"I will admit, your ability instill great love and fear in your subjects is impressive."
On the wooden table, between two chairs, sat a tea pot and two saucers. It was a simple room. Plain walls adorned with two small tapestries by the closed door. Through the far windows the afternoon sun spilled across the white marble floors. The left window was open, allowing entry to Zephyrus's gentle breath.
Celestia narrowed her eyes. "It's not something I take pride in. I work to alleviate my subjects' fear of me, they should not hesitate to approach me. Showing them that I care about each and every one of them, that is a small part of how we spread Equestrian friendship and harmony.
"It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both," the man asserted, "or else you leave yourself open to attack. Your friendship and harmony will do you no good if they were to rise against you."
"Ruling by fear has no place here, and we, all Equestrians, believe in Harmony. The six virtues embodied by the elements are what each pony lives by."
"Perhaps, but politics have no relation to morals. What is necessary must be done to ensure your power over your subjects, and over the realms surrounding you."
"Absolutely not! Equestria has not been involved in a single war, civil or otherwise, for over a millennium. It is foolish to think such vile means must be taken to ensure power, when the same can be accomplished through diplomacy and treaties."
"There is no avoiding war, princess. It can only be postponed to the advantage of others."
"Nonsense. There is no benefit to war, merely destruction and loss. I find it sad that your kind is so bellicose in every interaction. Conflict has no victors, you can only find success through peaceful diplomacy. To seek gains for yourself or your country through war is barbaric and short-sighted!"
"What do you immortals know of war? You and your ponies" he said, sneering at the last word, "know nothing at all. The burning ambition in the breast of man, the willingness to take advantage of opportunity. This is how we progress, this is why we are mighty."
Celestia opened her mouth to retort but the man continued, "You especially do not understand, for you are not like us. You are not mortal. You desire peace and harmony for the millennia you live, but do we? The mortal life is like dust in the wind, blown away and forgotten. Our ambition allows us to carry ourselves high, to find power and glory, and to etch our name into the bedrock of history. You speak of peace lasting a thousand years. Think before that. Who do you remember—the baker down the street, or perhaps the clerks? No, you remember those who rose above the rest, who secured their power, who proved their worth."
"Do not," she hissed, "imply I cannot or do not care for my subjects because I am an alicorn. Your ideas lead to ruin, to pain and suffering. I have lived and seen more than you could imagine, I know what happens. Being immortal is not a hindrance, it has allowed us lifetimes of experience and knowledge.]"
"And yet you still do not see. The more sand has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we see through it. But you, yours never empties."
"Peace and harmony make the ponies of Equestria happy, the conflict and strife you seem to love so much has no place here." Celestia countered, her voice hard.
"There's a difference between happiness and true gratification, you know." the man said. There was a quiet clink as he set his cup down on the ceramic plate. He stood, turning and walking to look out the open window, leaning against the frame.
He chucked. "Perhaps you have a point, your harmony may make the ponies of Equestria happy." He gestured with a hand towards the horizon from the window and spoke, "but what of the other inhabitants of your world? The griffons, the dragons, the minotaurs—your harmony does not please them."
Celestia's wings ruffled slightly, but she remained silent.
"Every day you spend spreading peace and harmony among your ponies, you help them. They are not like you, they know the importance of conflict and power. One day they will turn their eyes to Equestria, and they will become jealous and spiteful. Diplomacy will not save you then, as when they see a fat pig ready for slaughter, they will take it. What then, will you turn your hopes to the inept ponies you call guards, or perhaps six girls and ancient artifacts?"
The man shook his head, "You are your people, your ponies, may have found contentment, but with that comes stagnation. Your culture, your progress, your country, all unmoving. You give them the minimum satisfaction to be called a happy life and perhaps they are content, but the rest of this world will soon leave you behind."
"I have had enough of this, your wisdom is lacking and ideas false. It was ponies like you that drove the tribes apart and resulted in the pain and suffering before we unified."
"Very well, princess, I will leave you be. But know that it is the duty of the ruler to be versed in conflict, for peace is merely breathing time between wars. You do not do enough of what is necessary, you simply wound and offend your foes, and what happens? They always return for vengeance."
With those parting words, the man left, the great oaken door closing with a thud behind him. Celestia sighed and refilled her cup, grimacing as she tasted the cooled liquid and setting her cup down. A heating spell would fix that, perhaps, but it never tasted quite the same.
Sitting back and looking out the window, Celestia pondered the man's words. It was easy for her to dismiss him as simply arrogant and foolish. She had no love for his kind, after all, as prejudiced as that may seem. They were always engaged in war, in conflict, and did not seem to realize the benefits of harmony and friendship that her ponies did. Perhaps he had a point about some of Equestria's enemies. Discord, Tirek, even Chrysalis fought against Equestria but all lost... yet, they would always return. No matter the prison they were given, they always returned. She wondered if it was irresponsible of her to simply push back each threat, leaving them able to hurt her ponies in the future. She did not believe in simply murdering them, but each time the elements' needed to be used against a forgotten foe, each time her student and her friends were endangered—that was a failure on her part.
Celestia thought back to his earlier words, about the griffons, minotaurs, and dragons. Those three nations certainly were not as against war and conflict as Equestrians were, in fact they seemed to thrive on it. Could a time truly come when they set their sights on Equestria and invaded? It would be a disastrous occurrence, certainly, as for the ponies war was a long-forgotten event in history, practically a myth. Celestia shook her head. No, she decided, for talks could always be arranged, and a diplomatic compromise could always be found. Even if the three appeared, threatening war against Equestria, peaceful negotiations would be possible.
After all, appeasement would be well worth the peace it offered.
