Chapter 1: Diplomacy Degraded
“Nervous, Twilight?”
Twilight stood up straighter, her chest puffed up. “Not at all, Princess Celestia.”
Celestia smiled, nodding her head. Her eyes were trained on the room’s doors, still closed. “Good. This will be your first diplomatic relations… well, serious relations. The Duke and Duchess from Maretonia was more for formality's sake than anything else. Here, we’ll be dealing with true diplomacy.”
“Oooh, I’m so excited! Finally, I get to talk to representative of other countries!” Twilight’s eyes sparkled with an eager spirit. “Discussing trade routes, enacting treaties, sharing technologies and fostering alliances! It’s all I ever dreamed of the moment I became a princess.”
With a chuckle, Celestia patted Twilight’s back with a wing, pushing her down after she had stood up from her seat. “Now, now, Twilight, you can settle down now. This is more a meeting than discussing trade routes or treaties.” Noticing the vigor in Twilight’s eyes die down a bit, Celestia winked. “Oh, but it’s an important meeting, I assure you. The minotaur king himself shall be visiting.”
Twilight’s jaw dropped. “The king? King Deus Solis? That one? Not just an ambassador or diplomat?”
“Well, the Taurian Kingdom is our friendliest neighbor, so the king likes to make a show of goodwill by visiting himself whenever important discussions such as this are about to take place. Plus, he trusts his own word to make more sound judgements than any diplomat or ambassador out there.”
A few beads of sweat had started to pool around Twilight’s forehead, but she quickly wiped them with her wing so none would notice. Staring at the door, Twilight focused all her attention on it with a careful eye. “Okay. I can do this. First foreign diplomacy with another nation. I can do this.”
Celestia rested a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Twilight, there’s no need to be anxious. King Solis can be a bit… well, intimidating at first, but he’s a very kind individual once you warm up to him.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Also, he’s a bit no-nonsense when it comes to politics. When he has that crown atop his head he takes everything as serious as if it were a threat to his very kingdom. So… just try and act like yourself and you should be fine. I’m not entirely sure what this meeting shall go over, since he requested it on such short notice, but I am sure it is nothing you can’t handle.”
Twilight nodded, her neck loosening from its erect position. “I’m sure I can handle something like that. No biggy.”
“Good.”
Twilight turned to look up at Celestia. “Just one question, princess.”
Celestia arched a brow. “Yes, Twilight?”
“Why isn’t Luna with us?”
Celestia opened her mouth, but just as she did so the doors opened up. A single royal guard stepped forward, unrolling a scroll and clearing his voice. “Her Royal Highnesses, Princess Celestia of Equestria and Princess Twilight of Equestria, hereby welcomes His Royal Majesty, King Deus Solis of Taurian: Father of the Golden Accords, Venerable High Priest of the Sun, Honorable Warrior of the Everlasting Sunlight, and Commander of the Army of a Million Horns.”
Stepping to the side, the royal guard made way for the minotaur belonging to such a lengthy introduction. Twilight had only seen minotaurs in pictures and artwork, but almost nothing could prepare her for the real thing.
Solis fit his royal title as king down to the letter, towering over everyone else like a divine being in his own right. Even though ponies weren’t very tall compared to other races in the first place, even Princess Celestia was dwarfed next to this horned giant. He was like a pillar of strength contained in one body, his shoulders wider than the door so that he had to turn his body just to enter the room. His arms were like tree trunks, and the same color too, the plain brown coat of the king surprising to Twilight. His curved horns were a lighter shade of brown, almost like the color of dried mud. Even the king’s eyes were a hazel color. Solis was like the earth, body as large and strong as a boulder, and even his face was as hard and unforgiving as stone.
He wore the more casual attire of his race, that of a long white tunic that reached down to his waist, used in his country to fight back against the heat and suffocating climate. Instead of a robe he wore a leather skirt (used from pigskin if Twilight was correct) cut into individual long pieces, each studded with metal. Over his tunic, Solis had on a bright crimson poncho with gold colored sashes draped over his right shoulder, each depicting a symbol of authoritarian power in the Taurian kingdom: a labrys axe over a rising sun, representing a warrior's might, a crown circling the globe, representing a king's power, and finally the sun's rays shining down on a figure reaching with both hands to the sky, representing the status of high priesthood for minotaurs. The final touch to complete the kingly appearance was a simple gold circle of a crown, spiked along the ridges with no other costly add-on attached.
Approaching the duo, Solis bowed with both hands held up. “Pardon me, your majesties, for the unjust rudeness of keeping you waiting. My train arrived here at a longer interval than intended.”
Celestia waved a hoof over to the cushion placed on the opposite end of the table between her and Twilight. “Please, King Solis, there is no need for an apology. I welcome you to my castle and nation with open arms of friendship.”
“And I accept that welcome with open arms as well." Solis stood up straight, then took his seat on the cushion. Celestia must have had it specially tailored to suit the king’s gigantic size. Even seated, it appeared like he was the adult in the room about to have a tea party with the little ones.
He turned his head to Twilight, his eyes traveling up and down her body, sizing her up. “Ah. This must be the new princess I’ve been hearing so many stories about. It is a pleasure beyond imagination to meet your acquaintance, Princess Twilight.”
Twilight dipped her head and grinned. “It is indeed a pleasure to meet your acquaintance as well, King Solis.”
Resting his hands on his crossed knees, Solis leaned over the table, casting a shadow over the two. “Now that we have the pleasantries out of the way, I believe it is time I tell you both the reason for my meeting at such an untimely occasion. That is, if neither of you have anything else to say.”
Celestia shook her head. “Not for me, you can continue.”
“Please, go ahead and tell us the reason behind your visit.”
His fingers began to drum on the table, a nervous twitch the king had never mastered to hide. “Well, it has come to my attention about some troubling news from within your borders. Now, I’m not one to pry on another nation’s troubles. God knows I have enough of my own without having to worry about another’s. Yet…” Solis’s fingers stopped. “There have been accounts where world-threatening dangers have appeared in Equestria, am I correct?”
Celestia and Twilight traded a look. Twilight bit her lip, her muzzle scrunching. Celestia nodded, then turned so that her gaze met with Solis’.
“While that is true that a number of threats had popped up within our borders, Equestrians have dealt with each one of these threats before they could become too dangerous. So the cause of worry is nonexistent in that regard.”
Solis smiled, yet there was no warmth behind that grin. He nodded, tapping a single index finger against the table. “Yes, yes, cause of worry is nonexistent. I can understand that. Truly, I can.”
Solis’ smile fell, replaced with a frown that could crack a boulder in two. “But as the leader of a nation with well over fifty-million inhabitants, I worry. As the ruler of a country right along the border of the place these threats keep on popping up, I worry. As a fretful leader who desperately wants answers as to why this land ruled by ponies can cause such cataclysmic dangers to appear, I worry.”
Solis crossed his arms, muscles bulging like they could tear his skin in two at the seams. “You see, I worry a lot. Not your fault, really, I’m just that type of person.”
Twilight gulped. Her tongue crawled in her mouth, but almost no moisture was available to quench her throat. The hindsight of bringing a water jug to the meeting just occurred to her.
Twilight raised her hoof. “Uh… excuse me. Your majesty.” Solis’ eyes turned to her and suddenly she felt like she was staring into the crosshairs of a crossbow trained on her. “All those dangers you mentioned. I can assure you, they’ve been taken care of. My friends and I handled them personally, I swear to you.”
Solis barked out a laugh, his booming voice echoing within the small confines of the room. He even slammed his hand on the table, causing the floor to shake from the strike. “Oh, yes, you and your friends. Right, I’ve heard reports about you. The new Elements of Harmony I take it?”
“Actually, just the bearers. Each of my friends and myself represents one Element each.” Twilight touched a hoof to her chest. “For instance, I’m the Element of Magic.”
“Well, Element of Magic, answer me this. Let’s say, for instance, one of the bearers died. Your friend gets into a nasty accident, dies of old age, or something worse. What then?” Solis’ brows furrowed. “What then, your highness?”
“I…”
“King Solis, please, there’s no need to bring the Elements into this,” Celestia said. “That isn’t what this meeting was originally intended for.”
King Solis held his hands up, turning towards Celestia and forgetting about Twilight momentarily. “Oh, a thousand apologies, Princess Celestia. I was just wondering how your ‘magical super weapon’ was supposed to keep the latest evil abomination at bay when all it would take is one of them dead to make it completely useless. Pardon me if that thought never occurred to you two.”
“The thought never occurred because we Equestrians have better things to do than think of depressing possibilities. The Elements are safe along with their bearers, and as long as they are there is no threat Equestria can’t face,” Celestia said.
Solis snapped his fingers. “Oh, right, just like how that changeling invasion was so easily wrapped up using the Elements. Am I correct in that assumption?”
Celestia frowned, her wings holding themselves closer at her sides.
“I must say, your capital being invaded by an entire outside army is quite the embarrassment. Some would even call it negligent for the ruler of such a nation to even allow it.” Solis leaned forward, his fingers crossed together and resting on the table. “Wouldn’t you?”
“Is there a point to all this that you’re not getting at?”
Solis leaned back, his fingers still crossed together. He appeared as the picture perfect representation of patience and virtue… composed in a giant’s body. “Oh, the point should have been clear at the beginning. You see, there’s a gap between Equestria and every other country in the world. I’m surprised you haven’t seen it before. And this gap mainly deals with the pesky problem of superiority. You ponies think you’re God’s gift to the earth, like you are worth more than every other nation in this world, like everything belongs to you and anyone else who disagrees is an outcast.” Solis sneered. “You’re a nation built around this perfect little bubble that keeps everything else from entering.”
“That’s not true! Equestria is always open to visitors from any land!” Twilight blurted out.
Solis rolled his eyes, a movement so fast Twilight barely caught a glimpse of it. “That isn’t what I meant, but it’s appreciated that a nation normally depicted as xenophobic has open borders to other races. What I meant is that you are independent to the international community. Something that could threaten the entire globe could happen in your country and no other nation would be none the wiser. Now, how do you think that makes me feel?”
Solis tapped a hand larger than Twilight’s head against his chest. “It took me months to learn that Discord had been freed from his statue. You know what it is like having no answer to your people when they ask why the sun and moon won’t stop setting and rising in the sky? Or what about Tirek, hmm? One of the most dangerous individuals in history that could suck the magic and life out of a nation dry. You know what I had to do to dig up that little incident that happened with him?”
Celestia held up a hoof. “But King Solis, like I’ve been trying to tell you before, Equestria has dealt with these problems in a timely matter and we’re no worse the wear.”
“And what if you didn’t?” Solis laid both his hands on the table, leaning forward like a tsunami about to fall. “What if the Elements had failed? You basically entrusted such a high power in the hands of six young, untrained mares with not an inch of military experience between all of them. There are so many possibilities of them failing. And what then? That danger continues to grow, and then gets out of hand before it’s put down properly. I and every other nation out there never gets clued in on this; we’re left in the path of the storm without even a warning!”
Twilight rose from her seat, a hoof held on the table. She didn’t even remember getting up. “I’ll have you know the Element bearers are much more than ‘six young, untrained mares.’ My friends and I have saved Equestria and the world countless times over, and all you can do is criticize us? I think a ‘thank you’ is in order, or at least appreciation of the troubles we went through to save the world!”
Solis remained seated, his eyes pacing over Twilight like she was a minor inconvenience. “Such high and mighty words from a mare who was willing to betray her own country and possibly the entire world just to save seven individuals.”
Twilight’s face grew red. “What did you say?”
“When Tirek had you on the ropes, did he not make you a deal? Your magic for your friends. I believe that was the pact he offered.” Solis pointed a finger at Twilight. “And you took it. You gave up one of your only chance to beat him just to save seven lives.”
“How do you know this?”
Solis smirked. “After the changeling incident, I decided being left in the dark was no longer wise. Let’s just say I have my ways. Now, did you or did you not sacrifice your nation just for seven lives?”
“It’s because I saved those seven lives that Tirek was defeated in the first place,” Twilight said through gritted teeth.
“But did you know that? When you accepted the deal, did you know for sure that Tirek would get defeated by saving your friends?” Solis smiled at Twilight’s unchanging expression. “You didn’t, did you? You were perfectly willing to give Tirek the power to rule over the world like a god just to save your friends. Noble indeed, but idiotic.”
“You call saving my friends idiotic?” Twilight sputtered. “You would’ve done the same thing in those circumstances.”
Solis sighed. “Even if Tirek had my wife and my only son as offerings, I wouldn’t have accepted his deal. I would have kept the magic. I would have done everything in my power to defeat him, even if it cost my family’s life.”
Twilight’s head slowly shook side to side. “How… how could you be so selfish?”
“How could you, Princess Twilight? You’d sacrifice your entire country and possibly the whole world just for a few lives? Those are qualities that do not make a good leader.” Solis tapped his fingers on the table, looking at Twilight like she wasn’t even there, that just a vessel with her name but no face stood in her place. “Think over that, will you?”
“I believe this discussion has gone on long enough, King Solis,” Celestia said, dragging down Twilight to a sitting position.
“Yes, I do believe it has. I’ll cut right to the chase then.” His fingers continued to drum against the table. “The Taurian kingdom shall no longer be doing business in the Equestrian markets. Our trade routes shall be put on hold and all diplomacy shall be cut off completely. Visitors from either nation are still free to travel for either of our countries, that is the highest limit I shall allow for interaction between our governments. Only when you are willing to compromise and actually come out of your isolationist mindset that I shall lift these bans.”
Celestia’s and Twilight’s jaws nearly dropped to the floor. A silence more imposing that Solis’ presence hung over the room, weighing down on everyone like gravity had been increased twofold.
“B-but… but you can’t do that! Equestria depends on Taurian coal for our railroads!” Celestia said. “Not to mention that your own nation depends on Equestria wheat and barley!”
“I have made a deal with the diamond dog President of the United Undertown Nations for all the wheat and barley my country needs. It’ll be more expensive, but I believe my nation can manage.”
“But what do you hope to accomplish by this?” Twilight asked. “This is obviously not benefiting neither of our countries. So why do it?”
“Because, Princess Twilight, this is my official ‘sword buried in the sand.’ Or, like it is said in your country, my final proposal. I want direct warnings of anything going on in Equestria that could be potentially threatening to my own country. Along with that is the ability to send in my soldiers to take down any threats that occur within your borders that could potentially harm my own nation.”
Celestia held a hoof against her cheek. “That’s madness! You can’t seriously think I’d accept an offer like that?”
“No, I do not. That’s why I made it.” Solis got up from his seat, brushing the lines out of his tunic. “Equestria has become weak, and I wish to cut off from this weakness before it consumes my nation as well.”
“Equestria is anything but weak,” Twilight said, rising back up from her seat.
Solis arched a brow at her. “You think magic makes you strong? You think because you alicorns move the sun and moon mean you control everything underneath them? I have hundreds of royal conjurers at my beck and call. I could summon the fighting force of half a million soldiers in only a few week’s time. Armies, magic, weapons, none of these make a nation strong. The integrity of its leaders do. And for Equestria…” Solis glanced to Celestia, frowning, “that integrity has been dead far longer than I’ve been around.”
With another bow to the princesses, Solis turned away from the two. “Get your country under control and realize the universe doesn’t revolve around just your nation and we may just be able to talk under more reasonable terms. Until then, you have my best wishes, your majesties.” He walked to the door and departed from the room, the stiff opposition of a monumental force suddenly gone.
Both princesses took a breather. Twilight stared down at her hooves, while Celestia constantly rubbed at her tired eyes with her hooves.
“Princess Celestia, I’m sorry about my behavior earlier. That was unprofessional of a princess, and unprofessional for myself.”
Celestia sighed, withdrawing her hooves. “I do not blame you, Twilight. King Deus Solis is one of the most troubling leaders I’ve ever had to work with. He’s more stubborn than the Grand Duke of Muleopolis. And right now, he seems adamant about turning Equestria’s isolation on top of its head, or else.”
“Then what do we do?”
Celestia stared silently at the door, biting the edge of her hoof, her own nervous habit coming to fruition. “Discuss this with the nobles in the court, I suppose. Without the Taurian coal supply, our domestic transportation system along with trade system using the railroads would crumble in a matter of weeks. That could be all the convincing they need to agree to Solis’ terms.”
“And you, princess?”
She shrugged, hoof returning to her side. “I really don’t know, Twilight. What Solis said made a lot of sense. Perhaps he can be too controlling, but in the long run he deeply cares about his country’s survival, and Equestria’s isolationism isn’t benefitting us in the long run. Perhaps agreeing to his terms would be better than what we have now, perhaps not.”
Twilight pressed a hoof against her chin. “Couldn’t we… just tell Solis he can’t do that?”
“How? Solis seems very unwaivable in his resolve.” Celestia rolled her eyes. “Pretty typical for him, actually. Like I said, he’s very serious about the rulings of his kingdom. He was practically born to rule.”
“No, no, I mean, what’s stopping us from forcing him to continue trades with us?” Twilight rolled her hoof in the air. “You and Luna control the sun and moon. Can’t you just turn off the sun for a day? That’d surely convince him that messing with Equestria is a bad idea.”
Celestia stared at Twilight with an unblinking gaze. Finally, after several seconds she shook her head and rubbed her temples. “I’d expect such a suggestion from a fool noblepony, but from you, Twilight? Do you even consider the consequences such an act would cause?”
“But Princess—”
“Because I have. A thousand times over. It’s just not that simple, Twilight. It never is.” Celestia arched her head back and sighed. “If I do such a thing to the minotaurs, not only would they be outraged, but every other race in the entire world. I’d be abusing my power. That’s all the excuse some nations need. Do you want Equestria to be attacked on all sides by every power-hungry country that has a sword and ship?”
“Can’t we just use our mag—”
“Magic doesn’t solve everything, Twilight,” Celestia said. “It can’t protect my little ponies from an invasion on all sides by every nation in the world. Not all of them. I won’t risk my country’s safety just to one-up Solis.”
Twilight winced, her ears drooping. “I’m sorry, princess. I never… I never meant to say that.”
“No, it’s not your fault, Twilight. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that. Solis, well, he just knows how to push my buttons. I shouldn’t have taken that out on you. You’re still so new to this.” Celestia got up from her seat. “I really must speak with Luna.”
Twilight got up from her seat as well, quick to lay a hoof on Celestia’s side. “Princess, before, when I asked why Luna wasn’t at the meeting, what were you going to tell me?”
Celestia regarded Twilight with a steady, unblinking eye. After a few seconds, she looked away, another sigh escaping her lungs. “The king isn’t just the leader of Taurian’s politics. He is also the head of their religion—if the High Priest in his title didn’t already make sense. They worship a Sun god, or rather, the God, as they put it. Their entire culture and way of life revolves around worshiping this one entity and acting under its tenants of righteousness. This makes the minotaur people very honorable and trustworthy for most… well, at least the deeply religious ones.”
“So what does that have to do with Luna?”
Even though her eyes were now closed, Celestia was swimming through a sea of images, some centuries old. “When she tried to send the entire world into eternal night, she did this on the Summer Sun Celebration. However, for the Taurians, that day is known as Solem Deus, the most holy day of their calendar. It is preceded by weeks of fasting and prayer, and once the sun rises on that fateful morning, the entire nation rejoices and becomes merry with joy.”
Twilight felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. “Oh no…”
“When the moon did not set and the sun did not rise at the right time, the people had thought the apocalypse was accurring. When the truth had been brought to life, too much damage had occurred for an apology to save face. Too much death, too.”
Twilight could now feel that sinking feeling in her legs, threatening to drag her through the floor. “But that’s the first time. Nightmare Moon came back, then the Elements first gathered together to defeat her.”
“Yes.” Celestia’s ears drooped to the floor, her eyes clouded in misery. “King Solis had already sprung to action the moment he sensed something was amiss. Reports indicate there was only minimal destruction because of his timely response dispersing troops to keep the crowds controlled. But ever since either incidents, Solis had requested never to be in the same room with Luna. So far I’ve convinced him she poses no threat and even lied about saying she hadn’t been granted any political power yet, but this incident indicates he’s becoming one for the wiser.”
“This is all so confusing and conflicting,” Twilight said, following Celestia to the door.
Celestia smiled. It was strained and troubled, but it was a smile nonetheless. “Welcome to foreign diplomacy, Twilight. It just gets worse from here on out, trust me.”
“Then how do you deal with it?”
“One day at a time, Twilight.” Celestia’s grin fell. “One day at a time…”
