A modest proposal for Changeling Accomodation (Concluded)

[DerpRavener]

Wordsworth Psmith took an...interesting approach to his argument, suggesting that paranoia was the wrong approach by using Celestia herself as an example before suggesting that peace with a risk will always be superior to war. He included nothing which addressed Celestia's specific concerns, though with a wry smile she wondered if his enthusiasm might make up for his lack of caution. If he meant to pursue this, Celestia sincerely hoped he could maintain it.

The red earth pony whose name Celestia did not yet know made perhaps the more salient points, beginning with the obvious: despite any precautions made after the Canterlot attack, changeling still managed to creep in. There was an argument to be made that the olive branch had a higher chance of success than the sword. He also brought up the other species both present in Equestria, and how changelings were potentially no more dangerous then them, as well as one in particular she had already pardoned. He concluded with a suggestion that changelings might be accommodated with similar restrictions.

Celestia was, she had to admit, a little disappointed that nopony in the party had brought up a key detail: she'd never actually said no in her earlier statements. Still, assuming the group was all of a like mind, or at least willing to accept each other's input then her concerns had been considered. Or at least, so it was for her surface concerns.

She sat in contemplation for a moment. She felt she could rule out any sort of mind affecting magic: the ponies before her were too lively for simpler forms of control, and she doubted the queen would waste more costly techniques on such a restrictive approach.

She was tired of playing this game, and was hoping to coax the changeling out of hiding for a face to face discussion. “Those are some compelling points,” she began. “And I must admit, I agree that a peaceful resolution to conflict is preferable, and that it is the only solution likely to have meaningful results. At least, the only palatable one.” She regarded the four of them with a thoughtful expression, before turning to Wordsworth. “Now, could you please introduce your associates, and show me this proof you mentioned, of changelings seeking peaceful coexistence? Not that I doubt your word, but in these matters one must be sure.” It was perhaps a clumsier approach than Celestia would like, but she thought it sufficient to accomplish her immediate goal.

[Blueblood]

Might visibly sighed in relief as Red reigned in the conversation from Psmith's airy eccentricities. He stepped forward before his friend could speak for him; as far as the earth pony was concerned, the young noble had said quite enough. "I'm Might Batsman, your Majesty. I'm sort of here to haul Psmith here back if his mouth runs too far away with him. Er, bar rotting, though, I was in Ponyville for the last Winter Wrap Up, and there was a bally great storm that blew up there. Anyhow, I found out that one of the ponies helping us was a changeling, but... she wasn't to the bad, you know? Worked as hard as any of us, just wanted to fit in."

He looked around at a kind of loss; his own testimony seemed shorter than he thought, now that he'd actually said it. "She got kicked out of her home, see. Needed a new one." He added. Given that they really only had one example, maybe it would be best not to mention names.

Psmith, for his part, stepped back with a gesture that indicated that he was ceding the floor. The other members of the party would speak for themselves.

[RedCedar]

If Red Cedar had not yet picked up on the fact that Celestia had not said "No" to their request, it was simply because he was determined to get her to say "Yes". No definitive answer was no real comfort, not to him, to Naj or to any other changeling who may want to give up hostilities against Equestria.

Still, he grew more apprehensive as the Princess asked for proof of Psmith's claims. It wasn't unreasonable, really, to show that there were changelings capable of changing themselves in more ways than one. He had just hoped to secure Naj's amnesty before she was required to reveal herself in the middle of the throne room.

After Might Batsman's brief deposition, he steeled himself with a deep breath again. "Forgive me, Your Highness," he began, "My name is Red Cedar. As it happens, I know the same changeling Might Batsman met. It turned out that I saw her at the same Winter Wrap-Up as Batsman did, but I didn't really meet her until a later trip to Ponyville." He figured that his accent would have been enough to mark him as a native of Stalliongrad.

"I didn't have to find out by chance or by stalking her that she was a changeling. She showed me, after deciding I could be trusted." he explained. "She had few others she could turn to, so she risked her own life by scaring the life out of me just to make a new friend." He paused a moment, letting sink in the lengths Naj had gone just to make one friend of a pony, an act most ponies took for granted. "All she wants right now is a home, friends, a sense of belonging, of purpose, and a chance, however slim, to ensure that no further harm will come to either ponies or changelings."

[DerpRavener]

'Spring Breeze' knew exactly what the proof was, and for a time she was seriously considering dropping her disguise and revealing it. It didn't get past considering for the moment though. Every instinct she had screamed that it would be a terrible idea, no matter how much her rational side thought it could help, and try as she might she couldn't bring herself to lower her disguise. She gritted her teeth, distressed by her failure, though she felt fortunate others were there to pick up her slack. Might and Red stepped forward, giving brief descriptions of their early encounters with her.

She imagined it was a good thing her internal struggle went apparently unnoticed. Or at least unnoticed by the princess, she imagined at least one other pony in the room could tell how she was feeling if not more, but they had stepped up to protect her at the moment.

As Red and Might had introduced themselves at Princess Celestia's behest, it seemed both wrong and suspicious of her not to do so. She at some point managed to stammer out, “M-m-my name's S-Spring Breeze, your highness.”

Celestia frowned, though she made a show of it being from thought rather than disappointment. It wasn't entirely a lie either, though she was certainly concealing some of her thoughts at the moment. This was always a frustrating situation. Should she be applying more pressure or less? Either could cost her the encounter she sought, if she was wrong.

And she couldn't entirely fault them. If not definitive, the given accounts were compelling even if they would still need to be verified, and she had to concede at least a perceived risk in presenting the changeling of the hour to the leader of a nation only recently attacked. She pretended not to notice the pegasus' state of mind, to not bring any more attention to it, and would instead focus on Might, Wordsworth and Red for now. Still, Celestia would have hoped to be viewed as a little more understanding than that.

Between that and the evident fear she'd inspired, she supposed a gentler approach was more likely to be successful. She smiled her most relaxed grin, in an effort to appear as understanding and welcoming as possible. “Two first-hoof accounts...” she seemed to consider for a moment. “That's a good start. It shows me that was not simply started on a whim. Those are compelling stories, if a bit brief. I would very much like to meet this changeling in person.” She paused, letting her previous statements sink in while trying to pick just the right words for her purposes. “I agree that something needs to be done, and after today one way or another something will be. However, if I am correct in assuming this changeling is the major motivation behind this motion, I will need to see her at some point. Even if I can assume her to be trustworthy, and it is an assumption I am willing to make, I will still need to speak with her if she is to join us in pioneering such a project. For her sake, as much as anyone else's.” It was perhaps a little demanding, but very open ended. The group could leave and return later, if they so chose, or even leave and decide the right time to return was 'never'.

She looked at Red Cedar directly, as by his words he seemed to be the one with the closest contact at the moment, and added something intended to address some fears directly. She might have looked at who she believed to be changeling, but the poor thing seemed frightened enough without without the direct confrontation. “Know that I would never bring harm to any that wouldn't bring harm upon my subjects.”

[Blueblood]

Poor 'Spring Breeze's' distress was so evident that Might couldn't help but move closer to her, in an attempt to somehow give support by osmosis. She reminded him of one of his little sisters when she was frightened, and the backing of a kind of brother as well as a coltfriend might be enough to encourage her, in the old sense of 'putting courage into.' Given that Might Batsman himself was shy even when the strangers he met presented no danger, he could understand if even that wasn't sufficient.

Psmith, once again, took the Speaker's floor as if he'd never left it. "Your understanding and willingness shall be applauded through the ages, your majesty! However, not to put too fine a point on it, a revealed changeling's current legal status is somewhere between that of an undocumented alien and a prisoner of war. Should our friend encounter a zealous guard or traumatized noble, we should like something that would stand up in court, as it were. A simple singed statement of good faith should suffice for most judges."

It was a clever statemen, giving an opportunity for Celestia to tangibly advance a security for Naj, as well as expressing confidence in the Princess for the benefit of the changeling. Also, a get-out-of-dungeon-free card might actually prove to be really useful, once word of this went public. You never knew, with politics.

[RedCedar]

Red couldn't help but catch the sound of Naj's cracking voice as she introduced herself, under her other name, to the Princess. It was taking everything he could not to draw too much attention to her, but as it stood, no one could have missed that, he was certain. As it was, however, Celestia wasn't going to be swayed into giving much without seeing the changeling in question for herself, that much was obvious. Even he, however, felt a mix of relief and apprehension when she looked directly at him and said, “Know that I would never bring harm to any that wouldn't bring harm upon my subjects.”

Red just hoped that would be enough, in case it ever came out that Naj had been part of one of the invasions.

As Psmith began pressing yet again for some legal assurances, Red took a step back, and moved right beside 'Spring Breeze' as she stood there trembling. He put his hoof across her shoulders, as though trying to steady her shakes, and leaned his muzzle to her ear to whisper softly to her. "I promise, I'm not going to let you go until we're safely out of here," he said, then softly added, "Do it."

[DerpRavener]

Though he wasn't entirely wrong, Celestia had to wonder at the direction Wordsworth was trying to take the discussion.  It wasn't enough to give her any concern, but it did make her wonder just what he was attempting.  A more aggressive leader might have challenged him on it.  “You are correct of course, that changelings who open themselves to Equestria will require protections above those of ordinary ponies.”  She waved a hoof to the side, it seemed such an obvious thing.  “While I would hope, and will work toward, changeling citizens having the same legal status as those of other species, I understand that many will not accept that development as easily as I will.”  She sighed.  “Yes, I will write letters of endorsement as necessary.”

“However, we are getting a bit ahead of ourselves, aren't we?”  Her smile was a bit mischievous as she spoke.  “There's no changeling which I yet need to vouch for, and by the sound of things the one you met has some very supportive friends to see her through until something can be formally established.”  Even if it wasn't the ideal situation, it wouldn't be so desperate as to require her direct intervention, and on principle she wasn't willing to grant a personal endorsement of a pony she knew so little about.  “You will have to forgive my caution about giving a personal endorsement for a pony I've never met.”

 

 

Celestia didn't appear to notice 'Spring Breeze's struggle, but that's not to say it went unnoticed.  While Wordsworth took the floor again, asking about the possibilities of legal protection, Might offered a more subtle but direct sort of support, sidling next to her in an effort to comfort.  Red went a step further, wrapping a limb around her shoulders and promising he wouldn't let go, before saying "Do it." 

Those it turned out, were just enough.  At Red Cedar's words, and before she had time to second guess herself, there was a flash of green fire and sudden Naj stood exposed in the audience room.  She gave another bow, deeper than previous, and tried to speak.  It took her a few tries to keep her voice from cracking, but she finally managed something resembling confidence in her speech, even if her limbs still shook.  “It's me your highnes,” she said, addressing what she imagined to be the biggest issue in Celestia' mind, “...I-I'm the changeling they were talking about.  My name- my 'real' name I guess, is Naj.”  Naj stood, rigid, anxiously awaiting Celestia's response.  This was it, the moment of truth.

 

 

Celestia merely smiled at first, and held a hoof up to the side.  The motion was directed at her guards, many of whom visibly tensed up even if none made a move.  As Celestia was perfectly capable of defending herself in her own castle, audience guards were chosen as much for their discipline as their fighting ability, and though they remained on alert, with Celestia's signal they wouldn't act unless something (else) extreme occurred.

Celestia's post-reveal observations were mostly the same as her initial ones.  The changeling seemed just as nervous about the situation as she had as her pony self, and between the attitudes of the changeling and her companions and the fact that the group included her at all made princess inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt.  Yet again, Celestia gave her most relaxed smile.  “I am glad you finally revealed yourself.  As I said, you should have nothing to fear from me.”  She was starting to feel like a broken record, but then sometimes repetition was necessary.

Celestia was almost inclined to give her endorsement then and there, but there was one question she still wanted to ask.  “I'm to understand you were ejected from your old home,” she began, knowing she might be approaching a sensitive topic but she felt the question worth the risk.  “If I may, why was that, and what made you decide to choose this?”  She waved a hoof, indicating the whole room as representative of the audience overall.

[Blueblood]

Well, that was fair enough.  Celestia could hardly issue a proclamation of legal protection without even knowing the name of the changeling that would have to be listed in it!  "A well-put point, as the fencer said of the winning touche.  However, given your assurances, you can certainly count on the swift arrival of our friend-"

 

The unicorn had planned to spin out his speech for as long as it took Naj to back up her nerve enough to reveal herself.  As it turned out, this wasn't long.  Psmith ceded the floor with a bow, leaving her in the foreground, flanked by Might and Red.  Both the earth ponies were lending her support, and he was reasonably confident that things would go well now.

[RedCedar]

If Celestia was quite relaxed about the expected reaction of her guards, that did not manage to be conveyed to Red Cedar. As it was, the instant her disguise was down, he had been scanning the ranks of the guards along the edge of the throne room as though waiting to see if he was going to have to put himself between Naj and one of them in a bid to escape. The tension in the room was obvious on their faces and in their stance, and Red could only hope he was equally as imposing, even if outnumbered, when he tried to make it silently clear that if they were going to hurt Naj, it would be over his dead body. He could only imagine from their faces the run of emotions that were going through them right now as he held his hoof around Naj's shoulders. Fear, confusion, anger, even disgust he could see, all inspired just by how he held her.

Thankfully, however, the guards seemed to remember who they too orders from, and didn't move from their stations at Celestia's wave of her hoof.

He was so concerned with the reactions of the soldiers that he almost didn't hear Celestia ask “I'm to understand you were ejected from your old home. If I may, why was that, and what made you decide to choose this?”

For a moment, Red mentally kicked himself. It was perhaps a reasonable question on the Princess' part, but even Red didn't know the answer to it, as he had never asked, and so he had had no advice to give her about it beforehand, the topic having slipped his mind. He could only hope that, if she were to mention her role in a previous invasion, it wouldn't count against her.

Gently, he rubbed her back a little again, hoping to give her a little more courage as he had back in Psmith's home.

[DerpRavener]

Naj swallowed hard at Celestia's questions.  Although on some level she knew this kind of thing would come up, she'd been so preoccupied with her current circumstances that she hadn't been prepared of it's sudden mention.  The questions hit her like a sack of bricks, and for a time it took all her effort to remain upright.

But with the knowledge that Might and particularly Red were with her, she recovered relatively quickly.  And that Celestia seemed so tolerant of this development didn't hurt, even if her guards weren't so readily accepting.  If experience taught her anything, those guards wouldn't even move a muscle while on duty without their 'queen's say-so.  Naj had her opportunity, now she just had to give it her best shot.

 

“I was...part of the Canterlot invasion...” Naj got off to a slow start, realizing as she spoke just what she was admitting.  But it she could hardly back down now, and she doubted that any sort of lie or obfuscation on her part would get past Princess Celestia.  She forged onward.  “In the aftermath we were scattered.  I met up with a few other survivors and...”  She grimaced.  Though she had meant to tell Red, and Might and Wordsworth probably deserved to hear it too, there was a reason she didn't talk about it often.  “I tried to organize the group of stragglers I ended up with...the wilderness, we...I was the only one who made it back.  I failed to protect my comrades.  But I'd been loyal before and during that time, so I was granted a chance to survive outside of the hive.”She fell silent for a time, before remembering that wasn't the only question.  “Er, reasons.  Well...I wanted to stop hiding, at first.  It's stressful, keeping up an appearance.”  She avoided giving any more details solely because it didn't seem important.  She considered explaining that it wasn't actually her idea, in the interest of full disclosure, but refrained that at best that wouldn't matter much either and at worst she could be putting blame onto somepony else.  “But...I also want peace.”  Naj halted again, needing a moment to try and put her thoughts together.  “I used to think the only way we could get food was either trickery or violence...spending time in Ponyville and other places taught me different, but I don't think others realize that.  I think maybe...maybe there's something I can do to show them.”  Her speech came to a stumbling halt.  Working under stress and with half-formed thoughts as she was, it was the best Naj could do, and she was just happy to have gotten through it.

 

 

Celestia listened patiently as Naj's speech came to a close.  She'd lied to hundreds of times in the past, as the truth even more, and she was confident this was the latter, even if she still had to find a way to confirm.  Though there were several questions let unanswered, the most important pieces of information had been addressed.  “I see.”  She said eventually.  She was ready to make her decision.  “Send for a quill and paper,” she said to one of the guards, and then she turned back to the group as he momentarily left the room.  “I will grant my personal endorsement to Naj, as long as she continues to behave as any other Equestrian citizen.  Something I'm sure she will have no trouble adhereing to.”  She added with a smile.

“However,” she added before any celebration could yet be had, “I have an additional condition.  As this is a matter of great interest to me, I would like regular reports on it's progress.  As such, I am going to ask that you send me correspondence on how you are doing in Equestria say, once a month, even if I will not always be on hoof respond to it.”  She shifted her gaze from Naj to Wordsworth.  “If you still intend to go through with this, I will require something from you as well, though the specifics of that can be determined as the project gets underway.”  That seemed to be just about everything on the table for the moment, save perhaps the particulars described in the scroll Wordsworth had given her which would not be addressed now.  The quill, ink and paper arrived.  Gripping the feather in her magic, while she began to write a letter she asked with a smile, “Now, does anypony have anything more which requires my attention?”

[Blueblood]

Might had never known Psmith to flinch, or in any way involuntarily change his expression for anything.  How the unicorn managed it, Batsman had never figured out.  Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he was an aristocrat.  In any case, the young lavender stallion barely reacted at all to the knowledge that Naj had been a part of the Canterlot invasion, even though he'd been present at the time.

 

The earth pony, on the other hand, did react a bit.  His supporting hoof shifted, but ultimately stayed.  It had to be said, though, that it was considerably less steady than Red's throughout the changeling's story.  Might managed to reorient himself by the end, though, and kept standing with her, smiling as Princess Celestia gave acceptance.

 

Psmith stepped forward as the Princess addressed him, beaming softly.  "The steadfastness of house Psmith has been renown of legend, and never let it be cried 'round the castle walls that Wordsworth let his eustachian drop in the mud of inconstancy!  Whatever you request from me, it is at the disposal of the crown and interests of Equestria!"

 

"Yeah, what he said."  Might nodded in agreement.

[RedCedar]

True to his word, Red kept his hoof around Naj's shoulders the entire time, as intently listening to her explanation as anyone else in the room. He took a deep breath as she described the events that led up to her exile, looking on sympathetically. Suddenly, quite a bit became clear - how she was so determined that he stay out of any situation where he could be harmed, how she didn't want to be responsible for anypony getting hurt again. After an ordeal such as what she had gone through, it was no wonder, and then to be exiled on top of that, thrown away out of her home, it seemed almost too much.

 

Naj's answer came to an end much the same way it began, sounding small and broken and very frightened, and he tightened his grip around her a little after she had finished.

 

The long silence that followed was almost tortuous, as Red looked expectantly up at Celestia from Naj's side, until, at long last, she finally announced “I will grant my personal endorsement to Naj, as long as she continues to behave as any other Equestrian citizen."

 

With those words, suddenly it was Red's turn to lean slightly on Naj as he realized he'd been holding in a tense breath all this time. For a moment, he felt positively euphoric as the weight of the situation was lifted away by those few words. It might have been shameful for him to admit that he barely noticed anything Celestia said after that, until she asked Psmith for assistance as well. Not entirely sure if the Princess had intended that for only Psmith, or all the ponies present, Red simply looked up and immediately agreed. "Of course, Your Highness, anything!" he said, beaming.

 

Taking another deep sighing breath, he lowered his head next to Naj's and whispered, "We got it, Naj. We got it!"

[DerpRavener]

Naj could barely contain her relief.  That was it.  For whatever else would happen now, she'd gotten the one thing most important to her given that she intended to keep living in Equestria, the approval of the princess.  She knew it wouldn't solve all of her problems, life would never be THAT easy, but if nothing else, as long as she kept her head down she wouldn't be cast out again.  And it guaranteed a measure of safety for her friends as well as her, should she be uncovered and try to open up to the populace at large.

Red ended up leaning on Naj for a moment, evidently caught up in the emotions for the moment as well.  Weak-kneed as she already was, she had to lock her legs to just keep from falling over.  They might have just passed the hardest part, but she still felt it wouldn't do to show that sort of weakness to the princess if she could help it.  Celestia was effectively her queen now, and between that and otherwise being immeasurably thankful, she would try her utmost to avoid any sign of disrespect.

When Red recovered, and whispered excitedly in her ear, she closed her eyes and threw him into a fierce hug, unable to put her feelings to words at the moment.

 

 

Celestia, for her part, couldn't help but laugh a little as three of the four ponies before her leapt meet any requests of hers.  It was clear to her that they didn't engage in these sorts of maneuverings that often.  In truth, she didn't need anything from them directly.  Rather, this had the potential to be a very significant development, and she wanted both to keep an eye on it and to keep lines of communication open.  She shook her head, though still had a gentle smile on her face.  Before anything else she finished up the letter, then floated it over to Naj who had just enough awareness to grab it and tuck it securely under a wing.  “There, that should do until something more official is decided.  And I will make a second copy for my own records.”  The changeling took a moment to bow in thanks, too overwhelmed to make any further response, before clutching onto Red Cedar once more.

Celestia turned back to Wordsworth.  “As I recall, this audience was for the possibility of a general program for changeling amnesty.”  She wasn't intending to press the issue too far yet, hoping to merely give a gentle reminder of the pretense, but she still required an answer.  She continued with a bit of indirect explanation.  “That would be something of great interest to me, personally or otherwise.  Do you still intend to pursue that goal?”

[Blueblood]

Might Batsman was, first and foremost, a cricketer.  However slow of mind ponies thought him while seeing him off the pitch, when he stood over a wicket he could read a field, the bowler, and all the various possible trajectories he could send the ball in a split second, all while keeping cool under his panama hat.

 

He hadn't yet gotten to the point where he could read his friend that well, but the earth pony knew enough that the Princess had just left Psmith a gap he could hit for six through!  No mean player himself, the unicorn took full opportunity of the opening.

"Indeed!  Though our start be ever so humble, and our support anecdotal, we shall not stop here!  Changeling accommodation shall be no mere incident, but a movement!"  He didn't punch the air in emphasis, so Might did it for him, before seeing everyone stare at him.  The earth pony put his hoof back down, blushing, as Psmith continued.

 

"Of course, there will be obstacles, not the least of which is that most of my contemporaries are too young to know what a Movement was.  Still, I wish to leave no doubt in anypony's; anybody's mind that I am serious about this."  And there was a change in his voice and expression here.  For most of the time, he'd spoken like an aristocrat at a tea table, spouting off light sayings to keep the conversation bright.  Now, however, all that glitter dropped from his diction, and he spoke plainly.  "I said what I meant, and I meant what I said.  This really is the best hope we have for a solution, and I, for one, won't let the chance to really do some good pass me by."

[RedCedar]

Red held on to Naj tightly as she all but squeezed him with all her might, for a moment not caring that they were still in the middle of the throne room. It would probably be several hours before he would look back on the situation and laugh, imagining what Celestia's guards must have thought at that moment, witnessing a pony and a changeling doing something as previously unthinkable as hugging each other. He watched, beaming, as Naj carefully took her new documentation and tucked it safely under her wing, bowing to Celestia along with her in thanks, before Naj hugged him again, and he lost all sense of where he was once more.

 

But only for a moment. Psmith had continued to push for a program of changeling amnesty, even after securing Naj's new citizenship. After all the conversations lasting well into the evening he'd had with Naj on the subject, Red wasn't about to let this opportunity go to waste, either. Still with one hoof around Naj, he looked reverently back up to Princess Celestia. "Your Highness," he began, "I admit I had an ulterior motive in putting my name to that petition as it was, but I still agree with the reasoning behind it. Very much so. I believe that if we could show any changeling who wanted to the benefits of living within Equestria, it could only lead to greater understanding between us." He took a deep breath, as he realized he was still a little shaky in his excitement, but finally added, "If there is anything I would be required to do to help bring this about, I'm willing to do so as well."

[DerpRavener]

Celestia smiled at Wordsworth's response.  Such enthusiasm!  Which was a good thing, she suspected he'd need it for this undertaking.  Especially if the faces of her guards were any indication, although she avoided giving them a sidelong glance.  “Excellent, I'm glad to hear it.”  She looked to the scroll he had initially given to her, before looking back at him.  “I have some reading I must do before I can pass final judgement or know fully what will be required of me, but for now know that the project has my blessing, and I look forward to hearing about it's progress from you.”

 

“As for you Red Cedar,” Celestia said as she looked over at the pony in question, contemplating.  “I appreciate the offer, and I may call on you in future.  For the time being however, I am expecting you to have your hooves full.  Besides, the best you can do for the project at the moment is something for which you need neither my permission, nor my guidance.”  She glanced briefly at Naj to emphasize the point.  She didn't think she needed to explain what she meant, that likely the best way a pony in his position to support the cause of Equestria-changeling relations was by being living proof that it was possible.

 

“Now, with no other matters to address, I believe I can declare this audience resolved,” Celestia proclaimed, as she started on a second copy of her letter for her own records, “at least for for today.”

 

---

 

At the group's dismissal, Naj had reapplied her disguise (she wasn't yet ready to discard it in public just yet), and stiffly turned and left the room with the rest.

She'd made it just outside the castle itself, when the tension and emotion that had built up had finally caught up with her.  She darted to the side, standing just in front of the wall beside the castle gate to get out of the way, and started to hyperventilate.  She'd dropped her disguise in front of royalty!  And it had worked!  It would probably be a long time before she was used to the idea.  At the moment, she just started laughing nervously as the tension finally began to release.  “Hehehe, well that, hehe, I think that went well,” she said, with a tired but happy smile.

[Blueblood]

Wordsworth bowed in thanks to his sovereign's blessing.  Might noticed that he refrained from voicing a reply, which meant that the unicorn really felt deeply moved by it.  The cricketer was happy for his friend, of course, but he couldn't help but wonder how he'd missed something so... serious in Psmith's nature before.  

 

*I guess he really means all this.  He's aiming to bang the inter-species relations into shape.  Well...*  The earth pony looked over to Red and Naj, and smiled.  *I'll back him for this.  It'll be all worth it if it ends like that.*

 

~~~~~

 

By the time the group had exited the castle, Psmith was his usual expansive.  "Well?  The cry has gone 'round the castle walls, 'The ineffable courses of history have broken their banks!  A flood of new things waters the desert of international relations!'  Well, I had been about to say, 'new blood,' but the connotations of that phrase have a troublesome double meaning about them.  Lesson for you, comrades, double meanings are double dealings, both too common in diplomacy these days!"

 

"Right."  Might cut in before they were all subjected to 3 hours of this.  "I think a jolly good dinner at your place is called for, eh?"

 

"Quite so, comrade Batsman, quite so.  I applaud, as ever, your sense.  Although..." Psmith shot a knowing look towards Red and Naj, "It seems one of our party is filling up on the appetizers."

[RedCedar]

Red gave a deep bow, still grinning broadly, as Celestia dismissed them all following their audience, turning and trotting out of the castle with considerably more spring in his step than he had had on the way in. After leaving the castle itself, he saw Naj suddenly dart off to the side to catch her breath from the excitement.  “Hehehe, well that, hehe, I think that went well,”  she chuckled.

 

Red quickly trotted over to join her, in part to keep her upright in case her knees finally did buckle, and smiled. "Well?" he repeated. "That was fantastic! We actually managed to convince her! I couldn't have hoped for this to go any better!" he said, happily. While he certainly had hoped for the whole experience to have been easier on Naj while they were in front of Celestia, he couldn't be more thrilled with the result, now that she was allowed to stay and that others might also have the same opportunity. After briefly sharing Naj's giddy laughter with her, he leaned in close and nuzzled her cheek softly before whispering, "I am so proud of you right now, Naj." into her ear.

 

As it was, he was so caught up in the moment of celebrating the status of Equestria's newest citizen, he almost didn't register the suggestion of dinner at Psmith's house. When he was finally able to take a deep breath himself, he looked over to Psmith and smiled. "Dinner sounds wonderful right now, thank you," he said, then added, 'Though, I feel I owe you dinner for helping to make this happen. I wouldn't have known where to start. Thank you."

[DerpRavener]

Naj was glad that Red came over to her, thankful for the support.  She wasn't sure she could stand on her own.  Well, no, not quite.  She could still force herself if absolutely necessary, and from pride and self reliance she was tempted.  The audience with the princess had taken a lot out of her however, and she wasn't about to turn away a shoulder to lean on.

 

Wordsworth said something about water and diplomacy, which Naj wasn't quite in a mindset to understand though she picked up that it had to do with the start of something significant.  She stared at him blankly, smiling but uncomprehending.

Fortunately Might was their to reign him in.  Ever the straightforward pony, Might was able to push him in a more useful direction with the suggestion of dinner at the mansion, to which the unicorn readily agreed.  Naj nodded her agreement as well.  Though Wordsworth's last comment wasn't entirely wrong, and Naj blushed slightly at the implications, to her the dinner would be a nice relaxing period of time spent with some good friends.  In a couple ways, even.  In any event, a calm evening would be a nice change from what she'd just gotten through.

 

Red was saying what Naj herself might have said, if she had the energy.  She supposed she'd just yhave to settle for sharing it with him.  For the moment though, she was just happy they were all here.  So much could have gone wrong...

But it didn't and that was the important thing.

Red thanked Might and Wordsworth for the offer of dinner, and suggested that maybe he should be the one making food for them.  It wasn't too relevant to Naj, but it made her think.  If it not for the ponies in front of her, she wouldn't have made it here today.  She owed them a lot, certainly more than she could put into words at the moment.  “Yeah, thank you,” she half-mumbled as she slowly started to walk, not sure what to say but feeling the need to say something.  She looked to Red as well, making sure he was included as she added, “all of you, for everything.”