After that certainly eventful meeting, Alex decided to calm down his nerves by meditating. Clearing his mind and allowing nothing to fill him, but this time he was not trying to center himself and open himself to the Light. This time, he was was trying to enter that place in between Equis and Azeroth. Where he had first met Ashbringer, where he came into this world. He thought that maybe the Ashbringer might have more insight into their situation.

Focusing hard, Alex felt the wind suddenly change and opened his eyes. The same barren desert he had seen before on his way in, and the same shrouded figure in front of him. Alex stood up, his armor clanking and lifting to his weight and his heresy. His broadsword resting at his side and an itch for him to draw it. Alex stood up and a gentle breeze rocked over Alex. It was anything but calming as his situation. So many ponies looked to him for advice, tutorship, and apprenticeship so they can just protect themselves from the undead. Alex knew where they were coming from though, so he felt a sense of obligation to help these ponies. So the same fate that befell Alex's own people did not befall the ponies.

The Ashbringer said, staring out into the setting sun, "A glorious end of the day, making way for an even more gorgeous night, don't you think?"

Alex grunted as he stepped next to the Ashbringer, "There are more important things right now than admiring the setting sun."

Alex glanced over at Ashbringer, moving his eyes slightly and saw a smile curl on his lips and his response to Alex's comment was, "And that is where we differ Alexandros. I can see the beauty in all things, the simplest things. Whereas you tend to live in the moment, not wanting to waste a breath to taking in the grandeur. Often times we can find the answer for our questions in the little things in life."

Alex returned the ghost of a smile, "I do not remember you being so cryptic."

"I have to," Turning fully to meet Alex, "If I'm not, then who will? Last I recall I am merely a part of you."

Ashbringer's expression suddenly turned dark and said, "Your enemy has moved quite well in the past few days."

Alex faced Ashbringer fully and asked, "How are you able to go over such long distances?"

"I am an apparition of you," Ashbringer replied swiftly, "I can extend my reach from the sword as long as I need. But when I am near a soul stealing blade I must return to the blade."

"So they have Frostmourne?"

"No, the have the sister blade and you might not like the one that wields it."

Alex nodded promptly and Ashbringer waved his hoof in front of him and a gathering of clouds formed and swirled into images and he could hear powerful voices exchange words.

A deep feminine voice dictated, The preparations have been made and they will soon rise.

A lich voice that Alex had come to memorize answered, Excellent my champion. The first of the Equestrian Death Knights. You will lead the Fallen to victory sevenfold. Your one mission and one mission alone is to follow Rovos and my orders, no others are above you. Now meet with Rovos, he will raise your brothers and sisters soon.

Alex then saw the image shimmer and he saw a tall standing midnight colored alicorn dressed in imposing ebony plate armor. Carved skulls were dressed around the armor, spikes faceted on the shoulders. A free flowing mane of pure ice and bright blue eyes illuminating the pale midnight coat of fur. Very imposing and very similar to the Death Knights that Alex knew very well. But his eyes moved to the axe readied at the undead mare's side. Shadowmourne, the weapon that tried to take over Frostmourne's place as collector of the damned. Frost flowing and sticking to the archaic head and the skull of a frost wyrm on the top. It held many similarities to Frostmourne, forged into an axe rather than a sword to show that the two sister blades are opposite each other. Alex froze as he thought of the countless souls that reside inside of the Ashbringer because of his fall. Alex had seen images of the Death Knight inside the mirror, but they much more cheery and more lively than the mare he saw now. It was Luna.

Alex turned and rubbed his hoof on his chin and in a slightly agitated voice he stated, "So they have caused Luna to fall to darkness once more?"

Ashbringer added, "That who has been wounded by darkness can be infected by it."

Alex crossed a hoof over his chest and rested his other elbow on the edge of his hoof in his armpit, tapping his chin as he prompted, "Nel'Thrix said something about the Fallen? Is he referring to the undead?"

The paladin turned his head and Ashbringer answered after a brief nod, "Yes. These are not the undead that you know. The Fallen are much more calculated and powerful than before. The Scourge were stunted because a small part of Arthas still remained and had mercy on Azeroth. Now they can inflict unparalleled terror on Equis."

There was cold silence after Ashbringer spoke. Both remembering their time served as one of the Four Horsemen. Slaughtering as the Lich King saw fit. After minutes of silence Ashbringer spoke offering him Alex's attention, "Your only chance at surviving is to find the Ashbringer before they do. They will only grow more powerful, this rests on your shoulders."

Alex returned, "Is there anything that you can do to help Luna?"

Ashrbinger released a sigh and moved his gaze longingly to the setting sun, "I can offer only possibilities. Again, it falls on you what you choose to do with the Light. You still follow its domain but it is in abundance here. Do with it what you will. Farewell."

Alex nodded and closed his eyes, his conscience moving from that place and being put back into his own mind. Alex shot his eyes open, while he had gotten information it was not the information he expected. At least he had a way to keep tabs on Rovos and the Fallen. Alex stood up from his crossed sitting position and stretched out like a cat, breaking a few kinks in his back. Be was left sore after the battle, something he would have to get used to.

"I thought we agreed that you can't wander on your own?" Alex looked back and found Rarity. Her mane and tail combed very casually, not in its usual curls but she looked in the process of finishing. She was looking healthier than she was a few hours ago, as beautiful as always.

Alex smiled and returned, "I thought it would be well within reason that I have a few moments on my own."

Rarity smiled and said, "Just try not to terry too far."

Silence had ensued for a few moments and Alex was the first to speak, interrupting Rarity, "I want to apologize."

Rarity slightly kept her smile as she lifted an eyebrow, "What for?"

Alex rubbed the back of his neck keeping his gaze on her large blue orbs, "About the whole thing with Silver Bolt. I just..."

Rarity raised a hoof and said, "Say no more, you still have to get used to the royal family and the lines of leadership if something wrong did come across the princesses. Silver Bolt was just trying to ensure that your intentions were pure."

Alex grunted, "More pure than his."

Rarity nodded ignoring his comment to himself. Rarity finally said, "Twilight made an agreement with Silver Bolt that they won't leave for a few more minutes cause she-"

"She wants to read more in that book?" Alex finished for her. Letting Rarity nod, Alex shook his head and said aloud, "I could have sworn I have seen that book before. Did she say where she got it from?"

It seemed vaguely familiar to him but he could not place the location where he saw it or the title of the book. It was all rather strange, she knew the name of one of the agents of the Lich King. Rogue agent anyway, and she held a mysterious tome that held familiar feelings and letters inscribed on it. Alex looked up as he noticed another form walking past them and saw it was Fluttershy. Alex went to greet her when she passed right by him with a look of horror on her face.

Alex followed his gaze on her and said, "What's wrong Fluttershy?"

She jumped at the sudden attention but composed after she saw Alex, in her ever timid voice she said, "Oh, hello Alex. I...I was just going to check up on something. I heard this voice call out to me for help so I just had to find out where it was...it sounded hurt."

Alex nodded, "Well then point us into the right direction."

Fluttershy just gave an agreeable Mmhm. They followed Fluttershy until they reached the bottom of a bridge and in the gentle current and stained in crimson was something that Alex could not believe his eyes. It was a Faerie Dragon, from Azeroth. He wondered why it was here. Fluttershy reached out to grab the faerie dragon and said, "Oh you poor thing, are you alright? Where does it hurt?"

The faerie dragon looked up at the gentle pegasus with large emerald green eyes and in an ever soft spoken and child like voice it responded, "Thank you so much. I...oh my."

The faerie dragon uttered when she saw Alex. The faerie dragon said, "You...you do not belong here...like me..."

Rarity asked, "What creature is this?"

Alex answered, "It is a Faerie Dragon, a roaming creature from my own lands of Azeroth. They are peaceful creatures that prefer to live in forests of light. But it would seem that it mistaken the Everfree as a beacon."

Fluttershy looked at him with wide pleadful eyes, "What is it you can do to save it?"

The faerie dragon rushed out of Fluttershy's craddled hooves and sprung into Alex's. He took a closer look at the thing. Faerie dragons never grew to be overly big, he only large ones came from a spell cast from a mage. It had an air of health and healing that touched Alex's very soul. It had bright red tall ears that folded down against its slightly flattened rounded head. The scales were of a dark emerald hue with hints of blue, orange, and red all round it. Its wings were small and folded well, though a large gash moved from its small shoulder to its wing. It was very adorable and cute, almost overly so. Alex rested a hoof on the quavered dragon and he silently prayed to the light to heal and he was answered. His hoof glowed as he pressed it lightly against the faerie dragon and lifted it once the energy died. He opened his eyes and the dragon leaned up and licked his cheek saying, "Thank you friend! Oh I've never felt so strong before."

Alex hefted the filly sized faerie dragon and asked, "How did you get here?"

"I...I don't know...one minute I am contemplating the weight of a human head, by the way did you know that it weighs ten pounds? Then the next I'm just...flying away from these horrible creatures." The faerie dragon shuddered in Alex's hooves and Fluttershy rested a hoof on the dragon to soothe it and she seemed to calm down.

Alex asked, "Creatures?"

The faerie dragon nodded at him and said softly, "They were decayed and rotted, it was not very pleasant...I did everything I could to try and stop them but...I got injured."

Rarity tapped Alex on the shoulder and whispered, "Can we talk?"

"Sure just a sec," Alex looked back at the dragon and asked, "What is your name?"

The faerie dragon perked up and answered in an ever joyous tone, "Oh, my name is Brightwing! A pleasure meeting your acquaintance mister..."

"Alex,"

He replied, "I will be right back, in the meantime Fluttershy will keep you company."

Alex set Brightwing back into the grass and stood up. He brushed himself off and followed Rarity a few feet away, just out of earshot and Rarity asked, "What is going on? Is it just me or are there a lot of beings coming from your world?"

Alex ran a hoof through his mane and replied, "I don't know, if I did I likely would have told you by now...let's put it aside for now and focus on what's important."

Rarity nodded and said, "So what are we going to do about Brightwing?"

Alex looked over and saw Fluttershy and Brightwing getting along seamlessly. Alex thought for a second then responded, "I'll take care of her, Fluttershy has enough on her plate with Angel and her other animals. If that is okay with you."

Rarity shrugged, "It's...fine...I mean, Opal does not really care in these later days. She seems more nonchalant than usual so as long as you want to do this, it's fine with me."

Alex and Rarity joined Fluttershy and Brightwing as they approached Brightwing said, "Oh I have always been able to talk, since the day I just a little hatchling."

Alex interrupted, "Brightwing? Do you mind if I-"

"Yeah sure," Brightwing interrupted, "It's fine. I would be more than glad to live with you."

Alex was about to say something else when he was shushed by Brightwing's wing and she said, "I am new to this place and I don't know where to go. I think I need to know where my friends are."

Alex shrugged, "Well alright then. Fluttershy you don't mind taking care of Brightwing while I'm gone right?"

Fluttershy responded in a heartbeat, "Oh without a doubt!"

Alex stood and looked over to Rarity and said, "I think we should meet with the rest and get ready to head out. They are likely waiting for us."

Rarity raised a hoof and said, "After you, darling."

Rarity had to admit that with the new change of her focus, it was rather taxing on her mind. Most if not all of what she thought about used to be what sequins match, how many seems would be needed for a nice gala dress, and how many needles she needed. Now it was what defensive spells she needed to learn, how to remove blood stains from her coat and clothes if she wore any. Likely she would have to wear some kind of armor. Alex highly suggested it and she was not about to doubt him, she was not Twilight who questions his every other move when he knew next to everything about the enemy. Which is what scared her and allowed her to sleep at night because of it.

She glanced at the battle dressed stallion and took note that he knew more about the enemy than anypony, and nopony questioned that fact. He hunted these foul beasts but when does the hunter become the hunted. Perhaps he left his world before he became the hunted. Or he stayed the hunter.

"Alex!"

Rarity looked and saw Twilight jogging to meet them. Rarity waved a hoof and Twilight replied with a brief but bright smile but it died quickly as she looked over at Alex who turned to meet her and said in reply, "Hey Twilight."

Twilight joined their side and chided, "There has been something on my mind lately that has been bugging me."

"Okay, what is it?"

Twilight took a deep breath and asked with a twinge of fear in her voice, "Who is this 'Lich King'?"

Rarity kept her gaze on Alex and from the question it appeared to be a sore subject to bring up. Alex rolled his shoulder and explained, "I used to call him my Prince. I used to call him a fellow brother in our order. When the Scourge plundered across our lands, Arthas was one of the first to answer. Like his teacher he was noble and honorable. But then he became obssessed with Mal'Ganis and wanted nothing more than to kill him, his heart grew dark and his mind clouded away from judgment. He chased Mal'Ganis to Northrend and hunted him into the snow ridden wastelands of Icecrown. It was there that he truly embraced darkness and killed the expedition that he brought with him to feed the dark and hungry sword, Frostmourne. He came back and slaughtered all of his people to raise them again as his twisted and malformed undead army. No one able to stop him, not even me."

The feelings he radiated were dark and mournful, crackling with emotions not felt for a long time. Rarity gulped hard at his explanation, she imagined an endless field of dead bodies littered across the land. She can see those dark creatures hobbling over the decaying corpses. All moving closer to a pony dressed in dark armour. She shuddered as she returned from her over acting imagination. She looked over and met eyes with Twilight as she said, "I'm sorry for opening a closed wound I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine Twilight," Alex returned, "You probably should know, considering Rovos was once his servant. Or the servant to his right hand, Kel'Thuzad. And there is something that you both should know...Princess Luna is now a Death Knight, she is now a soulless servant of Rovos and the Fallen."

Both their hearts stopped as they heard this, their goddess of the moon fallen once again to evil forces. Rarity shook her head slightly and said, "I can't believe it...how do you know about this?"

Alex replied, "The Ashbringer is...split...it has many eyes and can watch our enemy and come back to me with what it saw. And it saw Luna dressed in dark ebony armour, carrying Frostmourne's sister blade Shadowmourne..."

They put the conversation hold, though on a darker note, as they joined with the other members of their rescue party. Silver Bolt and Firefly were waiting incessantly for them to arrive. Silver had his hooves crossed over his chest, a cloak wrapped around his shoulders leaning against a tree. Firefly was sitting on a stump twirling a knife around her hoof. A dagger to be more specific, a red hued blade that glinted in the light. They both looked up as they approached them, Silver Bolt spoke snidely, "So Ponyville's vaunted justice returns, perhaps to admit that I am your leader now."

Alex growled, "I am not of this country, you are no leader of mine. That and you have no idea the enemy that we face. Once you look into their eyes you will never be the same again."

Alex stepped threateningly in Silver Bolt's face and hissed, "And I would suggest for your sake that you cut the attitude. I do not take kindly to those pretending to be my allies."

They exchanged angered looks and once again Twilight split them up and stepped in between them and said, "If their goal was to divide us then it is clearly working, both of you calm down or I will find the princesses myself. Now, can we all at least try to get along while we're together. Lets try and work together."

Silver Bolt snarled, "I suppose..."

Twilight breathed an air of relief, "Good, now let's go shall we?"

Alex and Twilight took the lead and Firefly and Silver Bolt right behind them. Rarity brought up the rear and gathered her vision about herself, noticing details and things that she could easily remember. She knew Ponyville and the outlaying countryside for miles around. Ponyville Cemetery was only about two or three miles away. When her gaze returned to the front of her, her gaze was glued to the dark tome that was fashioned to a chain that clanked at Twilight's side. Swaying back and forth, Rarity was not one that could sense magic very well that was more Twilight's thing. But she could just tell that it held some wild magic within it, like Discord used it as a napkin. It was not a pleasant feeling but Twilight knew what she was doing but Rarity hoped that she would not have to reform Twilight like they did with Luna.

Now that she thought of Luna and the recent news of her becoming this 'Death Knight', horrific images sprang to mind as she thought of what such a title as that might entail. Nothing pleasant, she could imagine. All that she hoped was that she could be saved once again.

Author's Note

Sorry for such the long wait for this one, I had SO much other stuff to do. Nothing that was more important I just kind of forgot about this one. You all know how it is, I tend to bite off more than I can chew

More to come, just be patient.