You could hear owls all around in that tent city. The moon was high in the sky watching over what bits of humanity lay within that plain. There was almost no human still awake aside from the few that were supposed to be watching over them and raise the alarm if something were to happen. They however were not the only ones still awake, Alex lay in the pile of leaves he called a bed trying to finally fall asleep but for some reason he couldn't. There was something different and he couldn't quite place his finger on it. Something just felt off, different, wrong.
"psst Hey Alex, I need to talk to you." He heard someone whisper from the entrance of his tent.
"What do you want?" he asked while getting up and stretching, a popping noise could be heard from all his joints. He approached the door and saw Mark standing there looking extremely nervous and worried. This was strange for him as normally Mark was calm and collected. "What's going on?"
"Have you seen Brian sense yesterday?" He asked. Alex had to think it over as he and Brian would often but heads over the stupidest things so he didn't typically talk to him if he could avoid it.
"Can't say that I have, why what's going on?"
"Nothing, don't worry about-"
"Do not pull that shit with me." Alex cut him off. He wasn't going to let Mark brush over anything important like someone going missing.
"I think, I think Brian ran off on his own."
"...I'm going back to bed." he said annoyed that he was ushered out only to be told that the biggest asshole in the camp was gone. Alex always thought that Mark gave Brian way too much credit anyway when it came to keeping the place together. Mark had been the one to organize everyone and keep the others from panicking and fighting each other over who got to do what. Brian however, he only ever really threatened people that got in his way or tried to steal from the camps supplies.
"Wait! Alex, it's important that Brian comes back. If he goes out there and causes trouble it's going to come back on all of us." Mark said grimly. Now this was something that everyone was thinking would happen sooner or later, but no one would expect Brian to do anything that would put the place in any real danger.
"If you're that worried about it then send someone out to go find him." he responded still annoyed that he was being told about something he really couldn't care less about.
"If I tell anyone that he's gone then others are going to leave Alex."
"You told me."
"Exactly."
"Wait, what?" Alex said surprised.
"Alex, you have shown that you care about everyone here as much as I do so I know you wont run off and do something stupid if I send you out to go find Brian."
"Give me a single reason to go out and bring that asshole back here!"
"I've already told you, he's going to cause the ponies around here to come against us because he can't keep his temper in check."
"Mark, there is almost sixty of us. you can find someone else." Alex said still trying to get out of this whole situation without having to deal with Brian at all.
"I can't, everyone else either wouldn't get involved or would leave with him the minute they know he's gone."
"So not getting involved means me right now."
"Come on Alex, please you have to do this for us!" Mark was basically begging him at this point but Alex was firm in his belief that Brian wasn't worth the hassle of hunting down. That was until he thought he heard muffled talking from his own boot and pulled out that screwdriver he held onto so tightly.
"What, no! Screwy he's a...he said I'm crazy and you're not real...yeah but...fine." Alex said before looking back at Mark. "First, no one and I mean NO ONE is allowed to touch anything in my tent while I'm gone. Second, I want an actual say around here instead of having to listen to you or Brian order me around. No more of this pseudo monarchy bullshit or I'm leaving. Finally, if I have to beat his ass and drag him back here I do not want to hear a word about it. These are my and screwy's terms, and no we will not negotiate."
Mark looked at Alex with that same awkward and slightly worried look everyone else had when they saw him directly talking to that screwdriver. Mark had to genuinely think over the terms Alex had set fourth because of that very reason as well; could he honestly let someone, who obviously wasn't healthy mentally, have a powerful voice over what they do in this place? What about beating on Brian? wouldn't he just run away again and that prove that he didn't know what he was doing? Is it even worth it?
"Fuck me, Fine but if you can avoid fighting him then you wont. And do not go causing trouble for us out there you hear?" Mark finally said.
"You got it, I'll head out tomorrow. I've got a few things I've got to take care of first." Alex said before making his way back to his tent. Brian just stared at him walking away wondering if he had made the right choice in sending Alex out to go after Brian instead of going himself. He looked around at the small tent city he had created over the past 5 months and realized that this was the right choice. If he wasn't there then how would the whole place not come crashing down?
***Early the next morning***
Alex came out of his tent with a belt made out of a vine and what looked like a broken motherboard attached to a radio handle hanging off it. He made his way towards the edge of the tent city as the breeze blew against him and he asked himself one last time if doing that was the best idea. Looking back he saw a small crowd forming around Mark, all questioning where Brian was and who was going to keep them safe now.
"Even if I don't like the guy, I guess I've got to do this for those guys." he thought as he started making his way towards the closest village that they knew about.
Canterlot
"Princess." Lighting said with a salute as Celestia walked into her private study.
"Good morning Lighting. How was the play last night? You and your wife have fun?" She asked with a smile on her face which quickly changed to a frown when she saw how serious Lighting seemed. "something the matter Lighting?"
"It's about those creature ma'am. I know you don't wish to be hostile towards them but I ask you reconsider before they-"
"Before what Lighting? Before they have a chance to integrate into our society peacefully?" She asked almost mocking him.
"I do not mean to offend princess, but what if they do not wish to integrate peacefully? what if they're the first wave in some conquest of Equestria? What if they are working with the changelings?" He said with those seemingly real threats in his mind
"Well I most certainly hope that is not the case but if it is then you may do what you please. We however will not attack them first." she said affirmed in her belief that this can all end peacefully.
"You're majesty, that is exactly what we did with the changelings upon first contact and look at how that ended up."
"This discussion is over Lighting. You will not harm these creatures until we've learned of their intentions."
Lighting begrudgingly nodded and made his way back to his post outside the door. The princess's plan was sure to fail, if those creatures viewed Equestria as weak then they were sure to try conquering it and Lighting was not going to let that happen, not while he lives and breathes.