Next day Office of Chancellor Neighsay
The days after Twilight's explanations Cadence, Shining Armour tried to find somepony to accept the proposal of bringing some of the Hogwarts students. However in order to do so they had to find the opportunity when Mislead and his other companions wouldn't be around, thing that wasn't too easy especially with them around almost every day, spreading rumours to the high society and common people, luckily they had managed to find the perfect opportunity. The only thing to do is only to convince the unicorn at the head of the Department of Equestrian Education. He was the only one whom the bad group wasn't concern because he is until Twilight convinced him always doubtful regarding people outside Equestria. And the news regarding the colonists was something that was a bit problematic. At that moment Cadence, Shining Armour, the Main (except Twilight) Starlight and the Young 6.
"And do you think it is a good idea to bring them here to Canterlot?" He asked the group.
"Yes, we spoke with Twilight regarding them; you know that she is at the moment right at this school we told you about." Said Shining Armour.
"She wants only some students to come here alongside some of the teachers to show what they are taught. It is a good opportunity to come to know them and exchange experiences." Explained Cadence.
"I believe that Princess Twilight wants that however up until now we know only bad things regarding them." Said the Chancellor.
"We can't rely on rumours and speculations. It is true that they might seem strange and different from us, but what else is stranger then the students at the School of Friendship that aren't ponies." Said Starlight pointing to the students.
"I know that however there are some thing that had been said by some others, like strange skeletal clanking creatures and bulky ones that surely aren't storm creatures."
"They call them 'robots' they are mechanical things that can move and talk put only to defend them, they ain't dangerous." Said Applejack.
"They don't seem too much efficient from what I heard about. But there is also a lot more then that like aggressiveness."
"We yaks can also be aggressive." Said Yona
"As well as us dragons but both us and them wouldn't lift a finger unless provoked." Come Smolder.
"Please Chancellor it will be only for the benefit of all of us. Plus they are just children they don't do bad things, it will be a good exchange of experiences." Said Cadence.
"I believe that, however you mentioned about a team or more rather a house that has children whom the parents had a shabby past."
"Some of their parents might had a shabby past but we can't blame the children for the flaws of their parents, plus the rest are very good children." Said Cadence.
"I will think about this however I must know what kind of subjects they are taught at the school."
"Well Minerva McGonagall the head of Gryffindor teaches Transfigurations how to change things into other things including themselves." Said Rarity.
"Another might be Potions with Severus Snape head of Slytherin." Said Starlight.
"I want to know things that we do not teach here in Equestria. Aside from Potions and Herbology that is surely Botany we do in special magic schools. Transfigurations is something else." Said Neightsay.
"Well there is one Defence Against the Dark Arts." Said Shining Armour.
"Defence Against the Dark Arts?" Asked the chancellor with interest in his voice.
"For them it is 'a must do' subject with many interesting things." Said Pinkie Pie.
"They are literally taught how to magically defend themselves using different spells and other methods to repel aggressive creatures, or against people that want to harm them. For them been vigilant in any kind of situation is important, of course they could tend to harm others but only by accident not intentionally." Explained Shining Armour and the chancellor started to rub his chin for a moment.
"Hmm, well I guess we can give it a try to see how they teach their students. And of course to see a demonstration regarding this subject of Defence Against the Dark Arts." He said and everyone smiled to each other things are going as they hoped.
"Will you tell this to the rest in the department and to the Princesses?" Asked Cadence.
"I shall deliberate this in the department however can you tell me when this could come?"
"Well they have a holiday call Christmas when the school is closed just when we have Hearts Warming Eve and they could come in the last week before the holidays for at least three or four days to teach here in Canterlot or at the School of Friendship before the semester ends." Said Fluttershy.
"I shall tell this to the department and after that we shall tell the Princesses."
"Oh we thank you Chancellor." Said Cadence grateful.
"However in order to do that I shall need your help." He said and the group turned to him in confusion.
"Those so called experts are like a pain in the neck when it comes to those humans. Not to mention the fact that even I started to doubt them a lot regarding what they say." He said.
"Really, how come?" Asked Starlight.
"I just find out that in time an 'information' is replaced by another, meaning one rumour is replaced with another and it really brings doubts to mind, so maybe this exchange program with Hogwarts might help clear things up."
"Oh, it surely will and everypony will see how things really are." Said Rarity.
Back at Hogwarts
The students had another hour with the zebra teacher, the other day she only lectured about different poisonous plants, from poison joke to other things. The only potion that was to be made was only a cure for Poison Joke which was easier to make then other potions, they were making and surprisingly even Neville managed to make it as correctly in a way or the other. But while he was proud of his achievement, Malfoy was however unimpressed both for the boy and the potion that he viewed as something to use as bath essence something that it really was. However there were other things that were much more interesting like a potion to make plants grow faster in eight seconds with only a drop.
Today was however only to present several native traditions and customs alongside some popular legends from her native land as well as those from the dragon lands like the Gauntlet of Fire when the dragons choose the new lord and those from Yakyakistan, for the students the dragon traditions seem similar to some aliens they know, while the ones from the yaks seem savage and violent. Many that live on the planet always saw the yaks like some war machines when provoked but now they saw them almost like people that have a problem with anger when provoked. The Zebra looking at the clock noticed that there were 10 minutes till the hour ends.
"If there questions are to ask pleasure to answer will be." She said before a hand came out.
"Aaa, yes Mr. Potter. What the confusion might be?"
"Professor, some of us would want to know. Who was the person that came last week after the ball at the statue? Some consider it really was Nightmare Moon." She asked and immediately everyone in the room except Twilight turned up front very attentive.
"Aah, yes. The answer to tell sooner I expected the question from students." She said before pulling out a book to the table opening the book and showed a picture of the dark blue winged unicorn but not the Nightmare. "The answer, here it is."
"Princess Luna, one of the rulers of Equestria it was. Simplified to be, the ponies of Equestria can be distinguished by the colour of the main and by the sign of the fore flank. Cutie Marks they are called and they show the special talent of the bearer. The Lunar Princess has the lunar mark, special power of controlling night time she is able, been ruler of the night observes the whereabouts of all in the territory. She the one was to visit." She said immediately the students started to talk between themselves.
"But professor at first it seemed to us exactly the representation of the statue in flesh." Ron said.
"Special power to disguise herself, turn to mist and to Nightmare Moon, more to the legend there is also the Lunar and Celestial Princesses had lived more than a thousand years but only one stayed in power while the other absent it was. Recently she returned."
"Professor what do you mean by they had been living for a thousand years?" Asked Padma.
"Alicorns they the superior in magical abilities they are making them to surpass generations."
"It means that they are magically immortal." Hermione said.
"Yeah and they are surely seen as deities incarnated, living Gods on earth." Malfoy said.
"The best ever answer mister Malfoy and Miss Granger 5 points both Houses."
"Yet if she has to rule the night in her lands, why did she visit us?" Ron asked.
"And how she rules the night actually." Said Harry.
"An interest she started to have in your people however the sources of information are off. Some ponies constantly tell untrue fact that could misled. In different light she saw things and wanted to see facts that different are from what they tell. And ruler of the night she is because the moon that shines on the night view is able to control."
"This can only be a legend, the idea of controlling the moon." Hermione said.
"Easy to judge an unbeliever can but when you see the fact a believer you will be."
"Professor what do you think her intentions might be?" Harry asked.
"Hard to tell it is, but did she told something that special might be when tightened hard by her magic were?" Harry and Ron looked at one another, while Draco moved his sight to his piece of parchment not wanting to be in the conversation while Hermione moved her sight to her book and Twilight didn't want to respond. Zecora seeing this decided to pick up and decided upon one of the boys.
"Harry Potter some word?" She asked but the boy wasn't quit in the mood of telling what she told to him personally.
"Difficulty?" Zecora asked and all eyes in the class turned to him.
"She said only: "let's see what you are made off" and then started to make menacing faces to scare us that until I said that I saw things worst then her, and let us go."
"Hmm a secret intention she might have and discover it all shall be." Said Zecora before the bell rung and all started leave the classroom, the students started to talk between themselves about the Lunar Princess either they doubt her intention to be good, they kept silent, they wish for her to lose the interest in them, some were afraid of what she wants or criticise her to why she doesn't let them alone.
"I don't know what to say regarding what the intention of Princess Luna is. Hopefully not something everyone would regret." Ron said.
"You are not the only one Ron." Harry said monotonously.
"Guess there was something more when she held you while she let us be." He said.
"It isn't something I wish to talk at the moment especially when there are many around."
"I only hope we will not regret what she is doing."
"Surely there is a good reason for what she is doing, it couldn't be something bad." Came Twilight.
"Glad you are confident about this." Harry said.
"Yet thinking only about what professor Zecora told us makes me shiver." Ron said.
"About the fact that she could turn into a mist or change form to be Nightmare Moon, many are thinking about this and other stuff." Hermione said.
"It isn't only that I wonder what power she has to control the night."
"Don't you mean power 'off the night'? Night time is probably her source of power probably her magic has connection to the moon and the stars which influence her magic giving her abilities to blend in with the night environment." Hermione said.
"What if you hear that she is able to control the movement of the moon?" Twilight said.
"Impossible now every planet usually has a rotation around its axis in the solar system which makes both the days and years the same is with natural satellites. This is law for every solar system."
"Yet there is still a lot to research in this system." Ron said.
"Well in any case I agree with Twilight on one thing. I just hope there aren't some bad intentions coming from her towards us." She said.
"There surely aren't we just need to see what comes next." She said.
"Well I doubt the robots will allow her to come closer, in this time the tactical ones work overtime to better the security outside. I doubt she will visit anytime soon." Ron said.
"That if we take in consideration also the small skirmishes that still happen, good thing that the changelings returned to normal." Harry commented.
"Hope this happens to the others as well. In a way they probably have the same problem the changelings had with either a local tyrant, a corrupt government or lying demagogues that who knows what they tell their people and their sovereign about us." Hermione said.
"The lying part is surely the case." Twilight came knowing the situation with the fake informers not to mention that they even profit from this "I mean they probably see us as new here and there are lots of fears they might have towards us." Twilight said.
"Fears due to misunderstanding that they might exploit very easy, to fill the agenda of the ones with a lust for power." Harry said.
"Let's hope that there are also people that try to show the truth and try to expose the misdeeds of those who lie." Ron said.
Canterlot Royal Castle, the Throne Room
There was great expectation after the board highlighted a green light for some students and teachers from Hogwarts to come the main and student 6 had given all the reasons, the most powerful been that Twilight was there and there was no negative aspect regarding the school. But now the Princesses must accept, the only problem was however that one henchpony of Mislead was there to stop this.
"Do you believe that we should invite the senior year students and their teachers to come here for three days?" Asked a high society member unicorn.
"The Department of Equestrian Education had approved of this idea. Plus it is only for a limited number for a 3 day exchange program." Chancellor Neighsay.
"It is interesting this change of heart from the one that wasn't too agreeable for non ponies for a time." Said Brave aka Cruel Deed in a bald face manner.
"This was in the past and I had learned from my mistake on one hoof on the other why should we rely on rumour and speculation, especially that we don't know how they are from up close." Neighsay said.
"We already know some things about them."
"Just because you heard some speculations that some said randomly or as a joke doesn't mean they are true." Shining Armour said
"Especially if we take in consideration the fact that up until recently we found out about them. In those cases one could easily judge a misdeed or a bad encounter without further studying the reason that happened." Cadence said.
"What is the reason for studying since they do bad things deliberately? And who knows what they are told at that school isn't there a group whose parents had a shabby past?"
"Just because some of their parents might have done some unwanted mistakes in their lives doesn't mean the children should be considered the same." Applejack said sharply.
"We must be reasonable, what do children have to do with some not very good background in their parent's past. They are just children they haven't been involved in it." Fluttershy said.
"I don't think we can trust them since we don't know what they would do during the visit. If we remember one time that wasn't so great planed." He said peaking at Yona whom she realised what was about and her face frowned at him and decided to step in.
"There is one thing to know. Even the yaks didn't know much about them at our first encounter. They are more to be let alone in their own business they don't like too much attention. I want only to emphasise, what did Equestria knew about our society when we closed our borders for a thousand moons, a little not much." She said.
"And now look how good friends we are now, so why this should be any different." Pinkie said.
"And there is another example, the changelings. Up until I met Thorax I believed that there is no such a thing as a good changeling because of previous problems due to Chrysalis and others. But look now how things are." Shining Armour said before pointing at Ocellus. "She is an example."
"Those were other situations; this is more different they seem to have appeared from nowhere."
"Nothing appears from nowhere." Rarity came. "They had been like the yaks they preferred to be isolated for a long time and only recently they started to come out of hiding. Twilight told us, they are different group some came out much sooner than others, the ones that are at Hogwarts are a group whom came out later. The reason we didn't met the others are because they are separated each staying near a certain place and don't go away from it."
"And if they don't go away from it why should we be concerned about them attacking us." Said the Chancellor.
"I can see where all of you want to go and I do have to admit that we haven't been in much contact with them aside from possible unfriendly encounters that probably might have been out of misunderstanding. Yet I also have to agree with the opinion regarding some things and the fact that we should be vigilant in those regards." Celestia said causing Twilight's group to get a bit stressed on what to do.
"Princess." Called another pony in the room with his right hoof raised, the pony was Fancy Pants. "May I have a word?"
"Of course." She said and he came out.
"It is true the fact that we should be vigilant especially if we take in consideration other encounters that happened in the past like Tirek, the Storm King, Cozy Glow, Grogar, Chrysalis and others, whom we have to remember." He said making Cruel Deed to smirk. "But we also have to consider that inviting those newcomers even if they are students at a magical school might have great benefits for both. The Yaks, Dragons, Griffons, Hippogriffs and Changelings had became good friends with Equestria thanks to Twilight and her friends. Some weren't so good to us in the case of the changelings and sometimes the Dragons but even with that we managed to come to a good terms with them. So why this wouldn't be possible with the humans of this world as well, they might be different true, but it doesn't mean we simply have to ignore them or be afraid of them just because of some skirmishes that were surely unwanted and were unintentionally made."
"You say that we should allow them to come?!" Cruel Deed asked in shock.
"I only say that it will be a good start if we call the senior students of that school alongside some of their teachers to show us things that they know, because it will be a start of possible future friendships. Isn't this what the School of Friendship wants to teach and show that all can come to good communion and understanding even if there were not so good encounters in the past."
"This is really what we want." Said Starlight before turning back to the princess.
"So Princess is there a possibility of allowing at least some students and their teachers to come, Twilight will surely come with them."
"Sister it will be a good opportunity to clarify the situation." Luna said with confidence.
"Very well, I shall write a letter to invite them for this exchange program, they will visit both Canterlot and the School of Friendship in Ponyville, where they shall teach their courses and also visit. And also to play this interesting game I heard about." Celestia said with a smile of confidence, the main 6 alongside the students, Cadence, Shining Armour and the Chancellor managed their objectives, all shall soon see the truth. Cruel Deed only frowned defeated for this decision but it wouldn't be the last of him and his other companions.
"Hmm, time for plan B then." He murmured to himself.