Diplomacyby Jay DavidChaptersThe MessageReactionsArrivalsFirst AgreementsThe MessageAcross Equestria, there was one place, above all, that ponies of all walks of life would wish to go to if they had the chance. And that was their grand capital, Canterlot. But, even to those who lived within this pristine and glorious city, there were locales that even they would wish to be a part of. At the top of that list was the abode of Princess Celestia herself, and the royal throne room. When one entered this place, its sense of grandeur and elegance was there for all to see, with exquisite stained glass windows, enormous marble columns and rows of disciplined royal guards. The sun shone brightly through those many windows, creating a near glow about the place, with Celestia herself shining brightest of all. The Mother-figure of Equestria sat in her bright golden throne, looking as composed and calm as she always did, with a knowing smile upon her face, reading a parchment that now hovered before her. "Hmmm...yes...very good..." But, her musings were, for the time being, interrupted, for the great oak doors that led to her chamber now creaked open, gaining her attention immediately. Looking up, a wider smile crossed her face, as she now gazed upon the one who entered. It was another mare, a pegasus, bright pink in her fur, with a darker shade of pink in her mane, the latter of which was tied back into a ponytail. As this new arrival finally reached the stairs leading up to Celestia's throne, she gave a low and expertly-executed bow. "Princess Celestia." The white alicorn looked to her with fondness. "Miss Cadence. Always a pleasure." Standing tall once more, the mare, Cadence, returned the smile, before promptly clearing her throat and getting right down to business. "You wished to be informed of when the delegation of Canterlot nobles was ready to speak with you?" At that, Celestia's smile faded slightly, and she let out a long sigh. "Yes...I did." Composing herself yet again, Celestia spoke softly to Cadence. "Inform them that I am ready to discuss the upcoming tax law reforms as soon as they arrive at the palace." Cadence nodded, giving another bow to her monarch before then turning, no doubt ready to head off to perform her assigned task. However, before she got the chance to do so, Celestia, after glancing at the parchment by her side, regained her earlier smile, leading to her calling out to the younger mare before she left. "Oh! Cadence?" The pegasus halted, turning around with a look of curiosity. "Yes, my Lady?" With her horn lighting up, Celestia levitated the parchment to hover just beside her head, before then pointing to it. "I have received word from your favourite charge, if you're interested." Though it took a moment for her to understand what the Princess had meant by that, Cadence's face soon lit up with a happy-looking smile. "Twilight? How is she doing?" After letting out a brief laugh to herself, Celestia turned her attention to the parchment, waiting until Cadence had drawn closer to the throne before speaking up again. "From the sound of things, she's doing quite well. The last of her things have been safely delivered to her new home in Ponyville, and her latest friends there are helping her unpack as we speak." A look of nostalgia crossed Cadence's face. "I'm glad to hear she's doing so well. She always was such a sweet filly to look after." Turning, Cadence now focused her attention on one of the armoured stallions beside Celestia's throne. "You must be so proud of what she's done, Sir Armour." Said stallion's horn began to glow, and his helmet soon lifted off his face, revealing both his white fur and blue mane, as well as the smile he bore as he looked to the young mare before him. "I'm always proud of Twily, Cadence." Cadence giggled to this, as indeed did Celestia, who now looked to her guard with some amusement in her expression. "It must be hard, knowing she's so far away now." But the stallion merely shook his head to his leader. "Not at all, Ma'am. Twilight is quite capable. I'm sure she can handle whatever Ponyville has to throw at her." Celestia nodded. "Your faith in her is reassuring." She turned once more to the parchment. "In any case, things appear to be going well for her. Things are calm for the time being, which is more than I would have expected...given recent events." A slight grimace crossed her face, but she soon shook herself out of it, returning to her previous smile. "Well, as pleasant as this has been, I really should be getting to those nobles now. Cadence, would you be so kind as to..." But, she didn't say anything further, as her eyes were now focused instead upon something that was now occurring far above them. Both Cadence and Shining turned to see what she was looking at, only to find that some sort of magical flame was entering the chamber through one of the open windows high above. Seeing this, Cadence's face lit up with another smile. "Oh? Twilight has another message for us?" Shining too was looking to the flame with expectancy. But Celestia, by contrast, narrowed her eyes at what she saw. "No...it isn't Twilight." At first, both of the others were confused by this remark, but as they glanced up again, they found that the approaching flame was not green, as was usually the case with Spike's fire, but rather a dark blue. Standing up from her throne, Celestia frowned at the oncoming spell, and many of the guards soon stirred from their stationary positions, looking warily at the thing. Eventually, the flame did as expected, and transformed itself into a parchment. But this one was tied together with a black ribbon, which itself was sealed with a mark of a crescent moon. Using her magic, Celestia opened it up, her frown never once disappearing as she began to read the words. A great deal of silence filled the chamber, as all looked to her with concern, but it ended when Cadence finally spoke up. "P...Princess? Is everything alright?" After continuing to stare at the document for almost a further minute, Celestia looked up from it, letting out a deep sigh before speaking up to her aide with a more serious and formal tone. "Miss Cadence...you will need to inform the delegates that I will not be able to see them today." Cadence hesitated, looking to Shining for some clarification. But the stallion had none, looking just as confused as she was. However, the young mare nevertheless did as requested, now starting to run out of the chamber with all haste. As for Celestia, she now glanced to Shining, speaking in that same tone as before. "Sir Armour, summon my ministers. Tell them to come here to speak with me as soon as possible." She frowned. "Once you have done that, bring my scribe. And tell her that I need a number of messages drawn up and sent off with all haste." Briefly, Shining paused. "Messages, your Majesty?" Celestia nodded. "Yes. In particular, one to Mayor Mare of Ponyville...and one to your sister." At that, Shining took on a more concerned expression and posture. "Twilight? My Lady...what's happened?" The Princess shut her eyes tightly, letting out yet another deep exhale. Then, her horn lit up, and the parchment once more levitated before her face, wherein she looked to it with a look that was almost contemptuous. "...What has happened, Sir Armour...is that we have just received...some grave news indeed." Reactions"This is great news!" Twilight's excitement was plain for all to see, as she happily trotted about the outer rim of the main chamber of the Golden Oak Library. Her horn was aglow, and before her hovered a parchment, marked with the symbol of the sun. All around her were her friends, Applejack, Pinkie and Fluttershy, as well as Spike, who looked on with both curiosity and concern to his Mother. "Mom? You've been looking at that thing for a few minutes now." Stopping, the young unicorn blushed slightly as she turned to her son, walking over and giving him a gentle pat on the head. "Don't mind me, Spike. This is just...well...rather exciting." Naturally, such words prompted Pinkie to walk over herself, gesturing to a stack of nearby unopened boxed. "Well, might as well tell us. I'm sure we're all eager to take a break from all this unpacking." Looking to her, and seeing her other friends start to gather around, Twilight gave both a smile and a nod. She turned her attention back to the parchment, her eyes drifting over it as she started to speak. "It's from Princess Celestia. Apparently, her sister has sent word that she wants her kingdom to open up diplomatic relations with Equestria." A look of shock crossed the faces of many of the mares, with Applejack speaking up first. "Seriously?!" Twilight, oblivious to the less-than-happy way her colleague had said that, smiled widely. "I know, right? This is truly a wonderful day!" Looking back to the document, the unicorn sighed. "Our people and theirs have been separated by a thousand years. But now? Now, we have a chance to try and mend that gap." Her friends all cast nervous glances to one another, but, after a brief silence between them, Fluttershy started to walk to her unicorn friend, clearing her throat and gaining her attention by doing so. "Twilight? I know you may think this is all a good idea, but it is really? There's been so much separation between us, and even Celestia doesn't seem all that fond of her sister. At least, that's what you told us." Twilight, undeterred by this, looked to her friend with a softer look, nodding slightly. "I know. And I'm not so naïve as to suggest that issues between us are going to be fixed overnight. Like I said, this is a thousand years of division between us." Looking away, her face lit up a little bit more. "But if we can open up a dialogue with them...and if we all work at it...maybe...just maybe...we could be looking at the start of something truly wonderful here!" The way she'd said that made it absolutely clear that she'd meant every single word of it. But her friends, looking to one another, were also clear in their expressions that they did not share in her enthusiasm for this situation. But, at the end of it, Fluttershy let out a sigh, putting on a smile for her friend's sake and placing a hoof upon her shoulder. "Twilight...if you truly believe that things might be good between us, then I suppose it's only right that we believe in it too." Looking to each of them, Twilight saw them give her nods and smiles in response to this, earning a look of appreciation from her. "Thank you." Chuckling slightly, Pinkie started approaching her as well. "So I guess this means a bunch of diplomats and ambassadors, right? Some fancy pony from their side going over to Canterlot?" To that, Twilight looked to her with an even wider smile than before. "Actually, no! That's the great thing about this!" Naturally, such words earned her confusedly looks from the others, prompting her to explain herself. "From what Celestia tells me, the Ambassador is going to be coming here!" Immediately, Applejack, who'd been sipping a nearby glass of water, spat it out, then wiped her mouth slightly before looking to her friend with shock. "What?!" Turning to her, Twilight misled. "That's right. Celestia said that the embassy for the Lunar Kingdom will be built right here in Ponyville. And likewise, she'll be sending over a trained Equestrian diplomat of our own to take up residence here, so they'll have somepony close by to speak with them." Incredulity was the order of the day for the farmer, who took a step closer to the spectacled unicorn. "Is...is this some kinda joke?! Ya mean ta tell me those...those moonies are comin here?!" To that, Twilight narrowed her eyes. "Yes, Applejack, they are. And if we're going to try and make some kind of relationship with them it might do for us to not talk about them that way." Her frown deepened. "And let's not forget...their leader saved our lives, remember? If it wasn't for her, the Tantabus would have killed all of us, and gone on to do who knows what to the rest of Equestria!" She glanced away from her earth pony friend. "Whatever reservations we might have...we owe her the benefit of the doubt here." Applejack looked away, looking just as concerned about this as she'd been throughout. However, in the silence that followed, Pinkie looked around before clearing her throat and adding her own voice to things. "Not to sound critical of our always-loved leader, but...why is this all happening in Ponyville of all places? I mean, if everypony else gets embassies in Canterlot, why not these guys?" Glancing to her, Applejack nodded. "That's right! The Yaks, the Crystal Empire, heck, even the Griffons have people in that city!" Twilight nodded. "I know. But let's not forget, for centuries now, ponies in Equestria have told stories of Queen Moon as being some kind of horrible nightmare monster. Finding out she's real is one thing, but letting her set up somewhere in the heart of our country? That was something even Celestia wasn't able to convince her ministers to allow. If nothing else, doing this far from the capital might help to avoid any kind of serious early panic." Looking down slightly, Twilight's ears dropped a bit. "Besides...if what she told me before is still true, I think she'd have a hard time accepting the idea of having her sister's representatives so close." Nodding, Applejack took those words in, and yet, she still looked as if she were critical of this notion, as evidenced by her tone when she spoke next. "But...why here? Ponyville ain't exactly a big bustlin' place, Twi." Looking over to the parchment, Twilight began to answer. "From what we've been able to gather, Ponyville is the closest settlement in Equestria to the Lunar lands. We're basically a gateway to their kingdom...give or take an Everfree Forest of course." Raising an eyebrow, Pinkie stepped into the conversation once more. "And the Queen was okay with that? I mean, I'm glad she's not throwing a fit or anything, but it seems kinda weird she'd let her embassy be in a place like...well...this." For a time, Twilight didn't reply, leading to all of them looking to her in silence. The young unicorn's mind began to drift back to past memories. Memories of her last serious conversation with her beloved mentor, and the request for her to stay in Ponyville. The words she'd spoken to her echoed over and over in her mind, and just for a moment, a sudden coldness took hold of her. But, she shook herself out of this state, putting on a reassuring smile for her friends. "Well...perhaps the Queen just wants to get things off on the right hoof between us?" The expressions her friends wore made it rather obvious that they were not exactly convinced by this, and truth be told, nor was Twilight. But, glancing back up, her mood perked up immensely. "But look at it this way! Ponyville now gets to serve as the place where two great nations mete out relationships with one another! Can you imagine it?" Applejack rolled her eyes. "Oh, ah'm imaginin it alright!" Twilight looked to her with some disapproval. "I understand your concerns, but if there's any chance that we can make things work...we have an obligation to see it through." Sighing, Applejack made her way back over to one of the nearby boxes, before then starting to unpack it. As for Twilight, she looked to her with concern, only to be stopped from doing so by a small poke from Spike. "So there's gonna be some diplomat coming here? To Ponyville? And from Canterlot too?" Looking down to him, Twilight smiled. "Yes there is, Spike. With luck, they'll be here within a week to try and hash out some kind of agreement about the exact embassy location." Spike nodded. "Okay, so...who is the Princess going to send?" A knowing smile crept onto his Mother's face, and she leaned down and planted a gentle kiss upon his forehead, eliciting slight confusion form the youth. Soon after, his carer began to answer. "That, my son...is perhaps the best news of all." ArrivalsAt the very least, it was a pleasant day for what was about to occur. The skies were clear above Ponyville, and the sun shone brightly down upon its residents. While most ponies were simply going about their daily lives, unaware of what was about to happen, one set of eyes eagerly looked up to the infinite blue above her. Twilight stood quietly in the middle of the town square, staring into the skies for any sign of those she knew would come, but so far, there was nothing. Eventually, Spike arrived onto the scene as well, walking up to his Mother and standing beside her. She felt him there, and looked down to him with a warm smile. "Just be patient, Spike. it won't be long now." The young dragon nodded, turning his attention to the sky as well. And here, the youth's eyes widened, and he pointed a single claw eagerly upwards. "Mom! There they are!" Immediately, Twilight's head snapped in the direction her son was pointing, and sure enough, he was correct. At first, it just seemed like a few dots far away. But as time passed, those dots became larger, more clear to her sights. Adjusting her glasses slightly, the unicorn soon silently confirmed what she was seeing, and a wide smile crept onto her face. "Yes...that's them alright." It didn't take long for many of the other nearby ponies to notice what was going on, as a procession of three golden chariots could now be seen flying clearly over Ponyville. The bright armour of the pegasi guards who pulled them glistened in the sun, creating an image of awe for many down on the ground. Crowds began to gather in the square, where the chariots were heading, and among them were Applejack, Fluttershy and Pinkie. But while there was a great deal of chatter, nopony stepped forward into the very centre of the place, as that was where the chariots seemed to be heading to land. Indeed, this proved true, and before long, all three of them had safely landed. In two of the chariots, unicorn guards dismounted, giving nods of thanks to the pegasi that had brought them, which was soon reciprocated. However, it was the central chariot that caught Twilight's interest most, as evidenced by the smile she now wore. "Well...long time no see." There, emerging from that central carrier, was a pink pegasus mare, her hair tied into a ponytail. And beside her was her personal escort, a white unicorn stallion, who bore the same golden armour as his colleagues. As the latter helped the former out of the chariot, Twilight began to trot closer to them, with Spike close behind. Several of the other guards began to move closer to her, perhaps to stop her from approaching, but it wasn't long before looks of recognition crossed their faces, and they simply smiled and saluted to the approaching mare. Twilight smiled to this, but her words were reserved until, finally, she came within reach of the two in the middle. "It's good to see you both again." The mare and stallion at the central chariot turned to her, and instantly, smiles grew upon their faces. The pink mare moved first, drawing closer to Twilight before embracing her in a friendly hug. "Twilight! It's been so long!" Twilight herself let out a brief giggle to this. "You too, Cadence!" Parting from her, the unicorn continued to smile widely. "An Ambassador now? Wow!" A slight blush crept onto Cadence's face. "Yes, it was a rather unexpected promotion. But the Princess was certain that I'd be up to the task." Looking to her, Twilight gave a nod. "I'm sure you will be, Cadence." The pegasus mare seemed to appreciate that, but, for the time being, she did not reply. Instead, she bore a knowing smile as she stepped to one side, glancing over to the white stallion that now made his way towards Twilight. The latter took on a more affectionate look, as indeed did the stallion, and while they said nothing to one another, they moved closer, embracing each other in an even warmer manner than Twilight had just done with Cadence. They stayed together longer too, and when they stopped, Twilight looked to the stallion and let out a long sigh. "It's good to have you close again, brother." Shining nodded. "And you, sister. I've been hearing a lot about what you've been getting up to." This time, it was Twilight's turn to blush. "Yeah...quite a lot of weird stuff, but...I'm okay." The stallion nodded a second time. "I'm glad to hear it. Having you close by is going to make this assignment all the easier for us." While Twilight would have undoubtedly wanted to speak further on the matter, she was soon kept from such action, as Spike poked her in the side, causing her to look down to him. However, in stark contrast to how he'd been looking before, the look upon the youth's face now seemed to be one of concern. He didn't even wait for his Mother to ask what was wrong, as he turned around and pointed to something far off. "Mom...I think...I saw something over there!" Turning, Twilight, Shining and Cadence looked over to where he was talking about. It was far away, beyond the boundary of the town, right in the gloom of the nearby Everfree Forest. There was no wind, and yet, in the darkness beneath those trees, there seemed to be some kind of movement. Instantly, everypony gathered there knew what this meant, and seriousness now crossed their faces. Gone was the warm and amicable look on Shining's face, and instead, it was replaced with a more professional expression. He turned to the other members of the guard, raising a hoof and pointing to the Everfree. "This is it, Guards! Assume formations!" The guards saluted in unison, before promptly starting to line up behind Cadence. There were about a dozen in total, made up of both pegasi and unicorns, and together, they made an impressive display behind the young Ambassador. As for Cadence herself, she took a calming breath, looking to Twilight once more before, finally, starting to move off. Twilight joined her, as indeed did Spike, while most of the surrounding ponies looked to all of this with confusion and concern. Twilight's friends especially seemed worried about all of this, and unlike many others in Ponyville, they started trotting along to keep up with her and the Ambassador's entourage. Eventually though, the group stopped just beyond the edge of Ponyville, and here they waited. However, it took only a moment for something to finally happen. "There they are," Twilight remarked in a nervous manner. To the shock of many in Ponyville, other ponies now emerged from the edge of the Everfree. From the looks of things, they too appeared to be guards, but unlike their own, these ones are clad in armour of azure and dark-blue colouring, with helms that masked their entire faces. Like the royal guard, there appeared to be at least twelve of them, and the sight of them caused Applejack to suddenly run towards Twilight, much to the latter's surprise, before promptly whispering in her ear in a serious manner. "Y'all never said anythin about soldiers comin here!" Looking to her, Twilight's expression was one of concern. "Applejack, they're sending an important diplomat over. If we did the same to any other nation, we'd send protection too. I mean...just look at these guys!" She gestured to the royal guards nearby, and Applejack looked over to them. There was a pause between the two mares, but eventually, Applejack sighed, giving a nod to Twilight before finally retreating back into the crowd. As for Twilight, she glanced yet again to the Lunar ponies that now approached them. And it was here that, to her surprise, she noted a familiar face at their head. A pegasus mare, similarly armoured, cyan in her fur, and bearing a mane of green, purple and blue. Aurora Dash, whose face looked as stern as ever, marching with her soldiers towards their group of ponies. Twilight stayed quiet, watching as they drew closer and closer, and could almost feel the hesitation of the guards behind her. Eventually though, the other ponies stopped, and Aurora raised a single hoof. "Guards! Formation!" As soon as the words had been spoken, the Lunar guards started to move, swiftly getting themselves into a straight line, completely parallel with the Equestrian guards. Both sides stared at one another, with Aurora herself standing stoically in the middle. Twilight gulped, but merely watched as the cyan pegasus looked over her shoulder, giving a nod to somepony far behind. Twilight craned her neck to see who it was, and here again, she found herself surprised. For three more ponies now emerged from the Everfree entrance. Two were further guards, both unicorns, but the one in the middle, while also a unicorn, was clearly not military. A mare, bright white in her fur, with her dark-purple mane tied up onto a bun. Her attire was formal and professional, and she walked forward with a look of refinement about her. Twilight, for her part, couldn't help but whisper under her breath. "Rarity?" As the new mare approached, Aurora stepped to one side, giving a quick nod to her before taking the place of the two unicorn guards. Now, both her and Rarity walked together, with the other Lunar guards remaining where they were. Likewise, Cadence and Shining started to move closer, with Twilight close behind. Eventually, both sides met in the middle, and for a time, there was utter silence. Everypony watched, waiting to see who would do what, and when. Then, after almost a full minute of such quiet, it was Rarity who broke it. "Good day to you. I am Rarity Belle, and I have been chosen to serve as representative of her Grace, Queen Moon of the Lunar Kingdom." The alabaster unicorn gave a slight bow of her head to Cadence, and the latter, after clearing her throat slightly, started to reply. "And greetings to you. I am Mi'Amore Cadenza. And I serve as Ambassador of the good ponies of Equestria. Welcome to our nation." Rarity nodded, though for a moment she turned her gaze upwards, towards the bright sun in the sky. She squinted slightly, looking briefly uncomfortable at the sight of it, before then glancing back down to Cadence. "Yes...it is a pleasure to be here." The way she'd said that, it was hard to say for certain whether or not she'd meant it. But for now, Cadence maintained her formal smile, raising a hoof and gesturing to one side. "A place has been set up in the town hall for us to discuss matters. Shall we?" Rarity paused at this, then, for just a brief second, glanced over in Twilight's direction. The young unicorn was, at first, unnerved by this, but she nevertheless maintained her composure, as the new arrival looked over to Cadence once more. "Indeed. We have much to talk about." First AgreementsThe silence was what bothered people the most as they dwelt within this room. The main chamber of Ponyville's town hall was large and, at this very moment, as quiet as a grave. The only real sound being heard right now was that of the nearby wall clock, as well as the occasional nervous cough from those present. And speaking of whom, the ponies here were all looking to each other with utter seriousness. On one side of the large central table was Cadence, flanked by Shining and Twilight. On the other was Rarity, with Aurora standing close by. For both parties, their respective guards stood just a few steps behind their representatives, all lined up and keeping an eye on their opposite number. After a good long while of everypony just staying silent, Cadence, after clearing her throat slightly, began the conversation. "Well...it is indeed a momentous day for our two peoples. A thousand years of being separated from one another, and now, together again." Hearing that, Rarity raised an eyebrow. "We are not together, Ambassador Cadenza. We remain very much separate nations." Nervousness took hold in Cadence's expression. "Yes, of course. I merely meant that we meet here today in the spirit of unity. We do, after all, hope that a friendship can be established between our peoples, yes?" Rarity nodded. "Indeed. Our Queen very much hopes that a productive relationship can be forged. Assuming, of course, that your people wish for such a thing." Briefly, Cadence seemed taken aback by this, glancing over to Twilight momentarily before turning her eyes back to her counterpart. "Of...of course we do. Such a thing is surely in everypony's best interests." Nodding once more, Rarity placed a single hoof upon the table, her expression as stoic and professional as ever. "That is good to hear, Ambassador. But first, I believe some simple matters need to be addressed." Cadence nodded back. "Yes. I believe you wished to talk about the exact location of your embassy?" Rarity did not answer. Instead, she looked over her shoulder, gesturing to one of the silent guards behind her. The guard saluted, before then starting to march in her direction. The Equestrians watched him intently, seeing him reach his Ambassador before, rather quickly, reaching underneath his armour and pulling out a small parchment. He offered it to Rarity, who graciously accepted it, before gesturing for him to return to his previous post. Again, the stallion saluted, before then taking a few steps backwards to his prior position. Unrolling the parchment, Rarity glanced over it briefly before looking back up to Cadence. "During our cursory examination of Ponyville and the surrounding area, we came up with this as an ideal choice for the embassy." Her horn lit up, and the parchment soon floated over to where Cadence was sitting. When it landed at her part of the table, both she and Twilight looked to it carefully. It was a newly-made map of the side of Ponyville that met the edge of the Everfree Forest. And there, marked with a red "X" was the spot where the Lunar Ambassador, presumably, wished for the embassy to be constructed. Observing the paper closely, Twilight then looked up to Rarity with curiosity upon her face. "You...you want it there? On the edge of the Everfree?" Rarity nodded. "Yes. Since the Everfree marks the effective boundary between our respective kingdoms, we believed it to be a suitable location." Twilight opened her mouth to reply, only to be halted by the sound of somepony clearing their throat. Turning, they all saw that it was Shining, who narrowed his eyes slightly as he regarded Rarity. "Ambassador, would you mind allowing us a moment to discuss this?" The alabaster unicorn did not answer, instead merely giving a short nod. Shining, accepting this, got up from his chair, with Twilight and Cadence soon following. Once they were behind the line of royal guards, and thus far enough to not be heard, Shining turned to the other two mares. "I don't like this. That spot on the map is the only real entrance in or out of the Everfree, at least between our two nations." Twilight looked to him with confusion. "Is that a problem?" Looking back to her, Shining nodded. "It is. If they build their embassy there, that basically means that they'll control that entrance. And that means that they'll have final say on who goes in or out." Turning away from her, he frowned as he focused his eyes on the other Ambassador, who had taken to reading some documents in the meantime. "In terms of ground forces, it would give them a distinct strategic advantage." Twilight gave her brother a look of disapproval. "Shining, we're talking about an embassy, not a fortress. And besides...these ponies came here to try and form some kind of relationship with us. They didn't come here for war." Shining gave her a scowl of his own. "They say that...but I don't think it would be wise for us to give them this level of trust so soon." This time, it was Cadence's turn to speak. "This is their first request to us, Shining. And it's not exactly unreasonable for them to make the choice on where their embassy gets put. If we refuse it, they could take it as an offense." She let out a sigh. "They've already been told that they won't be setting up in Canterlot, so it's something of a miracle that they're even being this cordial with us. If we say no to this..." She didn't finish, but her meaning set in for the other two ponies all the same, leading to Shining letting out a long sigh. He looked to Cadence, then to Twilight, who took a step closer to him and gently placed a hoof upon his shoulder. "Please, brother...trust." To say that Shining didn't look comfortable with this would have been an understatement, as the disapproval he felt was as clear as day upon his face. However, seeing the earnest and pleading way his sister was looking to him made him relent, and his shoulders slumped slightly before he gave her a simple nod. Twilight smiled in appreciation, and before long, both she, Cadence and Shining began to make their way back to the table. Rarity, who had finished her readings, looked to them as they took their respective seats once more. "Thank you for being patient, Ambassador," Cadence said. Rarity nodded. "It is diplomacy, Ambassador Cadenza. Patience is a rather vital requirement for this line of work, wouldn't you say?" Cadence let out a nervous-sounding laugh in response. "Yes...I suppose it is." Leaning forward, Rarity looked to her with an analytical eye. "So...I take it the matter of the embassy location has been agreed upon?" For a short few moments, Cadence looked once more to Shining, who paused for a moment before shutting his eyes and giving a nod. Seeing that, Cadence looked back to her counterpoint and nodded to her. "Yes. We've decided that your chosen location will indeed be acceptable." Taking that in, Rarity considered that for a moment, her expression never once giving away her feelings on the matter, before finally speaking up. "Very good. Workers and materials from our kingdom will be arriving in a few days time to begin construction, with my staff coming over once it is complete. I take it your people would wish to observe their actions while they build?" Cadence nodded once more. "I think it would be a good thing at this early stage. And thank you very much for being so accepting of this." To that, Rarity simply let out a brief "hmph" sound. "Were our positions reversed, I doubt we would have done any different." Here, she turned to Aurora, giving her a silent look, to which the young Captain gave yet another salute. When that was done, she started to move off, taking two of the unicorn guards with her, all while the Equestrian watched them go. Where they were going, and what they were doing, nopony could say, but, Twilight felt that it might be a mistake to question them about it right now. With her Captain now gone, however, Rarity leaned forward, resting her chin against her hoof as she regarded her opposites. "In the meantime, I and my retinue will require lodgings." Getting up from her chair, Cadence started to bear a small smile. "Of course. Ponyville doesn't really have any hotels to speak of, but we have managed to find a pleasant little place for you and your guards to stay until the embassy is finished." Rarity responded to that with a look of scepticism. "Indeed?" Cadence began to move around the table to meet with her, with Twilight and Shining not far behind her. "It used to be an old clothes store, the Carousel. But the owner left town some years ago, and nopony has used it since." Stopping just short of Rarity's chair, the young Ambassador continued. "After word was sent to the Mayor, we heard that she's spent the last week getting it ready. I'm sure you'll like it." Getting up from her sitting position, Rarity turned from her counterpart. "I'll be the judge of that, if it's all the same to you." Cadence nodded. "Of course. Would you like me to show you the way?" Looking to her, Rarity raised an eyebrow, giving a single nod. Cadence smiled just a little bit wider to that, before then starting to make her way towards the town hall's entrance. Twilight, for her part, looked as if she was thinking hard on something, then, in a move that caused clear shock to Cadence, spoke up to Rarity. "Perhaps you and I could talk together sometime, Ambassador? I'd be fascinated to hear what you've been up to since we last met." Rarity halted in her tracks, looking over to the young unicorn beside her after she'd heard that. She regarded Twilight carefully, then spoke in that incredibly formal manner of hers. "I appreciate the offer, but I believe I will be rather busy for the foreseeable future, Miss Sparkle. Perhaps at a later date...if I have time." Her ears dropping slightly, Twilight looked away from her, scratching the back of her head as she responded. "Oh...of course." And with that, Rarity once more began to follow Cadence, with their respective rows of guards on either side of them as they made their way out of the town hall. Twilight, meanwhile, stayed behind, though it was not long before she seemed to get herself out of her down feelings over that recent interaction. But, before she could join her old friend outside, she was stopped yet again, this time by her brother. "Shining?" The older stallion waited beside her, watching as the Lunar forces left the building, and only when he was sure they were gone did he turn to look at her. "Twilight...there is something I must say to you. Something very important." Curiosity grew in her eyes. "Yes, brother?" Once more, Shining checked to make sure nopony was listening, before then glancing back to her. "Cadence may try her best with diplomacy...but there is still a chance that things between them and us don't go the way we hope." Twilight frowned to this. "I know you have your concerns, Shining, but we can't just go and treat these ponies like our enemies." Shining sighed. "I understand that...but this warning comes from Princess Celestia herself." Twilight paused at that, clearly taken aback by her brother's words. And it was here that the stallion continued. "Do not misunderstand me. Celestia hopes for peace as much as you do. But she also has a responsibility to do what's necessary to ensure that her people are safeguarded from possible dangers." Looking away from her, Shining narrowed his eyes at the nearby door. "And those Lunar ponies are a possible danger." Silence passed between them, and when it ended, Twilight looked to her brother with confusion. "Shining...what is it you're asking, exactly?" The stallion let out a sigh, before having his eyes meet hers. "I'm asking...for you to just...keep an eye on them. If they maybe do something that seems out of the ordinary...of if something happens between them and the Ponyville ponies...we need to be prepared." Once more, Twilight frowned. "You're...asking me to spy on them?" In response, Shining frowned right back. "I don't want to, but...they would do the same, Twilight. You know that." His sister said nothing, simply watching as her brother's expression began to soften, if only slightly. Slowly, he started to head off towards the exit of the building, just like his fellow guards had done not so long ago. Before long, the young unicorn was alone in this place, and here, all she could do was think over what had been said to her, by Cadence, by Shining and, of course, by Rarity. The positive feelings she'd had not so long ago had now had their edge taken off, and while it would have been a stretch to say she looked unhappy, she did seem unnerved by everything she'd experienced. Letting out a long sigh, she too started to trot outside. But, once out, she was taken aback by a familiar voice calling to her. "Twilight!" Turning, she saw that it was Pinkie, with Applejack and Fluttershy not far behind. When all three of the mares reached her, it was Pinkie who spoke up. "So, how'd it go? Are things good between us?" Twilight paused again, turning to look in the direction Cadence and the others had walked. And as she did so, she thought over that question and how best to answer it. In the end, she turned to her party-loving friend, before just giving perhaps the only honest answer she could give under the circumstances. "I think...we have a long way to go."
The MessageAcross Equestria, there was one place, above all, that ponies of all walks of life would wish to go to if they had the chance. And that was their grand capital, Canterlot. But, even to those who lived within this pristine and glorious city, there were locales that even they would wish to be a part of. At the top of that list was the abode of Princess Celestia herself, and the royal throne room. When one entered this place, its sense of grandeur and elegance was there for all to see, with exquisite stained glass windows, enormous marble columns and rows of disciplined royal guards. The sun shone brightly through those many windows, creating a near glow about the place, with Celestia herself shining brightest of all. The Mother-figure of Equestria sat in her bright golden throne, looking as composed and calm as she always did, with a knowing smile upon her face, reading a parchment that now hovered before her. "Hmmm...yes...very good..." But, her musings were, for the time being, interrupted, for the great oak doors that led to her chamber now creaked open, gaining her attention immediately. Looking up, a wider smile crossed her face, as she now gazed upon the one who entered. It was another mare, a pegasus, bright pink in her fur, with a darker shade of pink in her mane, the latter of which was tied back into a ponytail. As this new arrival finally reached the stairs leading up to Celestia's throne, she gave a low and expertly-executed bow. "Princess Celestia." The white alicorn looked to her with fondness. "Miss Cadence. Always a pleasure." Standing tall once more, the mare, Cadence, returned the smile, before promptly clearing her throat and getting right down to business. "You wished to be informed of when the delegation of Canterlot nobles was ready to speak with you?" At that, Celestia's smile faded slightly, and she let out a long sigh. "Yes...I did." Composing herself yet again, Celestia spoke softly to Cadence. "Inform them that I am ready to discuss the upcoming tax law reforms as soon as they arrive at the palace." Cadence nodded, giving another bow to her monarch before then turning, no doubt ready to head off to perform her assigned task. However, before she got the chance to do so, Celestia, after glancing at the parchment by her side, regained her earlier smile, leading to her calling out to the younger mare before she left. "Oh! Cadence?" The pegasus halted, turning around with a look of curiosity. "Yes, my Lady?" With her horn lighting up, Celestia levitated the parchment to hover just beside her head, before then pointing to it. "I have received word from your favourite charge, if you're interested." Though it took a moment for her to understand what the Princess had meant by that, Cadence's face soon lit up with a happy-looking smile. "Twilight? How is she doing?" After letting out a brief laugh to herself, Celestia turned her attention to the parchment, waiting until Cadence had drawn closer to the throne before speaking up again. "From the sound of things, she's doing quite well. The last of her things have been safely delivered to her new home in Ponyville, and her latest friends there are helping her unpack as we speak." A look of nostalgia crossed Cadence's face. "I'm glad to hear she's doing so well. She always was such a sweet filly to look after." Turning, Cadence now focused her attention on one of the armoured stallions beside Celestia's throne. "You must be so proud of what she's done, Sir Armour." Said stallion's horn began to glow, and his helmet soon lifted off his face, revealing both his white fur and blue mane, as well as the smile he bore as he looked to the young mare before him. "I'm always proud of Twily, Cadence." Cadence giggled to this, as indeed did Celestia, who now looked to her guard with some amusement in her expression. "It must be hard, knowing she's so far away now." But the stallion merely shook his head to his leader. "Not at all, Ma'am. Twilight is quite capable. I'm sure she can handle whatever Ponyville has to throw at her." Celestia nodded. "Your faith in her is reassuring." She turned once more to the parchment. "In any case, things appear to be going well for her. Things are calm for the time being, which is more than I would have expected...given recent events." A slight grimace crossed her face, but she soon shook herself out of it, returning to her previous smile. "Well, as pleasant as this has been, I really should be getting to those nobles now. Cadence, would you be so kind as to..." But, she didn't say anything further, as her eyes were now focused instead upon something that was now occurring far above them. Both Cadence and Shining turned to see what she was looking at, only to find that some sort of magical flame was entering the chamber through one of the open windows high above. Seeing this, Cadence's face lit up with another smile. "Oh? Twilight has another message for us?" Shining too was looking to the flame with expectancy. But Celestia, by contrast, narrowed her eyes at what she saw. "No...it isn't Twilight." At first, both of the others were confused by this remark, but as they glanced up again, they found that the approaching flame was not green, as was usually the case with Spike's fire, but rather a dark blue. Standing up from her throne, Celestia frowned at the oncoming spell, and many of the guards soon stirred from their stationary positions, looking warily at the thing. Eventually, the flame did as expected, and transformed itself into a parchment. But this one was tied together with a black ribbon, which itself was sealed with a mark of a crescent moon. Using her magic, Celestia opened it up, her frown never once disappearing as she began to read the words. A great deal of silence filled the chamber, as all looked to her with concern, but it ended when Cadence finally spoke up. "P...Princess? Is everything alright?" After continuing to stare at the document for almost a further minute, Celestia looked up from it, letting out a deep sigh before speaking up to her aide with a more serious and formal tone. "Miss Cadence...you will need to inform the delegates that I will not be able to see them today." Cadence hesitated, looking to Shining for some clarification. But the stallion had none, looking just as confused as she was. However, the young mare nevertheless did as requested, now starting to run out of the chamber with all haste. As for Celestia, she now glanced to Shining, speaking in that same tone as before. "Sir Armour, summon my ministers. Tell them to come here to speak with me as soon as possible." She frowned. "Once you have done that, bring my scribe. And tell her that I need a number of messages drawn up and sent off with all haste." Briefly, Shining paused. "Messages, your Majesty?" Celestia nodded. "Yes. In particular, one to Mayor Mare of Ponyville...and one to your sister." At that, Shining took on a more concerned expression and posture. "Twilight? My Lady...what's happened?" The Princess shut her eyes tightly, letting out yet another deep exhale. Then, her horn lit up, and the parchment once more levitated before her face, wherein she looked to it with a look that was almost contemptuous. "...What has happened, Sir Armour...is that we have just received...some grave news indeed."
Reactions"This is great news!" Twilight's excitement was plain for all to see, as she happily trotted about the outer rim of the main chamber of the Golden Oak Library. Her horn was aglow, and before her hovered a parchment, marked with the symbol of the sun. All around her were her friends, Applejack, Pinkie and Fluttershy, as well as Spike, who looked on with both curiosity and concern to his Mother. "Mom? You've been looking at that thing for a few minutes now." Stopping, the young unicorn blushed slightly as she turned to her son, walking over and giving him a gentle pat on the head. "Don't mind me, Spike. This is just...well...rather exciting." Naturally, such words prompted Pinkie to walk over herself, gesturing to a stack of nearby unopened boxed. "Well, might as well tell us. I'm sure we're all eager to take a break from all this unpacking." Looking to her, and seeing her other friends start to gather around, Twilight gave both a smile and a nod. She turned her attention back to the parchment, her eyes drifting over it as she started to speak. "It's from Princess Celestia. Apparently, her sister has sent word that she wants her kingdom to open up diplomatic relations with Equestria." A look of shock crossed the faces of many of the mares, with Applejack speaking up first. "Seriously?!" Twilight, oblivious to the less-than-happy way her colleague had said that, smiled widely. "I know, right? This is truly a wonderful day!" Looking back to the document, the unicorn sighed. "Our people and theirs have been separated by a thousand years. But now? Now, we have a chance to try and mend that gap." Her friends all cast nervous glances to one another, but, after a brief silence between them, Fluttershy started to walk to her unicorn friend, clearing her throat and gaining her attention by doing so. "Twilight? I know you may think this is all a good idea, but it is really? There's been so much separation between us, and even Celestia doesn't seem all that fond of her sister. At least, that's what you told us." Twilight, undeterred by this, looked to her friend with a softer look, nodding slightly. "I know. And I'm not so naïve as to suggest that issues between us are going to be fixed overnight. Like I said, this is a thousand years of division between us." Looking away, her face lit up a little bit more. "But if we can open up a dialogue with them...and if we all work at it...maybe...just maybe...we could be looking at the start of something truly wonderful here!" The way she'd said that made it absolutely clear that she'd meant every single word of it. But her friends, looking to one another, were also clear in their expressions that they did not share in her enthusiasm for this situation. But, at the end of it, Fluttershy let out a sigh, putting on a smile for her friend's sake and placing a hoof upon her shoulder. "Twilight...if you truly believe that things might be good between us, then I suppose it's only right that we believe in it too." Looking to each of them, Twilight saw them give her nods and smiles in response to this, earning a look of appreciation from her. "Thank you." Chuckling slightly, Pinkie started approaching her as well. "So I guess this means a bunch of diplomats and ambassadors, right? Some fancy pony from their side going over to Canterlot?" To that, Twilight looked to her with an even wider smile than before. "Actually, no! That's the great thing about this!" Naturally, such words earned her confusedly looks from the others, prompting her to explain herself. "From what Celestia tells me, the Ambassador is going to be coming here!" Immediately, Applejack, who'd been sipping a nearby glass of water, spat it out, then wiped her mouth slightly before looking to her friend with shock. "What?!" Turning to her, Twilight misled. "That's right. Celestia said that the embassy for the Lunar Kingdom will be built right here in Ponyville. And likewise, she'll be sending over a trained Equestrian diplomat of our own to take up residence here, so they'll have somepony close by to speak with them." Incredulity was the order of the day for the farmer, who took a step closer to the spectacled unicorn. "Is...is this some kinda joke?! Ya mean ta tell me those...those moonies are comin here?!" To that, Twilight narrowed her eyes. "Yes, Applejack, they are. And if we're going to try and make some kind of relationship with them it might do for us to not talk about them that way." Her frown deepened. "And let's not forget...their leader saved our lives, remember? If it wasn't for her, the Tantabus would have killed all of us, and gone on to do who knows what to the rest of Equestria!" She glanced away from her earth pony friend. "Whatever reservations we might have...we owe her the benefit of the doubt here." Applejack looked away, looking just as concerned about this as she'd been throughout. However, in the silence that followed, Pinkie looked around before clearing her throat and adding her own voice to things. "Not to sound critical of our always-loved leader, but...why is this all happening in Ponyville of all places? I mean, if everypony else gets embassies in Canterlot, why not these guys?" Glancing to her, Applejack nodded. "That's right! The Yaks, the Crystal Empire, heck, even the Griffons have people in that city!" Twilight nodded. "I know. But let's not forget, for centuries now, ponies in Equestria have told stories of Queen Moon as being some kind of horrible nightmare monster. Finding out she's real is one thing, but letting her set up somewhere in the heart of our country? That was something even Celestia wasn't able to convince her ministers to allow. If nothing else, doing this far from the capital might help to avoid any kind of serious early panic." Looking down slightly, Twilight's ears dropped a bit. "Besides...if what she told me before is still true, I think she'd have a hard time accepting the idea of having her sister's representatives so close." Nodding, Applejack took those words in, and yet, she still looked as if she were critical of this notion, as evidenced by her tone when she spoke next. "But...why here? Ponyville ain't exactly a big bustlin' place, Twi." Looking over to the parchment, Twilight began to answer. "From what we've been able to gather, Ponyville is the closest settlement in Equestria to the Lunar lands. We're basically a gateway to their kingdom...give or take an Everfree Forest of course." Raising an eyebrow, Pinkie stepped into the conversation once more. "And the Queen was okay with that? I mean, I'm glad she's not throwing a fit or anything, but it seems kinda weird she'd let her embassy be in a place like...well...this." For a time, Twilight didn't reply, leading to all of them looking to her in silence. The young unicorn's mind began to drift back to past memories. Memories of her last serious conversation with her beloved mentor, and the request for her to stay in Ponyville. The words she'd spoken to her echoed over and over in her mind, and just for a moment, a sudden coldness took hold of her. But, she shook herself out of this state, putting on a reassuring smile for her friends. "Well...perhaps the Queen just wants to get things off on the right hoof between us?" The expressions her friends wore made it rather obvious that they were not exactly convinced by this, and truth be told, nor was Twilight. But, glancing back up, her mood perked up immensely. "But look at it this way! Ponyville now gets to serve as the place where two great nations mete out relationships with one another! Can you imagine it?" Applejack rolled her eyes. "Oh, ah'm imaginin it alright!" Twilight looked to her with some disapproval. "I understand your concerns, but if there's any chance that we can make things work...we have an obligation to see it through." Sighing, Applejack made her way back over to one of the nearby boxes, before then starting to unpack it. As for Twilight, she looked to her with concern, only to be stopped from doing so by a small poke from Spike. "So there's gonna be some diplomat coming here? To Ponyville? And from Canterlot too?" Looking down to him, Twilight smiled. "Yes there is, Spike. With luck, they'll be here within a week to try and hash out some kind of agreement about the exact embassy location." Spike nodded. "Okay, so...who is the Princess going to send?" A knowing smile crept onto his Mother's face, and she leaned down and planted a gentle kiss upon his forehead, eliciting slight confusion form the youth. Soon after, his carer began to answer. "That, my son...is perhaps the best news of all."
ArrivalsAt the very least, it was a pleasant day for what was about to occur. The skies were clear above Ponyville, and the sun shone brightly down upon its residents. While most ponies were simply going about their daily lives, unaware of what was about to happen, one set of eyes eagerly looked up to the infinite blue above her. Twilight stood quietly in the middle of the town square, staring into the skies for any sign of those she knew would come, but so far, there was nothing. Eventually, Spike arrived onto the scene as well, walking up to his Mother and standing beside her. She felt him there, and looked down to him with a warm smile. "Just be patient, Spike. it won't be long now." The young dragon nodded, turning his attention to the sky as well. And here, the youth's eyes widened, and he pointed a single claw eagerly upwards. "Mom! There they are!" Immediately, Twilight's head snapped in the direction her son was pointing, and sure enough, he was correct. At first, it just seemed like a few dots far away. But as time passed, those dots became larger, more clear to her sights. Adjusting her glasses slightly, the unicorn soon silently confirmed what she was seeing, and a wide smile crept onto her face. "Yes...that's them alright." It didn't take long for many of the other nearby ponies to notice what was going on, as a procession of three golden chariots could now be seen flying clearly over Ponyville. The bright armour of the pegasi guards who pulled them glistened in the sun, creating an image of awe for many down on the ground. Crowds began to gather in the square, where the chariots were heading, and among them were Applejack, Fluttershy and Pinkie. But while there was a great deal of chatter, nopony stepped forward into the very centre of the place, as that was where the chariots seemed to be heading to land. Indeed, this proved true, and before long, all three of them had safely landed. In two of the chariots, unicorn guards dismounted, giving nods of thanks to the pegasi that had brought them, which was soon reciprocated. However, it was the central chariot that caught Twilight's interest most, as evidenced by the smile she now wore. "Well...long time no see." There, emerging from that central carrier, was a pink pegasus mare, her hair tied into a ponytail. And beside her was her personal escort, a white unicorn stallion, who bore the same golden armour as his colleagues. As the latter helped the former out of the chariot, Twilight began to trot closer to them, with Spike close behind. Several of the other guards began to move closer to her, perhaps to stop her from approaching, but it wasn't long before looks of recognition crossed their faces, and they simply smiled and saluted to the approaching mare. Twilight smiled to this, but her words were reserved until, finally, she came within reach of the two in the middle. "It's good to see you both again." The mare and stallion at the central chariot turned to her, and instantly, smiles grew upon their faces. The pink mare moved first, drawing closer to Twilight before embracing her in a friendly hug. "Twilight! It's been so long!" Twilight herself let out a brief giggle to this. "You too, Cadence!" Parting from her, the unicorn continued to smile widely. "An Ambassador now? Wow!" A slight blush crept onto Cadence's face. "Yes, it was a rather unexpected promotion. But the Princess was certain that I'd be up to the task." Looking to her, Twilight gave a nod. "I'm sure you will be, Cadence." The pegasus mare seemed to appreciate that, but, for the time being, she did not reply. Instead, she bore a knowing smile as she stepped to one side, glancing over to the white stallion that now made his way towards Twilight. The latter took on a more affectionate look, as indeed did the stallion, and while they said nothing to one another, they moved closer, embracing each other in an even warmer manner than Twilight had just done with Cadence. They stayed together longer too, and when they stopped, Twilight looked to the stallion and let out a long sigh. "It's good to have you close again, brother." Shining nodded. "And you, sister. I've been hearing a lot about what you've been getting up to." This time, it was Twilight's turn to blush. "Yeah...quite a lot of weird stuff, but...I'm okay." The stallion nodded a second time. "I'm glad to hear it. Having you close by is going to make this assignment all the easier for us." While Twilight would have undoubtedly wanted to speak further on the matter, she was soon kept from such action, as Spike poked her in the side, causing her to look down to him. However, in stark contrast to how he'd been looking before, the look upon the youth's face now seemed to be one of concern. He didn't even wait for his Mother to ask what was wrong, as he turned around and pointed to something far off. "Mom...I think...I saw something over there!" Turning, Twilight, Shining and Cadence looked over to where he was talking about. It was far away, beyond the boundary of the town, right in the gloom of the nearby Everfree Forest. There was no wind, and yet, in the darkness beneath those trees, there seemed to be some kind of movement. Instantly, everypony gathered there knew what this meant, and seriousness now crossed their faces. Gone was the warm and amicable look on Shining's face, and instead, it was replaced with a more professional expression. He turned to the other members of the guard, raising a hoof and pointing to the Everfree. "This is it, Guards! Assume formations!" The guards saluted in unison, before promptly starting to line up behind Cadence. There were about a dozen in total, made up of both pegasi and unicorns, and together, they made an impressive display behind the young Ambassador. As for Cadence herself, she took a calming breath, looking to Twilight once more before, finally, starting to move off. Twilight joined her, as indeed did Spike, while most of the surrounding ponies looked to all of this with confusion and concern. Twilight's friends especially seemed worried about all of this, and unlike many others in Ponyville, they started trotting along to keep up with her and the Ambassador's entourage. Eventually though, the group stopped just beyond the edge of Ponyville, and here they waited. However, it took only a moment for something to finally happen. "There they are," Twilight remarked in a nervous manner. To the shock of many in Ponyville, other ponies now emerged from the edge of the Everfree. From the looks of things, they too appeared to be guards, but unlike their own, these ones are clad in armour of azure and dark-blue colouring, with helms that masked their entire faces. Like the royal guard, there appeared to be at least twelve of them, and the sight of them caused Applejack to suddenly run towards Twilight, much to the latter's surprise, before promptly whispering in her ear in a serious manner. "Y'all never said anythin about soldiers comin here!" Looking to her, Twilight's expression was one of concern. "Applejack, they're sending an important diplomat over. If we did the same to any other nation, we'd send protection too. I mean...just look at these guys!" She gestured to the royal guards nearby, and Applejack looked over to them. There was a pause between the two mares, but eventually, Applejack sighed, giving a nod to Twilight before finally retreating back into the crowd. As for Twilight, she glanced yet again to the Lunar ponies that now approached them. And it was here that, to her surprise, she noted a familiar face at their head. A pegasus mare, similarly armoured, cyan in her fur, and bearing a mane of green, purple and blue. Aurora Dash, whose face looked as stern as ever, marching with her soldiers towards their group of ponies. Twilight stayed quiet, watching as they drew closer and closer, and could almost feel the hesitation of the guards behind her. Eventually though, the other ponies stopped, and Aurora raised a single hoof. "Guards! Formation!" As soon as the words had been spoken, the Lunar guards started to move, swiftly getting themselves into a straight line, completely parallel with the Equestrian guards. Both sides stared at one another, with Aurora herself standing stoically in the middle. Twilight gulped, but merely watched as the cyan pegasus looked over her shoulder, giving a nod to somepony far behind. Twilight craned her neck to see who it was, and here again, she found herself surprised. For three more ponies now emerged from the Everfree entrance. Two were further guards, both unicorns, but the one in the middle, while also a unicorn, was clearly not military. A mare, bright white in her fur, with her dark-purple mane tied up onto a bun. Her attire was formal and professional, and she walked forward with a look of refinement about her. Twilight, for her part, couldn't help but whisper under her breath. "Rarity?" As the new mare approached, Aurora stepped to one side, giving a quick nod to her before taking the place of the two unicorn guards. Now, both her and Rarity walked together, with the other Lunar guards remaining where they were. Likewise, Cadence and Shining started to move closer, with Twilight close behind. Eventually, both sides met in the middle, and for a time, there was utter silence. Everypony watched, waiting to see who would do what, and when. Then, after almost a full minute of such quiet, it was Rarity who broke it. "Good day to you. I am Rarity Belle, and I have been chosen to serve as representative of her Grace, Queen Moon of the Lunar Kingdom." The alabaster unicorn gave a slight bow of her head to Cadence, and the latter, after clearing her throat slightly, started to reply. "And greetings to you. I am Mi'Amore Cadenza. And I serve as Ambassador of the good ponies of Equestria. Welcome to our nation." Rarity nodded, though for a moment she turned her gaze upwards, towards the bright sun in the sky. She squinted slightly, looking briefly uncomfortable at the sight of it, before then glancing back down to Cadence. "Yes...it is a pleasure to be here." The way she'd said that, it was hard to say for certain whether or not she'd meant it. But for now, Cadence maintained her formal smile, raising a hoof and gesturing to one side. "A place has been set up in the town hall for us to discuss matters. Shall we?" Rarity paused at this, then, for just a brief second, glanced over in Twilight's direction. The young unicorn was, at first, unnerved by this, but she nevertheless maintained her composure, as the new arrival looked over to Cadence once more. "Indeed. We have much to talk about."
First AgreementsThe silence was what bothered people the most as they dwelt within this room. The main chamber of Ponyville's town hall was large and, at this very moment, as quiet as a grave. The only real sound being heard right now was that of the nearby wall clock, as well as the occasional nervous cough from those present. And speaking of whom, the ponies here were all looking to each other with utter seriousness. On one side of the large central table was Cadence, flanked by Shining and Twilight. On the other was Rarity, with Aurora standing close by. For both parties, their respective guards stood just a few steps behind their representatives, all lined up and keeping an eye on their opposite number. After a good long while of everypony just staying silent, Cadence, after clearing her throat slightly, began the conversation. "Well...it is indeed a momentous day for our two peoples. A thousand years of being separated from one another, and now, together again." Hearing that, Rarity raised an eyebrow. "We are not together, Ambassador Cadenza. We remain very much separate nations." Nervousness took hold in Cadence's expression. "Yes, of course. I merely meant that we meet here today in the spirit of unity. We do, after all, hope that a friendship can be established between our peoples, yes?" Rarity nodded. "Indeed. Our Queen very much hopes that a productive relationship can be forged. Assuming, of course, that your people wish for such a thing." Briefly, Cadence seemed taken aback by this, glancing over to Twilight momentarily before turning her eyes back to her counterpart. "Of...of course we do. Such a thing is surely in everypony's best interests." Nodding once more, Rarity placed a single hoof upon the table, her expression as stoic and professional as ever. "That is good to hear, Ambassador. But first, I believe some simple matters need to be addressed." Cadence nodded back. "Yes. I believe you wished to talk about the exact location of your embassy?" Rarity did not answer. Instead, she looked over her shoulder, gesturing to one of the silent guards behind her. The guard saluted, before then starting to march in her direction. The Equestrians watched him intently, seeing him reach his Ambassador before, rather quickly, reaching underneath his armour and pulling out a small parchment. He offered it to Rarity, who graciously accepted it, before gesturing for him to return to his previous post. Again, the stallion saluted, before then taking a few steps backwards to his prior position. Unrolling the parchment, Rarity glanced over it briefly before looking back up to Cadence. "During our cursory examination of Ponyville and the surrounding area, we came up with this as an ideal choice for the embassy." Her horn lit up, and the parchment soon floated over to where Cadence was sitting. When it landed at her part of the table, both she and Twilight looked to it carefully. It was a newly-made map of the side of Ponyville that met the edge of the Everfree Forest. And there, marked with a red "X" was the spot where the Lunar Ambassador, presumably, wished for the embassy to be constructed. Observing the paper closely, Twilight then looked up to Rarity with curiosity upon her face. "You...you want it there? On the edge of the Everfree?" Rarity nodded. "Yes. Since the Everfree marks the effective boundary between our respective kingdoms, we believed it to be a suitable location." Twilight opened her mouth to reply, only to be halted by the sound of somepony clearing their throat. Turning, they all saw that it was Shining, who narrowed his eyes slightly as he regarded Rarity. "Ambassador, would you mind allowing us a moment to discuss this?" The alabaster unicorn did not answer, instead merely giving a short nod. Shining, accepting this, got up from his chair, with Twilight and Cadence soon following. Once they were behind the line of royal guards, and thus far enough to not be heard, Shining turned to the other two mares. "I don't like this. That spot on the map is the only real entrance in or out of the Everfree, at least between our two nations." Twilight looked to him with confusion. "Is that a problem?" Looking back to her, Shining nodded. "It is. If they build their embassy there, that basically means that they'll control that entrance. And that means that they'll have final say on who goes in or out." Turning away from her, he frowned as he focused his eyes on the other Ambassador, who had taken to reading some documents in the meantime. "In terms of ground forces, it would give them a distinct strategic advantage." Twilight gave her brother a look of disapproval. "Shining, we're talking about an embassy, not a fortress. And besides...these ponies came here to try and form some kind of relationship with us. They didn't come here for war." Shining gave her a scowl of his own. "They say that...but I don't think it would be wise for us to give them this level of trust so soon." This time, it was Cadence's turn to speak. "This is their first request to us, Shining. And it's not exactly unreasonable for them to make the choice on where their embassy gets put. If we refuse it, they could take it as an offense." She let out a sigh. "They've already been told that they won't be setting up in Canterlot, so it's something of a miracle that they're even being this cordial with us. If we say no to this..." She didn't finish, but her meaning set in for the other two ponies all the same, leading to Shining letting out a long sigh. He looked to Cadence, then to Twilight, who took a step closer to him and gently placed a hoof upon his shoulder. "Please, brother...trust." To say that Shining didn't look comfortable with this would have been an understatement, as the disapproval he felt was as clear as day upon his face. However, seeing the earnest and pleading way his sister was looking to him made him relent, and his shoulders slumped slightly before he gave her a simple nod. Twilight smiled in appreciation, and before long, both she, Cadence and Shining began to make their way back to the table. Rarity, who had finished her readings, looked to them as they took their respective seats once more. "Thank you for being patient, Ambassador," Cadence said. Rarity nodded. "It is diplomacy, Ambassador Cadenza. Patience is a rather vital requirement for this line of work, wouldn't you say?" Cadence let out a nervous-sounding laugh in response. "Yes...I suppose it is." Leaning forward, Rarity looked to her with an analytical eye. "So...I take it the matter of the embassy location has been agreed upon?" For a short few moments, Cadence looked once more to Shining, who paused for a moment before shutting his eyes and giving a nod. Seeing that, Cadence looked back to her counterpoint and nodded to her. "Yes. We've decided that your chosen location will indeed be acceptable." Taking that in, Rarity considered that for a moment, her expression never once giving away her feelings on the matter, before finally speaking up. "Very good. Workers and materials from our kingdom will be arriving in a few days time to begin construction, with my staff coming over once it is complete. I take it your people would wish to observe their actions while they build?" Cadence nodded once more. "I think it would be a good thing at this early stage. And thank you very much for being so accepting of this." To that, Rarity simply let out a brief "hmph" sound. "Were our positions reversed, I doubt we would have done any different." Here, she turned to Aurora, giving her a silent look, to which the young Captain gave yet another salute. When that was done, she started to move off, taking two of the unicorn guards with her, all while the Equestrian watched them go. Where they were going, and what they were doing, nopony could say, but, Twilight felt that it might be a mistake to question them about it right now. With her Captain now gone, however, Rarity leaned forward, resting her chin against her hoof as she regarded her opposites. "In the meantime, I and my retinue will require lodgings." Getting up from her chair, Cadence started to bear a small smile. "Of course. Ponyville doesn't really have any hotels to speak of, but we have managed to find a pleasant little place for you and your guards to stay until the embassy is finished." Rarity responded to that with a look of scepticism. "Indeed?" Cadence began to move around the table to meet with her, with Twilight and Shining not far behind her. "It used to be an old clothes store, the Carousel. But the owner left town some years ago, and nopony has used it since." Stopping just short of Rarity's chair, the young Ambassador continued. "After word was sent to the Mayor, we heard that she's spent the last week getting it ready. I'm sure you'll like it." Getting up from her sitting position, Rarity turned from her counterpart. "I'll be the judge of that, if it's all the same to you." Cadence nodded. "Of course. Would you like me to show you the way?" Looking to her, Rarity raised an eyebrow, giving a single nod. Cadence smiled just a little bit wider to that, before then starting to make her way towards the town hall's entrance. Twilight, for her part, looked as if she was thinking hard on something, then, in a move that caused clear shock to Cadence, spoke up to Rarity. "Perhaps you and I could talk together sometime, Ambassador? I'd be fascinated to hear what you've been up to since we last met." Rarity halted in her tracks, looking over to the young unicorn beside her after she'd heard that. She regarded Twilight carefully, then spoke in that incredibly formal manner of hers. "I appreciate the offer, but I believe I will be rather busy for the foreseeable future, Miss Sparkle. Perhaps at a later date...if I have time." Her ears dropping slightly, Twilight looked away from her, scratching the back of her head as she responded. "Oh...of course." And with that, Rarity once more began to follow Cadence, with their respective rows of guards on either side of them as they made their way out of the town hall. Twilight, meanwhile, stayed behind, though it was not long before she seemed to get herself out of her down feelings over that recent interaction. But, before she could join her old friend outside, she was stopped yet again, this time by her brother. "Shining?" The older stallion waited beside her, watching as the Lunar forces left the building, and only when he was sure they were gone did he turn to look at her. "Twilight...there is something I must say to you. Something very important." Curiosity grew in her eyes. "Yes, brother?" Once more, Shining checked to make sure nopony was listening, before then glancing back to her. "Cadence may try her best with diplomacy...but there is still a chance that things between them and us don't go the way we hope." Twilight frowned to this. "I know you have your concerns, Shining, but we can't just go and treat these ponies like our enemies." Shining sighed. "I understand that...but this warning comes from Princess Celestia herself." Twilight paused at that, clearly taken aback by her brother's words. And it was here that the stallion continued. "Do not misunderstand me. Celestia hopes for peace as much as you do. But she also has a responsibility to do what's necessary to ensure that her people are safeguarded from possible dangers." Looking away from her, Shining narrowed his eyes at the nearby door. "And those Lunar ponies are a possible danger." Silence passed between them, and when it ended, Twilight looked to her brother with confusion. "Shining...what is it you're asking, exactly?" The stallion let out a sigh, before having his eyes meet hers. "I'm asking...for you to just...keep an eye on them. If they maybe do something that seems out of the ordinary...of if something happens between them and the Ponyville ponies...we need to be prepared." Once more, Twilight frowned. "You're...asking me to spy on them?" In response, Shining frowned right back. "I don't want to, but...they would do the same, Twilight. You know that." His sister said nothing, simply watching as her brother's expression began to soften, if only slightly. Slowly, he started to head off towards the exit of the building, just like his fellow guards had done not so long ago. Before long, the young unicorn was alone in this place, and here, all she could do was think over what had been said to her, by Cadence, by Shining and, of course, by Rarity. The positive feelings she'd had not so long ago had now had their edge taken off, and while it would have been a stretch to say she looked unhappy, she did seem unnerved by everything she'd experienced. Letting out a long sigh, she too started to trot outside. But, once out, she was taken aback by a familiar voice calling to her. "Twilight!" Turning, she saw that it was Pinkie, with Applejack and Fluttershy not far behind. When all three of the mares reached her, it was Pinkie who spoke up. "So, how'd it go? Are things good between us?" Twilight paused again, turning to look in the direction Cadence and the others had walked. And as she did so, she thought over that question and how best to answer it. In the end, she turned to her party-loving friend, before just giving perhaps the only honest answer she could give under the circumstances. "I think...we have a long way to go."
