Twilight stood off to the side of the stage, poking her head out to see how many people were present. She let out a soft eep as she saw that the room was packed. All the seats were filled, mostly by Humans but even a few of the facilities staff had come to listen to her speak. There was actually a few people who were forced to stand up and rest against the walls of the auditorium.
Her wings twitched against her side, and she sat on her haunches, biting at her hoof as she said "Oooh, I didn't expect this many... I really hope they'll enjoy the speech."
"Twilight, I'm sure you'll be fine." Spike said as he flipped through her flash cards, making sure they were in the proper order and that she hadn't shuffled them all up again. Her nerves were getting to her again it seemed. "You've never had any trouble giving speeches to Ponies, these hoo-man's aren't going to be any different."
"Spike, it's pronounced Hu-man." She corrected, giving him the look of a teacher who was dealing with a taxing student. "It's not an 'oo' sound, it's a 'u' sound."
"Whatever. The point is that you'll do just fine. Princess Celestia wouldn't want have sent you here to oversee this bureau's opening day if she didn't think you'd be able to handle it. Besides, you've practiced the speech how many times now? Five? Ten times? I lost count after three to be honest."
Twilight wasn't so sure. She'd met some Humans since the day seven years ago that they had, in their desperation, opened a portal to this world to seek the aid of the technologically superior Humans in their darkest hour. She'd been to a few diplomatic events and meetings, but she'd mostly been there so a member of Equestrian royalty was present. She'd never been required to actually give a speech!
Most of her time these last few years had instead been spent working alongside the doctors and scientists working to help cure the Draining, a terrible affliction that had begun to openly ravage the citizens of Equestria, sapping away slowly and painfully the very magic they relied on to tame their world.
This would be the first time she had done a speech before so many people. The room had at least four hundred occupants in it. The largest crowd she'd ever had to work with was the little over a hundred back at her coronation.
"But what if they don't like it? What if they think my speech is terrible, what if-" Twilight began, only to receive a jab in the side from one of Spike's claws.
Looking down, she saw the fading glow of her magic around the flashcards, and that some of them were now sticking out at odd angles.
"Darnit Twi, I just finished getting these all back in order..." He muttered, growling softly to himself as he set back to work. "Just take some deep breathes, do that little breathing exercise you and Cadence use, and just trust in yourself and Celestia."
Twilight was about to protest, but Spike settled it with "Really, has Celestia ever asked you to do something you couldn't do?"
As much as the nervous, panicking Pony in her head wanted her to believe otherwise, she knew she could do this. She'd felt just as nervous giving her first presentations in school, and she'd been just as nervous at her coronation as she was now.
Really, she knew she could do this... she just wanted to make a good first impression with all these people. She wasn't just here to watch and observe after all. She was here to try and make some new friends and help these people through the first days of what was going to be a new and challenging, but also hopefully better life than what they were currently living.
The lights in the room beyond began to darken, and Twilight felt a little shake as Spike held the cards out for her. "Here ya go Twilight. Now go shoot it out of the ballpark!!"
Twilight let out a soft giggle, taking the cards in her magic as she said "You've been watching too much Baseball... but thanks." Shaking her head in bemusement at her friend, she took a deep breathe, let it out, and then walked onto the stage, taking her place behind the podium as the stage lights focused on her.
A few people were still talking softly as she set her cards down and took a sip of water, sending a silent thank you to whoever had put it there. Her nerves had left her throat rather dry.
"Good evening everyone, and welcome to the Ottawa Conversion Bureau, the first Bureau to be established here in your fine nation of Canada!" She had to wince slightly after saying that, a cheer having gone up as a group near the front tried to start singing the national anthem.
"Hold your horses there." More chuckles, and she felt the small smile on her face get wider as she joined them. "We can sing that after I'm finished. For now, I'd like to have your full and undivided attention."
The room got quiet again, and with another steadying breath, she pushed onward.
"As I'm sure you all know, our worlds and people met one another several years ago when we first opened a portal connecting Equus with Earth. Since that time, our two worlds have begun to forge ties to one another, allowing us to aid one another in ways we never would have dreamed before hand."
"And this very building is a result of those early days, when in our hour of need, in Equestria's hour of darkness and despair, we pleaded for your help. We didn't know what to expect. In her time studying your world and it's history from afar, Princess Celestia feared that some would desire a great many sacrifices from our own nation and world to yours. It was joyous day when then UN General Secretary Abu Rain Halifiki generously pledged to us the help we needed after your nations ambassador relayed our plea."
"Though we were not able to save all those who had come to suffer under the Draining, it was thanks to the scientists of your race that we found and destroyed the plague that was bringing us to our knees. But even with the epidemic halted and turned back, Equestria had suffered great damage, and as we were, it was going to take time to rebuild. Time that, even with the help of some of Earth's technology, would not be done quickly."
"To compound this, we discovered that you and your own world was in dire need of help as well. Climate change has been wreaking its own toll on nation's across your world, displacing many people from their homes as nature inflicts its cold indifference to your lives and ties to the land. Overpopulation was also contributing to a growing rise of poverty and extremism that threatened to only bring more pain and suffering."
"It was at this very point that Princess Luna, working with your worlds scientists, came up with a solution. A proposal that would allow Humans and Equestrians to join hand in hand to make our worlds a better place. And it was then, that the Serum was created, and the first conversion of a Human to a Pony was conducted."
Twilight took a moment to pause and get a drink, checking her cards to make sure she hadn't missed anything before nodding slightly to herself and continuing.
"Through the combination of Equestrian Arcane Energy, or Dark Matter as your scientists call it, with the nanotechnology you have developed, we found a way to change a Human into an Equestrian, and to bring to them the gift of our magic that would allow them to help not only their new brothers and sisters on Equus, but to also help the people of Earth. With the aid of Equestrian magic, we can help you clean your world's atmosphere and reclaim the land that has been lost to the sea and restore lands transformed by your warming world."
"And with Equestria having been depopulated by the Draining, and with large parts of Equus being nearly uninhabited and full of resources, there is no shortage of space available for new villages, towns, and cities to be built and developed by hand and hoof. Giving a path to millions of people that have been displaced by war, climate change, or lack of opportunity to build a new life and have a chance at happiness."
"Those of you here today are people who have decided, for one reason or another, that you will be better able to help Earth and Equestria by becoming a Pony, rather than remaining Human. I am sure it was not, for all of you, an easy choice, but I applaud you for making it. To transform yourself to give yourself the tools to help others is always a laudable goal."
Twilight didn't mention anything about the rumors she'd heard of some simply wanting to become Pony because they thought magic was cool or wanted to fly. The Bureau staff would be working to either weed such folks out or get them to understand the gravity of the choice they were making.
"I want to take this moment to remind you all... the trials and challenges you will face if you are certain about taking this path will not be easy. There are those, among both Humans and Ponies, who are critical of this program. The first Bureau we established in New York City is still being decontaminated from the chemical bomb that was set off inside it, and there have been protests and some acts of violence in Equestria by 'Purist' Ponies. And I'm sure some of you have family who may not be as supportive of your decision as you might like."
"But I, the staff here, and the Princesses of Equestria, along with all other good Pony folk, are here to support you and help you through this, as you are helping us and your fellow Humans. Together with the help of everyone here and at every other bureau we are building, we will work to build a better tomorrow. For the future of all Ponykind, for the future of mankind, let us join and work as one!"
Applause rang out, starting out in patches and then spreading across the room. The sound of hands clapping was different from the clop of hooves, either on the floor or against each other, but it put a smile on her face as she beamed out at the crowd. She stole a glance to Spike, who was giving her a thumbs up and had a look of pride on his cute little face.
"Ahem, now, I believe I promised an anthem?" She said, the applause growing more furious as cheers rang out once again. With a glow of her horn, she turned a projector on, and the lyrics for the Canadian national anthem flashed onto the screen.
"Canada first, then Equestria's." Twilight declared, earning murmurs of confirmation from the assemblage of Humans and Ponies. "Ready? All together now!"
And with a deep breath, and a joy filled smile on her muzzle, she joined with the crowd as the music played.
"O Canada, our home and native land..."
-*-
After the two anthems, Twilight had stepped back and let the Bureau head perform the first part of orientation. Answering the many questions that those present no doubt had, and getting a few surprise ones like the one man who asked if there was any chance the serum could change one's birth gender.
One brief letter to the Princess and a few minutes of waiting and quiet chatter amongst the crowd had given the answer that there had been no recorded cases of such happening yet... but that in theory, it shouldn't be difficult to change the serum to make such an additional change.
After that, Group A's lunch call was made, and Group B was given an hour break while the staff went about getting everyone's rooms and belongings in order. Twilight now sat at the foot of the stage, sipping from a box of blueberry juice as Spike played around on the smartphone he'd bought last week. The room was empty now save for a Human and a Pony who were going around picking up dropped pamphlets and water bottles.
"Well Spike, you were right." She said with a smile, receiving an eye roll from her friend as he exclaimed
"No duh! You're always good at public speaking. Really, I don't know why you get nervous sometimes."
Twilight chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck as she sighed and said "Guess I just cant stop thinking about how things can go wrong."
"Hmpph, tell me about it." Spike retorted, earning a mock glare from Twilight before she giggled and sighed, gazing up past the curtain of the stage and towards the ceiling, where a large framed picture was lit up with soft white light.
It was a picture of a tired, haggard looking Princess Celestia shaking the hand of Secretary Halifiki. The moment that the Draining was declared halted and Equestria pledged to do everything it could to repay the Humans of Earth for their kindness. It was a picture whose purpose was not only to immortalize such an important, pivotal moment in the history of both worlds, but to also remind everyone who came through the bureau that the two races were better off when they worked together, just as people were strengthened when they made friends and built strong bonds with one another.
It was a reminder that friendship really was magical, and that it could accomplish great things if given the chance.
"Miss Twilight?" A voice called out, and Twilight brought her eyes back down, looking to one of the doors wear a sky blue Unicorn mare with a short, green mane that framed her face and one of her eyes stood. "Mrs. Green Dawn is ready to meet with you on your offer to volunteer for the next month. She has Celestia on a video call to discuss it with you."
"Oh! Thank you Dewdrop! Tell her I'll be right there." Dewdrop nodded, then trotted off back to the reception area as Twilight hopped off the stage. She took a few steps forward, then turned to ask "Oh Spike, you want to come along?"
Messing with the phone for a moment, he shook his head and hopped down. "Nah, I think I'm going to get some grub. Keeping you from freaking out over a little speech makes me hungry." Twilight rolled her eyes at that, but said nothing as he walked with her. "Hey, think they have any gems?"
"Hehe, only one way to find out." She said with a smile as they left, Spike turning to the left to head to the cafeteria while she made for the elevator at the end of the hallway. "But if they don't, I have a bag of gems in our guest room you can eat."
"Sweet!" Spike shouted, giving her a wave as he said "Hey, tell me how the meeting goes, just because I'm not there doesn't mean I don't want to hear about it."
"Will do Spike, now go get something to eat. We don't need a cranky dragon stalking the halls." She chuckled as he stuck his tongue out at her and resumed walking. Twilight just shook her head and stepped into the elevator and pressed the appropriate key. A wide smile was on her face as she watched the floor numbers tick by.
She was looking forward to the week ahead, and with luck, she'd be able to help those who had come here be just as excited about the new direction their lives were about to take.
