The Big Three

Markus sits in one of the darkened chairs closer to the door while the leader takes the seat at the head of the table. It only befits a leader of his own people. The two guards that came along with them take the sides the of the door waiting patiently in case anything happens, which Markus hopes doesn't. They have to wait for a while before Indie and Caleb joins them. Caleb takes the seat in front of Markus while Indie sits to his left.

"So mister leader." Caleb starts off.

"You can call me Franklin."

"Right. So Franklin what exactly do you want from us? I'm guessing there has to be a reason in the sense that you went to come find us." Caleb says placing the box on the table.

Markus and Indie give it some interest before returning their attention to the current matter.

"Well yes, there is. You see Celestia would rather have races killed than to have them rebel against her. Both Celestia and Luna have driven many races into near extinction and in the process have lost many many lives as well as drive upon themselves curses that no one knows about in the Everfree forest."

"She considers herself a god. Even if it's just a minor god she considers it without questioning." Markus says sighing and looking around the smudged room, "I'm honestly starting to question whether she is or not."

"Don't buy in to that." Franklin says wrapping his hands together and looking down the table, "In the days of old she grew and aged just like every other pony, but than came something that she appreciates and hates. The cure of near immortality... She'll continue to age along with her sister yet never die from it. We had powerful magicians that could do unbelievable things. There was one who held more power over them all and we relied on him for magical tactic warfare. He was great at what he did and a great leader to boot. We thought perhaps he could defeat Celestia and Luna in a magic duel. He almost did but ponies have never played nice.

He was stabbing in the back by Luna's horn ripping into his spine. With his last dying breath and cast a spell of near immortality on every alicorn in the world to forever live in great shame. He figured we could win the war and we could torture them for all eternity. Too bad we lost huh..."

"Man, I never would have thought that's what lead to all this... I thought they were just naturally born with in." Indie says rubbing a hand through his hair.

"No, It's the curse of the alicorn in which we call it." Franklin says shaking his head, "He cast it upon all the alicorns of the world new and old."

"Well than... where do we come into play?" Caleb asks fidgeting.

"You see, we need to bring together the people of our world again. We've lost many of the races and others have flied this continent but there is still enough of us to rise up an army again. From all the years in the past the ponies have grown weak and gentle. Now is the perfect time to fight."

"Than why don't you guys? It seems you have the capability." Markus comments.

"It's not that simple... My people are great at stealthily killing. We are great archers and wonderful one handed warriors but when it comes to brute force. We'll need others for it. We'll need you humans to help convince other races to join in the efforts again to take down Celestia and Luna and regain much that we all have lost to the ponies."

"That really is something... So much of the land that the ponies have now was all conquered?" Indie asks making a checklist in his brain.

"Yes, Canterlot used to be a great forge mountain for the minotaurs. Where ponyville rests used to be where all the mages used to congregate and go to school at. Believe it or not all the races used to live in harmony. Than uneasy tension."

"Than war." Caleb says completing it, "Our elders have told us the same thing. They've left out details of the war really, but it's the same thing that we have heard and read in a sense."

"That's good. You need that knowledge if we are to ever convince." Franklin says placing his hands down with a giant smile on his face.

"Alright!" Markus says, "So what are we going to do for a base and who should we recruit first?"

"We have a base not too far away from here still in the Everfree forest. As to who to recruit first... We'll probably need scavengers so we'll have to look in the swamps to find the race I'm thinking of. Perhaps they have already died out who knows. They are prideful people and what has happened to them is something they would rather kill themselves of than to live without that pride. Perhaps you can use that to your advantage if they are still there."

"Perhaps." Markus replies standing up, "So I guess first order of business is head to your base to say hello to the locals."

"Quick question. Do you guys serve meat?" Caleb asks looking around to make sure Fluttershy wasn't anywhere around.

"Yes we do actually. All sorts really. Let me guess the pony has you on a strict vegetation diet." Franklin says chuckling.

"You know it! Now let's get out of here and get ourselves some real food!" Caleb roars standing up ready to leave immediately.

That makes everyone in the room laugh. It really lightens up the dire mood.

Luna, laying in her bed, considers telling Celestia again of what she saw. She thinks of the pros and the cons before deciding again not to tell her. After all Twilight is her student. She shakes her head and wonders why she can't sleep than disregards the thought instead wondering why she would even want to sleep. Just the thought of sleeping seems to bring up the ideas that bad memories will dread her dream.

"I'm only being silly." She mutters to herself.

She considers it for a moment before deciding it wasn't silliness, but paranoia. Paranoia that keeps you awake no matter how tired you are. The type of paranoia that makes you check every noon and cranny around you to make sure no one is listening or watch for you next move. At least that is what she thinks. It truly drives away at her. Nags, pulls, and nudges her more in crazy thoughts of paranoia.

The thoughts are broken by a knock on the door. She opens it with her magic and allows the unicorn of the library to walk in.

"Sorry if I am awaking you Highness."

"No, I find it hard to sleep anyway. I find it funny how even as I was younger you would always know when I was restless."

The unicorn mare chuckles and nods her head reminiscing in the past. A past of non paranoia and tension.

"But I'm sure your not here to walk down memory lane are you?" Luna asks raising her head.

"Yes, I... I have to ask why did you want to look more into mankind. Only Celestia seemed interested."

Luna sighs and shakes her head her unruly mane becoming unrulier, "It is my burden to bare. I wish you not to know of it for your sanity and your own good. The less people that know of this the less dangerous it seems."

The mare sits beside Luna's bed looking her over, "You're tired. Perhaps a story will help you rest."

Luna smiles remembering her old foal days and the days after which she came back. It was truly something.

"Alright." Luna says laying her head on the pillow, "I could use one after all this time."

"I figured. After all I can feel it in my brain." The mare says chuckling from the old times of Luna getting sayings wrong.

That earns a giggle out of Luna lightning her mood and the stress upon her. The librarian levitates a book off the shelf, opens it, and reads to once upon a time foal.

Twilight

Sitting some what alone in the dark for so long probably would have driven most ponies mad. Always thinking you're seeing something flicker in the darkness, always thinking you can see something beckoning to you, than you start hearing voices. But the voices she were hearing where that of the darkness but of her consciousness keeping her awake to make sure her friend is alright. For Twilight that darkness is like a cover. A cover to shield her away from the eyes of Celestia so she may not see her deed.

She decided she'll just stay here for a while to Rainbowdash recovers to her old self or something like her old self. After all that's what the spell was meant to do right. Heal and help. It was healing her and helping her. Helping Twilight as well.

A thought enters her mind. Just a brief second a word pops up and disappears. Just for a brief second Twilight considered it true. Maybe, just maybe it was the right thing to call her. But she would never admit it. Not to any one. In fact she would go so far to deny the claim, but I guess that'll only make it seem truer.

After all that's what maniacs do right?