The Textbook

View Online

They say everybody hates Mondays. After a couple of days and a Friday night off, you struggle to return to the rat race. This Monday is a ridiculously hot day, with the heat only adding to the stress of getting back to work.

I am one of the rare individuals looking forward to this specific Monday, looking forward to get back to teaching science to disinterested, sleep-deprived kids. After a very hectic and life-changing week, I was happy to get back to some semblance of normality.

Which is why it was frustrating to learn I would be given a police escort to work.

"Mr. Klein," Roger said in the same polite tone that wore at my nerves, the lens flare from his sunglasses striking my eyes. "Are you ready to leave." Unlike me, he didn't seem bothered by the heat, despite wearing a thick suit. I wore a short-sleeved dress shirt and I felt like I was broiling.

"Yes," I said with restrained frustration to the suited giant. I went to pick up by briefcase, but he grabbed it before I could get it. I wanted to bellow "I can get my own bag", thinking he was doing it to annoy me. However, arguing with a man whose job is to protect the President is incredibly unwise. So, I held my tongue.

He then held the door open to the Police SUV that would take me to the school. In the passenger and front seat were two cops giving me looks of concern.

"Can't I take my car, and you follow me," I asked again. Roger looked at me like I was an petulant child.

"Orders sir," he said. He would always say that whenever he did anything that would interfere with my routine. Mary came out the door, dressed in her gym clothes and carrying her gym bag, her long brunette hair in a ponytail, ready to join me.

"Mrs. Klein," Roger said. "For security purposes, you and your daughters are going to receive a separate escort to work and school."

"Excuse me," she said in an offended tone. "I can break any bastard who tries anything." I knew that to be true. Mary was a personal trainer at a local gym. Some idiot tried to grab her butt at the supermarket. The man was on the ground, begging for mercy in 30 seconds.

"Orders," he repeated. She sighed, not-to-happily accepting it. We gave each other hugs and kisses, and I got into the car beside Roger. As we drove to the elementary school, Roger sat still with an odd stare, as if expecting a threat to come out of nowhere, his hand near the pistol he kept. I noticed my neighbors giving me odd looks as we drove by.

One more burning reminder that my life would never be the same.

Roger Keyes was real-life Secret Service agent. A man who was trained to take bullets for the President of the United States. He looked like James Bond if he were a bouncer: sunglasses, suit, shaved forehead, a bulk that was 2 meters tall.

(Yeah, I use the metric system. I'm a science teacher. Sue me.)

I shouldn't really be complaining. Roger was a pretty good guy. I mean, when I first saw him at my door, I expected him use a neuralyzer. You know, that light thing from Men In Black, and make me forget having saw Twilight.

Initially, I wasn't pleased to learn that he would spend his days guarding my house, but he spent the weekend acting like an uncle to Rachel and Rebecca, partaking in their tea parties, games of make-believe with stuffed animals, and playing catch with them. He also helped Mary and I in the garden, and even happily answered questions Twilight had about the American system of government.

At dinner, gushed about his wife and two kids, showing Mary and I the pictures of them in his wallet.

I didn't hate Roger per se. Deep down, I knew he was just doing his job. I hated what he represented: my quiet life being over. Now I was a an international celebrity, and would expect to be guarded 24/7.

We pulled up to the elementary school I taught at. It was a typical "form follows function" style built in the 1960s, with the structure made up of bricks with glass windows. The parking lot was full of students, yellow school buses, and cars driven by parents dropping off their young children. I also saw members of the press, cameras in their hands and eager expressions on their faces.

As soon as my police escort pulled in, some students and reporters started crowding around it, with some parents holding their kids back from recklessly running into a moving car. As soon as I stepped out, with Roger at my side, everybody in the parking lot started giving me odd stares. The girls in the crowd looked at me with awestruck eyes.

"Three, two, one," I muttered.

"Mr. Klein," the girls shouted, running toward me. All of them were asking me questions about "the pony", if they could meet "the pony", if we could pet "the pony." The reporters were no better, asking me questions that I wasn't allowed to answer.

Thankfully, Roger was there keeping them back. When a nosy reporter came up to me, he flashed his Secret Service badge and a subtle snarl, which was like "reporter repellent", as it scared the paparazzi away. When an excited little girl came up, Roger put on a warm smile. "Sweet-heart," he said gently and firmly to some girls. "Please back away."

Now I understood why Roger had been chosen. He was the only man in the Secret Service brave enough to deal with the most hazardous force on Earth: overzealous little girls. As a teacher and a father, I am professionally trained to beat them back with a stick.

(I'm just kidding, maybe).

"Young lady please," said the other officer in a kind tone. Roger and the two other cops kept back the mob of excited girls, gently pushing them away with stern but kind tones. Their parents began holding their children back, and warning them about disobeying a police officer. Once I was inside, Roger and I walked toward the only safe place in the school away from those little monsters: the teachers' lounge.

When I was a kid, I always imagined that the teacher's lounge was like an ultra-exclusive VIP waiting room, with delicious food and fancy entertainment. Largely because kids were banned from the teachers' lounge. Kids always will romanticize the places adults won't let them into.

As I've discovered, the average teachers' lounge consists of a few tables, some old chairs, a mini-fridge, vending machines, a used microwave, shoddy carpeting, and a broken pinball machine that will never be thrown out , fixed, or replaced no matter what.

(Yes, there have been statistical analyses of this done. I'm a teacher, trust me, you don't have to look it up!)

The real joy of a teachers' lounge is to have a place to escape the stress of dealing with almost 20 children on an hourly basis. But even here today, I wouldn't have any peace. All of my co-workers were giving me odd, mocking smiles.

"Hey if it isn't Pony Guy," bellowed a woman with facetious cheer. "How've you been, Pony Guy. Want a carrot?" The other teachers were giving me mocking smiles, as if trying to hold back laughter.

"Hello Pauleen," I said with gritted teeth. Pauleen Anderson was the blond-haired gym teacher in her late 40s, wearing grey and black sweat clothes. She was a woman of great height and weight (possibly from her Scandinavian origins) , who didn't take BS from students not wanting to exercise. She so excitable and strong, she would probably run a 50 mile marathon with one leg. She was my closest friend at the school. We snarked at each other, and went for beers after school was out.

To me, Pauleen was the tough older sister you both loved and loved to strangle.

(I'm just joking. Almost).

"Hello, Agent 007," she said to Roger, who let out a sly grin. "How's the search for the Hope Diamond going?"

"Ha Ha," he bespectacled man said with a mocking laughter. "You must write comedy, you're so creative. Ten years old call me at 'Bring Your Dad to Work Day'." He lifted up his sunglasses, giving Pauleen a sly look. "You must be Rosie O'Donnell's stunt double."

"I love this man," Pauleen said enthusiastically. She patted me on the shoulder with a warm grin, asking "How was life with the rich and famous". Oddly enough, Roger didn't react to that, recognizing that the gesture was friendly.

Though a small part of me was wished he had broken Pauleen's arm.

(That was a joke. Though it would be nice. Maybe just her fingers. A pinky would suffice.)

"Jake," said Homer Ridges in a dusty voice. He was the school's custodian, a 78 year old pensioner who supplemented his income mopping floors. He was a quiet, solitary man.

"Yes," I replied.

"You got lots of mail," he said, pointing to the mail slots that were also in the lounge. I saw mine was jammed full of letters. Just before I could go check my mail, Roger immediately moved toward the mail.

"Nobody move," he bellowed. Everyone backed away from him. The word of the Secret Service is to be disobeyed at one's own risk. He put on rubber gloves, and started sifting through the mail. He had done this at home too.

"Roger," I asked in a tone of forced politeness. "Is this necessary?"

"Mr. Klein," he said patiently. "You are now one of the most influential people in the world. Bombs and biological warfare are sent through the mail all the time. Some malcontent could send something to you." Some of the other teachers started backing up further.

"Are you going to ask my mail to remove its shoes," I said sarcastically. "Or confiscate its toothpaste? Apparently, our government sees toothpaste as more dangerous to bring on a plane then guns."

"Your safety is paramount," he replied to me, not refusing to cease inspection. Those words again filled me with frustration.

"So who's been writing to ya," Pauleen asked excitedly. She ran over to the letters before I did, much to my frustration.

"Look at this," she said happily. "You've been getting letters from the President of France." Everyone actually stared at Pauleen with interest, ignoring my greeted teeth. She looked at another. "I bet you'll get a letter from the Queen, asking for tea and-," I ran up to her, and snatched the letter from her with a snarl. Yeah she's tough, but frustrated anger has the ability to overcome muscle-bound stupidity.

"Get out my damn mail," I yelled.

"What's your problem," she said, genuinely shocked. Others were confused at my outburst, while Roger just continued to sort out the mail. I took a seat next to Harry Dean, another fellow science teacher, who looked at me with concern.

"Yeah Jake," Harry said. He was a balding, African-American man with black hair. He was somewhat overweight, his bulk somewhat straining his grey suit. "Most people are lucky to get mail from world leaders. Most mail is just bills and junk mail." I let out a sigh, letting my patient mask fall away.

"It's just," I said, letting the anxiety flow through my voice, "I feel like I'm getting fame and attention I don't deserve."

"Jake, you definitely deserve it," Pauleen said, putting a warm hand on my shoulder, her frat girl voice giving way to genuine affectation. "You gave some poor, adorable pony food and a place to crash."

"Anybody would've done that," I said. Harry gave me a warm smile.

"Jake," he said. "What you did is a very big deal. Scientists were predicting that alien races might wipe us out. They said if aliens found us, we were going to go the way of the Natives: being murdered and enslaved and all that."

"They would attempt wipe us out with lasers, with their military strategy somehow focusing on wiping out famous monuments," said Matthew Koch, a math teacher who looked like a grown up geek, with plaid shirts, suspenders, and thicker glasses than mine. He gave a facetious grin. "Not on unimportant things like resources or military bases." A let out a small laugh at that.

"The first meeting between our species and another intelligent species is something people would write about for centuries to come," Matthew said, his geeky voice sounding almost sage-like. "Whatever happens during that first meeting would forever define our relations with the aliens. Giving some poor creature food and shelter is the best way for two separate species to break the ice." He let out a sly grin, tracing his fingers over the letters. "The politicians are giving you all these awards because they were grateful that you weren't a psychopath who gutted her for fun, or some crazed hunter who used her skin for coats. Or-,"

"I get it Matthew," I said. He clammed up.

"If these creatures turn out to be dangerous," Harry said. "You might've saved us from some intergalactic war." Everyone else chuckled at that, not thinking some adorable pony would be capable of causing havoc. But if half of what Twilight said was true, especially the part of her fellow Princess that could raise and lower the sun, then that wasn't a remote possibility.

"So when will we have contact with Ponyworld," Pauleen said amusingly. I was about to correct her, but Roger interrupted me.

"Classified," he said simply. "Classified" was the code word for "none of your damn business," and no one was going to argue with the federal agent. With that, everyone dropped the topic and went back to their small breakfast.

I looked through the pile of letters Roger had felt safe enough to give me. Some of it was from foreign nations offering me their highest awards for foreigners, letters from major corporations and NGOs and-

"Uh," I muttered, seeing a letter from Amnesty International. I annoyingly threw it in the trash can. Hey I am for human rights, but those Amnesty people are a bunch of sentimental fools who are clueless about the world, thinking protesting will get world governments to behave. The world doesn't work that way.

I went back to opening the letters.

"OK boys and girls," I said to the class of 5th graders. They looked at me with remarkable focus for kids getting back to school on Monday. I was standing in front of the whiteboard. "Let's talk about chlorophyll-," I paused when the hands of everybody in the class shot up. I sighed, and pinched the bridge of my nose in annoyance.

"If this is a question about the pony," I asked. "put your hands down." Every hand went down. "Just because there is a pony doesn't mean you can't stop doing your work." I took a deep breath. "OK, who can tell me what chlorophyll is?"

Josie, a young girl with long red-hair sitting toward the back, raised her hand. She wasn't active in class, so I was confused seeing her raise her hand.

"Yes, Josie," I said, noticing her wry grin and the twinkle in her eye.

"Can we pet the pony," she said. Soon, everyone in class started begging to pet the pony.

"Josie," I said. "I said no questions about the pony!" They kept asking away. I finally lost my patience, and slammed the briefcase loudly on the desk. Every student clammed.

"Guys," I said seriously. "Twilight is not some animal you see at a petting zoo. She is an intelligent being, like you. She needs to be treated like a person, not like some pet cat." I let out a sigh. "Seeing an alien maybe fun for you, but for adults it is a big deal. And we can't have little kids being allowed to gawk at her like she is some circus. So no, you can't see her now." The kids in class let out an "aww" of disappointment. Feeling bad, I decided to throw the kids a bone.

"You know what," I said. "For just this class, we can spend the afternoon talking about Twilight. You can ask me any question you want." I narrowed my eyes through my glasses. "However, you have to do extra homework tonight." To my surprise, they enthusiastically agreed.

Last Monday would be the most transformative day in my life, and as I would discover, one of the most important moments in human history. Mary and I were getting ready to plant our favorite tulips in some unused part of the lawn, when we saw something in the pachysandra. We assumed it was a racoon, because we heard munching.

Mary, screaming like a madwoman, went into the pachysandra with her rake.

(Mary guards her garden the same way a dragon guard their horde. If a bear went into the garden, I'd pity it)

"Get out of here," she yelled angrily, waving her rake around like it was nunchucks. "BEAT IT YOU STUPID PEST!"

"Please don't hurt me," the most desperate, forlorn, and needy voice called out. We paused in shock. "I'm sorry," the female voice said. "I'm just so...hungry." My wife and I were in shock. Reluctantly, she pulled away the pachysandra to see what was hiding.

We saw some lavender...horse thing lying on the ground. Its mane was purple with a magenta stripe, it was the size of a small foal, and it had big purple eyes. I noticed it had some... horn growing out of its mane, and wings on its back. Despite its small muzzle, it had an unusually human, and gaunt, face. The face was looking at us with unmistakable terror.

"I'm sorry," it said tearfully. "I didn't mean to steal your flowers. I haven't eaten anything in weeks. Please." The thing was not only human, but it was clearly crying and in terror. Our shock was replaced with concern and worry.

"Don't worry sweetheart," Mary said, her shock replaced with maternal concern. "We'll help you." We lifted the creature up. I noticed that she had some weird star-shaped tattoos on her flank.

(I wasn't staring. I swear.)

Our living room couch has a pullout bed whenever we have company. We put the horse-thing there. My wife got a bag of lettuce and began feeding it to the creature, who ate it with tearful gratitude.

"Thank you," she said tearfully. "I'm sorry I ate your crops." Crops. We didn't eat the flowers.

"Don't worry about it," my wife said awkwardly, her protectiveness of her garden replaced with shock and concern. "Miss..."

"Twilight," she said, her voice weak. "Who are you, what are you, and where am I?" Just as we were about to answer, we heard two tiny feet run in.

Rachel and Rebecca, our twin 9 year old daughters, ran into the living room. They looked at the spectacle with genuine wonder.

"Oh my gosh," Rachel said.

"A pony," Rebecca said.

"Can we pet it, can we," they both asked with amusement.

"Girls," I said with annoyance. "The poor creature needs to be left alone."

"But-,"

"But nothing," Mary replied with exasperation. "Go upstairs and don't tell anyone about this." The girls obeyed, giving one last look at the pony.

"Hey," the pony said with some offense. "What do you mean by 'poor creature'?"

Eventually, she told us about the world we came from. It was a world of magic, pegasi, dragons, etc, and that she was some Friendship Princess. It sounded like some fantasy book to us.

Despite seeing a talking pony, we were a bit skeptical about what Twilight told us. Until she levitated a piece of lettuce using some glowing horn. That made her talk of pegasi pushing clouds and delivering mail more believable. Which was good. Because her story was-both figuratively and literally-out of this world.

She was trying to create a more stable form of teleportation (yes they teleport, which she demonstrated to me). However, the "thaumic conductor", in her words, had been worn out. So instead, she ended up in some interdimensional void. She wandered it for days, only carrying the bottle of water she had been holding for sustenance.

After weeks of wandering and being near starvation, she managed to find a hole in the void, which happened to be next to my lawn. Apparently, her kind can eat flowers, which is why she was digging at the pachysandra.

We told Twilight about Mary's career as a physical therapist, and my profession as a science teacher. Her worn out face lit up. She was herself a scientist, she said, and wanted to learn more. She excitedly collected all the science books I had into one pile and read, and she excitedly asked me many questions.

We talked for hours about Earth science, Earth technology, and human achievement. She reacted the same way to planes and satellites as we did to her talk of magic princesses. Our normal was her weird.

To be honest, she was the student every science teacher dreamed off. She was as hungry for knowledge as she was for the bag of lettuce my wife gave her, and she picked up a lot of ideas very quickly.

She begged us for astronomical information, needing that to help her get home. Using the internet (the idea of having more information in a box then in a library stunned her), we found her something she needed: maps of stars. Using astrological observation, she determined it would take three months for the "proper planetary alignment" to allow her to cast a spell to reconnect with her world.

Now, you're probably thinking I had some hilarious anecdotes about how Mary and I hid Twilight for several months, with all kinds of funny hijinks.

Well, no.

Let me put it this way.

When I was a college student, I was a tinfoil-hat conspiracy nut. From JFK to the New World Order, I believed in the all-mighty power of government to do anything. But my biggest conspiracy was the one where the moon landing didn't happen, and that it was filmed in a studio by Stanley Kubrick.

(They did try to fake the moon landing, but Stanley Kubrick, the perfectionist, insisted upon shooting it on location).

I eventually worked up the nerve to confront a physicist about it. He was polite about my lunatic proclamations, but he eventually responded to my "proof" with a simple question.

"If the moon-landing was faked," he said. "Then why didn't the Russians tell the world? They would've loved to expose our 'capitalist' lies." I actually didn't have an answer, and after a few weeks, I acknowledged his point.

The idea that our governments are capable of these wild conspiracies may seem believable, but the reality is that gives governments more credit then they deserve.

I'm not saying governments don't keep secrets. Hell, they were forcing Twilight to be silent about certain things. But the schemes that some like to imagine governments capable of pulling off require secrecy, discretion, and perfect planning that is almost impossible to have in real life.

Watergate was a conspiracy, and it was undone by one security guard who didn't even understand the gravity of what he uncovered.

Muammar Gaddafi was a brutal tyrant who suppressed information. And even he couldn't halt the rising tide of the Arab Spring.

Anyways, when my daughters started taking pictures of Twilight with their smartphones, I realized right away that keeping Twilight a secret just wasn't possible. And if Twilight did turn out to be dangerous, I didn't want to appear like I was hiding something from the government. So, Mary and I contacted the FBI, even sending them pictures.

On Tuesday, I opened my door to find Roger, with a police car in front of him, asking me to wait for a military truck to come pick us up. By midday, Mary, Rebecca, Rachel, Twilight, and I were being driven to Fort Hamilton, a military base in Brooklyn. For a moment, I feared that conspiracies were true when two soldiers carried Twilight away in some biohazard bag.

We were separated from each other, and some government agents asked me some harsh questions about whether or not I had told anyone about the ponies. After several hours, we were reunited with each other, to my relief.

Mary had been asked several questions, while two army soldiers basically baby sat Rebecca and Rachel. Twilight had been inspected to see if she carried any deadly pathogens, given a bath, and asked hard questions about whether she would threaten national security that. When she came out, she wore this pout on her face that made me want to pet her.

"I told them I wasn't a foal," she said with annoyance. "But they insisted on giving me a bath instead of letting me wash myself. It was so annoying." Everyone laughed at that, to her chagrin.

Within hours, we were headed to DC, where Mary, Twilight and I got a guest room in the White House and a dinner with the President of the United States and First Lady.

Yes. We were being wined and dined by the leader of the "free" world.

When we were received by the First Couple, The President, going along with Twilight's "princess" story, gave Twilight a bow, humoring her proclamation to being a princess. Twilight, recognizing his authority, gave him a bow in turn and called him "your Excellency".

"Princess," he said jovially. "This is America. We are trained not to bow before our leaders. You can call me 'Mr. President'." Then we went to a dinner.

He looked at Mary and I with the feigned emotions politicians are known for, thanked us for our "services" to the country, and told us that if the meeting between species went well, we would be line for some Medals of Freedom and some of the priciest jobs in DC.

If the transition went well, I'd be working at some of DC's top private schools, and Mary would be working training soldiers in the Pentagon.

Most of the conversation at dinner was directed toward Twilight, who spoke to the President in a cultured, respectful way that did at least prove she was groomed for leadership. From what we heard, elected democracy seemed almost foreign to her. If the President didn't believe what he heard, he was good at hiding it. He also smiled when Twilight used her magic to pick up her fork.

On Wednesday, my family was given a guided tour of DC. When we came back to the White House, we soon discovered that rather then hide the truth, the President immediately would tell the world about what happened.

After a short press conference involving my family, the President, Twilight, the world knew...quite a bit. For obvious reasons, the President didn't reveal everything Twilight told us, like when she would be able to reconnect with her world again, or her being a princess.

Some of the things were more mind-blowing then my college philosophy course was. Her "magic" seemed to fudge with the laws of physics. We also weren't sure if Twilight was lying, so it was best to not reveal them until contact with her world was assured.

(As they say, trust but verify).

Despite my insistence, the President revealed Mary and I's involvement, and ordered Twilight to stay in our house instead of some military base. The PR of our story-an alien enjoying "American hospitality"-was too good to hold up. Barring a direct security threat, Twilight would be staying in our house. Over the weekend, Mary and I were flooded with demands for interviews, protestors, and letters from a ton of important people. And our lives were restricted from the presence of Roger and the Secret Service.

In a matter of days, our normal lives had been undone.

It all hit us like a ton of bricks.

When we finally came home, again by police escort, I was relieved to not have to answer so many questions about Twilight. When Roger and I walked inside, Mary came up to me with worry.

"Mary," I asked, "what's wrong".

"Jake," she said, holding my hand, "Twilight locked herself in our bedroom."

"What," I said. Roger stared at her, worried.

"She was reading some book, and then she started crying, and ran into our room," Mary said. "She locked the door and wouldn't come out." Without a word, Roger grabbed some tool and ran toward the door.

"Princess Twilight," he asked. "Are you OK?" Twilight didn't respond. Without a word, he used the tool to pry the door open.

We saw her lying in my bed, looking incredibly upset. She wasn't hurt, but she looked like her entire family had died.

"Twilight," I asked in a quiet tone. "Are you OK?" She didn't respond. "What happened?" She didn't say a word, but she gestured to an open book on nightstand. I opened it, and saw why she had been upset.

It was a picture of Hitler, his toothbrush moustache and all. My pony friend had just read about the Holocaust.

(Oh boy).

The Root of All Evil

View Online

I stood there looking dumbly at the picture of the...Fuhrer, with brief glances at the unfortunate pony who learned of his existence.

The endless number of World War II TV documentaries, history classes, Hollywood films, and parodies of the German movie Downfall had made me aware of his existence. The not-so pleasant stories my Grandpa Franz and Great Aunt Rachel had of the old country made me...intimately familiar with what he had done.

Yet, seeing the tearful eyes of the purple pony, I began to see the crazed dictator in a new way. In a way that made me feel...uncomfortable. Maybe even...guilty in a way I couldn't describe.

"Your Majesty," Roger asked in a respectful, though concerned voice as he approached the bed. "Are you hurt? Are you injured? Can I get you-," he paused as I shoved the textbook directly in his face. He took it and looked at the open picture of Hitler. While Roger's faced remained stoic, I could by the way his fingers turned white, that he was squeezing the book a bit in anger.

"Your Majesty," Roger said in his overtly professional tone, putting the book away. "These crimes are just are past events. Humanity has made great strides since the dark days of the Second World War. Human rights are celebrated across the world, and our nation is devoted to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

Twilight still didn't look up or stop weeping. It was clear that Roger's patriotic pap wasn't doing the trick. The same uncomfortable feeling and the shadows of my own past gave me an inkling of what I needed to say. But, if it came to that, I felt it needed to be a private moment between me and her.

"Roger," I said quietly with a pointed look. He ceased his robotic bromides. "There is a security issue I wish to discuss with you." Roger followed me out the door, having taken the hint that I wanted to talk to him alone. After he closed the door, we both stood near the foot of the stairs.

"I need you to let me talk with the Princess in private," I said to the agent. My tone wasn't the immature frustration I felt when Roger disrupted my routine. It was a low, serious tone that Roger picked up, since he wasn't giving me the same indifferent look he would at my petty complaints. "Believe me, I can talk to her about it in a way no one can."

"But Mr. Klein," he said in a more empathetic tone then he normally used, "it is my job to comfort the princess." I knew arguing with him was futile. Instead, I went back into my bedroom. When I came out, I was wearing the red-velvet yarmulke I only wore about 6-7 times a year. Then I uttered one quiet word to Roger.

"Shalom."

Roger, for the first time since he came into my house, obeyed me. Without a world, he immediately began to walk down the stairs.

"Jake," he said once he got halfway down. I was rooted to the floor in shock, since it was the first time he called me by my preferred alias. He took off his shades, giving me a very serious look,"choose your words carefully. Remember, you and Mary found Twilight when she was near death. You two gave her shelter and food, which saved her from starvation. Thus you share a bond with her that no other human being could ever hope to have. This means your words are the ones she trusts." He took a deep breath, revealing a panic I never thought he could show. It would almost have been funny, if not for the situation we were in. "And if she really is a Princess," he continued in a more quiet tone. "Then whatever you say will alter the course of human-pony relations." Without another word, he continued down the stairs, and walked toward the kitchen.

I immediately felt as if a giant weight had been placed on my shoulder. The fate off a successful first contact between our species was in jeopardy, and I was the one who had to salvage it. I had to convince a creature that humanity, despite being guilty of mass murder, was worth trusting.

I was in a situation where my words...would shape the course of world history.

I mean, I learned about the Holocaust in school. I traveled to Israel and toured Yad Vashem when I was 13. Grandpa Franz told me about how he gave up everything to get tickets to America. Aunt Rachel tell me about how she was betrayed and lost her entire family. I had seen Schindler's List and The Pianist. I read Elie Wiesel's Night and The Diary of a Young Girl. I knew of the centuries of antisemitism that had preceded the Holocaust, like Martin Luther's virulently racist tracts and the blood libel.

I learned about the economic and political dysfunction of the Weimar Republic, the painful loss of World War I, the humiliation of the Treaty of Versailles, the threat of Stalinism, and how all these factors would give an opening for Hitler to come to power in Germany.

I knew of the Milgram experiment, the manipulative power of propaganda, and Hitler's insanely effective public speaking.

I read about how so many nations closed their doors to Jewish refugees, and Grandpa Franz had to give up all his cash JUST to save himself, Grandma Ruth, and my Aunt Esther out of Czechoslovakia. I read about how FDR didn't bomb the death camps because he didn't to be seen as waging a "Jewish war," in the eyes of an American public who themselves were still hostile toward Jews.

But even knowing all this, the Holocaust and the cruelties of the Third Reich are still hard to understand.

How was I supposed to explain them to a being who came from a world where they were non-existent. One who, if she wasn't a liar and was really royalty, could pull the plug on any first contact if she desired.

With a sigh, I went back inside the room, and walked toward the pony, who was still lying on the bed. Her tears stopped, but she was giving me a look that was chillingly cold.

"Uh, Twilight," I said, walking toward the bed. She didn't respond. I rubbed the back of my head, and sat in a white chair. "I'm sorry you had to read about-,"

"Why," Twilight asked, in a sorrowful voice.

"Why what?"

"Why did Hitler kill all the....Jews," Twilight asked. "Were they trying to kill him? Did they have special powers?"

"Twilight, I told you, all human beings share roughly the same characteristics." According to Twilight, ponies were divided into three tribes: unicorns, pegasi, and Earth ponies (who had super strength and some connection to the soil). She came from a special breed of pony, called alicorn. In her words, almost all alicorns gained their power once they were deemed worthy enough to rule.

Other sentient races in her world included dragons, cows, zebras, seaponies, hippogriffs, griffons, yaks, donkeys, and changelings. They all totaled about 29 million beings (classified as sentient) on the planet.

Again, it sounded like her world was invented by a fantasy writer.

When I told her about how humans beings were the only sentient creatures on Earth and numbered 7 billion, her mind was truly blown.

"Then why did Hitler work so hard to try and kill them," she responded, almost about to cry again.

"Um," I said, rubbing the back of my head. "Are you saying that hatred and bigotry is absent in your world? That everyone-"

"Everypony."

"Every...pony in your world just gets along."

"No," Twilight said with some hesistance. "Earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns used to fight a lot. We used to blame each other whenever something went wrong. And dragons, griffins, and changelings," Twilight paused, trying to sound diplomatic, "would hurt ponies too and vice-versa."

"Well, that's how Hitler came to power," I told her. "I don't know if you read this, but Germany was in bad shape. Under normal circumstances, the Nazis weren't very popular. But Germans lost a war and got the blame for it, and then their economy collapsed twice". Twilight gave me an odd look. "A lot of things went wrong for the Germans, and Hitler gained a lot of popularity because his screaming and ranting was exactly how Germans felt."

"Yes, but why blame the Jews," Twilight asked, her voice full of horror and frustration. "What makes Jews so different that Hitler wanted to kill them all?"

"Well," I said. "In America, for example, there is a lot of racism toward African-Americans, who are usually people with darker skin colors. A lot of people think they are lazy and criminal."

"That is the stupidest thing I ever heard," Twilight said with anger. "In Equestria, ponies and other creatures come in all kinds colors. I don't hate others ponies because they are green or blue, so why would I hate them for being brown or black!"

"You know, that would make a good anti-racism slogan," I said with a laugh. Twilight still looked unamused, so I continued. "As I told you before, humans beings aren't divided by any special physical characteristics unique to one another. They are divided by languages, religions, color and culture. And human beings take those things very seriously."

"So Jews have a different culture," Twilight asked.

"Yes," I said. "In the Middle Ages, Christian religion was a big deal. Jews have a very different religion, and religious leaders were annoyed that Jews wouldn't convert or respect Jesus for his sacrifice. A lot of times, Jews were blamed for the death of Christ, or for killing children and using their blood for matzo."

"So Jews were attacked and persecuted over...superstition," Twilight said with disdain.

"Um, Twilight, I would be careful how you use that word," I said with a serious tone. "For a lot of people, Christianity is a big deal. And they don't like their faith to be called 'superstition'."

"I mean, Christians say that some guy was sent to the planet by his father to die for humanity's sins," Twilight said with confusion. Despite her scholarly extinct, she is also fascinated by mythology and folklore. At the military base, she eagerly read a bible offered to her by a military chaplain. "And then I came back to life. And we have to...worship him. Why would anypony have to believe that?"

"Saying your leaders raise the sun and moon sounds kind of crazy," I replied in a strong tone. Twilight looked at me with frustration.

"That's different. You can't bring people back from the dead. I've seen Celestia and Luna raise the sun and moon," she said, stamping her hoof on the bed. "I told you that already." Apparently, in her world, two alicorns rose the sun and the moon. To say we had an argument over this is an understatement. The idea of the Earth revolving around a sun, and the moon moving on its own boggled her mind. But now was not the time for the discussion again.

"Moving on," I said. "In the old days, religion and superstition was how people lived without scientific study. Not worshipping Jesus meant you were damned to eternal torment, and thus kings wanted to bring that torment to people who didn't convert to Christianity."

"So Jews were persecuted over religious faith," Twilight said with confusion.

"The other issue was of Jews were often merchants and moneylenders. So people assumed Jews were naturally greedy money lovers."

"Are Jews always successful?"

Under any other circumstances, I would've brought up my cousin Isaac. He's a human wreck. But now was not the time for a joke.

"Not always," I replied.

"So did Hitler hate Jews for...not liking Jesus and having a lot of money?"

"Well, no," I said. "In the 19th century, the way nations were built changed. Before that, nations were organized around religion and/or worshipping a king. But with the Enlightenment, empires and kingdoms in Europe were replaced by the nation-state." I paused. "Nation-states are often organized around the idea of a nation being governed by a specific ethnic group or people."

"Ethnic group", Twilight asked.

"Groups of humans who are united by a common culture, language, and/or history," I replied. "Nationalism revolves around the idea of a nation built to protect the interests of those considered to be loyal to that nation. Extreme nationalism revolves around the priorities of the state being revolving around the dominant ethnic group in question." Twilight looked at me, intrigued.

"Well, all the sentient creatures in Equestria kind of do the same thing," Twilight accepted. "Dragons tend to live with dragons, ponies tend to live with ponies. But that's because we kind of need different environments. What does that have to do with Jews?"

"Well, when nation-states first began, Jews initially got equal rights," I replied. "But a new kind of hatred emerged in these new nation-states: Jews were seen as disloyal to the dominant ethnic group." I paused, having done a lot of talking. I noticed Twilight's disgust re-emerge. I took a deep breath. "Hitler was one of these Jew-hating nationalists, but he wasn't the first one. In France in the 1890s, a Jewish army captain was sent to prison for treason because he was a Jew. A lot of French people decided that Jews weren't loyal to France."

"Did Jews...try to get their own nation?"

"Yes. The State of Israel was created for that purpose."

"Then why didn't Hitler send the Jews there," Twilight replied.

"Well, it is a bit complicated," I replied, finding a way to condense the Arab-Israeli conflict into something that was understandable. " Jews had been kicked out of the land thousands of years ago, and thus we believe the land was rightfully ours. But Arabs, another ethnic group, believed that the land of Israel belongs to them. So Jewish settlement there was not always easy. When Hitler came to power, Jews in Germany and other countries tried to go anywhere, and Hitler initially wanted Jews to immigrate to other countries. But like I said, people thought Jews were loyal only to Jews, so the countries they wanted to go to didn't want to let them in." Twilight looked a bit downcast at that. So I continued. "And when Hitler began conquering these other countries, he had more Jews, and still no place that would let them in. So, the Holocaust was his solution to what he called 'The Jewish Question'." Twilight looked stunned.

"But, but," Twilight said, tears falling down her face. "Hitler thought that killing people would make Germany a better place?"

"Unfortunately yes," I replied in a solemn voice. "He also believed in racial purity, and thought Jews were naturally inferior and had no right to live. He felt that eliminating Jews would prevent racial contamination."

"That's insane, "Twilight said with a touch of anger. "You said human beings are all biologically the same."

"People back then thought that some humans had natural superiority to others," I said with a shrug. "Hitler took that idea and brought it to a terrible extreme."

"And Germans, just, thought that it was a good idea?"

"Let me ask you this Twilight," I asked. "Do you believe this Princess Celestia is a nice, kind ruler?"

"Yes," Twilight said with conviction.

"Maybe she is an evil dictator, and she lies to you a lot," I said. I knew I struck nerve, because Twilight's eyes began to narrow.

"Don't you ever say anything like that about the Princess," she growled, pawing at the surface of the bed.

"Why not? I don't know her," I said, my voice shifting to sound more obnoxious. "Maybe she could secretly torture other ponies in her basement. Maybe she cooks ponies in her kitchen, maybe-," I paused as Twilight lit up her horn in anger. A purple glow surrounded me, and I felt myself being lifted into the air.

"Don't you ever talk that way about the Princess," Twilight yelled, her horn glowing dangerously. She lifted me at least 3 meters in the air. "She's not perfect, but everything she does is for the good of Equestria!"

"Really," I asked in an unimpressed tone.

"Yes!"

"Well, that's how a lot of Germans felt about Hitler," I said. Twilight looked at me in shock. She released me abruptly, and I fell to the ground with a thud. I rubbed my pelvis, feeling it throb with agony.

"Jake," Twilight said, leaping out of the bed, and onto the floor, her voice sounding regretful. "Are you OK?"

"Yes, I'm fine," I said through gritted teeth. Twilight looked like she was about to cry.

"Jake, I'm sorry," she said, tears flowing down her eyes. "I shouldn't have blown up at you. It's just...some monster turned Celestia into stone." Twilight's ears wilted. "He tried to steal her magic, and even though Celestia lived, I'm scared for her. So I get defensive when-" she paused, and began crying again.

"It's OK," I said in a soothing tone. I got on my knees to give her a hug. She wrapped her hooves and wings around me, giving me one of the warmest, most cuddly hugs I ever got. Once Twilight got herself under control, we released each other, and she used her magic to help me back into my chair.

"But as I said," continuing my point. "Many Germans loved Hitler the same way you loved Celestia. Remember, Germany in 1933 was not in good shape. He promised to make Germany a proud and strong nation."

"Did he," asked Twilight.

"Well," I said uneasily. "For the first few years, he kind of did. He gave people jobs, he ended the political chaos in Germany-although that was because he locked up opposition. He also rebuilt the military, absorbed a lot of territory, and his army managed to win a lot of battles. He gave people vacations, and art, and a lot of other things."

"So Hitler...helped a lot of people," Twilight said, shockingly.

"Well, that was mainly to keep power", I said with some quiet disdain. "He also used a lot of propaganda and terror. Germans who rose up against the Nazis risked torture and death. And propaganda, often by radio, made people think of Hitler as this great leader. Thus, a lot of Germans felt, at least in their own minds, he was doing more good then bad."

"So no one cared when he killed Jews," Twilight asked with a sad tone.

"Well," I said somewhat sadly. "That didn't happen overnight. He did persecute Jews, but again, many Germans themselves didn't like Jews. Even those that didn't hate Jews felt Hitler was doing more good then bad. And also, if you did speak up, you could end up in a horrible prison camp. A lot of Germans, therefore didn't really do a thing when he started persecuting Jews, and no one believed he would actually try and wipe them out." Twilight's eyes widened. "When the Holocaust did occur, it shocked everyone, because it was a level of evil no one could imagined. Yeah, there were plenty of Germans who were just plain monstrous, but many Germans who weren't, and felt their actions were for the greater good."

"So a lot of Germans felt Hitler was doing the right thing," she said.

"Yes. Twilight, very few people choose to be evil," I said. "No ruler, even the most kind, most generous one, is perfect. While justice and virtue is what we aspire to, most of us will serve a human who will ensure we have food and shelter. Decent people will do terrible things because authority told them that those things needed to happen to preserve their livelihoods and/or are promised great rewards." Twilight looked a bit nervous. "When you came hear, didn't you steal Mary's flowers?"

"I...I guess," Twilight said, lowering her face into the bed, her ears turning downward.

"Did you do it because you were evil," I asked.

"No," Twilight said. "I wandered a dimensional void for days without any food."

"Should you go to prison for eating my flowers?"

"Well, uh," Twilight stammered.

"Well I don't think so," I said quietly. "You were in a bad place. And Mary and I gave you home. A lot of people often do terrible things because they had no choice."

"I-I guess that's kind of true," Twilight. "Two of my friends....were like that."

"Really," I asked.

"Tempest Shadow was this unicorn who...lost her horn in an accident."

"Ouch," I said with a wince. According to Twilight, magic was central to the identity of a unicorn. Losing a horn for a unicorn would be like a soccer player who lost the ability to walk.

"She worked for some evil conqueror who wanted to take over Equestria," Twilight said gravely. "all because she wanted her horn back."

"She must've been really desperate," I said with shock.

"She became an outcast because she lost her horn and couldn't find work, and the bad guy seemed like the only creature who would help her," Twilight sighed in frustration. "My other friend, Thorax, he worked for-,"

"The Changelings," I inferred. Twilight looked confused.

"How did you-,"

"Well, you told me the Changelings are like horse bugs. So the name Thorax seemed fitting."

"Oh, well," Twilight said, her eyes darting back and forth. "I guess that makes sense. Anyways, Thorax hated the Queen, but felt that ponies would never love him for real," Twilight said, remembering with sadness how the young Changeling looked when Shining Armor glared daggers at him, and how Thorax had to hide being a pony just to be accepted.

"Well there you go. A lot of bad people are often stuck in places they didn't want to be in," I said empathetically. "And thus, they end working for real monsters, because the monsters can pretend to be beings who give them food."

"I guess". Twilight said. "After World War II, did people make sure that something like the Holocaust would ever happen again," Twilight asked hopefully. She frowned when I didn't answer immediately.

"No," I said after a bit of hesitation. "I mean, world leaders wrote new laws outlawing genocide." I paused. "But those laws...weren't always enforced as they should've been."

"Why," she asked. I took a deep breath, struggling not to release the harsh truth. I realized however, that our relationship can't be built off of a lie, and so I forced myself to tell her the truth.

"Because the people doing the genocide were politically useful," I said. Twilight looked horrified at that. "Or...some people didn't care."

"You mean, human leaders willingly worked with mass murderers and/or didn't care about their crimes," Twilight said, with a harsh whisper. She looked calm, but it felt like the calm that masked a raging inferno.

I remember reading about how the US government backed Saddam Hussein, even when it became public knowledge he was gassing the Kurds. As a teenager, I watched on television as Yugoslavia and Rwanda descended into bloody terror. This was around the time Grandpa Franz and Aunt Rachel told me what they went through.

It was shocking how Josip Tito's dream of a united South Slavic nation crumbled so quickly under a wave of nationalism. And it was horrific how so many Tutsis died under a flurry of machete-fueled violence. I remember how Aunt Rachel ranted about how no one gave a fuck when those two atrocities went on. I remember how Bosnia only got help after so many died, and how Rwanda got almost no help from the international community.

And seeing Twilight's coldly furious face, as all these facts swirled within me, began filling me with anger too.

"Yeah, well, the world humans live in is one where money and politics is often more valuable than human lives," I said with some bitterness. I saw Twilight's face become undeniably angry. Knowing that her power was great, and that my job was to talk her down, I swallowed my anger.

"I mean, it isn't as bad as it used to be. The international community has done more in recent years to bring war criminals to International Courts." Twilight stopped fuming, but she still look displeased, crossing her forelegs on the bed.

"But are your leaders clean," I pointedly asked the annoyed pony. "Have they always done the right, or have they often chosen the lesser evil or simply defend their privileges?" A leaned in, as if to make my point clearer. Twilight's temper cooled, and she let out a sad sigh.

"Well," Twilight said reluctantly. "Equestria isn't free of conflict, or selfishness, or terror. Before Princess Celestia, there was...a lot of evil," Twilight said sadly She let out a long sigh.

"Look Jake," Twilight said, with a firm tone. "I don't really know if it is safe for ponies and humans to meet," she said with discomfort. "I am really thinking that it is best for me to go back to Equestria, and never return."

"But why," I said respectfully. "You just said that ponies and humans are capable of the same evils?"

"Well, yeah," Twilight said. "But... well…," she stammered uncomfortably.

"What is it," I said, petting her back. Apparently, in her world, petting her back was a platonic gesture, so she didn't mind me doing it. "Why do you feel that way?" After a moment, she relaxed and looked at me.

"When I first saw your world and what it had to offer," Twilight said wistfully, "I thought it was paradise."

"Really," I asked with confusion.

"Everything I found on Earth seemed like something out of my favorite science fiction books," Twilight said with adorkable joy. "Carriages that could pull themselves by burning liquid dinosaurs, heavier-then air aircraft that didn't need to flap wings, lights powered by electricity". I let out a goofy smile. The stuff she was talking about was pretty typical for most people, even people in poor countries, but Twilight's enthusiasm reminded me how incredible our modern life really is. "Electric boxes that could spread and share information and news, boxy ovens that could cook food in less then a minute." Twilight looked toward me with a proud smile. "And you told me that Norwalk is a pretty small city, but you have more people living here then in Canterlot."

"Well, 7 billion people need somewhere to live," I said with a shrug.

"And it wasn't just your technology, it was your institutions. Your government is so egalitarian, that instead of bowing to the President, you just shook his hand." She let out another smile. "And you don't even call him some fancy title. You just call him 'Mister.'"

"Well America was birthed by those ideals," I said with some pride. "Of course, it hasn't always lived up to those ideals," I said, my patriotic zeal replaced with the solemn candor.

"Yeah well, your world seemed so incredible," Twilight said with some quiet candor. "Your technology and social progress made me think of you humans as enlightened. But after reading about Hitler..." she paused, shaking.

"Reading about him just rained on your parade," I said with a soothing tone.

"That's putting it mildly," Twilight said with a roll of her eyes. "Hitler did all these horrible things because of technology. I always thought technology made the world better, but it just made humans... worse," she said bitterly.

I think I understood Twilight's disappointment. Equestria, based off what she told me, seemed technologically similar to the First and Second Industrial Revolutions. Her world was still one ruled by steam-engines and carriages. Where mail remained the most important form of communication. Where hit singles appeared on vinyl records. Her world remained one dominated by nobility rather then egalitarianism. But it was one where positive changes in living standards within a few generations was palatable.

Her outlook was similar to the Belle Epoque , a cultural period just before World War I. In that period, people often gushed about the wonders of technology, and how it seemed to promise everlasting progress. Utopian ooks of the time imagined that hunger, violence, oppression, and conflict would become a memory within a few generations. That optimism was soon blown out of the sky by the industrial warfare, totalitarianism, and genocide.

It appeared that technology, instead of creating a better world, created new kinds of terror.

Twilight Sparkle loved science, and Earth seemed to fit her humanist mind like a glove. And to see her dream world broken apart tore at her.

"Well technology can be used for good or ill," I said. "Hitler used the printing press to spread his lunatic beliefs. Just because some people write horrible things, does that mean we stop people from writing anything?"

"Well no," Twilight said. "But," she gritted her teeth in anger. "I'm not saying that my world is free of evil, or greed, or violence, or prejudice." She let out a sigh. "I'm saying that in my world, the reasons for it are more...rational."

"What do you mean," I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"Yes, prejudice is bad," Twilight said. "But in my world...it makes more sense. Because in my world, there are a great number of tangible differences between species. Differences born from biology. Dragons are very different from ponies, griffins are very different from seaponies, yaks are very different from buffalo, zebra magic is very different from unicorn magic, pegasi are-,"

"You're rambling," I warned her, albeit playfully. She blushed at that.

"Sorry," she said with some embarrassment. "I tend to do that. The point is there are clear and substantive differences between the sentient races of Equestria. These differences, for a long time, prevented interspecies cooperation. Because the life of a unicorn will be very different from the life of a dragon. And the abilities of a Pegasus are different from that of an Earth Pony"

"What's your point," I asked.

"I'm getting there," Twilight said. "Also, while evil exists in my world, the evildoers have a rational, if terrible reason for what they do," Twilight muttered with frustration. "Some villains want magic power, some want to rule over others, many want cash and attention." She gritted her teeth. "Queen Chrysalis brought Canterlot to its knees, and wanted to drain ponies of their love, but she did to make herself magically powerful."

"How do you drain someone of their love," I asked. But she ignored my question, continuing her tirade.

"My point is that in Equestria, evil does occur, as does prejudice among species, but at least those things come from actual tangible desires, and actual tangible differences," Twilight said in a serious tone. She telekinetically lifted the open textbook up, showing off the black and white image of the Nazi dictator. "But the worst crime in recent human history didn't happen because of anything rational, but it was born from a belief in...national identity and...racial purity, despite human beings being biologically the same!"

I started to understand Twilight's point.

"You tell me that in the past, Jews were victimized by Christians out of some idiotic superstition," Twilight asked.

"Twilight," I said with some frustration. "Again, many Christians don't consider it-,"

"That's how it sounds to me," she almost yelled. "A dude rising from dead after being sent to die by his father just sounds to me! And Jews were hated for...not believing it? For not being seen as part of some culture," she said with disgust.

"Again culture is very-,"

"And in America, despite Roger saying that this is a nation where "all men are created equal", is in place where skin color is the thing that determines how you are treated by society," Twilight grumbled furiously to me.

"Well," I stammered, trying but failing to respond to her. Knowing about the deep rooted racism in American society, her tone stung me a bit. She was an outsider casting aspersions on American society, and her words cut a lot.

"The point is, the reasons human commit their worst crimes isn't based on anything rational," Twilight said. She then slammed the textbook on the dresser with force that made me jump. "Human beings seemed to be ruled by social constructs. More so any species in Equestria!" She then gave me a cold, furious look. One that made me think that perhaps her story about being a Princess might be true.

"And," I said, uneasily.

"Let's say I open the door to Equestria," she continued in frosty tone. "What's to stop some human dictator from using … atom bombs to destroy all of Equestria's races," she asked, narrowing her eyes as she finished the question. "And what if he/she does it because he believes Equestrian creatures threaten his/her "national identity" or and decides to do to them what Hitler did to the Jews. Or because he thinks magic was evil."

"Uh," I said, trying to find an excuse. "International Law?"

"You said that people ignore that for personal gain," Twilight said in a exasperated. "Or let's say some religious zealot decides ponies aren't good Christians and decides they need to be blown up." She then hovered in the air and got into my face, a scowl on her muzzle. Her position, and the flap of her wings, made her seem very...authoritative. It made me shrink into my chair a bit.

"Again, I'm not saying ponies are above evil, or that the don't have moments of lunacy or craziness," she looked down a bit." I myself have done many imbecile things. But human beings seem to need little reasonable excuse to do worse," she finished.

"Well-,"

"Unless you can tell me with a straight face that human being won't mass murder ponies for irrational reasons...then I don't believe ponies and humans should meet." Her eyes narrowed. "Yes, I would love bring human science to my world. But the safety of my subjects matters more." Her words made me sink in my chair even more. Twilight said those words with a tone that was...regal. Her voice sounded less girly, and seemed to sound heavy with the tired responsibility of a leader. She flew back into the bed, landing on her haunches with a grace that seemed out of character. She sat if she was sitting on a throne and looking down at me. "So tell me, honestly, are their humans who would butcher ponies over nonsense, and world governments who would ignore for their own personal gain?" She gave the look of forced patience. Of waiting for someone

I felt cold when I realized what Twilight's point was. Her concern wasn't whether or not humans would kill ponies. It is that human beings are capable of tremendous evil for the most stupid, inept reasons. Her world, while less technologically advanced and sounded fantastical, seemed less dominated by blind faith, fanaticism, and myth then our own.

I mean, why worship an intangible God when the real thing exists, if this sun-raising pony isn't a charlatan as I still believed?

In her world, villainy and prejudice were born from real goals and desire, but on Earth, people could be driven to violence for nothing more then blind racism and fanaticism.

And fear of some crazed human zealot bringing death and destruction to ponies out of pure paranoia wasn't something that was inconceivable.

Not to mention pony population was heavily dwarfed by the population of dozens of countries. A single human army had the potential to wipe them out. Hitler himself managed to wiped out 6 million Jews. It would be even easier for a modern day tyrant to cause even greater death and murder.

I could imagine some vile human being enslaving, deporting, and killing ponies out of some fanatical cause. Or some crazed Christian denouncing pony magic as "Satanism," on one of those Christian TV shows. Or some ISIS-style fanatic blowing them up or running them over.

"I see your point," I said with some sadness. Twilight's angry look faded into sadness. I rose from the chair, and went to the top shelf of my dresser drawer. "But, whenever I despair about humanity, there is a story that gives me hope." I went into the dresser drawer.

"Really," she said, her sadness giving way to faint hope.

"Twilight, "I'd like to tell you about my family history." I showed her my trump card. A photo album labeled "Klein Family History" in gold letters.

The Answers Lie With My Ancestors (WARNING: Depections of Nazi Brutality)

View Online

We won't be going in there alone....I meant my ancestors. I will call into the past. Far back to the beginning of time and beg them to come and help me at the judgement. I will reach back and draw them into me and they must come. For at this moment I am the whole reason they have existed at all.

Joseph Cinque, Amistad

"Wow," Twilight said, lying on the bed. I was sitting next to her, holding my family's photo album in my lap. She was looking at the old black-and-white photograph on the first page. "This looks like some of the photos from Applejack's family reunions," she said. She looked at the large gathering of people in the picture, which had the year "1936" stenciled on it. It was a rural setting, with people wearing both traditional garbs and suits. There were 56 people standing for the picture in three rows. My pinky hovered around the suited, mustached-man sitting third from center, holding a pretty woman wearing a beautiful wedding gown.

"This is Grandpa Franz," I said wistfully. Twilight looked at the picture intensely.

"Take away the moustache, and you look like him a little bit," she said with a smile. I let out a warm smile at that, because dad would always tell me the same thing. I moved my finger with her picture of the well-dressed woman.

"This was Grandma Ruth."

"This was their marriage," Twilight inferred.

"Yep. Franz was one of the most eligible bachelors in town", I said with a smile.

"How," Twilight asked.

"Franz owned a glass factory."

"Glass," Twilight asked.

"Yep. Czech glass was, and still is, highly prized and valued," I said, gesturing to the vases near my window. "My grandfather made those vases after he reopened his factory in America."

"Really," she said, looking and the clear glass structure. She was mesmerized by the patterns, which in Equestria were hard to come buy. "They look really pretty."

"Yep," I said with some pride. "My Grandpa came from a comfortably middle class family in Karlovy Vary, a spa town in what is now the Czech Republic. His father, Saul, was a tobacco dealer, who gave young Franz a small loan to run his own glass shop. By the time he was 26, Franz owned one of the largest glass factories in Karlovy Vary."

"He must've been famous," Twilight said.

"Well, not famous per se," I said. "But he did have a strong local reputation. Which earned him the attention of another popular woman."

A well-dressed man walked down street with the confident aura of a nobleman. All around him, he heard praises and cheers from around him.

"Hello, Herr Direktor", said a man laying bricks.

"Hello," the man said, not breaking his stride.

"Hello, Herr Direktor", a woman said, selling melons from a small stand.

"Hello," he said again. He looked up with pride and his factory, Glasfabrik.

When he walked inside, his employees all stood up, as if a prince entered. They all offered him warm, genuine greetings. His office assistant, a 19 year old blond named Gunther, gave him an unusually enthusiastic greeting and a rapid handshake.

"Good day Herr Direktor", he said with an extremely wide green. "Lovely suit".

"Thank you Gunther," he said in a polite tone that masked his annoyance. He had long grown jaded by Gunther's brownnosing, but Gunther was at least someone who could match his kissing up with actual work. " He walked into his office, to find a familiar woman sitting in his chair.

"Fraulein Feinstein", he said in a playful tone. "Why are you in my chair?"

Ruth Feinstein looked almost like a Hollywood actress, with her luxurious clothing, and her brunette hair rolled up into a nape.

"Can't I visit an old friend," Ruth said, in an almost playful tone. "I also feel so lonely without you around."

"We had lunch yesterday," Franz said.

"I already miss you," she said in a voice that made it sound like she was mourning. "Please, please breakfast with me." Franz put on the face of a knight.

"Very well, I shall save you from your loneliness," he said in a brave tone. Ruth jumped from her chair, and Franz ran to her, embracing her and giving the lonely woman a lot of kisses.

"So your Grandma Ruth married your grandpa because he was rich," Twilight asked.

"Not exactly," I said with a wry grin. He pointed to the wedding picture, and placed his finger on the third man from the left. It was a middle age suited man with considerable weight on him. "Ruth's father, Mr. Solomon Feinstein, also owned a glass factory. He and Grandpa Franz were rivals in Karlovy Vary, and Mr. Feinstein felt upstaged by seeing someone so young gain ground. Grandpa Franz's with Ruth was subversive fun. But then Mr. Feinstein found out how his daughter was cavorting with his worst enemy."

"What happened," Twilight asked. "Did Mr. Feinstein forbid their relationship? Did he lock Ruth in a castle?"

"No," I said with a smile. "Mr. Feinstein decided that a marriage between his daughter and his business rival could mean his business and Franz's business could merge."

"Really," Twilight asked.

"Yep, Mr. Feinstein was a shrewd, hungry man," I said. "But it paid off". I pulled up another picture, showing Franz's factory in 1937. It was much bigger thanks to large scale investment from Mr. Feinstein and his banking friends.

"So by 1937, Mr. Feinstein and Franz owned one of the largest glass factories in Czechoslovakia," I narrated. "Also, my Aunt Esther was born," I said, pointing to a picture of Franz and Ruth holding their infant daughter. The little baby wore some fancy looking dress. "Overall, life was pretty good for my grandparents."

"And then came the Nazis," Twilight inferred. She scrunched her face. "I'm trying to remember....something involving...Mue-Nich."

"Mue-nik," I said, correcting her. "Karlovy Vary was located in the Sudetenland. While under Czechoslovakian rule, it was full of ethnic Germans. Hitler dreamed of uniting Germans under one large German super-state, and the Sudetenland was one of his targets." My faced turned sour. "However, instead of defending Czechoslovakia's sovereignty, Britain's Prime Minister, Mr. Chamberlain, didn't want to fight a world war, so he basically allowed the Germans to take Czechoslovakia without a fight." I narrowed my eyes. "At the Munich Agreement, Chamberlain declared he had brought 'peace in our time'." Twilight snorted at that as well.

"Of course, he hadn't. By the time the Second World War happened, the Nazis scooped up the rest of Czechoslovakia. They turned the Czech part into a German territory and made Slovakia into a puppet state."

"And Grandpa Franz's fortunes, well...decline."

Franz Klein solemnly watched at the Swastika was hoisted over the townhall with a sickening grumble in his stomach. He saw the numerous Hitler youth repainting the signs of their town, to show it was renamed Karlsbad. As he walked to work, he noticed others weren't greeting him as warmly as they used too.

When he got to the factory, he noticed his employees also didn't greet him joyfully.

"Jew! What the hell are you doing here?!"

Franz' heckles were raised when he realized who was shouting that.

Gunther walked out of Franz's office, wearing one of his suits.

"Gunther," Franz said with disbelief. "What is the meaning of this!" Gunther gave Franz a look of smug satisfaction.

"Your filthy race has robbing us blind," Gunther shouted. "I am taking back what belongs to the Volksdeutsche." Franz looked with shock. He heard the same Nazi nonsense before. Gunther said it, but in a way that had little conviction.

"Get out of my building," he said quietly but firmly,"and take off my-" he felt a blow to the back of his head. Dazed he fell to the ground. He then felt himself being lifted up by two sets of arms.

Two Nazi soldiers lifted him up by his neck and arm and brought him to face Gunther, whose grin was unbelievably arrogant.

"As of today, this factory has been taken from your filthy Jew hands, and returned to proper German control," Gunther gloated, holding up the form that showed it now belonged to him. Franz glared at him in impotent rage.

"Now," Gunther said. "Remove this rat from my building." The two Nazi thugs began dragging Franz out of the building.

"Traitor," Franz shouted. Gunther, rather then watch him and laugh, turned away from him, and returned to his office with disinterest, seeing Franz as little more then a pest that needed to be removed. His employees ignored him completely, being more interested in their work. Some, however, worked with sorrowful expressions on their faces.

Franz was brutally tossed out onto the street, landing hard on his right shoulder. He pulled himself up, feeling a deep emptiness in his stomach. He saw a mob had gathered near the street, jeering and hollering at something. He walked toward it, and what he saw made his throat go dry.

His father-in-law was walking down the road, barefoot and in only his pajamas, being shadowed by two Nazi soldiers. He was forced to wear a sign that said. "I'm a pig who forces himself on German girls." His face was one of deep shame. All around, a crowed was jeering at him.

"Jew!"

"Pig!"

Someone from the crowd, a young boy, threw a rotten tomato at Mr. Feinstein. His face turned red at that insult, and the fat man lunged toward the little snot who had thrown it at him. However, he was knocked to the ground by the two Nazi soldiers, and viciously beaten by them. All the while, the crowd cheered on this attack, even as Mr. Feinstein cried for help.

Franz meekly turned away, feeling tears roll down his eyes.

Twilight looked like she was about to cry.

"That's, that's-horrible," Twilight said in a sad tone. "I can't believe Gunther would do that."

"Well, Grandpa Franz told me he wasn't that surprised," I said with some disdain. "Gunther was always a simpering jerk. He would kiss up to the thing that offered him the most loot." I let out a frown. "In fact, Franz believed that Gunther might have been a Nazi spy."

"Really," Twilight asked.

"Nazis rewarded their followers. There was no other way Gunther could've taken over the factory unless he had been working for the Nazis from the start."

"And...no one bothered to help him or Mr. Feinstein," Twilight said with disbelief.

"Well," I said uneasily. "There were some Sudeten Germans who were pro-Nazi, believing the Czechoslovak government didn't care about them. There was some discrimination of Sudeten Germans, and so many really did want to become part of Germany. When Hitler wanted to takeover the place, they jumped at the chance. They really thought Mr. Feinstein and Franz were monsters because they were Jews. Some, like Gunther, were just opportunists who were seeking ill-gotten gains." I let out a sigh. "But most people were scared. They were afraid of the Nazis, who would punish anyone who showed even the slightest sympathy to Germans. A lot of the people who jeered at Mr. Feinstein were just people who were themselves afraid of the Nazis too."

Twilight looked downcast at that.

"Someone should've done something," Twilight said with frustration.

"Twilight-,"

"IT'S JUST SO UNFAIR," Twilight yelled. "All those people were-

"TWILIGHT," I yelled. Twilight yelled. "Let me ask you this. Let's say you have no special powers, no nice princesses who will come and rescue you, and you live in a country where your leaders will imprison, kill, and torture you and your family if you don't go along with their rules." Twilight paused. "Are you really telling me you would risk you and your family's lives, knowing that someone won't rescue you, and not having any magic that could help you?" Twilight looked down, unable to even look me in the eye, and whimpered a bit.

"I mean, there are people who do risk their lives, but a lot of other people have a lot to lose when they do," I said in a sympathetic tone. She raised her head toward me.

"Well, whatever happened to Mr. Feinstein," Twilight asked.

"Well, that was the last time Franz ever saw him," I said sadly. "He was sent to a concentration camp. Franz doesn't know the full story, but he most likely died." Twilight's eyes looked like they were about to water.

"And as for my grandparents, it only got worse...."

Franz drove his car, a 1934 Lincoln KB, along the dirt road to his home on the outskirts of town. He drove home in a daze. While he unconsciously followed the traffic laws, he didn't care about the world around him He didn't even care how unruly his clothes were. He didn't know what he was going to say to Ruth.

He was broken from his shock when he saw a military truck in front of his driveway. He stopped his car and pulled out.

Ruth came to him, and pulled him into a desperate hug. She was wearing a plain ordinary dress, and her beautiful face was soaked with tears.

"Ruth," Franz said with concern. "What's wrong?"

"The Germans are taking everything," she yelled. Franz looked as the soldiers taking everything and loading it onto the truck. Tables, silverware, paintings, pottery, everything they could carry.

One vicious looking soldier, most likely the commander, walked up to them. His head was shaved, and his eyes and smile were cold as ice.

"You Jews," the man bellowed. "Help us pack everything"

"No," Franz and Ruth said, trying to retain some dignity. The German commander, rather then being annoyed, looked even more amused. He snapped his fingers, and two soldiers, their faces stoic, held a crying infant Esther. The commander held a gun to their daughter's head.

"Stop, stop," Ruth shrieked. "We'll do it." Ruth and Franz tearfully went into the house, but were then stopped by the Commander.

"This is mine," the commander said, taking away Franz's watch. Franz and Ruth stood dumbly.

"MOVE", the commander yelled, and the two tearfully helped load their possessions into the German's truck. "And maybe I'll give you a slice of bread," the commander said with a laugh.

"They took everything from him," Twilight said with disbelief.

"Well, not everything," I said. "Franz kept an emergency bank account in Switzerland. He used the money he stashed away to bribe a diplomat into giving him, Ruth, and Esther visas to go to America. They reached New York in July 1939, with only their clothes on their back, and a couple of suitcases." I pulled out a photo that was taken of my grandparents and aunt when they reached America. They were standing on a dock with happy smiles on their faces.

"Was the rest of his family able to get out of Germany," Twilight asked me with some hope. A sighed and shook my head.

"Well, no," I grabbed the old wedding photo. "All but one of the people in this picture...my father never saw them again." Twilight again looked sad. "Grandpa Franz lost over 50 members of his family. Grandma Ruth lost 38". Twilight looked like she was about to cry. I rubbed her back again to sooth her.

"So...who was the one who survived," Twilight asked, holding back her tears. I put my finger on the one woman with long brunette hair and a plain white dress sitting in the back.

"My great aunt Rachel," I said. "Franz's younger sister."

"I didn't see her in any of the old photos your Grandpa had," Twilight said.

"Well," I said with a smile. "Aunt Rachel was a bit of a rebel. She had little respect for authority. She did what were considered male hobbies like driving cars. And she did something that my great-grandfather Saul never forgave."

"What," Twilight asked.

"She married a non-Jew. A gentile," I said with an odd smile.

"Really," Twilight asked with some confusion and anger. "If Jews were persecuted, then why didn't Saul no better?"

"Being a victim of discrimination doesn't mean you can't discriminate," I said. "Anyways, Rachel married an employee of Saul, a Slovak laborer named Boris Horvath in 1935. She was thrown out of the family, and Saul burned all of the photos."

"Wow," Twilight said. "Then why was she at Franz's wedding?"

"Franz wasn't that religious. He also loved Rachel a lot, and still talked to her when the rest of the family didn't".

"So what happened to Rachel," Twilight asked.

"Well as I said, Slovakia was turned into a puppet state," I continued. "By this time, Rachel and Boris were living in Bratislava. Boris was self-employed as a carpenter, earning an OK living, and Rachel was raising her first son, Adam."

"So did the same things happen to the...Jews in Slovakia."

"Yes, but it wasn't the Germans doing it," I said with some sadness. "It was the German's puppet leader, a fanatical anti-Semite named Tiso. He persecuted the Jews out of his own free will."

Two thugs broke into Boris' shop, much to his anger. Their uniforms revealed them to be Tiso's thugs, and they happily stole his tools.

"What are you German dogs doing," he bellowed. The two thugs bristled a bit at his insult, but kept their composure.

"You are a Jew lover. You fell in love with some bitch parasite," they sneered.

"So we are going to give it back to you," the other one yelled and knocked over his work table. Boris raised his fists. His muscled arms showed that he could easily break these two idiots in two, and he noticed the two didn't have-or were too stupid to be trusted with-guns.

"You don't scare me," Boris yelled. But to his horror, Rachel stepped in.

"What are you doing," Rachel yelled. The two men seized their vandalism and theft and soon grabbed her.

"So this is your little Jewish whore," one of the men said, trying to rip her clothes off.

"Stop," Boris yelled. Before he could do anything, the other man held a knife to her throat.

"Come near us, and the whore gets it," the man with the knife said. The other man creepily stroked Rachel's hair. She struggled and struggled against the other man's tight grip.

"Attack them Boris," she yelled. "These two are just cowards." Boris weighed his options. While he had a temper, he wasn't an idiot. Their knife could be faster then his fists.

"What do you want," Boris said with anger.

"To punish you for your insolence," the lunatic with the knife.

"Or we'll punish her," the man holding the struggling and yelling Rachel said with a lecherous. Eventually he was exasperated with her resistance.

"Shut up you whore," he said, slapping Rachel.

"Fine," Boris said, lowering his fists. "Do want you want." He closes his eyes, trying to block the pain as the two monsters beat him badly. Despite the pain, he only thought of Rachel and Adam.

"They beat Boris so bad he lost an eye," I said with a frown. Twilight looked horrified. "Like I said Twilight. A lot of people have no good options in life. Many people have to choose the best out of a thousand bad options." I paused. "Of course, the Nazis eventually gave the Jews...no options." Twilight's eyes widened at my words.

"You mean...Rachel and her family were sent to..." Twilight stammered a bit, unable to say the words.

"Death camps," I said. Twilight blanched.

"Not initially. When the deportations started in 1942, the Germans claimed that Jews were being 'resettled in the East'." I let out a small smile. "But Aunt Rachel, rebellious and hateful toward Tiso, learned right away not to trust the Nazis."

"So what did she do," Twilight asked.

"Boris' friend, Andrez Varga was a member of the Slovak resistance," I said.

"I thought you said most people didn't resist," Twilight said.

"The average person didn't, but there were people who did," I said proudly. "Andrez had no children or wife, so he had nothing really to lose. With his help, Boris, Rachel, and Adam were smuggled out of Bratislava, just before the deportations began."

"Where did they go," Twilight asked.

"They lived for a couple of years in a remote village, working as peasants under false names," I said. "Varga's friend, Alexander Nagy, owned a farm and was a childless farmer. They worked unforgiving land 12 hours a day, eating little but bread and butter and some beef."

"That doesn't sound fun," Twilight said.

"Compared to what was happening in the death camps, it was paradise," I said.

"I guess," Twilight admitted.

"For a while, Tiso stopped the deportation of Jews. Tiso considered himself to be a pious Christian," I said. "So when Christian authorities complained, he stopped them." My face twisted into a small scowl. "But only after he sent tens of thousands of Jews to their doom. Then a year before the war ended," I said narrowing my eyes and clenching my fist.

It was evening. The family of three slept on the hard wooden floor in a small room after a brutal day pulling weeds, the home lit by candles. No matter how many times they slept on it, it still wasn't comfortable.

A knock at the door woke them up. Boris tiredly rose, but Alexander stopped him, saying he would get it. He opened the door, to the sight of SS soldiers and their vicious guard dogs.

The SS rushed in, and knocked Alexander to the ground, who fell with a yell. Boris, Rachel and Adam woke up to the yell, and an SS officer burst in.

"Here are the vermin," the man shouted. Adam, unaware of what happened, yawned.

"Mommy," Adam said tiredly. "What's happening." The SS heard the child, and seized him by his hair, who started crying.

Before Rachel and Boris could even do anything, two other SS soldiers burst, grabbing the couple separately, and parading them out onto the lawn in front of the farmhouse.

Outside, Alexander, Boris, and Rachel saw a sight that infuriated them: the old peasant woman, Natalia, grinning at them with her thin face.

"There are the traitors," she practically cackled, pointing to the two men. "And their Jewish whore." Adam's loud cries interrupted them. The SS man holding the boy held a gun to his head.

"I am giving you to the count of three to shut up," the SS man with a voice as cold as ice. "One..." Rachel and Boris began crying and begging their son to stop, while Alexander looked broken. "Two..." the boy still cried, while Natalia looked on with joy. "Three..."

I stopped speaking, unable to talk about it.

"That soldier didn't kill a...a..colt for crying, did he" Twilight asked desperately. I didn't say anything, but my silence said anything more then words. Twilight understood, and looked like she was about to cry. I lowered my head, and didn't notice Twilight approaching me.

To my surprise, I felt warm forelegs and warm, feathery wings surrounding me. I looked up and saw Twilight was giving me a hug. Without realizing it, I began crying a bit too.

"Jake, I'm so sorry," Twilight said in a soothing voice. "Talking about this must be hard for you."

"It was even harder for Aunt Rachel and Grandpa Franz to talk about," I said, tears pouring down my eyes.

"But why are you telling me this," Twilight said, releasing me.

"Because you deserve to know how rotten humans get," Jake said. "It is only fair for you to know if you want Equestria and Earth to have relations." I took deep breaths to get control of myself.

"So yeah," I said. "They shot Adam. Alexander, Rachel, and Boris, they got put on one of the last trains to Auschwitz."

"What happened to them?"

"Alexander, I don't know," I said. "He was most likely sent to Auschwitz, where he died. Boris and Rachel both got sent there. You arrived at a platform, where German officers selected you. If you were young, old, and/or infirm, they send you right to the gas chambers. If you were fit for work, they took your clothes, your hair, any gold fillings on your teeth, and put you to work in brutal conditions. Some people had only a few bowls of soup for a week. You got lucky if they sometimes gave you jam. But even following the rules didn't save you. Some guards would torture you if they felt like it."

"Jew," the shrill woman yelled at the being once known as Rachel, who put down a box of nails she was carrying. Her hair had been shaved off. She was forced to wear nothing but a filthy stripped uniform. Her face looked utterly broken, and her body so thin, those who looked could see ribs through her uniform. She looked at her tattoo on her arm which read "A12679".

Irma Grese looked at A12679 like she was an amusing play toy. Outwardly, Irma's face made her seem like an innocent woman. Her eyes and smile revealed something else.

"Come with me," Grese said, beckoning A12679. A12679 followed her to some room, which was totally dirty and covered with boxes and junk.

"Clean up this room, Jew in less then ten seconds," she said. "Or else." A12679 cleaned like a robot, even knowing that the room was too big to clean in such little time, but she tried anyways.

"You lazy shit," Grese yelled after ten seconds passed, although she seemed happy. She knocked A12679 to the ground, kicking her and beating her. Despite the pain, A12679 let out nothing more then a small moan.

"Now do 100 pushups, or die," Grese said. A12679 obeyed.

"How could somepony live through something so horrible," Twilight said, her face filled with horror.

"I don't know," I said, shaking my head a bit. "She did."

"What happened to Boris," I asked.

"According to one witness," I said. "A week before the camps were liberated, Boris collapsed from exhaustion. A Nazi officer immediately walked up to him and injected him with gasoline. It killed him instantly." Twilight again looked shaken.

"He...he...almost made it," Twilight said sadly. "He was so close."

"Sometimes in life, you can lose badly," I said simply.

"So how did Rachel survive," Twilight said.

"Are you sure you want me to tell you," I warned. "It is not going to be pretty." Twilight nodded her head.

"Well, in the last days of the war, the Nazis tried to hide their crimes," I said. "So when they closed Auschwitz, they tried their best to murder any remaining survivors. Some were killed, others were taken into Germany itself to other concentration camps. Great Aunt Rachel, however, hid in the most morbid way possible".

A12679-no, Rachel hid under a tank, hoping the Nazi pigs would avoid her. But thanks to her dogs, she knew that to be an impossibility. She looked around, trying to find someway to hide. She saw a pile of dirt and a shovel nearby. With resignation, she walked over to it, and began stripping off her clothes.

The pair of Nazi guards walked by half-buried corpse.

"Lets get rid of this trash," he said in a panic.

"No time," the other said. Had the two men had better ears, they would've heard the corpse breathing heavily.

"So she played dead for two days straight while hiding under dirt without even falling asleep," Twilight asked.

"Yep," I said. I was stunned that Twilight looked more intrigued then shocked. "You don't seem disturbed."

"I mean, that sounds incredible," Twilight said with a smile. "She was able to maintain an image of death for so long."

"Yes," I said. "After that, the Soviets found her with other survivors. A few months later, she was sent to a Displaced Person camp." In my photo album, I pointed to a picture of her with the year 1946 written on it in pencil. While Rachel became healthy and fit, her face in the photo showed the tiredness of a woman 50 years older.

"Jake, I appreciate you telling me your family history," Twilight said. "But, I don't know how it is supposed to convince me that humans and ponies should meet."

"Well, I'm going to show you why," I said. I turned to another page, which showed two pictures. It showed my grandparents playing with two children: one was a 7 year old girl, the other was a 3 year old boy, with the year "1943" written in pencil. The other showed Great Aunt Rachel in a wedding dress and a resplendent smile. standing next to her was a tall, fit American soldier with a goofy smile on his otherwise serious face. The year "1947" was written in pencil.

"Aww," Twilight said, looking at the babies. "Who are they?"

"That's my aunt Esther," I said, pointing to the girl. "That's my father, Saul Jr." She glanced at the wedding photo with a smile. "That's Great Aunt Rachel," Twilight asked with joy. I nodded my head. "Who did she marry?"

"An American soldier named Ross Tanner. Tell me Twilight," I asked. "How does she look?"

"She looks so...happy," Twilight said. She then looked at me with sad eyes. "How could she look so happy, after everything she went through?"

"Because Rachel was a strong woman," I said simply said. I then rolled past pages and pages of the lives of my grandparents and great-uncle. They showed happy memories of family, success, and milestones. Vacations, birthdays, parties, holidays. Each one made Twilight smile a little more.

I then pointed to a photo that was labeled 1993. It showed dozens of family and friends dancing into a circle, while in the center was some hapless kid who looked alarmed at being lifted into a high chair.

"Who is this," I said, pointing at the kid. Twilight looked, at gave a small snicker.

"That's you," she said. "You look like you saw a monster," she said chuckling. "Was this your... Bar Mitzvah?"

"Yeah," I said, giving her a sheepish smile. "Who else do you see."

"There's your dad lifting you up," she said. "There's Great Aunt Rachel and Grandpa Franz," she said.

"And," I said.

"Your mom, Laura, your cousins, your sisters, your friends," I then pulled out Franz's wedding photo, and silently asked Twilight to compare the two.

"So your saying," Twilight said. "That even though Franz and Rachel lost everything and were betrayed, they were able to rebuild their lives and start new families and make new friends."

"Yes," I said, giving Twilight a proud smile. "It is true that human beings can do horrible things for terrible reasons. It is true they can cause suffering to each other." I paused. "But human beings can also survive the most horrific odds and rebuild."

"Jews in particular are a people who have suffered more hardship and terror then any other people, but despite it, they were able to rebuild and prosper". I said. "Yes, Hitler managed to decimate entire families and communities. But his dream of a Jew-free world never came to pass." I said with a smile. "Despite the horrors he and his fellow cretins inflicted, the Jewish people outlasted him. The survivors of his madness, like my ancestors, went on to build new lives and start new families in America, in Israel, and in other places. Despite the danger, there were people who were brave enough, like Alexander, to shelter my Great Aunt Rachel." I gave her a solemn look.

"Twilight, you aren't wrong to think that one day, some evil dictator might rise up and try to get rid of ponies. But I am confident that if the Jewish people could survive these hardships, the ponies of Equestria could survive what ever is thrown at them." Twilight let out a small smile, and galloped over to give me another great hug.

"Thank you Jake," she said with a tender smile. She then released me, her muzzle twisted into a frown. "But still, we need to prepare if some human tries to do anything evil, or some evil ponies get their hooves on human weapons."

"I'm sure you can talk about it with the President the next time you too meet," I said with a smile. "Besides, I might have some ideas."

Cyncism Is Not Wisdom

View Online

After my talk with Twilight, we both decided to come up with proposals for a mutual defense treaty between Equestria and the US. She was going to meet with the President and the Joint Chiefs of Staff next week anyways to discuss potential threats to Equestria by human weaponry, and potential security threats that Equestrian malcontents could pose should they arrive on Earth.

While none of the proposals would be binding until she finally get back in touch with Equestria, they were useful in any future negotiations.

Twilight, to my amusement, attempted to use a keyboard. She tried to type with her hooves, but she ended up breaking some of keys. She was eventually able to use her magic to properly type. Seeing the keys suddenly move up and down briefly made me think of some ghost movie I saw. And she was quite the typist, putting out 300 pages of proposals.

I was up late at night, looking over the proposals on my laptop, and checking for any grammatical errors and technical mistakes. My back was bent over as I typed on the table, my eyes heavy and red-rimmed, and my breath reeked off coffee. I was so focused in my work, I barely noticed that someone had entered the room.

"Jake," I briefly pulled my eyes away from laptop, and saw Mary standing near the door. She was wearing a pink robe, and looking at me with concerned eyes. "It's two in the morning. Come to bed."

"Can't. Busy," I said, turning back to the laptop.

"Do I need to knock you out to get you to go to bed," Mary asked with annoyance. Don't worry, our relationship wasn't built off of violence. It was a rhetorical question she would ask whenever I either worked late at night or tried to go to work while sick. This time, however, I ignored the question. She was clearly surprised by that . Because the next moment, came up behind me and wrapped her arms around my shoulders.

"Honey," she said in a soothing tone. "What's wrong? Are you still worried about how all this will affect our lives? Because I'm worried-"

"No," I said. Truth is, the anxiety I had about how my life had changed faded after my talk with Twilight. Compared to what I feared now, being upset about having extra security felt ridiculously petty.

"Then what is it," she asked, sitting down on the couch next to me, and putting a warm hand on my hand. "Does this have anything to do with you telling Twilight about Aunt Rachel or Franz?" My eyes watered at that. When I told their stories to Mary, she cried like a baby.

"Well, Twilight brought up how human beings...kill each other over the most stupid reasons," I said. "And after our talk, we studied the Columbian Exchange to study and prepare for a successful First Contact..." I paused, trying to collect my emotions.

"Honey," Mary's voice said in a soothing tone. "Tell me."

"I'm afraid that a human army might wipe out ponies ," I admitted in a broken tone. Mary put a warm shoulder on me.

"Honey, you shouldn't let-,"

"Why not," I said. "I mean, I told Twilight about how Jews survived almost anything, which meant ponies might be able to survive the same thing. But, Twilight told me that the number of ponies who live in Equestria is less then the entire population of New York State," I quietly barked. "Not only that, their army, as she described it, is basically medieval."

"Medieval," she asked.

"Their highest weapon tech is wagons, spears, cannons and crossbows," I said with some disdain.

"Her magic is pretty strong," Mary said in a reassuring tone. "Remember at the base, she lifted a whole tank into the air."

"Her magic power is very rare," I barked. "Most ponies can't do anything more then what their cutie marks allow."

"And she told us that her friends have this magic power that, when they come together, can defeat evil," Mary said, trying to reassure me.

"But can that beat back bombs and rifles," I asked rhetorically. I closed my laptop, and let my face fall in my hands. "These ponies have fought wars, but they're basically medieval skirmishes. If some human army invaded, and 'the Power of Harmony' were to fail, they would effectively be easy meat. "

"Honey, I doubt that could happen," Mary said. "Twilight is the only creature who could actually reach Equestria. She could easily lock us out if she wanted to."

"Yes, but let's say she does keep portal open," I said miserably. "And in the future, more permanent ones open." I clenched my fists. "A lot of horrible things could happen. They could strike oil in Equestria, and some CIA agent would then decide that Equestria needs some 'MURICAN FREEDOM!" I said. Mary let out a small chuckle. "Or some Taliban-style nutcase could try and blow up their princesses." Mary let out an annoyed sigh.

"You're not wrong Jake, those things are a possibility," she said reluctantly. "But why are those things your problem?" I narrowed my eyes.

"Because we're the ones who found her," I barked. She rolled her eyes at me.

"Oh God," she said with a laugh, "you are so egotistical."

"Egotistical," I said with annoyance.

"Yeah! You think you're the one who will controls the fate of ponies, just because you found her eating our flowers. Jake, in the grand scheme of things, we're just the two lucky idiots who struck gold. It will be the powers that be, both here and in Equestria, that have to dig it out of the ground."

"What does that mean," I asked, confused by her metaphor.

"It means that we're not responsible for what other humans or other governments do," she said. "If some terrorist tries to blow them up, it is the fault of a terrorist. Twilight told me how every few months, some evil creature tries to take over their land. Would you blame Twilight if some evil pony tried to take over our world," she said.

"No," I said, offended by the very idea. "But, I'm still scared." Mary gave me a serious look.

"I'm a little scared too," Mary said. "But again, if shit happens, we have to accept it and move on. Again, we are not responsible for what other human beings do." She then gave me a warm smile and put her hand on my shoulder. "And besides, when it comes to the meeting between species, I think we're already off to an OK start."

"Really," I asked.

"Generations from now, when they write about the story of Equestrian-Earth relations, that story will begin with a beautiful woman and her brave, handsome husband giving a poor creature food and shelter," she said, her voice become deeper and seductive. "And that same brave husband opening up to that creature about his dark family history, despite how hard it was to do." I felt myself relax a bit, and was soon mesmerized by Mary's newfound beauty. "I don't think that Twilight could've found a better representative of the human race." Her words filled me with some confidence.

"Your right," I said, rising from the couch. The fear of pony genocide still hung within me, but I wasn't putting it all on my shoulders. "Perhaps the lady would like to be escorted back to her throne," I said in what I hoped was a suave voice.

"Perhaps," she said in a contrary tone that very playful. "If you ask me politely." With that, we walked arm and arm to bed. But nevertheless, I still felt that, even though I might be little more than a spokesman, I still had a duty to ensure peaceful relations.

When I got to the teacher's lounge the next day, I looked through the trash can, and dumped all its contents out, to the confusion of everyone else, and began rifling through the letters I had thrown away.

"Hey," I looked up and saw Homer standing over me with an annoyed look. "What are you doing? Trying to take my job," he said without a hint of irony.

"No," I said, going through the trash.

"Hey Jake," Pauleen said. "If you're hungry, I have this half-eating bagel in my trash can."

"That's nice," I said, not caring to trade barbs with Pauleen. I finally found the letter, and ran out, ignoring the angered look Homer gave me over making a mess. I ran into the corner of an empty hallway, and pulled out my phone. I looked around, only to see Roger behind me.

"This is a private phone call," I said to the suited man. He simply turned his head away from me, but still stayed near me. I let out a sigh, knowing that was the most I could get him to do. I opened the letter, mumbling with disgust over the tomato stains and old lettuce still on it, and dialed the number in the letter on my phone.

"Hello," a female voice said on the other line. "This is the offices of Amnesty International. May I ask whose calling?"

"Hello," I said. "This is Jacob Klein. I'm calling about your offer..."

Current Events/ Talking To The World

View Online

JPrincess Twilight Sparkle pays a visit to Auschwitz. She makes a speech calling for tolerance.

09/07/2021

Princess Twilight Sparkle and Undersecretary of Extraterrestrial Affairs Dr. Jacob Klein toured the site of the Auschwitz concentration camp, accompanied by a delegation that included Polish President Leopold Nowak, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Amit, and several Holocaust survivors.

Jacob Klein's great aunt, Rachel Tanner (nee Klein), was herself a survivor of Auschwitz concentration camp and his grandfather Franz was a refugee from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia. The Princess laid an elegant bouquet in front of the memorial plaque and gave a speech denouncing bigotry and hate.

"It is my sincerest hope that future generations of humans and Equestrians of all races focus on what unites our species and not what divides us," Princess Twilight said. "That we are not so blinded by hate and paranoia, that we would treat each other as mere insects."

As she left to return to the United States, Princess Twilight was said to have been deeply moved by what she saw.

United States Ratifies the Graz Accords. Joins 23 Other Nations in Extra-Terrestrial Treaty

01/08/2021

At an outdoor ceremony, President Michael Robertson was surrounded by bipartisan figures, Dr. Jacob Klein, and Equestrian Ambassador Unity Hope as he publicly signed into law the Vance-Peterson Act. Also known as the Equestrian Relations Act, it will allow travel and the free exchange of non-warfare related materials between Equestria and the United States under the terms of the Graz Accords.

"By signing this act into law," the President said in a public speech. "We can ensure that the dialogue and commerce between our worlds remains peaceful and to the mutual benefit of both our species."

The treaty allows for the free-exchange of goods and people between the United States and Equestria. Starting January 01, 2022, residents from both countries will be allowed to apply for visas to travel or immigrate to two different nations.

The treaty binds both nations to police threats and strictly control and police the sale of materials and magic that could be used in conflict...

Equestrian Pony Challenges Arrest for Misuse of Magic, Claiming the Second Amendment

08/15/2022

In a lawsuit that has attracted nation-wide attention, Equestrian Pony Dancing Flame, a unicorn and resident of Phoenix, AZ, claims that her illicit use of magic was in fact a constitutional right.

Dancing Flame was arrested last Tuesday for arson and illegal use of magic under the Vance-Peterson Act. Dancing Flame immolated Seymour Lawrence, a drunken man who attempted to attack her with a broken bottle, with fire magic. The incident was captured on a video that has gone viral.

Dancing Flame has quickly become an icon to many libertarian and 2nd amendment activists who believed magic is covered under the right to bear arms.

"This was clearly a case of self-defense," NRA spokesman Wayne Bradley said, "In Equestria, magic is used in self-defense all the time. To charge her is to destroy the 2nd amendment and our very Constitution."

Undersecretary of Extraterrestrial Affairs Jacob Klein to give historic speech at the UN to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the ratification of the Graz Accords

12/12/2022

Despite getting use to crowds, I still felt nervous as I sat in my VIP hotel suite. The comfortable leather chairs, tuxedo, complimentary booze, and gift baskets didn't reduce my anxiety, but only added to the weight I felt pushed on top of me. For the first time ever, I would be speaking not just in front of an audience, but the entire world. In a place normally reserved for world leaders.

Technically, I did lead something as Undersecretary of Extraterrestrial Affairs. Technically I did govern the State Department's offices that revolved around American-Equestrian relations. But in truth, I was mostly a figurehead in the department, with most of the work being done by State Department officials. A glorified celebrity. A face for how humanity and Equestria's residents could live in peace. The real work I did was as an adjunct professor at George Washington Universit, who were nice enough to give honorary doctorate, making me a "Dr." as well. That was swell.

I never truly held a leadership role. I was not mentally prepared to speak before what might be the largest audience in human history, despite all the help from coaches and speechwriters.

I remembered when Princess Celestia spoke before the world in Graz. Her words, though kind, carried an undertone of authority schoolteachers like me wished we could command. The tone she used made it clear she would not allow humanity to exploit her precious ponies. How could I compete with words sharpened by wisdom and pose that only centuries of experience could produce?

"Jake," I turned around and saw Mary. She came out of the bathroom and was wearing a red dress designed by Twilight's seamstress friend Rarity. Despite it being her first human dress, a pony without fingers was a surprisingly good at making human wardrobe. "Are you OK?"

"I am going to be speaking before an audience of billions. A speech that will be remembered for centuries to come," I said with some annoyance. "What do you think?"

"Jake," Mary said in a tone that combined both reassurance and exasperation. "We both dreaded life as a celebrity. We both thought we could never adapt. But we've grown into such jetsetters."

"You just like the champagne and hotel rooms," I said with a wry grin, which she returned.

"Well, it certainly helped," she said. "You've given speeches before. Just think of the audience as the school auditorium." She let out a pause. "Only a million times bigger," she finished uneasily. We both let out a chuckle at her words. Roger burst into the suite without knocking, as usual.

"Mr. Klein," Roger said. He pointed to his watch, signaling it was time to go. Mary took my hand, and we both walked out of the hotel room to what would be the most important assignment of my life.

The noise of the applause as I entered the UN General Assembly was so great that I thought I would be knocked over. It was the kind of applause you only hear at platinum-record concerts or State of the Union addresses.

"Ladies and Gentleman," a female announcer said. Soon, several quieter announcements in multiple languages followed along. "Jacob Solomon Klein!"

The applause got even louder. Time seemed to slow as I approached the marble granite podium were countless individuals have spoken before the assembly. I wonder if they felt the same pressure I did, or if their years of leadership gave them the resolve they needed.

I felt overwhelmed as the applause died down, my face appeared on the jumbotron, and I was given my cue. Time slowed further, and every millisecond felt like a year. I looked upward and saw Twilight, her fellow Princesses, her friends, representatives from other races, Mary, and my twin daughters. Their image not only gave me strength, but reminded me of the importance of my speech. I glanced at Roger, who gave me a covert thumbs up.

"Members of the Assembly," I began. "I am honored to be speaking before this body. Only a few short years ago, I and so many others could've never have imagined the discovery of other beings would ever occur within our lifetimes. Nor did I ever imagine such proof appearing before me directly." I paused briefly, giving a very small glance upward. I had a feeling the lavender pony saw it and gave a small smile. "Much has been said about my wife and I granting Princess Twilight food and shelter. While I consider our actions to have been basic courtesy, my hope is that in any future relations between our species remain guided not by greed or hostility, but the generosity and kindness that Princess Twilight has continued to receive." I paused as a brief applause overtook the assembly.

"Much has been said about the wonders of Equestria and its magic, and how it could help humankind. Equestrians in turn have been dazzled by the results of human ingenuity and how it could benefit their society. But the greatest quality of Equestria I've encountered is nothing material or tangible. The greatest magic found in Equestria is the Magic of Friendship. In the land of Equestria, the many sentient races of the land are taught to live by the principles of Kindness, Generosity, Laughter, Loyalty, Honesty, and Magic. As an American, the greatest quality of America is not my nation's wealth and abundance. It is that our nation was founded on the principle that all men are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." I let out a short pause as the audience let out a brief applause. Through a glance at the jumbotron, I saw the Americans present were giving me proud smiles.

"There are those who say that when it comes to international relations, we must leave principles at the door. That realism must take the place of idealism. That politics and special interests must rise above virtue. And finally, those who say the virtue of friendship and liberty is mere sentimentality. But to me the principles of friendship and liberty are not merely bromides. They are not merely words you read in a self help book. They are not merely slogans meant to rally a nation. They are not merely guiding principles. They are, in fact, necessary for survival. In both Equestria and Earth, technology and magic have often been misused by those who disdained the ideals of Friendship and liberty. The result was catastrophe, terror, and death." I let out a small pause, remembering the emaciated picture of Aunt Rachel. This image gave me even more resolve.

"For when we lose sight of our virtues, when we lose sight of our values as human beings or ponies, we can be consumed by evil and terror. With technology and magic, that terror can destroy and harm an enormous amount. Over the next few decades, our achievements in technology and magic will continue to grow. While these achievements will be to the benefit of mankind and ponykind, there is also a danger that they can be harnessed toward horrible ends. It is only by maintaining our values, by committing to ideals, by avoiding the poison of hatred and greed, that we can ensure good relations between our species. Let us not merely use our spoils to improve our material wealth. As we march toward greater cooperation, let us also use our gains to better ourselves."

A brief pause hung over as I speech ended. Then I heard slow clapping, and more slow clapping. The clapping exponentially grew into a fierce applause, followed by cheers from all over the place. It continued even after I moved from the podium.

Whenever I despair over the future of Equestrian-Earth relations, whenever some malcontents attempt to disrupt the peace, I remember the reception my speech got. The warm applause, the pats on the back from all my friends, the admiration of Mary and my daughters. Despite the terrors of the Holocaust, and despite the evils of beings like King Sombra, that night when I spoke before the world taught me that majority of us are good at heart.

By keeping that in mind, we can overcome anything.

Are Humans Evil?

by redandready45

The Textbook

The Root of All Evil

The Answers Lie With My Ancestors (WARNING: Depections of Nazi Brutality)

Cyncism Is Not Wisdom

Current Events/ Talking To The World