//------------------------------//
// Team Meeting. 
// Story: Bros in Equestria 
// by Mandroid 
//------------------------------//

	The carriage bounced and bobbed along the road and into the forest. Being crammed inside with four other ponies made the ride...interesting.
Eventually, the carriage stopped. But not before the riders inside had been dropped into a pile.
"Whoever's hoof that is has five seconds to remove it before I do." you grumble.
The offending hoof is removed as you all climb your way out of the carriage. Before you are erected a good couple hundred tents of varying sizes. Ponies of all shapes and sizes roam around the makeshift town.
No...not just ponies. Your eyes make out several pairs of griffins as well as several unicorns. You even see a minotaur.
"Impressed, human?"
You turn to your side and spot Trixie beaming over her collection of cultists.
You grunt. "Seems pretty organized for a religion supposedly based around the concept of Chaos..."
Trixie harrumphs. "We will not have a hired mercenary, and even worse, an -outsider- critique our methods. Now, come along. I want you to sit in on a meeting."
First a camp and now a meeting? Is it a Chaos meeting?
She's a hypocrite, who cares?  Just follow along until we get what we need.

The meeting was exactly as bureaucratic as you thought. Long table. Dozen or so high ranking cult officials. The Holy Mother at the end, flanked by Trixie and some pegasus in red armor. And you. Crammed between a griffin and an earth pony who smelled like he hadn't bathed in a week.
Trixie was using her illusionary magic to place markers over a map of Equestria and the surrounding countries.
"I will re-iterate our plan for those of you who are unaware." she says as she throws a glance at you.
Fuck you too, Trixie.
"As you all know, Chaos is a state of things. One that is imprinted throughout the entire world almost as much as magic itself." she says.
Four markers appeared over the map. Two to the North and two to the South.
"Our goal, is to collect four items that either caused mass Chaos, or are the direct result of it. Using these artifacts, we will tear open a portal and free our lord Discord." she says with a manic grin.
Everyone else at the table was wearing the same grin.
You sigh and raise your hand. 
"What, human?" Trixie asks.
"Why are we doing this? I mean, I know you want to free Discord, but isn't he a statue in Canterlot? Shouldn't the first task be getting that statue?" you inquire.
The rest of the members of this idiot council all moaned like you had just asked why the sky was blue.
"Discord is not mere flesh, human, He is a spirit. A spirit that is currently trapped in the Tartarian plains. We will use these artifacts to open a portal to Tartarus and allow him re-entry into our world." Trixie says.
"Isn't Discord supposed to be as powerful as Celestia? Shouldn't he be able to open a portal himself?" you ask.
You hear a sigh from the earth pony next you. "I have a question, why are we even entertaining this ape? He is no true believer, and I fail to see why our plans hinge on him."
You shoot him a glare which he scoffs at. "What, ape? You think you can frighten me? I have fought worse then you in my-"
He gets no further as you grab his head and slam it onto the table. You pull David out of his sheathe and stab him into the table barely a hairsbreadth away from the earth pony's neck.
"You ponies need to learn that I'm a lot scarier then you are."
Any traces of arrogance in the ponies eyes had evaporated as he eyed the blade at his throat. A flash of light erupts from behind you and splinters over the back of your head. You turn to see Trixie standing on the table, her horn still glowing. 
"That is why we need him. I have word from one of my sources that both this human and the other from P0nyville are entirely immune to magic. We can't overlook that advantage." she says.
The only time that ever came up was when you first got here and saw Celestia. She has spies in the palace? 
Trixie continues to glare at you while the rest of the room looks on edge, the pegasus on the other side of Her Holiness looked ready to jump you.
"Now, release him human." she spits.
You stare down Trixie for what feels like hours.
Should just wreck these idiots...
Easy. Remember the plan. We need them.
Yeah...but they don't need us here.
You pry David out of the table and re-sheathe him as you walk out.
"Human! We are not done here!" you hear Trixie shout from behind you.
You stop and look at Trixie over your shoulder. "Four artifacts to summon Discord. I help you get them and then I get what I want. I'm going to assume you aren't a moron and have some way of crossing that ocean on your map, so I'm leaving until you twits come up with a plan." you say as you continue walking out of the tent. "Come find me when you have something, and not a minute before."
That went well, what now?
We need food. And a place to sleep.
You wander around the camp looking. Dammit, where is the cafeteria tent, or whatever?
There has to be one with this many cultists.
Maybe they catch their own food?
You're interrupted by a trio of colts running past you chasing a ball.
Shit, they had kids in this mess?
Fucked up.
"Hey. Kids."
They all turn to look at you.
"What are you doing here?" you ask.
The three of them glance at each other. "Uhh...our parents all brought us here, who are you?"
Parents dragging their kids into a doomsday cult?
It's either that or pay for college...
"Nevermind, where do I get something to eat?" you ask as you shake your head.
The colts all point to a particularly large tent over on the other side of camp.
"Yeah. Thanks."
You can feel them stare at you as you walk away.

-Music-
Dinner consisted of some bread and water. Can't get too fancy when you're feeding this many mouths in the middle of nowhere. At least you were used to the diet.
It was night, late, the events of the day were beginning to catch up to you. Apparently, tents were for actual members of the Cult, so you had to fend for yourself. Deciding against sleeping near the outskirts of a camp in the middle of the Everfree Forest, you lean back against a tree next to the conference tent you stormed out of earlier.
Your mind begins to replay the events of the day. You still remember Anon's face when you announced you were working with Trixie, he looked confused. 
Anon always saw the world a bit more black and white then you. Contrast to Rainbow's face; the rage of your betrayal was practically carved into it.
Still, you hope they're okay.
You didn't stick around to see the aftermath of the smokescreen. And then with what happened with Lotus...
You felt a pang in the middle of your chest. Why did she have to be there?
She better be safe. Is she worried about you? Or did she do what you said?
Maybe you shou-
No. We can't. The job is too important.
You sigh as you remember why you rolled in with Trixie in the first place.
Mind like ice. Let nothing get in our way.
You take some deep breaths as you center yourself. Anon, Rainbow, and Lotus would be fine. Whatever they do after this, you're not going to be around to help. You eventually succeed in banishing those thoughts and drifting off to sleep.
Whatever the council came up with, tomorrow would be an interesting day.