>>128593She blinks at him, then answers,
"Any kind of processed or baked wheat good, rice, potato, or sugar. Most fruits, even apples. Tomatoes were a favorite. But please, no hay, greens, leaves, grass, alfalfa. We like fish and squid. It's one of the biggest parts of the diet in Sicameon. While most griffins don't actually eat much meat, that's because it's expensive. We like animal flesh more than almost anything else."
>>128594He laughs
"Fillie, you can see me, can't you?" He moves slightly back in his chair, and his prosthetic legs are fully visible
"I was not born this way. Nor did I become like this through being 'passive.' Ponykind is special among all creatures. Ponykind learned the ways of friendship and Harmony. Ponykind learned the secrets of Magic, and built and Empire that lasted a thousand years. The Griffins couldn't even make it 250. And Ponykind found its place as guardian over nature. Master over the weather. Master even, over the sun and moon. Faustian civilization is precious, and very much worth preserving. But it must be preserved by Iron and Blood. Lots of Iron, and lots of Blood. And no matter what that purple pretender princess thought, it will
not be preserved or spread by prostrating down before non-pony cultures. Ponies must recognize their strength, or else, the light of Faustian Civilization will be extinguished. Either conquered, or fall into its long night.
What you must understand is that Ponykind, and Faustian Civilization as a whole, is under attack from every direction. Writers and playwrites who want to say that Ponykind has always been 'oppressive' or colonial towards non-ponies and various groups, who want to 'liberate' ponies from traditions. Communists, who want to eliminate all nations and cultures, and subject all races to the rule of the lowest common denominator. The "Equestrian Liberation Front," who rightly want to restore their nation, but who wrongly think that giving it back to the Purple Princess will mean anything other than its slow disintegration. Griffins - many, many different griffin nations, who seek to take pony land. And yes, even the Changelings.
What you've encountered are the provisions of the Marelotov-Buggentrop Pact. It's the Peace Treaty that allowed Pony rule to remain in the Eastern half of the country, even as Equestria lost the war. This Pact also allows us to - for now - focus our attention on the Griffin and Hippogriff Menace abroad. We cannot now afford a two front war, and any measure that delays a war with the Changelings gives us time to build up our forces and defenses. We are not foolish. We do not expect the Changelings to maintain this pact for forever. But we are not going to be the ones to break it. Not yet. Not until our Griffonian land is secured. Not until we have convinced the Equestrian population to fight under us. Then - if Chrysalis will not accept an offer of non-pony lands in exchange for pony lands - we will be ready for that fight."