Author's Note

Credits go to these people for acting out as their respective characters and OCs:
Celestia: Superior Serperior
Kristoph Brightwing: Superior Serperior
Baron Longclaw von Helheim: Me
Sentinel Shield: Sentinel Protector of Muffins
Rover Diamondshield: Rokim21
Konstantinos Pobjeda: Rokim21
Twilight Sparkle: Rokim21
Anapidó Exegerménos: Lunar_Explorator
Ember Thunderspark: The Wild West Pyro

Prologue Day 1: First Appearences

Date: 24rd of Last Moon, 999

Location: Canterlot Entrance Gates

"Welcome, all those of far off lands to the Conference of Species. I, Princess Celestia, on behalf of Equestria, present warm greetings, and hopes that the harmony within our hearts may resonate with yours in a celebration of camaraderie and friendship among all people. Know that here you are among friends, and that you will be afforded all the dignities befitting diplomats of your stature. In return we ask that for the duration of the conference, you set aside any rivalries and hostilities, in favor of mutual cooperation and discussion."

The snowy alicorn took a moment to survey the crowd before her. "I understand that it has been a rough few years and that many of us may be experiencing hardship back home. Fear not, however, as we will make certain that all concerns will be addressed and hopefully resolved." The low whispering among the creatures below dropped down to silence. "Friendship and Harmony among all peoples is what Equestria has stood for since time immemorial and as such it is my sincere hope that together we can work towards a brighter future for all. To that respect we have prepared a great banquet to be held on the last day of the conference, where I hope you will take the time to make new friends."

As the princess finished her speech, everyone gave a round of applause. However, if one was paying enough attention, they would have noticed one royal griffon staring intently at the ruler of Equestria. "Hmph," he muttered. "She speaks as if Harmony is beneficial to this world. All it has done for Griffonia is bring unneeded strife and turmoil."

Celestia's attention turned to the royal guard next to her, trying to grab her attention. "Princess Celestia, shall I open the gates?" the unicorn asked.

"Of course, my little pony," she said with a smile. Turning, she finished her speech. ""May the opening of these gates signify a new chapter in our lives."

As the guard bowed to the princess, his magic levitated the key towards the lock. Turning it around once, the gilded gates swung forwards silently. Most of the dignitaries in attendance hurried forward, ready for a bit of rest and relaxation after a long trip from their respective countries. Others wished to see the famous world fair in place.

One griffon stayed behind, though. Flanked by a quartet of knights, the beautiful white plumage on his face did nothing to hide his contempt at the capital of the ponies of Equus. "Took long enough," he said to no one in particular. "I've already wasted too much of my time listening to Harmonist nonsense." After a few moments, he walked into the city proper, the guards around him stone faced with their ancient swords and shields.

Location: Canterlot Main Streets

"Please, enjoy the sights of Canterlot," the guard from earlier told everyone. "If you have any concerns, please bring them to me and I can tell Princess Celestia."

"Come, knights," the last griffon though said. "Let us get two rooms at the motel before they are all out."

There were many strange creatures present in the large group. One of them was a minotaur, who immediately made his way to the World Fair grounds to see what his own lands had to offer there. However, the group which stole the spotlight were the diamond dogs. Surrounded by ponies, they were led by their king, a mountain of a dog, well known for his use of slaves not only for work, but for his armies. His name was Rover Diamondshield.

"Ugh, this better have been worth it," the king of Diamond Mountain said. "I have enough problems to deal with back home." He seemed to speak to no one, though his dog guards nodded in agreement.

The robed griffon overheard his comment and turned his head. Locking eyes with the dog, his face gained even more disgust then it already had. "And there they are," he told his entourage. "Look at the members of the coalition, walking like they have already forgotten that the very ground they own is stolen from Griffonkind."

"I would shut your beak if I were you, at least our realms are still united unlike your excuse of an empire," he retorted, earning disappointed glances from his "allies". They did not want a war between the Empire and the River Coalition, even now as it rots in decay in Griffonheim.

The noble, however, would take none of it. "Oh really? When your kingdom is in such a bad state that your own kind fled to the grace of the Empire? The dogs of Bronzehill were obviously the intellectuals in your kingdom."

"Same can be said about the griffons living in New Mareland," Rover shot back. "If your state was so good, then why did they move there?" The griffon opened his beak to respond, but no words came out. In a rare moment, he was at a loss.

Luckily, the royal guard nearby intervened, stepping between the two feuding diplomats. "Please, save this argument for another time." he said. "This is a meeting made in friendship, not of bitterness."

After a few seconds, the Griffonian delegate spoke first. "The pony is right. We can settle this feud back in Griffonia. The kingdoms of Equus are no place to deal with our disputes."

"Umph, alright." Rover nodded, half because the guard, and half because his fellow coalition members were starting to look annoyed at his attitude.

"I will be finding a room for me and my knights, and I suggest you do the same." With that, the royal griffon left for the nearby motel. After a few moment mumbling to himself, the diamond dog and his compatriots followed.

"Thank the stars," the guard said, letting out a sigh of relief. "Perhaps I should stay close to the motel, I don't think Celestia would be happy with a diplomatic incident." With the situation defused, he wanders off elsewhere to help guide the remaining delegates.

A bit of a ways away, another group of griffons were talking to each other, all wearing even more extravagant suits and jewelry then the noble had. One, however, had been watching the quarrel the whole time. "I say, those uncouth easterners have nothing on their minds aside from war and politics!" he told his compatriots. "Perhaps they might be interested in coming to us to finance those wars, ho?" Finding himself quickly ignored by the Flowenians, he makes his way towards the World Fair. The others, not noticing his absence, made their way to the various restaurants.

And, semi-hiding in the shadows, a mysterious figure in a medal-adorned outfit followed the griffon towards the fair. Quite a few dignitaries flashed him curious glances, but he ignored all of them.

After all, you get used to them when you're a kirin.

Location: World Fair Park

Before turning in at the castle, a royal guard chose to patrol the World Fair ground for a bit first. He barely got there before a minotaur called him out.

"Excuse me, guard, do you know where I can find a guide to the exhibitions?" he asked.

The guard turned. "I believe it is just south of us and to the right."

"Many thanks!" As the minotaur turns away, the guard heard a familiar voice.

"Greetings, my friend. How has your day been?"

"Ah, Ember, my good friend!" He walked towards the kirin. "It has been too long, how do you do?"

"Good, now that I'm back outside in this fine weather. I've been shut in for too long; there's been a lot of activity leading up the conference." The military pony gave an appraising glance. "Have you polished your armor recently? Well done, it looks brand new. I had to spend an hour getting all these medals on."

"Thanks, you would not believe how long I spent trying to get the perfect polish." He leaned in. "Between that and preparing for this meeting, I've had my hands full. I'm glad you made it."

Ember opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a mare giving him a sly glance. After returning it with a wink, he paused, then turned to a nearby griffon. "Pardon, but were you addressing me?"

The lavishly decorated merchant shook his head. "Nay, dear kirin, I was not addressing you."

"Ah, I was mistaken. Good to see you, fellow." He turned back to the guard. "With all the traveling and meeting I've had to do recently, how's the state of the guard? I'm sure the security for this event is very heavy."

"Very heavy indeed," he agreed, "and secretive. We have guards in places I didn't even think you could have guards. As of the state of it, Ember, you should meet this one stallion. Shining Armor is his name, and he is something else I tell you."

"Celestia spoke of him a few times, and I've seen him about. I've never spoken to him, though."

"He is held in high regard." After looking around a bit to make sure no one's listening, the guard leaned in again. "I heard he's got a crush on the young Mi Amore Cadenza, but you didn't hear that from me." He gave a small chuckle.

Ember laughed. "Hoho! Back home, more then one princess and even empress fell in love with a guard. I wish him well, anyway. Cadenza is a lovely bundle of energy, always sweet to all." The kirin grinned, and a glint appeared in his eye. He gave the guard a playful nudge. "So, old friend, how is Twilight Sparkle doing today?"

A noticeable blush appeared from behind his helmet. ""Oh, you know... she's doing well."

"Well then, give this to her." The kirin levitated a book from his saddlebag. "This is the book of kirin poetry she was asking for. I managed to obtain the Equestrian translation yesterday."

The magic surrounding the book changed from the kirin's to the guard's. "This is very kind of you, Ember! I'll send it to her right away!"

"And something for you too, pengyou." This time, a large jar with a wax seal appeared. "This is traditional kirin rice wine. It has a lower alcohol content then the stuff you're used to, but it's just as good."

"A fine wine, you know me well Ember." Both the book and the jar disappeared into his saddlebag. "Sadly, I must be off. I must deliver this book and attend to duties at the castle."

The kirin smiled and patted the guard on the shoulder. "I shall see you around. Have a good day!"

And with that, the two ponies went their separate ways.

"Yeah, it's quite the sight to behold, isn't it?" The Flowenan griffon turned to face the creature speaking behind him. "Shame they as usual forget my type."

"Indeed it is," he agreed. "Such a grand celebration of cultural diversity. This would never work back in Flowena."

"As many things won't back in Griffonia, like a democratic Flowena for example."

"Why, whatever do you mean, good sir? Flowena has long since been a republic!" The griffon winked. "Say, I haven't seen someone like you before. If you permit me asking, where exactly are you from?"

Nearby, a kirin turned towards the banker. "Pardon, but were you addressing me?"

He shook his head. "Nay, dear kirin, I was not addressing you."

"Ah, I was mistaken. Good to see you, fellow."

The griffon turned back to his "partner", who had been musing for a few moments. "Where I'm from? The River Republic," he said finally.

"Oh? How curious. None of my texts have mentioned being those quite like you in the River Republic. Though, admittedly I have not had the fortune of being able to visit the area myself." His eyes turned a bit dreamy. "This world is so full of wonders."

"Not surprised, it's not everyday you meet a demigryph, after all."

The banker's eyes widened. "A demigryph?! Fascinating! Do your people have a booth at this fair perchance? I would so love to learn more about your culture."

The Demigryph shook his head. "Nah, unfortunately not. We are just like the minotaurs in Cyanolisia, our voices are never heard. But I plan to change that this week." He paused for a moment. "Also, I haven't introduced myself, my bad! My name is Konstantinos Pobjeda."

"Fantastic to meet you, Mr. Pobjeda. I am Kristoph Brightwing, of the Brightwing Banking Syndicate." He pulled out a business card and handed it to the demigryph. "If you should ever need funding towards any endeavors, we should hope you consider our bank. Our interest rates are quite reasonable, I promise."

He took the card and put it in his jacket pocket. "A pleasure to meet you. And yes, I've heard good things about Flowenan banks. Maybe someday."

The light in Kristoph's eyes faded a bit. "Ah yes, the Flowenan banks. I would hope you would consider the Brightwings before you consult with any of my compatriots." After a bit of mumbling, he looked up again. "But that's enough talk of business, there's many more wonders to be experienced tonight. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Pobjeda, and may our paths cross again someday." The griffon twirled away, walking off in a seemingly random direction. After waving and saying goodbye, the demigryph did as well.

Kristoph continued to walk about the World Fair until he bumped into a minotaur near the Asterion booth. "Oh. Apologies, old sport. I didn't see you there."

"Careful there, that's alright. Watch yourself, now."

The banker looked around. "This must be the booth for... Cyanolisia? No, that doesn't seem quite right. This must be Asterion, then."

"Yes, this is Asterion." He lowered his voice. "If it's Cyanolisia you're looking for, you can find them... right across from here..." He pointed across the courtyard. "Of course, they really shouldn't be here, anyway. They fall under the Empire. Those lands are filled with minotaurs, not birds."

The griffon blinked. "A curious layout for this fair. I do believe Celestia is playing political games."

The minotaur thought for a moment. "Hmmm.... Now that you mention it, it is quite strange. But I suppose it must be arranged according to geography. It's just that neighboring countries tend to be in conflict in Griffonia. It must be different for Equus."

"Regardless, I have no quarrel with your people. I am a banker, you see, and I care not for politics as long as coin can be made." Another card appeared out of the pockets of Kristoph.

"Perhaps you should take a part in politics. There is plenty of coin to be made with investments in the right people." He began to mumble. "Doing the right think for the wrong reasons is better then not doing it at all..." He finally noticed what the griffon was offering him. "Oh, what's this?"

"Kristoph Brightwing, of the Brightwing Banking Syndicate. I tend to invest in politics. You wouldn't believe the amount of money there is to be made with a good war."

He finally took the card. "You know, I am something of a politician myself. I hold a seat in our parliament."

"I would hope so. I think all of us who are attending this summit have some stake in politics."

"We don't typically trust foreigners, but you seem like you could help us. You come from Flowena, yes? Perhaps you may be our friends as the griffons in Sicaemeon are."

"Friends, no. Business associates, yes."

This elicited a small glare from the minotaur. "But betray us, and we'll never forget it."

"Betrayal will not be a possibility as long as you negotiate the proper non-compete clauses when you contract with us. I do recommend you make it very clear, though. My lawyers are unfortunately quite overzealous in their protection of company funds. That being said, when the time comes that you should need assistance from a Brightwing bank, just present that card to the representative, and we shall have you accelerated to dealing with me directly."

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, obviously not understanding fully what Kristoph said. "Yes, I... and the others in parliament will be sure to... be clear... Do you have branches on Asterion? Or elsewhere in the republic?"

"We currently have locations in Yale and Flowena." He spat out the last word in disgust. "But, I endeavor to more the majority of my operations to Gryphus posthaste."

"Hmm. Ah, forgive me. I don't believe I ever gave you my name." He extended his right hoof. "I am Anapidó Exegerménos, elected representative of Minoland in the Republican Parliament."

Kristoph shook it. "I am most honored to meet you."

"Gryphus, you said? Why there?"

The griffon sighed. "A difference in opinion. I regrettably do not see eye to eye with the rest of the patricians in Flowena very often."

Anapidó thought for a moment. "Perhaps we can have a closer association then I'd thought. Gryphus is only a short trip from Asterion, and our navies have traditionally cooperated closely. In recent times, though, not so much. Still, I'd hope that they would, when the need arises."

"It is quite fortuitous for us to meet, then. I shall hope that this will lead to a long and profitable relationship between our organizations."

"Indeed. Well, if that is all, I would like to tour the other exhibitions. The world has changed much since the republicans arose, I should think enough time has passed that we might learn from the others as well. It has been a pleasure."

Kristoph tipped his hat. "Indeed, good sir. This has been a most productive conversation, and may your future be filled with wealth and happiness." Once again, he waltzed off in a random direction. The minotaur went back to browsing the displays.

The World Fair was winding down.

Location: Palace Gates

As one guard made his way towards the castle to finish his duties, he saw a purple unicorn with a saddlebag full of books heading out. "Twilight Sparkle!" he called out, flagging her down. "I'm glad I could catch you so late, how have you been?"

Twilight smiled excitedly as he approached. "Sentinel Shield, how's the visit going so far?"

"Good, but I have something for you!" The book from earlier floated out of his saddlebag.

"A kirin book? Aw, shucks, you didn't have to, Sent."

"Of course I did. You've been asking about it so much." Sentinel started blushing. Then, out of nowhere, an idea popped into his head. "H-hey Twilight, you know how we are going to have the feast near the end of the meeting, right?"

"Yes... I really wish I didn't have to, you know. I'm not a big fan of events like these."

"Well, my friend Ember gave me the finest wine a kirin can make. What do you say we, skip it and have some time to ourselves? I don't think the princess would notice, she has her hooves full."

Twilight thought for a moment, obviously trying to figure out all the details of their little plan. "But I am her protege, she would notice it in the first hour if she doesn't see me there." A few seconds of silence passed. "But you just gave me an idea!"

"Oh? What would that be?"

"So, you know how big the castle is, right?"

Sentinel chuckled. "Of course I do, I've done my fair share of late night patrols. But pray tell, what could the size have to do with anything?"

The purple mare gave a cunning expression. "What if we go to the party, but at a given moment we slip out and go to an empty part of the castle? I've been there so many times I know the perfect place we could hide at."

"That sounds like an excellent idea, Twilight. I doubt any guard would stop us given my guard status and your relation to Celestia." He started smiling at the very idea of what was to come. "It sounds like a plan, Twilight. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to hurry and complete my final duties. I can't get reprimanded tonight." He continued his trot towards the castle.

"Goodbye, Sent, see you!" Twilight waved after him.

And thus, the sun set, and a day ended.