As I looked at the four individuals, I was able to see signs of rank on their armor. All of them, far as I could tell, were high ranking, which simply made more and more curious.

The lead one sighed and said, "Yeah, I guess."

"Then take a seat," I said. "I have a feeling this is going to be a long one, but first: names?"

The four of them took a seat on the grass in a way that we made a pentagon. "Well," the unicorn said, "I'm Lone Shadow," weird, as that's my OC's name, but I'm going to chalk that up to the multiple worlds theory, "this is Quick Wing," he said motioning to the Griffon. "We don't her real name. Amnesia."

"i can tell my own story, Lone," Quick said. "What I remember about it, anyway."

"I know, Quick," Lone said. "The changeling is Green Mist, while the Crystal pony is Onyx." Wow, talk about unoriginality.

"Okay, so, what exactly is with the armor you're wearing?" I asked,

"That has to do with about a year ago," Quick said. "You see about a year ago, Nightmare, who, somehow, was a separate entity from Princess Luna, returned. The Element bearers defeated her, but she went into hiding. A few months later, King Sombra somehow returned, and, while he had his army distracting the bearers, Celestia, and Luna, he snuck into the Crystal Palace."

"Once in," Onyx continued, "he killed Prince Armor, and, the last I saw her, made Cadence his sex toy." He sighed. "I was a guard on duty then, and should have at least been able to warn them, but, instead, Sombra took over the Empire, and the Entire guard force was forced to serve him, with any who said no getting publicly executed if they were a stallion, and bought by the few nobles for what ever they wanted if they were mares." He shuddered. "My sister was one of those, and I haven't seen her for months."

"And just a week after that," Green Mist said, "Queen Chrysalis, along with most other changeling hives, attacked Equestria. I was in Chrysalis' personal guard up until a month ago, which is when Onyx and I deserted to go to the Minotaur homeland, where we met Lone and Quick."

"Okay. So, why did you all desert?"

"Well," Onyx said, "I did so because I got word from one of my, ahem, contacts, that the bastard who bought my sister was there, and I was ordered to sty with the army, but disobeyed. Green Mist left because he was sick and tired of the conditions for even changeling bodyguards. So, we took some supplies, and went to the Minotaur home land, the only place neutral."

"So the entire planet's at war?" I asked, to which Quick nodded.

"Yeah," she said. "Sombra and the hives are on one side, along with renegade thestrals under Nightmare Moon, who came out of hiding a month ago, with Equestria and its allies on the other. As for why I left, it's because of the fact I was under command of Blueblood. I tried ot leave, he tried to stop me, and i ripped his guts out and fled. Though I doubt any miss him, they still want me so I can pay. Believe me, just about any one would want to kill him. I just did it because they were going to come after me anyway."

"Well, could be worse," I said to her. "You could have massacred a shit ton of people, and, really, of what I know of that guy, one of the Elements would have helped you if she wasn't so uptight." This got a laugh out of all of us.

"What about you, Lone?" I asked once I stopped laughing. "Why'd you leave?"

He shrugged. "Sick and tired of the Nobles wanting war because they were afraid they'd lose their wealth if we tried to reach a peace agreement with them, and the princesses being to cowardly to do otherwise. Quick killed Blueblood a week before, and we met up in the Everfree a week after mine, as ponies in general are cowards, and made our way to the same place as Onyx and Green Mist, which is where we met up. Actually, most of those we met with their were deserters from one of the two groups."

"Then why is it you four are here now?"

"Sombra's army, which had been brainwashed since I deserted," Onyx said, "invaded, and everyone that could fled, scattering to the ends of the world in groups like ours. Most of us are able to stay in contact, but don't for fear of them having been found and brainwashed. Really, we're just trying to survive."

"But what about you?" Lone asked me, getting my attention. "Who are you, and just what race are you?"

"Well," I said, "my name's Josh. As for my race, it's called humanity, or, sometimes, human kind."

"So, Josh, what are your plans?" Quick asked.

"Just to survive," I said. "I came here because some asshole from where I live could use magic and did so to send me here, and I have no idea how to get back."

"And what if they, meaning one of the two alliances, tried to recruit or kill you?" Green Mist asked.

"Simple," I said with a chuckle. "I become their worst fucking nightmare, even Nightmare will want to change her name so she isn't even remotely associated with me by reputation."

"Well, if that happens," Quick said, "count us in."

"But why were you at Ponyville?" Lone asked.

"To see what's been going on," I said, as I had no idea what season this was taking place in. "Maybe see if the Elements can help me find a way home."

"I doubt it," Lone said. "I heard they moved to Canterlot, which has become the brain of Equestria and its ally's military , and they only let military leaders and guards that have been checked thoroughly."

"So we can only get in there by being a military leader with that group, or a well checked out guard?"

"Bingo," Quick said.

Under my helmet, I began to smile. "What if we took the place over?" I asked, getting looks from the others.

"Your kidding, right," Onyx said. "We'd need an army to even have a chance, and its only five of us."

"What would it take for others to see there's a true third faction that wants to end this war, a, I guess, peace corps, or, dare I say, a rogue army?"

"I don't know," Lone said a worried look on his face before it got a smile of him understanding. "I guess all it would take is a group of ponies, or a mixed group," he said as the others got smiles on their faces, "of individuals showing they aren't afraid of being labeled as traitors if, in the long run, peace happens."

"But it'd mean attacking someplace important to both places that is thought to be unconquerable, but, at the same time, not the capital," I said. "You guys know any place like that?"

"Well, Ponyville, home of the Elements of Harmony, is right there," Quick said as she pointed a thumb to the aforementioned town.

"And we happen to know a well fortified changeling outpost not even Celestia's willing to attack," Onyx said with a grin.

I stood up, as did the other four. "So, it looks like we're working to end the war, then," I said, putting my hand in the center of the pentagon. "If we get caught by either side, we'll most likely be killed or enslaved. But, if it means bringing peace, I'm willing to take that risk."

"Same here," Lone said as he put his hand over mine, followed by Quick nodding and putting her hand(?) over Lone's.

"And we get to stop families being ripped apart," Onyx added as he put his hand over Quick's.

"I'm in," Green Mist said as he put his hand over the rest of ours. "So, what to call our alliance?"

"I think Josh already said it," Quick said. "The 'Rogue Army.'"

"Good thing I've been working on intel for Ponyville then," I said. "Because tomorrow, we reveal ourselves to the world, and I already have a battle cry."

"What's that?" Onyx said.

"Ooh wah naria," I said. "It's something I came up with when I was a kid. "It means, to me, at least, 'We will not surrender.'"

"I like it," Green Mist said.

"Same here," Quick said. "Sounds ancient, too."

"And cool," Lone added.

I nodded. "Then it's decided," I said, to which the others, now my comrades in arms, nodded. "On three. One. . . Two. . . Three!" On three, the five of us threw the hand in the center up and shouted, "OOH WAH NARIA!"

Look out, Celestia, Luna, Sombra, Chrysalis, Nightmare; the Rouge army has just formed, and we're coming for you all.