Twilight receives a message saying that they will be expecting diplomats from a nation they've never even heard of until now.
Twilight has been princess of not only friendship, but all of Equestria for at least a year now. She had successfully united all creatures in the name of friendship and harmony. Things are very peaceful in the land.
However, one day, she gets a message explaining that diplomats from another nation are coming to visit them in the hopes of establishing friendly relations. One problem though: Twilight had never even heard of this country until now.
When the diplomats arrive, Twilight and the others aren't sure what to make of them. They're all foxes.
Twilight and Spike were having a good time in the library.
For once, Twilight wasn't driving herself or Spike crazy with another re-organizing campaign in the library, much to Spike's relief. Spike was sitting on a cushion in the far right corner reading another one of his "Power Ponies" comics, while Twilight was reading about the history of Earth Pony farming techniques.
Ever since Twilight became the sole ruler of Equestria, things have never been more peaceful. The greatest villains the world has ever seen have been imprisoned, her student has now become a master, and the best part is that she and her friends were able to unite the different kingdoms in friendship. The world has never been more peaceful.
While the princess and dragon were enjoying their respective reading material, Spike started gagging. That was the usual sign that he was about to receive a message through his fire. After a few more gags, Spike finally burped out the flame.
But this flame was weirdly different. Usually, Spike's flame was green. But this flame was a bright blue. The flame materialized into a rolled up scroll held together by a red ribbon and pinned by a jade bead with an unusual crest on it.
Twilight unfurled the scroll and read the message within.
***
Dear Twilight-hime of Equestria
I am the Emperor of the nation of Kihon. I have been keeping a close eye on affairs within your country. I am convinced of your desire for those of other species to co-exist with your kingdom in the name of friendship. I would very much like to visit your country with some of my court to establish a relationship with the land of Equestria. I would like a response within a fortnight.
With love, Emperor Sato Minamoto
***
Twilight and Spike looked at each other with curious expressions on their faces. "Kihon"? They both went to a map of the entire world, but they couldn't find this kingdom anywhere. No matter how closely they looked, they couldn't find this country anywhere.
"Does this country even exist?" Spike asked.
"It might if their Emperor is coming for a visit, Spike. Maybe they're simply hidden in isolation," Twilight replied. "Either way, we should gather the others so that we can decide how to approach the situation".
At the Castle of Friendship
Twilight, Spike, Starlight, the other Element Bearers, and even the Pillars were all gathered in the library to talk about what to do with the diplomats from a country they've never even heard of until now. They all read the message and all had different ideas about how to approach this.
"Even we've never heard of Kihon before," Starswirl said.
"Maybe it's somehow hidden?" Stygian suggested.
Starswirl powered up his horn and tried to examine the kind of magic that covered the scroll. The more Starswirl tried to examine it, something started to affect his mind.
His eyes glazed over and his lips curled into an idiotic grin. His balance started to falter as he started to sway from side-to-side. Moans of ecstasy escaped his mouth. At some point, he stopped his examination to see everyone looking at him with curious looks.
"This is definitely foreign magic. It felt like my whole being was immersed in warm water," he said.
"So this isn't Equestrian magic, then?" Rarity asked.
"No. This magic feels old, yet very powerful," he replied.
"So what do we do?" Rainbow asked.
"Well, the Emperor said that he wishes to have a good relationship with Equestria. Perhaps we should welcome them here," Fluttershy suggested.
"If these people are capable of using this kind of powerful magic, it would also be more beneficial to befriend them. In the event that Equestria should ever go to war, it would be great to have a powerful ally to help us," Flash Magnus put in.
"It would be nice to see what kind of fashion these people have," Rarity said.
"I'd like to see what kind of food they eat. Maybe I can even bake something great for them, as well," Pinkie added.
"Same here. I'd like to give them some good down-home country cooking", Applejack said.
Starlight smiled. "I would like to see what magic they use".
"I'd like to see if they like sports", Rainbow said.
Twilight gave a small chuckle. "Looks like we have a consensus. Looks like we're going to invite them to Equestria for harmony".
Three days Later- Nighttime
Twilight and the others were waiting in the Canterlot Castle's throne room for the Kihon diplomats to arrive.
Just two days prior, Twilight had sent a letter to the Emperor inviting them to the Canterlot Castle as it was the most official place to hold a diplomatic meeting. Emperor Minamoto responded saying that he and his escorts would use magic to travel to the city. It was pretty late into the night with them still waiting for the Emperor.
"What do you think the people of Kihon look like?" Rainbow asked.
"Well, I don't think they're like ponies. Maybe they're similar to dragons or Kirin," Fluttershy replied.
"I think that maybe they're probably something like talking lizards," Rockhoof said.
"Everyone, we'll soon see what the people of Kihon are like when the Emperor arrives," Starlight said.
Speaking of which, something happened that could only be described as "magical". A tall red gate-like structure materialized out of the air. Glowing pink flower petals poured out of the sides of the gate and filled the entire throne room with a sweet smell that reminded Twilight of spring flowers blooming. In the center of the gate was a bright blue portal.
What stepped out of the portal was what Twilight and the others could only guess was the Emperor of Kihon.
He was a beautiful bipedal fox with fur that shone like pure gold. His fur was well-groomed and looked pleasant to the eye. He was dressed in a bright red robe-like piece of clothing with a black sash that functioned as a belt, a pair of wooden sandals on his feet, and wore a strange crown on the top of his head. His eyes were shining like emeralds. But the most bizarre thing about the Emperor was the fact that he had nine long tails fanned out behind his back. From behind him came four other foxes.
Two of them were dressed in what appeared to be some kind of armor. They had helmets with built-in masks that were made to look like smiling demons. They each carried two sheathed swords, which looked to be long, thin, and slightly curved. They looked to be a male and a female.
The other two were dressed in form-fitting black clothing with masks covering their muzzles. They each had a belt with the same swords the warriors carried, but they also carried rope and different weapons.
Once they were all in the throne room, they all bowed at seeing the Princess of Friendship and her entourage.
"Greetings, Twilight-hime. Please allow me to extend my deepest gratitude to you for accepting my offer of friendship," Emperor Minamoto greeted.
"Y-yes. You're more than welcome, Your Majesty. We welcome you here to Equestria. I hope we can establish a great relationship in the future," Twilight replied.
The others were mesmerized by the Emperor's appearance to really say anything. To them, they might as well be looking at a god. They hadn't expected that these foxes were the sole inhabitants of Kihon.
"Please, enjoy all the comforts the castle can offer you," Twilight said.
"We thank you for your hospitality, Twilight-hime," Emperor Minamoto replied.
"No need for honorifics here. Please call me Twilight".
"Then please call me Sato".
"Okay, then, Sato. I shall escort you to your rooms while you stay with us," Twilight said.
Twilight and her friends escorted the Emperor and his entourage to a set of rooms where they'll all be staying in during this trip. When Sato entered his room, his two armed guards took position on each side of the door to make sure he stayed safe. Once they got settled, everyone else went into their own rooms to wait until morning to really get to learn about their new arrivals to Equestria.
Twilight, Spike, the Elements, and the Pillars were all sitting in the dining hall awaiting their guests to arrive for breakfast. It was obvious that they had the foxy diplomats on their minds. Their appearances, their magic, and especially their Emperor were bound to be the topic of discussion today. As Twilight looked around, she saw that some of her friends and even Meadowbrook and Somnabula had dreamy looks on their faces. It didn't take long for Twilight to guess why.
"Emperor Sato has very lovely eyes, doesn't he?" Twilight asked with a mischievous smile.
The reaction she got was instantaneous. They all blushed, smiled, and tried looking in random different directions. Rarity was actually brave enough to speak up.
"Well, darling, now that you mention it, his eyes are rather nice to look at," Rarity said.
"I'd like to bury my face is his chest fluff," Meadowbrook said.
Mage Meadowbrook's statement had everyone staring at her. They were glad that Emperor Sato and his entourage weren't in the room, yet.
Speaking of which, the doors opened to reveal Emperor Sato and his armed entourage. The Emperor was finely dressed in the same robe he wore last night. His four warriors, still armed to the teeth, strolled into the dining hall alongside their ruler. Emperor Sato gave his hosts a respectful bow.
"Ohayo gozaimasu, Twilight-hime," Emperor Sato greeted.
Twilight could tell that he was saying "good morning" in his native tongue. She returned the Emperor's bow in turn.
"Ohayo gozaimasu, Sato-sama," Twilight replied.
Emperor Sato smiled at Twilight picking up on his language. He walked into the dining hall and sat down by Twilight's side, with some of his tails brushing against Twilight's thigh. The feeling of his fluffy tails sent shocks up Twilight's leg and back. They were pleasant shocks, though. His tails also felt soft and warm. It was like love itself had materialized in the from of fox tails.
"I get that reaction a lot," Emperor Sato said.
"W-w-what? What do you mean?" Twilight asked.
"See, part of my morning routine is that I'm groomed to look presentable to the nobles and the common peoples of my empire," Sato said. "Whenever some my servants brush my tails, they respond with a feeling of ecstasy. I've seen my servants fight over getting to brush my tails".
"Oh really?" Fluttershy asked.
"Yes. I've heard others compliment my appearance before, but I've never heard someone say that they want to 'bury their faces in my chest fluff'," Sato said.
Instantly, everyone's faces turned to Mage Meadowbrook, who was blushing wildly. Sato gave a small chuckle.
"It's okay. I know my fur looks pleasing to the eye. It's only natural for you to feel a desire to touch it," Sato said in understanding.
"His Imperial Majesty has the most luxurious fur among our people," the female armored warrior said.
"If I may be so bold, Your Majesty, might I inquire as to what your grooming regimen is?" Rarity asked.
"I will tell you at a later date. For now, I think we should all enjoy breakfast. I brought some treats from my homeland I'd like to share with you," Sato said.
"Really? What are they?" Pinkie asked.
"You'll see," Sato said.
The two foxes in black clothing pulled out two large sacks and placed them on the table. They reached into the sack and pulled out a container. One of the black-clad warriors opened the container to reveal small light green pastries. Sato took one and handed it to Twilight.
"Go on. Try it," Sato said.
Twilight took a small bite out of the pastry. It was amazing! The inside of the pastry was filled with some dark red paste and the outside was covered in what appeared to be powdered sugar. The paste was so smooth and the sugar exploded in her mouth. She eagerly ate the rest of the pastry.
"Everyone, you have to try these!" Twilight said to the others.
All the others tried the foreign treat their guests brought. They deeply enjoyed the treats if their faces were anything to go by. Sato took the bag, reached into it, and took out a small box.
"I also brought some tea from my land. I'd like to share it with you, Twilight," Sato said.
"Sure, I'll try it," Twilight said.
A flash of blue fire burst in Sato's paw and a tea pot formed in it. He then put the tea leaf bits in the pot, poured water from a container into the pot, and heated up the pot using his blue flame. Once he deemed the tea finished, he poured the tea into a small cup for Twilight to drink.
Twilight took a small sip of the tea. The tea Sato made was amazing! The flavor was smooth and soothing. She felt like all her stress was melting away. A pleasant warmth spread throughout her entire body. Twilight took her time drinking the tea.
"It makes me happy to see you enjoy our special blend of tea," Sato said.
Everyone spent their breakfast enjoying the different food. Once, breakfast was over, Twilight turned to Emperor Sato.
"Shall we go to the library to discuss the future relationship between Equestria and Kihon?" Twilight asked.
"Yes, we should. I would also like to learn more about you and your kingdom," Sato said.
The diplomatic group went to the library to discuss relations between Equestria and Kihon and settled down in a special table. However, most of Twilight's friends and the Pillars were made to wait outside as they weren't part of the world of politics. Twilight sat at a small table across from Emperor Sato.
"So, Your Majesty, why exactly did you want to make contact with us?" Twilight asked.
"As I've said in my letter, you've turned Equestria and indeed the world into a place of true harmony," Sato said. "Me and my court have decided that it was high time to reveal ourselves to the outside world and establish relations with other nations."
"Okay, but what exactly does your nation want our of this friendship?" Twilight asked.
"Trade between our two countries as well as a policy to help each other in times of war or strife. I simply want to make sure our countries can get along in this age of harmony you and your friends created," Sato said.
"That makes sense. In that case, I can more than agree," Twilight said holding out her hoof. "To friendship between our nations."
"To friendship," Sato said, shaking the hoof in his paw.
"If there's anything I can do to increase the bond between us, you just let me know," Twilight said.
"Well, there is one thing," one of Sato's guards said.
"Really? What is it?" Twilight asked.
"You and Sato-sama could get married," the guard replied.
A hot blush appeared on Twilight's cheeks instantly and her right ear flipped. She began to look at everything but Sato.
"M-m-married? We c-can't get married. I mean, we only met each other yesterday," Twilight said quickly. Sato chuckled.
"It's okay, Twilight. While a political marriage between us would indeed strengthen bonds between our nations, I would never force you to do something you don't want to," Sato said.
The nervous Princess instantly calmed down. As beautiful and kind as Sato was, she wasn't ready to get married. Even if she did like him, she'd want to start off as simply friends.
"Thank you, Sato. But I really want to be friends," Twilight said.
"It's no trouble, Twilight. In fact, as a sign of friendship, you can touch my tails," Sato said.
His guards gasped. Their emperor was allowing someone other than his imperial groomers to touch his tails? That was an honor that was literally fought over. Princess Twilight was unsure of how to respond. She didn't have to think too much about it, though, as Sato moved his tails towards Twilight and practically coiled them around her.
Oh my gosh! These are so soft! And warm! I could get addicted to this! Twilight thought.
Twilight instinctively reached up to touch the tails. They were amazing. She did her best to brush the fur in the direction of their growth. The tails also smelled amazing, like fruit and flower blossoms. Her session with the tails was making her feel sleepy.
Is there magic making me so sleepy? Nah. Must be coincidence. Either way, this is amazing! Twilight thought.
But before she could fall asleep, one of the black-clad foxes opened the door and let in the eavesdropping friends to tumble on the floor. The looked up and saw Twilight buried under fluff. Sato chuckled as he addressed them.
"If you all want to, you can cuddle my tails as well," Sato said.
The other mares all gasped and approached Sato so that they could feel his tails. They all had looks of contentment as the tails brushed against them and made them as sleepy as Twilight.
"I swear, you all look like my brother and sisters when we were pups," Sato said. "We would cuddle our mother's tails when we slept."
"I think I may want to change my own tail grooming routine if I could have a tail like this," Rarity said.
"I could sleep forever if I could sleep with this tail," Applejack said.
"It's even softer and fluffier than my own tail," Pinkie said.
"I've felt fox fur before, but this is another level of soft," Fluttershy said.
Before any of them could fall asleep, Sato withdrew his tails. The gathered ponies all groaned at the loss of heavenly fluff.
"Okay, that's enough. I know my fur is soft, but we must focus on the future of our countries' relationship," Sato said.
Twilight snapped herself out of her stupor. "What did you have in mind?"
"I was thinking something along the lines of cultural exchange," Sato said. "Perhaps we could teach each other about our cultures and traditions as well as you all traveling to Kihon to absorb our culture."
Everyone in the room was excited about the prospect of going to another land to see how the foxes lived. And Twilight could add more to Equestria's knowledge.
"That all sounds like a great idea!" Twilight said. "I'll make necessary arrangements right away."
"If you decide to come to Kihon, you have to stay at my palace. I know my siblings would love you!" Sato said excitedly.
"We'd love to!" Rarity said.
"What are your siblings' names?" Applejack asked.
"I have two brothers named Kage and Shoto, and two sisters named Yuki and Tomoe," Sato replied. "They're a rambunctious bunch, but I love them."
"I'd like to try more food from Kihon!" Pinkie exclaimed.
The foxes turned to the happy pony. Sato placed a paw on Pinkie's shoulder.
"Are you sure you'd like to try all of Kihon's cuisine? Remember, Kitsune like us are omnivores, so we like most meat," Sato said.
Pinkie hadn't thought of that. Since ponies were obviously herbivores, it sounded like a lot of their food wouldn't be good for her. Sato looked into Pinkie's eyes.
"But there are a lot of dishes that don't include meat. I could have my chefs prepare some for you when you visit," Sato said.
"Hooray!" Pinkie shouted with a jump.
"I would like to see the kind of fashion that exists in Kihon," Rarity said.
One of Sato's guards responded to Rarity. "Then you'd have to visit the northern ward of the capital. Lots of talented artisans live and set up shop there."
Rarity smiled from ear to ear. "I can already picture myself in Kihon clothing."
Just then, Spike entered the room and brought with him a large wheeled tray with pots of tea. Sato and the other Kitsune eyed the small dragon with looks of awe. He then turned to Twilight.
"Twilight! I didn't know you had a Western dragon living here with you," Sato said in shock.
"Yes, we've been together ever since I hatched him from an egg. Are there dragons in Kihon?" Twilight replied.
"There are, but they're not like dragons you've seen. The ones from the East possess great magical power on par with a god," Sato said. "There's even one that grants wishes."
"That sounds awesome!" Rainbow said.
The conversation went far into the afternoon. The ponies and dragon all eagerly anticipated an upcoming trip to Kihon. After some more talking, Twilight and Sato came up with a sound idea: students from Kihon would come to Equestria to learn more about the culture of the ponies and students from Equestria would go to Kihon to go to school there for a semester. Twilight and her friends would also travel to the capital and experience the daily life of a Kitsune. Sato and his entourage seemed eager to learn more about the ponies as well.
Things were looking very good for the foreseeable future of Equestria and Kihon.
The entire student body of the School of Friendship was gathered in the main lecture hall. They had been asked to gather there without being given any indication as to why the assembly was called, so everyone there was eager to find out what was going on. Sandbar was sitting with his friends waiting for Headmistress Twilight to come out.
"What do you thin this is going to be about guys?" Sandbar asked.
"Maybe it's another lecture about how friendship can turn villains good," Gallus replied.
"I'd like to learn more about how trust develops, honestly," Smolder said.
Before they could deliberate further, Twilight came out and stepped up to the podium to address her students.
"Everyone, I am happy to tell you all that we're going to be doing a foreign-exchange program with Equestria's latest ally, Kihon!" Twilight said.
That got everyone in the room talking. They tried to think about this country that Twilight named, only to realize that they had never heard of Kihon before. And they were doing a foreign-exchange program with them, too. Yona raised her hoof into the air to ask a question.
"Headmistress Twilight! What are these Kihon folks like?" Yona asked.
"I'm glad you asked that, Yona, because there's a representative from Kihon here with us today," Twilight replied pointing to the side. "May I introduce the Emperor of Kihon himself, Sato Minamoto!"
Emperor Sato and his armed escort stepped out onto the stage beside Twilight. Every one of the students was in awe of the fox monarch with the gorgeous golden fur and cute features. A lot of the female students blushed at seeing Sato as well as the other students staring at the armor and weapons wielded by his guards.
"It is a true pleasure to meet you all. I am Emperor Sato Minamoto, emperor of Kihon," Sato said. "As Princess Twilight said, our goal for this is to establish greater relations for our nations, hence the purpose behind this exchange. I will be sending a couple of students from Kihon to this very school and some of you will get the opportunity to study abroad in Kihon."
This news was incredible to the gathered students. Some of them would get to travel to another land and meet these other foxes. The very idea sounded attractive to them. Ocellus raised her hoof.
"Miss Twilight! How exactly are you going to choose which students are going to be going to Kihon?" she asked.
Twilight looked to Sato with a smile. She then turned back to answer Ocellus's question.
"Actually, Ocellus, we were thinking you and your friends would be the one to go to Kihon," Twilight said.
Ocellus and the rest of her friends all stared at the Princess in shock. Sato stepped forward with a smile.
"Twilight-hime here has told me so many wonderful things about you, including the fact that you've accepted each other regardless of the fact that your races were former enemies," Sato said. "That makes you more than worthy of going to Kihon."
"So... when do we leave?" Sandbar asked.
"You depart with Emperor Sato for Kihon in three days," one of the fox guards said. "That should give you plenty of time to get yourselves ready."
"And I hope that you all will treat the upcoming arrivals with respect and friendship," Twilight said.
"Of course we will, Ma'am!" the other students shouted.
And with that, Twilight and Sato took their leave while the selected students made sure to get themselves ready to travel to Kihon. They all headed straight to their dorms and set to packing immediately.
"Can you believe it?!" Sandbar asked. "We're going to another country!"
"I can hardly believe it, myself. We really must be special if we were selected to go to Kihon for this semester," Gallus said.
"I can't wait to get going already! I'd love to add to our group of friends!" Silverstream said.
"Yona would like to see new place and make new friends!" Yona said.
"Did anyone else notice how soft the Emperor's fur looked?" Smolder asked with a blush.
"Yeah, and his ears make me want to stroke them," Ocellus said.
"Why does he have so many tails, though?" Gallus asked.
"I'm not sure and I don't care. I just want to know how his fur feels," Smolder said.
The group managed to get themselves packed pretty quickly. All they had to do now was wait for the day they got to go. It would be good for them to broaden their horizons and add to their companion compendium.
...
With Twilight and Emperor Sato - Castle of Friendship
The two leaders were eager to see the new students coming from Kihon. The other Elements and the Pillars were all gathered to greet them along with Twilight and Sato. Twilight in particular was looking forward to seeing the kind of magic the Kitsune possessed.
Emperor Sato pulled a small paper talisman from his sleeve with a picture of a torii gate and a kanji character above it and threw it on the floor.
"Gate open!" Sato called.
Before the very eyes of all gathered, a large red torii gate emerged from the talisman in a flurry of pink cherry blossoms. A portal formed inside the gate and out stepped two figures.
The first figure was a short red Kitsune with a single tail wearing a plain brown and white kimono with a blue ribbon tying her hair back in a ponytail as well as wooden sandals on her paws.
The second figure was not a fox, but a silver-colored wolf. He wore a black gi with a red belt and leather sandals. Both of the new students bowed before the emperor.
"Konnichiwa, Sato-sama," they greeted.
"Welcome to the land of Equestria, dear students," Sato said. "Please introduce yourselves to your new teachers."
The red Kitsune bowed to Twilight. "My name is Chizuru Sakomoto, and it's a pleasure to learning with you."
Next was the wolf. "My name is Saito Miyamura of the Okami Clan, and I'm looking forward to be learning with you."
"The Okami Clan?" Twilight asked.
"The Okami Clan is a clan of wolves that live alongside us Kitsune," Sato said. "The Okami and Kitsune used to be enemies until my father finally united our races in friendship. That was well over four thousand years ago."
"Wait, four thousand years ago? How old are you, exactly?" Applejack asked.
"I'll be turning exactly one thousand years old next month," Sato replied. "I'd like to have you all come to the palace to celebrate along with me."
"We'd love to!" Pinkie said.
"I'd like to go as well," Twilight said.
"Getting back on track, we welcome you to Equestria and hope you two have a wonderful time here," Fluttershy said.
"Thank you for having us," Saito said.
"We're looking forward to learning more of this land and its people," Chizuru said.
"Well then, follow me to the School of Friendship and we'll get you settled in the dorms," Twilight said.
Twilight and her friends had made themselves ready to travel to Kihon with Emperor Sato and the other Kitsune. They had been anticipating this trip along with the students standing beside them. Sato and his guards entered the room with Sato preparing the gate talisman to open the portal to Kihon.
*****
The Imperial Palace - Edo City, Kihon
Beyond the portal was none other than the capital city of Edo, with the Imperial Palace visible in the portal. Sato looed behind him and took stock of everyone gathered.
"Are you all ready to head to Kihon?" Sato asked.
"Yeah!" the gathered ponies and creatures shouted.
The armored Kitsune went through the portal first before motioning for the others to follow suit. Twilight and the others followed Emperor Sato through the portal and found themselves standing in the main courtyard of the Imperial Palace. The ponies were in awe of what they saw.
The Imperial Palace was a beautiful and ornate structure. The roof had spikes at the ends of them that pointed upwards, the walls were paper paintings of landscapes and animals, and there was a lush garden with large rocks, trees, and a clear fish pond in the center. Several servant Kitsune came out and greeted their sole monarch as well as his guests.
"Welcome to Kihon, travelers!" the servants greeted all at once.
Sato gestured to Twilight and her friends. "Please show them to their guest rooms and prepare a feast for them."
"As you command, Sato-sama!" the servants said with a bow.
After the servants left, a smaller fox with golden fur and four tails wearing a beautiful red and white kimono ran up to Sato and wrapped her paws around him in a tight hug. Sato laughed and hugged the smaller fox.
"I'm so happy to see you again, Onii-chan!" the small fox squealed. "You've been gone for so long!"
"I'm happy, too, dear sister," Sato said. "Please control yourself, we have guests from another land here."
The small vixen seemed to finally notice that the ponies were even there. She released Emperor Sato and gave a respectful bow to them.
"Greetings travelers! My name is Princess Kunou, and I'm the younger sister of Emperor Sato," Kunou said. "Welcome to Kihon!"
Twilight and the girls all gave Princess Kunou the same bow. Spike was simply staring at Kunou with awe on his face before he finally managed to bow his head. Twilight raised her head to Kunou.
"I am Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Equestria. It is a pleasure to meet you, Princess Kunou," Twilight said. "I hope we can be good friends."
"I think we just might, Twilight-hime! Hey, would you like me to show you around Edo?" Kunou asked.
Sato stepped forward and stood next to Twilight. "I'm sorry, dear sister, but me and Twilight won't be able to attend."
Princess Kunou seemed to be quite unhappy about that. Her ears and tails lowered and she puffed up her fuzzy cheeks in an attempt to pout. The ponies and dragon tried not to show it, but they were aww-ing inside at the cute display in front of them.
"Why won't you come with us?!" she asked in a high-pitched squeaky voice. The cuteness was over nine-thousand with this vixen.
"Because as Emperor, I have to have Twilight here attend a meeting with the daimyo to establish relations with them," Sato replied. "It is simply a formality. Shall we go, Twilight?"
"As much as I'd like to see the city, it seems that my duties as a ruler come first," Twilight said.
Twilight followed Emperor Sato into the palace to go meet with what the ponies guessed were the government officials of the land. With them gone, Princess Kunou turned to the rest of Twilight's entourage.
"Would you like to accompany me, then?" Princess Kunou asked.
"That sounds lovely, darling," Rarity said.
"I'd love to see what this city's like," Applejack said.
"That sounds awesome!" Rainbow Dash said.
"I'd love to see what the food here is like!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
"A tour around the city sounds nice," Fluttershy said.
Spike was trying to look at anything but Princess Kunou but eventually settled to look down at his feet.
"I'd like to see the city as well, Princess Kunou," Spike said.
The others there noticed Spike's change in behavior and giggled silently. Princess Kunou was oblivious, thankfully for Spike. Applejack nudged Rarity with her elbow.
"Looks like you ain't the apple of Spike's anymore, Rare," Applejack said.
"It's fine, Applejack. It's not like our friendship's changed," Rarity said. "Besides, I can see how Spike might be attracted to her."
"Are you all coming or what?" Rainbow Dash called to them.
Both Applejack and Rarity looked and saw that the others were already leaving without them. They hurried to catch up to the group and followed them to a uniquely ornate carriage with two beautiful white horses. The Princess was greeted by four strong-looking Samurai who bowed before her.
"Your Highness, it's so good to see you up and about," one of the warriors said. "I trust these are the diplomats we've heard so many rumors about?"
"These are. I want to take them on a tour of the city," Kunou said. "I take it you're coming along?"
"Indeed, Your Highness. Is your brother coming?" the Samurai asked.
"Sorry, but no. He and the ruler of the ponies are meeting with the daimyo," Kunou replied. "I guess the rest of us will have fun without them."
"Then shall we get underway, Princess?" the Samurai asked.
"Yep, let's go!" Princess Kunou said.
The Kitsune Princess and Twilight's friends all piled into the carriage and waited until their Samurai escorts mounted their own horses and flanked the carriage on all sides. With that settled, the carriage drove beyond the palace gates and into the sprawling metropolis that is Edo City.
*****
With Twilight and Sato
Twilight was in total awe of the palace as the Emperor led her through its halls. She saw paintings, artistic vases of lovely flowers, suits of Samurai armor, and walls that looked to be made of some kind of paper in some places. This place was somehow even more beautiful than her own castle in Ponyville.
The pair of monarchs had been walking through the palace for what felt like eternity until they finally arrived at a pair of large blue wooden doors.
"This is the gathering hall where the daimyo should be waiting for us," Sato said. "Don't be intimidated by them. Most of them are really friendly."
"Most of them?" Twilight asked.
"Some are stuck in the old ways. But they know that you're my personal guest so they won't be mean to you," Sato said reassuringly. "Don't worry, I'll be right there beside you."
Sato then draped some of his tails over Twilight's head and back. Once again, Twilight lost herself in the sea of fluff and warmth that was Sato's tails. This act was all Twilight needed to calm down.
"Okay, I'm all good," Twilight said with a slurred voice.
"Good, now let's go in," Sato said.
He pushed open the doors to reveal a large room with a long table in the center of the room that was pretty low to the ground. Sitting on special cushions were several well-dressed Kitsune that stopped their previous conversations and turned to face their Emperor. They all stood and gave Sato a respectful bow.
"Welcome home, Your Majesty!" they greeted.
"It is indeed good to be home, my friends," Sato said. "Speaking of which, I have returned with a friend of my own."
Sato then gestured to Twilight. "May I introduce Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship and the sole sovereign of Equestria."
The gathered nobles looked at Twilight with different degrees of interest. It made Twilight slightly uncomfortable to be looked at with such scrutiny, but she was guilty of looking at them with the same interest. The daimyo all bowed to Twilight with respect. One golden vixen with five tails wearing a purple and gold kimono gave Twilight a sweet smile.
"Welcome to Kihon, Twilight-hime," the vixen said. "I am Lady Tamamo no Mae of the Southern Clan. It is an honor to have heard that our beloved Emperor was made friends from another land."
"It's an honor to be here, Lady Tamamo," Twilight said.
"Now then, may we begin discussing how to proceed with international relations?" Emperor Sato asked.
"Of course, Your Majesty," Lady Tamamo replied with a bow.
Emperor Sato sat down at the head of the table and gestured to a cushion next to him for Twilight to sit. Once she sat down, the meeting was officially beginning. They would have much to discuss about the future of their two countries, but it would all be worth it in the name of friendship. And Twilight was looking forward to it.
The carriage was alive with looks of amazement as the carriage rode through the cobbled streets of Edo City. They had never been to a place so exotic. Even places like Griffonstone and the Crystal Empire paled in comparison to the splendor of this metropolis. There were Kitsune and strange flying creatures in the air that they didn't recognize. Rainbow Dash was the first to notice them.
"What are those?" Rainbow asked Kunou.
"Those are Tengu. They help carry messages and make up a portion of our empire's military," Princess Kunou replied.
The others were gawking out of the window at the winged Tengu. The Tengu were large humanoid creatures that had bright red skin and long noses and pointed ears. The large feathered wings on their backs carried them aloft in the air with remarkable speed and agility.
"I'd love to race some of these Tengu some time," Rainbow said.
"If you do, make sure you're respectful. The Tengu can get pretty grumpy," Kunou said.
"I'll keep that in mind," Rainbow said.
As they continued looking out the window, Rarity tried to suck in as much as she could about the different clothes the citizens were wearing. When she got to their footwear, she turned to Princess Kunou.
"What shoes are they wearing?" she asked, pointing to some of the passersby.
"Those are geta shoes. They're a pretty common type of footwear around here," Kunou replied. "They're supposed to keep the feet free of dirt and snow."
"That sounds like an interesting idea. I may incorporate that into my next line of Eastern-style clothes!" Rarity said. "I'm just brimming with ideas."
As the carriage rode down the street, the people stopped what they were doing to bow at the Imperial carriage before they got a good look at who was inside it with their beloved princess. When they did, the carriage was being closely followed by a few of the Kitsune until a sizeable crowd had formed to follow them. Their Samurai escorts were doing everything they could to keep the crowd from getting too close to the carriage. One of the Samurai leaned down to one of the windows to talk to the Princess.
"Your Highness, may I suggest that we go down a different street?" he asked. "These are becoming too hard to negotiate!"
"That sounds like a good idea!" she said before walking over to the front of the carriage. "Driver, could you take us to the western part of town?"
"The western part of town?" the driver asked in response. "Your Highness, are you sure that's a safe idea?"
"Just do it! We can lose the crowd there!" she replied.
The driver did as he was told and had the horses go down one of the streets heading to the western half of the city. Kunou was laughing about the crowd that formed.
"Looks like the people aren't used to seeing foreigners, yet," Kunou said.
"Will we be getting looks like that everywhere we go?" Fluttershy asked.
"Probably. Our empire has been closed off from the outside world for so long that those from other countries are all but alien to us," Kunou said.
"I've been meaning to ask, but why was Kihon closed off from the outside world to begin with?" Rarity asked.
The Princess took a bit to respond. It looked as if she was trying to remember something.
"My teachers told me something about why our nation was closed off. They told it was because of a horrendous conqueror by the name of 'Sombra'," Kunou replied.
The ponies in the cart all turned and looked to the young princess with wide eyes. Kunou didn't expect to see such a reaction from them.
"I take it that you know of this conqueror?" Kunou asked.
"Know of him?! We've fought him!" Rainbow exclaimed. "We freed the Crystal Empire from that guy!"
"Well, Spike was the main one to help," Fluttershy said.
Kunou turned to Spike. "That must have been quite a terrifying ordeal for you."
"I wasn't scared, at all. Though it was tough to save the Crystal Empire with his magic making things difficult," Spike replied.
"The Crystal Demon has quite powerful dark magic at his disposal, so I'm interested to hear your tale of your battle," Kunou said, placing a paw on Spike's arm. The dragon blushed at the touch.
"Uhh, sure. I'd like to," Spike said.
The mares in the carriage giggled at the sight. They looked out the windows again to see where they were. They found themselves in a part of town that looked pretty beaten up and worn down. Each of the buildings looked poorly maintained and the roads were lined with garbage. The inhabitants they saw walking down the streets all stopped to glare at the carriage with angry looks on their faces.
The folks they saw were all Wolves, too. These Wolves all looked ragged with torn clothes and dirty fur. Some of them were holding weapons and looked at the carriage threateningly. It all unnerved the ponies in the carriage.
"What is this place?" Applejack asked. "Looks like a pretty rough neighborhood."
"We're in the western part of the city, where the Wolves are stationed to live," the driver replied.
"The Wolves? You mean the Okami Clan?" Rarity asked.
"Yeah, our old enemies are now part of the empire in brotherhood," the driver said.
"If that's true, then why do you have the Wolves living in a separate part of the city?" Pinkie asked. "They don't look too happy to be here."
"It was part of the peace treaty they signed. Personally, I think we should keep them from living in the city altogether," the driver replied.
Princess Kunou looked out the window to see the sorry state of the Wolves. She looked at one of the houses lining the street and saw a she-Wolf nursing a young pup. The she-Wolf herself looked weak and tired and like she hadn't eaten in a long time. The she-Wolf met the Princesses gaze with pained eyes. Kunou herself felt awful at seeing the sight.
"I... I didn't know the Wolves were living like this," Kunou said.
"You didn't know?" Rainbow asked.
"I don't leave the palace that much, and when I do, I never come here," Kunou said. "I don't think even Sato knows about this. Now that I do, I'm going to talk to my brother about this."
Suddenly, there was a small whooshing sound, a grunt, and the carriage stopped. Everyone was confused, but the Samurai were pulling out their weapons. One of the older Samurai held up a paw to Princess Kunou.
"Your Highness, stay in the carriage!" the Samurai shouted.
"What's going on?" Kunou asked her Samurai bodyguards.
The only reply she got was the sounds of the Samurai grunting and armor hitting the ground. Around them, there were shadows zooming by the carriage so fast, they appeared as blurs. Eventually, the group inside the carriage was met with silence. After what seemed like an eternity, a knock came to the door of the carriage.
"You may as well come out, Your Highness!" a deep voice called. "We know you're in there! Your guards are dead, so you may as well comply!"
"Who are they? Bandits?" Applejack asked in a whispered voice.
"I don't know, but we may as well listen to them," Kunou said. Before she could open the door, Spike grabbed her wrist.
"We can't do that! We don't know what they want or what they're gonna do!" Spike said.
"It'll be worse for us of we sit in here and don't listen to them," Kunou said calmly.
"Okay, but we'll jump in and fight if we need to," Rainbow said.
Princess Kunou slowly opened the door of the carriage and was met by a large Wolf dressed in all-black clothes and wore a wide-brimmed straw hat shielding his face. The Wolf reached into his pocket and pulled out a small white orb from a hidden pocket. The Wolf's appearance sent a shiver down Kunou's spine, but she maintained her composure.
"Can I... help you, sir?" she asked with a wavering tone.
The straw-hatted Wolf didn't respond with words. He threw the white orb against the ground and a green powder exploded from within it. Kunou, Spike, and the ponies all started coughing at the smell of the powder. The more of it they breathed in, the more and more lightheaded they all felt until they each lied on the floor of the carriage unconscious.
The deed done, the straw-hatted Wolf was joined by two subordinates. Without turning to face them, he pointed to Kunou and the others.
"Take them back to the Den," he ordered. "The plan can finally proceed."
"Yes sir!" they said before collecting Kunou and the others.
The black-clad Wolves all made sure to disappear and leave no trace behind. All that was left was the carriage and the dead bodies of the Samurai and the driver. The horses were left to wander the city with no one to direct them.