Dealing with one of the more aggressive species on the planet in a political nightmare scenario wasn't something that you were really excited for. You weren't afraid of getting clawed in the chest– No, Daybreaker alone could prevent all harm coming to you. What you were afraid of was if you messed anything up, you'd have to deal with Daybreaker herself. However, there was a small voice in the back of your head that calmed you in that scenario. She hasn't been all that bad recently. Your opinion of her definitely sways every now and then. If you didn't know any better, you'd call yourself bipolar.

"Don't worry Anon. The meeting won't happen for a little while. Perhaps we should talk privately in my chambers to refine what you are going to say. Would that ease your mind and soul?" Daybreaker asked you as you both walked down the corridor. You look up at her, your lips sealed into a thin line before you shake your head.

"Is it really a good idea for me to be the one speaking?"

"I'll still be there with you, speaking alongside you. It was your idea however, and I believe you should be the one to word it in the way you intended. I'm certain the last thing you would want me to do is to twist your words into something you didn't mean. I can sense uneasiness from you every day, and I would rather not exacerbate it with my aggressive tendencies. You are smarter than you believe Anon, you should take pride in it."

"I'm not a politician, though."

She shook her head as the both of you rounded a corner. "No, you are not. While that might seem bad in the world of political headaches, I can assure you it is rather refreshing to have someone who is not aiming for an agenda. You don't want to hurt Applejack, nor do you want her actions to go unpunished. If I had asked someone like Blueblood he would demand to have her executed, I assume. Or, if I went along with one of her 'benefactors', they would definitely side the other way entirely. This kingdom is filled to the brim with hypocrisy, and having you as a wild card certainly allows for a perspective most wouldn't cater to. I did not choose you for just any reason, Anonymous."

You sighed. "I guess. What if it goes wrong?"

Daybreaker shrugged. "If they really become annoying, I will show them the Sun up close and personal. They're quite tolerant of heat, so I'm sure they wouldn't mind~." She said with a smirk. "You forget that we are the most powerful nation on the planet. It may not be proper to obliterate their entire kingdom, but if I deem it fit then that's what shall happen."

You laughed nervously. "S-So, it's either I do a good job, or they get eviscerated…"

"I'm glad you're catching on now." Daybreaker chirped before forcing open the door to her chambers, allowing the both of you to step inside before she slammed it shut with her magic. She then jumped straight onto her bed from the front of the door, the distance between the two quite vast, but easily manageable with her large wings. She then laid onto her back and motioned for you to take a seat at her desk. You did as you were shown, taking a seat at her desk while you watched her in the bed.

"I... thought we were going to talk."

"We are." Daybreaker said with a nod. "However I don't understand why I couldn't be comfortable during such a conversation. I thought you were someone I could feel safe and vulnerable around, Anon. Are you saying I cannot enjoy the comforts of my own room? In my own kingdom? If you truly are that cruel, I will sit–"

"No no no!" You said waving your hands around. "Y-You're fine! You lay there... It's fine."

"Thank you." She said with a smile. "I'm glad I was able to get permission from my own assistant."

"Slave..." You muttered under your breath.

"If I treated you like a slave, I could easily have you strip that suit of yours off and dance naked for my entertainment. I haven't made you do such a thing. Well, yet anyways." She said with a laugh. You shook your head, remembering that she was unlike most other ponies. Sense and smell were heightened along with her hearing, and you were sure her vision was immaculate. You really couldn't hide a thing from her, could you?

She maneuvered herself so she was staring at you while she laid on her back. Despite being the devil incarnate, she actually seemed somewhat... cute? No. 'Tolerable', you decided. Tolerable in the sense that she was seeming more like a pony than a demon. Her eyes never left you, a smug smile dawning on her face. "You're almost like a foal's book."

"What does that mean?"

"You're easy to read."

"Oh."

"What are you planning to present to the Griffons?"

Ah, that again. You began to scratch the back of your neck as you thought about your words, carefully taking into account that their nation depended on how well you handled this. "Perhaps I could start by complimenting something about their culture. Or find common ground."

"That's a good start." Daybreaker nodded, her pose unchanging. "Establish familiarity. Your unique viewpoint and status as an alien to this world will likely be able to sway them in ways that I can't. Perhaps we could offer them a plate of meat during the meeting, and you can indulge with them. That would likely bode well with them."

You nodded. "Then maybe... Maybe I try to explain the situation differently? Try to explain that it wasn't as bad as they might see it?"

"Oh?" Daybreaker said before chuckling. "I don't think downplaying your guests is a good way of starting a diplomatic situation."

"N-Not downplaying. Just getting them to see a different perspective."

"You won't be able to do that." Daybreaker sighed, shaking her head. "Griffons almost never change their minds. What you should focus on is to present something that they will be satisfied with that matches both of your desired outcomes as closely as possible. In fact, you should match their exact tone when they exclaim about how big of a deal it all is. Agreeing with them will make you seem smart and understanding."

You leaned back in the chair, now facing towards Daybreaker. You let both of your hands sit on your lap. "Okay, so I start with trying to establish common ground and perhaps ask them about the situation. I'll let them explain it first, then I'll match whatever they say. I appeal to them sort of, right? Then I could say that we'll treat it with even more severity, just as a Griffon would."

Daybreaker began to clap with her hooves before laughing. "See, now that wasn't so difficult was it? You must be careful with that last bit however. That could be an invitation for them to decide the judgement, and when you inevitably tell them no, that could spark an even worse problem."

"I hate politics..." You lean your face into both hands.

"Yet you're quite adept at manipulating the situation to your favor. A beginner, but talented nonetheless. It's as if you were made for this field."

"I wasn't." You say with a shake of your head. "I was supposed to just be a common man in a normal world, doing normal things. Not deciding the fate of equines and cat birds."

"How harsh, I didn't know you were capable of such slurs towards Griffons. Perhaps you are too biased to handle this situation." She said before laughing. "I am joking, of course."

"Wait– is 'cat bird' an actual slur here?"

She lazily waved her hoof in the air. "Well, yes, but it isn't taken as seriously as other slurs. Though Griffons are not particularly fond of such words."

"That would explain why Gilda kicked the shit out of me..."

"She would've done so even if you didn't say that." Daybreaker said, finally turning herself upright, letting both front hooves lazily hang off the bed. "Gilda is quite a menace; at least that's what the papers depict her as. I am sure that she has an upside, it just happens to be buried under a mountain of manure."

You found yourself scratching the back of your neck once again, which seems to have become a nervous habit of yours. "M-Moving on, when exactly is this meeting?"

She looked up at the clock on the wall, reading only 10:34am. "Quite some time from now. Griffons usually do not get straight into business. Upon arriving, they make it their priority to make it Tartarus for any of our staff, rivaling the likes of Blueblood himself. Then they'll usually dine together before making their way to the meeting room. Of course, there we will all dine once more as a show of peace. That's when you'll pull your little meat trick."

"Sounds like hell for the housekeepers..."

"Their pay gets adjusted during these situations. While guards have hazard-pay, the rest of the staff has... headache-pay? I'm not quite sure, there isn't a name for it. Rest assured that they go home with lots of bits in their pockets. It would be counter productive to not compensate the most important staff that we have here in the castle."

"I thought guards were the most important?"

"When you have abilities like mine, Anon, anything that could harm me would make quick work of any guard who tries to stop it." She said with a shrug. "I've even thought about firing most of them, but the population would of course feel unsafe without their golden security blanket. They're more like… 'decoration'; like that cute little stallion under Shining Armor's command. Handsome, and possibly useful in other situations~, but ultimately pointless."

Huh, that was a weird take considering she made a pretty big deal about the state of the guard beforehand. You ignored it though, owing it to the fact that it's probably her massive ego talking. An ego that would rival even the likes of Rainbow Dash. "So, what do we do in the meantime while we wait for the meeting to take place?"

Daybreaker smiled. "Well, it's bathtime, of course~..."

Not again...

Author's Note

My schedule is good for writing now guys! It's going to be a lot more chapters from here on out- given that I don't have anymore workplace accidents or anything like that. Chapters will still be just a tad bit slow, but that's for things that are outside me and my editor's control. Let the vast amount of pony words continue.