Convocation of the Creatures!

Convocation of the Creatures! is the twentieth story arc of IDW Publishing's, spanning issues #61-62. In this story, Twilight Sparkle makes a discovery during the largest assembly of creatures in history that threatens to redraw the map of Equestria.

Issue #61
The story begins with Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia, and Raven Inkwell traveling to Mount Metazoa via airship to take part in the Convocation of Creatures, an assembly of leaders from all across the world that has not been held for over seven hundred years. Twilight is especially excited to take part and share knowledge and friendship with other creatures from Equestria and beyond. At the convocation's reception, she meets Princess Cadance, Queen Novo, Ember, Prince Rutherford, Thorax, and various other leaders from other regions.

While exploring the convocation grounds and the Hall of Unity, Twilight finds an expansive library, where Raven is updating the archives with Equestria's new documents. With her are several other librarians and archivists: a well-spoken yak named Horwitz, an excitable changeling named Urtica, a pompous dragon named Blacktip, and a shy griffon named Glenda. Despite Raven's insistence that bureaucracy is unglamorous and boring work, Twilight happily offers to help with the paperwork.

The next morning, Twilight and Celestia partake in leader speeches, negotiations, and debates before the cultural arts showcase that evening. However, Raven once again resigns herself to staying in the archives. After several hours of speeches, Twilight approaches Raven and the other archivists and invites them out to cultural arts showcase, where the convocation attendees enjoy dragon glass blowing, yak line dancing, pony singing, and cuisine from various parts of Equestria. Twilight tells Raven that there is more to diplomacy and politics than just paperwork, and she and the others enjoy themselves.

While on the subject of paperwork, Glenda shares with her new friends something she found in the ancient griffon records: a treaty between Equestria and Griffonstone. In ancient times, the ponies bought a section of land—including where Canterlot was built—from the griffons. According to the treaty, the land would be returned to the griffons unless the ponies paid a large sum of gold one hundred years later. However, upon further search of the archives, no record exists of the rulers of Equestria ever paying that gold. Twilight worryingly realizes that a large section of Equestria, including all of Canterlot, legally belongs to the griffons.

Quotes

 * Twilight Sparkle: I've been looking forward to this for months!
 * Princess Celestia: I can't even remember how long ago the last one was!
 * Raven Inkwell: Seven hundred and fifty-three years, your Highness.
 * Princess Celestia: Thank you, Raven.


 * Twilight Sparkle: Queen Novo!
 * Queen Novo: Why, Princess Twilight! How wonderful to see you again!
 * Twilight Sparkle: I didn't know the seaponies had sent a delegation! Er—I mean, the Hippogriffs! Or—what is your race, now?
 * Queen Novo: Ha ha! I'm not sure myself! We're lucky enough to be part of both worlds now. Our home is both in the air and in the sea!


 * Ember: Dragons don't do diplomacy. We're not big on crowds or speeches or all that stuff, you know? I am way out of my element here.
 * Twilight Sparkle: Don't worry, Ember—you've got this! I'm sure you'll do a great job of representing the dragons!
 * Ember: Th-Thanks, Twilight.


 * King Aspen: ...Do you ever feel as though you're simply not part of the story?
 * Queen of Abyssinia: Constantly.


 * Urtica: E-Excuse me... Did you say you're Princess Twilight Sparkle?
 * Twilight Sparkle: Yep! That's me!
 * Urtica: Eeee! Oh my gosh! I can't believe I'm meeting you! You're, like, famous in our hive!


 * Blacktip: Blacktip's the name, history's my game. You wanna know anything about dragon culture, I'm your guy.
 * Twilight Sparkle: I could... Or I could ask my assistant Spike, or my friend Dragon Lord Ember, instead.
 * Blacktip: Hmph!


 * Raven Inkwell: It's bureaucracy. It's not supposed to be fascinating. This is the boring part of diplomacy and politics. In the ballroom, the royalty get to make speeches and mingle... but we are here to make sure everything works.


 * Twilight Sparkle: Diplomacy isn't just speeches or paperwork—sometimes it's about learning from one another! That's what brings us together!


 * Twilight Sparkle: All that land? But that's a huge section of Equestria! Thousands of ponies live there! Including all of Canterlot! All of that would be given back to the griffons?!
 * Raven Inkwell: As you said, princess: proper paperwork matters.