think you’ll would make it so soon.”

“Let’s just say that we take this report rather seriously,” replied Celestia. “Now, where are the creatures? And who knows about them?”

“Everypony in the town knows of them, Your Highness,” said the mayor.

Luna and Twilight let out a sigh.

“Did I do something wrong, Your Highness?”

“I wish that you hadn’t allowed anypony to know of them, but what is done is done,” said Celestia. “Now, if we may see them?”

“Follow me, then.”

The ponies left the mayor’s office, and walked down a nearby street for two blocks. This time, Twilight was the one to notice the heightened discontent in the town, and was somewhat alarmed by it.

“Princess Celestia, have you noticed it?” she asked quietly.

“The simmering anger?” guessed Celestia. When Twilight nodded confirmation, Celestia sighed. “Twilight, ponies get mad and scared over the most illogical of things. While some ponies run in fear of what they do not understand, others feel compelled to lash out at the unknown. It’s one of the reasons I have feared the human approach so much.”

“What can we do about it?” asked her former student in reply.

“The only cure for ignorance-based fear and anger is time. Time will eventually prove all their fears and concerns baseless.”

“And...if their fears aren’t baseless?”

Celestia did not answer.

“Here we are,” said the mayor, stopping in front of the sheriff's office.

“The sheriff...you arrested them?!?” asked Celestia, not sure what to make of the situation.

“Of course not!” replied the mayor. “I just...put them under the sheriff’s protection.”

Hoping this would not prove to be a mistake, Celestia entered the building and breezed past the sheriff, who did not stop her.

Entering the adjacent room, Celestia beheld a group of seven humans. The humans were filthy, which made her think that they were explorers far from home. Reasonable enough, given the distance from any human lands.

The humans recoiled at the sight of the Princesses.

“Greetings,” said Celestia. “I am Princess Celestia, co-ruler of the Principality of Equestria. These are my fellow rulers.”

As she introduced each of the members of the Royal Council, the humans exchanged glances. Eventually, one of them stepped forward and said, “I...I am Benedict Calvin. And we are the Second Corps of Discovery, from the United States of America, sent with the express purpose of exploring in order to discover a land known as the Principality of Equestria.”

“Here we go…” said Luna, as they left the building behind them.

“Did we have to invite them to Canterlot?” asked Cadance. “We can barely keep our other guests under wraps as it is, and somehow I think these Americans are not going to go out of their way to avoid drawing attention to themselves.”

Celestia sighed. “I understand, Cadance. What you’re saying makes sense. But consider what has happened in the past few days. It is clear that at this point we can no longer expect to maintain secrecy. The ward around Equestria has been destroyed, and we have no way of rebuilding it. Two powers have already found our nation, and who knows how many more will discover us? No, hiding in the shadows will no longer get us anywhere.”

“Are you proposing that we adopt these humans’ ways?” asked Twilight.

“No,” replied Celestia. “We have no need for their warlike ways. Hopefully, they will leave us alone.”

“Now, let us return to Canterlot. We need to see to those explorers and their needs. With luck, we can repair their ship and send them on their way.”

Expanding Diplomatic Horizons

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Chapter 8: Expanding Diplomatic Horizons
The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

January 2, 1816
Canterlot, Equestria

“Wow, I can’t believe you were able to repair our ship so quickly,” said Walter.

“Oh, it was simple enough,” replied Celestia. “Once Twilight got a detailed look at the ship, she was able to logically deduce how each part worked. Then, it was a simple process of getting our hooves on the wood and rope needed.”

Twilight blushed, and she added, “The vessel wasn’t badly damaged. I mostly just had to repair a few patches in the hull and replace a few ropes.”

“Still. My comrades and myself owe you a debt of gratitude, Your Highnesses. I hope that someday, we can repay it,” replied Walter.

Shifting his feet, the human then said, somewhat awkwardly “I hope that our...denial of your request will not be taken too badly. After all, we are bound to report everything to the British government.”

Celestia sighed. “No, we understand. You have to maintain loyalty to your King, after all. We would hardly expect our ponies to hide things in a report to us just because a group of foreigners we do not know asked them to. However...please do not, if you help it, share our existence with the more common folk. The last thing we want is for large groups of humans to start flooding our borders without some other governing body to...help regulate them.”

Walter hesitated, then nodded. “That request is more reasonable. I will see to it that word of your existence is shared only with high-ranking authorities.”

“That means a lot to us,” replied Luna. “Thank you.”

The human nodded again.

After a moment, he looked over his shoulder to his crew and barked, “All right, sailors. Get on that ship and prepare to make way! Quickly now!”

The crew gave a collective start, then quickly retreated to the ship to begin making preparations.

Walter hesitated for a moment, then nodded to the Princesses. “I wonder if I will ever see you or this beautiful land again.”

“Perhaps,” replied Celestia. “I have a feeling that a lot of humans are going to be visiting this land of ours.”

He hesitated for a moment, then observed, “It must be strange, taking such an active role on the stage of the world; a stage that you hardly knew existed until recently.”

Celestia sighed, and said, “Indeed. I have protected my subjects for thousands of years from all kinds of threats. This, however, is one I cannot protect them from personally. It’s...going to take some getting used to.”

“Well, I’ll do my best to put in a good word for you back in the British government. With luck, this wonderful nation will not have to weather the storm by itself.”

“Thank you...we are in your debt, Mr. Walter.”

The human bowed his head. Acting on habit, he extended his hand in an attempt to honor the ancient tradition of shaking hands.

Of course, the process of shaking hands is complicated when the other party does not possess a set of hands.

“Here,” said Twilight, to defuse the quickly-developing awkwardness, “close your hand.”

Walter looked confused, but complied.

“Now, bump your hand into my hoof, gently. Hold it there for no more than two seconds, then you can remove it. Look me in the eyes and smile while doing it.”

Still confused, Walter nonetheless complied.

“In Equestria, that’s called a hoofbump. It comes in different forms, depending on your relationship with the pony in question and the setting. That one was the friendly, yet semi-formal greeting and parting bump.”

“Fascinating,” muttered Walter, as he did it again with each of the of the other Princesses.

“It’s not usually mandated by any social protocol, and usage is rare, but can be invoked by anypony in any setting. If one does not know what bump is appropriate, one is expected to allow the other party to lead and just follow their example.”

“Very fascinating,” repeated the human. After a moment, he shook his head to clear his thoughts.

“Are you sure those American explorers won’t give you any trouble?”

“I don’t intend to allow them,” replied Celestia. “If worse comes to worse, we will simply send them back from whence they came.”

“Captain, sir! We’re ready!” came the call from the Majesty.

“Very well. My homeland calls,” said Walter, turning around.

“Goodbye,” called the Princesses, as they watched them slowly start to make way.

“Twilight?” asked Celestia.

“Yes?”

“Did you get everything you need?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Hire as many ponies as you need, and see if you can build a ship like that. The national treasury is yours to use.”

March 14, 1816

Unlike the British explorers, the American “Second Corps of Discovery” apparently had no intention of leaving the land of Equestria. Rather, after they had formally meet with the Princesses, they sent one messenger back to the United States, and requested permanent residence in Equestria.

“Why?” Celestia had asked at the time.

“We have been ordered to begin the establishment of a formal diplomatic presence in the Principality of Equestria,” the leader of the expedition had replied.

“I never gave the authorization for that,” responded Celestia.

“Regardless, our orders are clear. If you want, our diplomatic mission shall be arriving in a few months. You can lodge a protest then.”

Princess Celestia had hesitated for a long moment, then asked herself rhetorically, “What choice do I have?” She then turned back to humans, and said: “Very well. You may build you embassy anywhere outside the walls of Canterlot, but within the township thereof.”

“And where does this township end? And, for that matter, what is a township, precisely?”

Celestia sighed. “The Principality is a single country, yes, but the nation is organized into townships, in which ponies are allowed to form their own local governments, to handle internal affairs. Such has been the way of things ever since the decentralization of the Principality after the Lunar Rebellion. Some townships elect their local government, such as the township of Ponyville. Those leaders are known as mayors. Others are lead by a whoever is the sheriff and responsible for upholding law and order in the township. This is common in the eastern townships, far away from the central government, such as Appleloosa. Still others request that I appoint a magistrate to oversee their town. This is the system in Maneterrey, just south of Canterlot.”

“Very decentralized,” mused the human. “The United States is also somewhat decentralized, and the powers of the smaller regions, known as ‘states’ are important to the governing of the nation.”

“Technically speaking, I and my fellow Princesses can override the decisions of the townships at anytime for any reason, or, indeed, no reason” said Celestia. “Such powers, however, haven’t been exercised for centuries.”

“And that is where the similarities end,” muttered the human, thinking of the uproar that would occur if the federal government overrode a state’s government. It would surely tear the Union apart!

“In fact, now that I think about it,” started Celestia, “I think I have a place for you to build. Follow me.”

* * *

Now that a few months had passed, the diplomat that the humans had sent for was due to arrive soon.

“I still can’t believe that they did not seek our approval before beginning construction an embassy,” mused Luna. “They must think that they have us exactly where they want us.”

“They do,” replied Celestia. “Think of it: they have a group of agents within our borders. They have diplomatic immunity, which they have perverted the meaning of in order to open our country to them. We can’t exactly complain to another country, as we don’t have diplomatic ties with one. We can’t oppose them directly, they outclass us in every way with their military. We’re helpless.”

“So, what can we do?” asked Cadance.

“It is starting to look more and more like we need to learn to play the human’s game.”

“Good luck getting any of the nobles to agree with you,” said Luna. “Something drastic will need to happen before they will support such actions. And we all know how much of a fit they can throw.”

“If something doesn’t change, that drastic occurrence you speak of may come sooner than we would like,” predicted Celestia.

August 12, 1816
London, Great Britain

“Lord Jenkinson? I have another collection of reports.”

“Thank you, sir. Just leave them on the desk, I’ll get to them soon.”

“Yes, sir.” The man delivering the reports did not leave, however.

“Is there something further I can help you with?” asked the Prime Minister.

“Just...sir, that top report from a mister Elijah Walter. He claims to have explored the territory south of British Columbia and...well, he has some...interesting...findings.”

“Like what?”

The man sighed, then opted for the direct approach. “Like an entire native nation whose population is made up of sentient, English-speaking ponies, some of which resemble the Greek myths of pegasi and unicorns.”

The Prime Minister blinked twice. “Impossible.”

“They are also organized into a relatively strong government with a powerful national identity, unlike the natives elsewhere.”

“This defies reason!”

“Maybe so, but they exist, nonetheless.”

“Are you saying that this nation is not lead by a chief, but instead possesses a reformed and centralized government structure?”

“Yes. They are a non-tribal, quadarchal, absolute principality.”

“Wow. And, just to be sure, you said that they ponies?!? Ponies that are somehow able to speak English? And are sentient?”

“That is what I said.”

An idea gripped the Prime Minister. “Very well. If what you say is true, then we cannot delay. Dispatch an ambassador as soon as possible. We must open diplomatic channels with this nation of ‘ponies,’ before the United States does.”

“Uh, sir?”

“Have those Americans already established a presence?”

“No, sir, but our explores report that the Equestrians, as they are called, have already had a few...shall we say, incidents, with the Americans. They also report that the rulers of this pony land are somewhat scared of and distrustful of the Americans, while we made a better, friendlier impression on them.”

“Excellent.” That should make this plan simpler.

“Sir, if I may?”

“Yes,” replied the Minister.

“You look as if you are planning something. What is it?”

Jenkinson sighed. “Is it not clear?” he asked. Deciding to lead the man to the answer, he asked, “Who did we recently fight?”

“Napoleon.”

“Who else?” asked Jenkinson, impatiently.

“Uhh...the United States.”

“Yes. Now, think about it. You just told me that their country has had a few incidents with the United States, and that as a result, they are distrustful. With some cajoling, and weapons and infrastructure that the British Empire may or may not provide them…”

“They can be made into a regional rival against the United States, and check their power,” finished the other man, seeing the Prime Minister’s plan.

“Precisely. Now, see to the ambassador.”

August 16, 1816
Canterlot, Equestria

“I, Princess Celestia of the Principality of Equestria, speaking on behalf of all of the Royal Council, accept your letters of accreditation and acknowledge you as the resident ambassador of the United States of America. On behalf of all of my subjects, I welcome you to Equestria, and hope that your presence will lead to bright future for both the Principality of Equestria and the United States of America.”

The human facing Princess Celestia inclined his head, as the first accreditation ceremony in Equestria for many years ended. The human diplomat, a man named Clinton Erickson, was a young man. Celestia looked into his eyes, and she saw the unmistakable light of youth in them.

Surprising that they would send such a young man to represent their interests, she mused. I wonder if they consider our nation to be a diplomatic proving grounds. Or if they consider Equestria to be diplomatic backwaters.

Unlike Livingston, the former American diplomat to Griffonia before he died of old age, Erickson definitely lacked much emotional control. Thus, Celestia was able to easily able to interpret the air of aloofness surrounding the man and his elevated gaze. Despite being slightly shorter than the Princesses, he carried himself with the air of one who towered over ones considered inferior.

He does not like us.

Celestia reflected that the human’s disdain for them was not necessarily a bad thing. If he considered them inferior, it would be easier to surprise him and keep him off-guard.

As the trumpets for the ceremony finally fell silent, the human raised his chin slightly - surprising Celestia, for she was certain that he could not look more aloof if he tried - and said “Princess Celestia, if we may now discuss matters of importance?”

Celestia felt a brief flare of irritation at his offhoof matter of address. She decided to let it go this time, but Captain Shining Armor, who was standing as Celestia’s ceremonial guard, interjected, “The proper form of address, Ambassador, is ‘Your Highness.’”

The human turned to him, with his eyebrows forming a narrow line. Before he could speak, however, Celestia seized the moment and said, in an attempt to head off argument, “Thank you, Captain. You are dismissed.”

The Captain stood for a moment, then bowed deeply to Celestia, stiffly (and reluctantly) inclined his head to the human, and walked away. Celestia could have sworn he was muttering under his breath.

The human ambassador turned back to Celestia, and the Solar Princess noticed that he was clenching and unclenching his fists, which the pony, unaware of what the movement meant, took to mean that he was fighting something within himself.

The movement stopped after a brief moment, and the human looked flatly at her. Before he could speak, the Princess again headed him off and said, “I believe you wanted to speak business?”

“Yes.”

“Very well. I will convene the Royal Council.”

“Is that necessary? Can we just simply discuss this, one-to-one?”

Celestia turned around, so the diplomat would not see her grin. “You have much to learn if you think that I can act without the approval of my peers.” With that, she lead the human into Canterlot Castle, cringing as she realized that she had already broken her personal promise to keep humans out of Canterlot.

“You want us to do WHAT?!?!” Twilight half-asked, half-demanded.

The human gave an annoying sigh that Celestia found to be similar to the one a parent gave a foal. “The government of the United States wishes for you to sign a treaty of extraterritoriality with us. It will guarantee the right of American citizens to a...fair...trial by their own peers and species.”

“And what makes you think we will even allow humans in Equestria?” asked Luna, scowling. “I, for one, do not see-”

“Peace, sister,” cut in Celestia. Returning to the human, Celestia raised an eyebrow and asked the human, “Suppose we sign this treaty, and humans start entering our lands. Eventually, one is found guilty of something that is not a crime in your country. Say, for instance, slaveholding.” Celestia spoke the word with as much contempt as possible, as if its very existence was toxic. Which, of course, it was. “What assurance do we have that you country will still punish this human according to our laws? How can we be sure that this human will not be immediately pardoned?”

“The United States would always punish everything that is a crime,” replied the human. Celestia noticed that the statement did not contain a promise that such things would not occur. “Though, while we are on the topic of slaveholding, the United States has a concern.”

“Oh?”

“It has come to our attention that King Odrynn of the Kingdom of Griffonia has infringed upon the property rights of American citizens. In particular, he declared slaves held within the aforementioned Kingdom are entitled to all protections under the law that are afforded to his citizens. We would like your assurance that you will not take such...radical action.”

She was proud when she hesitated only for a split second before saying, “On this matter, King Odrynn has my - well as the rest of the Council’s - complete and utter support. Slavery has long been known to be a foe of the population of Equestria. It is a divisive, barbaric institution that is an enemy of harmony, unity, and the ideas upon which the Principality of Equestria is founded. Slavery has been illegal since the first Hearth’s Warming Day, when the Three Pony Tribes were able to put aside their differences and found the first form of Equestria - the Equestrian Republic. I cannot presume to tell you how to run your country, but know this: Slavery has never, is not, and will never be tolerated in the Principality. The second any sentient creature - be it human or pony - sets foot or hoof upon Equestrian soil, they are no longer a slave until such time they leave our soil. On this matter, the Royal Council is set. Nothing will change our minds, and this not open to any form of debate or compromise. As long as Canterlot stands, so will this directive.” After a moment, Celestia added, “I believe you will find the entire Equestrian population to be of the same opinion.”

The human sat silently for a moment, then shifted slightly. “I urge you to reconsider,” he replied, slowly. “The United States of America do not take kindly to such stances.”

“I am afraid you have our one and only answer.”

“Very well,” replied the human. “I will relay that answer to the United States.”

Celestia internally winced, but steeled herself. This is the one thing I promised myself I would never budge on.

“So be it.”

After a moment, the human asked, “Now, what of our extraterritoriality treaty?”

Celestia, with great effort, held back a grimace. “The Council will consider your request, but we cannot guarantee that we will see the need.”

Princess Luna took this moment to jump in with a bold statement, saying, “And may I add that your implication that our justice system is unfair did not go unnoticed.”

Damn it, Luna. When Luna looked to her sister, she saw Celestia glaring daggers at her.

That was not the time, thought Celestia.

The human, however, chose not to comment on the remark, instead fixing Celestia with that same flat stare. After a moment, he said, “I hope you consider quickly. and realize this is in the best interests of all Americans.”

With that, he got up to take his leave.

Before he could depart from the room, however, Celestia replied, “Perhaps. But is it in the best interests of the ponies of Equestria?”

The human did not reply.

August 18, 1816
Royal Address to the Ponies of Equestria
Canterlot, Equestria

“Fillies and gentlecolts. Rumors of some alien presence within the borders of our fair land of Equestria have been circulating throughout Canterlot and, indeed all of Equestria. As Princess, I have assembled you here to shed some clarity on the rumor.”

“Approximately three months ago, during Hearth’s Warming Eve, my fellow Princesses and myself came into contact with beings previously unknown to Equestria who walk upon two legs. Since then, we have corresponded with two nations of these creatures, known as humans.”

“I urge the ponies of Equestria to extend to these humans every bit of kindness that you extend to your fellow ponies. In time, I am sure that this group will become very good friends with us.”

“That is all. Please, no questions.”

October 21, 1816
Canterlot, Equestria

“Princess!”

“What now?” Celestia asked herself, rhetorically. Out loud, she replied, in a polite enough tone, “Yes, my little pony?”

Unsurprisingly, it was a Royal Guard seeking her attention. “Ma’am, we have observed another large ship off our coasts. It was flying the same flag as the Majesty.”

“Where?”

“Last we saw it, it was heading towards Manehattan.”

“Manehattan.” A somewhat-republican mayor-led township, recalled Celestia. Current mayor is Cherry Joy.

“Inform Mayor Joy that the Royal Council intends to pay her and her township a visit. Also, inform her that she is to keep the ponies and humans separate until we arrive. She is authorized to use as many Guardponies as she needs.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

October 22, 1816
Manehattan, Equestria

The Mayor read the orders given to her by the Guardpony, then looked up at the Guard in question.

“I am authorized to use as many guards as necessary?”

“That is what I was ordered to tell you.”

“Well...very well. Assemble a squad of twenty Guards, then. We’ll need them on standby to keep ponies calm.”

“...Your orders, Mayor, are the ponies and humans from interacting.”

“I know what my orders are,” snapped the mayor. “Do as I say.”

The pony hesitated, then inclined his head slightly. “Very well.”

“Now go. I have a meeting to arrange.”

The ship was rather large, noted the mayor.

The sad thing was, by the standards of the British Empire, it really wasn’t.

She watched as it came closer, slowing down as it approached the shore.

Unlike the Majesty, the seas were calm and thus, the craft was able to avoid an abrupt and personal meeting with the shore.

The ship soon managed to come alongside the Manehattan port. Of course, the port was made for much smaller ships, but they made do.

The was a flurry of activity on the ship, and a plank was extended to the port. As the plank came out, the assigned Guardponies snapped to attention, bringing their spears so that they faced straight upwards, towards the sky.

Two humans, dressed in bright uniforms and armed with those guns, were the first down. They moved to the side, and assumed a stance that appeared to be one of military attention.

Behind them came a single man, dressed in nearly all black. The Mayor saw him as an older man, but not so old that the fire within his eyes dimmed.

“My name is Robert Liston,” said the man, inclining his head. If he was caught off-guard by the Equestrians, he did not show it.

Must have been briefed extensively.

The Mayor became acutely aware of a small crowd of ponies gathering around, examining the human. She signaled, and the Royal Guard began to gently move the crowd back.

“I am Cherry Joy, mayor of the township of Manehattan. I assume you are one of these ‘humans’ we have been hearing so much about?”

“Yes,” replied the human. “I have been sent by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to open diplomatic relations. Now, I understand this nation is a principality?”

“Yes, sir. The Princesses are on their way now to meet with you and escort you to Canterlot, the capital. There, I imagine that you will be allowed to establish an embassy or some sort of diplomatic outpost."

The Manetown Incident

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Chapter 9: The Manetown Incident
The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

June 25, 1817
American Embassy to Equestria
Canterlot. Equestria

“I must decline, Princess Celestia,” said the human ambassador. “I have already given you my terms, and they are the only ones I am authorized to accept. Now, the United States of America demands that you turn that man over to us for punishment according to the laws of the United States of America. Are you refusing our demand?”

How did it come to this? wondered Celestia. How did everything spiral out of control so quickly?

November 23, 1816
Special Meeting of the Equestrian Royal Council
Canterlot, Equestria

“Thank you for coming, esteemed Ambassadors,” said Celestia, smiling at the two diplomats.

Ambassador Liston smiled in return, relaxed, and inclined his head towards the Princesses. Erickson, however, remained in his stiff position.

“Why have you summoned us?” he asked, wasting no time.

“It has come to my attention that both of your countries have requested that we open our borders to human immigrants. I have convened the Royal Council to deliberate, and we wish to hear why you think this is a good idea.”

Liston spoke first. “The United Kingdom wishes to learn more of this land. After all, the existence of your species was a mystery until very recently, and many of our greatest minds are still puzzling over it. In addition...I could not help but notice that your nation is technologically inferior to the rest of the civilized world. If you wish...perhaps we could trade our knowledge, and help you. All immigration to your nation would be kept strictly controlled, of course.”

After he fell silent, it was Erickson’s turn. “As my...esteemed colleague said, the United States of America wishes to discover more about your country, and your species. In addition, we believe that a fundamental part of national understanding is cultural blending. As a result, we would allow a number of Americans that wish to settle in your lands to do so.”

Alarm bells went off in Celestia’s brain. An unspecified number of permanent human residents? Not a chance.

“Thank you,” she said carefully. “We will continue our deliberations, and inform you of our decision when we arrive at one.”

The humans bowed and took their leave.

As the door closed behind them, Luna muttered, “All in favor of unlimited American settlers in Equestria, please adicate right now and spare us the trouble of having explain to the population why we stripped you of power.”

Celestia didn’t blame her.

“I actually do not have a problem with the Kingdom’s proposal,” said Cadance.

“I agree. It seems reasonable enough,” added Twilight.

“That is true,” replied Celestia. “The United Kingdom, I say, can go ahead, as long as we get a say in just how ‘limited’ that immigration is. The Americans, though…”

The Princesses reflected silently for a moment, then Celestia cleared her throat and said, “All in favor of provisionally approving the United Kingdom’s proposal?”

All four Princesses raised a hoof.

“Very well. Now, if we remove the American settlers from the proposal of the United States, who here would be inclined to approve it?”

The Princesses looked sideways at each other, then - slowly - each of them raised a hoof.

After a brief moment of silence, Twilight spoke up. “Actually, as long as the number of human settlers were tightly controlled - say, no more than fifty - and they were kept under constant watch by the Guard, I would allow it.”

Cadance, next to her, nodded slowly. “I would as well, as long as the second they start acting up, we were allowed to arrest and punish them.”

Luna slowly began to nod as well, and said, “I suppose that the essence of diplomacy is compromise, after all. As long as the human population within Equestria follows our rules regarding slavery and the like, and remains orderly and obedient, I can’t see a reason to deny their request.”

Celestia nodded. “If that is the decision of the Council, I shall deliver our compromise to the Americans.”

“Is that all for now?” asked Cadance.

“Actually, no,” replied Luna. “If the Americans and the British get to establish embassies in Equestria, why don’t we establish a diplomatic presence in their nations? A number of ponies have approached me, offering their services as diplomats. Of course, they would require training before we send them off, but it sounds like the beginning of an Equestrian Diplomatic Corps to me.”

“Interesting...we could take the British up on their offer and ask them to assist in their training,” added Celestia. After a moment, she asked, “All in favor of the establishment of the Equestrian Diplomatic Corps?”

Another unanimous approval.

December 17, 1816
Manetown, Equestria

As the human settlers approached the town, some eighty strong, they felt the cold get harsher and harsher. As the sun set, the heat quickly left the ground, thanks to the fact that there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

Eventually, their presence was noticed, and a orange-coated pegasus decided to brave the cold and flew out to meet them.

“...Hello. Are you one of those humans the Princess told us about?” asked the pegasus, looking wary, but not unfriendly.

The de facto leader of the human settlers looked the pony up and down for a few seconds, then decided that he was not seeing things. He had been told about the ponies, of course, but being told about them was one thing. Actually seeing them in the flesh, however, was quite another…

“I don’t know who this ‘Princess’ is,” he replied, “but I and my companions are humans, yes.”

The pegasus considered this fact for a moment, then noticed just how freezing the group looked. “It’s too cold to be outside,” he said. “Come with me. I have a few friends. If we pool our resources, we might just have enough room for the night.”

“I don’t imagine you’ll have enough beds,” he replied.

“No, but we do have warm fires, and walls to keep the cold away.”

The human considered it for a moment, then looked out at his group. Consisting of mostly small families, he shuttered to think what would happen if they were caught out in the cold without some form of shelter. While they did have tents and tools to make fire with, the man was not sure just how effective they would be.

“Very well,” he said.

The pony cracked a small smile, then said, “Follow me, then.”

December 21, 1816
American Embassy to Equestria
Canterlot, Equestria

“I fail to see the problem,” said the human diplomat. “Our people were more than orderly.”

“I do,” replied Celestia. “First off, I had no idea the human immigrants would arrive so swiftly!”

“That is of no concern of yours,” Erickson replied. “But, if you must know, the United States had selected them before we received word back from you, and they were stationed at the edge of the Louisiana Territory. Word travelled swiftly.”

“Ok,” said Celestia. “I can accept that. However, the number of settlers is almost double what the Council said we’d allow!”

“And I warned you that the United States would send up to one hundred,” the human said,

“You had no justifiable reason to defy the will of the Royal Council!” replied Celestia. “I have a half mind to declare them unwelcome right now and send them back where they came from!”

“You wouldn’t dare,” said the diplomat.

And that was the crux of the matter. No matter how loudly Princess Celestia protested, both of them knew that Equestria lacked the military might to challenge anything that the United States did. Celestia could complain as much as she wanted to, and all the human would have to do is sit back in his chair and call her bluff.

It pissed the Princess off.

After a moment of awkward silence, the human allowed a small smile to come through before changing the topic. “Now, it has come to my attention that this nation does not follow Christianity, and has no idea what Christmas is.”

“And I take it some, most, or all of the settlers are members of this ‘Christianity?’”

“All of them, I should think,” replied the diplomat. “I need your guarantee that on December 24 and 25, you and your subjects will allow them to worship in peace.”

“December 25? That’s Hearth’s Warming Eve,” Celestia noticed.

“Problem?”

“None, as long as these humans do not interfere with our holiday,” she replied. “I should warn you. all public celebrations of Hearth Warming are nationally protected.”

“Noted.”

December 25, 1816 (Hearth’s Warming Eve)
Manetown, Equestria

“What are the heathens doing now?” asked a settler.

When the humans discovered that the ponies were neither Christians nor interested in becoming Christians, some of the more religious among them thought that maybe, just maybe, God wanted them to change that.

“Most of them seem to have gone into the town hall,” replied another.

“No doubt to practice their ungodly ways,” said the first.

“Well, what are we waiting for? We have a dozen-and-a-half God-fearing men here, and with more weapons than these primitive bastards could ever imagine! Let’s teach them a thing or two about the true faith!”

“You think boss will approve?” asked a more cautious member of their group.

“Who cares? We’re doing God’s work! How can we be wrong?”

As the party of humans entered the town hall, they saw the ponies mingling and speaking with each other. In the back of the hall, a pony was clearly (somehow) about to begin playing the piano. How she would do that with her hooves, none of the humans had any idea.

“Alright you damn horses! Enough of your satanic ways!” shouted one of the humans.

Nopony heard him over the din.

Angry, he lifted his gun and fired a shot into the roof of the building. “I said, ENOUGH of your Devil worshipping ways!”

That silenced the crowd in no time flat. All of them expect for that same pegasus that had first welcomed them into the town.

“What are you doing, my...friends?” he asked.

“You’re no friend of mine,” replied the human. “I have no heathen friends.”

“...Very well. If not my friend, then, what do you want?”

“For you to abandon your filthy, satanic beliefs and submit to the will of God!”

“We already told you, we have no interest in your religion. We allowed you to celebrate your holiday in peace, now we want you to do the same for us.” This time, it was not the orange pegasus speaking, but rather the mayor of Manetown. “Now, leave us now, and we will forget this whole thing even happened. Or stay, and learn about us. Leave those weapons out of it, though.”

As he spoke, nobody noticed a unicorn in the corner cast a quick spell.

“No!” yelled the human, and he lowered his gun so it pointed at the mayor. “I am doing the Lord’s work now! My Savior commands it!”

“Maybe...maybe not,” said one of his fellow humans. “This is a bad idea. Maybe we should just leave.”

The man carrying the gun whirled around and pointed the gun at him. “Traitor! Treason before God! I should shoot you right now!”

“But you won’t,” the other man replied, “for this is not God’s will. You whipped us up into a frenzy, but now reason is resurfacing. These ponies treated us just fine, and no amount of angry words will change that. Jesus once said, ‘love thy neighbor as thyself,’ after all.”

Before anybody else could say anything, a door gave way with a loud BANG! In their shining gold armor, half a dozen members of the Royal Guard charged through. The lead pony yelled, “Royal Guard! Drop your weap-ack!”

He fell to the ground, as the human wielding the gun dimly felt the recoil of his weapon. It took his brain a few seconds to register what had happened.

In that few seconds, the Guard closed the gap between themselves and the man. Seeing the spears leveled at him, he whispered, “I did it for God...may He have mercy on my soul.”

One of the Guard clubbed him over the head with a spear, and the man collapsed into the waiting arms of darkness.

January 2, 1817
Emergency Meeting of the Equestrian Royal Council
Canterlot, Equestria

“What charges do we have? A better question would be what charges we don’t have!” exclaimed Princess Luna. “Disruption of Hearth’s Warming Eve, property damage, bringing disharmony, and, to top it all off, assaulting an officer of the Royal Guard. Any word on his condition, by the way?”

There was a moment of silence before Twilight finally spoke. “He...he died last night.”

“Add murder to the charges,” Luna muttered. All of the Princesses fell silent for a moment.

“And what does this mean for the perpetrator?” asked Erickson.

Celestia sighed. “Murder of a member of the Royal Guard is almost unheard of in Equestria.”

“That being said, however, we cannot allow this crime to go unpunished. Most likely, he will be fined a sum of approximately seventy-five thousand bits, in addition to the cost to repair the damage done to Manetown’s Town Hall. As for the killed Guard...above and beyond the fines, ancient law demands that he be imprisoned for a period of no less than twenty years, along with reparations to the family of the fallen pony.”

“Unacceptable,” said the human.

Celestia hesitated for a moment, then said, “I’m sorry you feel that way. However, Equestria has rules and laws that we must follow. We cannot just waive the law whenever we feel uncomfortable. No, this human’s punishment will go forward, regardless of your personal feelings on the matter.”

“No. I have received orders in anticipation of an incident like this from the United States. We demand that you turn the American over to us for trial by his own species.”

“May I remind you, Ambassador, that we never signed a treaty of extraterritorially with your nation. As such, you cannot make any such demands upon us and expect us do any such thing.”

“The United States is prepared to take...drastic action...to protect its citizens,” came the reply.

All of the Princesses recognized a thinly-veiled threat when they heard one.

“As such, I urge you to reconsider your stance, before something happens that we all regret.”

He left, the door booming shut behind him.

“Well,” said Cadance. “that happened.”

“What in the name of all things under the Sun are we going to do?” asked Twilight, a very faint note of despair in her voice.

Celestia walked over to a window and glared in the general direction of the US embassy. After a moment, though, she let her gaze wander, until it fell upon a similar building, flying a different flag.

With a sense of finality, she turned and faced the rest of the Royal Council. “It is high time,” she said, attaching as much weight as she could to each word, “that we start making a few friends.”

British Embassy to Equestria
Canterlot, Equestria

“I wish I could say that I was surprised, Your Highnesses,” said Liston. “Once again the Americans have demonstrated their contempt for civility and rationalism.”

“Does that mean your government will side with us?”

“Side with you? No, not in so many words. It would take weeks before word made it back to His Majesty, time you simply do not have to spare. Rather, I am prepared to offer my services as mediator. Note that I would not be acting as an ambassador from the United Kingdom, but rather a man with extensive knowledge of diplomacy and conflict resolution. Perhaps with my help, we can come to an agreement that is...serviceable to both sides, before this becomes any more unpleasant than it already is.”

“Very well. The Royal Council will consent your offer. Now to get the American on board...”

February 22, 1817
British Embassy to Equestria
First Day of Negotiations

“Alright,” said Ambassador Liston. “Please, take your seats.”

Ambassador Erickson took a seat perpendicular to Liston’s, as Princess Celestia sat across from him.

“I have selected this spot as a neutral location for us to sit down, as civilized creatures, to discuss our differences. Do note that I am not an arbiter, nor a judge of any kind. Rather, I simply act as mediator, and my presence here is simply of one who wishes to see the peace on this continent preserved.”

“Now, I have looked at the facts of the case, and they seem straightforward enough. With that in mind, Princess Celestia, if, for the record, you can state the charges against and expected punishment for the man in question?”

“Certainly,” she replied. “The man is charged with general disruption of harmony, disruption of Hearth’s Warming Eve Celebrations, breaking and entering, public property damage, and the assault and murder of a member of the Equestrian Royal Guard. The absolute minimum demanded by law is a fine of no less than twenty-two thousand bits, and a term of imprisonment of no less than twenty years. At the absolute minimum.”

“What are the odds he would be given such terms?”

“Slim. As I said to Ambassador Erickson, it is more likely that he would face a twenty five year imprisonment, and a slightly harsher fine.”

“Do you over the power to override this?”

Celestia paused, a troubled look on her face. “Technically, yes, I can pardon anypony for any reason. However, doing so invites dangerous legal precedents.”

“You did so for your sister,” pointed out Erickson.

“That’s not the same thing. She had already been banished for over a thousand years. that was punishment enough.”

“Peace,” interrupted Liston. “We’re getting off track. Ambassador Erickson, is it possible for your government to pay the fines on behalf of this man?”

“Possible? Yes,” he said. “However, I would need to get into contact with the United States. Should take weeks for a messenger to get to Washington, DC, and weeks to get a message back. And before we send the messenger, we need establish just how much the fine will be for and its value. We don’t have any ‘bits,’ so some other form of payment, if it is approved, will need to suffice.”

“I must warn you that I have received more letters and petitions than I can count demanding that something be done about the human. I have not seen the ponies so angry about something in over a thousand years.”

“That is concerning, but let it be known that the United States will not allow a mob to dictate whether or not an individual will get justice. We are prepared to take drastic measures to protect this man’s rights.”

The Decision to Advance

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Chapter 10: The Decision to Advance
The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

“Well, that could have been better,” said Celestia, as the American diplomat left the room.

“It also could have been worse,” pointed out Liston. “A lot worse. Here, at least, we have established that the American is willing to compromise. With any luck, you’ll get them to pay the fallen soldier’s reparations.”

“Perhaps,” she replied. “But justice is not served through a fine alone. The criminal must be shown that what he did was wrong, and society must take steps to correct it. If we just allow him to get away with it…”

“What is this ‘Hearth’s Warming Eve,’ anyways? I get the feeling that it is not a religious holiday…”

“But it is,” said Celestia. “Well, not in the way you might think. Let me explain.”

“Millennia ago, Equestria did not exist. Rather, ponykind lived in three separate ‘Tribes,’ divided along racial lines. Their relationship was...less than friendly. After a few particularly devastating wars, (and accidentally freezing over our old home), ponies moved south to this land, and after almost managing to freeze this land over as well, the Tribes decided that they had greater threats than each other. The story is actually quite fascinating: each of the three leaders and one of their aids were forced into a cavern to escape the creatures known as Windigos, who were causing the winters that followed the ponies. Then, as a the leaders continued to bicker and fight, all three of them were frozen into ice themselves. It was their aides, freed of their leaders’ prejudices, that were able to look past the horn, the wings, and the lack of both to see that, at the core, all ponies were alike.”

“It was this that lit the Fire of Friendship for the first time.”

“Immediately, the Windigos started to lose their power, and their hold over the leaders soon broke. When confronted by their aides with this new information, the leaders agreed that bigger threats faced ponykind, and that our species could no longer afford to fight amongst themselves in petty disputes. Thus, in a monumental move, the Six Founders, as they’re known today, dissolved the political boundaries between the Tribes and founded the Equestrian Republic.”

“Now, harmony between ponies - or rather the lack thereof - nearly drove ponykind to a slow, painful extinction through starvation. As such, immediately after the Great Warming, as it is called, pony philosophers soon started calling not just for harmony between the Tribes, but for harmony between communities, individual ponies, and within a pony’s personal life. Harmony in all things, they called for, or death and suffering to us all. And it stuck. Soon, a whole branch of philosophy was dedicated to the promotion of harmony, and it gained remarkable traction among the ponies of the Republic. This ponies even proposed that if a pony managed to achieve absolute harmony, she would ascend beyond normal ponies and become something more. What this thing was, however, they didn’t know.”

“And then Discord came. Discord is quite literally the antithesis to everything mentioned in philosophy of harmony. And he was able conquer all of Equestria and subject it to his tyrannical reign of terror.”

“But, as some of the more radical philosophers said at the time: Harmony would always reassert itself. And so it did. When my sister and myself led the Harmonious Revolution to overthrow Discord, the philosophy of harmony saw another massive resurgence. However, this time, they had an answer to the question of perfect harmony. The pony ascends to be an Alicorn.”

“With this change to the philosophy, the ponies of Equestria touchingly named it after me. To this day, I am considered the symbol of perfect harmony, and the philosophy is known as Celestialism. And one of its most important ‘holidays’ is the first time ponies were able to form a harmonious society: Hearth’s Warming.”

“So they worship you?”

“No! I may be a symbol of harmony, but neither my sister or I are deities, and we’ve never claimed to be. There is a small group that does make that leap of faith, known as the Cult of Divinity to the rest of the population. For the most part, however, the population does not consider my sister or I to be goddesses. There are no gods or goddesses in Celestialism.” Here, Celestia allowed a small smile through. “Though, it is rather flattering that a small part of the population does consider me a goddess.”

“So, your ‘religion’ is a lot more like the eastern religion of Buddhism than Christianity,” reflected Liston.

Celestia decided not to comment for various reasons, not the least of which that she nothing about this “Buddhism.”

February 28, 1817
British Embassy to Equestria
Second Day of Negotiations

“Welcome back Princess Celestia, Ambassador Erickson,” said Liston. “Shall we begin again?”

Both pony and human gave their consent.

“Excellent. It has come to my attention that an official punishment for our most popular human has been handed down by the Equestrian courts. Is this correct, Princess?”

“Yes,” replied the pony princess.

“Can you please state the sentence for the record?”

Celestia cleared her throat, and recited the ruling from memory. “The ruling, issued from the High Court of Equestria, rules that the defendant is guilty in all charges. Under the advice of the Royal Council, the High Court waived the penalties from disrupting harmony and disrupting a celebration of Hearth’s Warming Eve. On the remaining charges, the guilty party is sentenced to a fine of one hundred ninety-five thousand, seven hundred and fifty bits, seventy-five thousand of which is reserved for the family of the fallen guard. Above and beyond this, the party is additionally sentenced to twenty-five years imprisonment, effective immediately. It is so ordered.”

“This is unacceptable,” said Erickson, crossing his arms. “The man has no means to pay such a fine, and the United States will not allow one of her citizens to rot in a foreign prison ran by a completely different species.”

“The ruling of the High Court is not up for debate,” replied Celestia. “They have made their ruling, and now it falls to me to enforce it. I have no more power over it then you do.”

“And yet, you hold the power to pardon this man and deliver him back to his own kind.”

“The pardon that I hold is reserved for extreme instances. The last two times I used the pardon was to pardon two beings that had already faced over a thousand years of punishment. And those two instances have been the only two times I - or any Princess of Equestria - have invoked the power of the pardon.”

“Your legal precedent is irrelevant. This court is trying to convict a man that does not even share their species! How can they be trusted to try him fairly?”

“Do you mean to imply that Equestria’s legal system is racist? That it treats humans and ponies differently?” asked Celestia, in a deadly quiet voice.

“Peace!” barked Liston, cutting Erickson off before he could answer the charge. “Enough bickering. Nothing is gained here.”

Celestia bowed her head slightly, acknowledging the point.

“Now, as we all know, the essence of diplomacy is compromise,” Liston went on. “With this in mind, is it possible for you, Princess, to pardon this man as part of a treaty?”

“Technically,” replied Celestia. “It’s never been done before, but nothing explicitly prohibits such an action. The political repercussions of such an act, however...”

“That will be considered in the compromise,” Liston said smoothly. Turning to Erickson, he said, “You will need to dispatch that message to Washington DC soon, for now we have a solid sum of money.

“But, again, we have none of these ‘bits.’ How much is this fine worth?”

Celestia cleared her throat. “According to my calculations, that amount of money is worth approximately seventy-seven pounds of pure gold.”

“Very well,” replied Erickson. “I will convey your demands to the United States. I cannot guarantee that the government will fulfill them, though.”

“Noted.”

March 3, 1817
Canterlot, Equestria

“Now, I ask you, will you grant our request?” asked Celestia, facing the two human diplomats.

Liston spoke up first, saying, “Absolutely. An exchange in embassies is traditional, and seeing as we have already opened one here, it is only fitting that we open one for Equestria in London.”

Celestia inclined her head. Remarkable just how willing the British are to work with us.

As she turned to the American, he quickly said, “Of course, the United States of America...welcomes your diplomatic mission. We will not turn away those who seek peaceful solutions over war.” Was it Celestia’s imagination, or were his final words a little pointed?

Putting the possible observation aside, she said, “Very well. I will dispatch work teams within the week to travel to Washington, DC and begin work on an embassy. I trust that a few of your settlers can serve as guides? They will be compensated for their services.”

“Should not be too much of a problem.”

“As for the United Kingdom…” Celestia continued, trailing off.

Liston picked up on the hint, and said, “I will get in contact with the British government. Surely they will send a ship to pick up a building crew. His Majesty the King will be delighted to receive them.”

“Excellent,” replied the Princesses. After a moment, she added, “Ambassador Erickson, thank you for your time. If you do not mind, I need to speak to Ambassador Liston in private.”

Erickson inclined his head, and took his leave.

As the door closed behind him, Celestia turned to Liston and said, “Earlier, you said that the United Kingdom would be open to advising Equestria in a few matters. Is that offer still valid?”

“Of course,” he replied. “What can we help you with?”

“Well, my fellow royals and I have seen the need to establish a diplomatic presence in other nations. Traditionally, such talks have always occurred in face-to-face situations between rulers. Now, however, it appears that the world is much too large for such an idea to be feasible.”

“And you want me to help train your kind, to make diplomats capable of facing the world out of them.”

“Yes.”

“Interesting,” mused the human. “I could do this, if you provide the recruits. Classes would be somewhat infrequent, as I do have an embassy to run, after all.”

“Of course.”

“And there would be the question of my payment…”

“Send the bill to the Royal Council,” replied Celestia. “If it is reasonable and fair, we will pay.”

“Excellent.”

March 10, 1817
Salt Lick City, Equestria

“We ready?” asked Silver Compass, leader of the Equestrian expedition to the United States.

“Ready,” replied the human setter that had just joined them.

“Then let us move,” replied Silver Compass, and the expedition of six ponies and one human started to leave, trekking east. It would be the first time in written memory that ponies had left the borders of Equestria.

June 25, 1817
British Embassy to Equestria
Third Day of Negotiations

“Thirty-eight pounds?!? That isn’t even half of what was ordered by the courts!” said Luna, who, in a moment of weakness, Celestia had allowed to accompany her.

Not that Celestia disagreed, though.

“My sister is right. This is unacceptable,” said Celestia.

“I’m sorry you feel that way, Princess. However, this is the maximum payment authorized by Congress.”

“The ponies of Equestria will never stand for this. We cannot allow the will of justice to be overturned at the first sign of adversity.”

“Are you saying that you will fight the United States over this?”

“Enough!” interjected Liston.

He said more, but Celestia tuned him out, looking for a compromise. After a moment, she settled on a figure, then said, “Ambassador, Equestria does not want conflict. In the spirit of peace and harmony, we will release the human for a sum of fifty-eight pounds of gold. That is three-fourths of the court’s demands, and I will handle the political aftermath. Now, please, let us drop this matter and focus on the future.”

How did it come to this? wondered Celestia. How did everything spiral out of control so quickly?

And here we are. This is it.

Celestia weighed the reports given to her by Cadance’s scouting expedition, considering just how strong the American military was reported to be.

Way too strong. We cannot fight them!

And yet...an idea appeared in the back of her head. What if he’s bluffing?

The idea was a fascinating one. After all, by all accounts, it would take almost a year for the United States to move troops from their core provinces to the border of Equestria. Such an action would be expensive, and would not necessarily result in a gain for them.

But if I’m wrong and he is not bluffing, I am dooming my little ponies to death…

All other routes exhausted, she had but one choice left.

Princess Celestia drew herself up to her full height, spread her wings, and, with all the royal authority she could muster, said, “It appears, Ambassador, that I have no meaningful alternative. As a result we shall release this human in exchange for the sum of money that you proposed. Let the record reflect that I make this decision under duress, and with the threat of an unwinnable war hanging over my head. Let the record also reflect that I formally protest the actions taken by the government of the United States of America, and, again, I only take this action because of the overwhelming force possessed by that government.”

“The record shall so reflect,” said Liston. “Speaking as an ambassador from the United Kingdom, I also wish to inform Ambassador Erickson that the United Kingdom will almost certainly be lodging a formal protest against this perversion of justice.”

“That’s rich,” replied his counterpart, “as the United Kingdom has demanded such treaties from other countries in the past.”

“Either way,” Celestia interrupted, “is that satisfactory? Can we now put this mess behind us and look to the future?”

The Ambassador stood up and said, “Yes. This concludes negotiations.” He started to leave, then added, “I assure you, Your Highness, that the man will have his day in court.”

August 13, 1817
Special Meeting of the Equestrian Royal Council
Canterlot, Equestria

“Pardoned?!? PARDONED?!” exclaimed Luna, certain that the messenger had deceived her.

“Yes, Your Highness. The office of the President of the United States has issued a pardon for that human.”

“You’re dismissed, my little pony,” said Princess Celestia.

The pegasus bowed, but pause before she left. Looking Celestia in the eye, she asked, “May I speak what I am thinking?”

“Always,” replied Celestia.

“Princess, are we going to allow this to keep happening? The humans are walking all over us, for pony’s sake!”

Celestia felt an iron bar drop into her stomach, but held firm. “My pony...I agree. This has gone on for long enough. Now is the time for action. Now is the time to show these humans that they cannot expect us to just roll over at the first sign of trouble. Now is the time to learn to play their game. If we cannot, then we might as well asked to be annexed to their lands right now.”

Turning to the Royal Council, Celestia, again mustering all the royal authority she could, asked in as authoritarian voice as she could, “All those in favor of embracing the ideas of the West, in the name of Equestrian independence, raise your hoof now!!!”

All of the other three Princesses raised their hooves, and history was forever changed.

Author's Notes:

Remember to VOTE!!! Do it here! Do it now! Polls close...eventually.

Value of gold to Equestrian Bits (hereafter referred to as EQB) calculated thusly:
1: In 1815, gold (24k) was valued at ~$22 USD/troy ounce (Source
2: According to the event "The Treaty of Columbia," the United Kingdom offers to sell a strip of land to Equestria for the sum of 2.91 million Bits. The land costs 75,000 British Pounds in-game.
3. Thus, the conversion rate between the two currencies in ~1860 is 38.8 EQB to one British Pound.
4. The exchange rate between British Pounds and USD in ~1860 was 1 GBP for 0.2017 USD, or ~4.95 USD for 1 GBP.
5. Thus, the exchange rate between EQB and USD in ~1860 was ~7.83 EQB/1 USD.
6. For the sake of this calculation, I am throwing out all inflation and fluctuations in the value of the currencies. This will cost me some historical credibility, but I want to retain my sanity. Sorry.
7. I set the baseline for Equestria's fines at a number in USD I thought was fair for the nation. It was 25,000 USD.
8. Thus, the fine was for 195,750 EQB.
9. This value in gold is equal to ~1136.3636... troy ounces.
10. As there is ~14.6 troy ounces in a pound, that is ~77.8 pounds.

If I failed epicly in my conversions and my assumptions, then I'm sorry. But this is sticking!

Westernization, Part I

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Westernization, Part I
The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

July 12, 1817
British Embassy to Equestria

“You wish to modernize? Join us on the world stage?” asked Liston, raising his eyebrows.

“Yes. We cannot allow ourselves to be pushed around by the Americans any more. This must end, and we must be the ones to end it.”

“So you foresee conflict coming between the Americans and yourselves?”

Celestia hesitated before saying, “There is a very real chance of that coming to pass.” She was silent for a moment before continuing, “What steps would you recommend that I take?”

“Well, adopting western ways will prove to be a task where you will need to exercise the control and authority necessary in order to force reforms through an unconvinced population. You hold absolute power, as far as I can tell, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to do that.”

“But there are the townships,” Celestia said. “They could prove to be a problem.”

“Perhaps,” agreed the man. “Maybe you could do something to reign in their power. Centralize the government, perhaps.”

“Interesting…” After a moment, Celestia shook her head slightly in an attempt to clear it - meeting with little success - and decided to change the subject. “I have seen that you intend to hold a diplomatic class today.”

“Yes, I do,” he replied. “Your students are fast learners, if somewhat naive. It has been difficult impressing upon them the fact that countries both can and will declare war against this country.”

Celestia sighed. “Well, please continue. Feel free to hammer the point home as much as is necessary. That will be something they need to learn.”

Changing the subject again, Celestia ruffled her wings slightly and wondered out loud: “I wonder how the expedition to America is doing...”

More or less June 3, 1817
[LOCATION UNKNOWN]

“Why don’t you just confess that you have no idea where you are going?” asked Silver Compass wearily. “It’s clear to anypony with half a brain that you have no sense of direction.”

“Be silent,” replied the human, tiredly. “I am not lost.”

As if to prove his point, as they topped the hill, both humans and ponies could see a small village off in the horizon.

“Told you.”

As they approached the village, the human kept squinting at a flag that a center-ish building flew.

“Shit,” he muttered, as it came into view.

“What?” asked Silver Compass, squinting at the flag himself. It flew a standard of with a red border surronding a checkboard of blue and white, with some kind of device in the center.

“That’s the flag of the Mexican revolutionaries,” replied the man. “They speak a different language than us. I know a little of it, thanks to some training before we set out.”

“Well, then, let’s go meet them!”

“I am not sure that’s a good idea...we were ordered to go directly to the United States, after all.”

Silver Compass tossed his head, saying, “I was put in charge of this expedition, not you. And before we departed, Princess Celestia gave me orders to seize the opportunity to explore new nations and new peoples. As a result, I am altering the mission.”

A half hour later…

As the expedition approached the Mexican town, the human got more and more antsy.

“What is wrong?” asked Compass, one part concerned, two parts annoyed.

“These Mexicans are fighting the Spanish for their independence,” came the brittle reply. “I don’t exactly want to get caught in a crossfire between them.”

That gave the ponies pause for a brief moment, but did not stop the expedition. “Well, I haven’t heard any gunfire,” replied Compass, not that he was much of an expert on what guns sounded like. Quite the opposite, in fact.

As they entered the town, the human relaxed somewhat, but remained more than careful.

Silver Compass saw a flurry of activity, and heard whispered mutterings.

“¡Un gringo! Y, ¿unos caballos?”

Slowly, a man approached them. He walked carefully, as if he might scare away their unexpected visitors.

“¡Holá!” called the American settler.

“Holá,” came the reply, still warily.

“¿Hablas inglés?”

The man made a face, but made the language shift and said, “Yes, a little.” He waited for a moment, then, in halting English/Equestrian, said, “That...interesting horse, sir,” obviously referencing Silver Compass.

“Not a horse. Pony,” said Compass, grinning slightly at the reaction that provoked.

“¡Ahh, Dois mío!” the human exclaimed, jumping backwards. After a brief moment, he made a rapid, curious symbol. He used his left hand to touch his head, chest, left shoulder, and right shoulder, in that order. He also whispered “Doís, ten piedad.”

After that interesting sight, the man managed to compose himself, and said, “Perdónme...My apologies. You startled me.”

“My kind tends to have that effect on humans,” remarked the pony dryly. After a moment, he continued, asking, “Now, my guide here said that you are the Mexican revolutionaries. What are you revolting against?”

“That advenedizo who seized the Spanish throne, installed by those French dogs!” exclaimed the revolutionary. “And then, when the French were driven out, and the King restored, he behaved as un loco! We had no choice!”

“No, the Viceroyalty of New Spain can no longer exist as Nueva España. We must be independent!”

September 1, 1817
The Grand Equestria Pony Summit
Canterlot, Equestria

Many ponies from all over Equestria gather to take part in the Grand Summit. Each of the individual townships send their own delegation, with the number of ponies more or less proportional to the population of the township. Each delegation was led by the head of the township, be that a mayor, sheriff, or magistrate. And here, in a twice-yearly format, they would debate, argue, and sometimes (very rarely) even fight over which direction to take Equestria. The longest summit on record had lasted a whopping two years, due to the fact that Celestia did not adjourn it until all business was completed.

That was a rather extreme example; the summit usually only took a month or so to complete. And since the Princesses took turns presiding over it, they were able to retain their sanity in one form or another.

As the Princesses of Equestria stepped forward, a hush fell over the delegations. In the past summits, the Princesses had made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that discusses about the humans were strictly off the table. This time, however, no such prohibition had been mentioned before the summit was called.

“Welcome to the Grand Equestrian Pony Summit,” said Luna, with less enthusiasm than she normally had for the occasion.

“You delegates have traveled far to represent your towns,” said Celestia. She hesitated, took a deep breath, and continued: “But, unfortunately, that is no longer necessary.”

A ripple of unease passed through the delegates below.

“As you know, we have come in closer and closer contact with the species known as humans. They represent a clear and direct threat to the independence of this nation, and to ponykind everywhere.”

“As a result, we, the Princesses of Equestria, have decided there is but one way to retain our independence: We must learn to play the humans' game, and adopt the ideas of the West. And the path to doing so is clear.” Here, Celestia paused for dramatic effect, then spread her wings and proclaimed, with all her royal authority:

“As of this moment, the townships within the Principality of Equestria are abolished. The office of mayor is defunct. The Grand Equestria Pony Summit is abolished. From this moment onwards, local government shall be administered by a royal magistrate, appointed by the Royal Council, and subject to reappointment at any time for any reason, or no reason at all. Such is the decree of the Royal Council.”

With that, the Princesses walked back into Canterlot Castle, leaving the ponies outside in a state of shock.

Westernization, Part II

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Westernization, Part II
The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

September 10, 1817
Special Session of the Equestrian Royal Council
Canterlot, Equestria

“Remind me to abolish the Summit again if we need to,” said Luna. “This September has been so much easier without it. I think I actually got a good day’s sleep yesterday!”

“Indeed,” echoed Twilight.

“Don’t worry, there is still several opportunities to lose sleep ahead of us,” warned Cadance.

“Correct,” interjected Celestia. “And that brings us-” she slammed a massive pile of paper down on the desk in front of her “- to the next item on our ridiculously long list. Now that centralization of the monarchy is underway, we can turn our attention to what’s next.”

“And that is?”

“We have a choice, actually. We can reorganize the economy, continue the centralization process, jump-start the sciences, found a navy, or...begin military reforms.”

The Princesses looked sideways at each other, then Twilight said, “It seems that the sciences are one of the most important parts of that selection, if I can be trusted to be impartial here.”

“I agree,” said Cadance. “It clearly appears to be the one upon with the humans have built their vast advantage, and, as such, seems a good place to start.”

“We cannot forget the military, however much we might want to,” interjected Luna. “For now, I propose that we begin importing weapons and hiring leaders to aid us in re-training the, quite frankly, pitiful Equestrian Armies, of which, I’m pretty sure only the Royal Guard still exists.”

“She has a point,” conceded Cadance.

“But, we all know that human weapons are designed...well, for human use,” said Twilight. “With that in mind, are we even sure that two-legged, fingered creatures have weapons that are usable by us?”

“Well, as you know, Twilight, ponies can walk on two legs, if only for very limited amounts of time,” said Celestia. “With this in mind, perhaps we could figure out a few modifications that would allow us to temporarily arm the Royal Guard, and give them some teeth. That is, until our scientists can figure out a suitable set of permanent modifications.”

“In the meantime, we need to open channels with the British to see if they will lend us officers that we can use to train,” interjected Cadance.

“Already in progress,” replied Celestia. “Ambassador Liston is reaching out to his government, to see if their are any military officers they can spare.”

“And, while we are on the topic of Mister Liston, training of the beginning of the Equestrian Diplomatic Corps is almost complete. Within a month or so, we shall have our first batch of diplomats.”

“Excellent,” said Luna. “We should be ready to dispatch one as soon as we receive word from our expedition to the United States.” As an afterthought, she added, “Such an unwieldy name, isn’t it?”

Celestia allowed herself a small chuckle, but quieted quickly and said, “Remember, everypony, this is without a doubt when Equestria is at her weakest. We have to complete westernization, or all of ponykind is doomed to annexation and possibly even slavery. In all honestly, Equestria has seen many threats, but, in this instance, the stakes have never been higher. We cannot slip up now.”

“If that is true, we have to do something about those American settlers,” said Luna. “They are a set of unpredictable humans that we have no direct control over, and that cannot be allowed during our time of weakness.”

September 13, 1817
The White House
Washington, DC

“Well, I hardly expected this,” said the current president of the United States, a man named James Monroe.

“In that, we agree,” said Silver Compass, feeling slightly underwhelmed. While the White House was luxurious enough, he, quite frankly, expected such a prestigious position as President of one of the largest nations Equestria had ever heard of to have a slightly more impressive home.

Monroe must noticed the faint sense of letdown, for he said, “You must know that the United States does not believe in lavishly spending on my salary. I am, after all, merely a servant of the United States, not a ruler.”

Silver Compass took a moment to consider that, also pausing to wonder if the President meant something more by that statement. After a moment, he dismissed the thought.

“Anyways, do you accept our request?”

The man stayed silent for a moment, then said, “Of course. It is traditional to open bilateral diplomatic relations. As was said by our diplomat, we welcome any attempt to resolve international disputes peacefully.”

Silver Compass internally raised an eyebrow at this statement, considering the the Manetown Incident. Not commenting on it, he pressed on and asked, “So, we are allowed to begin construction?”

“Of course. Take this,” he said, a piece of paper over to the pony. “This note orders that all materials you need for construction be made available to you at no charge. Feel free to build as you see fit, and to send a messenger back to summon your diplomat.”

November 2, 1817
Special Meeting of the Equestrian Royal Council
Canterlot, Equestria

“We received permission?” asked Celestia.

“Yes, and our workers started work on the embassy immediately. I was sent back to summon the diplomat to the United States.”

“Very well. We will dispatch her by the end of this week, with letters of accreditation. Now, tell me about this ‘Mexico.’”

“Well, we haven’t really learned much.” replied the messenger from Equestria’s expedition. “All we know for sure is that a revolution is occurring, attempting to secure their independence from another country named ‘Spain.’ And that they speak a different language.”

“Just how many human countries are there?” asked Celestia rhetorically. As the question was rhetorical, she pushed forward and said, “Well, if what you say is true and they are involved in a war of independence, it might hurt relations with this ‘Spain’ if we sent a diplomatic mission. As such, we’ll just observe for now.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

I think a change in titles is appropriate, Celestia thought to herself, briefly. Shelving the thought for now, she nodded to the messenger, saying “Thank you. Dismissed.”

“Interesting,” said Luna.

“Indeed.”

“Well, first things first,” said Celestia, pulling out a sheet of paper. It read:

To the President of the United States of America,
The Equestrian Royal Council extends its greetings. This letter certifies that ________ is a member of the Equestrian Diplomatic Corps, and has been assigned as the Equestrian Ambassador to the United States. She is authorized to negotiate and sign treaties, provide services for Equestrian residents in the United States, to run the Equestrian Embassy within the United States, and to otherwise represent the Equestrian Royal Council in all affairs with the United States. In accordance with accepted international tradition and law, she is entitled to all the rights and immunities guaranteed thereof.
Sincerely,
The Equestrian Royal Council, whose signatures are fixed below.
_________
_________
_________
_________

Celestia looked up, and issued an order to the guards defending the doors, “Send her in.”

They nodded, and knocked on the doors. The doors opened from the outside, as the Royal Guard outside the doors showed in an moderate-sized, blue-ish colored unicorn pony.

“Your Highnesses,” she said, bowing to the Princesses.

“Rise, my little pony,” ordered Celestia, and she rose.

“What is your name?” asked Twilight.

“I am Sapphire Flower,” she replied.

“And you completed Ambassador Liston’s course?” asked Luna. Of course, the Princesses knew the answers to all these questions already, but they wanted to assess how the pony acted under pressure.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Where are you from?”

“Mareposa, ma’am.”

“Can you tell us why you want to be the diplomat to the United States?” This question came from Cadance.

“...Equestria needs me,” said the pony after a brief pause. “My country and my Princesses need everypony to step up in this time. Most everypony supports adopting western ways, but somepony needs to be the face of Equestria to the United States, and I am as good as anypony else.”

Interesting. “So, it is fair to say that you want to do this out of patriotism?” asked Celestia, for clarification.

“Yes.”

Now, it was time for the test. “It says here that you performed poorly in Ambassador Liston’s classes, and that he does not recommend you for any serious diplomatic position. What say you to that?”

Sapphire opened her mouth slightly, presumably to respond, but stopped before doing so. Her face became disciplined as she said, “With all due respect, Your Highnesses, I believe that your information is in error.”

“No, it is not,” lied Celestia, searching the pony’s face for emotion.

“Well, I have little to say. No matter what the reports say, all I have is my personal experience. In my classes, I found the Ambassador to be a polite, if somewhat strict individual. I, in kind, applied myself to everything that he assigned to the absolute best I could. If that was not enough for him, then it wasn’t enough.”

Celestia looked to the other Princesses and nodded once. Seeing them nod in turn, she turned back to the pony and said, “I am satisfied. All in favor of approving Sapphire Flower’s bid for Equestrian Ambassador to the United States of America?”

All four Princesses again passed a unanimous vote.

“His note said nothing of the kind, did it?”

“That is correct. Ambassador Liston actually thought somewhat highly of you, and you were the first entry on his list of recommended ponies for a diplomatic position, due to your, quote, ‘calm disposition under stress.’”

The unicorn flushed with pride. “Thank you, Your Highnesses.”

“Do not think that we are doing you any favors,” cut in Luna. “You will be deployed in a technologically advanced, somewhat hostile nation. You will be under constant scrutiny, and the humans will leap at any incidence of ‘faux pas’ that you may exhibit. It very well might be the single most dangerous job for a pony in the entire world. Do you still want it?”

The pony blinked, but otherwise stood firm. “If this is what Equestria and my Princesses need of me, I will not fail to do my part.”

“Good. If that is your stance, then we will finish filling out your letters of accreditation. Please make all necessary arrangements, and report back in Canterlot no later than four days from now. Then, you will be issued your letters, given an escort from the Guard and the remainder of your diplomatic personnel, and sent to the United States.” Celestia hesitated for a moment, then added, “Good luck...and may the Sun and Moon ever guide you.”

November 4, 1817
British Embassy to Equestria
Canterlot, Equestria

“So, you ended up appointing Sapphire Flower?” asked Liston. “Interesting. She is probably the most qualified...pony for the job.”

“Indeed, your recommendations said as much, and she passed our brief examination, as well.”

“A fine choice...though a female in the role of diplomat…”

“I’m sorry?” asked Celestia, raising an eyebrow.

The human paused for a moment, his brow furling. After a moment, he slowly began to speak: “For most of human history, such roles of danger and risk have been the domain of men. Women are instead responsible to raise the next generation of leaders of their nation.”

Celestia raised her eyebrows and said, “In the past, it was the other way around in Equestria. In the pre-Discord Equestrian Republic, while the tribes were technically equal, mares had a definite political and social advantage. Before that, all three of the founding Tribes were matriarchies. Even in the militaristic Pegasi Tribe, commissions for stallions were exceptionally rare, and a stallion head-of-state, so to speak, was unheard of. But after the overthrow of Discord, everything changed. Ponies had to stand together to survive, and we realized it. As a result, stallions found themselves quickly elevated to the same pedestal that mares stood upon, and it has been as such ever since.”

“Fascinating,” said Liston, shaking his head slightly. “Your nation continues to amaze me with its…unorthodox ways.”

“Unorthodox to you, perhaps.” Celestia hesitated before saying, “I cannot help but feel somewhat nervous that adopting your new ideas might cost Equestria her ways and traditions. Traditions that are a result of many millennia of harmony and peace.”

“It is a forgone conclusion the the culture of Equestria will see a shift,” replied the human. “From what I’ve seen, the country will not be quite the same after westernization. No nation is. However, there is strength in your species. We need only look to your history to see that your kind has faced and overcame enormous challenges in the past. Such a species does not go quietly, and I am certain that reaching westernization is not only possible for this country, but not even particularly difficult.”

“Thank you, Ambassador Liston.”

Westernization, Part III

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Westernization, Part III
The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

January 10, 1818
Near Washington DC, United States of America
Equestrian Diplomatic Envoy

Sapphire Flower walked forward, her head hanging low. If she looked up, she would have been able to see the “District of Columbia,” as it was called by the humans. But she did not, for despite the fact that she had not even arrived at her post yet, she was already exhausted, both physically and spiritually.

Of course, trekking across the entire continent from Canterlot to Washington was no mean feat, and, naturally, that was the origin of her physical exhaustion. However, her mental weariness had a much deeper, more primal root, and it did not come from the trek itself.

It came from what she had seen.

It came from that time she had walked into the town called St. Louis, where her party had their escort replaced by American troops. The Royal Guard was told, in no uncertain terms, that their presence was not wanted. But that was only the beginning.

It came from that time they were attacked by a mob of humans when they were passing through a town called Frankfort. Granted, nopony was hurt, but the American troops were forced to fire their guns up high in the air, to scare off the mob.

But nothing compared to just the day before, when the diplomatic delegation reached the city of Richmond. That experience, right there, almost broke Sapphire's will to keep going.

Now, she had been aware of American slavery for some time, and had in fact even seen a few examples of it on the trek. But they were rare enough that Sapphire was able to convince herself that she had seen nothing, and that all the rumors about the United States of America were false.

But when they entered Richmond, that comfortable fantasy was shattered into a billion, dust-sized pieces that were quickly blown away by the winds of sadness and despair, never to be seen again.

For when the delegation arrived in Richmond, she was treated the African slave trade, infamous in its cruelty and dehumanization, as families were torn apart and rebellious slaves whipped into submission. Every single member of the pony expedition had to take a few moments and settle their stomach as swiftly as possible. Some were successful. The majority, Sapphire included, where not.

After that experience, she insisted that the party go the long way around the city. The human soldiers muttered at that, but accepted the change.

And here they were, one day later, with most of the ponies’ wills shattered, while the American troops looked on with something between pity and impatience.

However, Sapphire looked up briefly, and saw the Sun once again rising, as it always have and, in her mind, always will. And seeing the Sun gave her strength again.

“Alright, ponies,” she said, forcing herself out of the state of depression. “We’re almost there. We cannot allow this to get us down. We are members of the Equestrian Diplomatic Corps, and it’s time to behave like it!”

The ponies slowly looked up, and more than one smiled at her. They then continued trotting forward, a little faster and with a little, barely visible spring to their step.

January 12, 1818

“I, President James Monroe of these United States of America, speaking on behalf of the government and people thereof, accept your letters of accreditation and acknowledge you as the resident ambassador from the Principality of Equestria. On behalf of the people, I welcome you to these United States, and hope that your presence here will lead to a brighter future for both our countries.”

Sapphire Flower inclined her head - she would only bow fully for the Princesses - and put forth her best diplomatic smile as she looked up and into Monroe’s eyes. “As is my hope,” she replied.

Her first proving ground was a lot closer than anypony would have guessed, as the President said, “I would like to meet with you at your embassy when we are done here.”

She was taken slightly aback with his willingness to meet in Sapphire’s embassy; such an action put the power into her hooves, so to speak. She nodded once, to signal assent then started to look for a way out.

“This payment your government wanted...it’s much too high.”

“Was it?” asked Sapphire. “Odd for you to say, as you already both signed the treaty and breached it. Under the terms, the man in question was to face an American court to answer for his crimes.”

“And he did. The treaty made no mention of presidential pardons.”

It took a large amount of self control to keep from scoffing, but Sapphire managed to muster it.

“Your country is still bound by the agreements made to the Equestrian Royal Council, and we are not inclined to re-negotiate that treaty.”

Monroe stared at her for a moment, then got up quickly, said “Very well. My business here is done,” and left.

Sapphire sighed, resting her head in her hooves. What did I sign up for?

January 16, 1818
Canterlot, Equestria

“Ready! Aim! Fire!” barked the general, and the Royal Guard obediently lower their modified weapons and opened fire. The rounds mostly missed their targets, but Celestia saw a few connect with the haystack.

“Impressive,” muttered Celestia, who had been observing this unfold. She slowly walked forward, wings spread apart with her traditional pose of regal authority.

“I must say general, I am extremely impressed with your ability to train my ponies.”

The general bowed his head briefly, and said, “Just following orders from my government, Your Highness.”

“Still, your actions are a boon to the Principality of Equestria. One that we will not forget.”

The human, named George Murray, bowed his head again. As military attache to Equestria, he had been charged by the British government to teach the Equestrias the ways of post-Napoleonic warfare.

“Your Highness’s words are most gracious.”

Murray was known in Great Britain as something of a kiss-ass, despite (or perhaps because of) his military background.

Going on, he said, “Your subjects seem eager to learn. In particular, a ‘Shining Armor’ has proven to be one of my better students. He’s always asking why, pushing for more details, and really attempts to understand the mindset of both sides of a battle.”

“Excellent.”

“And while we are talking about this, I have a proposition for you.”

“Yes, General?”

“While I am training our officers now, and a former admiral will be arriving to assist you with shipbuilding soon, it occurs to me that I will not be here and training indefinitely. May I suggest that you establish a military academy to continue training your own officers after I have gone?”

“Interesting…”

March 25, 1818
Canterlot, Equestria

“Alright, the reports are in!”

“Reports from the embassy?” asked Celestia.

“Yes,” replied Twilight. “According to this...the government of the United States attempted to renegotiate the treaty we signed for the release of the human responsible for the Manetown tragedy. They claimed that the amount of money was ‘far too high.’”

Celestia quickly blinked away the spots of red outrage that exploded in her sight, then said, “I hope Sapphire had the sense to turn them away…”

“She did.”

“Good. Anything else?”

“Nothing, aside from a request to send a flag. It appears that we forgot to send one with our building crew.”

“Really? I thought we have covered everything…” Celestia muttered. “Alright, we’ll get one sent over there. In fact, we should start sewing more flags for the Principality.”

Cadance, who up until now had been silent, looked at Celestia and asked, “Celestia, what, precisely, is the flag of Equestria? I only ask because I have seen no less than three different flags for Equestria, and none of them look the same.”

Celestia sighed. “Yes, that is something that I have really let slip. I should issue a statement clearing it up. For the record, the official flag of the Principality of Equestria is mostly white, with a pink stripe along the length of the cloth on both the top and bottom. In the center of the flag, there is an emblem with the Sun, and a crescent Moon eclipsing part of it. You may have seen a flag on a light blue background, with images of myself and Luna flying around the Sun and Moon, surrounded by stars. That is not the flag of Equestria and never was. In fact, it was never even officially a flag. Rather, was the crest of the pre-Lunar Rebellion Royal Council. After the Rebellion, though, I didn’t have the heart to have Luna stricken from it. And, over time, it became more popular than the official flag, and I let it slip.”

“In any case, we need to standardize the design of the official flag and distribute replacements for anypony that has been using the wrong one. That should be done as we move on to our next part of westernization.”

“Which will be?”

“I think that we agreed that the most important thing, the thing the humans have the definite advantage in, is the sciences. We have allowed them to stagnate for too long. With that in mind, I propose making one hundred fifty thousand bits available for pony scientists to use to develop tools and weapons, along with studying nature and whatever else they see appropriate.”

“I so approve of this,” Twilight said eagerly.

“Of course you do. In addition to rebooting the sciences, another step we should consider is changing our titles.”

“We have titles?” asked Cadance.

“Exactly my point. Traditionally, our interactions with the ponies of Equestria have been extremely informal, with the ponies allowed call us, essentially, whatever they wanted. However, Ambassador Liston tells me that in western nations, there is an extremely rigid form of address for royalty, with all kinds of titles depending on the stature of the royal. While I do not think we should adopt nearly as rigid structure, adding a little formality never hurt anypony. With that in mind, Liston has provided us with a list of titles. Please do note that often the title is bound to the type of government. As such, a title like ‘Imperial Majesty’ does not fit Equestria, as we are not an empire. Unless, of course, we want to become one. Think about it, and we’ll formalize it later.”

“Finally for today, it’s been awhile since we were in touch with our griffon friends up north. Surely they’ve heard of everything that’s been going on by now. I even have the perfect message to send them...”

April 3, 1818
Kingdom of Griffonia

The Equestrian Royal Council, with a newly-sewn flag of Equestria being carried by Shining Armor, marched towards the capital of Griffonia. The Council was marching with a three-thousand strong contingent of the Equestrian Royal Guard, armed with modified guns. It was one of the largest armies Equestria had mobilized in living memory, Celestia and Luna not counting.

As the trumpets announced their presence, King Odrynn was seen marshalling his own contingent of troops, the legendary Aerie Watch. Swift responders to any national crises, they were to Griffonia as the Wonderbolts were to Equestria, in that they were the most elite fliers of the Kingdom. Normally, that sight would have frightened the Equestrians. However, the new weapons they cradled dispelled most of their fear.

As the griffons approached the ponies, the King signaled for them to stay back. He flew forward alone and as he came within ear shot of the ponies, said, “Your Highnesses...if it wasn’t for the Equs-Grifoni Pact of 1008, I would have that you were invading.”

The four Princesses took to skies as well, and approached the King. “We come not to invade, King Odrynn, but to demonstrate a point,” replied Celestia. “No doubt you have heard of the Manetown Incident?”

“A tragedy, that was, but I fail to see…”

“Of course you don’t see the point, I haven’t made it yet,” Celestia cut off. “If you have heard of the Incident, you have almost certainly heard of our decision to westernize, as well?”

“Yes…”

“Our country has spent barely six months westernizing, and already we possess the military strength to defeat even your legendary Aerie Watch in battle. And this is with only our Royal Guard! Imagine if we had trained the Wonderbolts with these weapons. Of course, we have no such ambitions, but if we wanted to, we could conquer your entire nation right here and now with only the three thousand Guardponies we brought. Imagine if the United States brought their army to your doorstep like this.”

“Excuse me, but we don’t know that.”

“Yes, we do. You are out of your league here, and you know it. Your pride is just getting in the way.”

“Do you want me to start this ‘westernization,’ as well?”

“What do we want? We want nothing. Rather, we are demonstrating what we are capable of. This is a warning to you, King Odrynn. While we have no ambition to conquer your lands and subject your people, I cannot speak for the other powers on this continent. Equestria is more than willing to assist you in the westernization process. All you must do is ask.”

King Odrynn looked his counterparts in the eye, then said, “This westernization you speak of...surely it will involve abandoning ancient griffon ways. Even if I wanted to, my people are notoriously reactionary. I must think on this.”

“Our offer stands for as long as you want. Be warned, however. Equestria has already had troublesome occurrences with the United States. They will come to you, as well. Be ready.”

With that the Princesses turned around and flew back to the Guard. The contingent turned around, and started the march back to Equestria.

“A show of force, sister?” asked Luna. “Are you sure that was wise?”

“You can only play with diplomatic niceties for so long until you just have to give up and speak their language,” replied Celestia. “Wise? Probably not. Effective? Maybe, maybe not. One thing’s for sure, though. Talking at them was not going to make them accept westernization. As he said himself, his people cling to their traditions like nopony else.”

“And will this convince them to let go?”

“I hope so, Luna. I hope so.”

Westernization, Part IV

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Westernization, Part IV
The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

June 10, 1818
Equestrian Embassy to the United States of America
Washington, D.C, USA

Ambassador Sapphire Flower looked out the window, past the newly-sewn flag that flew from the embassy’s flagpole, and out into Washington, DC. It had barely been three months, but she could already feel the pressures of diplomacy weighing heavily on her shoulders

In that moment, she felt a pang of sympathy for Celestia, and, indeed, all of the Princesses of Equestria. Running her embassy was hard enough, she could barely comprehend running the entire Principality.

Soon, something caught Sapphire’s eye and distracted her from her musings. A man was walking alone down the street, looking absolutely livid. Upon closer inspection, she saw that it was none other than Charles Bagot, British ambassador to the United States.

On a whim, Sapphire decided to leave her embassy and greet the ambassador. Who knows? she thought. Maybe something will come of it.

Or it will just be a bit of idle discussion, which isn’t the worst thing in diplomacy.

As she thought this, she was already out the embassy’s door, and trotting towards the human.

“Lord Bagot!” she called, remembering his proper form of address.

The man turned around and saw the pony. He smiled and said, “Ah, hello Ambassador...Sapphire Flower, correct?”

“Correct,” replied the pony, smiling in return. “A fine day, is it not?”

“A fine day indeed,” agreed the human. “How can I help you?”

“Well, I just saw you walking past my window, and, quite frankly, you looked like you hated the world.”

“Well, to be honest, I just completed a meeting with Secretary Adams about the mismanagement of a conflict down in Florida. One General ‘Andrew Jackson’ executed two British subjects, even though their trial had rejected executions as a form of punishment.”

“What were they guilty of?”

“Allegedly, of giving aid to the enemies of the United States. How that gives them jurisdiction in this case is lost to me.”

“That’s horrible,” replied the pony ambassador.

“Indeed...but I am of the opinion that that is nothing compared to the United States’s terrible response to what you call the ‘Manetown Incident.’ And I have heard that Monroe had the audacity to try to renegotiate their settlement?”

“Word travels around here, it seems. Yes, that is correct.”

“I think we can both agree, then, that the actions of the United States are over the line acceptable for a civilized country.”

“Perhaps…” replied the pony, unwilling to make an ironclad commitment. Hoping to shift the discussion, she asked, “Can you tell me more of the conflict down in this ‘Florida?’”

“Certainly. It’s being called the Seminole War…”

June 14, 1818
Meeting of the Equestrian Royal Council
Canterlot, Equestria

“Welcome back,” said Celestia as the other three Princesses took their traditional places around a large table.

The table in question was becoming a more and more common sight within the palace room, were all these meetings of the Royal Council were being held. In fact, last meeting, Twilight had brought up the idea of moving their place of conference to a different place in the capital.

Nothing became of it, mostly because nopony had any great ideas of a more appropriate place.

“Now that we all here, to business,” said Celestia. “First on the agenda: titles. Any thoughts?”

“Well, I believe that we discarded the title ‘Imperial Majesty’ as a prospective title,” said Luna. “Unless, of course, we want to start referring to Equestria as an empire…”

All the Princesses glanced at each other, then hurriedly started shaking their heads.

“I also think we can discard ‘Highness.’ My research indicates that it is usually used for the non-ruling members of a dynasty. As we are all ruling, and none of us belong to a dynasty, it does not seem appropriate for our...unique situation,” said Twilight.

“What about “Royal Majesty?” asked Cadance. “It conveys our royal status, while not being too unwieldy.”

“But it seems so common…” said Luna. “Almost all human monarchs are headed by a Royal Majesty. We should be different, we need to do something to set ourselves apart. I mean, come on, we are lead by an entirely different species! Something needs to be different, and distinctions must be made.”

“I have an idea,” put in Twilight. “I’ve been looking over these records, and it says that reigning princes of small states have been called ‘Serene Highness.’ Given the relative scope of Equestria, that is, the fact that we only claim political authority over a particular set of species, it seems appropriate for us. Adapting that title for our ideas, then, we could style ourselves the ‘Serene Majesties of the Principality of Equestria.’”

Celestia nodded, liking the ring of it. Seeing similar responses for around the table, she asked, “All in favor of adopting the title of ‘Serene Majesty?’”

In a move that shocked nopony, the decision was ratified through another unanimous vote.

“Excellent. Now, onto a new subject: the Council itself. My fellow Princesses, it is apparent that westernizing is a massive undertaking, one that fundamentally changes the way Equestria operates. We are in need of establishing formal administration, as there are only so many hours to a day. Considering this, I am of the mind that two things must happen. One, we must appoint capable ponies to head various departments to oversee this massive overhaul. Secondly, as an extension of the first point, we must establish some kind of governing body to act in our absence. We don’t have to give them the power to do anything significant, but rather just enough control to oversee some of the ground work so we are capable of leading the country in important directions. After all, we don’t want the administration of the government grinding to a halt just because we are dealing with some crises that demands our attention. I propose the following for its structure: it shall be made up of two ‘houses,’ a lower house and an upper house. The seats of the lower house are appointed by us and subject to reappointment at our whim, and the upper house is either appointed by us or, in lieu of that, appointed by the lower house. That way, whoever we put in control of the houses will be able to execute our will. The lower house would execute most of the groundwork, while the upper house will be charged with overseeing potential ‘reforms’ to the government. Of course, their role would be little more than ceremonial.”

“An interesting idea, Celestia,” replied Luna. “Undoubtedly, we will need to insure that nopony takes advantage of their newfound ‘power.’ As much as I wish it was not so, ponies are not completely pure, and some can be corrupted and let the idea of power get to their head.”

“Even if they don’t really have any. I understand, and we will, of course, take measures to counter it.” Celestia hesitated, then said, “With that in mind...Princess Twilight, I would like to appoint you the head of the newly-founded Royal Ministry of the Sciences and Arts. Your job would involve overlooking all employed scientists within the Principality, as well as insuring our technological westernization goes smoothly. You may need to work with the military in some affairs, particularly in the area of weaponry and naval technology. In addition, you will be charged with overseeing pony philosophy, patronage of the arts, and everything that pertains to such things. It promises to be a massive job, but you have demonstrated that you are more than capable of handling it.”

Twilight’s jaw almost hit the table at this position that Celestia had extended to her. Closing her mouth after a moment, she swallowed and said, “I would be honored to head such an important part of Equestria, if you think that I can handle it…”

“I do. You have changed a lot from that antisocial pony who I had to stronghoof into making friends at Ponyville. You have also changed a lot when we just consider your time as Princesses. As I said back when I elevated you to Princesshood, it is time for you to fulfill your destiny.”

“Then...I accept. If this is what is needed of me, I will gladly take the position. And I will do my best to fulfill what you and all of Equestria needs from me.”

“I am sure you will,” replied Celestia in her serene voice. “There be no objections?”

The other two Princesses hastily shook their heads.

“Excellent. Now, onward to military reforms. Military enlistment has skyrocketed; almost ten thousand ponies have already volunteered to join the Equestrian Royal Guard, thanks in part to an effective newspaper campaign. Of course, training these ponies will take quite a while, and they will not enter into the Guard for some time. With this in mind, though, we must also expand the potential military beyond the scope of the Royal Guard. To put it bluntly, we cannot rely on the Guard alone. I propose the creation of the First Equestrian Corps to siphon some of our volunteers into.”

“Who will head this ‘First Corps?’” asked Luna. “The officer pool in Equestria is not exactly large, after all. Talented officers are hard to come by.”

“All in due time, sister. Talent will certainly present itself with time. For now, we need to establish the military infrastructure to handle the troops. With any luck at all, their presence will be enough to stop anypony-ahem, anybody, from attacking.”

August 30, 1818
Canterlot, Equestria

“American ship!!!” came the yell from the ramparts of Canterlot Castle.

“Fetch the Princesses! Muster the Guard!” came the replying yell from the officer of the watch, a unicorn by the name Amethyst Spear. “Get Captain Shining Armor! Quicky!”

Bells rang and horns sounded as the city was called to arms. Guards on the street moved ponies into their homes before reporting to their posts and preparing for the human’s arrival.

As weapons were distributed to the Guard, the Princesses came out of their tower.

“STAND DOWN, PONIES OF EQUESTRIA! STAND DOWN!” came the yell from Celestia. In a more moderate voice, she continued “We don’t want to appear too trigger happy.”

“Damn, the ponies are jumpy…” said Luna. “If the humans have wound them this tight…”

Celestia sighed, as she remembered what she had told Twilight a couple of years earlier:

Ponies get mad and scared over the most illogical of things. While some ponies run in fear of what they do not understand, others feel compelled to lash out at the unknown. It’s one of the reasons I have feared the human approach so much.

“Let’s make sure our ponies don’t land us in an embarrassing situation,” she said, and flapped her powerful wings, launching herself into the sky, to intercept the approaching vessel.

The rest of the Council followed her into the air, and quickly approached the ship carrying the infamous Stars and Stripes that everypony in Equestria had come to know of, at least in passing.

The humans on board the ship had seen them, and the Princesses could see more than a few weapons being held by the humans, pointed up in the sky and away from the Princesses. Not threatening, per se, but close enough to make the ponies weary.

Twilight quietly wished that the Princesses had waited for a escort from the Guard.

As they landed, the humans backed up a couple of steps and shifted uneasily with their guns, but otherwise did nothing.

“I hope those weapons are just for show,” said Luna.

Celestia subtly nudged her sister, as her combativeness was not something she wanted to condone.

“Who are you?” asked one of the humans. who Celestia assumed to be the captain.

“I am Princess Celestia. My fellows form the Equestrian Royal Council. And who are you? And what is your purpose here?”

“I am Captain James Biddle, of the USS Ontario. My ship and I have just surveyed some land up north and we need to resupply here, as we don’t have enough supplies to make it back home.”

“If you simply want to buy supplies, then I have no objection,” said Celestia. “But I must insist that you remain under escort from the Royal Guard, to ensure no...incidents...occur. I hope you understand.”

The human captain hesitated, and glanced sideways at one of his crewmembers. “We were warned that you may have a...less than friendly stance towards us.”

Despite herself, Celestia raised her eyebrows a fraction of an inch at that statement. “The last time we allowed humans within our borders, we ended up with a dead pony and a diplomatic crisis with the United States. Forgive us if we are now more cautious.”

“And we had nothing to do with that.”

“Perhaps not. Be that as it may however, we, the Royal Council, cannot take the chance. If you wish to land on our shores, you must accept a military escort, for both your safety and ours. Otherwise, you are welcome to leave our shores and wait until you arrive at New Spain. Or Mexico, depending on who you ask.”

“Very well. I submit to your escort.”

“Excellent. A regiment shall be prepared, and you may now prepare your landing. I will also notify the American embassy of your presence. If you wish, I can also prepare rooms for your crew, if you wish to spend the night here and rest on dry land. If not, that is fine.”
The captain looked at his crew, then said, “That would not be unwelcome.”

“Very well. I will make the arrangements.”

A few hours later…

“Wait, what?!?”

Envoy Featherwind let out a sigh, directed at Princess Twilight.

“I said, this crew of humans that you took in claimed parts of Griffonia, the land surrounding what they know as the ‘Columbia River.’”

“They claimed this land for the United States? And you did nothing to try to stop them?” inserted Luna, skeptically.

“They were carrying their weapons. King Odrynn did not want to enter into a confrontation with them.”

Celestia sighed, then looked the griffon in the eye. “Let me get this straight: This American ship visited some river in your territory and planted their flag there, thus claiming it for the United States of America. They managed to miss the fact that you had already settled there, apparently were not warned of your existence before they left, and you did not confront them. Then, they left, sailed south, and arrived here.”

“Correct.”

“Very well. Have you filed a complaint with their embassy yet?”

“As of my departure, no. But I am certain that King Odrynn has by now.”

“And what do you want us to do?”

“Turn the humans over to us, to be dealt with in Griffonia!”

Princess Celestia looked sideways at Luna.

“The United States would not like that at all…” said Luna.

“No, they won’t. And I don’t think we can risk fulfilling your request. The last time we tried to deal with justice ourselves, we found ourselves on the verge of war with them.”

“But...you cannot allow them to just do this! They claimed a piece of land that is ancestrally Griffon!”

Celestia snorted angrily. “I have no choice! I would love to turn them over to you, believe me. But if I do, I will be effectively consigning the ponies of Equestria to death. And that is something I cannot do. So, I am sorry, but we, the Royal Council, cannot help you.”

Envoy Featherwind stood up violently, and stalked out of the room. However, he paused at the door and said, in a biting tone, “I thought that there was strength in ponykind. I now see that my comrades were right; is no and can never be any strength in Equestria. Your attempts at ‘westernization’ is just a smokescreen to distract the world from your true weakness.”

With that, he left, slamming the door behind him.

Interlude: The Monroe Doctrine

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Interlude: The Monroe Doctrine
The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

March 1, 1822
Canterlot, Equestria

To her Most Serene Celestia, Princess of Equestria,

I, the President of the United States, extend my greetings, and would like to congratulate you and your country on your continued drive towards reaching a level that would be considered modern or western. Particularly impressive is the establishment of your Equestrian Military Academy, in Canterlot, and your new and budding list of departments, that are operating much more efficiently than anybody - or pony - could have predicted.

As you may know, every year, the President of the United States delivers a speech to the legislative body of the United States, the Congress. This speech is known as “The President’s Annual Message to Congress,” and this year, I shall give it to Congress in person, in a slight deviation from tradition established by Thomas Jefferson. I hereby cordially invites you to witness it, and afterwards, invite you to a private conference with myself.

Sincerely,

James Monroe

President of the United States of America

“Will you go?” asked Luna, lowering the piece of paper.

“Probably,” replied Celestia. “After all, it is the United States. Can I really ignore the opportunity to try to instill friendlier relations with them?”

“Perhaps not. But this is not the President that pardoned the man responsible for the Manetown Incident?”

“It is. But we must not be too hasty. You know how finkle representative democracies can be; they always bow to their voters. And voter wishes can change overnight with little warning and no apparent cause. Unstable, if you ask me. Therefore, it is possible that his pardon came as a political concession to some faction within their Congress or the population.”

“Possible, I suppose,”

“I will leave in a few months, with a detachment of Royal Guards. Say, twenty strong. Make sure they are equipped with both rifles and spears. I don’t think it will be necessary, but I want my options open in case it becomes so.”

January 23, 1823
The President’s Annual Message to Congress (Modern Name: State of the Union Address)
Washington, DC

“...We owe it, therefore, to candor, and to the amicable relations existing between the United States and those powers, to declare, that we should consider any attempt on their part to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere, as dangerous to our peace and safety. With the existing colonies or dependencies of any European power we have not interfered, and shall not interfere. But with the governments who have declared their independence, and maintained it, and whose independence we have, on great consideration, and on just principles, acknowledged, we could not view any interposition for the purpose of oppressing them, or controlling, in any other manner, their destiny, by any European power in any other light than as the manifestation of an unfriendly disposition towards the United States. In the war between those new governments and Spain we declared our neutrality at the time of their recognition, and to this we have adhered, and shall continue to adhere, provided no change shall occur, which, in the judgement of the competent authorities of this government, shall make a corresponding change, on the part of the United States, indispensable to their security…”

Celestia yawned, bored by the President’s continued yammering.

“It is impossible that the allied powers should extend their political system to any portion of either continent, without endangering our peace and happiness: nor can any one believe that our Southern Brethren, if left to themselves, would adopt it of their own accord. It is equally impossible, therefore, that we should behold such interposition, in any form, with indifference. If we look to the comparative strength and resources of Spain and those new governments, and their distance from each other, it must be obvious that she can never subdue them. It is still the true policy of the United States to leave the parties to themselves, in the hope that other powers will pursue the same course.”

Celestia leaned forward slightly, as it seemed to her that President Monroe was extending something of a challenge the other world powers: Interfere in the continent at your own risk.

The President cleared his throat and hesitated. After about five seconds, he shifted the papers in front of him and said, with a very slight tremor in his voice at first, but growing confidence:

“It should also be noted, that interfering in the internal political affairs of the neighbors of the United States of America and cultivating anti-American mindsets of those nation’s leaders constitutes, if possible, an even more grievous trespass in this hemisphere than any military intervention could possibly cause. With that in mind, we warn all foreign nations from interfering within the political process of any state within this region of the world, while reaffirming our goal of lifting the natives of this continent up from their poor state of backwardness and teaching, with God by our side, them the ways of civilized life.

“Thank you.”

Celestia quietly considered what that meant. Warn all foreign nations from interfering within the political process of any state within this region of the world...reaffirm our goal of lifting the natives of the continent up from their poor state of backwardness...the ways of civilized life.

After a moment: Natives...Is he talking about us? Equestria? Is he warning countries away from help us? Was this put in to stop the British from lending their assistance?

A tidal wave of anger came over her, and she quickly got up and left the chamber of Congress, pausing not even for the Sergeant of Arms of the House of Representatives, who tried to gently stop her.

Celestia may or may not have “accidentally” knocked him over, and “accidentally” kicked him in the chest on the way out. Not fatally, just enough to bruise his sternum and make him reconsider trying to stop the Princess of the Sun ever again.

“Foolish humans,” she whispered under her breath.

As she left the building, Ambassador Sapphire Flower caught up with her. “Your Majesty! Princess Celestia!”

Celestia turned around, looking back at the light blue unicorn. “Yes, my little pony?”

“If I may be permitted to speak plainly and informally…”

“Of course.”

“I take it you understood the thinly veiled threat as well?”

“He hardly could have made it any clearer.”

“What do you think the British will do about this?”

“I’m not sure,” replied Celestia. “I doubt that they will take kindly to being ordered around by their former colony, however.”

“True. Does Your Serene Majesty have any orders for me?” asked the ambassador, moving to a more business-like tone and shifting back to a more formal mode of address, with it.

“Stay the course,” replied Celestia. “So far, the only thing they have is words. Thus, we must remain as conciliatory as possible, and not seek a fight. However, with that in mind, we must be firm on one issue: our westernization process is not open for debate. We cannot allow them to interfere. Deflect them, stall them, keep them distracted. Don’t sign a single treaty until you send a messenger to Canterlot.”

“I understand.”

“See that you do. We are practically walking on a knife-blade. Even the slightest misstep one way or the other can and will be disastrous.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. You can count on me.”

March 25, 1823
Canterlot, Equestria

“...It is the option of the British government that the statement issued by President James Monroe is, for the most part, commendable. The statement to discourage European imperialism in the the American continent is applauded by the Prime Minister and His Majesty, King George IV. However, the government of the United Kingdom wishes to launch a furious objection against thinly veiled threat given by the United States against British aid to our friends on this continent. We state that the United States of America has absolutely no control over who we choose to conduct treaties and lend aid to. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland acknowledges the Principality of Equestria as the legitimate government of the horse-like natives referred to as ‘ponies.’ Therefore, that government possesses all the rights of a sovereign nation, including the right to independent diplomatic relations.”

Ambassador Liston looked up and said, “That was the statement issued by the government of the British government, on the subject of President Monroe’s address to his Congress.”

“The Equestrian Royal Council thanks the British government for its continued political and economic aid,” replied Celestia. “Your assistance will not be forgotten.”

He inclined his head in acknowledgement.

Not only did we get a rebuke of their anti-westernization rhetoric, we also got acknowledgement as a sovereign nation, thought Celestia. Spectacular.

“And has His Majesty received Ambassador Golden Moon?”

“Yes. His Royal Majesty, King George the Fourth, welcomes the diplomatic mission from Equestria, and has acknowledged the Honorable Golden Moon as the legitimate and acting ambassador from Equestria. He looks forward to lasting cooperation with Your Serene Majesty.”

“And we with him. Thank you, Ambassador.”

Taking that as a dismissal, Ambassador Liston bowed his head and left the Council’s chambers.

“Alright, so we now all have heard the British government’s answer to the United States’...declaration,” said Celestia. “I, for one, am satisfied.”

“As am I,” said Luna. “I doubt the United States will try anything. We have provide no justification, and the British is still sympathetic to us.”

“I can’t help but feel a sneaking suspicion, though, that they are only supporting us to serve some goal of theirs,” said Princess Twilight. “I hate to say it, but maybe they are not as friendly as they claim to be.”

“The same thought has occurred to me,” replied Celestia. “But our position is too dangerous as it is. If Equestria is going to survive, we cannot antagonize the British. If they do have some sort of ulterior motive, we will simply have to deal with it when it comes up. But for now, we cannot afford to - what’s the human saying? Look a gift horse in the mouth, I believe.”

All of the Council members cringed at the saying.

“Stupid saying, but appropriate enough, I suppose.”

“Anyways,” said Luna, “this Council needs to consider the continuation of westernization policies. As was noted by the United States’ letter, the establishment of the Equestrian Military Academy is a good step, but we’re not done yet.”

“We aren’t, but I think the Royal Ministry of the Sciences and Arts may have something to report to us. Princess Twilight? If you will…”

“Thank you, Princess. As you all know, making modifications to imported human weapons so we can use them effectively has been of top importance to the Ministry. And we have had a breakthrough. By removing the trigger guard and reworking the design of the weapon, we have been able to convert the weapons into a form that can be used by us ponies with minimal difficulty.”

“Which means that we can now begin producing weapons,” said Celestia, smiling. “You are to be commended for your efforts, Princess Twilight. Your Ministry has help ensure the continued safety of Equestria as we know it.”

“Thank you, Princess.”

“You earned it.”

Westernization, Part V

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Westernization, Part V
The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

March 22, 1824
Griffin Falls, Griffonia

“King Odrynn? I have a question.”

“Yes, Princess Twilight?”

“We have so little information on your culture. Why are there two different spellings for ‘griffon?’”

“Ah, yes. It’s been a source of some confusion. The two spellings come from the fact that in Griffon history, there were two major tribes. They both spelled the word slightly differently. And when the tribes were united, some griffons held onto their old spelling, and no griffon king has ever bothered to stop them.”

“Ahh, thank you.”

“Quiet, they approach,” interjected Celestia.

Indeed, the American diplomatic delegation was approaching. Two strong, the delegation consisted of the American ambassador to Griffonia and the American ambassador to Equestria, Clinton Erickson.

King Odrynn stepped forward, and Princess Celestia and Twilight followed him. They met the humans halfway, and the parties bowed stiffly to each other.

“You know who we are,” said Erickson, “and we know who you are. With that aside, let us proceed directly to business.”

“Very well. You know why I am here,” answered King Odrynn.

“Yes. You wish to contest the claiming of the Columbia River for the United States.”

“Indeed. That land has been ancestrally Griffon for as long as anybody save the Princesses can remember.”

“For the record, it was claimed by the Kingdom of Griffonia immediately after the fall of Discord and the Giffonian Uprising against Discord’s overlordship. That is, over twelve hundred years ago,” Celestia put in.

“I believe that that makes for a stronger claim than ‘we just happened to sail up the river and decided to claim it,’ not to put too fine a point on it,” said Odrynn.

“Perhaps...but we want Missoula and Bozeman.”

“I’m sorry?”

“The United States wants you to turn the areas of Missoula and Bozeman over to the United States in exchange for relinquishing our claims on the Columbia River.”

“That’s preposterous. Why would we turn territory over to you when we have a clear and strong claim to it?”

“I can think of one or two reasons…”

The meaning was not lost on Odrynn.

“So. You want me to surrender two Griffonian provinces to you, for no other reason than you want them?”

Ambassador Erickson raised his eyebrows, but otherwise said nothing.

Princess Celestia watched all of this, feeling a layer of bile coat her tongue. She could not help but remember the somewhat similar position she found herself in after the Manetown Incident…

The King stood, still as a statue, for several minutes, undoubtedly looking for a way out. Celestia silently hoped that he would see reason and not be too rash.

After what felt like an eternity, the King raised his head and growed softly,“I have no choice, it appears. But know this: I have no intention of allowing this insult to go without an answer. You have made an enemy today, and Griffonia will not forget.”

With that, he turned around, and started to walk away. He stopped for a moment, however, and said, in as much of a deadpan as he could muster, “Draw up the treaty. Quickly, before I change my mind, and give it to me. You know where my throne is.” He then continued to walk away.

Celestia and Twilight took their leave and followed the King.

Before any of them could say anything, he said, “Those provinces hardly have any griffons still living in them, so it’s not a huge problem. I can have them relocated. But giving away ancient Griffon territory leaves a sour taste in my mouth…

“You were right. No matter what my people may think about the subject, we cannot put off westernization any longer. If we do, the demands will only increase. But...they are going to be pissed that I just gave away Griffon territory without a fight...this isn’t going to end well, Princesses.”

(Text of the Grifoni-American Treaty on Territorial Rights and Boundaries)

The United States of America and the Kingdom of Griffonia, wishing to resolve territorial disputes between their two sovereign nations, have come to the following agreement:

Article I: The Kingdom of Griffonia shall, one year after the Ratification of this Treaty, turn over the provinces of Missoula and Bozeman to the United States, who shall become the sole sovereign and legitimate governing agency over these territories, with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities thereof.

Article II: In the aforementioned year, the Kingdom of Griffonia shall evacuate all subjects from the aforementioned provinces. Should any subjects of Griffonia remain in the territory, the United States of America will not be held responsible for their safety or well-being.

Article III: The United States of America shall, upon the turnover of the aforementioned provinces, renounce any and all claims to the Columbia River. These claims may never be reinstated.

Signed by King Odrynn, Ruler of the Kingdom of Griffonia, on March 23, 1824.

Signed by Robert Erickson, Special American Ambassador to the Kingdom of Griffonia, on March 23, 1824.

Ratified in the United States Senate on July 12, 1824, by a vote of 43-1 (Four abstentions).

(American Joint Resolution on the Columbia River Claims)

Whereas, the Senate of the United States ratified the “Grifoni-American Treaty on Territorial Rights and Boundaries” on the Twenty-First Day of July, Eighteen Twenty-Four; and

Whereas, the Kingdom of Griffonia has turned the provinces of Missoula and Bozeman over to the United States, in compliance with the aforementioned Treaty, on the Fourteenth Day of June, Eighteen Twenty Four;

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

That, the Congress of the United States hereby retracts, rescinds, and otherwise renounces any and all claims established by the USS Ontario, in the mouth of August, Eighteen Eighteen.

Done in the Congress of the United States:

Introduced by Silas Wood, member of the Anti-Jackson political party to the House of Representatives on June 30, 1825.

Passed the House of Representatives on July 5, 1825, by a vote of 135-96.

Introduced to the Senate by Samuel Bell, member of the Anti-Jackson political party on July 7, 1825.

Passed the Senate on July 12, 1825, by a vote of 33-14 (One abstention).

Signed by President John Quincy Adams on July 13, 1825.

July 10, 1825
First Meeting of the Equestrian Advisory Assembly
Canterlot, Equestria

Bang!

“Come to order! The First Equestrian Advisory Assembly is now in session! Her Serene Majesty, Princess Celestia, is presiding!”

“Thank you, Sergeant,” acknowledged Celestia.

The earth pony, named Gold Hoof, Sergeant-at-Arms of the Royal Court, nodded once, and left the assembly room, to take up a position outside the doors with his fellow Sergeant-At-Arms, Emerald Spear.

“Congratulations on being selected to form the First Equestrian Advisory Assembly,” said Celestia. “You have been chosen by the Royal Council to help oversee the governance of the Principality of Equestria. Make no mistake, however. The Royal Council reserves the power and right to strike down any decision made by the Advisory Assembly. as well as make decisions without seeking the Assembly’s approval.

“The two parts of the Advisory Assembly are the Chamber of Deputies, and the Royal Court. The Royal Court is the upper portion, and is charged with ensuring that the general course of the government remains stable. Each fully incorporated region of Equestria sends three Councillors to the Royal Court, appointed by us Princesses, along with five additional seats, special delegates, if you will, for ponies we think deserving of the honor, but are not members of a regional delegation. The Chamber of Deputies is the lower portion, charged with handling day-to-day affairs of the nation. Each fully incorporated Royal Province is allotted two seats (one, for non-incorporated), again selected by the Royals, with fifty-two seats reserved for special delegates. In this way, my fellow Princesses and I can address diplomacy, crises, and other major affairs of state without worrying about the entire government collapsing in our absence.

“The regions of Equestria that are considered fully incorporated are as follows: Northern Equestria, Greater Canterlot, Southern Equestria, Clover Valley, and Manehattan-Fillydelphia. The provinces within them are as follows: Hoofsdale, Stalliongrad, Baltimare, Ponyville, the Everfree Forest, Canterlot, Maneterrey, Cloudsdale, Windigo, Wingsoar, Apple Valley, Featherston, Mareposa, Trottingham, Colton, Fillydelphia, and Manehattan. As you many have noticed, there are two non-incorporated regions: Valmansas and Springdale. The provinces that are within them are Appleloosa, Elko, Las Pegasus, Salt Lick City, Sugerville, Manetown, Phoenix, McIntosh, and Caballo. Regions are considered fully incorporated because they possess a high enough administrative capability to exercise the will of the Royal Council effectively. All provinces within an incorporated region are also considered incorporated, and are entitled to full representation to the Assembly.

“From this day forward, the Court and Deputies shall meet independently of each other. The Royal Court shall remain in this room, and the Chamber of Deputies shall meet across this hall. Each shall be presided over their respective presiding officers; that is, the Chief of the Deputies and the Chancellor of the Court. The Chancellor and Chief has been selected for you, but, should you wish, you may elect anypony who sits in a special delegate seat as the presiding officer.

“Bear in mind that you are the Advisory Assembly, and the power of the Assembly originates at the Royal Council. Under no circumstances may you attempt to usurp the Royal Council’s authority, pass a resolution that contradicts the will of the Royal Council, or otherwise challenge us. As the power of the Assembly comes from the Royal Council, we retain absolute authority over it, up to and including the power to dissolve it, should we see fit.”

On that note, Celestia stood down. The Chancellor of the Royal Court, a unicorn, then took the chair of the assembly and rapped the gavel once, saying, “Thank you, Your Serene Majesty. Now, if there is no objection, this Assembly shall resolve into its two houses.”

Pause.

“Hearing no objections, this joint meeting of the Assembly is hereby adjourned. The Royal Court is to reconvene in fifteen minutes, and the Chamber of Deputies shall reconvene whenever their membership sees fit.”

August 13, 1825
Canterlot, Equestria

“...and the embassy to Mexico has just recently established. The Mexican ambassador to our nation arrived recently, as well, and they have built an embassy, according to their specifications.”

“Excellent. We need to establish good relations with Mexico, to keep ourselves on their good side. Last thing we need is for another country breathing down necks.”

“That is, if they can agree on a leader for more than thirty seconds,” observed Princess Luna. “They did just overthrow their Emperor, in favor of a republic.”

“Shame, that was,” agreed Celestia. “But there is nothing to be done about it now. Now, we must focus making good with the new government. I am confident that our diplomat, Jasper Glass, can keep showing our government in a good light.

“Now, Princess Twilight, I hear you have something to report?”

“Yes. As you know, the Royal Ministry of the Sciences and Arts has continued to look into developing stronger, better weapons to protect Equestria with. And recently, one of our scientists has had an intriguing idea. Now, the artillery pieces we have bought from British are heavy things, designed to throw large, heavy cannonballs long distances. That is all very well and good, but what if we made small cannons? These cannons would be lighter, and easier to move around.”

Comprehension dawned on Celestia. “Easily movable,” she said.

“Exactly. Instead of parking several large guns at the rear of the battlefield, what if we used lighter guns that can be moved from location to location, by as little as one or two earth ponies? Then, our generals could move and relocated the artillery pieces quickly and easily, taking advantage of any maneuvers by the enemy force. After all, it’s not like these small cannons would have any difficulty fighting infantry. The only credible threat they would face is other, heavier cannons, and their mobility should help protect them from those guns.”

Looking around and seeing thoughtful nods from the other Princesses, Celestia said, “You are authorized to research this idea, Princess Twilight. Use all the resources you need.”

“Thank you, Princess Celestia.”

“Speaking of money and resources,” said Princess Cadance, changing the subject, “how’s the treasury doing?”

Celestia grimaced, then said, “Not so great. The ‘normal’ fund of bits has been exhausted, and we have had to start to dip into the Equestrian Emergency Fund, a vault of gold, silver, and gems kept deep below the city, in the caves beneath Canterlot. It will hold for a while, but funding westernization is hardly a cheap process, especially at the accelerated rate we are doing it. At this rate, the Fund will run out by 1834.”

“And then?”

“And then, we will have to either raise taxes, borrow money, or reduce the rate at which we are westernizing.”

“Borrowing money would be a stop-gap measure, at best,” mused Twilight.

“And there is something else we haven’t considered yet. The money in the Fund is almost a millennium's worth of hoarding, investing one-half of the government of Equestria’s yearly income. Removing such a vast sum of money gradually, then suddenly re-introducing it into the economy all at the same time is a dangerous proposition. Soon, inflation is going to start to kick in, and the price of gold and silver will plummet.”

“We are introducing currency back into the economy too quickly?”

“Yes. And that will have repercussions, if we aren’t careful.

Interlude: A Pan-American Congress

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Interlude: A Pan-American Congress
The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

September 1, 1825
Canterlot, Equestria

To the Most Serene Majesties of Equestria,

Greetings. I am Simón Bolívar, President of the American nation of Gran Colombia. You have, most likely, never heard of Gran Colombia, or indeed, any nations south of Mexico. I must confess that I know little about your nation, as well. That being said, in June of 1826, Gran Colombia, along with several other American nations, including Mexico and possibly even the United States of America, will be holding a Congress at Panama. I have, for your convenience, inclosed several maps of the region. It would be a great honor if Your Serene Majesties could attend. Due to political and other reasons, I am sorry to say that we can only offer an observer status, but despite this, I am certain that the Congress will be enlightening for all parties.

Sincerely,

President Bolívar
(Enclosed: Five different maps of the Panama region and original of the letter, written in Spanish.)

“Wow,” said Princess Luna.

“Wow, indeed,” observed Twilight. “I don’t think we can ignore this.”

“No way,” agreed Cadance. “This is monumental. We have to send a delegation.”

“We do,” said Celestia, “and we should send everyone. I mean, all of the Royal Council, the Chancellor of the Royal Court, and several missions’ worth of diplomats. If this letter means what I think it means, then we have the opportunity to open diplomatic relations with several different nations at once.”

“I hate to say it, but we should also bring some of the First Corps and the Royal Guard, if for no other reason than to protect ourselves from bandits and the such,” said Luna.

“You have a point. They will slow us down, but may also lend us legitimacy and the such. I’ll ask Shining Armor to put together a force for us.”

June 22, 1826
Panama City, Gran Colombia
Before the start of the Congress

A hush fell over the within the Congress humans as the Princesses of Equestria, with their diplomats and human translators, entered the meeting hall.

Celestia took a brief moment to think back to the Advisory Assembly. I hope that they are working alright, especially since we borrowed the Chancellor of the Court to act as a representative. If we get back and they’ve done something stupid…

She stopped her musing, as a human had split off of the Congress and approached them.

“Greetings, Your Serene Majesties,” he said in Spanish. The ponies’ translators did their job, of course.

“Greetings…” Celestia trailed off, as she did not know who this human was.

“My apologies. I am President Simón Bolívar, of Gran Colombia. I organized this Congress and invited you.”

“Greetings, President Bolívar. I am Princess Celestia. This is Princess Luna, my sister. This is Princess Cadance…”

She introduced each member of the Royal Council, and the rest of the diplomatic delegation. The President bowed to each member of the Council, and nodded politely to each other member of the Equestrians’ delegation.

“...We are here on behalf of the Principality of Equestria.”

“I hope that you found your hotel, and other accommodations that I arranged for you were satisfactory…”

“They were indeed. We thank you.”

The human hesitated, then said, “I must confess, Princesses, we have heard only vague rumors and mutterings about your nation, so I hope you will forgive any prying questions or stares pointed in your direction. Humans are a curious species, and we have never seen anything quite like you.”

Celestia grimaced slightly, but said, “We have come to expect this, in our dealings with the human race. I hope that you will, in return, understand that we are not at liberty to answer certain questions.”

“Of course. There is a saying that a leader does not remain a leader for long if he - or she, as the case may be - does not appreciate the value of silence.”

Celestia smiled. Shifting the topic, she said, “It is the policy of the Principality to open diplomatic relations with every nation we encounter. With that in mind, we would like to open relations with your Gran Colombia.”

“Gladly. In turn, I will arrange for a diplomat from Gran Colombia to accompany you back to your nation, and establish an embassy there.

“Now, I am certain that representatives from the other nations will want to speak with you, as well. We will begin the Congress in about an hour.”

(An hour later…)

“Come to order, esteemed delegates. Before we begin, I would like to thank everyone for attending the Congress of Panama. Special thanks to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and to the...Principality of Equestria, for attending as observers. We welcome comments from the observer nations, but would like to remind them that they have no vote.”

Celestia leaned back slightly, and nodded to signal her understanding, as the British delegate did the same. She was alone, as each nation only had one seat at the table. The rest of Equestria’s delegation said behind her, back a meter or so. They should have no issues hearing her and the other nations.

“The Congress is now in session. The first order of business is to discuss Spain, and the threat poses to all liberty-loving American nations.”

The diplomat from Mexico leaned forward, and said, “Indeed. Spain has been attempting to reconquer the United Mexican States for five years now, and they are a dark menace that threatens other state’s hard-won sovereignty.”

The Peruvian diplomat chimed in, saying, “I doubt that any of us will deny the threat that the Spanish pose to us. They may have lost almost all of their colonies, but empires do not die easily.”

The discussion about Spain continued, and Celestia held her peace throughout it. As she had little knowledge about this Spain, she would have been of little help.

Instead, Celestia observed the delegates’ discussion in silence, and thought quietly to herself. They have quite a lot in common: a single language, cultural similarities, the same origin country, one religion, and the like. While they claim to have different titles and the like and use different labels to describe themselves, I am not so sure that they are so different.

June 25, 1826
Panama City, Gran Colombia

“...and that, my esteemed colleagues, is why we should establish a mutual defence pact, with a common army and generals. With it, we will be able to stand against Spain, France, or any foreign threat, without having to rely on the United States. Of course, we are thankful for the United States’ proclamation to discourage European imperialism in the New World, but we cannot maintain our national honor if we simply rely on a completely different nation.”

President Bolívar sat down, his bit said.

June 30, 1826
Panama City, Gran Colombia

“...The establishment of a supranational parliamentary assembly shall be in the best interest of all of those within the Confederation, as we could then meet together and discuss affairs that concern all of us.”

July 2, 1826
Panama City, Gran Colombia

“No. We will not lower tariffs. Those tariffs exist to protect Peruvian products from cheaper items made in nations will better developed infrastructure than ours. Lowering our tariffs would be inviting death upon our domestic market!”

July 7, 1826
Panama City, Gran Colombia

“But who will lead such an expedition? Mexico is hardly the only nation with claims to those ports, after all. My nation of Gran Colombia also has claims!”

“You should be wary of provoking Spain,” added the British delegate. “As was said before, the Empire of Spain is on the decline, but it still has a well-disciplined army that would pose a significant challenge to overcome. Also...forcefully seizing colonies from Spain could send the...wrong message...to other countries that also have colonies in the Caribbean.”

July 15, 1826
Panama City, Gran Colombia

“I present to you, esteemed colleagues, the Treaty of Union, League, and Perpetual Union, in its final form. If all members of the Congress could attach their signatures, and forward it to their governments for ratification,” said Bolívar.

“Unfortunately, the countries that attended only as observers are not members, and are not invited to the Confederation at this time. I’m sure you understand.”

Celestia nodded, understanding the practicality behind the maneuver. After all, Equestria was populated by an entirely different species.

“The Congress agreed yesterday that we would transfer the Congress to Tacubaya, México. All the member states are invited.”

“Unfortunately, the Principality of Equestria will be unable to continue with this Congress. We have spent too much time already here, away from the affairs of our nation. We are still continuing the westernization process, and we must return to Equestria to oversee the remainder of the process,” replied Celestia

“That being said, the Equestrian Royal Council applauds this Congress, and the spirit it is conducted in. It reminds me of the founding of Equestria itself, when the Three Tribes of Ponykind united against a common foe. I hope that this union works for everyone, and that the Principality will be close friends with your peoples.”

September 15, 1826
Canterlot, Equestria

“Chief of the Deputies, tell the Royal Council and the Chancellor of the Court what has transpired in Equestria since our departure.”

“Yes, Your Highness. The Advisory Assembly has been hard at work, implementing the orders you left for us. We have approved funds for and laid the foundation for an expansion of the Canterlot harbors, bought designs of some British ships, established a rudimentary naval academy, advised by British naval officers that we hired, and have imported several human medicines for study.”

“Excellent. I call for a vote to ratify the Assembly’s decisions, believing them to be in the best interests of Equestria. Any objectors, speak now.”

Pause.

“Hearing no objections, the Royal Council hereby ratifies all decisions of the Advisory Assembly. You are dismissed, Chief.”

The Chief of the Chamber of Deputies bowed deeply, then left.

“Now, the Ministry of the Sciences and Arts wishes to present a solution to our...ah, monetary issues?”

“Yes,” replied Twilight. “We have been considering the issue, and have this to propose: Establish a central bank, a national bank, and give them the authority to issue paper money.”

“Paper money?”

“Yes. We will retain the bit, and set each bit to be equal to a certain amount of pure, 24 karat gold. According to comparisons with the American Dollar, given the current amount of bits in circulation, one ounce of pure gold should equal about one hundred, fifty bits.”

“And we have the ponies trade in their bits?”

“Yes. We simply declare that all currency of a certain denomination and higher, say, ten or twenty bits, must be traded in for paper currency by a certain date. After that date, we no longer recognize the old denominations.”

“Interesting...that idea will bear studying…”

To Kill a Filibuster

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To Kill a Filibuster
The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

June 13, 1832
Salt Lick City, Equestria

Charles and William Bent, former explorers, led the troop of almost five hundred armed men. Some were former military, a few were explorers, but most were from...less than honorable trades.

Ponies watched as the men entered their city, with a look of apprehension. They seemed to know what was coming…

Charles Bent signaled for his men to come to a stop. He then yelled, “Attention, all you uncivilized brutes! As of this moment, I declare this city under occupation of my army! I proclaim myself governor of Salt Lake City, and warn all of you horses that I will torate no attempts to defeat, destroy, or overthrow my government.”

The residents muttered and shifted uneasily. Most of them were earth ponies, and while they may not fight to Bent brothers today, they would eventually rebel.

The Royal Magistrate over the Royal Province of Salt Lick City quickly slipped away into an alley and found a dragon-fire messager. “Send a message to the Equestrian Royal Council…”

Later that day
Emergency Meeting of the Equestrian Royal Council
Canterlot, Equestria

“I have called you here, Princesses of Equestria, to discuss a new and real threat to the safety of the nation,” said Celestia. She sighed, and said, “Princesses, a troop of humans have seized Salt Lick City, declaring it a new and independent nation, and installing themselves as the ‘governors’ of ‘Salt Lake City.’”

“What?? Who do those humans think they are?!?” demanded Luna.

“They are Americans, but the diplomat from the United States denies all connection to them,” replied Celestia. “He states that he was not made aware of a warlike behavior from the States, and says that this is likely a group of frontiersmen that thought they could make some fast money by seizing the city, draining its treasury and intercepting the trade to it, and then fleeing.”

“What do we know about this troop of humans?”

“There is about five hundred of them, and they have seized all of the Royal Province of Salt Lick City, some of the Province of Appleloosa, and threaten the Province of Sugarville and the Province of Manetown.”

“That’s almost half of the Region of Valmansas! Plus, Salt Lick City is where the Regional Magistrate's office is. If they have taken that, then the Regional Magistrate is powerless!” exclaimed Twilight.

“Indeed. Should they take Sugarville and Manetown, the Region would be, for all intents and purposes, completely out of our control. This cannot happen.”

“But I doubt that they can be reasoned with…”

“I don’t intend to reason with them,” said Celestia. Feeling the red-hot brand of anger swell inside her, she said, “I intend to take the Royal Guard and the First Corps. I intend to march over to Salt Lick City. And if they do not surrender, then I intend to teach them a lesson…forcefully. And with extreme prejudice. The world must know that we will not allow these attacks on our sovereignty to go unchallenged.”

June 18, 1832
Canterlot Mustering Location
Just outside Canterlot, Equestria

“Shining Armor, report!” barked Celestia, feeling ready for war.

“Yes, Your Majesty! The Royal Guard has been fully mobilized. We await orders.”

“And the First Corps?”

A blue pegasus, captain of the First Corps, nodded and said, “The First Corps is mobilized and ready.”

“Good...what is their morale looking like?”

“Confused,” replied Shining Armor. “After all, you haven’t even told me why we are mobilizing.”

“You will find out soon, when I give the speech to the forces.”

Twilight came up to Celestia and beckoned. Celestia leaned down, and Twilight whispered in her ear, “We have news about the humans. They have captured Manetown and Sugarville. Reports from ponies and buffalo state that they are moving on Elko, and may attempt to capture Appleloosa.”

“Any ponies dead?” Celestia asked back, also whispering.

“There was a fight over control of Manetown. Five ponies are dead, twelve are injured. They wounded two humans, rumor is that one of them is now dead.”

Celestia shook her head slightly, and said, “Then we must move quickly.” Straightening up, she started to walk towards the troops.

“My ponies. I thank you all for answering the call to serve your nation.

“The reason that you are here is because of something that has occurred in the Region of Valmansas. A troop of humans, not affiliated with any human government that we know of, have seized control of many provinces within the Region, declaring themselves to be an independent state. There has been some fighting, and five ponies are dead.”

Muttering and shifting in the crowd assaulted Celestia’s ears. She allowed it to continue for a minute, letting the ponies work up a little anger. After the minute had past, she raised a hoof, and the crowd of ponies stilled.

“You, the members of the Royal Guard and the First Corps, have been assembled to protect our land from these humans, who are so arrogant to try to take our land and declare themselves sovereign over us. I am hoping that a show of force will persuade them to stand down. If they don’t though...you will be called upon to expel the intruders by force.

“Remember your duty, and your training, and the Sun and Moon will guide us to victory!”

As she stepped down, the army - for, despite the names, that’s what they are - cheered.

“You’re hoping that the humans surrender?” asked Twilight, with a small smile.

“No, I’m not,” replied Celestia, a scowl appearing on her face. “I’m hoping they fight.”

“Prepare the banners. Ready! March!” Celestia heard Shining Armor call, and the pink and white flag of Equestria moved forward, followed by the Guard and Corps.

June 23, 1832
Within the Royal Province of Appleloosa

“There they are,” said Twilight.

“Indeed. There they are,” replied Celestia.

* * *

“Is that an army?” asked Charles Bent.

“Quite possibly,” replied his brother. “Shall we meet them?”

“They will simply attack. We shouldn’t risk it.”

“So, attack?”

“Attack.”

* * *

BOOM! Celestia heard a cannon go off.

“That’s a cannon shot! They're attacking!” she heard a member of the Corps cry out.

“Steady!” came the yell from Shining Armor. “We have trained for this!”

The ripple of unease that started to come over the army settled down.

BOOM! BOOM! The human cannons attacked again.

“There is only five of them!” Shining Armor figured out, yelling. “Gunners, unlimber the guns and prepare to shoot!”

There was a clamber of motion as the ponies readied the several cannons. Unfortunately, the mobile artillery idea proposed by the Ministry of Sciences has had yet to be adopted.

BOOM!

An Equestrian gun, this time. The cannonball flew at the human troop, and landed somewhere in the infantry.

“Aim for their cannons! Move forward!” yelled Shining Armor.

The army started moving forward, the ponies preparing their guns.

Celestia saw the human army start to move forward, as well.

BOOM! Another Equestrian cannonball flew towards the enemy forces.

Twilight reached out with her magic, and cast a spell on it. The shot was engulfed in a purple glow, and its trajectory shifted to the right, heading straight for a human cannon.

She heard it connect with its target with a crack!

“Well done, Princess,” said Celestia. “But we should get out of way. These armies are about to clash, and it would do Equestria no good if we were killed in battle.”

Twilight hesitated, then nodded.

As the Princesses retreated to a safe distance, Celestia took a moment to be awed. The Guard and Corps together formed almost thirty-five thousand troops, against the human’s five hundred. Against their four operational cannons, the Equestrians had almost five hundred.

It occurred to Celestia that she may have gone a little overboard.

The Equestrian forces continued to move forward, as the humans did the same. Celestia saw several pegasi rise into the air, as they approached the humans.

She saw several humans miss the rhythm of their march, as they stared up at the pegasi.

Shining Armor capitalized on this. Within seconds, he ordered his troops to stop, grab and aim their guns, and shoot.

The effect was immediate and devastating. While the ponies were not the best shots, firing at least twenty thousand bullets at the same time is a pretty surefire way to inflict hundreds of casualties.

And hundreds of casualties were inflicted. Celestia estimated that at least four hundred fifty humans dropped to the ground from the volley. The few humans that remained standing either attempted to rally, or simply threw down their weapons and surrendered.

The pegasi slammed into the remaining non-surrendered humans, and forced many of them to surrender or be shot.

And just like that, it was over.

Celestia jumped back into the skies and flew up and landed beside Shining Armor. “Report,” she ordered.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Total victory. The human force has been completely annihilated, with all of its members either killed, incapacitated, or captured. We have captured two men who appear to be the leaders of this expedition. They are brothers, and we will have them in Canterlot as soon as possible. Out losses...we won’t know for sure until we count the dead, but I would guess that we lost no more than one hundred fifty ponies, counting wounded.”

“Thank you. And forward my thanks to your officers and the ponies below you. You acted swiftly and decisively, and your actions saved Equestrian lives.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty, for such high praise.” Here, Shining Armor allowed himself a small smile. “Those Americans aren’t so tough after all, eh?”

“I wish I shared your optimism, Captain,” Celestia replied. Sensing that he wanted an explanation for that, she sighed, and gestured towards the defeated humans, who were being bound by the Equestrian troops. “We had everything going for us. First, and most obviously, this was no professional army. They were fortune-seekers, pirates. They were poorly trained and ill-disciplined. I’d bet most of them had no meaningful military experience before today. Second, we outnumbered them over seventy to one. It would have been impossible to lose.”

Seeing the captain looking crestfallen, Celestia chuckled. “Don’t worry Captain. Keep serving like you have been, and we will be able to repel anyone who comes knocking. You let me worry about staying out of unwinnable situations.” She paused, then said, “Make sure you care for your soldiers’ mental health. I don’t want anypony getting depressed over what they had to do. Empathize their duty to their country, and make sure you get help for anypony who needs it.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Celestia paused, just before she took off. “You did well, Captain. Or rather, Major.” Before Shining could say anything, she jumped into the sky.

July 13, 1832
Canterlot, Equestria

“So, are you going to demand that human be turned over to the United States?” asked Celestia, somewhat sarcastically.

The new American diplomat, one Robert Ieving, shifted slightly before saying, “The perpetrators of the filibustering expedition are in violation of the American Neutrality Act of 1817, which prohibits Americans from engaging in military action against states the United States is at peace with. However...the government of the United States recognizes the damage dealt to your nation, and will not, at this time, make a request of extraterritoriality.”

“And this is the opinion of your President Jackson?”

“No! I am an Adams nominee, Princess. I don’t like Jackson; he’s an uncivilized brute. I have not received any orders from him; so I won’t act.”

Well then. “Very well.”

Ieving shifted, then said, “If I can speak to you not as a diplomat of the United States, but rather as a human…”

“Oh?”

Ieving paused, struggling with his words for a moment. He then said, “Princess, I was one of the settlers that came to this land before the Manetown Incident. I was nominated and confirmed to this position because I had experience with your kind. And I have no doubt that Jackson will replace me soon with someone more loyal to him. In fact, I’m surprised that it hasn’t happened already. But...before I go, a question has been gnawing on me.

“Before the filibuster expedition arrived, I visited Manetown again. And I was shocked to see that all the ponies were practically the same age as they over ten years ago!”

“...Yes?”

The human was taken aback by Celestia’s lack of surprise. “What black magic is this?” he asked himself, rhetorically. “Don’t ponies age?”

“Of course we do,” answered Celestia.

“But, I should have seen them aging! It’s been almost fifteen years!”

Comprehension dawned on Celestia. “I wondered why humans age so quickly.”

“What?”

“It appears, Ambassador, that ponies age slower that humans.”

“What?!”

“Yes, it appears so. It varies from tribe to tribe, but earth ponies can live an average ninety years, pegasi an average ninety five, and unicorns can live, on the outside, up to one hundred twenty five years. Alicorns...well, nopony knows for sure.”

“What? Humans can only expect to live to forty or fifty, if they are lucky! How is this possible?”

“Pony scholars have suggested that the reason for the difference in the tribes’ life expectancy can be explained by the fact that the unicorn tribe is more in-tune with magic. Even then, their life expectancy can vary up to a whopping fifteen years, and the ones who are stronger in magic live longer. For the earth ponies, they possess magic that helps them grow crops and grants them strength that by all rights, they should not be able to possess. However, it is not very strong magic. Pegasi wield magic every time they fly - otherwise, their wingspan would be far too small to lift them up. They can also walk on clouds with it. However, much like the earth ponies, their magic is a lot weaker then the unicorns’. The only reason they live a little long is that they use their magic more often, in their day-to-day lives. Unicorns are often considered the most in-tune with magic (Alicorns aside), as they can actively cast spells and wield it, unlike the other tribes, whose abilities are passive. The stronger the unicorn, the longer they can expect to live. Alicorns...Alicorns have the strength and growing ability of the earth ponies, speed and agility of the pegasi, and magical talent of the unicorns. Alicorns can almost be thought of as the embodiment of magic itself. If there is a cap on our lifespan...nopony knows it.”

The Rise of Parties

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The Rise of Parties
The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

July 14, 1832
Canterlot, Equestria

We, the Princesses of Equestria, have been charged by the ponies of Equestria to defend and protect this fine nation. This is not a responsibility we take lightly. Over the course of the past decade, we have been forced to make difficult decisions, in the name of protecting Equestria. Unfortunately, we must now make another difficult choice.

The recent battle at Appleloosa was fought between the newly-modernized Equestrian Armies and a group of humans determined to seize Equestrian territory for their own use. The Royal Council has interrogated the humans responsible for the battle, and they have stated that they seized the province of Valahamas because of the presence of human settlers. They claimed to wish to “liberate” the humans from the “quadapetal tyranny.” They also claimed to seek annexation from the United States, after they had secured their territory.

It is clear that the presence of the human settlers within Equestrian territory pose a threat to the safety and security of our nation. As such, the Equestrian Royal Council, representatives of the ponies of Equestria, declares that all humans, excepting those in the employ of the Equestrian government and those who represent other nations, and their families, are no longer welcome to reside in Equestria. The government shall buy all property that the aforementioned humans may have bought within Equestria. The Royal Council gives all humans that are subject to this proclamation one year to comply with it. Failure to do so is subject to seizure and liquidation of property and forced deportation.

Done in Canterlot, by the Equestrian Royal Council, whose names are fixed below:
________________
________________
________________
________________

“Are we sure that this is a good idea?” asked Twilight, somewhat nervously. “The United States will not like this...we may even end up alienating the United Kingdom.”

Cadance looked uncomfortable as well, as she said, “I agree. At the very least, we should do this quietly. Let us not flaunt this decision in the face of the human nations.”

Luna grimaced, but did not comment.

Celestia sighed. “If we do not preface this with a declaration, we will be accused of being two-faced liars.We must proclaim Equestria to be a pony-only state, and if we don’t, the violence will only continue.”

“Yes, but-”

“Twilight! I understand that you have your concerns, but trust me. This is the best move for Equestria.”

All members of the Council recoiled. It occurred to Celestia that she may have stepped out of line.

“My apologies. But my point stands.”

Celestia picked up the quill, and signed her name in the first empty slot.

Luna blinked and, after a moment of hesitation, did the same.

Twilight and Cadance looked at each other for a couple of seconds. Then, slowly, both of them signed the declaration.

July 17, 1832
Canterlot, Equestria

“And this cannot stand! This is a clear and blatant infringement on human rights within Equestria.”

“The problem with that statement, Ambassador Ieving, is that Equestria is not a human state,” replied Celestia, in a detached voice. “As such, we are not obligated to provide ‘human rights’ to human settlers.”

The British ambassador shifted uncomfortably at that, but otherwise held his peace.

“Furthermore, when the Royal Council moved to begin allowing human settlers, we made it clear that humans would only be allowed to live in Equestria as long as they were orderly and obeyed the laws of Equestria. The Manetown Incident and Battle of Appleloosa have proven that humans cannot obey our laws, and keeping them in Equestria is dangerous for everypony involved. In addition, anti-human sentiment within this Principality has flared. I am not certain that we can guarantee the safety of any humans within Equestria.”

“It is the responsibility of the government of a state to keep its citizens in check!” replied Ieving.

“Really? Is that the reason you passed the Exclusion Act two years ago in your Congress? An act prohibiting ponies from settling in the United States? Tell me, how is this any different? No, the decree stands.”

Ieving stood up. “Very well. I want my passport and letters of accreditation back. I am leaving this nation.”

“They will be provided,” replied Celestia.

“I would like mine back as well,” stated Liston, the British ambassador. “This is a...monumental piece of news, and I should deliver it to His Majesty myself.”

Celestia flinched inwardly, recognizing what this meant. We just alienated the British.

Outwardly, she nodded and said, “Of course.”

January 2, 1833
First Meeting of the Equestrian Advisory Council of 1834
Canterlot, Equestria

As was tradition by now, Celestia gave a speech on the first meeting of the Advisory Council. The delegates got the days between Hearth’s Warming Eve and New Year’s Day off, to spend with their families. However, the representatives were expected and obligated to show up January 2, weekday or weekend, to address anything that came up during their break.

Celestia, and the Royal Council, maintained an extremely high standard for the Advisors.

As Celestia spoke, she gazed out into the seats of the several Advisors. As always, the twenty members of the Royal Court sat on Celestia’s right, and the one hundred Deputies sat on her left. She also noticed that, unlike in the past, the delegations from each of the districts did not sit together. Rather, the ponies seemed to be grouped in a pattern that was not clear to her.

She mused on this for the next few paragraphs, as explained the reasoning behind the Human Expulsion Proclamation. Of course, she did not need to explain herself to the Assembly, but she had fallen in the habit of doing so.

It was toward the end of the speech that she finally noticed something significant. She noticed that each pony wore an band on their front left leg. Some of them wore yellow bands, more wore grey, but the significant majority wore a navy blue band.

She speculated on what they could have meant for the duration of her speech. As she finished the final paragraph, she delayed her closing statement and instead went off of her script.

“And now, if I may discuss something that I have observed throughout my time in this Assembly...I have noticed that every pony, it seems, is wearing a colored band. In addition, each of the member of the two chambers are sitting with ponies that are wearing similar bands, rather than with their districts. If somepony will be so kind to tell me the reason for this trend?”

Each member seemed to start slightly; it was very much a violation of tradition for the Princess to ask a question of the Assembly in that manner. However, there was no rule against it, per se…

The Chancellor of the Court (a different pony than the one who attended the Congress of Panama) stood up. Celestia noticed that she had a blue band on.

“Your Serene Majesty, these bands signify our political identity.”

Celestia gave a small start, then said, “Political identity? What, precisely, do you mean?”

“Well, the ponies wearing yellow identify as liberals, who seek increased political participation, a relaxation of anti-human policies, support a strong, defensive military and the introduction of a market system free from government interference. Ponies in grey are equivalent to human reactionaries - they wish to double down on anti-human policies, support a strong, aggressive military, and wishes to keep the hooves of the government firmly upon the reigns of the economy. In the middle is the majority, the ponies in blue. We identify as more moderate; we seek to maintain the current status quo. We do not wish to expand or contract anti-human policies, we support only a small, defensive military, and we think that the government should interfere in the government, but only when necessary.”

Celestia was slightly stunned. She had not expected for the political scene of Equestria to fracture so suddenly and quickly…

“The beginning of this political polarization was when the Council left to attend the Congress of Panama,” said the Chancellor. “While the Council was away, we implemented several reforms. As we did so, there were several disagreements about what form these reforms should take. Some wanted the government to execute all of these itself, some wanted to allow for the rise of more private businesses, not directly responsible to the government. Eventually, the pro-government faction won, and...well, the Council ratified all of our decisions. The fact that the Council had to ratify our decision, though, angered a few members of this Assembly, who thought that the Assembly should be allowed to operate independent of the Princesses. They banded together with the pro-business faction and formed what they call ‘The Liberal Coalition,’ a reference to the human ideology of change. The opposition - the former pro-government faction - split with itself. The more extreme ponies formed ‘The Reactionary Alliance’ (as they were reacting to perceived attack by the Liberal Coalition) and the remaining ponies styled themselves ‘Moderates.’ Such is the nature of these bands.”

Celestia had to consciously keep her mouth from hanging open at this. Are we seeing the rise of political parties? And some members of this Assembly are challenging my right to rule Equestria? What is going on here?

“Thank you, Chancellor. That is most enlightening. I would like to remind the members of this Assembly that it was created by and is underneath the Royal Council. The Assembly only has the power to do what the Council authorizes it to do; it may not do any more. I shall also reiterate what I said at the opening of the Assembly: the power of this Assembly originates at the Royal Council. At no point may you challenge us. As the power of this Assembly comes from the Council, we retain absolute authority over it, up to and including the power to dissolve it, should we see fit.

“With that in mind…the fragmentation of this Assembly into political factions is not something that the Council will look upon favorably. Former political parties are hereby considered banned within the Principality. Take your factious politics elsewhere. They are not welcome here.”

January 16, 1833
Canterlot, Equestria

“We’re done?” asked Twilight, surprised.

“Not quite,” replied Celestia. “But almost.”

“Westernization complete...I’m not quite sure if I believe that,” said Cadance.

“I do,” replied Luna. “Look how far we have come: we centralized the government, modernized the military, reformed parts of the economy, streamlined the school system, and have rebooted the sciences under the Royal Ministry of Sciences and Arts. What else is left, but to build the very first warship for Equestria?”

“The culmination of our research; the epitome of our progress,” mused Celestia. “All in one, grand vessel...it has a certain romantic ring to it.”

“It should be a craft greater than any Equestrian ship that came before it,” said Twilight, getting into the groove. “A monument to Equestria itself!”

“Yes...we should call it the ERV Equestria, named after the land it shall protect. Equestria, a mighty ship, in a class known as the man-o-war to the humans...I like it…”

March 15, 1833
Canterlot, Equestria

Your Serene Majesties,

Greetings, Princesses. I wish to extend the hand of friendship and prosperity clothed in the glove of cautious strength. While my term in office shall expire in three years, I believe it is best to set the foundation for the next President and to affirm the stances of the United States and Equestria on several subjects.

First and foremost, all unclaimed lands left on the continent may be firmly stated to belong to these United States. The efforts of this republic to spread the light of democracy will not be in vain, and I urge you to consider the relative benefits of such a concession, as your nation struggles to defend itself against marauding, fortune-seeking pirates.

Second, the Kingdom of "Griffonia" to your immediate north is to be recognized as a clear and present barbarian threat to prosperity and liberty on this continent, and as an obstacle in the rightful design of God. Not two months have gone by without some band of the youths of the Griffon upper classes terrorizing the diplomatic interests of the United States in that territory. My administration has had experience in the removal of such threats, and I urge you to remember what the United States Army is capable of when future presidents inevitably address the Griffon problem.

Third and finally, the recent chaos in Mexico's territory of Texas is proving that the United States will have future conflicts in those areas as the clash of cultures across this continent intensifies. These United States will continue to pursue mutually-beneficial relations with Texas, and hold fast against any Mexican threat that may rear its head. In the best interests of Equestria, the United States demands that neutrality in foreign affairs of that area be your official policy. Your involvement in the settling of territorial disputes between the nations of man, in all the glory of God and nature, is not needed.

The existence of your nation, as surprising as it may be, is a tolerable deviation from the laws of nature that these United States will allow in the future. So long as our nations continue to coexist, the amicable continuance of trade and stable borders will be the proper and desired order. Do note, the United States has no interest in defending you against marauders. The incident in your “Appleloosa” was regrettable, and the United States shall allow you to prosecute the perpetrators in accordance with your laws. Do not misunderstand this, though. This republic will hold as steadfast as my defense of New Orleans in our goals. This continent is destined as American soil, and the fulfillment of that dream shall be the pursuance of that nation's people for so long as we draw breath and may hold high that great Star-Spangled Banner.

Yours in Potential Friendship,
Andrew Jackson
President of the United States

“That was bold,” said Celestia.

“Indeed, it was,” said Luna. “First and foremost, the United States will tolerate our continued existence? What in Tartarus is that supposed to mean? That we need their permission to be a sovereign state?”

“Chaos in Texas? I knew things were tense, but chaos may be a bit of hyperbole…” observed Cadance.

“He was not exactly friendly towards Griffonia, either. Calling them a ‘barbarous threat to the liberty and posterity of this continent,’ or some such thing,” observed Twilight.

“This Andrew Jackson is not exactly the most diplomatic of humans.”

“I would have thought that he would have had a diplomat look over this letter to...soften the language.”*

“Welp, we need to be careful. If this letter is correct, he will be of no concern in three years. But we need to watch out. I doubt he will be the last of his kind…”

* Author’s side note: He did. The diplomat spend five hours crossing out and replacing words. Jackson incorporated every change into the letter.

So It Begins...

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So It Begins…
The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

At long last…January 1, 1836
Canterlot, Equestria

“Happy New Year, everypony!” exclaimed Twilight, as she entered the chambers of the Royal Council.

“Indeed,” said Celestia. “A new year is upon us.”

“And we are done westernizing!” exclaimed Cadance.

“Yes, we are. But we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves,” cautioned Celestia. “We still cannot afford to mess up. Now, at least we will be able to prick the United States in a war before it crushes us.”

That lovely line stalled conversation for a moment.

“Anyways, the ERV Equestria has been completed, as I am sure you all have seen,” Celestia went on, bridging the awkward silence. “We should build more ships like it. My calculations state that we can afford and support an additional four ships like it in our fleet.”

“Then let’s build them!” said Luna.

The other two Princesses nodded.

“Very well, we shall build them. I will authorize the purchase of the need supplies immediately.”

“What about the budget? Can we afford to?” interjected Cadance.

“Yes. As everypony knows, we have completed the westernization process. That really helps balance our budget, we have gone from bleeding money to a small surplus. ”

“If we have a surplus, we should raise spending across the board,” said Luna. “More in education, more in the military, more in administration.”

“That amount of spending would probably put us back into a deficit.”

“We could install a tariff,” said Twilight. “Think about it: we have practically never imported items for consumers. The ponies wouldn’t even realize that the goods are being taxed, as they would have no frame of reference to compare against.”

“I think such a policy would also be popular in the Assembly,” said Luna. “Controlled as it is by the Moderates, they would not raise a fit.”

“On the topic of the Assembly,” said Celestia, “they keep refusing to allow the government to build factories without raising Tartarus. I believe that we should...ah, realign the Assembly to a position that is more suited to us, taking advantage of the special delegate seats to appoint anypony we want.”

“Wait, why are they attempting to nullify a decree of the Council?”

“Not nullify, per se. Rather, the Chamber of Deputies, who, as you know, are responsible to oversee this kind of thing, conveniently ‘forgets’ to do such things. And if they do it, they almost always get ‘tied down’ in procedures that aren’t actually necessary. The Moderates are just obstructive towards building factories; they get in the way while technically not getting in the way.”

“Who should we empower, then?”

“Definitely not the pro-business faction, as they want us to get out of business altogether.”

“Then we reshuffle the Assembly to favor the coalition of the Reactionaries,” decided Celestia.

“Can somepony explain to me how we outlawed political parties, but still ended up with three de facto political parties?” asked Twilight.

Celestia sighed. “I probably should have known that we won’t be able to just eliminate them. In their place, these informal political ‘coalitions’ have formed. I don’t think we should clamp down on them. Let us look the other way, for now.”

“I agree, but I have another concern,” said Luna. “I am surprised by you, Celestia. You banned political parties without seeking the permission of the Council. Such an action should have required a vote amongst the Princesses.”

Celestia blinked. “I did what I thought was best for Equestria.”

“I believe you. However, we are a team. Everypony on this Council is equal to each other. No one of us is more important than the others, and we work together to serve Equestria. No hard feelings, I just hope in the future, you will seek the consent of the rest of the Council before making such a bold motion.”

Celestia dipped her head slightly.

“Excellent,” said Luna. “Now, we have something else to discuss: foreign nations.

“Let us start with the most obvious: Griffonia. I trust you all heard of the rebellion?”

Celestia and Cadance both nodded, muttering words of sympathy. Twilight, however, said “I have been very busy with the Royal Ministry. Rebellion in Griffonia?”

“Yes. Apparently, the more reactionary nobles of Griffonia banded together and forced King Odrynn to the negotiating table over their westernization process. Unlike Equestria, nobles in Griffonia are allowed to possess private retinues of troops. It’s a much more feudal system. With the threat of these troops, the reactionary faction was able to force Odrynn to reverse most of the reforms. He will have to start all over, this time trying to keep the nobles’ favor.”

“That’s terrible. Glad the nobles here can’t do more than whine loudly.”

“Indeed. Now, the question is: Should Odrynn and Griffonia ask for our aid, would we help them, bearing in mind it is unlikely to be a cheap process.”

“Absolutely,” said Twilight. “To borrow a phrase from the ‘Founding Fathers’ that those Americans are so damn proud of: ‘We non-humans must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.’”

“There is some truth to that,” acknowledged Luna. “But if we were to approach Odrynn, we would probably do not but further alienate the reactionaries. Instead, we should wait for him to approach us. That way, it looks less like a foreign insurrection on our part.”

Several nods around the table.

“Good. Now, the so-called Republic of Texas.”

“That breakaway state from the Republic of Mexico? What a piece of-”

“Thank you, Twilight,” interrupted Celestia. Damn, she feels passionate right now.

“Sorry.”

“Anyways, the question is what we do. Texas has, de facto, established its independence, despite the efforts of - who was it? Santa Anna, I think? - to stop them. I hear he’s launching an offensive; we will have to see where it goes.”

“Mexico has another president?” asked Cadance. “What happened to Victoria?”

“Finished his term. The first and last Mexican president, so far, to serve a complete term in their country. Since then, the presidency has been bouncing back and forth between whatever general has enough troops to hold onto it.

“Anyways, the separatist Texas movement appears to be gaining steam. What we should note is that these ‘Texans’ is that they are Americans. They moved into Texas from the United States, and they probably have at least tacit support from the United States. Thus, we cannot afford to get involved, to insure that the United States does not get a reason to mess with us.”

“Would have been a great way to develop closer relations with Mexico,” mused Twilight. “But, keeping the Americans not angry at us is more important.”

“Indeed,” said Luna.

“Now, we should think larger-scale,” said Celestia. “Firstly, we have made contact with all of the eight so-called ‘Great Powers’ in the past few years. We have send diplomatic delegations to their nations, and they have with us. We will need to also keep their favor, to stay independent.”

“Britain and America aside, the next most important Great Power is probably the Russian Empire,” said Luna. “After all, it’s the closest Great Power, with most of the others in Europe.”

“They will require watching…” said Cadance.

“While we are talking about the human nations, we should also discuss the military,” said Celestia. “The massive recruitment drive we started after the Manetown Incident has greatly expanded the size of the military, but it has started to slack off after the Battle of Appleloosa. As it stands, the Royal Guard has two herds of infantry, one herd of artillery, and one herd of pegasi cavalry. The First Corps is less selective; it has four herds of infantry, two herds of pegasi dragoons, and two herds of artillery. In addition, in reaction to the Battle of Appleloosa, a militia, styling itself the ‘Royal Border Patrol,’ has surfaced. They number about six thousand strong, but lack all but the most basic of training.”

“That’s good for them, but we should funnel them into the actual military, if they so wish,” said Cadance. “Last thing we need is untrained militias on a battlefield with the Americans.”

“I am inclined to agree,” said Celestia. “That aside, I say that the military is doing just fine; we do not need to redeploy any troops or anything. Now, Luna, what do you have from the census?”

“Thank you, Celestia. The population of Equestria is five point two-five million. Of that, forty two percent are earth ponies, twenty eight percent are pegasi, and twenty eight percent are unicorns. We have a tiny minority of a bit under two percent buffalo. All ponies subscribe to Celestialism, all of the buffalo to the various different Animist religions. By far, most of the population are farmers; over seventy seven percent. Artisans make up a distant second, claiming seventeen percent of the population, mostly in urban areas. Soldiers are an even more distant third; with only two percent of the population. Following them are Royal Administrators, with one percent. Teachers, both Celestial and secular, makeup point eight percent. Everypony else is so much in the minority, they are hardly worth mentioning. Forty seven percent of our population identify as conservative, thirty eight percent are reactionary, and fifteen percent are liberal. Finally, the single most important issue to our population is maintaining the lessons of harmony in both the government and their lives. Next, is expanding the military to strengthen our standing against other nations.

“Almost one-third of our population lives in the Manehattan-Fillydelphia Region. The next highest region is Southern Equestria, where Cloudsdale and other provinces are dominated by pegasi. That region has a bit over twenty percent. Next is the Greater Canterlot Region, with a little over fifteen percent. Northern Equestria follows, with almost the same number as the Greater Canterlot. Population density quickly starts to fall off as one moves east, though: Clover Valley is home to just eight percent of the population, and the two unincorporated regions, Valmansas and Springdale, are home to two and one-fifth of one percent of the population, respectively. The percent of ponies that are considered literate is forty-five percent.”

“That low?”

“Yes. Bear in mind, this considers ‘literate’ as more than just able to read signs. We are talking about more intellectual levels, such as the ability to read some higher literature,” repled Luna.

“Thank you, sister. Now, Twilight has a report from the Royal Ministry of the Sciences and Arts.”

“Thank you, Princess Celestia.

“Our development of the mobile artillery has moved from the theoretical stage to action. I propose that we replace one of the artillery herds within the First Corps with a mobile artillery herd.”

“Sounds like a decent idea,” said Cadance. “If it is successful, then we should still retain some standard, heavier artillery, for the firepower.”

“Fair enough. Beyond the artillery, the Ministry is able to do whatever the Council commands.”

“For now, see if you can develop better hoof-held weapons. We need to keep an edge on the human nations, if we want to defend ourselves from them.”

January 2, 1836
Canterlot, Equestria

“...the Equestrian Royal Council has seen fit to reshuffle the Chamber of Deputies,” said Celestia, while speaking to the Advisory Assembly. “The following ponies are dismissed from their seats…”

As she listed the names, the named ponies, most of them Moderates, some of them Liberals, frowned, but held their peace. They could not complain that Celestia was delivering control of the Chamber of Deputies to the Reactionaries, as that would involve admitting that they had formed illegal political parties.

When she finished naming the new members of the Chamber of Deputies, the strong Moderate majority had been wiped out. Before the reshuffling of the lower house, the Moderates had a majority, possessing sixty three seats, compared to twenty six Reactionaries, and eleven Liberals. Celestia awarded all of the special delegate seats to the Reactionaries, and over half of the provincial seats, giving the Reactionaries a whopping eighty one seats, against thirteen Moderates and six Liberals.

“Now, the Royal Council wishes to build a cement factory in the Greater Canterlot Region…”

This maneuver also meant that the Chamber was going to end up electing a new Chief Deputy, as the Reactionaries would undoubtedly want a presiding officer sympathetic to them. The best part, for them, is the fact that only ponies in special delegate seats could be elected to the Chiefship. And all of the ponies in special delegate seats were Reactionaries.

A Whirlwind of Diplomacy

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A Whirlwind of Diplomacy
The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

June 30, 1836
Canterlot, Equestria

“...this was found,”stated the Royal Guard pony.

He threw a pamphlet onto the desk of the Royal Council.

Increasingly, as of late, earth ponies have increasingly found themselves at the bottom of the social and political ladder within Equestria. The Princesses have, in their wisdom, decided to fight the human menace by adopting the ways and the tools of the West. Unfortunately, this wise move has had the unforeseen consequence of dividing Equestria along tribal lines. Unicorns increasingly hold the positions of authority in Equestria, while earth ponies find themselves regulated to the bottom. Pegasi, meanwhile, have found themselves pushed to the side, into the military.

The Princesses are wise and strong. However, they have undoubtedly made a mistake. I believe I speak for the entire earth pony tribe when I call for the Princesses to bring back the townships, and allow earth ponies back into the political process. Let it be known that I do not blame the Princesses for any of this; rather, this entire mess is an unfortunate consequence of the westernization process that the Princesses, for all their wisdom, overlooked by accident.

This is The Earth Pony Voice.

“...Interesting,” said Celestia.

“Very,” agreed Luna. “Tell me, where did you find this?”

“It was discovered in a rare police raid in the Ponyville province,” replied the Guard. “As it violated the laws requiring a censored press, it was sent to the Royal Guard.”

“A political pamphlet in Equestria, calling for national reforms,” mused Celestia. “Never thought I would see the day. On the national level, the ponies of Equestria have never really been interested in politics.”

“This writer appears to be very keen in maintaining the Council, but he wants the return of the townships,” observed Twilight. “Not exactly a revolutionary.”

“Indeed. This pamphlet does no harm,” said Celestia. “I think we should simply ignore it. Cracking down would cause more trouble than it would prevent.”

August 10, 1836
Diplomatic Message from Equestria to Mexico

To the Mexican Government,*

The Equestrian Royal Council has heard of the tragedy inflicted upon your people and country by the so-called “Republic of Texas,” aided by the United States of America. We wish to extend our condolences and say that the Principality of Equestria is disgusted by their actions. It is remarkable that the United States was allowed to maintain its “official neutrality,” despite the fact that over 200 American Army regulars unofficially served in the Texan Army. Unfortunately, we were unable to assist you, as the Americans would have certainly eliminated us from the map.

It has occurred to the Council that many of our goals are aligned. Both of us are nations that struggle to maintain our independence against outside forces. Both of us border a nation bent on asserting dominance over this continent. Both of us know that when the Americans come, we will be hard-pressed to survive.

We, the Equestrian Royal Council, seek closer economic and political ties with the Republic of Mexico.

Sincerely,

The Serene Majesties of Equestria, whose signatures are attached below.

Princess Celestia

Princess Luna

Princess Cadance

Princess Twilight Sparkle

June 20, 1837
London, Great Britain

“Alexandria, wake up.”

A young woman, only barely eighteen years old, stirred. She opened her eyes, to see her mother.

“The Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Conyngham are in your sitting-room. They wish to see you straight away.”

The young woman sat up, blinking sleep away.

“There is no need to get all dressed; your dressing gown will suffice. Quickly, now.”

Following her directions, the young woman named Alexandria got up and walked into her room. Alone. Without her mother.

“Yes, sirs?” asked

“Twelve minutes past two o’clock this morning, your uncle, King William the Fourth, joined God in Heaven.”

“You, Your Majesty, are Queen now.”

August 15, 1837
London, Great Britain

The Queen of Great Britain and Ireland looked to her mother. “Why have we not invited the rulers of this ‘Principality of Equestria’ I have heard so much about? Are they not royals as well?”

“‘Principality of Equestria?’ You mean the nation of horses west of the United States? Why would we invite them to your coronation?”

“Because, I cannot help but feel that when the historians a hundred years from now sit down to write about this time, that nation and their rulers will be the first thing they discuss.”

August 30, 1837
Diplomatic Message from Griffonia to Equestria

To the Royal Council of Equestria,

I, King Odrynn, would like to extend my apologies on behalf of the entire Kingdom of Griffonia. Three days ago, a group of five griffon youths heckled and harassed the diplomatic delegations from Equestria, the United States, and the British Empire. I want you to know that the youths responsible for these actions have been arrested and punished according to Griffonian law.

I also want to reach out to the Council. As you may have learned, a rebellion within the Kingdom forced me to reverse nearly all of the westernization process; I barely managed to retain my throne. As such, we are, metaphorically, back at square one.

I still believe that westernization is the best choice for the continued protection of my realm. With this in mind, I respectfully request that I be granted assistance in undertaking this process, in the name of protecting both of our nations.
Sincerely,
Odrynn
King of Griffonia

“Good to see that Odrynn managed to hold onto his kingdom, despite the nobles,” observed Cadance. “I kind of like him.”

“Indeed. Now, we need to answer his question about aid.”

“I’m curious, why does he say this is in the best interest of both of our nations? I support helping them, but I can’t help but wonder why he insists that the safety of our nation is also at stake.”

“Think about it, Cadance. The Griffonian kingdom is to our north. We have a total of four border provinces there: Hoofsdale, the Everfree Forest, Appleloosa, and Salt Lick City. None of them are places where it is reasonable to keep a well-supplied garrison; the closed reasonable location is Baltimare, south of Hoofsdale. The border is long, difficult to defend, but perhaps more important is the fact that the coastal region of Equestria is so important. If Hoofsdale were to fall, an enemy could strike at Baltimare, a major city. From there, it is extremely easy to seize Ponyville, the seat of the Council of Harmony, and an important cultural site, as you all are aware. An invader can then also pick up Stalliongrad, a key historical site for the earth ponies, before marching on Canterlot itself. And then, if Equestria continues to fight on despite the fall of Canterlot, it’s an easy march to Manehattan and Fillydelphia, the two largest Equestrian cities. And finally, if the pegasi are still being rowdy, despite everything, the invader must only march on Cloudsdale, blast the city out of the sky with their cannons, and just like that, they have captured practically every major city and over two-thirds of the Equestrian population, just by hugging the coast. The northern border is too important, and King Odrynn knows it. Even if we were to focus all our energy on defending the coast, that leaves Ponyville, Colton, most of central Equestria, and all of Valmansas out of our easily defendable area. No, letting the Americans gain a northern border with Equestria is unacceptable. It would be the single greatest step towards defeat we could take. And again, Odrynn knows it.”

“So even if we didn’t want to, we have no real choice. We must help him.”

“Precisely. We must. And it’s a good thing we are willing, as well, as, again, we would have to do it anyways.”

September 12, 1837
Diplomatic Message from the British Empire to Equestria

Her Majesty, Queen of the British, hereby cordially invites Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, and Princess Twilight, to the coordination of Queen Victoria. The ceremony will be held on June 28 of next year, and we would be honored to have you in attendance.
Queen Victoria

January 16, 1838
Griffon Falls, Griffonia

“We have gathered here to resolve disputes between the Kingdom of Griffonia and the United States of America,” said Luna.

The humans nodded, and King Odrynn did as well. When the youths had hassled members of the Equestrian diplomatic delegation and traders, the ponies were more than willing to allow the incident to slide.

The United States, however, was not.

On October 21, the Kingdom of Griffonia received a list of three demands from the United States.

On October 23, the Principality of Equestria received a letter requesting that the Equestrians moderate the discussion.

And here they were.

“For the record, the following were demanded by the United States of America:” said Princess Cadance. “Complete reimbursal of all damaged properties, a fine of two thousand dollars, and the turnover of the griffon province of Pocoltello.”

“My government states that Griffonia should consider itself lucky,” stated the human ambassador, John White. “Congress originally wished to demand two additional provinces and a much higher fee.”

“Thank you, but that’s not relevant,” said Luna, with an edge to her voice. “King Odrynn, do you have any objections to the items on this list?”

“Yes, Your Serene Majesty, I do.” replied Odrynn.

Luna gazed at the griffon. He’s changed. In the aftermath of the Griffon Reaction, as it was being called, the King was quieter. His normally centered air had been shaken to the core. Instead of confidently looking his equal in the eye, Odrynn avoided Luna’s gaze and instead looked down at his notes. He also spoke quieter, with a little less authoritism.

“The Kingdom of Griffonia capitulates to demands one and two. That is, I am willing to pay both the fine and to reimburse damages. However, I cannot turn over any more Griffonian territory than I already have.”

“The United States is not satisfied by simply levying a punitive fine.”

“But I cannot afford to give up any more territory than I already have. The province that you mentioned is home to over a thousand griffons! I cannot force them to abandon their homes, and I refuse to abandon them to their fates under the United States.

“However, I am willing to pay a higher punitive fine.”

“That is not good enough. If I am to surrender the third demand, I must demand instead an additional eighteen thousand dollars and an agreement for Griffonia to open its borders to American military escorts for the protection of American interests.”

Odrynn did not look up, but Luna heard a note of his old steel enter his voice. “Twelve thousand.”

White frowned, then said, “You are not exactly in a position to bargain...no less than sixteen and a half thousand.”

Odrynn hesitated, then apparently realizing that the American was correct, nodded once and said, “Very well. Sixteen and a half thousand it is.”

Luna frowned slightly. Do they even have anything close to that sum of money in Griffonia’s treasury?

“It is agreed.”

The same day
The same place

“We can’t afford it, Princess!” exclaimed Odrynn.

“I thought so,” replied Luna. “But I see that you had no choice.”

“Indeed. Much like your Manetown Incident, and the earlier Columbia River claims, I had to buy peace. Even at the price of sixteen thousand and a half thousand dollars, and the surrender of Griffonia’s territorial sovereignty.”

“Equestria will be happy to loan you the required funds to make the payments.”

January 20, 1838
Lāhainā, The Kingdom of Hawai’i

Princess Celestia stepped off of the ERV Equestria, taking in the beauty of the island port. Despite it being winter back in Equestria, Lāhainā, the capital of the Kingdom of Hawai’i, was downright warm. The Sun shone brightly, but Celestia was told that rain in January was actually rather common.

Interesting how these climates vary so wildly, she thought. And these humans have no control over them…

Celestia was on her way to observe Queen Victoria’s coronation in Great Britain when she decided to take a slight detour to visit the island nation.

“Ali’i Nui Kamehameha,” said Celestia smoothly - she had practiced on the way to Hawai’i. “On behalf of the Equestrian Royal Council, I extend my royal greetings.”

After her translator finished, the Hawaiian smiled warmly. “Princess Celestia, Her Most Serene Majesty of Equestria. Welcome to Hawai’i. We have much to discuss.”

* Interestingly, the first draft of this letter had the words “Dear President,” followed by names Bustamante, Múzquiz, Pedraza, Farías, Barragán, and Santa Anna, each one of them crossed out. Apparently, the writers of the letter gave up after they heard that Barragán had returned to the Presidency, only to die in office soon after.

The Political Rights Debate Begins

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The Political Rights Debate Begins
The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

(Text of the Grifoni-Equestrian Treaty of 1838)

Article I: The Principality of Equestria shall extend a Loan of Sixteen and One Half Thousand Dollars to the Kingdom of Griffonia.

Article II: The aforementioned Loan shall have an Interest rate of no more than One Percent, but may be less, at the discretion of the Equestrian Royal Council. The Council may change the Interest rate at any time, as long as it does not go above the aforementioned One Percent.

Article III: The Principality of Equestria and the Kingdom of Griffonia extend full military access to each of each other’s militaries.

Signed by King Odrynn, Ruler of the Kingdom of Griffonia, on January 21, 1838

Signed by Princess Luna, on Behalf of the Equestrian Royal Council, on January 21, 1838 (pending ratification)

January 30, 1838
Canterlot, Equestria

“...and you see this as a deliberate attack on your tribe,” said Luna.

“No, Princess! I don’t think the Princesses are deliberately attacking the Earth Pony Tribe. Rather, I see an honest attempt to make Equestria strong. Unfortunately, that had the effect of polarizing the jobs in this nation. Nowadays, unicorns control all the jobs that matter, while us earth ponies are left to do all the hard labor,” said Silver Scroll, an earth pony intellectual, and writer of the pamphlet Earth Pony Voice.

“And if we accept this to be true, then what has happened to the Pegasus Tribe?” asked Cadance.

“The pegasi have been shifted into and dominate the military. Makes sense, considering the cultural and historical influence within the military.”

“This has been most interesting, Silver Scroll. The Council will certainly take your grievances into account. Perhaps we can do something about it.”

June 28, 1838
London, England

Celestia, dressed in her full royal regalia, concealed a yawn. The coronation of Victoria as the next queen of Great Britain was hardly an exciting process, to say nothing of the fact that Celestia never really had much enthusiasm to sit through such processes.

What snapped her attention back to the scene, though, was the noise of muffled gasps. Several lesser nobles had been giving homage to the new Queen, but apparently one had encountered some difficulty. That is, he had fallen down the steps and rolled all the way down.

Celestia leaned forward slightly, wondering if she should make sure he was alright. Before she came to a decision, though, the man - she would later learn he was Lord Rolle - slowly got up. She saw that he was very old.

As the man started back up the stairs, Celestia again wondered if she should do something to help him. The need was taken from her, however.

Queen Victoria, after saying something that Celestia missed, rose from her throne, descended a few steps and met the Lord partway.

The effect was immediate. Several mutterings that had begun in reaction to the Lord falling were swept away by a strong applause. Celestia joined them, clapping her front hooves together.

That will definitely create a positive image with her people.

The applause died down, and with it, Celestia’s interest in the proceedings. She settled back into her serene image, pretending to be paying devout attention, while, instead, her thoughts were a million miles away…

The same day
The same place

“I am glad that you were able to make it,” said Victoria.

Celestia looked the young human queen in the eye. “As a fellow ruler, I welcome you to our ‘order,’ for want of a better term. Being a monarch of a nation is both the best and worst thing that can happen to you.”

“So I hear...you are not a constitutional ruler?”

“No, no constitution or voting for Equestria. Rather, the four Princesses rule together, and we check each other. I understand that you have a Parliament.”

“Yes. English democracy goes all the way back to 1215, and the signing of the Magna Carta, when English barons forced the king to accept certain reforms. The power of this proto-Parliament grew slowly over time, until the Parliamentarians won the English Civil War in the 1600’s. Since then, the Parliament has come to be recognized as the supreme power in the British Empire, trumping the king/queen.

The human and pony spoke for a over an hour, speaking of things that actually had little overall importance; royal small talk, in essence.

June 30, 1838
Ponyville, Equestria

“Hey girls!” called Twilight, raising a hoof to her friends.

“Twilight! It’s been ages, honey,” said Rarity.

“It has,” agreed Rainbow Dash.

All the other ponies nodded.

“Where’s Pinkie?” asked Twilight, noticing the pink pony’s absence.

“Working! Ponyville’s seen something of a population boom, and the Cakes need her help.”

Twilight nodded, a little disappointed that she would not to be able to her friend. “It sure is good to be back in Ponyville, at any rate,” she said, as they walked along the streets of the small town, towards the castle that had been put there by the Tree of Harmony. “How have things been around here?”

“Alright,” said Applejack, glaring at Twilight. “I have a bone to pick with you, Twilight, though. Why, in the name all things in Equestria, did you feel the need to abolish the townships?”

Surprised at being put on the spot like that, Twilight got defensive. “W-well, we wanted to be able to get our westernization reforms done on time. Have you attended the Grand Equestria Pony Summit? Trying to make all those ponies do the same thing is like attempting to herd foals!”

Applejack hesitated for a few moments, thinking about what Twilight had said. She then grunted and said “Fair enough,” a small smile appearing on her lips.

Letting the matter drop, Twilight smiled as well. “It’s been...well, years! I’m sorry I was out of touch for so long, but I have been living in Canterlot, helping the Princesses with the westernization process. They even put me in charge of the Royal Ministry of the Sciences! But I finally managed to worm my way free. What’s been happening with you girls?”

“My business is booming!” said Rarity excitedly. “The military has ordered so many uniforms, the normal manufactures have gotten absolutely swamped, and they contracted over a thousand uniforms out to me! I’ve made soooo much money, I’ve managed to hire a staff and actually open a whole chain of boutiques in Canterlot and beyond.”

“That’s wonderful!” said Twilight.

“I’ve been working overtime,” said Applejack. “The military has put in more orders for apples then I can even count! Business is booming here, as well. The Apple Family has racked in thousands and thousands of bits! We plan on investing more into our business, and start buying up more land to produce more apples, and we may even move into other food products. There’s even some talk of sending a few relatives abroad and starting up business beyond Equestria.”

“Growing the Apple Family into the Apple Empire?” asked Twilight, teasingly. “Good for you guys.”

“U-um, the military kind of...recruited me,” said Fluttershy softly. “They wanted me to join the...Ponyville Engineer Corps, as a...medic.”

“A battle medic? Seems kind of strange for you, Fluttershy,” frowned Twilight.

“Well...they said that you and Equestria needed me.”

I need to talk to them about their recruiting methods, Twilight mentally noted. “Well, that’s...good news!”

“The military head-hunted me, as well!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash. “Apparently, I’m so awesome that they actually promoted me up a few ranks. You’re speaking to Third Lieutenant Rainbow Dash, of the Ponyville Air Cavalry. I’m responsible for overseeing weather operations that the Air Cavalry undertakes.”*

“That’s awesome, Rainbow!”

“Indeed, much like me.”

So the conversation continued, with the five friends trading stories about all that happened over the time.

After a while, the young-ish Princess noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Turning her head to the right, she saw a newspaper with a large, bold headline:

REGIONAL MAGISTRATE : HAVING MARRIAGE ISSUES?

Twilight frowned and went over to the newspaper stand. Picking up a copy of the paper, she thought about the magistrate.

Gold Star is a jealous pony. She would never allow something like this be printed. The magistrate has control over what is printed in papers. How did it get printed?

“Oh, you’ve found the Foal Free Press. It’s gotten excellent recently,” said Rarity.

“But...how?” muttered Twilight. “We put in a censored press policy. The magistrate would have censored it.”

“I heard they found some legal loophole...something about it being a student paper.”

Of course. A exemption was written into the law, granting student papers much more lenient treatment in certain circumstances. They must of managed to find a clever lawyer to help “expand” the definition of those exemptions.

Without another word, Twilight paid for a copy of the paper and made a mental note to speak to the Royal Council.

* Note: Rainbow Dash is responsible for weather operations within that herd only, not the entire Equestrian Army.

The Pastry Affair (Part I) and the Question of Townships

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The Pastry Affair (Part I) and the Question of Townships
The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

November 30, 1838
Canterlot, Equestria

“What is happening?” asked Celestia, running through the door. “Damn it, I leave Equestria for one event…”

“Glad to see you, too, sister,” smiled Luna. Returning to business, she said, “I have received word from our Mexican ambassador. It appears that Mexico angered the wrong person. Three days ago, French warships opened fire on the Mexican city of Veracruz.”

“Why? What justification do they have?”

“An amazing one,” Twilight said. “Apparently, some pastry baker has claimed damages against the Mexican government for an incident that occurred back in 1828. In response, the French government demanded payment in the amount of six hundred thousand pesos to cover the citizen’s claims, along with the repayment of a few loans. Mexico refused, and here we are.”

“A lot of money, that is. But what is France trying to get out of it? The money? Or maybe something else?”

“I don’t know, but we should act,” said Twilight.

“And what do you propose we do? France is a Great Power, and has a perfectly legal, if somewhat distasteful reason, to demand satisfaction against Mexico.”

“Perhaps. But think of this opportunity! We have a good way to solidify friendly relations with Mexico here. In addition, and maybe more importantly, we can boost our prestige by standing up to a Great Power, and get the other Latin American nations on our side. We don’t have to declare war or anything so dramatic. Rather, we simply must send a letter to France; an official diplomatic message, asking them to not blow the situation out of proportion, and perhaps offer to mediate a dispute. No grandstanding beyond that is necessary.”

“And if they refuse?”

“Then we send a small military detachment - no more than a thousand, if that - down to Mexico, to ‘observe.’ They will be ordered to not fight unless attacked, and they shall lend humanitarian aid to the fighting. Such actions should not draw the ire of the French, but will be of great assistance to the Mexican people.”

Celestia nodded, pleased with the resourcefulness Twilight was showing. “I think that sounds like a great idea. All in favor?”

All four Princesses voted in favor.

“Excellent one, sister,” complimented Cadance.

Text of the Official Diplomatic Dispatch to France from Equestria

Your Most Christian King, Louis Philippe the First,

It has come to the attention of this Royal Council that your government has attacked the Republic of México, demanding a payment in the amount of six hundred thousand Mexican pesos. The Equestrian Royal Council urges you and your government to not allow inflamed passions and national pride to cloud logic. Make no mistake, the Royal Council recognizes the fact that your government possess valid claims. However, consider the fact that forcing the government of México to pay through military force may just cost more than it is worth. Also, the government of México is going through difficult political and social issues. Their difficulties may severely impair their ability to pay any restitution forced upon them by a bayonet. We urge you to consider these facts. Should your government tire of this war, the Principality of Equestria is willing to offer an unbiased perspective and mediate discussions between your two countries.

With regards,

The Serene Majesties of Equestrian Royal Council, whose signatures are attached below.

Princess Celestia

Princess Luna

Princess Mi Amore Cadenza

Princess Twilight Sparkle

(Signed November 30, 1838 by the Royal Council.

Received in the Court of Philippe on January 2, 1839)

“What the...who sent this?” asked Louis Philippe.

“The rulers of the Principality of Equestria,” said a nearby aid. “It shares a northern border with México. It’s that nation of horses.”

Text of the Official Diplomatic Dispatch from France to Equestria

Leaders of Equestria,

I will thank you to not interfere in the matters of my nation. France can handle herself perfectly fine, and we do not need your help. I suggest you focus on keeping marauding pirates of off your lands. After all, that does seem to be problem your nation has.

Louis Philippe

(Received by the Equestrian Royal Council on January 29, 1839)

“Well, that did not go as well as I had hoped,” said Twilight.

“No, but it went as well as we expected,” replied Celestia. “The humans still don’t take us seriously. It is regrettable, but was to be expected. Now, we should assemble that special force and dispatch it to Mexico.”

February 19, 1839
Canterlot, Equestria

“The presence of the Principality’s troops on Mexican territory is intolerable. It is inappropriate breach of Mexico’s territory sovereignty. It is clear that your forces are prepared to intervene on behalf of Mexico,” said the French ambassador to Equestria.

“Firstly, you have no evidence for the second charge. Secondly, if our actions are an illegal breach of Mexico’s sovereignty, someone should tell the Mexicans that. The government and military of Mexico have lodged no complaints with Equestria, France, or any other power. In fact, they have started coordinating humanitarian missions with our troops.” Celestia hesitated and said, in a more subdued tone, “With respect, I urge you to realize that we sent seven hundred troops. That is nowhere near the required amount to pose any substantial threat to your forces. Their sole mission is to provide humanitarian aid.”

“Hmm,” replied the ambassador.

February 21, 1839
Canterlot, Equestria

...Therefore, let it be known that the Communities of Earth Ponies hereby officially petitions the Equestrian Royal Council to re-establish the local townships. The ponies of Equestria wish to have a greater say in government. We are appreciative of the Princesses actions to protect Equestria. But the completion of the westernization process means that the centralization of the Equestrian government directly under the Princesses and their Magistrates is no longer necessary. We, the ponies of Equestria, call upon the Princesses to restore the townships to their prior status.
Signed,
(50 earth pony political leaders, mostly former mayors and other ponies of prominence)

“This is outrageous!”

“Silence, Chancellor Blueblood,” said Celestia. “Your seat on this Council is honorary, and you have both no say and no vote. If we want your opinion, we will ask for it.”

“These...this is an unacceptable insult!” plowed on former-Prince, now-Chancellor Blueblood. “These earth ponies are attacking both the Royal Court and the Royal Council! They-”

“Chancellor of the Royal Court! I order you to still your tongue!” snapped Celestia. “Do it, or we’ll kick you off of the Council.”

The other Princesses nodded, apparently sick of Blueblood already.

Blueblood subsided, muttering angrily.

“Thank you. Now, a faction of the ponies, apparently, want their local governments. I, personally, am not sure we should return them.”

“Why not?” asked Cadance. “They have a point: westernization is complete. As such, we no longer need the authority to force through the reforms.”

“Cadance is correct,” said Luna. “Also, I have heard that a few of our Regional and Provincial Magistrates have started to abuse their power. There are accusations that Magistrate of Baltimare has been skimming off the top of the budget. The Regional Magistrate of Northern Equestria, Gold Moon, is rumored to have been using her prestige to start sleeping around outside her marriage. That wouldn’t be a problem, if it wasn’t for the fact that she is married.”

“If I may, Princess?” asked Chancellor Blueblood, somewhat more meekely than usual.

Celestia nodded.

“Thank you. I wish to offer a different point of view. I submit that reason Equestria is strong right now is because you abolished the townships. If we were to restore them, the progress that Equestria has made will be in threatened. The common ponies may want to reverse other reforms! No, I think this Council should ignore this petition, and maybe even make sure this kind of dissension is not tolerated in the future. Maybe by banning public meetings?”

All members of the Council recoiled. “No. I refuse to turn Equestria into a police state just to protect it,” said Celestia. “That being said, I am skeptical of the idea to return the townships. We can root out and dismiss the few bad apples in the administration. But consider this: as it stands, we are literally balancing on a knife-edge. One misstep, and the United States will come crashing down on us. They may even declare war, even if we don’t aggravate them! But should push come to shove, we cannot afford levels of redundancy like that in our government. Our entire plan for a theoretical war with the United States is contingent on us having total and undisputed control of every part of the government.” She saw both Twilight and Cadance wavering, and decided to ram the point in. “If the situation wasn’t so dangerous, then maybe we could consider this petition. But we cannot risk it.”

Leaning back, she said, “I move to dismiss this petition. I also move to conduct an investigation into our Royal Magistrates and correct any wrongdoing.”

Twilight and Cadance joined Celestia and voted for the motion. Luna did not.

February 28, 1839
Near Mexico City, Mexico

“FIRE!!!” BANG!

The hills echoed with the sound of gunfire. The French troops were apparently advancing.

The Mexicans can’t hold much longer, thought Lieutenant Quill, commanding officer of the Equestrian Army of Observation. He was the pegasus tasked with providing humanitarian aid to the struggling Mexican republic. Privately, he was also very much a Mexican sympathizer, and was desperately looking for an excuse to lend aid to them.

Not that the Princesses knew that, of course, when they assigned him to lead the company. They would have never appointed an open sympathizer to a company that was supposed to stay out of the fighting.

But here he was.

And here the course of history, already dramatically shifted, would change once again.

The Pastry Affair, Part II

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The Pastry Affair, Part II
The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

February 28, 1839
Near México City, México

Lieutenant Quill observed the fighting. As it continued, he slowly started to observe a pattern.

About five hundred French soldiers. I’d say maybe twenty cannons. No mounted troops that I can see.

We outnumber them by about one and a half ponies to one man. We were allotted fifteen cannon. I have five hundred pegasi, two hundred earth ponies, and fifty unicorns.

If I have my pegasi attack from the sky, we can utilize the element of surprise. I bet humans have very little experience with fighting enemies in the air…

“I need three hundred pegasi to prepare for a run on the French forces!” he ordered.

“Sir?”

“Just in case,” said the Lieutenant. “We must always be ready. You never know about these humans…”

His second, First Sergeant Bronze Spear, looked at him, and nodded.

The French forces moved forward, advancing against the Mexicans. Their forces were having a rough time.

“We need to be closer to the fighting,” said Quill. “Move to the right!”

The seven hundred fifty ponies slowly shifted in the direction specified. Now, they were parked on a hill near the fighting. The Mexicans were about twenty feet below and fifty feet to their right.

“Unlimber the cannons!”

And now we wait…

Fifteen minutes later…

“Sir! The Mexicans and French have moved to hand-to-hand fighting!”

“So they’re done trading volleys? Excellent,” said Quill.

Suddenly, amid the din of the fighting, Quill heard a faint whizz, and his sergeant, who had given the report to him, choked once, then collapsed.

Yes!!! he crowed to himself, silently. He was sorry about his sergeant, of course, but finally, he had it. A pretext to attack the French.

Of course, he had no way of proving that it was a French bullet. It very well could have been a stray Mexican shell. But that did not stop him.

“They’re firing on us! Cannons, aim for their back ranks and cannon and fire when ready!”

The ponies milled about for a few minutes, but finally, the Equestrian cannons started to sing…

April 4, 1839
Canterlot, Equestria

“WHAT IN TARTARUS WERE YOU THINKING!?!?” bellowed Luna.

Quill flinched. He had heard stories of Nightmare Moon, of course, and Luna was looking really pissed. He looked around the table, looking for some salvation.

Nothing. Not even from Major Shining Armor, who sat stone-faced.

“They attacked us first!” the pegasus protested. No sell.

“After you deliberately moved as close as you could to the Mexican army,” said Cadance, glaring at him. “Your officers were quite through in their reports.”

“But, I-”

“Lieutenant. Leave,” said Celestia, speaking for the first time since she called in the pegasus for the inquiry. “Wait outside until we call you back in. We must determine what consequences will be levied against you.”

Any protest Quill had to offer died in his throat. He could do not but salute sharply, turn around, and walk out the doors.

Outside the chamber, there were two ponies of the Royal Guard that watched him, to insure he did not try to run away or escape his judgment. Despite not being charged, he was, for all intents and purposes, under arrest.

And I did so well, he thought, remembering the battle.

As the Equestrian cannons started to roar, the French looked around in confusion. As they did, the Equestrian pegasi crashed into them, guns blaring. The humans wavered. They had eyed the Equestrians with suspicion at the outbreak of the battle, but their commanding officers had assured them that the Equestrians would not have the guts to intervene.

Apparently, they were wrong.

As the French rallied and brought their weapons to bear on the pegasi, they quickly found that the pegasi were scattering, no longer presenting a unified target for the humans to fire at. While the humans were still looking for an easy target in the sky, the ground-based earth ponies and unicorns closed the distance with the humans and slammed into them.

It was chaos. The French had no idea which way to turn. And their disarray bought the Mexicans time to rally and rebuild their formations. When they also struck against the French, along with a renewed attack from the pegasi, the humans quickly broke and fled the battlefield.

Quill lost twenty pegasi, thirty-five earth ponies, and five unicorns. The Mexicans lost about two hundred fifty of their four hundred fifty opening force.

The French lost almost four hundred twenty five of their five hundred men. Granted, a good number of them were killed by the Mexicans, but the Equestrians had certainly left their mark...

“Lieutenant Quill. The Princesses want you back,” said one of the guards, snapping Quill out of his thoughts.

He saluted, then walked back into the Council’s chambers. He then saluted the Princesses.

“At ease, Lieutenant,” ordered Celestia. “Sit down.”

Quill did so.

“You have been charged with unlawful and unauthorized engagement, performing unauthorized military operations, and attacking a neutral nation without cause. It is the finding of the Equestrian Royal Council that you are guilty of all charges.”

Quill felt as if he was falling.

“It is the ruling of this Council that you shall be stripped of rank and title within the Equestrian Military and confined to house arrest for a period of one year, effective immediately.

That concludes your sentence. The guard shall escort you to your home in Canterlot.”

Quill could do nothing but salute sharply and turn towards the door.

“Did we say you were dismissed, soldier?” asked Shining Armor, speaking for the first time.

“Upon the completion of your house arrest, you shall report to the First Corps, where you will take your place-” Celestia grimaced “-as the Captain of the First Corps.”

“...What?”

Celestia sighed. “Your actions were wrong. You broke the law, and you must be punished for it. ...However, your tactics were sound, and Equestria is suffering something of a shortage in the office pool. Perhaps more importantly, the Mexican government is elated at your actions, and we need to show that we support them...You are dismissed, Quill. Report for house arrest.”

Text of the French-Mexican Treaty on Claims

Article I: All hostilities between the French Kingdom and the Republic of México shall cease immediately.

Article II: The Republic of México shall pay a sum of five hundred and fifty thousand pesos to the French Kingdom within five years of this Treaty being signed.

President of México, Antonio López de Santa Anna

Special Minister to México, Jacqui du Vol

Observed by the Equestrian Ambassador to México, Silver Star

Signed April 5, 1839

April 10, 1839
Canterlot, Equestria

“But we won!”

“We got lucky,” corrected Celestia, looking at Chancellor Blueblood. “Again. We have had two engagements with the humans, and we have gotten lucky twice. In both instances, we faced them with numbers on our side, and were able to abuse our power in the skies to our advantage. We will not get lucky again. The humans are many things, but dumb is not one of them. They will learn from their mistakes. I am certain that the Americans have caught wind of our tactics, and are, as we speak, strategising and attempting to figure out how they can defeat them.

“The Battle of México City was our last easy victory,” said Celestia, in a heavy voice. “Quill both did a great service and gave us a terrible curse. On one hoof, his actions have paved the way to friendly relations with México, and possibly all of Latin America. On the other, he has exposed our tactics for the world to see and come up with counters to. It falls to us, the Royal Ministry of the Sciences, and the officers of the Equestrian Military to protect Equestria now that our tactics have been lain to bare in front of the entire world.

“Hubris from the human nations have carried us this far, but remember that we still have not engaged in a formal war with the humans. Everything up until now have been glorified skirmishes, not major engagements.”

Celestia looked around at the other members of the Council, looking gloomy. She did not blame them, as she hammered the point in one last time: “We cannot count on human hubris to save us again. Sitting on this Council is not easy, and sometimes we have to make the tough decisions. Decisions that determine whether Equestria will survive another day, or if the historians will include us simply as a footnote when they write of this time. But we can do it. This is not the first threat Equestria has faced, and it will not be the last. I believe in the power of ponykind. In the power of Harmony. We can do this.

“This meeting is adjourned until tomorrow.”

A Grand Tour, Part I

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A Grand Tour, Part I
The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

April 15, 1839
Fifth Day of Discussions
Canterlot, Equestria

“No, Ambassador...May I remind you, Ambassador, that the Royal Council authorized no such operation? May I also remind you that we recalled the offending Lieutenant immediately after the incident?”

“The French government believes that some tribute is required to offset the costs and damages inflicted by your Lieutenant.”

“Why? Again, the Lieutenant acted without orders and without permission. He has been punished by the Equestrian Royal Council. Plus, for a country of your status and power, the losses inflicted by our misunderstanding were minimal.”

“Actually, no. Your victory undermined talks with México and put us in a position where we could not demand everything we wanted. It is the desire of the French government that you cover the difference.”

“How much?”

“An amount equivalent to twenty thousand Mexican pesos.”

Celestia hesitated, thinking We cannot afford to make enemies of the French. We have to buy peace.

“Fifteen thousand.”

The Ambassador hesitated, considering how badly France needed those five thousand pesos.

Slowly, he dipped his head. “Very well.”

May 3, 1839
Canterlot, Equestria

“We need to reach out more,” said Celestia. “We have diplomatic relations with the Great Powers, but I do not believe that that is enough. I submit that we need to assemble a grand tour; a massive diplomatic expedition.”

“How many diplomats do you think we need?” asked Cadance.

“I think you missunderstood. Of course, we will need to send more diplomats overseas. However, I believe that we, the Royal Council, shall go to other nations ourselves. I think that three of us should tour the different regions of this planet. I would go to Europe, and somepony will go to Latin America and somepony else will go to Asia. Perhaps we could go to Africa, as well. I haven’t heard of major powers on that continent, but you never know…”

Luna hesitated for a moment, thinking things over. “Seems like a great idea, sister,” she said. “I imagine that you believe one of us should stay in Equestria?”

“Yep. And I think that you should stay,” said Celestia. “Not that I distrust your diplomatic powers - I do. But I think that you staying here will allow you to better hear the desires of the ponies of Equestria. It will help heal what remains of the rifts born a thousand years ago.”

Luna noded. “That makes sense, I suppose. Very well.”

“Good!” Celestia beamed. “Now, I think Twilight should go to the Latin American nations.”

“Me? Why me?”

“Twilight, you have grown significantly. Your work with the Royal Ministry of Sciences has been exemplary, and it is time for you to start taking a more active role in Equestria’s international presence. After all, diplomacy is one of your responsibilities.”

“...”

“Twilight, it’s high time you lead a diplomatic mission. Don’t worry, you will have professional diplomats in your retinue, as well. There is no need for concern.”

Turning away from her, Celestia said, “And that leaves you, Cadance, to visit Asia.”

“Any ideas which nations I should visit?”

“Many of the Asian nations are very private. If you are turned away, then don’t press them. But if you can, try to secure treaties of friendship with Japan and China. It appears they are the more powerful states.”

“Yes, Celestia.”

“Alright. We should move out a week.”

July 21, 1839
México City, México

“Hello, President Bustamante,” said Twilight, bowing to the man.

The President did likewise, and said, “Greetings, Princess Twilight. It is always good to hear from our friends up north. People - err, ponies, that you can trust seem to be getting harder to come by nowadays.”

“That they are, that they are,” she replied. “We must always be wary of imperialists.”

The President smiled. “The people of México cannot thank you enough for your actions...the blow you dealt to the French has raised many eyebrows in the Centralist Republic. Many look to the north with more trusting than they used to...there’s even talk of closer cooperation with the Principality of Equestria. Putting aside the obvious political and species differences, our nations share at least one common goal: Defending against the enormous, godless, Anglo nation. We lost Texas because we were too trusting of them...I hope that you have learned from our mistakes?”

“We have, and so has Griffonia. Both of us have closed our borders to Americans. No settlers will manage to wrestle our provinces out of our hooves.”

“Ah, yes, you had your Manetown Incident, I remember that…” The President frowned thoughtfully. “Terrible shame, that was.”

“It was,” Twilight agreed.

“And another reminder, as if we needed another, that the Americans are not to be trusted.” The President hesitated, apparently thinking something over. After a moment, he said, “If the Republic would offer a treaty to Equestria, would you be interested?”

Excitement gripped Twilight. “It would have to be ratified by the rest of the Royal Council, but we would be ecstatic. The other Princesses have referred to México as ‘our natural ally.’” This was bending with the truth, just a bit. Twilight knew that the Princesses have never said that, but their overall stance towards México had led her to think that they believed just that.

“Well, maybe we could come to an agreement, then…”

July 25, 1839
Canterlot, Equestria

“Why, King Odrynn,” said Princess Luna. “It is an honor, of course, but to what do I owe this unexpected visit?”

“We need to talk,” replied Odrynn. “I...may not have been completely honest with you and your fellow royals in the past.”

Luna stopped shuffling through a stack of paperwork, and looked up at Odrynn. “I’m listening…”

The King hesitated for a moment, then said, “We have had contact...with the humans...before. Contact that you were not told about.”

“Well...can you enlighten me about it now?”

Odrynn sighed. “Well, were you aware that the Kingdom is a union between two distinct cultures?”

“Yes, I have heard of this. The Kingdom was born from two groups of griffons, the Mountain Griffons and the Plains Griffons.”

“Yep. Though, saying the Kingdom was ‘born’ is a bit of a euphemism. Rather, the two culture groups formed their own nations after the fall of Discord. The Mountain Griffons quickly decided that they didn’t like having a rival to contend with along with the newly-restablished Principality of Equestria, and quickly and brutally conquered the Plains Griffons. The Plains Griffons had and still have only a fraction of the population of the Mountains, and were still fighting over leadership. They fell easily.”

“I suppose that these cultural differences still plague the Kingdom?”

“Absolutely. The cultural rift within the Kingdom is very evident to this day. For the most part, you have only seen Mountain Griffons. They live in the Western Regions, controlling the vast majority of the government. For instance, there is only one Plains noble. The Eastern Territories are where most Plains Griffons live...with one major exception.”

Luna raised an eyebrow.

“The exception, the one Plains noble, is me. I was born in what is now the American territory of Bozeman. My father was the last King’s brother, and my mother was his second concubine, who stayed in Bozeman and raised me among her fellow griffons. The last King had no heirs, and both his brother and all his other sons were dead by the time my uncle past. My heritage was undeniable, and the nobles had to accept my ascension. But I’ve had to constantly look over my shoulder, as they still didn’t really like the fact that a filthy Plainser took over the reigns of government. That is one of the main reasons that they rebelled against my first attempts to reform and westernize. Honestly, they probably would have tried to dispose of me sooner or later anyways. To this day, the Plains and Mountain Griffons still don’t trust each other…some thought that my reign would be a symbol of unity and help bridge the gap between the cultures...well, they were wrong.

“Anyways, the point: The Plainsers have encountered and fought some human tribes several times, throughout the history of Griffonia. They keep it secret from the Mountaineers, and eventually the human tribes learned to stay away from the ‘lion-eagles.’

“And that is how I knew of the humans before. The humans never attacked or raided in my lifetime, but the story has been passed down to me.”

August 1, 1839
Canterlot, Equestria

“Attention!”

All four ponies in front of Princess Luna snapped to attention, saluting sharply.

“Thank you, Guardpony. That will be all.”

The Royal Guard bowed deeply, then retreated to outside the room.

Luna sighed. After a moment, she looked the four ponies facing her in the eye and said, “Captain Spitfire, First Lieutenant Soarin, Captain Frost Bite, First Lieutenant Rainbow Dash. I have called you ponies here because I have decided to found a special force, and you four represent the finest fliers that Equestria has to offer. What I am proposing is a military organization, like Wonderbolts, but much more militarized. Your missions would include special operations behind a hypothetical enemy’s lines, storming enemy warships and capturing them, disrupting an enemy’s supply lines, other covert operations, and raids on enemy encampments and settlements, among whatever else the Council sees fit.

“This special unit would exist under the direct command of the Royal Council, independent of any other military organization. Spitfire, you would be promoted to the rank of Colonel, and the lot of them would be placed under your command.”

“Ma’am, wouldn’t that make me the highest ranked member of the Equestrian Military?”

“Well...technically. Don’t worry, though. When the Royal Council reassembles, we will be reorganizing the entire command structure. Honestly, we didn’t expect the military to grow as fast as it has, and our outdated command structure reflects it. And either way, you and your unit will exist outside of the command structure, like I said, and will receive your orders from the Council directly.

“Now, a sizable percentage of the Ponyville Air Cavalry will probably be taken into this special unit, along with the entire membership of the Wonderbolts and large amounts of pegasi from the southern, pegasi-dominated regions. Captain Frost Bite, Lieutenant Rainbow Dash, you two shall be responsible for overseeing the transfer of skilled ponies from your herd. I only want the best here. Don’t feel compelled to fill any slots with ponies that you do not have complete confidence in. Leave them in the Cavalry. You can add them later, if you feel that they have gotten better.”

“Yes ma’am!”

July 9, 1839
Lāhainā, Kingdom of Hawai’i

Princess Cadance disembarked from the ERV Equestria, impressed by the beautiful scenery. After a moment of quietly admiring, she focused her attention on the man before her.

“Ali’i Nui Kamehameha,” she said - a little less smoothly than Celestia had two years before - “it is an honor to visit your fine nation. The beauty of your capital is breathtaking.”

“Thank you. We are quite proud of it,” replied the King. “We received word that you would be arriving, but I am afraid I do not recognize you…”

“Of course. My name is Princess Cadance. I am a member of the Equestrian Royal Council, and am here as a representative of the Council.”

“Thank you. You obviously know who I am, but as a formality: I am Kamehameha, High Chief of Hawai’i.”

“I am most pleased to meet you,” replied Cadance. After a moment, she said, “If I may be so bold...I am struck by the similarities between our nations. Your Majesty rules over a nation of native people to these islands, from before the Europeans arrived. Your people, in the face of impossible odds, embraced the Europeans’ ways, and used their tools to forge your own nation.”

“Your Serene Majesty appears to be correct. Much like us, the Principality of Equestria managed to adopt European tools and weapons and use them for their own use. I only wish that we managed to hold onto our old traditions as well as Equestria has…” he trailed off, almost whispering the last sentence.

“It’s never too late,” replied Cadance. “I imagine that many of your own people are still following them.”

“Perhaps,” replied the King, his thoughts already a mile away, scheming. He snapped back to present and said, “But that’s enough idle speculation for one day. Where are my manners? Please, join me for supper. We clearly have a lot to discuss.”

Same time
Several miles off the coast of Hawai’i, Pacific Ocean

“Captain! I have a position update for you!”

Excellent. “Very good. I’ll be with you in a moment,” replied Captain Laplace.

Interlude: The Lapance Affair

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Interlude: The Laplace Affair

The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

July 10, 1839
Lāhainā, Kingdom of Hawai’i

Captain Laplace, a Frenchman born at sea, ordered his ship forward. The Artémise sailed into the port, to an audience of several Hawaiian officials, including the King. Laplace also noticed one of the Equestrians, a pink Alicorn, standing by the King.

Just what we need. To deal with them...

Same time
Same place

Princess Cadance watched the ship, bearing the French tricolor. She felt a lead bar drop into her stomach, and her mind quickly went into overdrive.

Okay, so this was unexpected. What do the French want? Clearly the King does not expect them…

Her thoughts were cut short, however, when the ship finished docking.

“I know that you have had...issues with the French,” said Kamehameha. “Hawai’i, however, has no real problems with the nation. I would like to see this through with minimum shouting, if it can be at all avoided.”

“Of course, Ali’i Nui,” replied Cadance. “However, if the French think they can kick around either Equestria or Hawai’i, they are very much mistaken.”

“Naturally.”

Both of them fell silent, as the captain of the vessel approached the two.

“I need to speak to you, Kamehameha,” said the man, ignoring the Princess completely, and dropping the King’s title.

Kamehameha raised an eyebrow, but smiled. “Of course. We can meet-”

“We need to meet in private,” cut in the captain.

This time, Kamehameha bristled. “No. If you wish to meet with me, I will invite anyone I see is necessary.”

The captain mulled for a moment, then said, “Very well.”

“Alright, then. We will meet, and I will be inviting Princess Cadance from the Principality of Equestria.”

“I will make this simple,” said Captain Lapance. “The detention and persecution of French Roman Catholics - or indeed, all Roman Catholics - is absolutely unacceptable.”

Kamehameha sighed to himself.

“Ali’i Nui, what is he talking about?” asked Cadance, confused.

“I am talking about,” said the Captain, before the King could answer, “the arrest, detention, torture, and forceful deportation of Roman Catholics by this Kingdom. I have come to demand that Roman Catholics be granted the same rights as their Protestant counterparts, and that the Kingdom compensate them for damages.”

“That’s not true, is it?” asked Cadance, looking at the King sideways. “At least, I hope it isn’t…”

“...it is,” said the King. “After the death of Kamehameha the Great, the Queen-Regent Ka’ahamanu bought into the Protestant faith and the missionaries had her make the Roman Catholic faith illegal. There was some...unpleasantness.”

“Quite an interesting way of putting that. As I said, Catholic individuals have faced all sorts of unspeakable atrocities at the hands of the Hawaiian government.”

“All these atrocities - and I fully acknowledge that they are atrocities - occurred at the hands of my predecessors. I -”

“Save it. If that was true, then you have had fourteen years since your ascension to legalize Catholicism, issue an apology, or do something - anything! - to make this right. You have done no such thing!”

The captain drew himself up to his full height. “That brings me to my purpose here. I am here to demand, on behalf of the King of France, that the Kingdom of Hawai’i legalize Catholicism, release all detained or arrested French Catholics, and pay reparations to mitigate the damages done. I am authorized by the French Crown to use all force I deem necessary to enforce these demands.”

Cadance was stunned at hearing all of this. After a moment of gathering her thoughts, she said, “The Principality of Equestria, while disapproving of the use of force to achieve the goals listed, otherwise agree in principle with the demands. Agreeing to said demands will undoubtedly earn the goodwill of the Council, and the Principality may even extend a small loan, should the Kingdom request it.”

“No. We committed the crimes, we should bear the punishment,” replied the King. “I haven’t spent that much time with you ponies, but your principles seem to be wise…”

Turning to face the captain, the King said, “Very well. I accept your demands. I shall have an edict drafted and ready to announce within two days from now.”

“...I am glad that you saw reason so easily,” said the captain, sounding slightly surprised. “Of course, I shall stay until the declaration of the edict.”

“Naturally.”

A Grand Tour, Part II

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A Grand Tour, Part II

The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

August 30, 1839
México City, México

The pink and white banner of Equestria fluttered in the breeze as Princess Twilight lead a procession of ponies down the streets of México City. The negotiations had been long, drawn out, and on more than one occasion, hurt more than pulling teeth, but after several public meetings, debates, votes, private meetings, and personal assurances, she finally had what she had come for - an agreement.

“Presenting: The Treaty of Friendship and Mutual Defense,” proclaimed President Bustamante, gesturing to an ornate table laid out, separating him from the pony princess. After waiting for Twilight to ascend to his level - as he was up a small flight of stairs - the President and Princess executed a well-rehearsed hand/hoof shake.

Still a little awkward, Twilight thought, desperately hoping her smile was not a grimace.

Bustamante sat on a plain, slightly plush red chair. Twilight sat down across him on a similarly simple, but plush red cushion. She never really liked chairs to begin with.

She looked down on the table. In front of her laid two copies of the Treaty.

The Treaty of Friendship and Harmony

Spanish Name: Tratado de Amistad y Defensa Mutua

The Government of the Centralist Republic of México and the Royal Council of the Principality of Equestria, knowledgeable of potential threats presented to them, and with an eye to the past history of cooperation between the Governments and injustices shared, have come to together to create this firm Treaty of Friendship.

Article I: It is hereby announced to the world that the two governments enter a firm agreement of friendship and understanding.

Article II: The Centralist Republic of México and the Principality of Equestria hereby agree to come to each other’s defense upon the call of the leadership of one of the nations.

Article III: Both governments pledge to never enable an act of aggression on the other, and further pledge to share all intelligence they acquire that pertains to the defense of the other.

Article IV: This Treaty shall, after being signed by the representatives of both nations, shall be sent to both governments for ratification. This shall occur within two years of the initial signing.

Twilight smiled again as she reached out with her magic and grabbed hold of a quill laying next to the Equestrian copy of the Treaty. After she dipped it in the ink, she signed it with as much flourish as she could muster.

Looking up, she saw the President finish signing the Spanish copy of the Treaty. The two then swapped their copies.

Spanish… was all Twilight was able to think as she looked over the paper in front of her. Despite having been in México City for over a month and a half, she had picked up only a couple words. Mostly pleasantries. Unfortunately, the tense negotiations had occupied most of her focus, though she did think it may help to learn it...

Identifying the place she had to sign, Twilight dipped her quill back into the ink, and signed again.

Looking up, she saw the President had already finished. They traded copies of the Treaty again, and Twilight slowly folded her Equestrian copy into near perfect thirds, then put it into an envelope that had a light pink and midnight blue ribbon on the left hoof side. The envelope had, in lieu of an address, a message written on it:

Deliver to The Royal Council

Official State Business

Opening this message without authorization is a crime under Equestrian law.

She sealed the envelope with a small wax State Seal. The new design, introduced during Equestria’s westernization, consisted of a simple image of a sun that had a crescent moon eclipsing the right part of the sun. It was the same as the device on the pink and white Equestrian flag.

“Your Excellency, I will present this Treaty to the Royal Council at my earliest opportunity,” Twilight said.

“Thank you, Your Serene Majesty.”

September 1, 1839
Canterlot, Equestria

Now, every Princess of Equestria had a personal office. This office often said a lot about the Princess that resided in it. Princess Celestia’s office, for example, had a window that offered a great view of the dawn sun. Sometimes, she would simply stop whatever she was doing just to watch the rising sun. Not often, but occasionally.

Contrast with Princess Twilight. Twilight’s office also had a window - not that anypony walking into the office would know that. Now, her office window offered a majestic view of Canterlot - especially in the evening, when the sun turned the white marble into beautiful shades red. However...Twilight, always the single-minded scholar, had placed a simply massive dark brown colored bookshelf in front of it. When the other Princesses saw that, they rolled their eyes and thought, Well, that’s Twilight for you. What can you do?

As for Princess Luna’s office, well, it fit quite well for her. There were no wall windows in her office. Instead, she had what one may have called a moonroof, perfect for enjoying the night tapestry.

Aside from window, the Princess had opted for a darker color scheme, as one may have expected. Navy and dark blues were dominate, though there were hints of bright pink every here and there. The furniture, most notably a large, solid oak desk, was also dark, almost black.

Sometimes it is way too hard to see in here, thought the Princess in question.

She lit another candle on her desk with her magic, bringing the count to five. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she squinted at the paper in front of her.

3 A.M? I remember when I was completely nocturnal...but how things have changed…

Now no Princess is nocturnal, because they hardly ever slept!

The paper in question was a finalized list of ponies being brought in the new Equestrian Special Air Operations Division, along with a budget estimate.

Seven hundred thousand bits, huh? thought Luna, holding her head in her hooves. More money requests…

After a second of thought, she stamped the page with the State Seal. Unlike the seal that Twilight had used, Luna’s version was an ink seal, and at least two times larger. Twilight’s was designed to seal envelopes, Luna’s was designed to indicate government approval.

Moving to the next document, Luna saw an update to the status of the Equestrian Navy. Back in 1836, the Council had ordered the construction of four ships in the style of the ERV Equestria - a style that had come to be known as Harmony-class cruisers.

Equestria had ditched the name of “man-o-war,” as it was too...aggressive for them.

Not that there was any actual difference between the world’s man-o-wars and Equestria’s cruisers.

Good to see that the last three cruisers finished, thought Luna. Celestia had one, the ERV Friendship rushed so she could take it to Europe. Can’t have a Princess in a transport ship!

But we can’t just have cruisers. They’re powerful, but slow and need cover against faster craft.
Equestria had already built a couple smaller ships, with lower water displacement and higher speeds. They referred to them as “escorts.”

We’ll need to cover the cruisers with more escorts to protect them and screen out fast opponents.

Luna tapped her snout, thinking more: I can’t just order the shipyards to start building, that requires approval of the Council. However, I can order the government to start stockpiling of the relevant resources. Even if the Royal Council does not see my way, there is nearly unlimited uses for wood, rope, tar, and the other materials. We can use them for something else, if it comes to that. And if they adopt my idea, it will save us a lot of time if we already have the materials on hoof.
Nodding to herself, Luna pulled out a General Material Acquisition Order, along with a Budget Authorization Form, from a drawer in her desk and started filling it out.

Lots of paperwork…
The burden of leadership never ends, she snickered to herself.

Suddenly, a flame appeared just off to her left.

She blinked a couple times, her eyes burning for a second as they tried to adjust to the abrupt change in the light.

Dragon-fire message.

Reaching out with her magic, she grabbed hold of the scroll that had appeared.

Breaking the seal, she unrolled it and read the brief message:

Your Serene Majesty,

We need you in the Township of Salt Lick City, on the American border, as soon as possible.

Provincial Magistrate of Salt Lick City

“Guard!” she called.

The door opened, as the Guardpony assigned to her for the night entered the room.

“Your Serene Majesty? How may I help you?”

“I’m heading to Salt Lick City. Since the other Princesses aren’t here, I need you to scramble the Pegasi escort. I want them ready to go in half an hour.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” replied the Guard, snapping a salute.

“Very well then, thank you,” said Luna, putting away the form for now and standing up.

A Grand Tour, Part III and Unexpected Guests

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A Grand Tour, Part III and Unexpected Guests

The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

May 21, 1839
Somewhere near Fort Gibson, Oklahoma

“They’re gone. Those damn soldiers are gone!”

“Thank the spirits…”

“Don’t get too excited,” admonished Hasse Ola a tall, twenty two year old man. He had abandoned his American name after the Tragedy had begun. “I am sure that they are watching us. Take one step back to them, and the cannons will start to sing…”

A couple children and women in earshoot flinched as that statement.

“What now?” wondered an old woman in their troop.

“Now we rebuild,” said Tchikilli, the oldest member and de-facto leader of their Creek troop. He had done something similar.

“And then what? Wait for them to come back and take this from us too??” shot back Hasse Ola. “And look at this land. Do you think there are any good hunting grounds here? Or any good foraging? Or farming? This land is terrible.”

“I share your anger, young one. However, we must make the best of our situation.”

“No, I am not content to continue with this. We make agreement after agreement with the white men, and they do nothing to uphold their end of our treaties. We have no guarantee that they will not be back except their word. And we all know how much those words are worth.”

“Well, what do you suggest? Go to the Mexicans? I doubt that they will be much better…”

Hasse Ola looked behind him. Behind him was almost two thousand men, women and children. They had already lost several hundred people in the march here.

What I am about to suggest...will cost more, he thought. This is very risky...and we don’t even know if they would sympathise…

“I think we should make for Equestria,” he finally said, after a moment of hesitation.

“Equestria? They banned immigration of humans…” replied Tchikilli. “I doubt that they will allow us entry.”

“What do we have to lose now?” Hasse Ola shot back. “If they turn us back, we will be in the same situation we are now. And maybe we could find some good land out there. But if they agree...then we get protection, and the ability to retain our way of life. It will be a hard voyage, but maybe we can succeed.”

July 17,1839
Lāhainā, Kingdom of Hawai’i

Text of the Edict of Toleration

Whereas, past rules of the Kingdom of Hawai’i have engaged in deplorable acts against the peoples of the Roman Catholic faith, and
Whereas, these injustices are too much to allow to continue;
Be it therefore proclaimed by the Kingdom of Hawai’i:
That, Catholic worship be declared free, throughout all the dominions subject to the kingdom,
That, members of this religious faith shall enjoy in them the privileges granted to Protestants,
That, the Kingdom shall pay a sum equivalent to Ten Thousand United States Dollars, and
That, the Kingdom formally apologizes to all for the terrible injustices perpetrated by the Kingdom.

“Is this satisfactory to you, Captain?” asked Kamehameha.

The human scrutinized the document for a couple minutes, then slowly nodded. “Yes, I believe so. Insure that your government follows it, and there will be no further issues between our nations. If you issue it today, then I shall leave by the twentieth of July. Now, if you do not mind, I shall take my leave.”

“Thank you, Captain.”

The French captain gave a curt bow, then left.

Kamehameha let out a long breath. “Princess?”

“Yes, Ali’i Nui?”

“Thank you for your help. My government and I appreciate the support the Principality has extended to us. We shall never forget it.”

“Of course, Ali’i Nui. My government seeks the cooperation and harmony of all peoples, and we are happy to help achieve that goal.”

“Please send my regards and hope for closer relations to your Royal Council.”

“I shall. If you do not mind, then, I shall depart the day after Captain Lapance does.”

“Good luck in your trip to Japan, Your Serene Majesty.”

September 1, 1839
On the American-Equestrian Border, Salt Lick City, Equestria

As the Sun peeked over the horizon, Princess Luna and her royal retinue descended towards the Royal Province of Salt Lick City. What she saw, she did not quite believe.

“Am I crazy, or is there a large contingent of humans on this end of the border?” she wondered out loud.

“Your Serene Majesty is not crazy,” observed the leader of her retinue. “There is indeed a group of humans here, members of the group that are considered Native Americans. Maybe a thousand five hundred, maybe a little less. Shall I send for the army?”

“Nay. I see a lot of women and children. I do not believe this is an army...but do call for the regional garrison. And...order them to bring food and water. They look worse for wear...”

“Aye, Your Majesty!”

Here goes nothing…

As the Alicorn touched down, her twenty pegasi guards landed in front of her, rifles and spears ready.

"Calm down," she ordered. She stepped forward, spreading her wings in the way Celestia often did when she needed to present regal authority.

Actively resisting the Royal Canterlot Voice, she said "I am Luna, Princess of Equestria. What is going on here? "

The ponies, including the Royal Magistrates of the Township of Salt Lick City and Region of Valmansas, all bowed. Luna was very surprised to see that the humans also got down on one or both knees.

"Please, rise," Luna ordered. Addressing the humans, she asked, "Are you aware that Equestria has prohibited all human immigration? What are you doing here?"

"Yes, Great Darkness Mother," replied one of the Native Americans, reverting to a more Native style of speaking to authorities. "I understand that there is no love lost between you and and the white men. However, we have come to you, Great Darkness Mother, because we are desperate. We have been removed from our homes, and forced to march thousands of miles across the continent under the watchful eyes of the white soldiers. We are worried that if we stay in the place they picked out for us, they will return and move us again.

"O Great Darkness Mother, we have walked long and far. Mother, left our homes with over two thousand five hundred men, women, and children. Now, we number less than one thousand five hundred. Mother, we have come to beg you for land, and protection. We have learned that the white man will not honor the promises they give us.

"O Great Darkness Mother, we have little money or things of value to buy land with, and no material possessions to speak of. All we have is what we carry, everything else has been lost to the white man. However, we offer to you our hands, our minds, and our hearts. Grant us farmland, and we shall work it with all our ability to provide a vast abundance. We shall work beside you in the factories and universities. And if the horns of war sound and your people pick up arms, we will march beside you to victory.”

At this point, the human, along with the rest of his party, fell back to their knees. “O Great Mother of Darkness, please. We ask you to accept our service, and permit us to take up refugee within your nation.”

Princess Luna stood, dumbstruck, for several moments after the man had concluded his speech. After a pregnant pause, she asked, “Young man, what is your name?”

“I had a white name, but I have forsaken it. I am now called Hasse Ola by my people.”

“Mister Ola, I am sorry to say that I cannot answer your plea at this time. The Principality officially barred immigration from any human nation back in 1832.”

The natives lowered their heads, sorrowfully.

“However...while the act prohibited humans from settling in Equestria, there is no mention of Equestria providing protection to groups like you. While I would love to speak to the other Princesses about this flaw, they are not present in Equestria right now, so...okay. I have an idea.

“I shall provisionally extend you a temporary offer of protection for now. Such an action is a not-terribly-unreasonable interpretation of my power to administer the laws of the nation. Since there is a pressing risk of harm to you if I refuse, then I am permitted to take action to mitigate the harm.”

The humans looked up, surprised and hopeful.

“For this accommodation to work, however, I need to set a few conditions. Firstly, since the Human Immigration Act is still in effect, I will need to limit the area that you can live in, pending a final decision of the full Royal Council. You will be expected to contribute to the province that you settle in, including farming and working in the province. Any act of crime by your community, no matter how small, will put your status in this country into serious question, and could result in the lot of you being deported. Additionally, while I have granted you this waiver from the law, the full Royal Council may overturn my decision, in which case you will be expected to leave. Do you understand these terms as I have outlined?”

“Yes, O Great Mother. We accept your gracious offer, and we pray that the rest of your Council finds favorably for us.”

“Obey the law, be productive, and I am certain they will. Now, I will be settling you in the Province of Fort McIntosh. The Province has a very small pony population, less than a thousand. This will hopefully minimize any conflicts with ponies, as our history with humans has been...less than optimal. The regional garrison is coming with food and water, and then you will be sent to the Province and allocated some of the government-controlled land. You will be permitted to allocate the land however you wish, but we expect there to be no violence or disharmony. There is an extensive irrigation system in Fort McIntosh, and we have a number of fertilizers for you to use. You shall be sent supplies and equipment. In the next month or two, expect a representative of the national government to issue you identification papers. Since you are humans and we have never accepted so many humans into our lands, you will have to have identification papers with you after issuing. I apologize for that, but it is necessary in order to protect Equestria.”

“Thank you, O Great Mother. We shall await the arrival of the garrison.”

March 29, 1840
London, United Kingdom

After having entered the palace of Westminster, Celestia found herself ushered into a private room. This room was of medium size, and had a wooden table with two ornate chairs. One the table was a tea pitcher and two cups. Standing near the door was a younger woman. Celestia recognized her almost immediately.

"Your Majesty, Queen Victoria," she said, politely nodding. "It is an honor to see you again."

"No, the honor is mine, Your Serene Majesty," replied Victoria, giving a small bow. "I apologize for rushing you into this room. The Prime Minister is in the Palace right now, but I wanted to see you before he spoke to you."

"I see."

"Come, sit," said Victoria, beckoning her to a chair. After a second, she realized the problem. "Oh...I'm sorry. My mistake...I should have realized…"

Celestia gave a small smile. "It is fine, Your Majesty. I understand, it is an adjustment. I do not mind."

Victoria was visibly relieved, as a smile broke on her face. "I'll have someone bring a cushion for you to sit on. Just a moment, please."

With that, she strolled over to and opened the door, and spoke to an attendant outside: "Please fetch a cushion for Princess Celestia to sit on. Quickly, please!"

After about a minute and a half, a cushion was found and placed in front of the tea table, and the chair was removed.

"Again, I am sorry for the confusion."

"It is quite alright," replied Celestia. "May I?" she asked, gesturing to the waiting tea.

"Of course, please do," replied the Queen.

She did, using her magic to reach out and grab the cup and saucer. As she took a small sip, she noticed that the Queen had not yet drank any of her tea. Instead, she was watching Celestia's tea very intently.

"Is this the first time that you have seen pony magic?"

"It is," the Queen replied. "Fascinating…"

"It makes life easier when you have hooves," chuckled Celestia.

"I suppose it would," said Victoria. "Can I ask you some questions?"

Celestia gave a rueful smile. "Go ahead."

After over a half hour of questions that Celestia patiently answered about Equestria and her ponies, Victoria finally let up.

"I am sorry for showing you with questions like that."

"Do not worry about that. We ponies are used to it by now," remarked Celestia, with a small grimace.

Victoria gave a small laugh and smiled. "Now, to why I wanted to speak to you in the first place. As I am sure you would have figured out by now, I think that Equestria is a fascinating place. I am interested in establishing some sort of English-Equestrian cultural exchange."

"That is interesting," mused Celestia. "What do you have in mind?"

"If you would indulge another question, do you have a prestigious college in your nation?"

"Back in 1832, we established the National College of Harmony in Ponyville. It's pretty well respected. In addition, the much older University of Canterlot is also a highly regarded school, as well as the new Universities of Stalliongrad and Cloudsdale."

"While I cannot give direct orders to the colleges, I do have some influence over the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford. I will see if I can speak to the leadership and propose this idea to them."

"I will do the same in Equestria." Celestia shifted in her seat, then carefully weighed something in her mind. After a moment of some silence, the Princess asked "Your Majesty-"

"Please, enough of that. Call me Alexandria."

"Very well, please call me Celestia. I only have one name, so please use it."

"Only one?"

"It's a curious story, but that's for another time. Anyways, I have a request for you and your government. Two requests, in fact."

"I can make no promises for the government, I would need to consult with the Prime Minister. But please, make your requests."

"Firstly, I wish to speak favorably on behalf of the Kingdom of Griffonia. King Odynn can be difficult to work with, and the griffins can be hard to reason with, but they can be pragmatic and reasonable. While they are proud and sometimes arrogant, I have always found them to be fair in their dealings."

"I understand, and will pass your words onto the Prime Minister."

"Additionally, I have a concern about the British territory of Colombia. I would like to request permission for Equestria to station a military outpost in Colombia, somewhere in the north. We would be happy to pay for it and allow British officers to stay with us.."

Victoria was silent for a long moment. "Why do you want to have this outpost?"

"There is an old legend in Equestria about the north....I'm sorry, I can't go into too much detail."

"Well, I'm not sure if we can do anything without any more details. I will call in the Prime Minister, however, and I will see what he thinks. Ultimately, it will be his decision and the decision of his ministers."