//------------------------------// // Negotiation // Story: A Raven’s Quest // by Chemtest //------------------------------// I quickly move into the meeting room, a simple room with a table in the middle. At the chairs sit the three royals. I smile, “King Henry, Clanmaster Thogar, Queen Istil. I am so glad you decided to show up.” Henry nods, “And we are glad you made the Mad God make us real. Now, down to business.” I nod back as I take a seat, “Guess I’ll skip the niceties and go right into the deal.” I lay a treaty before them, “An enemy rises in the North. Already he has conquered near half the continent, killing entire towns and raising them under his command. The ground becomes more empty as the days go on, bones rising into his army. The most despicable ponies have decided to follow his command with the many legions they have. No one has been able to stand up to him.” Thogar speaks up, “Who has tried to stand up then? How do we know this isn’t just someone that could be brushed off like a fly?” I place reports on the table in front of him, “The New Crystal Republic; population of one million, a military three thousand strong at the least, all of which carried guns. New Crystal itself fell, even with five hundred highly advanced Securitrons guarding it’s almost impenetrable walls of crystal. Deceivers report that it was only a squad of five needed to take over the city. The Beast himself and four giant skeletons. Now the city has become his Keep, and his forces grow stronger each day.” Henry holds up a hand, “So, you say he is strong enough to take over a seemingly impenetrable city, and you think we can do anything about it?” I take out my briefcase from my pocket dimension, and side the schematics over to him, “Perhaps you would benefit from seeing our weapon then? However many giants Beast will make matters not. Unity Prime has the strength to take on nearly anything. A seemless blending of magic, energy, and metal. My own magic as well is strong. I ask for your forces because I have the weapons but lack the manpower.” Henry slides the case back to me, “And how are we to know you aren’t as evil as he apparently is? You are a Necromancer, after all. You’ve done the same that he has many times.” I recoil a bit, “Excuse me?! Since when have I slaughtered entire nations!?” He tilts his head to the side in thought, “Well, there was the Kingdom of Hazog.” I immediately remember what he’s talking about, “Hazog was a thief and a warlord! The only reason I killed his people was because he kept sending them to kill me!” A voice interrupts us, “I can, King. I can support him.” We all turn to see Celestia enter the room, “And who are you?” She smiles, “Prin- no, just Celestia now. I am nowhere close to being a friend of Raven, we were enemies what feels like so short ago, but I can support him. Raven might be a Necromancer, but that does not subtract from his value as a pony. To compare him to the Beast is heresy. Right now, the Beast threatens this world and all other realms like it with domination, all Raven ever wanted was a peaceful life. I might not know Raven that much, but I can make a surefire claim about him. Even if he was evil, he is the lesser of the two.” Henry is about to speak up, but Istil interrupts him, “Henry, shut up and think for a second. This situation seems to be a reflection of our own history.” Thogar nods along, “A great Necromancer rises in the North, tainting the land with his darkness. The races come together at first and brush him off as not being a concern. That is what is happening. New Crystal is Scarwood Keep and the Beast is-“ Henry fills it in, “Noter Kah.” Istil nods, “When the four races turned away from each other, we almost allowed humanity to be wiped out. We allowed Noter Kah to rise until he had almost taken over Draydon Castle. So many innocent lives were lost. And we only pushed him back when we united!” Thogar pulls the treaty over to him, and signs it, “I will not allow this to happen once more! My grandfather would roll over in his grave if he saw me forsake the lessons he taught me! You have me Raven. Balder shall take joy in leading our Forge Masters and the Grey Beards shall fire their cannons once more!” Istil takes the treaty and signs right after, “I will not make the same mistake as my ancestors. I will unite before it is to late. Frey and his fellow Lion Guard shall fight once more, and nature itself shall rip the Beast asunder with the Dryads and Treemen.” Henry hesitates for a second, before taking the paper, “Then I shall join as well. The Mage Guilds of Fire and Ice shall come together once more. The Black Guard and Red Guard fighting side by side! Our Giants shall smash our enemies as the Knights run them down! The Holy House shall raise it’s Paladins and Priests back to the battlefield! Burion shall charge alongside his fellow Captains into the glorious clashing of skeletons and Footmen!” They hand the treaty back to me. Istil smiles, “Our Heroes shall rise.” Henry laughs, “Our Castles shall rally.” Thogar growls, “The time for unity arises for the third time. This time, we shall not be late! This time, we take the fight to our enemy!” I smile, “Then prepare your troops. Have them ready for war. As soon as Unity Prime has been completed, we march.”