The room was silent, which was a sharp contrast to what Celestia had been used to only minutes ago. She could still feel the ringing in her ears and the distant cheers and calls from the crowd spanning the hundreds of thousands spread out before her like a tide of bodies and screaming. It was a harrowing experience to say the least.

Sighing, she relaxed in her seat. It was only for a moment, though, for a figure briskly walked through the door, flanked by two men in suits with their hands always on their sides.

The figure took a seat, revealing the charming face of the Chancellor of Earth. Otherwise known as the most powerful man of a human colonized planet.

Smoothing over his impeccably pressed suit and flashing another one of his television and hologram winning smiles, he said, “Sorry to keep you waiting, your highness.”

Celestia smiled as well, though not as chipper as him. “Not a problem at all, Mr. Chancellor.”

“You know how meetings can be,” he chuckled, pointing back to the door at the end of the room. “Especially with crowds like that. I’m surprised we managed to get so many to arrive.”

“Yes, well, it was an…” Celestia winced as the shouting she had experienced minutes before, “interesting experience.”

“I’m sure quite unlike anything you’ve had here in Equestria, am I right?” the Chancellor asked, smile widening to portray his incredibly white teeth, Celestia had noticed this unnatural whiteness among several of the humans in leadership or celebratorial positions, so guessed it was probably a show of social class of some sort.

“No, nothing like it at all,” Celestia agreed. “I didn’t even know so many ponies—er, I mean, people, could be fit into one place before.”

“You should see the football games we have on Earth. We can fit millions into the stadiums over there,” the Chancellor chuckled.

“Millions…” Celestia repeated back slowly.

“Yes, but that pales in comparison to the billions watching on their holoscreens at home.”

“B-billions? Are you sure?” Celestia asked.

The Chancellor nodded silently, smile slightly widening. “Why, of course. We humans are really adamant about diplomatic relations. Especially considering the… benefits that come with it.”

“Benefits?” Celestia asked, furrowing her brow.

“Benefits for both of us, of course,” the Chancellor assured her. “The combined welfare of both our peoples can be increased greatly if we were to work together.”

“Work together how, exactly?”

The Chancellor opened his arms, showing his palms face up on the table. “By trading, first of all. We can begin shipments of our most advanced technologies to you in a matter of days if we get the proper paperwork signed and filed. In a few month’s time, Equestria can be the world of tomorrow.” The Chancellor added a hand motion to the last word.

“And what would you want in return?” Celestia asked. “Providing to us the ‘world of tomorrow’ won’t be a cheap expenditure, I am sure.”

“We can begin with a formal treaty between the Human Federation and Equestria to smooth things out,” The Chancellor suggested. “Which then makes way for an inclusion of your species to the United Planetary League for further stimulations and future negotiations we might need to resolve.”

Celestia sighed. “Mr. Chancellor, not to be rude or anything… but I don’t think I want Equestria to join any universal federation of any sorts.”

The Chancellor’s smile twitch downward for a quick moment. “And why is that, Princess?”

“Because truthfully, I would like to keep affiliation between my ponies and the human species to a minimum.” Celestia stared the Chancellor straight in the eyes. “After reading up a bit of your history, I think it would be best if the Equestrian population did not associate with your kind.”

“My… kind?” the Chancellor said. Resting both his hands on the table and crossing his fingers, he asked, “Why exactly did you learn about my kind’s history to feel like you would not want to associate with it?”

“If you must know, it’s because humanity is not the best influence on a nation that has been used to peace for over a thousand years,” Celestia said in a deadpan tone. “From what I have studied of human history in the past, it is rife with war, violence and genocide of the most horrible kind. The atrocities committed by your kind have never been heard of in Equestria, much less imagined. I would like to protect my ponies from that kind of bad influence.”

“So, you’re scared about bad influence? Or rather, is it just influence that isn’t yours?” The Chancellor’s grin turned deviously into a smirk. “From what we have studied about your own kind, Princess, you aren’t the most earnest for change that doesn’t come from your own will.”

Celestia frowned “And what exactly does that mean?” she asked.

“Well, let’s just see facts, shall we?” The Chancellor lifted one hand up in the air. “During said one thousand years of peace, Equestria’s technological discoveries ground to almost a halt. For centuries new inventions were scarce and new ideas scarcer. We were actually surprised you all weren’t as technologically advanced as us, seeing how you had certainly better conditions to develop whatever tools you would need to succeed.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Celestia demanded.

The Chancellor lifted his other hand. “Getting to that. Now see, us humans have had almost no period in recorded history when a war wasn’t going on. We have fought each other, hated each other, and downright murdered each other to the point of, like you said, genocide. But you know what we got from that?” The Chancellor crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat. “Some of the most advanced technologies in the universe, a couple of dozen planets colonized for our species, and the biggest trading federation in multiple galaxies. And what do you ponies have?”

“Peace,” Celestia stated flatly. “My ponies have enjoyed peace.”

“At what price?” the Chancellor asked.

“There is no price for peace,” Celestia replied.

“Oh, but I believe there is, Princess.” The Chancellor chuckled lightly under his breath. “Because, for you ponies, the price for peace came with almost no development in terms of just about anything at all.”

“I’ll have you know that Equestria is one of the most developed countries in all of Equis,” Celestia reminded him with a hard gaze.

“Compared to the minotaur, gryphon, and diamond dog nations that are too busy killing each other? Then sure, you’re pretty developed. Heck, the dragons are just nomads compared to you. But in terms of actual development compared to humans…” The Chancellor shrugged. “You’ve had a railroad system for over a hundred years now, and have barely expanded it. Your medicine field is simplistic and not very advanced, your industry field hasn’t even had an industrial revolution yet, and in terms to media coverage you are still limited to reporters and newspapers with no real attempts at doing holo—I mean, television coverage.”

“That is because humans and ponies are very different,” Celestia reminded him.

“Oh, I agree with you. Humanity didn’t have a benevolent near-god rule us for over a thousand years. We didn’t have the solution to our problems be as easy as friendship or the power of love. Nothing like that at all.” For the first time since meeting him, Celestia noticed his smile was gone from his face, revealing the Chancellor’s sullen cheeks and bleary eyes. “If we did have those things, then I can see us being more of the same.”

Celestia peered into the Chancellor’s unsmiling gaze. “What are you getting at, Mr. Chancellor?”

The Chancellor was quiet, staring at his fingers on the desk. “What I’m getting at, is that I think it would be in your best interest to open negotiations between human and pony relations. This isn’t about what you consider beneficial for your country anymore, Celestia.”

“But is is my country,” Celestia pointed out hesitantly, almost as if asking a question.

“For the time being yes. However… that won’t be the case for much longer. To truly be accepted into the United Planetary League, a planet must be united under a democratic state of government. Doesn’t matter which type, as long as any form of monarchy rule or dictatorship is no longer in power on the planet. We are real sticklers for that, seeing how most corruption comes from extreme federal power ruling over a country or planet.”

Celestia forced pressure on her teeth for a brief moment. “But you cannot possibly mean to tell me I’ll have to give up my throne to join you, do I?”

“Every other nation on Equis has,” the Chancellor answered. “Equestria is the only one who hasn’t already.”

“Why was I not informed of this news?” Celestia asked, her eyes widening.

“Like I said, undeveloped media coverage.” The Chancellor’s smile returned, brightening his face to a radiant glow like a switch just went off in him. “When we offered the same deal to the various monarchs and rulers of the nations of Equis, most refused. Weirdly enough, however, a few days later revolts and uprisings happened in every one of those nations, and their leaders were either driven out of power or killed. Strange, is it not?”

Celestia gritted her teeth and swallowed back her first rebuttal, which could be considered rude and even vulgar to most who would have heard it.

Seeing the rage appear on her face, the Chancellor leaned back in his seat. “As of now, Equestria is the only country in Equis not supporting human and the races of your world interactions.”

“And you intend to change that?” Celestia asked with venom in her voice.

The Chancellor got out of his seat. “Not at all. Both the Human Federation and the United Planet League are not allowed to involve themselves in a not-correlated planet’s affairs other than negotiations with the planet as a whole, or individual countries. My hands are tied other than telling you to accept while you still can.”

“While I still can?” Celestia asked callously. Raising a brow, she stated, “Is that a threat?”

“Of course not,” the Chancellor answered with a frown. “Threats can be quoted. Warnings, however, can’t.” Tapping his wrist, a hologram suddenly projected from the back of his hand, showing the current time. Grinning that ever cheerful smile again, the Chancellor turned his watch off and nodded to Celestia. “If you’ll excuse me, your majesty, but I must be off. The minotaur and gryphon delegates are eagerly awaiting the new tech they are about to receive and draw trading agreements of, and the diamond dogs are getting situated with their new advancements as well. The world of tomorrow is fast approaching, Celestia.” The Chancellor winked, turning his back on her and walking out of the room.

“Do try and keep up.”

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